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David Byrne, a wiry paradigm of twitchy hipsterism, takes center stage in Stop Making Sense, the celebrated concert film directed by Jonathan Demme that became, in effect, Talking Heads' Last Waltz. Conceived for the stage by Byrne, Stop Making Sense eschews the backstage cliché and concentrates instead on the music and performances, which are precise and energetic, and Byrne's uniquely low-key kinetics, which pretty much rivet the viewer from start to finish. Byrne and the band have minimal interaction with their audience, which is mixed down to a distant cheering throng on the soundtrack. There is no banter between songs, and no cutaways to shots of the appreciative crowd. Byrne's personality never emerges from behind his stylized stage persona, a straight white man driven to sudden flights of loose-limbed rapture by the music. The lighting effects are simple but effective -- including the silhouetting of Byrne in his "Big Suit"-- as are the occasional rear projections, which support the musicians without overwhelming them. And the music is effectively Talking Heads' greatest hits, kicking off with Byrne's acoustic solo rendition of "Psycho Killer" (accompanied by a boom-box rhythm track) and moving inexorably through favorites like "Slippery People," "Burning Down the House," and "Once in a Lifetime." There's no nonsense in Stop Making Sense, a superb piece of work that documents the musical intensity and unique style of the Talking Heads for the ages. The DVD includes custom audio settings, commentary by Byrne, Chris Franz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, and Demme, three songs not included in the film -- and a fittingly oddball self-interview with Byrne. Gregory Baird

All Movie Guide

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

Product Details

• UPC: 660200301323
• Source: PALM PICTURES / UMVD
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, stereo
• Time: 1:39:00
• Sales Rank: 3,540

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