We're in agreement: this is the worst film we've covered. Yes, worse than Sextette. Ringo Starr's role in Frank Zappa's 1971 freakout film seems like it could've gone to anyone: is there a specific reason for using him as a Zappa avatar in this film? We also talk Zappa and free speech: do the arguably puerile lyrics undermine the virtuoso musicianship of Zappa and the Mothers of Invention? And did John Lennon and Yoko Ono rip off a Zappa song after they played together?
A WARNING: there is more effing and jeffing in this episode than usual, because of the necessity to quote some of the dialogue to discuss it.
Links
Cirque de Clunes on Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
Ringo's quote about his waning commitment to filmmaking is from Alan Clayson's book Ringo Starr, also published as Ringo Starr: Straight Man or Joker
Videos
The documentary The True Story of 200 Motels:
The John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band song Jamrag/King Kong, which as of 2025's Power to the People box set now credits Zappa as a writer: