Stop Making Sense (1984) User Reviews

The name of this band is Talking Heads

[miloc · 10/10 · 22 September 2012]

At the beginning of the greatest concert movie ever made, we follow a pair of sneakered feet to down center of an empty stage. A voice says "I've got a tape I want to play." We pan up to a thin, nervous-looking man with an acoustic guitar and a boom box. The box starts playing a beat. The man's hand hits a jangling chord. And for the next hour and a half, as the scenery slowly builds around this skinny misfit, we sit transported.

Talking Heads were unquestionably a seminal band in the New York punk/new wave scene. Yet before seeing this film I had little idea of who they were, and even after seeing it I would not necessarily put them on a top ten list. Nonetheless, through a combination of front man David Byrne's charisma and stagecraft, Jonathan Demme's taut, precise filmmaking, and the infectious heat of the music, Stop Making Sense remains the most enthralling and sheerly entertaining rockshow ever. The keening melancholy of "Heaven", the stripped-down mystery of "Once in a Lifetime", the dark funk of "Girlfriend is Better" -- there's simply no duds here. And Byrne works his butt off. He seems to have energy to spare; during one number he simply jogs circles around the stage, as though he needs further exercise. His teammates Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and (eventually) a host of backup singers and musicians click into that energy without a stumble.

This isn't raw work-- clearly this is a conceived film, with defined emotional beats and even a sort of intuitive narrative. And like any band, Talking Heads have a specific sound and style that (I suppose) won't appeal to everyone. But who? I've shown this film to at least three people who never heard of the band before (except through dim memory of early MTV), and even claimed to hate concert movies-- and then they went and bought the soundtrack.

What can I further say? This is a record of performance that cannot be matched. If you like music, at all, clear a little time and watch this movie. I can't promise you won't be disappointed, but I cannot easily imagine how.

A Masterpiece

[phmurphy · 10/10 · 10 June 2005]

This concert/movie is simply a brilliant collaboration of music and film. First off, you have the Talking Heads, perhaps one of the most creative and interesting bands in the history of music who put on a concert that is so imaginative that I still cannot believe it happened. Second, you have veteran Director Johnathan Demme who brings the darkness and creepiness that he used in such films as Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, to a concert with sort of a dark and creepy demeanor, i.e. David Byrne in general, the style of music, the dancing. I mean dark and creepy in a good way however. I cannot help to think that this movie is also a comedy. David Byrne's movements, the bass players dancing, the songs and just everything i get a kick out of. I have always been a big fan of the Talking Heads, but after seeing this movie, my love for them skyrockets. They are a unbelievable band with an imagination that rivals that of the likes of Shel Silverstein and the Cohen Brothers. I could literally go on and on about how brilliant this movie is. I think the next time i watch it, i may actually get up and dance. I only wish that I could have been at the actual show. I also cannot figure out what I like better, The Last Waltz or this. Shame on anybody who badmouths this movie or the band in general. See this and then see it again and again and again. 10/10

Pure cinema

[MichaelCarmichaelsCar · 10/10 · 4 August 2004]

'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.

Great film making as well as great music

[SDN-2 · 8 December 2001]

After getting my DVD player, this is one of the first discs I bought. I first saw this movie in the eighties as a fan of the music and was completely floored by a band at their peak. Since then, I've grown to appreciate good cinema as much as music, and I now look at Stop Making Sense from a slightly different perspective.

The movie stands up by any measure of cinematic quality - the direction, the photography, the lighting, the set design, the editing, the performances of the 'actors'. Everything is unquestionably good. A couple of illustrations -

During 'Once in a Lifetime', the camera holds on David Byrne, framing him from the waist up, and doesn't leave him until the very last moments of the song. His performance is absolutely enthralling. I've been trying to think of a movie where an actor holds one shot for so long, and I can't.

The photography and lighting during 'What a Day That Was' are beautiful. The stark white up-lighting reduces a large auditorium and stage to a claustrophobic collage of shadows. The effect is not unlike some scenes in Charles Laughton's 'Night of the Hunter'.

In contrast to some other views posted here, I think the Tom Tom Club's appearance adds a colourful punctuation to the flow of the movie.

The DVD is one of the very few I've come across where the commentary is worth listening to. It switches between all four band members plus Jonathan Demme, and the anecdotes are constantly interesting and often very funny. As a package, this is one of the most satisfying DVD's I own. All the extras are worthwhile and well presented, unlike most 'Special Editions' which are crammed full of junk you wouldn't normally give a second look.

It's a pity that, by its nature, Stop Making Sense will only ever appeal to a small audience, because it deserves to be revered by fans of cinema as well as music. The rock movie genre has only a handful of classics to its name, but Stop Making Sense is its Citizen Kane, its Exorcist, its Godfather, its Star Wars. It really is that good.

this ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around...

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 2 May 2008]

Stop Making Sense is the kind of concert film that gets you pumped up for the Talking Heads even if you're not that huge a fan. I love a few of their songs- Take Me to the River, Burning Down the House, Psycho Killer most of all- but I never really "got in" to them at a younger age, mostly because I knew them from classic rock radio. What Jonathan Demme as director presents with his film of their concert in 1984 is to energize fans and casual listeners to their presence and power and just plain f***ing fun. The main force behind the group, singer/guitarist David Byrne wears suits 10 times too big, runs laps around the stage (while also having back-up singers jogging in place as well), and creates crazy pop-culture and avant-garde imagery on behind them on a screen. It's madness, but it's also alive in performance and song all the way.

Maybe one or two songs might not totally click or may sound a little, well, dated (it was the 80s after all, no longer the folks from CBGB's), but there's constantly memorable moments, including the opening take on Psycho Killer, the building-block form from song to song as band members join one by one until it's a good dozen players and singers all in the mix, and with the imagery that Demme and DP Jordan Crenowith create. For the most part it's (perfectly) straightforward film-making... but here and there we see real artistry break through, shadows cascading the figures playing, the juxtaposition of Byrne in that suit flopping around, moving around seamlessly between musicians. It's the kind of craftsmanship that looks like it should be easy enough with a good few cameras, yet probably took as much prep work as Scorsese had on the Last Waltz.

So, take in all of the 80's New-Wave mood (and, make no mistake, it's VERY 80's New Wave, but probably in the best and most experimental sense imaginable), take in pretty much all of the classic Talking Heads numbers (there's one I forget the name of that's especially chilling with the chorus a series of 'ya-hay-hay-hay-hay-hay's' from Byrne in marching formation). It's probably one of the best modern concert films.

Incredible film

[nolesce · 10/10 · 28 September 2006]

I saw this movie when it was released. In our town (Sarasota, Florida then) it was a midnight movie in the theater next to 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'. I played in a band at the time and was a fan of the Talking Heads so I was stoked to see the film. A band-mate and I went opening night and were blown away. People were dancing in the aisles by about the third song. We went back the next night and several nights there after with our girlfriends and others and had a blast. Our friends weren't particularly fans of the talking heads but they loved the movie. Most of us though the first time through just watched in awe. and when you left after just watching it and absorbing it you were speechless (ar at best unintelligible) for about 20 minutes after. It truly was that kind of film. As said elsewhere after seeing it you wonder why no other concert films have even attempted to emulate "Stop Making Sense". I suppose they figured they would just look lame or they just didn't get it.(or maybe some of both). If you don't want to buy it at least rent it (then you WILL want to buy it). This is the concert film all the others want to be when they grow up.

The Benchmark of All Concert Films

[paulefortini · 10/10 · 9 March 2007]

It's a good thing that the Talking Heads broke up when they did. I mean, could you imagine them slogging it out today, playing the state fair circuit, or worse, the street fair circuit? No, watch this film. See a band at its creative and energetic peak. Remember them as they were over the two or three days in which it was filmed. Of course, you must watch David Byrne. He would make his entire body a performance art. He would contort, jog, dance, leap, and even make his clothes a prop.

But, watch Tina Weymouth...

Tina is a very visual performer too. She says almost nothing, letting her bass guitar speak for her. And while David goes over the top often, Tina is subtle and sublime. With her body moves as she dances in place. With her facial expressions, her smiles, occasional raised eyebrows, and glances. Then when the action shifts to the Tom Tom Club (in order to give David a break and allow him to change into his big suit), her big moment is for one song only--"Genius of Love" but man does she seize the moment and make it all her own! Rounding out the Talking Heads of course are drummer Chris Frantz (Tina Weymouth's husband for over 30 years now) and guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison. When Chris takes the stage, he bounds up onto the riser, bows, and with a big smile, gets drumming. He is clearly enjoying himself during this and at the end of the show, he jubilantly throws his sticks into the audience. Jerry is a little harder to get a bead on. At times he's clearly enjoying himself, particularly on BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE. Other times he seems a little detached.

Rounding out the touring band are Alex Weir on lead guitar, Bernie Worrel on keyboards, Edna Holt and Lynn Marbry on back-up vocals, and Steve Scales on percussion. None are treated as sidemen, rather as an integral part of the show.

It has been commented that some "sweetening" of the sound was done. But I believe that it was to achieve sound consistency. I have heard several concert films with terrible audio (RUST NEVER SLEEPS comes to mind). Seeing this movie is what made me a Talking Heads fan back in 1985. Finding a copy at the used book store in 2006 is what helped me re-discover them.

It would be easy to dismiss the Talking Heads as all visual as all David Byrne. Such is not the case. The songwriting and musicianship was solid throughout the band's career. The band remained together for several more years, scoring several additional hits including AND SHE WAS, LADY DON'T MIND, & WILD WILD LIFE. They called it quits as a band in 1991, although all four members have remained active in music.

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

[khanbaliq2 · 10/10 · 20 September 2009]

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

This film is an easy 10

[Kerryokie · 10/10 · 31 July 2014]

I just saw this movie tonight at the OKC Museum of Art for the first time in 30 years. It was even more fun than when I first saw it which may be because of the crowd I watched it with. The audience was comprised of a diverse mix of people ranging in age from teens to the 70s or 80s. The crowd had a blast throughout the film and cheered and applauded after each song with audience participation increasing as the film progressed. It felt like being at a live concert, so I can imagine what it must have been like to be at one of their live concerts in 1984. I found I was smiling throughout the film. A blast from the past and a blast all around.

From David Byrne's surreal, quirky, fun antics on stage to Tina Weymouth dancing as she played guitar and the camera shots of the Jonathan Demme film, the band and film crew get everything right to provide us with a perfect concert film that is not to be missed. See it on the biggest screen you can with surround sound if possible. I have long thought the soundtrack CD was one of the best ever produced, the concert film holds up just as well. "O-o-oh what a day that was!"

Perhaps The Greatest Concert-Film Ever Produced

[Det_McNulty · 9/10 · 7 October 2007]

Before I saw Stop Making Sense I had never been particularly concerned with The Talking Heads, or lead-singer and solo-artist David Byrne. Indeed, I had always been a fan of certain songs, such as "Burning Down the House" and "Psycho Killer", but I had never actually spent time becoming acquainted with the band's music on the whole. However, Stop Making Sense was something I was desperate to view, due to the substantial amount of praise that had been garnered over the years since its release. Now it is safe to say that The Talking Heads rank among my favourite bands, thanks to this masterpiece of musical art.

Essentially, Stop Making Sense is a showcase of the band's collected works. Throughout the 90-minute running-time the concert simultaneously covers the back-catalogue of The Talking Heads, through fluid, non-stop vibrancy. From "Found a Job" and "Take Me to the River" the work is merely a sample of the group's ability to provide some of the most engaging live shows ever recorded. To say that the film is "original" would be an understatement, given that the title still rings true today. Stop Making Sense defines the band's abilities, attitudes, styles and motifs. The New Wave approach the film takes is stylistically engaging to such an extent that it is virtually impossible to draw your eyes away from the screen. Minimalist set-pieces move along with the mood of the music at such a rate that much of the picture feels like a kaleidoscope of blistering sound and trancelike imagery.

David Byrne is the key constituent; bestowing his stage presence, creativity and musical proficiency. His stage dynamics are let loose during Stop Making Sense. The infamously over-sized business suit donned by David Byrne is otherworldly, just like the viewing experience, which transports you into a deep-seated, vivacious trance. Yet it is the suit which distinguishes the work completely. The fact that a regular item of clothing can have the ability to make the wearer seem out-of-proportion and disfigured is both mystifying and captivating. Even more bizarre is that the suit seems to grow relatively larger as the concert progresses. Personal interpretation could be that the suit is an implicative metaphor for the irony of the business world or conformity; on the other hand it could just be about not making sense.

Academy award winning director Jonathan Demme does not just "get the gist of The Talking Heads". Instead he is able to comprehend the themes of the band's work from an unmistakably refined tone that he captures through his direction. The irregularity of the group may be hard for some viewers to swallow, but that can be expected from a group which make music of an acquired taste. As for the choreography, it seems there is none, since the musicians all behave in a volatile and limitless manner. The progressively shifted set-pieces convey the altered reality that you have become apart of, and are an extraordinary example of unbound craftsmanship. Stop Making Sense ultimately displays the band's antics from their perspective; this is due to the extended takes of the performers and the lack of audience shots (the fans can only be seen during wide shots or when the camera moves behind the performers). There are even moments where the viewer effectively becomes apart of the band. A prime example of this manoeuvre is when the camera swings behind drummer Chris Frantz and faces the audience during the rendition of "Thank You for Sending me an Angel."

Characteristically speaking it is hopeless trying to describe the feeling you receive while viewing Stop Making Sense. This is because when seen and heard the mind becomes so fixated with the audacious madness of the piece that every viewer will react differently. Personally, this is the concert which I would irrefutably name as the finest ever recorded, maybe you will too.

Life During Showtime

[slokes · 7/10 · 1 November 2004]

"Stop Making Sense" cemented the Talking Heads' place as the Beatles of college rock, capturing the band in all its art-funk glory. Part performance art, part low-key workout, "Stop Making Sense" benefits from a set of 16 quality songs, an ever-changing visual style that never loses its inventiveness, and a lead performance by David Byrne that has to be seen to be believed.

He jogs around the stage. He bends his body in weird contortions. He puts on a really big suit. From the beginning to end, he has his shirt collar buttoned to the top like a Catholic schoolboy, and I'm not sure how or why.

"How" and "why" are words that pop up a lot while watching this. Talking Heads were weird even for the punk/new wave crowd; they wore their hair like accountants, mined everything from disco to doo-wop to African exotica for their sound, and pulled off the trick of being both mocking and reverential. So whether it's Byrne dancing with a living-room lamp or words like "facelift" and "sandwich" appearing on screen, the viewer is well advised to follow the advice of the title and just let the goofy, heady mess roll over you. You'll probably find yourself having a bit of fun.

It helps if you like their music. You don't hear much of it these days it seems. People know "Life During Wartime" and "Once In A Lifetime," while "Take Me To The River" and "Burning Down The House" were Top 40 hits in the U.S. But the most familiar tune here is probably the one non-Talking Heads song, "Genius Of Love," which is performed by the band's Byrne-less incarnation, the Tom Tom Club. That's because Mariah Carey sampled it (read "sang over it") for one of her big hits, "Fantasy."

Frankly, the band as individuals aren't all that interesting. They don't play off each other or the audience in any way, leaving it to Byrne to sell each song. Jerry Harrison, one of the four Heads, seems AWOL even on the middle of the stage. Bringing up a few session players like Bernie Worrell, the P-Funk keyboardist, helps the film avoid this "boring white guys playing their music" trap at least somewhat, though if the mission of this film is to introduce us to the Talking Heads, it's certainly no "Hard Day's Night" or "Last Waltz."

But the songs are good, and Byrne works through his bemused detachment to become quite passionate on some selected numbers. His "Once In A Lifetime" is one of the great screen performances of 1984. Goofy lighting sets up "Swamp" and "What A Day That Was" and there's oddball tricks aplenty throughout. I like the lower-key "Heaven," a wistful number about "a place where nothing ever happens" which Byrne delivers with the right amount of grace while bassist Tina Weymouth delivers some solid accompaniment.

I see a lot of times where the notes being played or hit don't correspond with what's on screen. The film was shot over a period of days, and then edited together, but judging from the perfect quality of the performed pieces, I sense some post-game "sweetening" went on. But it's a nice piece to watch, very sublime, and the new DVD treatment is a decided gem worth having. You'll wish you were back in the 1980s when the Heads were the newest thing, though they never really got old. At least they will always be fresh and alive and together on "Stop Making Sense."

This is why I'm a fan

[terihu · 10/10 · 23 January 2006]

To be perfectly honest, I was not a Talking Heads fan before this I saw this. A friend had to drag me to see it when it came out. But it totally blew me away! I wound up being totally obsessed with TH after I saw Stop Making Sense, so I don't think it's just for fans at all, it made me a fan.

The thing about SMS is that it's just pure music, and pure joy. No filler: interviews with the band members backstage, crowd shots, spliced segments of music videos, blah blah blah. If you love a band's music, why bother with the other crap? It's just drama (which there was plenty of on this tour, apparently, if you read the interviews).

David Byrne is such a freak, and his unadulterated joy at being able to BE a freak on stage and get paid for it is infectious. This is a show for every self-conscious teen who felt like shrinking into his chair during class, but who busts out dancing in the privacy of his bedroom.

You don't have to like Talking Heads to like this!

[preppy-2 · 7/10 · 20 September 1999]

First off, I never liked the group Talking Heads. I found the music unbearable. However, this film is unbelievable. I STILL don't like them, but the way this was filmed (starting off with Bryne(?) alone on stage and then adding band members one by one) was just so great and seeing them perform the songs was stunning. So I like the film CINEMATICALLY--aurally I tolerated it. One of the best concert film ever--this should be used as a guide. Try seeing it in a theatre in stereo--that's the only way to enjoy it.

Tripe

[loufalce · 1/10 · 14 February 2008]

I had to sit through this video- of a concert by the title group recently. I can't see what all the fuss about this group was. The vocals are lame, their playing is amateurish and they have no stage persona at all. How can a good director like Demme squander his talents on an extended MTV style video like this? As you probably have guessed by now, I do not like this group. As a matter of fact, I HATE them. Yet for some reason, the music critics just loved them. I remember them fawning over them in the 1980s. I just didn't get it then just as I can't get it now. Music is highly unoriginal and seemed to rehash almost everything pop music threw at us then. The front man David Byrne has just about as much charisma as a faceless musician on a "Muzak" recording session, that is if real artists actually did these recordings at all. Not worth your time. In plain English, this film sucks.I really do not like to use vulgar langusage on my reviews, but I could not think of a better word to describe this garbage. Zero stars.

The best, the weirdest, what else?

[davidbyrne77 · 16 January 2004]

I bought this film without ever having seen it. I liked the Talking Heads and had heard about the movie. Suffice it to say that I was amazed! The genious of starting with just a bare stage with David Byrne singing his sublime live version of Psycho Killer, then adding equiptment and band members was so weird, so brilliant. The energy and stamina shown by Mr. Byrne in this film borders on creepy. Was there a mountain of coke backstage, or is he a marathon runner? Not for me to know. How he was able to bend that far backwards during Once In A Lifetime I'll never know! All in all a real concert experience, combining the brilliance and showmanship of the Talking Heads with a master director like Jonathan Demme. It's no wonder that their compilation, Sand In The Vaseline, includes two live tracks seen on the film.

Maybe, the greatest concert film ever

[azeemnavarro · 10/10 · 21 July 2019]

Filmed over the course of four nights, Stop Making Sense has to be one of, if not the greatest concert any band has ever performed. When people talk about legendary performances, they usally mention Queen or Nirvana, in my opinion, no band got even close of what Talking Heads give us here. If you don't know nothing about Talking Heads, well, it's very hard to describe them, I just can say they're one of the most innovative, creative and influential bands of all time. I would recommend you to start with this film, that combines songs of the first five albums the band released (all of them masterpieces), with a couple of songs from the side projects of the band members. Why this film is perfect? Well... Because of the energetic performance of these amazing musicians, especially of our crazy man David Byrne, seing him go nuts on stage is just jaw dropping, I would kill to be able to dance like that. Everyone here has their moment to shine, and I love how perfect they fit their roles. The fact that Talking Heads are able to bring their songs to a whole new level. The studio versions are perfect, but somehow they managed in some cases to make them even better. My favorite moments have to be Life During Wartime (with it's amazing choreography) and Take Me To The River (wich is 1000 times better than the version in their second album). David Byrne created one of the most elaborate shows, that I can't believe he came with it. How the stage is literally constructed during the firsts songs, is amazing. The filming, directed by no other than Jonathan Demme, is just perfect. The incredible lighting, that you will never see in any other concert, has some elements of horror and noir films, that surprisingly fit with this kind of movie. The camera work is stellar, the decision of focusing only in the performance of the band is wise, literally you only see the audience in the last song. I could go on talking about this for hours, but i have to cut it here. Sincerellly, you have to watch Stop Making Sense, even if you don't love Talking Heads. It's truly a once in a lifetime experience seing this for the first time.

the best concert film of all time

[somf · 10/10 · 11 April 1999]

Most concert films really miss the mark. Woodstock is almost unwatchable today. The Talking Heads "Stop making Sense" show was one of the best concerts that I've ever seen. Thank God for Jonathan Demme catching it so wonderfully on film. The only other concert film that compares to this is "Gimme Shelter." It contains the most powerful message of any rock film ever made. It is the anti-woodstock. But "Stop Making Sense" is simply a joy.

Now THAT'S how you do it!

[garethcrook · 10/10 · 16 January 2021]

I'm here because of American Utopia. In itself a great recording of an amazing show. David Byrne has form though. Over 30 years previous, with The Talking Heads there was Stop Making Sense. It's another innovative performance, again captured well. Especially for the time when concert recordings were generally dry and dull. You're not making a bad start when you can kick things off with 'Psycho Killer'. Byrne on his own, falling gracefully around the stage with an acoustic. Accompanied by a backing track played on a boom box... not really it's just a prop, but this is theatre. As the set builds... the set builds, literally. Tina Weymouth joins in on bass for 'Heaven', drummer Chris Frantz for 'Thank You for Sending Me an Angel' and Jerry Harrison on guitar for 'Found a Job'. On we go, each song sees the band grow, with an impressive extended live band (Alex Weir, Steven Scales & Bernie Worrell are all awesome), whilst crew add bits to the once barren stage. It's so simple, but it's fantastic. Why have I not seen this before and of the 100s of gigs I've been to, why aren't more bands this creative? Of course it all sounds great. The band are ridiculously tight, with funky baselines, scratchy guitars and Byrne's distinctive vocals. It's fun, energetic, celebratory. Everyone looks to be having a blast, no more than Byrne looking very youthful in his sharp suit (the oversized suit makes an appearance too). I dare you to try sit still. Especially when they bang out 'Burning Down The House', it sounds HUGE! Once the stage is set, the fun isn't over. With more props, great lighting (some of which gets reused in American Utopia) and inventive video projections. You'd swear you were moving through different rooms. The whole band are brilliant, but keep your eyes on Byrne and you can't go wrong. Like American Utopia, he's the orchestrator, leading the front line in a series of bizarrely wonderful dance moves and the cameras don't miss a thing. Directed by Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), it's a slick production and having all the cameras almost makes up for not actually being in the room. Seriously though it must've been wild to be there. Probably one of the best concert films I've ever seen.

Really does deserve the praise it gets

[rdoyle29 · 9/10 · 12 November 2017]

I saw this in the theatre back in 1984 and remember liking it. I like the Talking Heads and think this was made during the peak of their career. I like Demme and think this was made during the peak of his career. Still, I kind of suspected that if I watched it again I would think that the adulation this film garners is a bit overblown. No, I was wrong. This really is the work of a a band and a director at the peak of their powers and meshing completely.

Brilliant - one of the greatest ever concert films

[grantss · 10/10 · 4 February 2016]

Brilliant - one of the greatest ever concert films.

A Talking Heads concert from 1984, recorded at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. We have the band - David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and Chris Frantz - plus several very talented backing singers and musicians. The Talking Heads offshoot, the Tom Tom Club (Weymouth and Franz, plus backing musicians), also performs a few songs.

This is Talking Heads at their peak, creativity-wise and popularity- wise. Incredible concert - the band seemed to be having a whole lot of fun and the music is fantastic. There is also the stage theatrics, largely by frontman David Byrne, and these amount to performance art.

The only concert films that surpass this, I think, are The Band's The Last Waltz and the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration.

feel it all the way

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 2 May 2018]

Since Jonathan Demme's death last year, I've tried to see how many of his movies I can watch. "Stop Making Sense" is one of them.

I first learned about the Talking Heads when my parents rented Wim Wenders's "Until the End of the World" (which included one of the Talking Heads' songs and featured a music video showing disembodied heads speaking). My parents and I later saw David Byrne in concert. It wasn't until a few years later that I started listening to the Talking Heads' songs, namely "Burning Down the House" (thanks to "Weird Al" Yankovic's usage of it in a polka medley). Now I've finally seen their famous concert movie. What an experience. This is one of the best concert movies ever made. The cool cinematography and clever editing make this something that you have to see.

Stop Making Sense

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 8 October 2023]

I'm not sure Jonathan Demme really had too much to do here as David Byrne and "Talking Heads" present us with a belter of a creative toe-tapper. It's a film of their concert - constructed from performances over three nights in a small Hollywood theatre, and that setting lends itself excellently to their showcase. The depth and height of the stage allows the band to arrive on set song by song, and for the camera work to get down and dirty with the band members amidst the most sparing of sets as they churn out some of the repertoire in an inimitable style that cleverly marries the intense with the entertaining, the comedic and the slightly fantastic. The audio is of an astonishingly strong quality, and the closeness and intensity of the photography makes the film really quite enthralling to watch. I am not the biggest fan of this band, but this film is really good and well worth a cinema watch - it only for that sound.

I cried...

[rzajac · 10/10 · 5 July 2003]

I just saw this movie again (on DVD) after 15 years and still think it's fantastic.

I was seized by powerful emotions during "What a Day That Was." Tears were streaming down my face.

My friend and I reviewed a few of the tracks with the running commentary, and I've got to say it's the best DVD commentary track I've heard to date. A perfect mix on the levels, and real art school talk minus the pretension--if you can imagine that!

If you like music, creation, truth, action, and still believe in live love acts on stage--see this movie.

Ich habe nichts Demme zu tun

[jgcorrea · 1/10 · 16 March 2023]

As you'll probably guess, pal, I hate this group. Yet , as incredible as it seems, dude, fans & critics love them. Music is highly unoriginal, man! It's rather a pop rehash whose Scottish front man has as much charisma as any face in the rock crowd. I do recommend, however, the following six rockumentaries: (i) Whats Happening, The Beatles in the United States; (ii) The T. A. M. I. Show; (iii) Get Back; (iv) The Kids Are Alright; (v) Gimme Shelter; (vi) Woodstock. As to director Demme, can he be the same man who directed The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia , Rachel Getting Married (2008) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004)?

THE Great Concert Film

[drosse67 · 22 March 2002]

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.