Zappa.com

My Top-10 favourite filmmakers of all-time & the ones that have influenced my films dee most - in order, they are:

..1. Robert Flaherty - dee father of documentary film: http://imdb.com/name/nm0280904/
..2. Stan Brakhage - American experimental-film guru & a friend: http://imdb.com/name/nm0104132/
..3. Sir Stanley Kubrick - Best-damn narrative filmmaker ever: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000040/
..4. Pier Paolo Pasolini - What an Italian rebel: http://imdb.com/name/nm0001596/
..5. Akira Kurosawa - WOW, another Grand Master: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000041/
..6. Peter Mettler - A old film classmate & fellow raver: http://imdb.com/name/nm0582650/
..7. Vsevolod Pudovkin - Made film an art form (1): http://imdb.com/name/nm0699877/
..8. Sergei M. Eisenstein - Made film an art form (2): http://imdb.com/name/nm0001178/
..9. David Lynch - Indie film guru: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000186/
10. Alfred Hitchcock - Best Storyboard director ever!!!: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000033/
10. Terry Gilliam - Insanity never had a better proprietor: http://imdb.com/name/nm0000416/
10. Andrei Tarkovsky - Dee poet of cinema: http://imdb.com/name/nm0001789/
10. Eric Rohmer - Mr. Natural Lighting: http://imdb.com/name/nm0006445/
10. Frank Zappa - BTW, FZ directed btwn 28-38 flics folks (best political filmmaker-ever): http://imdb.com/name/nm0953261/

AND, some others in no real particular order:

Saul Alinsky, Margarethe von Trotta, Marie Menken, Marguerite Duras, Lina Wertmüller, The Brothers Quay, Jirí Trnka, Jan Svankmajer, "FAMU 8", R. Bruce Elder, Emil Kolompar, Miroslav Ondrícek, Kenneth Anger, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, Luis Buñuel, Manoel de Oliveira, Pedro Almodóvar, Fernand Léger, Aardman, Tim Burton, Michael Apted, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith, Martin Ritt, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Vittorio De Sica, Ermanno Olmi, Alberto Lattuada, Bernardo Bertolucci, François Truffaut, Lars von Trier, Jean Pierre Lefebvre, Alain Resnais, Allan King, Federico Fellini, Francis Ford Coppola, Sofia Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Jim Jarmusch, Christopher Nolan, Michelangelo Antonioni, Frederick Wiseman, Joris Ivens, Lino Brocka, Costa-Gavras, Gillo Pontecorvo, Theo Angelopoulos, Ingmar Bergman, Jean-Luc Godard, Yasujiro Ozu, John Sayles, Kenji Mizoguchi, Emir Kusturica, Satyajit Ray, Jean Cocteau, Jean Renoir, David Cronenberg, Richard Leacock, Werner Herzog, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Wim Wenders, Norman Jewison, Norman McLaren, Frank Capra, John Ford, Orson Welles, Colin Low, Jeff Renfroe, Marteinn Thorsson, The Lortur Group, Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, Alistair Gretarsson, Gunnar Knutsen, Jakob Halldorsson, AND, Sergio Leone... (((Whew!?!)))

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Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

PS - Peter Mettler is dee only filmmaker ever to have filmed dee Northern Lights - everytime you see them on film it's all CGI'ed. AND, dee Toronto Int'l Film Fest did a special retrospective of his work between last Sept '06. TIFF did a special Rave in his honour on Friday, Sept 15/06 in an OLD church. Cool, eh!!! [http://www.petermettler.com/home.html]

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

Many of my filmmaker friends think I'm absolutely crazy for incudling dear-old Uncle Frankie in my top-ten filmmakers-ever list - most don't even have one because they can't decide on one list. Until, that is, they actually see his films. "They never knew," is dee common response, and then they have to totally re-evaluate the body of FZ's work. It's like re-discovering a long-lost treasure/masterpiece. Well, I then always tell them, "you got to start somewhere," and off they go re-discovering all of FZ's work. Most come to dee body of FZ's work through dee music first and dee flics secondly. Not my friends, it's opposite, films first is our filmmaker motto, and then they slowly arrive at dee same conclusion as I did: Frank Zappa is at his absolute best when making his films. It's all dee great music, plus dee directed visuals, and there's dee filmic sound design (that's extra voices and sound effects folks). In dee 1971 Frank Zappa VPRO documentary directed by dutch TV pioneer Roelof Kiers, FZ did say that when he writes his music, he many-a-time, "does think of accompanying visuals." See what mean folks. He truely did want to a filmmaker first, but that darn Detective Willis (no releation to Bruce I'm told), had to go and wreck eveything. For shame folks!!! Arf! Arf!!! Here fido...

......
Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

PS - watch dee 1971 VPRO documentary here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oeh32gVc-6Y

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

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''minimart - it's basically a scaled-down supermarket, fits inside a petrol station. sells pies, antifreeze..''

I wouldn't put Frank in the top 500, or even 1000 as a filmmaker.

Unlike of somewhat common-sense, Frank Zappa was a innovative filmmaker and some of his techniques were ground breaking and are still used today. Even though his output in the film industry is not comparable to his music output, his brief and stint contributions were punctual but effective...

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The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true Art and Science. - Albert Einstein

Right now, my favorite filmmaker is Jean-Luc Godard. This will likely change.

[size=0]Isaac[/size]

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I want dis little pussy
Baby wants some o' dis
And some o' dat
Don't treat me, baby, like your
Any old Alley Cat
Alley Cat, Alley Cat

Jimmie D Fan

Kudo's Mr_Green_Genes!!! I would (in general) place FZ dadaist film style on dee outer periphery of BOTH the 50's San Fran style (like Stan Brakhage, Kenneth Anger, Len Lye & Maya Deren), and, dee 60's New York scene, which I think is a huge overlooked factor as to why FZ did so many Garrick Theatre shows, and stayed for as long as he did. But the filmmakers never really accepted him into THAT scene, even though they all went to dee Garrick shows. To understand dee NYC experimental film scene, this is what you need to know: you had Marie Menken, dee godmother of THAT scene (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579682/); it's godfather & Village Voice columnist reporting weekly on that scene since 1956ish (that crazy Lithuanian) Jonas Mekas (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0577263/); it's financier Andy Warhol (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0912238/); again, Stan "dee man" Brakhage - its academic and gave dee whole validity & creedance (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0104132/), and lastly its bastard chiild, Ron Rice - he still died too young (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0723534/). OH!!! I could really get into a conversation about this scene.

Mr FZ did know about all this. Jonas Mekas even reported twice on FZ's Garrick show - Jonas didn't really like dee Garrick shows. (NB: If you can find dee rare book by Mekas called, "Movie Journal," it has 85% of his weekly VV columns from 1957-1972 - FZ mentioned twice-ish). Viddy well until next time...


What is you're problem calvin2hikers? Weren't you paying attention. Didn't you get dee memo? Viddy well until next time...

......
Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

Jean-Luc is my second favourite french filmmaker-ever!!! And, second only to Zappa, as my favourite political filmmaker-ever. Viddy well until next time... Arf! Arf!!!!

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Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

I'm sorry I had an opinion.

So calvin2hikers, whatever happened to your defence of your other comment, "I wouldn't put Frank in the top 500, or even 1000 as a filmmaker." Who are some of your favourite filmmakers then? Viddy well until then...

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Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

I refuse to communicate with someone that does not speak in an adult fashion and is using a "gimmick".

What's in a word, eh calvin2hikers? I'm still waitin' for a response to defend your comment. Convince me that your statement, "I wouldn't put Frank in the top 500, or even 1000 as a filmmaker" is a correct one. If not, then I agree to disagree with you. OK? Viddy well until next time...

......
Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

Frank was innovative in his approach to editing (i.e. inducing seuizures) and he did create the first video->film movie (whether that ushered in something good or horrible the rise of the "anybody can be a filmmaker era")

I also wouldn't put in him on a top 15. With true masters of cinema like kubrick, hitchcock, bunuel, kurasawa, eisenstein, roeg, lang, griffith, etc. etc. there really is no room for frank on that list. He was far to dedicated to his music to master somehting else. Film was a hobby and he made some great films (2, 200 motels and baby snakes)(video from hell is a long commercial and roxy doesn't really exist) but that doesn't put him on the top 15. Zappa = 10 out of 10 in music. People like those mentioned aboved are the zappas of film because it is that craft to which they dedicated their lives above all else.

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On a related note:

The "Jimi Hendrix: Live at Woodstock" DVD has a second disc which has the concert shot on videotape instead of film. I believe the filmmaker used something like this.

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Faster'n a three-peckered owl!

That is what most of my filmmaker friends initially say Grimpoteuthis. But when we study FZs films the way only filmmakers can, they almost always agree. I do understand where you're coming from when you say this, "there really is no room for frank on that list. He was far to dedicated to his music to master somehting else. Film was a hobby and he made some great films..." - most FZ fetishists who know dee music do say this. It's a societal cross-over thingie - people like to pigeon hole their artists into one medium only, hence, it's why they don't take them seriously in another media.

Take my favourite FZ flic Uncle Meat, it's dee classic film-within-a-film, which was very prevenlent in dee 50's & 60's experimental film scenes of San Fran & New York (we like to call it dee self-reflexsive nature of film - a mirror if you want), of which FZ was an outsider too. They never really acepted him - he was a rock'n'roll guy, and had no business in that scene (cross-over thingie again). But that's where FZ filmic heart lay. As far as I can detect, FZ made his films like his musical compositions, he scripted them in great detail, and basically filmed that - a modern day Hitchcock he was. To say he doesn't belong to that list is a travesty. As a comsumate outsider FZ is almost always mis-understood, no less so then in his filmmaking endevours. I'm proud to list him tied for #10 on my list. Viddy well until next time...

......
Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

This camera did revolutionize dee indie film scene, and in when they were first introducted in 1966, there were only a few avaliable in the US. Video art got it's real start during that year with New Yorker Nam June Paik shows. i beleive Paik recieved dee first order for that portable SONY camera w/port-o-pak - http://www.paikstudios.com/bio.html. But even Paik, as video arts greatest proponent, had a hard time getting it accepted as serious art. The late sixites changed that with a greater influx of portable video gear, and dee introduction of cable TV. By 1970 it was game over, and video art was more or less an acepted art form. By then Paik was dee video art guru of guru's. New York City was dee world centre of that scene. Viddy well until next time... Arf! Arf!!!

......
Droog #26 dee Minister of Anthropology

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""Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People!" ... Zappa also said that if anyone had shown interest in the film five years ago, he would never have played rock and roll." - (R.S. mag: Oct 18/69)

1. Luis Bunuel
2. Alfred Hitchcock
3. Terry Gilliam
4. Milos Forman
5. Nicolas Roeg
6. Bob Fosse
7. Coen Brothers
8. Jim Henson (not really a director but all his involment's in stuff)
9. Christopher Guest
10. Wes Anderson (not including rushmore which I can't sit through)

Just for the record.

I don't discredit FZ's movie works because he was a musician however onemust realize that he spent more time on music than anyone we probably know.

The fact of the matter is Baby Snakes is a fan movie, 200 motels is really really really good, but outside of being shot on video and then transfered to film the only thing original about it was the amazing MUSIC (frank's specialty) the camera work is awful, and Dada cinema hadn't been new sincde the 1920's. I've never seen Uncle Meat (I didn't know a complete version existed) but from the clips I've seen I looks like a shittly put tgether film with once again good music. If I could only have one DVD it would be baby snakes, not because frank is my favorite director but because he is my favorite composer.

That is to say he can be you're tenth favorite director (he is probably my 11th favorite) but to say he is the 10th greatest of all time, its not only incorrect but extremely rude to the great men and women who dedictaed their lives to the craft of filmmaking with the same tenacity with which frank approached music.

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Well, that's being harsh. I thought the camera work in 200 Motels was just fine.

[size=0]Isaac[/size]

_________________
I want dis little pussy
Baby wants some o' dis
And some o' dat
Don't treat me, baby, like your
Any old Alley Cat
Alley Cat, Alley Cat

Jimmie D Fan

Sam Peckinpah
John Ford
Martin Scorsese
Stanley Kubrick
Francois Truffaut
Luis Bunuel
Quentin Tarantino
Terry Gilliam
Francis Ford Coppola (for Apocalypse Now & The Godfather)
Jim Jarmusch

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What's the ugliest part of your body ?

Same way I feel. Particularly the former, Apocalypse Now has a terrfic sound enviroment. You can enjoy that movie with a blindfold on just as much. Bliss pure bliss.

As for the camerawork, it wasn't terrible it was a lit in a very tv showish way. High-key all around, few defined shadows, even etc. etc. Not terrible but the camera seemed like it was positioned soley with the idea of capturing what was going to happen in front of it. Yet it didn't manage to carry that aesthetic approach to the point of feeling like a documentary (which would have justified the quality of the product in terms of definition) it looks to me like a frasier episode replaced with the mothers and life on the road.

Good music, funny script, good story, and wonderfully outside of the mainstream but it needed more money and more thought into the production time.

(for the record the sountrack is easily on my top 5 zappa albums)

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Be sure to watch Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution by godard. It's his best film from my point of view, and a movie that would enter my 5 favorite movies

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http://www.zappafrenzy.com

"I refuse to become what you call normal"
Lemmy Caution

That's one of the films that I saw. I've also seen Keep Your Right Up! - which has some of the most unreadable subtitles I've ever seen. Who in their right minds would choose bold white text to put over a film that's 90% whiteness throughout the film? One of the dumbest moves ever made by a distributor, if I may say so. The VHS was put out by Facets Video in 2002.

[size=0]Isaac[/size]

_________________
I want dis little pussy
Baby wants some o' dis
And some o' dat
Don't treat me, baby, like your
Any old Alley Cat
Alley Cat, Alley Cat

Jimmie D Fan

My favourite filmakers are the cohen brothers.

I don't see Zappa as a filmaker. Even if he devoted all his time to it, I don't think he'd be that brilliant to the extent of making it to these sort of lists. 200 Motels is flawed, incoherent nonesense, while Baby Snakes is extremely boring and never ends.

Baby Snakes is can be modifed thanks to the chapter skip button into an amazing amazing amazing thing.

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I've always been a big fan of Frank's EDITING (picture & sound). I like all the epilepsy-inducing flashes and I love the work of Bruce Bickford. Frank's "G-Spot Trornado" video is a real fave. Straight concert footage CAN BE a bore unless you are a musician and want to see what the bands fingers are doing.