[atlantaprog] Re: Zappa (was: Progression)

BTW, good news for Zappa fans, if you didn't know already.

Baby Snakes (the full length version) and "Does Humor Belong in Music" have been released on DVD. I got Baby Snakes at Media Play for $20.99 and DHBIM for $17.99.

For those that don't know the history of the Baby Snakes movie, here is an interesting and breif synopsis:

the first 30-45 minutes is the MOST bizarre claymation that you will see. The rest is a fantastic Halloween concert video! I think it was from 79 or something? I can't remember offhand. Terry Bozio is incredible on drums, Tommy Mars is on keys, Adrian Belew is on guitar.

The movie was released to just a couple of theaters in NYC the same weekend as Kramer vs Kramer. being in just a few small theaters, in NYC Baby Snakes pulled in more in box office gross than did Kramer vs Kramer (add to that since it is a 2:45 movie, I think it was only played at night). Amazing. The distributor wanted it to play around the country. However they could not distribute a 2hr 45min movie, so they asked that it was cut down. 45 minutes was cut out. The distributor then decided that they did not like the new edit, and so dropped distribution. The movie dissapeard. Relegated to the stuff of legends...

Then, sometime in the late 80's I believe Zappa issued it on VHS. I think you could only get it for a year or two before it went out of production. About 2 years ago I bought a mint VHS copy on eBay for $40 (both the long and edited version were included). That was quite a coup since the single full length video was selling used on amazon.com for around $90 - $100 (for a VHS tape!).

Well now it's out on DVD. I bought it, but have not watched it yet. I did watch DHBIM, and that concert was much better than I remember it being. Not as good as Baby Snakes, but better than I remembered!

Anyway, just thought that I'd let you know.

Alex F/Brain21



One magazine on the newstand that I can recommend wholeheartedly is the new issue of Mojo, which has Frank Zappa on the cover and a nice feature commemorating the 10th anniversary of his death. I haven't seen a tribute like that in any other publication, so it's really nice that Mojo has chosen to mark the event. Get down to Borders, Barnes & Noble or Tower Records, which are the only places that carry Mojo around here AFAIK, and snag that one pronto if you have a hankering.





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