Jonathan Demme unobtrusively captures the Talking Heads in full-on polyrhythmic mode. Demme also directed a great New Order video and a Spalding Gray monologue before he started making Oscar-winning prestige pictures. He'll never go hungry, but he may never direct another perfect film.

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Product Description

Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 10/26/1999 Starring: David Byrne Chris Franz Rating: Pg Director: Jonathan Demme

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1416 in DVD
• Brand: Uni
• Released on: 1999-10-26
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 1983, filmmaker Jonathan Demme joined creative forces with cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth and Talking Heads... and miracles occurred. Following a staging concept by singer-guitarist David Byrne, this euphoric concert film transcends that all-too-limited genre to become the greatest film of its kind. A guaranteed cure for anyone's blues, it's a celebration of music that never grows old, fueled by the polyrhythmic pop-funk precision that was a Talking Heads trademark, and lit from within by the geeky supernova that is David Byrne.

The staging--and Demme's filming of it--builds toward an orgasmic release of music, rising from the bare-stage simplicity of Byrne, accompanied only by a boom box on "Psycho Killer," to the ecstatic crescendo of "Burning Down the House," by which time the Heads and additional personnel have all arrived on stage for a performance that seems channeled from heaven for the purpose of universal uplift. (God bless Demme for avoiding shots of the luckiest audience in '80s pop history; its presence is acknowledged, but not at the viewer's expense.) With the deliriously eccentric Byrne as ringleader (pausing mid-concert to emerge in his now-legendary oversized suit), this circus of musical pleasure defies the futility of reductive description; it begs to be experienced, felt in the heart, head, and bones, and held there the way we hold on to cherished memories. On those three nights in December 1983, Talking Heads gave love, life, and joy in generous amounts that years cannot erode, and Demme captured this act of creative goodwill on film with minimalist artistic perfection. Stop Making Sense is an invitation to pleasure that will never wear out its welcome. --Jeff Shannon

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Customer Reviews

I was NOT a Talking Heads fan. But I am now.
Director Jonathan Demme's STOP MAKING SENSE, listed by Entertainment Weekly as one of the Essential Independent Films when they produced that list years ago, has been called, by others, the greatest rock concert films of all time. Better than THE LAST WALTZ. Better than WOODSTOCK.

After seeing it, not really knowing much about the quirky, catchy pop music of David Byrne and his brood, the band and the film won me over. The film starts, like the concert, with a bare stage. David Byrne walks out, alone, with his guitar and a radio. Within moments of beginning "Psycho Killer," Byrne's tripping all over the stage, falling all over himself, stumbling into the edges of the film frame. With that, he begins to show some individual, I-am-not-a-rock-star personality. When the staging does come, when the band joins in the fun, that personality expands.

And when it comes time for the giant suit, this film's more than just a concert. It's become a story. The story of the band, the story in the lyrics and a commentary on how abstract visual art and obscure, obtuse music can interact.

Demme never shows the audience through the film, though you can hear them, for the film is just about the band, the stage. It's not about the reaction they get.

It's fascinating, and you'll find yourself a fan of Byrne's music, as a result.

Almost there...
This is undoubtedly the Talking Heads at both their creative and commercial peaks. 'Speaking In Tongues'was their best album to date, and the live performances captured here imbue the music with a sense of unrestrained fun that was only hinted at on record.

The sound quality of the DVD edition is excellent (especially the bass), as is the picture quality (colors are crisp and the contrast is excellent) - plus it's nice to finally have an edition of the video presented in widescreen.

There's some interesting stuff among the extras, especially the storyboards (which can be viewed either alone, with notes, or in split screen with stills from the completed film). The David Byrne 'self-interview' is artful in its awkwardness, with one David Byrne in a number of different costumes interviewing a David Byrne wearing the big suit. There's a funky montage that works slightly better than the theatrical trailer that is also included; otherwise, they're almost interchangeable.

My only complaint with this re-mastered edition is that the three songs (Cities, Big Business, and I Zimbra) that were included in the original video release have been relegated to bonus tracks, rather than integrated into the film. Not only that, but they are presented in fullscreen/pan & scan format rather than in the widescreen format of the film, and in little more than a straight transfer. The improvements in image and sound quality of the film proper are sadly lacking here. The colors and contrast are dull in comparison, as is the quality of the soundtrack.

Well worth repeated viewings. Fix up them bonus tracks, and you've got a 5-star presentation...

Trust me. TRUST ME!
I'll cut to the chase: Do yourself a BIG favor and get this DVD. Even if you've never considered yourself a fan of Talking Heads, "Stop Making Sense" is worth watching and will probably give you an appreciation for band that you never had before. That's just what happened to me. Until I saw this film I was under the impression that Talking Heads was just another quirky art-punk outfit, perhaps because of their association with the early days of CBGB's in New York City. My few exposures to Talking Heads' music back in my college years (1977-1981) frankly left me scratching my head.

In retrospect, however, I think the demise of this band leaves a void in the world of popular music that may never be filled. Talking Heads created some of the smartest, funkiest sounds in the first half of the 1980s, and this film shows them in their finest form. Much of the credit goes to director Jonathan Demme for focusing our attention on the band and David Byrne's wide-eyed stage presence, while tipping his hat to the audience only at the end of the concert. Occasionally Demme comes up with a shot that is so utterly sublime in its balance and power that the viewer can only whisper, "Wow." Credit also goes to Byrne for the minimalistic set design and the particularly clever touch of assembling the set (and the band, for that matter) during the first four songs. And extra-special credit must be given to some of the COOLEST backup musicians (Steve Scales, Edna Holt, Bernie Worrell, Lynn Mabry, & Alex Weir) I've ever seen onstage. "Stop Making Sense" is unarguably the best concert movie ever made.

My partner Greg & I first owned this film on VHS, but the DVD is so much, MUCH better! The blacks are BLACK, the reds are SMOOTH, and the transfer is just as crisp as you please. The optional audio commentary by all four members of the band is a wonderful feature and an education about this band unto itself. We have shown this DVD to many friends of ours, and almost invariably they come away with a much deeper appreciation for Talking Heads. It's great that the four members of this band could put aside their differences long enough to collaborate on this DVD release. Now if they could just regroup for ONE MORE ALBUM .....