Stop Making Sense

Stop Making Sense

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

  • Released: 1984-11-16
  • Runtime: 88 minutes
  • Genre: Documentaries, Music
  • Stars: Jerry Harrison, Alex Weir, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Ednah Holt, Bernie Worrell, David Byrne, Steven Scales
  • Director: Jonathan Demme
 Comments
  • flynnhhodge - 15 October 2023
    A Concert Made for Film
    This was showing at the Rio theatre and I had never seen a concert film before so I decided to watch it. I wasn't really sure what to expect but regardless my expectations were blown away.

    Despite my personal enjoyment of the Talking Heads, there were many other factors that led this to be such a successful film. The concert almost has a certain linear progression, following a pseudo-plot. Starting with only David Byrne on stage, more musicians are gradually introduced with new songs, adding a dynamic element most concerts lack. Many other components of the concert also varied; makeup, outfits, instruments, and even genre of music were constantly changing. This constant evolution created a flow in the concert that kept it appealing to the viewers. The many interactions between members on stage allows the audience to think of the musicians as characters. Just like characters in movies are in some scenes, members in the stage come and go between songs. The imagination and creativity of the set, as it starts simply looking like a high-school auditorium, pulls the viewer into the "plot" of the concert as well. However, what stood out most was the overwhelming amount of personality in the band members alone, further feeding into the idea they are "characters". The eccentricity of David Byrnes dancing and the band's work-out dance routines are incredibly visually engaging, which the editing emphasizes with zooms, odd angles, and dramatic lighting. This concert seemed like it was made to be a movie, its many dynamic elements created a linear plot-like flow to the concert.

    I really enjoyed watching this film, and will definitely be looking out for more concert films in the future. I appreciated the many editing techniques and visual draw of this film, which was purely inspiring.
  • Lejink - 28 May 2023
    Suits You Sir!
    In which Talking Heads and David Byrne in particular elevate the rock concert to something else again by deconstructing the process.

    It starts with Byrne's crazed, knockabout version of "Psycho Killer," strumming his guitar and falling about to a cassette tape playing a rhythm track, while around him the road crew starts to assemble the set.

    His fellow band members, Tina Weymouth on bass, Chris Frantz on drums and Jerry Harrison initially on guitar, join him one by one, augmented by the two vibrant girl backing singers Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt, plus supporting musicians who include Bernie Worrell on keyboards, Alex Weir and Stephen Scales on percussion.

    To be absolutely honest though, proficient as they all are, your eyes can't keep away from Byrne. It's like Norman Bates put a band together with that strange faraway look on his face, full-on singing and playing but must of all his animated actions as he turns in a remarkable non-stop performance, that dippy little dance routine and his running around the stage in "Life During Wartime", particularly living in the memory.

    Everything and everyone on the stage seems to be choreographed to fit the hot-as-hell music and yet the whole comes over as almost completely spontaneous. Director Jonathan Demme mostly points his camera flatly at the main stage but then vividly interweaves hand-held camera shots revealing the full interaction of all the participants who all appear to be completely into their roles.

    The song selection is great with most, but not quite all ("Once In A Lifetime" for one) bettering the studio originals. Probably the film's most memorable image is that of Byrne in his outsize suit, but you could almost say the same about his Chaplin-esque dance routine with a standard lamp on "This Must Be The Place".

    There are many other moments like them in this brilliantly edited feature which at once reinvented and reset the standard for that hoary old rock-show concert film sub-genre. There were other artists around the same time who were similarly imaginative in their staging of live performances, David Bowie and Kate Bush come immediately to mind, but I think even at their best, they don't head the Heads.
  • jeffgun2 - 15 April 2021
    Saw Them On This Tour at Red Rocks
    I was lucky enough to catch the band on this Speaking In Tongues tour at Red Rocks, here in Morrison, CO. To this day it is one of the best shows I've ever seen. I remember not knowing whether to keep my head up and watch the band or put my head down and just dance my ass off! The energy and groove from the band was so uplifting and amazing.

    Watching the film takes me back to that night. Great, great stuff 👍🏼