Format: Blu-Ray DVD Release Date: 10/13/2009 UPC: 660200316723 Item ID: 1920091 Studio: PALM PICTURES / UMVD ProductID: PLMS3167BR Region: A - USA!!!!!!!! Video: Enchanced Widescreen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio PCM stereo Language: English
Stop Making Sense was the first feature-length documentary effort of filmmaker Jonathan Demme. The director's subject is The Talking Heads, a new-wave/pop-rock group comprised of David Byrne, Chris Franz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. The film was made during a three-day concert gig at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. What emerges on screen says as much about director Demme's taste and sensitivity as it does about the group and its visionary leader Byrne. Though some of the material in Stop Making Sense overlaps with the Talking Heads' earlier concert film The Name of This Band is Talking Heads, one never gets the feeling of by-the-numbers repetition; the group's energy is such that it virtually explodes from the screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Editorial Reviews: Stop Making Sense is a prime example of the best way to make a perfect concert movie. First, choose as a subject a band that is as attentive to visual matters as it is to its music -- and preferably one that comes with sterling critical credentials as well. Second, choose as director someone with an unerring sense of composition and an ability to zero in on the key moments in a song, those that will make the most lasting impression or will deliver a message -- subtly or obviously -- to the audience. Third, plan the shoot to as close to within an inch of its life as possible (difficult to do given the vagaries of live performance). Fourth, be in the right place at the right time. Although an individual's reaction to Sense will in large part be colored by his feelings about the Talking Heads, even those who are not fans should be impressed by Jonathan Demme's letter-perfect direction. He employs both handheld backstage and machine-mounted front-of-house cameras, and the contrast between the two is striking. This captures not only the "concept" of the film -- that it is as much about how a show is put on as it is about the show itself -- but also mirrors the dichotomy of the band itself, with the front cameras pinpointing their cold, formalistic quality and the backstage ones pointing up their surprising warmth and vibrancy. Most exciting is how engaging David Byrne comes across; his self-conscious quirks and pre-conceived persona register as natural and appealing, and the amount of energy he puts into the concert is galvanizing. Although he dominates the stage, honey-haired Tina Weymouth still manages to quietly score points on her own. Sense is an excellent film that stands many repeated viewings. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide