"200 Motels" on TCM TONIGHT!!!!

Agreed. Reason enough to sit through it, but don't get your hopes up.

 

The other reason is that there are a couple music tracks not on the album, and vice-versa... (don't ask which, I forget)

Wish my laserdisc hadn't rotted to unrecognizability.

 

I don't have TCM on my Time Warner tier...I guess 200 MOTELS won't be stealing the room tonight.

 

Well, what a bummer. It's about as good as watching my old VHS copy.......
boo.

 

I did watch it last night (even though I have an old VHS of this in my collection. It followed The Tim Carey Dada Epic "The Worlds Greatest Sinner" with music by a certain FZ. I didn't notice that it was Zappa's music until halfway through. talk about a treat!

 

Whaaaa...? the first minute of the film has elements of "Holiday In Berlin" in it!

 

I recorded "200 Motels" on my DVR the other night. I've never been a fan of Zappa, but I've always been interested in the fact that Mark & Howard were members of The Mothers Of Invention, after The Turtles broke up. Ten minutes into this movie and I already realize that some sort of drug will be needed, to appreciate this insanity. I guess that explains why I've never been into Zappa....

Chris C

 

Watching it now. No sir, I don't get it. It's not at all cleaver or witty... just stream-of-consciousness ramblings. People enjoy this?

 

yeah, but where else are you gonna see Keith Moon fondle a couple of naked chicks?

 

What what what??!? TCM broadcast The World's Greatest Sinner?? Geez, would really liked to have seen this, having read about it for several years in various cult film mags and sites. Guess I should start browsing the movie listings in the newspaper rather than just relying on the digital cable scroll...

 

Frank's self-indulgence at its absolute worst. He was a gifted, often brilliant artist who nonetheless badly needed someone to say "No" to him once in a while.

 

My wife and I both wanted to see The World's Greatest Sinner so she set the VCR to record it. The next day I turned on the TV and the channel was on AMC instead of TCM. We checked the tape and sure enough, AMC programming on the tape. I've been teasing her about using "complicated contraptions" ever since, LOL. We really wanted to see it. Hope they run it again - when we're home.

 

"Greatest Sinner" was ok, I guess. It was nice hearing orchestrated bit of "Holiday In Berlin", but it definitely wasn't a "B" movie. It was a "Z" movie!

 

Hey, compared to a lot of stuff out there I'm sure it's pure Citizen Kane! Thought I'd share this description from Shock Cinema mag's site so that those who've never heard of it can get a sense of why some of us were eager to check it out:

 

Tried to watch it last night but gave up. It is bad. Oh well.

 

I agree. According to Frank, United Artists' main reason for funding the movie was that they were able to release a soundtrack album. They were desperate to break into the "youth market".

 

When I saw the newts and the nun suit on the boxes, I had to shut the tape off and take a long break. My wife kept yelling 'What the hell is that **** you're watching? It even SOUNDS stupid."

 

One thing....those groupies weren't very good looking. Bet rock groups get much better girls these days.

 

For a Zappa band – whataya expect?

 

Funny thing is, as awful as this movie was, the soundtrack is one of my four or five favorite Zappa albums. In my opinion, the two best vocalists he ever featured, the best drummer, and some of his very finest music, a very effective mixing of rock and classical.

Too bad the lyrics are so snickering adolescent.

 

Agree, except for Flo and Eddie... it seems like much of Zappa's writing was dumbed down to accommodate them.

They weren't horrible, but this era of Zappa has the highest clunker content.

200 Motels and Playground Psychotics stand rather tall, however.

 

Hmm. In terms of musicianship, I disagree. To my ears, FZ never demanded so much skill from his vocalists, before or after, as he did from Mark and Howard. Who handled everything he threw at them.

Lyrically, you may be right. With the Flo and Eddie band, Zappa's inner adolescent certainly erupted full-blown. After the wheelchair albums, and with F&E gone from his bands for good, the peepee / underwear sniffing / nasty sex lyrics came roaring back, seldom if ever to go away again. (I realize that I'm overgeneralizing terribly here.) So I'm not sure Mark and Howard were to blame for the dumbing down - It was always my impression that they accomodated Frank. He certainly kept at it long after they were gone from his band.

Opinions.