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Talking Heads Release Acclaimed Concert Film Stop Making Sense

The Talking Heads concert movie Stop Making Sense opens in theaters. A highly unconventional film that doesn't rely on crowd shots or backstage footage, it's hailed as a triumph of the genre.

Conceived by frontman David Byrne, Talking Heads made their 1983 tour supporting their Speaking In Tongues album an immersive and somewhat unsettling visual experience, with Byrne incorporating a series of unpredictable stage moves into his performances: he plays a gunshot victim in "Psycho Killer," smacks himself in the head during "Once In A Lifetime," and slithers like a jellyfish for "Life During Wartime." The four members of the band are augmented by another five, including two backup singers and P-Funk keyboard man Bernie Worrell. Everyone wears muted colors so nothing reflects - the mic stands and drum risers are painted black. The tour started in August 1983; as it wound through America, it got the attention of the young filmmaker Jonathan Demme, best known for his movies Melvin And Howard and Swing Shift. His girlfriend, fellow filmmaker Sandy McLeod, followed the band on tour to note how they moved on stage and how it could translate to film. On December 13, 14 and 15, Demme shot their concerts at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. The first night ended up being a rehearsal because the band missed most camera cues and the crew was not used to the show, but the next two nights were winners, thanks in no small part to Director Of Photography Jordan Cronenweth, who worked on Blade Runner. The title comes from a line in the song "Girlfriend Is Better," which Byrne performs wearing a very big suit. In an interview with himself to promote the film, Byrne asked why. "I wanted my head to appear smaller and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger," he said, "because music is very physical and often the body understands it before the head." This kind of absurdity makes for a unique viewing experience that is unlike what's expected from a concert documentary. There's no pyro. The audience is only seen in full at the end when the cameras turn around, and their cheering never gets in the way of the music. There's very little stage patter, just Byrne asking at one point, "any questions?" In place of any macho posturing, the movements are more aerobic - Byrne does some laps around the stage at one point. The sound is crystal clear, direct from the soundboard using the 24-track digital recorder in the Record Plant Mobile Studio that was parked outside. The film does well, taking in about $5 million on a budget of roughly $1.2 million. This is good news for the band, which financed it themselves. The soundtrack, which is mixed differently than the audio from the film, is also a hit, selling 2 million in America. Most reviews are glowing. The New York Times says it's "unlike anything that has ever been captured by a standard concert film." Roger Ebert says it gives the impression of "enormous energy, of life being lived at a joyous high." The British press, though, is nonplussed. NME calls it "a series of BoHo Zen non-sequiturs, blank observations and obliquely strategical no-purpose guff." By the time the film is released, the band has stopped touring - a decision made by David Byrne. They don't perform together again until 2002 when they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As for Jonathan Demme, he goes on to direct The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia.

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