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Stop Making Sense
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Stop Making Sense (1984) More at IMDbPro »

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Stop Making Sense (1984) -- An innovative concert movie for the rock group The Talking Heads.

Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   4,083 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jonathan Demme
Writers:
Jonathan Demme (writer)
Talking Heads (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Stop Making Sense on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 November 1984 (West Germany) more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
2 wins more
User Comments:
THE Great Concert Film more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
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
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Directed by
Jonathan Demme 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Jonathan Demme  writer
Talking Heads  writer

Produced by
Gary Goetzman .... producer
Gary Kurfirst .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
Chris Frantz 
Jerry Harrison 
Talking Heads 
Tina Weymouth 
 
Cinematography by
Jordan Cronenweth 
 
Film Editing by
Lisa Day 
 
Sound Department
Rick Coberly .... sound
Walter A. Gest .... sound re-recordist
Stan Horine .... sound
Steve Maslow .... sound re-recording mixer
Charles Butch Watson .... sound
 
Visual Effects by
Sandy McLeod .... visual consultant
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Chevalier .... camera operator
Dave Friedman .... still photographer
John Graham .... film loader
Ernest Holzman .... assistant camera
Johnny E. Jensen .... camera operator
Bernie Schwartz .... grip
Robert Seaman .... camera operator
Greg Walters .... assistant camera
 
Editorial Department
Catherine Peacock .... assistant film editor
Barbara Pokras .... additional editor
 
Other crew
John Chimples .... slide wrangler
Pablo Ferro .... title designer: main title sequence
Sandy McLeod .... visual consultant
W. Thomas Snyder .... production coordinator
 
Thanks
Nick Newton .... special thanks
 

Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
88 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital (1999 re-release) | Stereo

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
David Byrne's staggering during the latter part of "Psycho Killer" was directly inspired by Fred Astaire in Royal Wedding (1951) during the song "I Left My Hat In Haiti". more
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. more
Quotes:
David Byrne: I've got a tape I want to play. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Weird Science (1985) more
Soundtrack:
What A Day That Was more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful:-
THE Great Concert Film, 22 March 2002
Author: drosse67 from Virginia

All concert films should be as innovative, energetic and just plain fun as Stop Making Sense. With Jonathan Demme as director, the concert has a weird and wonderful theatrical look, with David Byrne arriving onstage at the beginning, armed with an acoustic guitar. Gradually, the other members of the band join him and the stage sets become highly unusual. For visuals, nothing matches the odd behavior of Byrne and quirky but (for the most part) great songs of the Talking Heads better than Demme's approach to filming. The movie has such a terrific build up (at one point Byrne actually runs around the stage repeatedly) that you cannot help but move with it. I can't believe concert films that followed did not even attempt to match this film's innovativeness. A great movie, even if you've never heard of the Talking Heads.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Stop Making Sense (1984)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
how close to the studio recordings were the live performances? Jumping_Elephant
Blue Ray jojopuppyfish
Whats your favourite moment from the concert? lunchboxattacks
Font for front cover woicinski
The Lamp Dance!!! boobear1_37
Funny Face/Cocaine Face JasperCohen
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