Frank Zappa is a great name—catchy and exotic. Somehow it suits an avant-garde outsider-artist rock-and-roll satirist.
Zappa himself knew that his name was better known than his music. He was famous for mouthing off and putting himself in the middle of controversies, and he stayed famous even when he mostly played to a small (but loyal) audience.
A major documentary portrait of Zappa, who died in 1993, is overdue. At 93 minutes, “Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words” covers only a portion of the man’s Zappa-ness. But it’s a very entertaining start.
The concept of the film is to use Zappa’s interviews, vintage footage, and of course music. No talking heads or historical context here; this is a chance to hear Zappa on many, many subjects.
There’s a 1963 clip of a clean-cut Zappa appearing on Steve Allen’s TV show, proposing to “play” a bicycle as a musical instrument. Zappa tells the show’s band members, “Try to refrain from playing any musical tones.”
In interview excerpts, Zappa describes his early musical efforts as an anti-authority figure in the counterculture, but he also makes clear (in a very Sixties interview with singer-actor Theodore Bikel) that his mockery includes the flower children, too.
Director Thorsten Schutte takes an adoring tone, and paces the documentary nicely. We hear about Zappa’s outspoken opposition to congressional efforts to put warning labels on music, and his hero’s welcome in Czechoslovakia after the fall of Communism (his music had been an inspiration to people in the underground there).
Samplings of Zappa’s music give his range, from political send-ups to experimental classical composition — the man was serious about avant-garde composing throughout his life.
If anything, more music in the film would have been splendid. There’s only the briefest reference to “Valley Girl,” Zappa’s biggest single, but that’s probably to respect Zappa’s irritation at that novelty tune’s success.
Basically, this is a chance to listen to an eloquent and refreshingly unfiltered fellow. Zappa comes across as the kind of guy you knew in high school who was super-smart and quicker on his feet than anybody else.
Even a Zappa fan might admit that in his forties, Zappa still sounded like a super-smart high school student. His anti-authority ideas and deep skepticism didn’t advance much through the years.
There’s more to come: A crowd-funded Zappa documentary from the actor Alex Winter is due next year. Expect some overlap, but the subject isn’t close to being exhausted.
“Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words” 3 stars
Documentary portrait of the avant-garde satirist, using vintage interviews to tell his life story (Zappa died in 1993). More music would be splendid, but the film provides an entertaining look at a well-spoken and unfiltered artist.
Rating: R, for language, nudity
Showing: Sundance Cinemas
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