2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey

“People, like you and me, can go bananas on the road. This is what this movie is all about.” a voice in “200 Motels,” probably Frank Zappa’s.

We have been hearing for quite some time that videotape will change the way we make films and now here is the vanguard of that revolution. Frank Zappa’s “200 Motels” could be described in many ways but mostly a happy, fanatical and strange exploration of the possibilities involved in color videotape production. If they can achieve more with video tape I don’t want to know it.

The film is a kind of magical mystery trip through all the motels, concert halls, cities, states and groupies of a road tour by the Mothers of Invention. To say that this movie lacks documentary accuracy would be an understatement bordering on thundershowers. All cities are collected into one Centerville where ‘it’s really nice place to raise your kids,’ while sanity in the film can be measured by Ringo Starr acting as “a very large dwarf” Zappa.”

Almost extreme limits towards which Zappa pushed the process of videotape is due to his mixture of mediums like rock music, electronic music, overlapping visuals etc. What kind of combination does Zappa do? (An experimental 1962 stage production entitled Harry Partch’s “Celebrations on The Courthouse Square” anticipated everything in “200 Motels.”) But it was something new to mix it up on celluloid.

According to reports made by various sources, Zappahad managed to shoot then entire movie over about a week with videocassette recorders and done much editing & montage simply within camera before making final cuts on inexpensive videocassettes & transferring them onto unexpectedly high quality 35mm images. Videocassettes enable more special effects; as a result, Zappawas generous enough. Some viewers may find its multi dimensionality excessive.

In a sense, perhaps, overbearing is the word for this film. It beats the mind with all it has. For example, during the animated section or those rare times when there is only one image on screen we find ourselves taking a mental breather. This movie is so high that even intermissions are missed at some stage.

Nevertheless, the music is there and in plenty and since the film never stops for any of it we don’t have a feeling of an illustrated album. Neither is it another chronicle of a road tour; don’t look back,” “mad dogs and Englishmen” and rock festival films which always show events like these are also broken by “200 Motels” as you will see. That makes this movie not exactly related to Beatles movies either, but it does have its own tree. One with enough branches for everyone but wild tigers snapping at your toes.

This isn’t one of those movies that you need to watch several times before understanding everything about them; instead it’s almost one you cannot see only once: not because it’s straightforward but as well complicated such that eventually one realizes that they aren’t supposed to know everything and put everything in order. It seems like a whole wall of sight and sound feedback without content being important, just as Zappa wants us to think about concerning his work. Howard Johnson outta 200 Motels Tinker Bell-Aquarius.”

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