Stop Making Sense (1984)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Stop Making Sense (1984) -- J. Demme

I'm finding it too hard to review this on cinematic grounds without having all of my sentimental and nostalgic feelings influence my reaction.  But I think that's OK because this concert film by Talking Heads really meant a lot to me and thus deserves my highest rating.  Back in 1984, my friends and I saw this at Cinema 93 and danced in the aisles.  I bought the album with a special glossy book (now lost) in Hanover, NH (Dartmouth bookstore, I think) and later the cassette because it had remixes or longer versions of the songs.  When my high school had an "air band" contest, we got a "big suit" from my friend Todd's dad and created props (using the same design as was used in BBHS's production of "Definitely Eric Geddis") out of cardboard with white paint and black outlines -- guitar, keyboards, etc.  I played David Byrne.  We didn't win but got an honorable mention.  Talking Heads were/became my favorite band in those pre-college years.  Probably they went downhill after this album and watching this again last night, perhaps I wished for a few more early songs and not so much from Speaking in Tongues (but this was after all a film of the tour for that album). Having just read David Byrne's book (How Music Works), I can see more clearly than ever just how much careful thought went into the stage show for that tour and for the movie Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme (who went on to Silence of the Lambs and more).   What's more, almost 30 years later, this still sounds great.