Movie: The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels

Top 10 Billed Cast

Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa

Self

Tony Palmer
Tony Palmer

Self

Phyllis Smith Altenhaus
Phyllis Smith Altenhaus

Self (archive footage)

Dick Barber
Dick Barber

Self (archive footage)

Theodore Bikel
Theodore Bikel

Self

Jimmy Carl Black
Jimmy Carl Black

Self

Peter Bos
Peter Bos

Self

Napoleon Murphy Brock
Napoleon Murphy Brock

Self (archive footage)

Phyllis Bryn-Julson
Phyllis Bryn-Julson

Self

Warren Cuccurullo
Warren Cuccurullo

Self

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    A one-hour documentary on the making of Frank Zappa's bizarre 1971 comic musical. Vintage private footage from Frank's personal archives plus behind-the-scenes of the actual shooting and recording. With Ringo Starr, Theodore Bikel, Keith Moon and such songs as "Sleeping in a Jar," and "Strictly Genteel." The inside history of the first feature-length film to be shot on video in 6 days.

  • Release Date

    1988-01-01

  • Average

    7.5

  • Rating:

    3.8 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

White Heat
77%

White Heat(en)

1949-09-02

A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.

Zombie Fight Club
56%

Zombie Fight Club(zh)

2014-10-23

It's the end of the century at a corner of the city in a building riddled with crime - Everyone in the building has turned into zombies. After Jenny's boyfriend is killed in a zombie attack, she faces the challenge of surviving in the face of adversity. In order to stay alive, she struggles with Andy to flee danger.

Star Trek
74%

Star Trek(en)

2009-05-06

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.

Fight Club But With Tennis And No Fight
76%

Fight Club But With Tennis And No Fight(en)

2019-07-13

Drama descends upon two tennis-obsessed women as the tension moves from off the court and into the café.

Florence Fight Club
79%

Florence Fight Club(it)

2010-01-01

Four men decided to enter in the oldest Fight Club of the History, The Florentine Football tournament. A father and son, a black guy, an old champion and outsider clerk will enter in an arena of the time to win their fears, to go over their limits, to be heroes for a day.

Hannibal Buress: Miami Nights
60%

Hannibal Buress: Miami Nights(en)

2020-07-03

Mildly successful comedian, Hannibal Buress, performs his second stand-up special in Chicago based on his wild night with the police.

Crocodile Dundee II
58%

Crocodile Dundee II(en)

1988-05-19

Australian outback expert protects his New York love from gangsters who've followed her down under.

Stardust Memories
70%

Stardust Memories(en)

1980-09-26

While attending a retrospect of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda
85%

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda(en)

2014-12-23

In the middle of a broadcast about Typhoon Yolanda's initial impact, reporter Jiggy Manicad was faced with the reality that he no longer had communication with his station. They were, for all intents and purposes, stranded in Tacloban. With little option, and his crew started the six hour walk to Alto, where the closest broadcast antenna was to be found. Letting the world know what was happening to was a priority, but they were driven by the need to let their families and friends know they were all still alive. Along the way, they encountered residents and victims of the massive typhoon, and with each step it became increasingly clear just how devastating this storm was. This was a storm that was going to change lives.

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor
81%

Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor(en)

2013-12-25

Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars. And amongst them, the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe.

Great White Fight Club
78%

Great White Fight Club(en)

2023-07-24

Experts set out to prove that female great white sharks rule the ocean.

Waltz with Bashir
77%

Waltz with Bashir(he)

2008-06-12

An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.

Dolls
76%

Dolls(ja)

2002-10-12

Dolls takes puppeteering as its overriding motif, which relates thematically to the action provided by the live characters. Chief among those tales is the story of Matsumoto and Sawako, a young couple whose relationship is about to be broken apart by the former's parents, who have insisted their son take part in an arranged marriage to his boss' daughter.

The Constant Gardener
70%

The Constant Gardener(en)

2005-08-31

Justin Quayle is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife Tessa is killed he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy.

D3: The Mighty Ducks
59%

D3: The Mighty Ducks(en)

1996-10-04

The Ducks are offered scholarships at Eden Hall Academy but struggle with their new coach's methods and come under pressure from the board to retain their scholarships before their big game against the Varsity team.

Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation
45%

Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation(en)

2004-05-19

A group of troopers take refuge in an abandoned outpost after fighting alien bugs, failing to realize that more danger lays in wait.

Sullivan's Travels
74%

Sullivan's Travels(en)

1941-11-30

Successful movie director John L. Sullivan, convinced he won't be able to film his ambitious masterpiece until he has suffered, dons a hobo disguise and sets off on a journey, aiming to "know trouble" first-hand. When all he finds is a train ride back to Hollywood and a beautiful blonde companion, he redoubles his efforts, managing to land himself in more trouble than he bargained for when he loses his memory and ends up a prisoner on a chain gang.

High and Low
83%

High and Low(ja)

1963-03-01

In the midst of an attempt to take over his company, a powerhouse executive is hit with a huge ransom demand when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake.

Hannibal Brooks
64%

Hannibal Brooks(en)

1969-01-18

A POW in World War II is put to work in a Munich zoo, looking after an Asian elephant. The zoo is bombed by the Americans and the director of the zoo decides it is not safe for his Asian elephant Lucy to remain there. So he sends Brooks to safety with Lucy. They escape and go on the run in order to get to Switzerland.

Le Notti Bianche
74%

Le Notti Bianche(it)

1957-11-14

A middle-aged man meets a young woman who is waiting on a canal bridge for her lover's return.

Similar Movies

Lonesome Cowboys
50%

Lonesome Cowboys(en)

1968-11-01

Five lonesome cowboys get all hot and bothered at home on the range after confronting Ramona Alvarez and her nurse.

Destroy All Neighbors
64%

Destroy All Neighbors(en)

2024-04-26

William Brown, a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad. Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla.

Pink Floyd: Whatever Happened to Pink Floyd? The Strange Case of Waters and Gilmour
60%

Pink Floyd: Whatever Happened to Pink Floyd? The Strange Case of Waters and Gilmour(en)

2011-01-01

This film traces the path Floyd took after the recording of the Animals album - an era when cracks in the band first started to show - and brings the strange story of the group and the intense relationship between Waters and Gilmour right up to date with the unexpected collaboration of these two maverick musicians at a 2010 charity event. Featuring numerous interviews.

Yessongs
84%

Yessongs(en)

1975-03-12

Filmed live at London's Rainbow Theatre in December 1972, the innovative group Yes performs its progressive rock symphonies -- epic compositions that influenced new trends in contemporary music. "Yessongs" provides a visual record of the concert tour that became a groundbreaking tour de force in rock music. This unique concert video of Yes was filmed during their record-breaking tour and features the talents of the five original band members. The massively popular band defined the prog rock movement with their mystical epics which infused both a Medieval and Classical sound into rock music. Titles performed include "Close to the Edge," "All Good People," and "Roundabout."

Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!
82%

Classic Albums: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Freak Out!(en)

2021-10-08

This programme tells the story behind the conception, recording and release of this groundbreaking album. By use of interviews, musical demonstration, performance, archive footage and returning to the multi tracks with Ahmet Zappa and Joe Travers we discover how Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention created the album with the help of legendary African- American producer Tom Wilson.

200 Motels
53%

200 Motels(en)

1971-11-10

"Touring makes you crazy," Frank Zappa says, explaining that the idea for this film came to him while the Mothers of Invention were touring. The story, interspersed with performances by the Mothers and the Royal Symphony Orchestra, is a tale of life on the road. The band members' main concerns are the search for groupies and the desire to get paid.

Sasha Grey
0%

Sasha Grey(en)

2011-09-30

“For my film portrait of Sasha Grey, I wanted to focus on her expressive and psychological transformation into a cinematic actor, separate from the cues that have associated Sasha with her previous career as a performance artist working within the adult film world.” – Richard Phillips

Heterodyne
50%

Heterodyne(en)

1967-01-01

“Geometric animation made entirely by sculptural methods: cutting, punching, welding colored leader. HETERODYNE is related to some of my other work as RNA to a protein or polypeptide. It was made in abject (if blissful) ignorance of Paul Sharits’ early work.” –Hollis Frampton

Friend of the World
42%

Friend of the World(en)

2020-08-15

After a catastrophic global war, a young filmmaker awakens in the carnage and seeks refuge in the only other survivor: an eccentric, ideologically opposed figure of the United States military. Together, they brave the toxic landscape in search of safety... and answers.

Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon
73%

Classic Albums: Pink Floyd - The Making of The Dark Side of the Moon(en)

2003-06-01

Released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of this classic album, learn how Pink Floyd assembled "Dark Side of the Moon" with the aid of original engineer Alan Parsons. All four band members--Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, and Richard Wright--are interviewed at length, giving valuable insights into the recording process. The themes of the album are discussed at length, and the band take you back to the original multi track tapes to illustrate how they pieced together the songs. With individual performances of certain tracks from Roger, David, and Richard included, this is an essential purchase for any Pink Floyd fans, and a fascinating artefact for rock historians everywhere.

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
81%

Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii(en)

1972-10-25

Stylish film of the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd in 1971 performing a concert with no audience, in the ancient Roman Amphitheater in the ruins of Pompeii, Italy. There are four editions of the film: the original 1972 version with the concert only (60 min.), a longer 1974 theatrical version (85 min.) featuring the concert interspersed with interviews and footage of Pink Floyd in the studio working on their next album, Dark Side of the Moon, the 2003 Director's Cut which added CGI effects to the 1974 version, then finally the 2016 Blu-ray version which re-arranged the song order of the 2003 version.

Sweet Movie
52%

Sweet Movie(en)

1974-06-12

The winner of the Miss World Virginity contest marries, escapes from her masochistic husband and ends up involved in a world of debauchery.

Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera
100%

Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera(en)

1985-10-14

The creative processes of avant-garde composer Philip Glass and progressive director/designer Robert Wilson are examined in this film. It documents their collaboration on this tradition breaking opera.

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City
75%

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City(de)

1927-09-23

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops
58%

Frank Zappa: The Torture Never Stops(en)

2008-05-01

Halloween, New York City, 1981 Live at The Palladium with Ray White, Steve Vai, Bobby Martin, Tommy Mars, Ed Mann, Scott Thunes, Chad Wackerman

Sun Song
80%

Sun Song(en)

2013-10-17

A poetic journey from the darkness of dawn into the brightness of the midday sun in the American South. Filmed over the course of six months on one bus route in Durham, North Carolina, this film is a celebration of light and a meditation on leaving.

Time Piece
73%

Time Piece(en)

1965-05-07

Dislocation in time, time signatures, time as a philosophical concept, and slavery to time are some of the themes touched upon in this 9-minute experimental film, which was written, directed, and produced by Jim Henson. Screened for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art in May of 1965, "Time Piece" enjoyed an eighteen-month run at one Manhattan movie theater and was nominated for an Academy Award for Outstanding Short Subject.

60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero
38%

60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero(en)

2011-12-22

An anthology of one-minute films created by 60 international filmmakers on the theme of the death of cinema. Intended as an ode to 35mm, the film was screened one time only on a purpose-built 20x12 meter public cinema screen in the Port of Tallinn, Estonia, on 22 December 2011. A special projector was constructed for the event which allowed the actual filmstrip to be burnt at the same time as the film was shown.

2012: Time for Change
61%

2012: Time for Change(en)

2010-10-08

2012: Time For Change is a documentary feature that presents ways to transform our unsustainable society into a regenerative planetary culture. This can be achieved through a personal and global change of consciousness and the systemic implementation of ecological design.

Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile
66%

Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of Smile(en)

2004-10-05

This film tells (using modern day interviews and archival footage and sound tapes) the story of how in 1967, while his band The Beach Boys triumphantly toured abroad, Brian Wilson was trying to push the boundaries of conventional pop music with a new follow-up to the Beach Boys' cutting-edge mega-hit, Pet Sounds. The new album was to be called "SMiLE". SMiLE pushed the envelope both musically and lyrically, and was supposed to out-do the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper record. But Brian wasn't able to sell the project to his band-mates when they returned. The project was shelved and Wilson's well-documented decline into depression, drug abuse, recluseness, and obesity had begun. Thirty-odd years later, Wilson announced that in 2004, SMiLE would be performed live in its entirety in London. This film tells the story of a damaged but healing artist bringing his greatest work to light.