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Laura loved it. I thought it fell somewhere in the middle as far as movies go. I didn’t think in was so bad as to justify the hate heaped on it. But it didn’t enchant me either.
This is on my list of movies that I have to see once a year. Audry Hepburn, Carey Grant, and an excellent supporting cast in a movie that combines great banter with a parody of Alfred Hitchcock.
“A movie about people who do stuff that is not normal.” I don’t usually do concert videos. Chunks of the film include surreal clay animation by artist Bruce Bickford. An even more surreal moment comes near the start when you see a tiny animated Zappa, standing on a film editing device watching Bickford’s animated films. Bickford’s art uses clay to morph figures from castles to faces and back again, and the interviews with Bickford and shots of Zappa conducting the soundtrack.
However, most of the film focuses on two back-to-back concerts in New York City which highlights Zappa’s diverse musical styles from satirical humor pieces, spoken-word performance art, complex instrumentals, backstage goofing around, and audience participation. At the height of the concert, he invites select members of the audience on-stage to reenact his feud with Warner Brothers, and engage in a dance competition to a composition with a constantly shifting meter.
While it’s all in good fun, it’s not for the easily offended. The movie left me longing for a bit more Bickford, and it drags at points in spite of Zappa’s incredible on-stage showmanship. If you are not already a fan of his music, you probably should skip this one.