Stop Making Sense (1984)

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

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers:

Jonathan Demme, Talking Heads

Stars:

David Byrne, Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

David Byrne walks onto the stage and does a solo "Psycho Killer." Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz join him for two more songs. The crew is busy, still setting up. Then, three more musicians and two back-up singers join the band. Everybody sings, plays, harmonizes, dances, and runs. They change instruments and clothes. Bryne appears in the Big Suit. The backdrop is often black, but sometimes it displays words, images, or children's drawings. The band cooks for 18 songs, the lyrics are clear, the house rocks. In this concert film, the Talking Heads hardly talk, don't stop, and always make sense.

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Plot Keywords:

song | band | suit | stage | musician | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1984 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Stop making sense

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,166, 21 October 1984, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,020,659

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,027,479

Company Credits

Production Co:

Talking Heads, Arnold Stiefel Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 100 min (VHS)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (1999 re-release) Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Picked by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the "50 Greatest Independent Films" in a special supplement devoted to independent films that was only distributed to subscribers in October 1997.

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Goofs

At several points throughout the film, the sound and vision do not sync up. This is particularly noticeable during "Found A Job:" early in the song, a cymbal crash is heard, even though Chris Frantz is not seen to hit one. A few bars later, he hits the cymbal, but no sound is heard.

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Quotes

Drums and Vocals: James Brown - James Brown!

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Alternate Versions

Video release is 12 minutes longer and features three additional songs not included in original theatrical version.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Cult Video (1987)

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Soundtracks

Thank You for Sending Me an Angel
Written by David Byrne
Performed by Talking Heads

User Reviews

Pure cinema

'Stop Making Sense' is more than simply a concert film. It is pure cinema. It engages all of the senses, it creates a mood, it establishes an atmosphere, it has narrative logic, and it jolts the viewer with electric energy. You can't sit still while watching this. You can't keep your head from bobbing, or your mouth from moving, if you know the words to the songs.

Twenty years later, the sound and image of Talking Heads still feels new, maybe even post-new. It's frightening to look at this film and then consider that all of the Talking Heads are now in their fifties, and David Byrne's hair is as white as Steve Martin's. Byrne's music has mellowed just as people mellow with age, and his fascinating career along with the direction it's taken is emblematic of the excitement that youth brings to an artist's work. To watch 'Stop Making Sense' is to be alive, and for someone who never had and probably never will have the opportunity to see Talking Heads live, and even for those who have, it is a blessing to have a film such as this to preserve the unmatched innovation and energy of this band. Watching David Byrne perform in this film is an awesome sight. Schwarzenegger and Stallone were never this thrilling.