Stop Making Sense (1984)

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers:

Jonathan Demme (writer)
Talking Heads (writer)

Release Date:

16 November 1984 (West Germany)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?

Plot:

An innovative concert movie for the rock group The Talking Heads.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Concert | Musician | Concert Film | Stage

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Bernie Worrell	...	Keyboards
Alex Weir	...	Guitar and Vocals
Steven Scales	...	Percussion (as Steve Scales)
Lynn Mabry	...	Backing Vocals
Ednah Holt	...	Backing Vocals (as Edna Holt)
Tina Weymouth	...	Bass, Percussion and Vocals
Jerry Harrison	...	Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
Chris Frantz	...	Drums and Vocals
David Byrne	...	Vocals and Guitar

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (1999 re-release) | Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Pantages Theater - 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Music Television (MTV)

Trivia:

The footage was culled from several different shows. In order to minimize the amount of cameras in the frame, one show was all shot from one side of the stage, the next night was shot from the other side.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As stated above the concert was edited together from three shows, and it being a "live" show, things not planned happened. The first night, David Byrne puts on the baseball cap that's thrown up on stage from the audience, so the next night it can be seen next to the drums so that he can put it on again.

Quotes:

David Byrne: Thanks! Does anybody have any questions?

Movie Connections:

References Star Wars (1977)

Soundtrack:

What A Day That Was

Stop Making Sense is a highly acclaimed and great concert movie.

It was a mistake for met to put off watching Stop Making Sense. I should have watched it right after I bought the DVD. I have to say that I don't enjoy watching concert films much, nor do I like to listen to live recordings. Often, the music just isn't as definitive when it's played live. But at the same time you get to see the band perform so there is a payoff. Still, concerts can drag on, and can get boring because you have to watch the same band or artist perform for an hour or more. I've seen concert films before, even by great bands, but I didn't like them much. However, Stop Making Sense is an exception. Not just because the music is good and has so much energy, but also because the performance is well directed and presented.

Directed by Jonathan Demme, Stop Making Sense was shot over three nights in December 1983, as the group was touring to promote their new album Speaking In Tongues. The movie is notable for being the first made entirely utilizing digital audio techniques. The band raised the budget of $1.2 million themselves. The title comes from a repeated phrase in the song Girlfriend Is Better. At the beginning of the film David Byrne, the lead singer of the Talking Heads, walks on to the stage with a boom box and an acoustic guitar and then performs Psycho Killer. He's just one man, but watching him is interesting, and the song is great too. With each successive song, Byrne is cumulatively joined onstage by each core member of the band: first by Tina Weymouth for Heaven, second by Chris Frantz for Thank You For Sending Me An Angel, and third by Jerry Harrison for Found A Job. The Talking Heads also continue to be augmented by several additional musicians, most of whom had extensive experience in funk.

David Byrne is a very energetic performer. Even the way he moved his body was fun to watch. He even put on that now famous big suit towards the end of the film. In addition, I really liked Tina Weymouth in this film. She's just the cutest bass player ever. I have to stress that Stop Making Sense isn't just a bunch of playing and singing. The band manages to make each song stand out. The faster songs are performed with plenty of energy and enthusiasm, while the slower songs sound beautiful and make you wonder. The film contains no audience shots until the very end to enable the viewer to form their own opinion about the performance. Byrne wanted no colored lights to illuminate the performers. This led to some unusual lighting methods being used for each song. Unlike many concert films/videos which use "MTV-style" quick-cut editing techniques, much of Stop Making Sense uses lengthy camera shots to allow the viewer to examine the performances and onstage interaction. In conclusion, Stop Making Sense is the definitive concert film. You don't even have to be a fan of the band or their music to like it. It's so good that you'll probably want to see it many times. Director Jonathan Demme managed to capture one the greatest bands of their era on film, and did it very well.

Set Lists: 1. Psycho Killer 2. Heaven 3. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel 4. Found A Job 5. Slippery People 6. Burning Down The House 7. Life During Wartime 8. Making Flippy Floppy 9. Swamp 10. What A Day That Was 11. This Must Be The Place 12. Once In A Lifetime 13. Genius Of Love 14. Girlfriend Is Better 15. Take Me To The River 16. Crosseyed And Painless