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Catalog/Comedy/200 Motels
200 Motels poster
B
Strong
MASTER SCORE 66.9 / 100
1971·Comedy / Fantasy / Music·1h 38m

200 MOTELS

"Touring makes you crazy," Frank Zappa says, explaining that the idea for this film came to him while the Mothers of Invention were touring. The story, interspersed with performances by the Mothers and the Royal Symphony Orchestra, is a tale of life on the road. The band members' main concerns are the search for groupies and the desire to get paid.

Above the Line
Tony Palmer, Frank Zappa·DirectorFrank Zappa·ScreenplayTony Palmer·WriterTony Palmer·Director of PhotographyFrank Zappa·Original Music ComposerRich Harrison·Editor
Cast
Frank Zappa·Member of Mothers of Invention (uncredited)Mark Volman·Member of Mothers of InventionHoward Kaylan·Member of Mothers of InventionIan Underwood·Member of Mothers of InventionAynsley Dunbar·Member of Mothers of InventionGeorge Duke·Member of Mothers of InventionTheodore Bikel·Rance Muhammitz / DaveKeith Moon·Hot NunRingo Starr·Larry the Dwarf / Frank ZappaJanet Neville-Ferguson·Groupie #1 (Janet Ferguson)
Full Crew
(21 credits)
Directing· 2
Tony Palmer·DirectorFrank Zappa·Director
Writing· 2
Frank Zappa·ScreenplayTony Palmer·Writer
Camera· 1
Tony Palmer·Director of Photography
Editing· 1
Rich Harrison·Editor
Sound & Music· 4
Frank Zappa·Original Music ComposerFrank Zappa·Music ArrangerGeorge Duke·MusicianIan Underwood·Musician
Art & Design· 4
Leo Austin·Art DirectionSue Yelland·Costume DesignCal Schenkel·Production DesignPaul Rabiger·Makeup Artist
Production· 4
Herb Cohen·ProducerJerry D. Good·ProducerBrian Harris·Associate ProducerRaoul Pagel·Associate Producer
Other Departments· 3
Mark Volman·Additional WritingHoward Kaylan·Additional WritingMervyn Medalie·Hairdresser
By the Numbers
66.9
OF 100
Master Score
5.6
OF 10
IMDb
57%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

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Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind 200 Motels's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#0D0D1A
#E67300
#0066CC
Mood
Surreal, Chaotic, Vibrant
Composition
Layered
Era
1970s
Visual Style
Illustrated

“The poster features a large, stylized illustration of Frank Zappa's face with a prominent mustache and afro, dominating the upper half. Below his face, a chaoti”

musicfantasycomedy
Key Elements
Musical InstrumentsFrogMasks
Atmosphere
Vibrant
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
Urban
Design Score
7/10
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THE NEIGHBORHOOD

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THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
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