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
  • tlwgvlle - 3 May 2024
    What A Joy
    No dancers, no scantily dressed women, no fancy projections or awesome lighting. What you do have is an evening of joy! Talking Heads' music is always intricate but easy to listen to. David Byrne may not a great singer but he easily carries off his delightful music with great skill and quirky enthusiasm. The band is just superb with each player at the top of their game. What does come across is they all seem to be having great fun. Jonathan Demme has managed to capture the fun and excitement on film.

    Flash forward some forty years: if you haven't seen the Heads' recent concert film American Utopia, it's a light year ahead of the Stop film; same wonderful music - old and new - but presented in a fascinating new way.
  • JaneU2143 - 1 October 2023
    Same as it was, Same as it ever was ..BRILLIANT.
    WOW & BRILLIANT. 40 years later I felt the need to RUSH to see this Film starring a Fave Band of mine from the 80's.

    I knew I had to watch this re-release IN A MOVIE THEATRE as soon as I saw the FANTASTIC TRAILER. Even the Trailer was Fantastic. David Byrne walks into his Dry Cleaner to pick up. "It's been here a while" as the Dry Cleaner brings the GIANT SUIT from the back. When I saw that trailer and got goosebumps I knew I had to see STOP MAKING SENSE on the Big Screen!

    My first memory of hearing Talking Heads was at my 1979 High School Graduation. The kid behind me was singing "Psycho Killer, Qu'est que sais, ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba " you get the rest !

    The Talking Heads were played constantly our College Radio station in the early 80's.

    I called my College Roommate from 1983 who I was overdue to see (it had been 2 years). What a great excuse to get together. We were huge Talking Heads Fans.

    I drove an hour to Providence RI to see the Film. Im sure my mouth hurt from smiling (and singing) for an hour and a half. It felt like I was at a concert -minus the screaming fans. Instead we were sitting with a few other 60 year old people reminiscing. The music and film were perfect. I didn't feel like I was watching an old movie. Whatever they did to this 1983-84 film made it look and sound like it was new. WHAT A TREAT. A MUST SEE for any Talking Heads Fan.

    I'm still singing Stop Making Sense in my head!
  • cmcox-45721 - 23 August 2021
    Brilliant and unmissable
    I would love to have been a fly on the wall for the band meeting in preparation for this show.

    David Byrne: "So, any ideas for staging the next tour?"

    Rest of the Band: "Well, we thought you could stand at the front in the middle, Tina stage right, Jerry stage left, then Chris at the back on drums. Then all we have to do is decide which songs to sing and in which order to do them."

    David Byrne: "OK, I have a few other ideas if anyone's interested in changing things around a little ...."

    I'm sure I'm doing the rest of the Talking Heads a disservice, as they're all outstanding musicians and performers. But to me there can be no doubt that this show is largely David Byrne's vision and he leads the peformance in a masterful demonstration of musicianship and stagecraft. By the mid point of the show in "What A Day That Was", I'm certain he entered a sort of shamanistic trance, transported by the performance to another place and another dimension, and he's taking us all there with him.

    I've loved Talking Heads since I purchased "Talking Heads:77" on vinyl as a suburban English 14 year old in 1977. Back then, I thought David Byrne was a genius. The fact that I already knew most of the songs in this concert helped me to get into it straight away but it's not necessary to know the Talking Heads' back catalog to appreciate this amazing and unique live performance. It's not about a band playing their songs, it's a collective of performance artists putting on an incredible show of music, lighting, dance and theatre. By the time that Byrne comes onto the stage in his big suit for "Girlfriend is Better", I'm beginning to think that my teenage assessment of him as a genius is not only accurate but potentially an underestimation.

    Oh to have been in the audience for this live show. Those who were there must count their lucky stars to have experienced something so incredible. Truly, "Once In a Lifetime".