Reviews (2)

THE best movie, ever!!
WHY ISN'T THIS OUT ON DVD????? Uncle Meat is a work of genius that has stood the test of time - a brilliant dissection of the commercial music industry and art in general. The film offers great comedy, surreal footage and awesome avant garde musical performances. Frank Zappa is a genius! The best part is you can watch this again and again and never get bored, every time you discover something new. This has to be my favorite movie of all time. Highly recommended. Apple-O

For hardcore Zappa fans ONLY
Man, I'm a pretty big Zappa fan, but this isn't the easiest movie to sit through. If you've seen 200 Motels, you have a basic idea of what to expect from Zappa the film-maker. However, while 200 Motels was bizarre, Uncle Meat is just plain inane. The movie follows no direction at all. Scenes of people talking about unrelated things are just stitched together to make the movie. The one thing that makes the movie worth seeing is the performance of the concert that appears on the "Ahead Of Their Time" CD. Even that isn't really enough to encourage anyone to pay anything over [dollar amount] for the movie. [...] ... Read more

Reviews (29)

For Zappa fans only (and the eternally curious!)
This 1971 film shot on videotape is simply a showcase for Frank Zappa's twisted humour and unique brand of hybrid music. It has neither plot, logic nor coherence, but is basically a series of musical numbers (combining rock, orchestral and opera styles) and comedy skits tied together by the theme of how "touring can make you crazy".

Augmented by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, and the Mothers of Invention, Zappa provides the viewer with some inspired lunacy, great video effects and some highly memorable songs. If the music tickles your fancy, then the soundtrack, recently released for the first time on CD by Rykodisc/MGM, is also a must-have.

Recommended only for those with a high tolerance for Zappa's audio/ visual madness, this is nonetheless a truly satisfying psychedelic ride through the mind of the drug-addled, sex-obsessed musician.

Definitely not for young children though, as the movie contains sexual references, coarse language, nudity and what can be considered as drug-related material.

An unforgettable viewing experience...
First of all, the one thing that a lot of people miss about Zappa was that he was a master "resource" utilizer. - - He knew what he wanted his projects to look and sound like, and was great enough of an artist/producer to find/discipline people capable of delivering his vision - - So the big question : Despite his notorious reputation for his mixture of music and oddball stage antics, given a REAL big budget to make a real big motion picture, could he pull something off ? - - The answer... UNBELIEVABLY FRIGGIN' YES ! ! ! - - The film captures the MOTHERS in their prime circa the antics of FLO & EDDIE... the bizarre stage routines of his group are MELTED together by a great theme... that TOURING can make you crazy... though surreal, beyond the paranoia and psychadelic wierdness, the backstage politics of a band touring on the road, the stresses between the leader and bandmembers... and yes, the neverending quest for the ultimate BJ come through in the form of a BRILLIANT opera, featuring a full symphonic orchestra and some surprizing guest appearences... including Ringo Starr as frank zappa. - - The music is great... the images are great... and the performances (musical, now and then sexual, and stagewise) are a brilliant and mindtripping experience... This film is DEFINITELY something to watch over and over into and really get into... especially (of course) if you're a Zappa nut - - just don't get too psyched, otherwise you might find yourself singing the words to LONESOME COWBOY BURT outloud on the bus on the way to wherever...

It was just bad
One day i was looking through the cult classic section of my video rental store and I found one movie that I have not yet seen. That movie was of course none other than 200 Motels. I thought Frank Zappa and a movie= fun drug induced imagery and ridiculous dialouge about a little Jewish princess.
I was horribly mistaking. The movie was painful to watch. It had no plot and nothing to do with a band going on tour. It was completely unfunny except for one part where Captain Beefheart's hat phonetically spells out f**k in the cyrillic alphabet.
I watched this movie with my uncle who had been a pretty serious stoner back in the day when Zappa and Beefheart were still touring; he was a fan of both of these musicians. Even he continued to ask about the whereabouts of the plot or the too easily forgotten entity: entertainement.
I was sober when I watched this movie and I would expect that that is not the best way to see it. Probably some acid or at least weed would be needed to make this movie at all tolerable.
Zappa should have stayed with his ridiculous music.

A True Video Masterpiece!!! * * * * *
Frank Zappa was a creative genius, and his "200 Motels" was a true video masterpiece! "200 Motels" tells a simple story about how touring in a rock band can seem to make you crazy. Zappa used a new medium of the early 70's, what we now call "video", and really pushed it beyond the known limits. The effects he used in this movie have often been copied, and were used to describe the weird world of touring. City after city, sandwich after sandwich, the towns all begin to look fake after awhile; the effects where used to emphasize how the struggles of touring and how all that traveling and responsibility really tweaks your brain, your ability to perceive reality. This movie was possibly the first true "music video", since it originated in video, and possibly tweaked the minds of the engineers up in the control booth. When you look at how the video was structured, well, it's all shot entirely in a studio environment. It's a story within a story, and like so many other filmmakers, Zappa was almost making fun of himself, in a lighthearted manner, much as Felini and Allen have done in some of their films. Yes, this movie is twisted, in fact just as twisted as life in America tends to get. This movie is best seen projected in a theater, and unless you have a t.v. larger than 27", I recommend you wait, because it really needs to be seen larger than life!

an excellent movie
This movie is very good. But the reason, why I didn't give it 5 stars, is that here are some cuts, which are so dumb, and annoying. I don't see Frank Zappa a lot in here. They show him sometimes when they perform. And they perform the songs live. In the soundtrack, they re-record it in studio. You can hear it, and see it, by their sweat. But I really don't understand, what the movie is all about. But you'll enjoy. It's really interesting to watch a movie, with real rock stars. And real live performances. ... Read more

Reviews (114)

I can dig it!
I am 21 years old. My mother raised me with the monkees music and tv shows. I did not see this movie until 2 years ago. I was impressed. And so should everyone else be that called them a "fake" band and so on. The talent is remarkable, as well as the direction and the writing. This film involves all of the angst and emotion of their personal lives as well as the sign of the times. They were trying to find love and peace in a world ridden with war. At the time they were so passionate about their beliefs, as well as with trying to strip off the stereotypes that people put on them by thinking that they weren't original or by comparing them to the Beatles (with whom they were friends with and hung out with on a regular basis). Everyone will have a different opinion after watching this movie. My opinion is that it is thoroughly enjoyable and an absolute shame to never see. There are so many different scenes and wonderful actors and great music! I think I am going to watch it again right now. Oh, and remember:Nobody ever lends money to a man with a sense of humor.

The Ultimate Acid Trip
Bob Rafaelson and Jack Nicholson were at a party with the monkees while all of them were stoned and asked them questions about their fame, their desires, and their fantasies and the result was Head, a psychodelic, plotless mindtrip which flows like a good Monty Python Episode.

Those tuning in to see the rapid-fire improv-filled laughtrack which was the TV series are in for a shock as this has none of their ultrasticom comedy, but hey! Hey! it's still the monkees....everything is just a bit more abstract and surreal :) And let's not forget the music! Wow! The monkees have never sounded so good, writing nearly all of their material. Mickey shines on Psychodelic "Porpoise Song" (while we see him jump off a bridge into a mermaid-filled sea) and the sweet ballad "aas We go Along. Mike Nesmith really rocks on "Circle Sky" and Peter Tork gives us more songwriting weirdness with his rapid fire "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?"

This is a good movie to sit back with your friends and watch entranced at its path. Lots of fun cameos by the likes of Teri Garr, Frank Zappa, and of course Victor Mature and his hair!

Groovy!

cult classic
All I have to say is if your a true monkees fan your wasting your time I'ts terrible. How ever if your a huge fan of Rocky Horror Picture Show, Shock Treatment,J-Men Forever and any movie that director
Ed Wood did "except" Orgy Of The Dead (thats just asking for punishment.)than this movie is awsome.
I don't under stand why Peter Tork is the star of the movie ,he's on the least compared to the other guyes.

Head is a trip!
What is so unique about HEAD is that it's dreamlike in a way that few movies are. A uniquely crafted film inspired by the underground films of the 50s & 60s. Few movies manage to be entertaining solely on the strength of editing, but here a series of dreamsequences are seemlessly strung together in a fun and innovative way. The most revolutionary part has to be the way the beginning and end sequences were connected by the events between them yet are the same scene with only slight variations. Huh? As the Monkees put it, "when you see the end in sight the beginning may arrive". How they do it is masterful. If you try to make sense of this movie, you'll be missing the point. The best thing to do is just mellow out before you watch it and allow HEAD to mess with your head a little. It will if you give it a chance and that makes for a truly rewarding viewing experience. Outside of the Monkees trying to escape their manufactured image, nothing really makes sense in this strange little movie. However, criticising HEAD for it makes about as much sense as critising your dreams for being equally strange and nonsensical. Where comedy is concerned, HEAD is not funny in a humorous way but rather in a peculiar way, similar to the way dreams have you saying, "what was that all about?" later on. If this had been a hit, it could have taken popular filmmaking in a whole new direction.

The Definitive Anti-Masterpiece
When this film was made the career of the Monkees was already in decline as their show had been cancelled and their music was no longer charting ('Porpoise Song' from the "Head" soundtrack got up to number 62 on Billboard). The group was tired of their squeaky clean image as the 'Pre-Fab Four', and they just wanted out. This film was conceived in an effort to reach out to more adult audiences, and to hasten their departure from the scenes as the prototype MTV 'boy band'.

The film itself is a quirky, stream of consciousness movie that treads the line between anti-war statement film to over the top comedy in scenes where, for instance, they have to frolic on the scalp of Victor Mature (in a sequence known as 'dandruff') and are subsequently sucked into a giant vacuum cleaner by Victor Mature's hairdresser. There is no plot as such, but there is some redeeming social commentary such as when Frank Zappa tells Davy that he needs to work on his music more (but compliments his dancing, done with Toni Basil). At the end of the scene Frank Zappa's cow offers her opinion of the Monkees, in a scene that must be my favorite of the movie.

Some of the music is great, with the Nesmith tune 'Circle Sky' getting top mention. It's a great song, filmed live in a scene designed to show how the boys had been devoured by their public image. Other musical numbers are a bit lacking, particularly 'Daddy's Song' and 'As We Go Along.'

Highlights in the film are in the cameos. Not only do Toni Basil and Frank Zappa put in appearances, so do boxer Sonny Liston (who fights Davy), Terry Garr (who pleads to have poison sucked from her finger), Annette Funicello (who pleads tearfully with Davy in a love interest scene), and Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper in a cantina scene. Most peculiar of all credits are for writers and producers, namely longtime Monkees collaborator Bob Rafelson, and Jack Nicholson, who later collaborated on "Five Easy Pieces" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice", among other projects.

There are also extras consisting of theatrical trailers, including one in Portuguese, and television ads for the film. The film was essentially not promoted, certainly didn't connect with the typical Monkee demographic, and was a disaster at the box office. This didn't trouble the band, as it gave them a clear path out, with Peter quitting very shortly after the movie was released. This is as unlike the Monkees TV show as can be imagined, and I recommend it for anyone looking for a trippy sixties flashback stranger than most any other. I was fortunate enough to see this in a theater, and have loved it ever since. I recommend the film to people who know about the Monkees or just think they do. I guarantee that it will shatter your preconceived notions of the band. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting little video sampler from Zappa's video catalog
This is another one of those Zappa movies that has been out of print for years. The video is sort of a compilation of selections from Zappa's other movies (which are also out of print). In addition to that, Frank also gives a few exclusives including some concert footage, the "You Are What You Is" video, and Frank's court testimony against a Maryland censorship bill. Frank's commentary throughout the tape is funny too. Worth checking out if you can find it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The making of a film that's more interesting than the film
This video is, of course, the making of Zappa's bizarre film project, 200 Motels. The surpising thing is that this video is much more entertaining than the movie itself. The video tells quite a few interesting stories about what went on during the filming of the movie, and it gives just a little bit of concert footage as well. It's worth seeking out if you're a Zappa fan. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Love this one
I can't believe this came out on DVD.A soundtrack in CD form would be awesome(hint)because this is great travel music.I'll keep hoping When the VHS edition went out of print it was a nightmare to get a copy. The band in this show is incredible. There is so much musical talent. The song selection is great and the band is incredibly tight. There are a few short interviews with Frank (at least on the VHS edition) but it is mostly full of uncut music. This DVD is a must for any Zappa fan especially for a starter. Each band member is outstanding in their performances. Frank had an awesome band in 1984..

Entertaining, but somewhat uninspired
I have mixed feelings about this DVD. I'm a huge Zappa fan, and I've seen him three times, including a show from this tour. I was really looking forward to seeing what I remembered to be a fantastic concert. One of the things that I enjoyed most about his concerts (and the one from this tour in particular) was when they played his more elaborate compositions. FZ conducted the band while we watched this wonderfully complex music being choreographed. It looked like organized chaos set to amazing music. It was truly memorable. I also relished Frank's searing and captivating solos.

For me, the problem with the DVD is that there's not enough of his virtuoso performances. Yeah, it's fun to see the band and hear the music, but it seems almost as if he's walking through some of the songs revue-style. He's always been humorous, but I don't remember him being so casually campy when I saw him. He practically ran through The Dangerous Kitchen and Tinseltown Rebellion.

On the other hand, there are some great solos on Cosmic Debris and Whipping Post, and of course, Zoot Allures. However, I remember many of his solos being much longer than we get to see here.

I'm not unhappy with the purchase, but I just don't think it's representative of Frank's best performances. I suspect that there's better stuff in the vaults. I just hope we see some more soon.

No laser weapons, no fog and no-overdubs
Wonderful addition to my already huge Zappa music collection. I wore out the VHS of this concert so having the DVD allows me to sleep better and stop worrying.
Frank with one of the most amazing bands I've ever heard is truly a wonder to see as well as hear. Do yourself and your senses a favor and GET THIS DVD NOW! great music and commentary, what else do you need?

Decent show, solid DVD
One of the best things about Zappa's 84 touring band was the fact that, for the most part, they appeared to have a good time on stage. Most of the band had worked with Frank for several years, which led to a more relaxed, free-form attitude on stage. This led to a lot of "secret word" shenanigans, with band members frequently changing the lyrics to (somewhat tired) songs to make the other band members laugh. For an excellent example of what I'm talking about, see the first disc of "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 3".

Unfortunately, that humor is in short supply on this disc. The titular humor is only evident in the songs themselves which are, admittedly, juvenile, and widely available. The attraction of a Zappa live set is the element of surprise, of the spontaneous, not just run-throughs of songs you've already heard.

The master tapes of this must exist somewhere, and I was hoping for extra footage (two nights were actually filmed). A lot of material was left out of the final movie (we get the last few seconds of "The Deathless Horsie", but we get all of "The Dangerous Kitchen". Frank, why?). However, since this was released by Virgin/EMI and not by The Zappa Family Trust, the likelihood of those performances ever making it to DVD are very slim.

The sound and video on the disc are solid.

For the price, it's worth seeing the 84 band in action. Just don't expect to see anything you haven't already heard.

Do This Better!
I'm happy that Zappa stuff is finally starting to get to DVD but disappointed by this one. Not only do they decide to put less than an hour of music from a "very long" show but then they cut into some of the songs and only have "snippets" of some of them. The cuts are done by going to two very short Zappa interview segments that would have been fabulous if presented in their entirety as bonus materials.

Don't the video masters of this show exist? Zappa was pretty good at saving things. Why not put the whole show on DVD or at least more than this sampling? My guess is that this video was meant, at the time, to be a "teaser" to get newer fans interested in Zappa's more accessible stuff and to promote the, very great, skills of his later live bands. Perhaps this is why that this is one of the first releases to DVD. If so, I was wrong to spend the money on it as I am a long LONG time fan of Zappa's who finds most of this material unchallenging and of limited interest.

It *is* great to see the band making the music and seeing Zappa being "into it" that night. I only got to attend one Zappa concert. It was the Zappa/Beefheart tour when it stopped in Cincinnati around 1976 (or about). He was just "phoning it in" that night and only played for 50 minutes.

The recording and video is well done for the time and the material is picked from songs that are MUCH better to see/hear performed live than to only listen to on CD. There is some good Zappa music on this however a main point that Zappa seems to want to get across is "musical chops are good" and he proves his point by having a number of tunes that have no real value other than the impressive skill that his band shows in performing them. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Baby Snakes
Pros- 3 hours of Zappa!
Cons- Only 3 hours of Zappa...
If you're a hardcore fan or a casual listener, this DVD has something for you. The humorous songs, the wacky instrumentals, the extended guitar solos, the backstage footage, Terry's vocal performance on Punkys Whips, that girl in the front row...IT HAS EVERYTHING!!!! It even has white guys with afros playing keyboards! He looks like Disco Stu from The Simpsons! Believe that! If you like pointless clay animation by some stoned-out freak, it has that too. But most of all, it has Frank Zappa playing the role of musical genius, and that alone is worth the price of admission. If you work for Warner Bros., you might want to turn the sound down in certain parts, because BOY IS HE MAD AT YOU!!!!! Did you know Adrian Belew played in a crud band in Nashville? GET THE MOVIE AND FIND OUT HOW FRANK SAVED HIM FROM THE CRUD SCENE!!!! Also, there's panty throwing, if you're into that sort of thing. And a fat guy with a gas mask that washes a blow-up doll in a sink! How could you NOT want to see that? Ok, I'm giving away too much here. Buy the movie and all of this will make sense somehow.

Self-indulgent anyone?
Having seen large chunks of baby snakes before, namely the concert footage, i was looking forward to seeing the beast in its totality. And let's face it, the concert footage is the only reason to keep this dvd, because the rest is boring boring boring. All that Ms Pinky crapola, and the gas mask nonsense, and in fact any parts with the afro-wielding roy estrada, are serious fast forward contenders.

Then you have the wonderful Mr. Bickford with his amazing claymation creations. It's great animation but utterly directionless. It gets old real quickly.

Some highlights include Frank's soloing on black napkins muffin man and punk'y whip. The last hour of gig material is the cream of the dvd. Some parts of the concert are a bit tedious, like the poodle lecture, roy estrada, and some of the lyrics based songs like dinahmoe humm and disco boy.

We do get to see some of the fans. And some of them are a bit worrying. Especially that girl Angel, who clings onto Frank for sizeable chunks of the film. Scary.

A few words about the band. Excellent musicians one and all. But I found most of them annoying in the back stage tomfoolery. Terry Bozzio hams it up a lot, making funny faces and talking crap. adrian belew plays to the camera a bit too, and tommy mars. We don't see very much of Ed Mann and Peter Wolf, so we give them the benefit of the doubt. Patrick o hearn likewise. Roy Estrada however....

So if i had to change some things about baby snakes:
-sack roy estrada.
-more guitar soloing
-more instrumental music
-easy on the bruce bickford
-more shots of band in rehearsal
-more bandmember solos
-less onstage talky talky
-less of the sexual songs, which we've heard too many times and which become a bit boring
-maybe an interview with fz at some point, to give some focus

Picture quality-average.
Sound Quality-good if you have the equipment, but i've heard better.

But let's face it. This dvd is essential. It is by FRank Zappa.

(unless you're lukewarm about him, in which case-avoid!!)

5 stars by default
I basically agree with a lot of what theslime, the person who wrote the spotlight review, had to say. There are long segments of Baby Snakes that I regularly fast-forward. There is way too much backstage nonsense, only a tiny fraction of which is the least bit interesting. The animation is very stream of consciousness and I was bored with it at first but have grown to really appreciate what this guy was doing. However, what I want, and what everyone wants, and what Zappa should have known that everyone would want, is more concert footage! Get rid of the rest of it for all I care.

The footage that we do see and hear is extremely worthwhile. In fact, Baby Snakes might be the only legitamite release to contain any good live Zappa on film. Some of the tunes are not my favorite. I don't care about seeing a live version of Bobby Brown Goes Down or I Have Been in You. I would have liked to have heard more instrumentals. However, Baby Snakes is a long movie and there is plenty of great material as well as some charged performances by the young band (obviously having the time of their lives.) Some of my favorites include: City of Tiny Lights, Black Page #2, Punky's Whips (Bozzio's "Punky" is oscar-worthy), King Kong/Pound for a Brown (will Bozzio explode at the climax of his solo?), Black Napkins, Muffin Man, San Bernadino...There is plenty here to make up for the gratuitous filler.

This is the best live Zappa footage that I have seen and therefore it automatically gets the five stars.

tehnically & entertainingly superb audience experience
Dweezil and friends have acheived a great good deed in bringing Frank's big feature film to Zappa fans around the world, via state of the art application of DVD technology.

The whole film looks great, the actual performance is always fine and frequently truly astounding. I value that we get to know Frank as a consummate showman with sincere respect for his comrades and for his audience (that's us).

The 5.1 soundtrack gives the most realistic rendition of live concert sound you could ever hope for. The accompanying portfolio of info instead of a standard DVD booklet is a nice touch.

Moreover I am in awe of the effort put into this film by everyone - from Frank, the band and crew, through to Dweezil & co with their fastidious restoration. Well done.

Stef is a humorless retard
I saw this film at its original release in NYC 1979. If you don't get Zappa, then shut up and go away. It's supposed to be silly and then hammer you with impossible music.
Maybe Brittany Spears or Madonna will have a DVD more suitable for the tastes of creatures like Stef. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Baby Snakes
Pros- 3 hours of Zappa!
Cons- Only 3 hours of Zappa...
If you're a hardcore fan or a casual listener, this DVD has something for you. The humorous songs, the wacky instrumentals, the extended guitar solos, the backstage footage, Terry's vocal performance on Punkys Whips, that girl in the front row...IT HAS EVERYTHING!!!! It even has white guys with afros playing keyboards! He looks like Disco Stu from The Simpsons! Believe that! If you like pointless clay animation by some stoned-out freak, it has that too. But most of all, it has Frank Zappa playing the role of musical genius, and that alone is worth the price of admission. If you work for Warner Bros., you might want to turn the sound down in certain parts, because BOY IS HE MAD AT YOU!!!!! Did you know Adrian Belew played in a crud band in Nashville? GET THE MOVIE AND FIND OUT HOW FRANK SAVED HIM FROM THE CRUD SCENE!!!! Also, there's panty throwing, if you're into that sort of thing. And a fat guy with a gas mask that washes a blow-up doll in a sink! How could you NOT want to see that? Ok, I'm giving away too much here. Buy the movie and all of this will make sense somehow.

Self-indulgent anyone?
Having seen large chunks of baby snakes before, namely the concert footage, i was looking forward to seeing the beast in its totality. And let's face it, the concert footage is the only reason to keep this dvd, because the rest is boring boring boring. All that Ms Pinky crapola, and the gas mask nonsense, and in fact any parts with the afro-wielding roy estrada, are serious fast forward contenders.

Then you have the wonderful Mr. Bickford with his amazing claymation creations. It's great animation but utterly directionless. It gets old real quickly.

Some highlights include Frank's soloing on black napkins muffin man and punk'y whip. The last hour of gig material is the cream of the dvd. Some parts of the concert are a bit tedious, like the poodle lecture, roy estrada, and some of the lyrics based songs like dinahmoe humm and disco boy.

We do get to see some of the fans. And some of them are a bit worrying. Especially that girl Angel, who clings onto Frank for sizeable chunks of the film. Scary.

A few words about the band. Excellent musicians one and all. But I found most of them annoying in the back stage tomfoolery. Terry Bozzio hams it up a lot, making funny faces and talking crap. adrian belew plays to the camera a bit too, and tommy mars. We don't see very much of Ed Mann and Peter Wolf, so we give them the benefit of the doubt. Patrick o hearn likewise. Roy Estrada however....

So if i had to change some things about baby snakes:
-sack roy estrada.
-more guitar soloing
-more instrumental music
-easy on the bruce bickford
-more shots of band in rehearsal
-more bandmember solos
-less onstage talky talky
-less of the sexual songs, which we've heard too many times and which become a bit boring
-maybe an interview with fz at some point, to give some focus

Picture quality-average.
Sound Quality-good if you have the equipment, but i've heard better.

But let's face it. This dvd is essential. It is by FRank Zappa.

(unless you're lukewarm about him, in which case-avoid!!)

5 stars by default
I basically agree with a lot of what theslime, the person who wrote the spotlight review, had to say. There are long segments of Baby Snakes that I regularly fast-forward. There is way too much backstage nonsense, only a tiny fraction of which is the least bit interesting. The animation is very stream of consciousness and I was bored with it at first but have grown to really appreciate what this guy was doing. However, what I want, and what everyone wants, and what Zappa should have known that everyone would want, is more concert footage! Get rid of the rest of it for all I care.

The footage that we do see and hear is extremely worthwhile. In fact, Baby Snakes might be the only legitamite release to contain any good live Zappa on film. Some of the tunes are not my favorite. I don't care about seeing a live version of Bobby Brown Goes Down or I Have Been in You. I would have liked to have heard more instrumentals. However, Baby Snakes is a long movie and there is plenty of great material as well as some charged performances by the young band (obviously having the time of their lives.) Some of my favorites include: City of Tiny Lights, Black Page #2, Punky's Whips (Bozzio's "Punky" is oscar-worthy), King Kong/Pound for a Brown (will Bozzio explode at the climax of his solo?), Black Napkins, Muffin Man, San Bernadino...There is plenty here to make up for the gratuitous filler.

This is the best live Zappa footage that I have seen and therefore it automatically gets the five stars.

tehnically & entertainingly superb audience experience
Dweezil and friends have acheived a great good deed in bringing Frank's big feature film to Zappa fans around the world, via state of the art application of DVD technology.

The whole film looks great, the actual performance is always fine and frequently truly astounding. I value that we get to know Frank as a consummate showman with sincere respect for his comrades and for his audience (that's us).

The 5.1 soundtrack gives the most realistic rendition of live concert sound you could ever hope for. The accompanying portfolio of info instead of a standard DVD booklet is a nice touch.

Moreover I am in awe of the effort put into this film by everyone - from Frank, the band and crew, through to Dweezil & co with their fastidious restoration. Well done.

Stef is a humorless retard
I saw this film at its original release in NYC 1979. If you don't get Zappa, then shut up and go away. It's supposed to be silly and then hammer you with impossible music.
Maybe Brittany Spears or Madonna will have a DVD more suitable for the tastes of creatures like Stef. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE best movie, ever!!
WHY ISN'T THIS OUT ON DVD????? Uncle Meat is a work of genius that has stood the test of time - a brilliant dissection of the commercial music industry and art in general. The film offers great comedy, surreal footage and awesome avant garde musical performances. Frank Zappa is a genius! The best part is you can watch this again and again and never get bored, every time you discover something new. This has to be my favorite movie of all time. Highly recommended. Apple-O

For hardcore Zappa fans ONLY
Man, I'm a pretty big Zappa fan, but this isn't the easiest movie to sit through. If you've seen 200 Motels, you have a basic idea of what to expect from Zappa the film-maker. However, while 200 Motels was bizarre, Uncle Meat is just plain inane. The movie follows no direction at all. Scenes of people talking about unrelated things are just stitched together to make the movie. The one thing that makes the movie worth seeing is the performance of the concert that appears on the "Ahead Of Their Time" CD. Even that isn't really enough to encourage anyone to pay anything over [dollar amount] for the movie. [...] ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Baby Snakes
Pros- 3 hours of Zappa!
Cons- Only 3 hours of Zappa...
If you're a hardcore fan or a casual listener, this DVD has something for you. The humorous songs, the wacky instrumentals, the extended guitar solos, the backstage footage, Terry's vocal performance on Punkys Whips, that girl in the front row...IT HAS EVERYTHING!!!! It even has white guys with afros playing keyboards! He looks like Disco Stu from The Simpsons! Believe that! If you like pointless clay animation by some stoned-out freak, it has that too. But most of all, it has Frank Zappa playing the role of musical genius, and that alone is worth the price of admission. If you work for Warner Bros., you might want to turn the sound down in certain parts, because BOY IS HE MAD AT YOU!!!!! Did you know Adrian Belew played in a crud band in Nashville? GET THE MOVIE AND FIND OUT HOW FRANK SAVED HIM FROM THE CRUD SCENE!!!! Also, there's panty throwing, if you're into that sort of thing. And a fat guy with a gas mask that washes a blow-up doll in a sink! How could you NOT want to see that? Ok, I'm giving away too much here. Buy the movie and all of this will make sense somehow.

Self-indulgent anyone?
Having seen large chunks of baby snakes before, namely the concert footage, i was looking forward to seeing the beast in its totality. And let's face it, the concert footage is the only reason to keep this dvd, because the rest is boring boring boring. All that Ms Pinky crapola, and the gas mask nonsense, and in fact any parts with the afro-wielding roy estrada, are serious fast forward contenders.

Then you have the wonderful Mr. Bickford with his amazing claymation creations. It's great animation but utterly directionless. It gets old real quickly.

Some highlights include Frank's soloing on black napkins muffin man and punk'y whip. The last hour of gig material is the cream of the dvd. Some parts of the concert are a bit tedious, like the poodle lecture, roy estrada, and some of the lyrics based songs like dinahmoe humm and disco boy.

We do get to see some of the fans. And some of them are a bit worrying. Especially that girl Angel, who clings onto Frank for sizeable chunks of the film. Scary.

A few words about the band. Excellent musicians one and all. But I found most of them annoying in the back stage tomfoolery. Terry Bozzio hams it up a lot, making funny faces and talking crap. adrian belew plays to the camera a bit too, and tommy mars. We don't see very much of Ed Mann and Peter Wolf, so we give them the benefit of the doubt. Patrick o hearn likewise. Roy Estrada however....

So if i had to change some things about baby snakes:
-sack roy estrada.
-more guitar soloing
-more instrumental music
-easy on the bruce bickford
-more shots of band in rehearsal
-more bandmember solos
-less onstage talky talky
-less of the sexual songs, which we've heard too many times and which become a bit boring
-maybe an interview with fz at some point, to give some focus

Picture quality-average.
Sound Quality-good if you have the equipment, but i've heard better.

But let's face it. This dvd is essential. It is by FRank Zappa.

(unless you're lukewarm about him, in which case-avoid!!)

5 stars by default
I basically agree with a lot of what theslime, the person who wrote the spotlight review, had to say. There are long segments of Baby Snakes that I regularly fast-forward. There is way too much backstage nonsense, only a tiny fraction of which is the least bit interesting. The animation is very stream of consciousness and I was bored with it at first but have grown to really appreciate what this guy was doing. However, what I want, and what everyone wants, and what Zappa should have known that everyone would want, is more concert footage! Get rid of the rest of it for all I care.

The footage that we do see and hear is extremely worthwhile. In fact, Baby Snakes might be the only legitamite release to contain any good live Zappa on film. Some of the tunes are not my favorite. I don't care about seeing a live version of Bobby Brown Goes Down or I Have Been in You. I would have liked to have heard more instrumentals. However, Baby Snakes is a long movie and there is plenty of great material as well as some charged performances by the young band (obviously having the time of their lives.) Some of my favorites include: City of Tiny Lights, Black Page #2, Punky's Whips (Bozzio's "Punky" is oscar-worthy), King Kong/Pound for a Brown (will Bozzio explode at the climax of his solo?), Black Napkins, Muffin Man, San Bernadino...There is plenty here to make up for the gratuitous filler.

This is the best live Zappa footage that I have seen and therefore it automatically gets the five stars.

tehnically & entertainingly superb audience experience
Dweezil and friends have acheived a great good deed in bringing Frank's big feature film to Zappa fans around the world, via state of the art application of DVD technology.

The whole film looks great, the actual performance is always fine and frequently truly astounding. I value that we get to know Frank as a consummate showman with sincere respect for his comrades and for his audience (that's us).

The 5.1 soundtrack gives the most realistic rendition of live concert sound you could ever hope for. The accompanying portfolio of info instead of a standard DVD booklet is a nice touch.

Moreover I am in awe of the effort put into this film by everyone - from Frank, the band and crew, through to Dweezil & co with their fastidious restoration. Well done.

Stef is a humorless retard
I saw this film at its original release in NYC 1979. If you don't get Zappa, then shut up and go away. It's supposed to be silly and then hammer you with impossible music.
Maybe Brittany Spears or Madonna will have a DVD more suitable for the tastes of creatures like Stef. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Few Words about 200 Motels
Give Mr Zappa a Camera,a buttload of film stock and the London Philharmonic Orchestra and what does he come up with? An Acid-Masterpiece, thats what! Long before Sienfeld was even heard of Uncle Frank wrote the book on a show about nothing.Inspired by too many days and nights on the road with a touring rock band,this sometimes animated,sometimes senseless,but always gutbusting funny film features Flo and Eddie of the Turtles and Kieth Moon of The Who,playing a Nun who is having a nervous breakdown,a stunt that became a Moon trademark and was played to such a "t" that friends often could not tell if he was serious or not.Ringo Starr was also hanging around at the time of the filming and makes an appearance as Frank Zappa,while Frank appears only once or twice in the movie.There are not as many intense musical moments as a Zappa fan would come to expect or hope for,but the pace of the film is fast(although there is no true plot),the dialogue hilarious,and the Music is great fun too.One of the highlights for me is the song "Majic Fingers",where we see and hear Zappa's masterful musical ability and are left wondering why his band did not play through the rest of the picture.That song alone will make your calves tighten up and your teeth grind. Not for the timid or shy,but definately for the diverse and adventurous,this is a great addition to any film collection.One that this writer loves to watch over and over.But then hey,I liked the Seargent Pepper Movie in the 70's with the Bee Gees so what the heck do i know?Buy it,enjoy it,turn your friends on to it,it is a gem of a movie thats fun to watch while you throw popcorn at one another........dq ... Read more