Stop Making Sense

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Stop Making Sense

PG

Released Oct 18, 1984

1h 28m

Documentary

Music

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100%

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70 Reviews

97%

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5,000+ Ratings

Filmmaker Jonathan Demme captures Talking Heads and an ecstatic ensemble of musicians at their exhilarating best in this iconic live performance.

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Critics Consensus

Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense captures the energetic, unpredictable live act of peak Talking Heads with color and visual wit.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

Bring the lights down, and it's just like a [live] performance. I promise you.

Oct 4, 2023

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Ed Potton

Times (UK)

Everyone plays out of their skin but Byrne is the inspired star, hitting himself in the face, doing laps of the stage and reappearing for Girlfriend Is Better in his famous giant suit.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 25, 2023

Full Review

Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

The movie is the finest imaginable version of the Talking Heads’ Speaking in Tongues tour. The concert’s physical staging elements, introduced in pieces and segments, with elegant and wryly suggestive words, create an aura of pristine unease.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 22, 2023

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Calum Baker

Radio Times

Above all, the film is downright fun: a showcase for nine talented musicians enjoying themselves on stage, and itself an immersive expression of creative joy.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 6, 2024

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Johnny Loftus

Decider

Stop Making Sense is all killer, no filler.

May 3, 2024

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Yago García

Cinemanía (Spain)

One of the best concert films in history in the cinema. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/5

Mar 7, 2024

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Audience Member

perfect album and perfect movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

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Carlos G

The best concert film ever made.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/11/24

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Ryan R

This is the only concert film I've seen, but boy it is a great thing. The energetic performances of Talking Heads combined with powerful and iconic renditions of some of their songs, and who could forget the ever unforgettable David Byrne in the Big Suit and his dance moves. It is the must see film for all Talking Heads fans and those, who just need a good vibe to get them out of any slump in their life.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/06/24

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Darryl W

Put on your dancing shoes you slippery people and dance like no one's looking. I saw this over a dozen times when I was a teenager, all of us dancing on the movie theatre stage and everywhere else. My generation's Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/27/24

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Greg S

One of the greatest concert films ever made.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/26/24

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Audience Member

I forgot how seamless this is I feel as I'm right on the stage w Talking Heads. Unless you hate good music check it out....I promise it will get u movin

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/11/24

Full Review

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Jonathan Demme

Director

David Byrne

Self

Chris Frantz

Self

Jerry Harrison

Self

Tina Weymouth

Self

Ednah Holt

Self

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Stop Making Sense: 40th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Jonathan Demme captures Talking Heads and an ecstatic ensemble of musicians at their exhilarating best in this iconic live performance.

Director: Jonathan Demme
Producer: Gary Goetzman
Screenwriter: Jonathan Demme, Talking Heads
Production Co: Arnold Stiefel Company, Talking Heads
Rating: PG (Brief Suggestive Material)
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 1984, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Sep 29, 2023
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.0M
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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