Canada: Friday, November 27, 2020
Magnolia Pictures
http:///www.magpictures.com/zappa/
With unfettered access to the Zappa family trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Alex Winter's assembly features appearances by Frank's widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank's musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White and others.
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Gregory M. - Rated it 3 out of 5
"Zappa" There has yet to be a film about the life and times of the brilliant and genuinely maverick musician Frank Zappa. The documentary crafts over a thousand hours of mostly unseen material from Zappa’s personal vault. With unfettered access to 'The Zappa Family' trust and all archival footage, "Zappa" explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of it's time. The film assembly appearances by Frank’s widow Gail Zappa and several of Frank’s musical collaborators including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood and Ray White. With a career that spans over 110 albums, multi-faceted composer and musician Frank Zappa remains one of the most prolific artists in the history of recorded music. "Zappa" is a portrait of this beloved, often controversial artist, presented through never before seen interviews, performances, and private movies made available for the first time from the artist’s personal vault. This comprehensive documentary provides insight into the many sides of Frank Zappa, one of modern music’s most popular yet uncategorizable artists. Many are familiar with Frank Zappa’s reputation as an eccentric, mustachioed wild man at the forefronts of both rock’n’roll and experimental music, yet with this in-depth documentary, the film provides a nuanced portrait of the multifaceted, driven, sometimes difficult man behind the outsized persona. The film gives unlimited access to a trove of mostly unseen recordings and documents, allowing him to vividly illustrate the artist’s journey from his repressive childhood in 'Cold War' suburbia, to his artistic and commercial heydays in 'The 1960s' and '70s', to the unlikely crossover success of his novelty hit 'Valley Girl'. Along the way, the film provides ample evidence of Zappa’s serious musical brilliance and single-minded artistic ambition, which often came at the cost of his close relationships. Eschewing the pitfalls of many adulatory music docs, the documentary crafts an appreciative yet clear-eyed tribute to a man whose life was as varied and difficult to pin down as his music. The result is a film that remains true to Zappa’s spirit; compelling, often hilarious, and honest, yet never afraid to question orthodoxy. There has yet to be a definitive, all-access documentary on the life and times of Frank Zappa. The film tells a story that's not a music doc, or a conventional biopic, but the dramatic saga of a great American artist and thinker; a film that would set out to convey the scope of Zappa’s prodigious and varied creative output, and the breadth of his extraordinary personal and political life. It's a very human, universal cinematic experience about an extraordinary individual. It's an exclusive access to Zappa’s vault; a vast collection of his unreleased music, movies, incomplete projects, unseen interviews and unheard concert recordings. With this wealth of material, and the minimal addition of present-day interviews with Frank’s closest friends and musical collaborators, the film builds a narrative that's both intimate and epic in scope. We've to preserve a great deal of material from the vault that's deteriorating and in great danger of being lost forever. Frank Zappa was not only a creative genius, but also a great and eloquent thinker who articulated the madness of his times with extraordinary clarity and wit. A legitimate maverick who lived and worked amongst other extraordinary people in historic times. Ultimately, "Zappa" is not a retro trip into the past, but a thoroughly modern exploration of a man whose worldview, art and politics were far ahead of their time, and profoundly relevant in our challenging times. It's an expansive and intimate portrait of an extraordinary artist who was also fully engaged with the turbulent politics of his day. A must-see for fans of this unique rock-and-roll icon. written by Gregory Mann
