Zappa

[King Bob]

I never liked his music much, partly because it seemed like anyone I met who was into it was also really annoying, and partly because it got no airplay. I did think "Dancin' Fool" and "You Are What You Is" were good songs.

Anyway, this guy made a movie. He got access to the Zappa vault, and used a lot of Zappa's film footage. Somtimes it really doesn't work because there are so many fast cuts. It was also a bit short on good sound bites from Zappa himself, since he usually was good in interviews. Lots of musicians talking, and mostly praising - even though he treated some of them very badly at times, and I think he was probably somewhat of an arrogant egomaniac, although it seems to have diminished with age. 

Apparently he thought of himself primarily as a composer, and it finishes with his project with Ensemble Modern that he did shortly before his death. (Incidentally they recently released a second album of his music that I saw praised on a classical music site.) The music was interesting and the performance has an amazing dance that has some echoes of fight choreography. I'd recommend that you watch that part at least.

[Greg]

Alex Winter is the director. You might know him better as the blonde one in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.

[King Bob]

I forgot that,  but I saw it back in December in this short New Yorker article about the making and funding of it.

[Drunk Monk]

Alex Winter is the director. 

[Greg]

Now that it is on Amazon Prime, I'll probably watch it.

[thatguy]

I was certain that I reviewed this a month ago and even included this Alex Winter interview clip from Jimmy Kimmel...but I can't find that post anywhere so maybe it was just a Doom Dream™...



--tg