Eat That Question

Eat That Question—Frank Zappa In His Own Words

January 25, 2016
90 min.

Eat That Question

Directed by Thorsten Schütte.

Formerly known as Zapped.

Includes footage from:

FZ home movies, c. 1959-1961 - ("G-Spot Tornado," 1987, Video From Hell)
The Steve Allen Show (1963)
TTG Studios, c. September 1966 (Sex In Today's World, 1967)
MOI, Garrick Theatre (Ed Seeman, 1967) - (Uncle Meat)
From The Bitter End (October 15, 1967)
Germany, 1968 - German fans (Essen?) - b&w
MOI, Hamburg, October 4, 1968
Beat Club (Radio Bremen TV, October 6, 1968)
Vienna, October 11-13, 1968 (Herman Jauk, b&w, october 1968) - (The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels)
Sportpalast, Berlin, October 16, 1968 - (Uncle Meat)
Forum Musiques (ORTF, October 23, 1968)
MOI Home Movies (c. 1968-1969) - (Uncle Meat)
Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (b&w) #1 - "Trouble Every Day"
Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (b&w) #2 - "Plastic People" (soundcheck)
Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (color) (MOI Home Movies) - (Uncle Meat)
The Day It Is (CBC, Canada, May 19, 1969)
Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
FZ, Woodrow Wilson Dr., 1970 - (VPRO 1971; Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels; The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels)
Fillmore West, November 6, 1970 - (VPRO 1971)
MOI, airport, c. November 1970 - (VPRO 1971)
MOI, Paris, December 15, 1970 (INA)
Pinewood Studios, January-February 1971 - (Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels; The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels)
BBC News (February 8, 1971)
Weekend (CBC, February 14, 1971)
unidentified FZ promo appearence, c. 1971 (Pop 2, ORTF, May 8, 1971)
What's My Line? (September 23, 1971)
Spotlight (Swedish TV, December 4, 1971)
Pop 2 (ORTF, December 11, 1971)
Get To Know (June 1973)
Monday Conference (ABC, July 2, 1973)
FZ, George Duke; airport, c. 1973 (b&w)
Stockholm, August 21, 1973 (Oppåpoppa)
MOI, KCET (August 27, 1974)
The Mike Douglas Show (NBC, November 11, 1976)
Böblingen, Germany, January 31, 1977
Palladium, NYC, October 1977 (Baby Snakes)
Cirkus Krone, Munich, August 31, 1978 (We Don't Mess Around)
Bruce Bickford clay animation; FZ, Bruce Bickford studio (Baby Snakes)
Paris, June 11, 1980
Kelly Lange, KNBC, c. 1980?
The Stanley Siegel Show (ABC, August 17, 1981)
Freeman Reports (CNN, October 26, 1981)
Talking With . . . Frank Zappa (Chuck Ash, November 3, 1981)
The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
FZ, backstage, c. 1982? (b&w)
Take Off (Night Flight) interview (c. July 1982)
Channel Four News (BBC, January 6, 1983)
Nationwide (BBC, January 7, 1983)
Newsnight (BBC, January 10, 1983)
Paris, January 9-11, 1984 (FZ & Boulez)
The Pier, NYC, August 1984 - (Does Humor Belong In Music?)
Nightline (ABC, September 13, 1985)
Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985
Tom Brokaw, NBC, September 19, 1985 - ("Rock Lyrics")
Sue Simmons, WNBC, c. September 19, 1985 - ("Restricted Rock?")
Connie Chung, NBC, c. September 19, 1985 - ("Rock Ratings")
Register To Vote PSA, October 2, 1985 - [only in USA version]
Night Flight (October 24, 1985)
"Rock Music Kills" protesters, c. 1985?
Tom Brokaw, NBC, c. 1985-1986 - ("Warning Labels")
Crossfire (CNN, March 28, 1986)
Unidentified interview, c. 1986-1988
FZ, Synclavier, c. Februay 1987
Albany, February 2, 1988
Barcelona, May 17, 1988
CBS This Morning (June 9, 1989)
Prague, January 1990
FZ, UMRK, Editing Room, c. 1990
Henning Lohner interview, UMRK, c. December 1989 - (Peefeeyatko)
Niles Lesh interview, c. 1990-1991 - [only in European version]
Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, July 1992
Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, September 17, 1992 (The Yellow Shark) - (Today Show)
Today Show (NBC, May 14, 1993)
Ensemble Modern, Burbank, July 1993

Video Timeline

Timing from the Spanish DVD [USA DVD in brackets]. Add or substract seconds depending on your version.

0:00:14 [0:00:09] - Take Off (Night Flight) interview (c. July 1982)
0:01:06 [0:01:09] - Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (b&w) #1 - "Trouble Every Day"
0:01:08 [0:01:11] - Talking With . . . Frank Zappa (Chuck Ash, November 3, 1981)
0:01:17 [0:01:21] - Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (b&w) #1 - "Trouble Every Day"
0:01:26 [0:01:30] - Weekend (CBC, February 14, 1971) - Kay Sigurjonsson intro (color)
0:01:32 [0:01:36] - MOI, Garrick Theatre (Ed Seeman, 1967) - Pipco t-shirt; ripping off album covers - (Uncle Meat c. 36:58-36:59; 37:03-37:09)
0:01:35 [0:01:39] - Freeman Reports (CNN, October 26, 1981)
0:01:36 [0:01:41] - MOI, Hamburg, October 4, 1968 (b&w) - FZ (Rental t-shirt), Ian, Roy, Art, JCB
0:01:39 [0:01:43] - Freeman Reports (CNN, October 26, 1981)
0:01:41 [0:01:46] - The Day It Is (CBC, Canada, May 19, 1969)
0:01:44 [0:01:49] - Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (b&w) #1 - "Trouble Every Day"
0:01:49 [0:01:54] - The Mike Douglas Show (NBC, November 11, 1976)
0:01:54 [0:01:59] - FZ, Woodrow Wilson Dr., 1970 - (Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels c. 0:51-0:53)
0:01:56 [0:02:01] - Vienna, October 11-13, 1968 (Herman Jauk, b&w, october 1968) - FZ composing, hotel room - (The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels c. 10:42-10:44)
0:01:57 [0:02:03] - MOI, Paris, December 15, 1970 (INA)
0:01:59 [0:02:04] - MOI, Garrick Theatre (Ed Seeman, 1967) - FZ mouth - (Uncle Meat c. 34:20-34:21)
0:02:00 [0:02:05] - Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (color) (MOI Home Movies) - FZ (golden Les Paul), Roy - (Uncle Meat c. 49:39-49:40)
0:02:01 [0:02:07] - MOI, Garrick Theatre (Ed Seeman, 1967) - Sal Lombardo, whipped cream - (Uncle Meat c. 34:55-34:57; 35:18-35:20; 35:14-35:16; 34:49-34:50)
0:02:07 [0:02:12] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:02:10 [0:02:16] - Böblingen, Germany, January 31, 1977 - live
0:02:11 [0:02:17] - Monday Conference (ABC, July 2, 1973)
0:02:12 [0:02:18] - Bruce Bickford clay animation (Baby Snakes)
0:02:16 [0:02:22] - FZ, Bruce Bickford studio (Baby Snakes)
0:02:17 [0:02:24] - Germany, 1968 (b&w) - girl selling FZ toilet posters (Essen?)
0:02:24 [0:02:31] - Nationwide (BBC, January 7, 1983)
0:02:27 [0:02:35] - Albany, February 2, 1988
0:02:29 [0:02:36] - Paris, January 9-11, 1984 (FZ & Boulez)
0:02:32 [0:02:40] - Kelly Lange, KNBC, c. 1980?
0:02:35 [0:02:42] - "Rock Music Kills" protesters, c. 1985?
0:02:36 [0:02:43] - Unidentified interview, c. 1986-1988
0:02:38 [0:02:45] - Kelly Lange, KNBC, c. 1980?
0:02:42 [0:02:49] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:02:45 [0:02:52] - Paris, June 11, 1980
0:02:46 [0:02:53] - Monday Conference (ABC, July 2, 1973)
0:02:47 [0:02:55] - Palladium, NYC, October 1977 (Baby Snakes)
0:02:48 [0:02:56] - FZ, backstage, c. 1982? (b&w)
0:02:49 [0:02:56] - unidentified FZ promo appearence, c. 1971 (Pop 2, ORTF, May 8, 1971)
0:02:50 [0:02:58] - Channel Four News (BBC, January 6, 1983)
0:02:52 [0:03:00] - Böblingen, Germany, January 31, 1977 - dressing room
0:02:53 [0:03:02] - Beat Club (Radio Bremen TV, October 6, 1968)
0:02:54 [0:03:02] - Pop 2 (ORTF, December 11, 1971) - airport
0:02:55 [0:03:04] - Pop 2 (ORTF, December 11, 1971) - sofa interview
0:02:56 [0:03:05] - Night Flight (October 24, 1985)
0:02:57 [0:03:06] - Channel Four News (BBC, January 6, 1983)
0:03:01 [0:03:09] - "EAT THAT QUESTION"
0:03:03 [0:03:11] - Take Off (Night Flight) interview (c. July 1982)
0:03:05 [0:03:13] - "FRANK ZAPPA IN HIS OWN WORDS"
0:03:08 [0:03:16] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:04:32 [0:04:44] - TTG Studios, c. September 1966 (Sex In Today's World, 1967)
0:04:55 [0:05:08] - The Day It Is (CBC, Canada, May 19, 1969)
0:05:27 [0:05:42] - Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (b&w) #2 - "Plastic People" (soundcheck); pipe organ on stage
0:05:59 [0:06:15] - Talking With . . . Frank Zappa (Chuck Ash, November 3, 1981)
0:06:41 [0:06:59] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:07:41 [0:08:01] - The Steve Allen Show (1963)
0:10:00 [0:10:25] - Spotlight (Swedish TV, December 4, 1971)
0:11:02 [0:11:30] - From The Bitter End (October 15, 1967)
0:11:16 [0:11:45] - MOI Home Movies (c. 1968-1969) / Unidentified MOI concert, c. 1968-1969 (color) - Don; Buzz & JCB; FZ; Roy; JCB; Lowell - "Mother People" - (Uncle Meat c. 49:53-49:59; 49:50-49:53; 50:01-50:03; 48:51-49:23; 50:17-50:21)
0:12:01 [0:12:33] - From The Bitter End (October 15, 1967)
0:13:48 [0:14:24] - FZ, Woodrow Wilson Dr., 1970 - (VPRO 1971 c. 12:28-12:42; 10:09-11:05; 11:59-12:17)
0:15:16 [0:15:56] - Forum Musiques (ORTF, October 23, 1968) - "Pound For A Brown/Sleeping In A Jar"
0:18:30 [0:19:16] - Germany, 1968 (b&w) - German fans talking (Essen?)
0:18:52 [0:19:39] - Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
0:20:07 [0:20:58] - The Day It Is (CBC, Canada, May 19, 1969)
0:21:10 [0:22:03] - Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
0:22:07 [0:23:04] - Sportpalast, Berlin, October 16, 1968 - (Uncle Meat c. 30:01-30:08; 30:55-30:57)
0:22:17 [0:23:13] - Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
0:22:19 [0:23:15] - Sportpalast, Berlin, October 16, 1968 - (Uncle Meat c. 30:59-31:02; 30:10-30:12; 29:39-29:43; 29:46-29:51)
0:22:32 [0:23:29] - Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
0:22:36 [0:23:33] - Sportpalast, Berlin, October 16, 1968 - (Uncle Meat c. 30:17-30:18; 30:28-30:34; 29:51-29:54; 30:34-30:43)
0:22:54 [0:23:52] - Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
0:22:59 [0:23:57] - Sportpalast, Berlin, October 16, 1968 - (Uncle Meat c. 30:44-30:47; 30:51-30:52)
0:23:04 [0:24:02] - Radio Bremen Interview (June 19, 1970)
0:23:35 [0:24:34] - FZ, Woodrow Wilson Dr., 1970 - (VPRO 1971 c. 3:47-3:48; 46:42-47:06; 3:51-4:13; 47:12-47:26)
0:24:38 [...] - FZ, Woodrow Wilson Dr., 1970 / Pinewood Studios, January-February 1971 - (The True Story Of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels c. 18:31-19:09, 20:04-20:38, 21:20-21:43)
0:26:14 [0:27:20] - What's My Line? (September 23, 1971)
0:27:17 [0:28:26] - Pinewood Studios, January-February 1971 - (Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels c. 34:09-34:15; 5:06-5:08; 34:17-34:22)
0:27:30 [0:28:40] - What's My Line? (September 23, 1971)
0:27:36 [0:28:46] - Pinewood Studios, January-February 1971 - (Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels c. 18:50-18:53; 17:48-17:51; 18:07-18:09; 18:30-18:33)
0:27:48 [0:28:59] - What's My Line? (September 23, 1971)
0:28:11 [0:29:22] - Pinewood Studios, January-February 1971 - (Frank Zappa filmt 200 Motels c. 31:46-31:55; 27:26-27:31; 28:23-28:27; 28:46-28:50; 0:08-0:15; 5:16-5:20; 31:40-31:43; 32:21-32:29; 32:50-33:06) - "Magic Fingers"
0:29:10 [0:30:23] - BBC News (February 8, 1971)
0:30:50 [0:32:08] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:31:41 [0:33:02] - Fillmore West, November 6, 1970 - (VPRO 1971 c. 36:30-38:01; 39:38-39:43) - "Penis Dimension"
0:33:15 [0:34:39] - Spotlight (Swedish TV, December 4, 1971)
0:34:01 [0:35:28] - MOI, Paris, December 15, 1970 (INA)
0:35:02 [0:36:32] - Spotlight (Swedish TV, December 4, 1971)
0:35:31 [0:37:01] - MOI, Paris, December 15, 1970 (INA)
0:36:06 [0:37:38] - MOI, airport, c. November 1970 - (VPRO 1971 c. 24:43-24:55) - Howard, Mark, Jeff, Brena, Paul Hof?; FZ, Aynsley
0:36:18 [0:37:50] - Talking With . . . Frank Zappa (Chuck Ash, November 3, 1981)
0:37:06 [0:38:41] - Weekend (CBC, February 14, 1971)
0:37:48 [0:39:24] - Pop 2 (ORTF, December 11, 1971) - airport
0:38:08 [0:39:45] - Monday Conference (ABC, July 2, 1973)
0:39:21 [0:41:01] - Stockholm, August 21, 1973 (Oppåpoppa) - "Cosmik Debris"
0:41:20 [0:43:05] - FZ (checkered pants & jacket), George Duke; airport, c. 1973 (b&w)
0:41:30 [0:43:16] - Get To Know (June 1973)
0:42:19 [0:44:07] - MOI, KCET (August 27, 1974) - "Approximate"
0:43:51 [0:45:43] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:44:39 [0:46:31] - Talking With . . . Frank Zappa (Chuck Ash, November 3, 1981)
0:45:44 [0:47:38] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:46:17 [0:48:14] - Palladium, NYC, October 1977 (Baby Snakes) - "Dinah-Moe Humm"
0:49:08 [0:51:12] - The New Music (CityTV, November 21, 1981)
0:50:12 [0:52:18] - Cirkus Krone, Munich, August 31, 1978 (We Don't Mess Around) - "Bobby Brown"
0:52:58 [0:55:12] - The Stanley Siegel Show (ABC, August 17, 1981)
0:55:14 [0:57:33] - The Pier, NYC, August 1984 (Does Humor Belong In Music?) - "Tinsel Town Rebellion"
0:57:25 [0:59:50] - Take Off (Night Flight) interview (c. July 1982)
0:59:02 [1:01:30] - Newsnight (BBC, January 10, 1983)
1:01:51 [1:04:26] - Nationwide (BBC, January 7, 1983)
1:02:57 [1:05:36] - Night Flight (October 24, 1985)
1:03:14 [1:05:53] - Tom Brokaw, NBC, September 19, 1985 - news report on Senate hearings ("Rock Lyrics")
1:03:27 [1:06:06] - Sue Simmons, WNBC, c. September 19, 1985 - ("Restricted Rock?")
1:03:33 [1:06:12] - Connie Chung, NBC, c. September 19, 1985 - ("Rock Ratings")
1:03:44 [1:06:24] - Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985 - Tipper Gore
1:03:54 [1:06:34] - Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985 - FZ
1:04:12 [1:06:53] - Connie Chung, NBC, c. September 19, 1985 - ("Rock Ratings")
1:04:20 [1:07:01] - Nightline (ABC, September 13, 1985)
1:04:31 [1:07:13] - Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985 - Tipper Gore
1:04:39 [1:07:21] - Nightline (ABC, September 13, 1985)
1:04:42 [1:07:24] - Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985 - Paula Hawkins
1:04:45 [1:07:27] - Nightline (ABC, September 13, 1985)
1:04:49 [1:07:32] - Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985 - Paula Hawkins
1:05:00 [1:07:43] - Nightline (ABC, September 13, 1985)
1:05:38 [1:08:23] - Senate Hearings, September 19, 1985 - FZ & Paula Hawkins
1:07:19 [1:10:08] - Crossfire (CNN, March 28, 1986)
1:09:20 [1:12:14] - Tom Brokaw, NBC, c. 1985-1986 - Robert Hager? report on warning labels - Tower Records - FZMTMOP - ("Warning Labels")
1:09:58 [1:12:54] - Barcelona, May 17, 1988 - "When The Lie's So Big"
1:11:42 [1:14:42] - CBS This Morning (June 9, 1989) - Faith Daniels, Harry Smith, FZ
1:13:16 [1:16:20] - FZ (black shirt & jacket), Synclavier (the two keyboards on one table), c. Februay 1987
1:14:05 [1:17:12] - CBS This Morning (June 9, 1989)
1:14:26 [1:17:33] - Los Angeles County Fair, c. 1961; FZ home movies - "G-Spot Tornado" (Video From Hell c. 0:38-1:14)
1:15:02 [1:18:11] - Prague, January 1990
1:17:58 [1:21:14] - FZ (black suit, red tie), UMRK, Editing Room, c. 1990
1:18:41 [1:21:58] - Henning Lohner interview, UMRK, c. December 1989 - (Peefeeyatko c. 3:50-4:29)
1:19:15 [1:22:35] - Airplane (AAAFNRAA c. 19:36-19:43)
1:19:21 [1:22:41] - Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, July 1992 - "G-Spot Tornado"
1:20:04 [1:23:25] - Henning Lohner interview, UMRK, c. December 1989 - (Peefeeyatko c. 3:09-3:38)
1;20:30 [1:23:53] - Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, July 1992 - "G-Spot Tornado"
1:21:06 [1:24:31] - Today Show (NBC, May 14, 1993)
1:21:49 [1:25:13] - Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, September 17, 1992 (The Yellow Shark) - (Today Show)
1:22:00 [1:25:25] - Today Show (NBC, May 14, 1993)
1:22:17 [1:25:42] - Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, September 17, 1992 (The Yellow Shark) - (Today Show)
1:22:32 [1:25:58] - Today Show (NBC, May 14, 1993)
1:25:05 [1:28:40] - Ensemble Modern, Burbank, July 1993 - "Ionisation"
1:26:34 [1:30:13] - (Credits)
1:29:09 - Niles Lesh interview, c. 1990-1991
[1:32:55] - Register To Vote PSA, October 2, 1985
1:29:40 [1:33:08] - (end)

Andrew Greenaway, "Zappa At The Roundhouse," The Idiot Bastard, November 2010

Thorsten Schütte came to the Studio Theatre to show us unseen, lost and forgotten film footage and discuss FZ's role as a film maker. Thorsten is currently putting together FZ footage for an official release, with ZAPPED as the working title. [...] They only showed us three of six film clips from ZAPPED, one of which is up on YouTube.

"Zapped," International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (accessed on October 20, 2012)

Zapped
Germany | 90min.

Logline
Zapped celebrates the 20th anniversary of Frank Zappa's death in 2013 with a treasure trove of lost and forgotten film and audio recordings from all around the globe.

Project information
Status: development / research
Title: Zapped
Country: Germany

Credits
Director
Thorsten Schütte

Production
Jochen Laube for teamWorx Television & Film GmbH

Commissioning Editor
Martina Zöllner for SWR

Selected for FORUM 2011

"Sundance Institute Completes Feature Film Lineup For 2016 Sundance Film Festival," Sundance Institute, December 7, 2015

Sundance Institute today completed its feature film lineup for the 2016 Sundance Film Festival with the highly anticipated narratives, documentaries, episodic work and events in the Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight, Sundance Kids and Special Events sections. The Festival takes place January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Sundance and Ogden, Utah. [...]

Eat That Question—Frank Zappa in His Own Words / France, Germany (Director: Thorsten Schütte)—This entertaining encounter with the premier of sonic avant-garde is acidic, fun-poking, and full of rich and rare archival footage. This documentary bashes favorite Zappa targets and dashes a few myths about the man himself. World Premiere

"Eat That Question—Frank Zappa in His Own Words," Sundance Institute, c. December 29, 2015

Thorsten Schütte's film is a sharply edited and energetic celebration of Zappa through his public persona, allowing us to witness his shifting relationship with audiences. Utilizing potent TV interviews and many forgotten performances from his 30-year career, we are immersed into the musician's world while experiencing two distinct facets of his complex character.

[...]

Cast & Credits
Director Thorsten Schütte
Screenwriter Thorsten Schütte
Producer Estelle Fialon
Line Producer Claire Babany / Michael Jungfleisch
Editor Willibald Wonneberger
Researcher Elizabeth Klinck
Co Producer Jochen Laube

[...]

Watch at the Sundance Film Festival
8:30 PM MON 1/25 Prospector Square Theatre
9:00 PM WED 1/27 Temple Theatre
6:00 PM THU 1/28 Tower Theatre
11:45 PM SAT 1/30 Egyptian Theatre

More teasers, trailers & interviews:

Sony Classics: Eat That Question—Frank Zappa In His Own Words