Frank Zappas 200 Motels (1971)

Frank Zappa’s half-mad gamey musical/comedy ‘200 Motels’ (1971) is an attempt at a visionary cult musical/comedic jamboree. It narrowly misses it but works hard when it can, with an unreal set (it’s all shot on a fake series of sets with solarized film stock) the fake town of Centreville is the occasion for a fake bands twisty journeys in an unreal landscape that makes fun of all.

Cameos by a whole bevy of singer names of its time (Theodore Bikel, Keith Moon, Mark and Eddie, Ringo Starr) add a level of jokery and in-humor for what is Zappa’s audience of knowing cult fans/freaks if not hippies out there in the music world. The whole plot is a half jumbled series of sketches all operating from a skeptic’s view of any sort of stardom or vulgarian to ridiculous styled cartoon quality that we see (it even has a cartoon segment that rides rather on.)

It has a grand quality of play, shading and trashiness of a half cruddy style but in a basically tasteful Zappa way. It’s far from perfect but still rides along here and does entertain.

the zappa head poster

the zappa concert