Uncle Meat (film): Difference between revisions
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{{Short description| |
{{Short description|1989 film by Frank Zappa}} |
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{{Infobox film |
{{Infobox film |
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| name = Uncle Meat |
| name = Uncle Meat |
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Revision as of 01:34, 13 November 2023
| Uncle Meat | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Frank Zappa |
| Written by | Frank Zappa |
| Cinematography | Ed Seeman Haskell Wexler |
| Music by | Frank Zappa |
Release date | 1989[1] |
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Uncle Meat is a 1989 film written and directed by Frank Zappa.[1] It was conceived in the late 1960s as a vehicle for the Mothers of Invention, but remained unfinished until 20 years after the production began.[2]
Plot
Uncle Meat combines elements of science fiction and road stories inspired by the band's sexual escapades.[1] The film has been described as an unfinished "non-movie",[2] consisting of three distinct plots, the first of which has been described as "Zappa filming Zappa filming".[2] The second plotline serves as a criticism of the music industry, portraying the efforts of a musician to gain commercial success; this plotline is a political thriller in which a musician named Biff Debris (Don Preston) becomes obsessed with trying to produce a hit single, ultimately failing to achieve his objective before he gets old (and is now played by Stumuk, replacing Preston).[2] The third plot is a love story between Phyllis Altenhaus and Debris as Phyllis works as an operator who falls in love with Debris while watching a video of a 1968 music performance by Debris. Years after, they meet and live happily ever after.[2] The film juxtaposed footage from 1968, 1970 and 1982 with studio and live recordings from different concerts and years, allowing Zappa to complete the film, which reflects on the existence and validity of his music over the course of time.[2]
As in Zappa's previous film, 200 Motels, Uncle Meat explores the separation between documentary and fiction, encouraging the viewer to question whether they are watching real or recreated events.[2] Zappa explores the difficulty of maintaining a career in film as an independent artist outside of the studio system. Having taken 20 years to complete the film, the screenplay had changed from what Zappa had initially planned, due to him adding footage to the project throughout the 20 year production.[2] The character of Biff Debris serves an allegory for the tensions faced by an artist trying to have his work released.[2]
Cast
- Phyllis Smith Altenhaus as herself/Sheba Flieschman (as Phyllis Altenhaus)
- Dick Barber as himself
- Massimo Bassoli as Adult Minnesota Tishman
- Rodney Bingenheimer as himself
- Jimmy Carl Black as himself
- Ray Collins as himself/Bill Yards
- Aynsley Dunbar as himself/Biff Junior
- Roy Estrada as himself
- Francesca Fisher as The Countess
- Bunk Gardner as himself
- Buzz Gardner as himself
- Lowell George as himself
- Dick Kunc as himself
- Manfred Lerch as himself
- C. Mercedes Lewis as Girl Who Was A Sofa
- Sal Lombardo as himself
- Meredith Monk as Red Face Girl
- Billy Mundi as Rollo
- Janet Neville-Ferguson as herself
- Don Preston as himself/Biff Debris/Uncle Meat
- Fritz Rau as himself
- Linda Ronstadt as herself
- Cal Schenkel as himself
- Euclid James 'Motorhead' Sherwood as himself
- Stumuk as Elderly Biff Debris
- Arthur Dyer Tripp III as himself
- Ian Underwood as himself
- Haskell Wexler as himself
- Tom Wilson as himself
- Annie Zannas as herself
- Carl Zappa as Young Minnesota Tishman
- Frank Zappa as himself/The Imaginary Director
Media
The April 26, 1969 Billboard review of the Uncle Meat album described it as a soundtrack to a film.[3] The double vinyl was expanded on compact disc to include half an hour of the film's audio, programmed before "King Kong" on the second CD. Author Ben Watson said that the additional tracks were a detraction from the album's original structure.[4] The film was released on home video in 1989.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Lowe, Kelly Fisher (October 2007). The Words and Music of Frank Zappa. ISBN 978-0803260054. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i de la Fuentes, Manuel (April 15, 2016). "Zappa and his Cultural Legacy: Authorship, Influences and Expressive Features in Frank Zappa's Movies". Frank Zappa and the And. Taylor & Francis. p. 63. ISBN 9781317133148.
- ^ "Album Reviews". Billboard. April 26, 1969. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ^ Watson, Ben (January 19, 2012). Frank Zappa: The Complete Guide to his Music. Omnibus Press. p. 22. ISBN 9780857127389.
External links
- Uncle Meat at IMDb
