Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words (2016)

An in-depth look at the life and work of avant-garde musician, Frank Zappa.

Director:

Thorsten Schütte

Stars:

Frank Zappa, Steve Allen, Angel

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Steve Allen	...	Himself (archive footage)
Angel	...	Herself (archive footage)
Chuck Ash	...	Himself - Pennsylvania State Police (archive footage) (as Trooper Chuck Ash)
Arthur Barrow	...	Himself (archive footage)
Adrian Belew	...	Himself (archive footage)
Theodore Bikel	...	Rance Muhammitz (archive footage)
Jimmy Carl Black	...	Himself (archive footage)
Pierre Boulez	...	Himself (archive footage)
Thomas Braden	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Tom Braden)
Napoleon Murphy Brock	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tom Brokaw	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wally Bruner	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul Carman	...	Himself (archive footage)
Del Casher	...	Himself (archive footage)
Connie Chung	...	Herself (archive footage)

Storyline

In the 20th Century, Frank Zappa made his mark as a musician unlike any other in America. With a wild eccentric iconoclastic attitude guiding his distinctive music, which it was itself guided by a firm intellectual integrity, Zappa made himself an unforgettable force in popular music. This film covers his life and work through various archival footage through the decades. Whether it was his taboo challenging early creations, his outspoken efforts against the political forces determined to censor him or his constant quest for new artistic challenges, Zappa made a mark no one could ignore.

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Plot Keywords:

musician | rock music | rock star | singer songwriter | rock musician | 

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Taglines:

The musical message is a philosophical message, and it's very simple... You are never gonna please anybody else, so you might as well please yourself. (Frank Zappa)

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual references and brief nudity

Details

Country:

France Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 December 2016 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Eat that question: Frank Zappa en sus propias palabras

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,695, 26 June 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$354,981, 6 November 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Poisson, UFA Fiction, Arte France

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dedicated to Gail Zappa.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Frank Zappa: You're 18. Take the spoon out of your nose, take the needle out of your arm, take the beer out of your mouth, and go vote. You know what I mean? Vote. Register and vote like a beast.

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Crazy Credits

There is a final bit of footage at the end of the closing credits where Zappa encourages young people to vote.

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Connections

Features What's My Line? (1968)

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Soundtracks

Dog Breath
Written by Frank Zappa
Performed by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention

User Reviews

Zappa was an outrageous figure but this documentary is fairly forgettable.

There is no doubt that Frank Zappa was a genius, a cultural icon and an inspiration to many. Unfortunately this documentary is fairly forgettable.

The documentary relies almost completely on archive footage, from 1967 to just before Zappa's death in 1993. This comprises largely of concerts and interviews. This footage is informative and revealing. There is also lots of humour, either coming from Zappa himself or from his music.

The interviews however tended to reveal more about the media culture that Zappa lived in through the 60s, 70s and 80s than they revealed about the man himself. And although no doubt a very radical figure at the time, Zappa doesn't seem quite so radical when viewed from the year 2016.

The major flaw with the movie is that it lacks an emotional core; it lacks bite. We are simply shown a succession of footage with no great attempt to draw us in, or to tell a story. Zappa was a creative and outrageous figure, and yet this documentary of his life is fairly quiet and ultimately disappointing.