James R | On 16, Feb 2021

Zappa, Alex Winter’s documentary about the idiosyncratic rock star, is now available to watch online in the UK.

With unfettered access to the Zappa Vault, and archival footage contained within, Zappa explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time. Winter’s film features appearances by those who knew Frank best including his widow Gail Zappa and many musical collaborators, including Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood and Ray White.

Years-in-the-making, Zappa is the first all-access documentary about the legendary icon and conveys the scope of his output and the breadth of his personal and political life. Director/producer Alex Winter and producer Glen Zipper were granted exclusive access by Gail Zappa to a vast collection of his unreleased music, movies, incomplete projects, unseen interviews and unheard concert recordings, much of which was deteriorating and in danger of being lost. Following a two year mission to preserve and archive the vault materials, they assembled Zappa with this wealth of never-before-seen footage and the addition of present-day interviews, building a narrative both intimate and epic in scope.

Winter says: “Frank Zappa was not only a creative genius, but also a great and eloquent thinker who articulated the madness of his times with extraordinary clarity and wit. A legitimate maverick who lived and worked amongst other extraordinary people in historic times. Ultimately, ZAPPA is not a retro trip into the past, but a thoroughly modern exploration of a man whose worldview, art and politics were far ahead of their time, and profoundly relevant in our challenging times.”

The film is available to watch in the UK and Ireland from today on Altitude.film. The film is priced at £9.99 to buy.

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