I gave this my own title because I feel that was the focus. And it's very well done! This movie gives you the full spectrum of Frank Zappa. It doesn't sugar coat the subject. While showing his brilliance it shows his flaws. The parts dealing with his end of life can be very emotional as it should be. Considering the vast volume of source material I was hoping for more of the Garrick Theater era, but it wasn't to be. Perhaps it's not available. Maybe some longer clips of concert material too. But it isn't that type of film. Hopefully everyone will see just how talented and driven Frank Zappa is from watching this. Alex Winter does a great job of showing his talent as a composer. Only lacking in showing what a proficient guitar player he was. Never really emphasized how ground breaking he was in that area. I still highly recommend seeing the movie!
38 Reviews
an absolute mother
ferguson-626 November 2020
Greetings again from the darkness. Frank Zappa's music was never considered mainstream. His songs were rarely played on the radio. In his entire career, he charted one Top 40 song, and that was driven by his daughter. To some, he was known as a political activist and a spokesperson first, and a musician second. At times he was an enigma and a rebel or maverick, and he's even described as trying not to write a hit song. Alex Winter may be best known as Bill in the "Bill and Ted" movies, and he's also a successful documentary filmmaker (DEEP WEB, 2015). This time out he turns his focus on the career and life of Frank Zappa.
One of the first things we see is Frank Zappa taking us on a tour of his personal vault located at his Laurel Canyon home. It's an enormous private collection that captures quite a bit of history from the 1960's forward. Zappa points out some of his favorites including his jams with Eric Clapton in the basement and music with his friend Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet). These are original masters of Zappa's work over the decades, and he was nothing if not prolific, releasing 62 albums during his career, and another 53 following his death in 1993.
Acting as bookends for the film are clips of Zappa's 1991 live show in Prague, where he is helping celebrate the withdrawal of Russian troops. It's also his last guitar performance on stage. An incredible amount of footage exists of Zappa pontificating on one subject or another, sometimes on television, sometimes in front of news cameras, and even in front of a Senate committee. His music and his life was usually focused on social commentary, opinions not always popular with the establishment.
It's very interesting to hear Zappa talk about his early influences, particularly how he never outgrew his love for editing - something that began with the 8mm films at his childhood homes. He didn't begin playing music until his early teenage years, and it was orchestral before rock. He always considered himself a composer, and what a prolific writer he was. It's an unusual film in that it not only tracks the timeline of his career, but we are privileged to hear Zappa's opinions directly from him thanks to the unending recordings and archival footage available.
Mr. Winter includes much more than Zappa. We hear from musicians that made up the Mothers of Invention, including Steve Vai, Bunk Gardner, Ian Underwood, and an emotional Ruth Underwood. We also hear from renowned Rock n Roll groupie Pamela Des Barres, and Frank's wife Gail. It's noted that Zappa disbanded the Mothers of Invention in 1969, and there were many iterations that played afterwards. Some of the prominent names included violinist Jean Luc Ponty, and Howard Kaylan and Marc Volman of The Turtles fame. There is even a terrific clip of John Lennon and Yoko Ono performing on stage with Zappa and his band ... shocking for anyone not familiar with Yoko's infamous primal screams.
One of the best stories included is how Zappa's biggest hit came to be. A note from his young daughter, Moon Unit, introducing herself to her frequently absent father led to a collaboration on the single "Valley Girl", which cracked the Top 40. There are also stories on his dreaded hosting of "Saturday Night Live", as well as pieces on the Kronos Quartet, London Symphony Orchestra, and Ensemble Modern performing his music. In 1979, Zappa became the first musician to go completely independent with his own label, and this is only a few years after he was seriously injured by being attacked on stage.
Some may recall Zappa's appearance in front of the Senate committee in regards to the drive to include Parental warning labels on published music. Zappa viewed this as nothing more than censorship, and he was one of the few musicians to fight the battle against the opponents led by the wife of White House Chief of Staff James Baker. Zappa was certainly a man of principles, and had no time for those who weren't. It was pancreatic cancer that took his life, but a life well lived it was. His time as a symbol of freedom in Czechoslovakia is proof that he never shied away from standing up for what he believed in. So like his music or not - he surely didn't care. But he respected those who cared for society and freedom. Filmmaker Winter does a nice job with a two hour run time, when the material exists for a 4 part series.
One of the first things we see is Frank Zappa taking us on a tour of his personal vault located at his Laurel Canyon home. It's an enormous private collection that captures quite a bit of history from the 1960's forward. Zappa points out some of his favorites including his jams with Eric Clapton in the basement and music with his friend Captain Beefheart (Don Van Vliet). These are original masters of Zappa's work over the decades, and he was nothing if not prolific, releasing 62 albums during his career, and another 53 following his death in 1993.
Acting as bookends for the film are clips of Zappa's 1991 live show in Prague, where he is helping celebrate the withdrawal of Russian troops. It's also his last guitar performance on stage. An incredible amount of footage exists of Zappa pontificating on one subject or another, sometimes on television, sometimes in front of news cameras, and even in front of a Senate committee. His music and his life was usually focused on social commentary, opinions not always popular with the establishment.
It's very interesting to hear Zappa talk about his early influences, particularly how he never outgrew his love for editing - something that began with the 8mm films at his childhood homes. He didn't begin playing music until his early teenage years, and it was orchestral before rock. He always considered himself a composer, and what a prolific writer he was. It's an unusual film in that it not only tracks the timeline of his career, but we are privileged to hear Zappa's opinions directly from him thanks to the unending recordings and archival footage available.
Mr. Winter includes much more than Zappa. We hear from musicians that made up the Mothers of Invention, including Steve Vai, Bunk Gardner, Ian Underwood, and an emotional Ruth Underwood. We also hear from renowned Rock n Roll groupie Pamela Des Barres, and Frank's wife Gail. It's noted that Zappa disbanded the Mothers of Invention in 1969, and there were many iterations that played afterwards. Some of the prominent names included violinist Jean Luc Ponty, and Howard Kaylan and Marc Volman of The Turtles fame. There is even a terrific clip of John Lennon and Yoko Ono performing on stage with Zappa and his band ... shocking for anyone not familiar with Yoko's infamous primal screams.
One of the best stories included is how Zappa's biggest hit came to be. A note from his young daughter, Moon Unit, introducing herself to her frequently absent father led to a collaboration on the single "Valley Girl", which cracked the Top 40. There are also stories on his dreaded hosting of "Saturday Night Live", as well as pieces on the Kronos Quartet, London Symphony Orchestra, and Ensemble Modern performing his music. In 1979, Zappa became the first musician to go completely independent with his own label, and this is only a few years after he was seriously injured by being attacked on stage.
Some may recall Zappa's appearance in front of the Senate committee in regards to the drive to include Parental warning labels on published music. Zappa viewed this as nothing more than censorship, and he was one of the few musicians to fight the battle against the opponents led by the wife of White House Chief of Staff James Baker. Zappa was certainly a man of principles, and had no time for those who weren't. It was pancreatic cancer that took his life, but a life well lived it was. His time as a symbol of freedom in Czechoslovakia is proof that he never shied away from standing up for what he believed in. So like his music or not - he surely didn't care. But he respected those who cared for society and freedom. Filmmaker Winter does a nice job with a two hour run time, when the material exists for a 4 part series.
A decent documentary, but certainly not "definitive".
Weirdomusic-dot-com19 December 2020
A decent documentary, but certainly not "definitive". Given the fact the Alex Winter had unlimited access to the Zappa vault I had expected more rare footage. Still, as a general introduction to the person Frank Zappa it's not a bad starting point.
Zappa behind the curtain
KlaatuHeartsGort1 December 2020
I have been a lover of Frank Zappa's music since the late 70's. In the Fall of 1977, a friend asked me if I had ever listened to Frank Zappa, and I responded with disgust, relating to him the (false) urban legend of Zappa winning a "gross-out" contest with Alice Cooper by eating one of Cooper's own fresh turds on-stage. Without another word, my friend jumped up and put an album on - I didn't see (or ask) what album it was. After the first minute or so of music, I was really digging it, so I asked my friend who the artist was. "Frank Zappa," he replied (the album was "Roxy and Elsewhere," the side with "Village of the Sun" on it).
I was transfixed - I spent the rest of the afternoon in my friend's dorm room, cutting classes and going through my friend's Zappa albums. I have been a "Zappacolyte" ever since.
Winter's documentary offers a view of Frank Zappa as seen "from behind the curtain." There are loads of interviews with Frank, but also with Gail Zappa and with many members of Frank's bands over the years, as well as with friends and associates (for example, Alice Cooper appears in the movie). I found the interviews of Ruth Underwood and Steve Vai particularly insightful and touching. Along with the interviews, a huge treasure trove of footage is presented which is edited and spliced perfectly with the voice-overs.
Thankfully, Winter worked extra-hard to show us the "real" Frank Zappa. To do anything less would've allowed the movie to descend into a hagiography that would've been the ultimate insult to the memory of a unique genius like Frank.
"Zappa" starts somewhat slowly and perhaps a little pedantically, but this helps to lay the foundation for the presentation of Frank's later years. By the end, I had tears in my eyes as Winter's biography culminated in a heartfelt yet "open-eyed" tribute to one of the greatest musicians, composers, and spokesmen of our time.
I was transfixed - I spent the rest of the afternoon in my friend's dorm room, cutting classes and going through my friend's Zappa albums. I have been a "Zappacolyte" ever since.
Winter's documentary offers a view of Frank Zappa as seen "from behind the curtain." There are loads of interviews with Frank, but also with Gail Zappa and with many members of Frank's bands over the years, as well as with friends and associates (for example, Alice Cooper appears in the movie). I found the interviews of Ruth Underwood and Steve Vai particularly insightful and touching. Along with the interviews, a huge treasure trove of footage is presented which is edited and spliced perfectly with the voice-overs.
Thankfully, Winter worked extra-hard to show us the "real" Frank Zappa. To do anything less would've allowed the movie to descend into a hagiography that would've been the ultimate insult to the memory of a unique genius like Frank.
"Zappa" starts somewhat slowly and perhaps a little pedantically, but this helps to lay the foundation for the presentation of Frank's later years. By the end, I had tears in my eyes as Winter's biography culminated in a heartfelt yet "open-eyed" tribute to one of the greatest musicians, composers, and spokesmen of our time.
Absolutely Free
Siebert_Tenseven6 December 2020
I was expecting all sorts of over-the-top freaky posturing and interviews for the sake of a buck, which Frank would have despised. Instead it was a decent and accurate synopsis of a man who will forever be shrouded in mystery.
The impact Frank Zappa had on many generations of slowly aging young persons coming of age, listening to FZ albums and never being the same again, seems to be the point of this documentary.
I was impressed through the whole thing. The production was never sensationalist. It is a somewhat gripping bio of a man finding his way as an artist. I think they call themselves "influencers" now.
The impact Frank Zappa had on many generations of slowly aging young persons coming of age, listening to FZ albums and never being the same again, seems to be the point of this documentary.
I was impressed through the whole thing. The production was never sensationalist. It is a somewhat gripping bio of a man finding his way as an artist. I think they call themselves "influencers" now.
Nicely made documentary about Franks life but glosses over too many things
evansmjp2 December 2020
As a backer of the vault saving project which lead to this movie, and a long time Zappa fan I have read 'The Real Frank Zappa' book and many other articles, clips, etc. throughout his life so maybe I'm coming from a different viewpoint than the average viewer.
There is a lot of new footage and a few new things to be learnt about his life but there are many moments in the movie where I feel that the details are left out just a little too much - for example Frank worked for Studio Z before he bought it - he also bought up film sets with expectation of making movies.
I would have loved to have seen/heard more about his younger life, and the Garrick theater shenanigans, etc.
Otherwise the movie is beautifully made..
There is a lot of new footage and a few new things to be learnt about his life but there are many moments in the movie where I feel that the details are left out just a little too much - for example Frank worked for Studio Z before he bought it - he also bought up film sets with expectation of making movies.
I would have loved to have seen/heard more about his younger life, and the Garrick theater shenanigans, etc.
Otherwise the movie is beautifully made..
A wonderful act of passion
rchevalier-373037 December 2020
Frank Zappa's music polarized people. I never encountered a serious listener who did not either love it or hate it. Casual listeners could be meh but not anyone who invested time to listen. Mr. Zappa was much less than the purported rock star, a label he would not care for and much more one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century. He created and worked for his own enjoyment and if others liked it , great and if they didn't that was ok with him.
He railed against stupidity and the compromise of freedom. While clearly a challenging taskmaster, he never seemed so happy as when conducting the ensemble near the end of his life. I miss him for his work and his will. Frank Zappa was the real Richard Halley.
He railed against stupidity and the compromise of freedom. While clearly a challenging taskmaster, he never seemed so happy as when conducting the ensemble near the end of his life. I miss him for his work and his will. Frank Zappa was the real Richard Halley.
Not as interesting as the man himself
j-m-d-b25 June 2021
Frank Zappa was a unique and extremely talented composer and producer, with a sharp mind and a lovely dark sense of humour. I was quite the fan as a young man and have seen him in concert on several occasions. His death at only 52 came too soon, the body of work he managed to produce in such a short life defies belief.
However this documentary falls flat in showing this brilliance. Most of the material showing Frank is not new, the added interviews don't add much as everything has basically been said before. The editing is messy, jumping around timeperiods without a rhythm or arc. It struck me that Moon and Dweezil weren't interviewed, but when I saw that Ahmet was a producer it made sense; unfortunately Zappa's children have fallen out so they probably weren't asked or interested.
Zappa was great, but most of the stuff that came out after his death, including documentaries, is missing the quality that made his work so special. If you like FZ, listen to his music. I you want visual stimulation, just watch the things he made himself, it will tell you al you need to know about the man. Or read The Real Frank Zappa Book.
However this documentary falls flat in showing this brilliance. Most of the material showing Frank is not new, the added interviews don't add much as everything has basically been said before. The editing is messy, jumping around timeperiods without a rhythm or arc. It struck me that Moon and Dweezil weren't interviewed, but when I saw that Ahmet was a producer it made sense; unfortunately Zappa's children have fallen out so they probably weren't asked or interested.
Zappa was great, but most of the stuff that came out after his death, including documentaries, is missing the quality that made his work so special. If you like FZ, listen to his music. I you want visual stimulation, just watch the things he made himself, it will tell you al you need to know about the man. Or read The Real Frank Zappa Book.
As real as Zappa can be portrayed
rasin_eee13 December 2020
The director put together a lot of materials that portrayed the real career path of Zappa in my opinion. It did not follow the typical breakup of his career path from a "successful" album-oriented era format or the ups/downs/comeback pattern which I liked. Couple of his famous comments about an artists quest, freedom to express came ut sounding very real. Ruth's comments were very passionate and marked a tribute to the man she knew and respected a lot. My wife, who had little knowledge of FZ (compared to me) was amazed to see his personal vault and I think enjoyed it thoroughly. I'd recommend it to fans as well as anybody interested to know about this amazing spirit.
It Could Happen Here
thomas3391128 August 2021
Very personal look at a crazy, brilliant, brave, unique, individual.
While I have never been a fan of his music, I've always been a huge fan of his originality and passion for freedom.
Though the producers and directors of this movie paint conservative politicians as the oppressors, I believe that Frank knew it was all politicians. I wonder what he would say about the country we are living in today.
While I have never been a fan of his music, I've always been a huge fan of his originality and passion for freedom.
Though the producers and directors of this movie paint conservative politicians as the oppressors, I believe that Frank knew it was all politicians. I wonder what he would say about the country we are living in today.
Nicely made
Mhump231 December 2020
Really well put together. Nothing in it i really didn't already know but it was nice to see Frank's career portrayed so thoughtfully. Someone should do a Doc on Ruth Underwood though. She seems like a fascinating soul!
Winter has done Frank justice.
garethcrook4 July 2021
Who doesn't like Frank Zappa? Probably quite a lot of people, but do they know Zappa, have they listened to his records? He's one of those divisive artists that I think a lot of people don't give enough time or respect to. Getting into Zappa is daunting. There are a lot of records, over a hundred (seriously). I've not heard them all but some can be quite... challenging. That for me sums up Zappa, challenging. If indeed he can be summed up at all. I suspect director Alex Winter (yes that one) has listened to them all and loves every one. A prolific recording artist, targeting politics, social issues, pretty much anything he tuned his brain to, he's an interesting guy. Musically he was all over the shop, but it's the scale of Zappa's output that's, well... quite daunting. This doc tells Franks life in his own words. Thanks in large to an incredible self curated archive that Frank introduces us to. Recording masters, photos, videos, all labelled on shelves. I like Franks dedication to his work. Considering it's scope, there's an amazing clarity and focus to it. Inspired by Edgar Varèse as a teen, he's drawn to the weirder side of music, alongside some rhythm and blues. Self taught on the guitar and pretty much everything else, Zappa wasn't constrained by rules. It's a dizzying trip, there's a lot going on in Franks early life. Scoring b-movies, illustrating greetings cards, buying an old studio, seriously don't blink or you'll miss some interesting detail that makes up the fabric of the man. 1965, The Mothers of Invention are born and this is probably the beginning of how most people identify Zappa. He's he's the source at the centre of the band, of everything really. A workaholic perfectionist. Uncompromising and not afraid to go against the grain, piss people off and generally be very demanding. It was a trippy time in California though and there was an audience for Zappa's far out experimentation. An articulate composer creating undefinable music, whilst also keeping an eye on the business side of the industry. Zappa was savvy. Perhaps a control freak, but a capable one. There's a real sense that Frank was the most capable in any room he put himself in. Genius might not be a ridiculous word by any stretch. The centre of the music scene in West Coast America, he's the artist that others want to be and be with. The Stones, Beatles, Clapton, Bowie, Alice Cooper all get a mention... oh and Charles Manson. He's not concerned with success, with hits, just expression. Be it through music, animation, theatre or perhaps most of all, everything together at once. This covers Zappa's dizzying life remarkably well. Never getting too bogged down in any one place and although it's the albums that make him (in)famous, there's a ton of fantastic live footage to enjoy here. If you're not a fan, it probably won't convert you, but I think will give you an appreciation to a genuinely interesting musical icon. A serious man, realistic, artistic, funny, principled and political. Winter has done him justice.
Informative
Gordon-116 January 2021
And then I watched a movie from Hollywood...
jane23-758-22576315 January 2021
That Suzy Creamcheese, who was featured on the first four Mothers' albums is referred to as Frank Zappa's roomate in this documentary is ignorant and inexcusable.
I love Ruth but her anemic piano drum duet of the "Black Page" would never have been released by Frank Zappa. And the Kronos Quartet, why are they even included in this?
If I did not know anything about Frank Zappa before I would have been baffled by this film but I did enjoy seeing the greeting cards Frank Zappa designed and also his home movies and the "World's Greatest Sinner" related footage.
Some kind of genius
paul2001sw-130 October 2021
Frank Zappa was a rock star. He was also a self-absorbed libertarian, performance artist, and avant-garde composer who nonetheless filled his more populist music with cheap sexual references like an immature fourteen year-old boy. Above all else he was someone who always knew what he wanted to do with his life, and lived it without fear. This documentary, assembled in large part from Zappa's own film archive, is therefore intriguing even if you don't appreciate his output: with many celebrities, the life-story is got lucky, got rich, never did anything interesting again, but no-one could say this of Frank. Watching this (and hearing his rather odd creations) I marvelled that he ever made it out of obscurity: perhaps he didn't simply because others found him interesting. And yes, he really did call his daughter Moon Unit.
Zappa was different. The documentary is not.
beatmaster10128 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Every biographical documentary has a difficult task to achieve: it has to satisfy both the fans and the non-fans. The hardcore audience and casual listeners. The filmgoers and the documentary fanatics.
Things are even more difficult with the Zappa documentary, directed by Alex Winter. There's one of the most complexing artists of our modern times, both in his life and his works. The way he understood music, he created lyrics and sound textures, records, films, politics, life... was not the American way. He was critical of everything mainstream around him, and he was able to express it in a way that very few really could.
Zappa was different. The documentary is not.
It's a simple approach to his life and work. There's no attempt to get deeper into the motives behind Zappa's works. From the moment we see him growing up in the Californian country up to dying moments, we witness a presentation type of narrative but not an attempt for an explanation.
And it's everywhere in the film: childhood, personality, love life, friends, collaborations, records. So the final result is a rather glossy reflection, which is probably unfair to the man who pushed the limits in radical ways and left a significant mark in modern culture.
It's a great production with lots of film archives - thanks to Zappa himself - and interviews with people who lived and worked with him. But it's like any other good documentary we have already seen. There's nothing extraordinary different about it and that's a shame. Because Zappa was an extraordinary different artist, both in his life and his works, both in his good times and his bad times.
Things are even more difficult with the Zappa documentary, directed by Alex Winter. There's one of the most complexing artists of our modern times, both in his life and his works. The way he understood music, he created lyrics and sound textures, records, films, politics, life... was not the American way. He was critical of everything mainstream around him, and he was able to express it in a way that very few really could.
Zappa was different. The documentary is not.
It's a simple approach to his life and work. There's no attempt to get deeper into the motives behind Zappa's works. From the moment we see him growing up in the Californian country up to dying moments, we witness a presentation type of narrative but not an attempt for an explanation.
And it's everywhere in the film: childhood, personality, love life, friends, collaborations, records. So the final result is a rather glossy reflection, which is probably unfair to the man who pushed the limits in radical ways and left a significant mark in modern culture.
It's a great production with lots of film archives - thanks to Zappa himself - and interviews with people who lived and worked with him. But it's like any other good documentary we have already seen. There's nothing extraordinary different about it and that's a shame. Because Zappa was an extraordinary different artist, both in his life and his works, both in his good times and his bad times.
Fantastic but it miss some
flavio-m-m-vit5 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I loved but the movie misses to mention other band mates which had big contributions to Zappa´s work, such as Napoleon Murphy Brock, Ike Willis and Terry Bozzio. I guess that there may be sentimental or even legal cracks among the Zappa family and these guys.
Interesting but.....
mikeww-6430927 March 2021
This film was interesting in a lot of ways but there seemed to be large portions of Frank's life missing here...the focus really concentrated on FZ as the composer and the early beginnings through the Mothers...after the Mothers disbanded there seemed to be a large gap and fast forward to his final performance as a composer with the final notes stating he released 62 albums......would have been nice to at least walk through the 70's and 80's a bit more than the Warner Bros. Release fiasco and the Senate hearings.....ohhh well...worth a watch for content otherwise not seen....
A good documentary...
speedemon-1199730 December 2021
...and an overall decent portrait of a musical legend. However it missed alot of commentary concerning his morale values, worldviews and other anti authoritarian subjects of critique, his disgust for religion and religious thought as one of them. A genuis, ashame he's gone, his voice of reason and people like him would be an asset in these modern times.
Good in spite of a lot of random montages
brud-br28 February 2021
Good overview of the life of Frank Zappa.
However, it is too long for the amount of information it puts out. There is only like 5 band members they interviewed.
Also, there are a lot of random montages which my be interesting in the first 15-20mins, but after 30min mark it becomes redundant.
Furthermore, it is weird that for the most part you don't see who exactly is talking on the screen. I would understand this editing choice if it was something relevant to the story, but on top of one topic being discussed there is a video or a series of photos of totally unrelated events. To make things worse, sometimes during these montages, they give names of the band members; the names are not the people talking over it so you get confused whose voice you are hearing in the first place.
Anyways, all of the other things are enjoyable. I think that with a bit wiser editing this could have easily been way better documentary.
However, it is too long for the amount of information it puts out. There is only like 5 band members they interviewed.
Also, there are a lot of random montages which my be interesting in the first 15-20mins, but after 30min mark it becomes redundant.
Furthermore, it is weird that for the most part you don't see who exactly is talking on the screen. I would understand this editing choice if it was something relevant to the story, but on top of one topic being discussed there is a video or a series of photos of totally unrelated events. To make things worse, sometimes during these montages, they give names of the band members; the names are not the people talking over it so you get confused whose voice you are hearing in the first place.
Anyways, all of the other things are enjoyable. I think that with a bit wiser editing this could have easily been way better documentary.
Superb!
AbFabO9 December 2020
This is a wonderful documentary which does full justice to the beautiful enigma of FZ. He was such a dedicated musician & human being. And all the time a real artist - always true to himself! Thank you for making this possible, thank you for all the wonderful archive footage.
An interesting look at his process.
Otkon5 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
But it seems to leave more questions than it answers.
Like, what drove him to be so aloof with others? The earlier home movies showed a completely jovial and pleasantly odd young man. Yet he wound up unable to emotionally connect with the vast majority of his musicians, acquaintances and even family members on so many levels. And this was well before he was attacked.
Yes, he was insanely focused on his music much to the detriment of his relationships. But if his creativity stemmed from a narcissistic, sociopathic need for control, that doesn't paint him in any better light than his casual notions on marital fidelity.
And ultimately, his near-death words to his overly-faithful wife were essentially, "none of this empire you helped me build was worth it."
Yikes, that is chilling.
And what is Ruth's deal? Her feelings on him are bordering on messianic.
For non-fans, this movie will give you insight that the rest of us have had for decades. But this is hardly a comprehensive dive into what made this man legendary. Thankfully, there will always be more to explore with Zappa.
Like, what drove him to be so aloof with others? The earlier home movies showed a completely jovial and pleasantly odd young man. Yet he wound up unable to emotionally connect with the vast majority of his musicians, acquaintances and even family members on so many levels. And this was well before he was attacked.
Yes, he was insanely focused on his music much to the detriment of his relationships. But if his creativity stemmed from a narcissistic, sociopathic need for control, that doesn't paint him in any better light than his casual notions on marital fidelity.
And ultimately, his near-death words to his overly-faithful wife were essentially, "none of this empire you helped me build was worth it."
Yikes, that is chilling.
And what is Ruth's deal? Her feelings on him are bordering on messianic.
For non-fans, this movie will give you insight that the rest of us have had for decades. But this is hardly a comprehensive dive into what made this man legendary. Thankfully, there will always be more to explore with Zappa.
This Doc Makes Zappa Boring
arfdawg-11 December 2020
It's not a good documentary on Zappa. Chock full of lot's of stock footage used as filler.
Added to this the bad director cuts audio recorded at different times and you can really hear the quality changes in Franks voice, making it really annoying to listen to.
There isnt a lot of insight either. Just clips of Zappa yapping about himself and we've seen them before.
Winter is a bad filmmaker.
Added to this the bad director cuts audio recorded at different times and you can really hear the quality changes in Franks voice, making it really annoying to listen to.
There isnt a lot of insight either. Just clips of Zappa yapping about himself and we've seen them before.
Winter is a bad filmmaker.
Gives the viewer a really good insight
scottcheesebrew18 January 2022
To the man who was pretentious, and too smart for his own good. Who knows what kind of mental health issues he had in reality, but the truth is, he was too smart for his own good. Classical composer who want to be weird and unpopular? Sounds odd right, well that's what he wanted, at least in the beginning. Once that became what he was famous for, what he was known for, it was too late to show what real talent he had. He had to be a freak, someone different, someone un-commercial. Otherwise he wouldn't be authentic. We get it, be weird, and weirdos will follow. Be smart, and intelligent people will get it. For those in the middle, or lower.....its noise. And he was fine with that. A+
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