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Rock star Frank Zappa stars in this film about life on the road with a rock band. Filmed in London where Zappa was living, the film also features Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Flo and Eddie and an X-rated animation sequence.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
The film is great if you like that kind of thing - a few rock'n'roll numbers, Ringo Starr and Keith Moon larking around with the Mothers Of Invention, surreal intertwining fragments of ideas and some crazy (and at the time groundbreaking) visuals.
But I'm disappointed with the quality of the pictures and sound. Co-director Tony Palmer claims repeatedly to be in posession of the original video tapes on which it was shot, and the sticker on the front says "restored from the original sources", yet film scratches and blotches are evident throughout and some of the colours are very dark and muddy; and the sound is appalling - very muffled and boomy. So this has obviously been transferred from a cine print (or maybe a duplication negative) with an optical sound track - hardly "restored from original sources". Palmer claims on the commentary to have spent several months remastering the movie but I'm not convinced by the results. If (as he also repeatedly claims) all the editing and effects were done live as they were recording, it should have been relatively easy to go back to the original tapes (or at least the first generation film transfer) and reconstruct the movie in a digital editor.
But I'm disappointed with the quality of the pictures and sound. Co-director Tony Palmer claims repeatedly to be in posession of the original video tapes on which it was shot, and the sticker on the front says "restored from the original sources", yet film scratches and blotches are evident throughout and some of the colours are very dark and muddy; and the sound is appalling - very muffled and boomy. So this has obviously been transferred from a cine print (or maybe a duplication negative) with an optical sound track - hardly "restored from original sources". Palmer claims on the commentary to have spent several months remastering the movie but I'm not convinced by the results. If (as he also repeatedly claims) all the editing and effects were done live as they were recording, it should have been relatively easy to go back to the original tapes (or at least the first generation film transfer) and reconstruct the movie in a digital editor.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Mastered from poor late sources - both video and film damage is visible, the picture has been 'stretched' - and with a very poor quality soundtrack, Frank Zappa's 200 Motels deserved far better. 39 years ago Tony Palmer was not claiming authorship of this film (quite the opposite in fact) so his motives for this dire issue are at the very least suspect. As is his claim that the film was edited 'live', well the film was really edited in LA from the first generation celluloid transfer (by which time Palmer had long since ceased any involvement in the project).
Get a secondhand VHS tape and rip it to DVD-R, you'll do far better than this. Or if you're fortunate enough to own a laserdisc player hunt it out in that format (good luck to you, it's not easily found) - that shows how it should have been done.
Perhaps Gail has a decent print.....
Get a secondhand VHS tape and rip it to DVD-R, you'll do far better than this. Or if you're fortunate enough to own a laserdisc player hunt it out in that format (good luck to you, it's not easily found) - that shows how it should have been done.
Perhaps Gail has a decent print.....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic
I had this one on VHS, but I needed to get it on DVD. I have watched the DVD, and I really love it. And I can really recommend the seller!!!!!
Published 3 months ago by Anders Huselius
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zap! Pow! Zing! Boing!
Extraordinary reel of exuberant imagery! Nonsensical whimsical imaginative and bizarre! Fantastic celebration of life! Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2010 by nomdeplum
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zappa's best?
It was seeing clips from this on 'Whistle Test' at the time of the movie's release that began my long enjoyment of Zappa's music. Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2010 by Mark Butler
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