Customer Reviews

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense [VHS]

5 star:		(187)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Director Jonathan Demme's STOP MAKING SENSE, listed by Entertainment Weekly as one of the Essential Independent Films when they produced that list years ago, has been called, by others, the greatest rock concert films of all time. Better than THE LAST WALTZ. Better than WOODSTOCK.

After seeing it, not really knowing much about the quirky, catchy pop music of David Byrne and his brood, the band and the film won me over. The film starts, like the concert, with a bare stage. David Byrne walks out, alone, with his guitar and a radio. Within moments of beginning "Psycho Killer," Byrne's tripping all over the stage, falling all over himself, stumbling into the edges of the film frame. With that, he begins to show some individual, I-am-not-a-rock-star personality. When the staging does come, when the band joins in the fun, that personality expands.

And when it comes time for the giant suit, this film's more than just a concert. It's become a story. The story of the band, the story in the lyrics and a commentary on how abstract visual art and obscure, obtuse music can interact.

Demme never shows the audience through the film, though you can hear them, for the film is just about the band, the stage. It's not about the reaction they get.

It's fascinating, and you'll find yourself a fan of Byrne's music, as a result.

This is undoubtedly the Talking Heads at both their creative and commercial peaks. 'Speaking In Tongues'was their best album to date, and the live performances captured here imbue the music with a sense of unrestrained fun that was only hinted at on record.

The sound quality of the DVD edition is excellent (especially the bass), as is the picture quality (colors are crisp and the contrast is excellent) - plus it's nice to finally have an edition of the video presented in widescreen.

There's some interesting stuff among the extras, especially the storyboards (which can be viewed either alone, with notes, or in split screen with stills from the completed film). The David Byrne 'self-interview' is artful in its awkwardness, with one David Byrne in a number of different costumes interviewing a David Byrne wearing the big suit. There's a funky montage that works slightly better than the theatrical trailer that is also included; otherwise, they're almost interchangeable.

My only complaint with this re-mastered edition is that the three songs (Cities, Big Business, and I Zimbra) that were included in the original video release have been relegated to bonus tracks, rather than integrated into the film. Not only that, but they are presented in fullscreen/pan & scan format rather than in the widescreen format of the film, and in little more than a straight transfer. The improvements in image and sound quality of the film proper are sadly lacking here. The colors and contrast are dull in comparison, as is the quality of the soundtrack.

Well worth repeated viewings. Fix up them bonus tracks, and you've got a 5-star presentation...

This review is primarily a comparison of the standard DVD to the blu-ray. See other reviews for more discussion of the performance itself.

First, to be clear, I love the Talking Heads of this era (and earlier) and this concert. As many have said before, Stop Making Sense is one of the best concert performances ever captured on film. Poorly captured, unfortunately.

I've owned the standard DVD for years, and have viewed it on my Oppo 970 upscaling player at least 50 times. I know (and love) the content very well, warts and all. I eagerly awaited the release on blu-ray to improve the blurry, soft, artifact-laden DVD.

Sadly, on my 106" screen (fed by a Pioneer BPD-51FD blu-ray player though an Epson 1080UB), the video on blu-ray is so similar (poor) to the DVD that I consider it a wasted purchase. What makes it even WORSE than the DVD, is that all the grain, scratches, and film defects are greatly enhanced by the sharpness of blu-ray. When a scratch comes along, it's presented in high definition, making it leap out even more than it does on DVD. The sharp detail of the defects screams out how bad the source really is. Monty Python's Life of Brian was similarly horrific on DVD, but the restoration processing used for the blu-ray transformed it astonishingly to near perfect. I had hoped for SOME similar improvements on Stop Making Sense, but this blu-ray is a dud in my opinion. I see only moments of improved detail, but so little as to be of no consequence. Some reviewers feel that this is part of the films' charm and artistic intent. I respectfully disagree - strongly. The bad video quality just looks like sloppy, inept film making. The concept, direction and performances are wonderful, but the images look like a 4th generation VHS tape. Sadly, apparently all the existing copies of the original film used to master the DVDs and blu-rays are apparently equally awful.

Audio IS improved on the blu-ray, however. Notably, audio lip-sync problems are much better than the standard DVD (particularly on 'What a Day That Was') . Yet this also helps to emphasize how bad the image quality is. Great audio combined with high-def film grain/defects make the soft, crappy images seem worse than ever by comparison.

I wish I'd never bothered to upgrade to this blu-ray, my old DVD is essentially equivalent on a good upscaling player.

Ultimately, Stop Making Sense is an essential, desert-island DVD, although poorly-filmed (picture quality-wise). I adore the content, but wish that there would be an attempt at restoration, even if some purists might object. Until then, the added resolution of blu-ray is a waste, at best. If you own this on DVD, don't bother with the blu-ray version.

[...]

I'll cut to the chase: Do yourself a BIG favor and get this DVD. Even if you've never considered yourself a fan of Talking Heads, "Stop Making Sense" is worth watching and will probably give you an appreciation for band that you never had before. That's just what happened to me. Until I saw this film I was under the impression that Talking Heads was just another quirky art-punk outfit, perhaps because of their association with the early days of CBGB's in New York City. My few exposures to Talking Heads' music back in my college years (1977-1981) frankly left me scratching my head.

In retrospect, however, I think the demise of this band leaves a void in the world of popular music that may never be filled. Talking Heads created some of the smartest, funkiest sounds in the first half of the 1980s, and this film shows them in their finest form. Much of the credit goes to director Jonathan Demme for focusing our attention on the band and David Byrne's wide-eyed stage presence, while tipping his hat to the audience only at the end of the concert. Occasionally Demme comes up with a shot that is so utterly sublime in its balance and power that the viewer can only whisper, "Wow." Credit also goes to Byrne for the minimalistic set design and the particularly clever touch of assembling the set (and the band, for that matter) during the first four songs. And extra-special credit must be given to some of the COOLEST backup musicians (Steve Scales, Edna Holt, Bernie Worrell, Lynn Mabry, & Alex Weir) I've ever seen onstage. "Stop Making Sense" is unarguably the best concert movie ever made.

My partner Greg & I first owned this film on VHS, but the DVD is so much, MUCH better! The blacks are BLACK, the reds are SMOOTH, and the transfer is just as crisp as you please. The optional audio commentary by all four members of the band is a wonderful feature and an education about this band unto itself. We have shown this DVD to many friends of ours, and almost invariably they come away with a much deeper appreciation for Talking Heads. It's great that the four members of this band could put aside their differences long enough to collaborate on this DVD release. Now if they could just regroup for ONE MORE ALBUM .....

After getting this DVD, I watched at least part of it almost every day for the next two months. No lie.

While it is true that the cinementography is outstanding, what also keeps me coming back are the outstanding performances. I almost wish that each band member had a camera dedicated to them, cause they're all spectacular. Even the director, Jonathan Demme, laments the difficulty of balancing the members' screen time in the commentary. They all look like they are having a blast, and at times it seems more like a big party on a stage than a concert. Here's a capsule review of each:

David Byrne: The eccentric leader. He appears slightly spaced out and in his own little world at times, but then he'll flash a glance at one of his mates and you'll realize that he knows exactly what he's doing. There's a wonderful part during the bonus song "Big Business" where he walks over to each band member and stands transfixed while they play a "mini solo" for him -- he even bobs his head along with Bernie Worrell's keyboard riffs. In addition, his clinical descriptions of how he conceived the show in the commentary are fascinating.

Tina Weymouth: The sly bass player. Tina doesn't have a whole lot of screen time to herself except when she sings "Genius of Love." However, if you look for her in the background, you'll see some good stuff. The "blimp suit" that she wears in the first half of the show rocks! Tina's also quite an entertaining talker and contributes some funny moments to the commentary track. She gleefully recounts a prank the crew pulled on David, and also has a great quote about making music: "Whether your arms are sore or your fingers are bleeding, it doesn't matter. The end result is all that counts."

Chris Frantz: The good-natured "teddy bear" behind the drum kit. You can see him lip-synching along with many of the songs, and he'll belt out the occasional "alllright" into his mike. It's funny to watch his hair become increasingly drenched in sweat as the show goes on, while the perpetual grin on his face remains. Favorite commentary quote: "We thought we knew how to rock, and then these people [referring to the guest musicians] came along and...well, just look at them."

Jerry Harrison: The most stoic member of the band, Jerry contributes some nice rhythm guitar licks and is very articulate during the commentary. He briefly comes out of his shell during a "mini-solo" in the song Big Business, and it is quite amusing.

Bernie Worrell: Ex-Parliament keyboard wizard who doesn't get quite enough airtime to fully appreciate, but he's outstanding nonetheless. He's an adept visual performer, and I enjoyed his call-and-response section with David in the song "Making Flippy Floppy."

Steve Scales: The happy-go-lucky percussion player who's always trying to fire up the crowd. He has a great moment on "Take Me to the River" where he grabs the mic and starts trying to get everyone going.

Alex Weir: The EXTREMELY enthusiastic guitarist who's constantly bouncing around the stage. He almost collides with David during "Once in a Lifetime" while David's doing his "man possessed" dance.

Lynn Mabry/Edna Holt: The two sultry backup singers. They play off each other well, and have a great moment in "Slippery People" whey they mirror David's guitar strumming.

You've heard it all before..."Sense" is the best concert film ever made, and one of the greatest rock films ever. And the most uncanny thing about all of these claims is that they're absolutely true. "Sense" is a terrific film...a perfect snapshot of an eclectic, ingenious rock band at their peak, filmed as if it were a feature film and not a concert video. Demme's insistence on long shots of the band members works wonders...it allows the performance to breathe and gives a bird's eye view of the festivities. Cronewith's cinematography is spellbinding...I'm reminded of the blood red background and eerie fog of "Swamp," which perfectly suits this demonic song delivered in cackly baritone by Byrne. Or the incredible shot during the coda of "Once In A Lifetime" of backup singers Lynn Mabry and Ednah Holt leaning *very* far back as keyboardists Jerry Harrison and Bernie Worrell jam and Byrne proselytizes to the audience, clad in hornrims and scientist coat. Mabry and Holt look like androids as they reel up to a standing position, perfectly in sync, while Harrison and Worrell are shrouded in a peculiar fog that makes them look as if they are floating on clouds. And Byrne's neurotic tics and bent genius lead the way. An incredible moment in an incredible film.

And of course there's the music. It is certainly one of the best live performances ever captured on tape, by one of the best bands of all time (though, to be fair, a certain amount of post-production overdubbing was engaged in by the band members in 1984). While not *flawless* (Harrison makes a few synth flubs near the end of "This Must Be The Place," for one), it is breathtaking and captures T Heads at their absolute peak. A bit of a greatest hits show, with some highlights from their then current album "Speaking In Tongues," the music all hangs together wonderfully. The extended lineup all cook on funky numbers like "Crosseyed And Painless" and "What A Day That Was," scorch the earth on the new wave gospel of "Slippery People" and treat more somber numbers like "This Must Be The Place" with a gentle, human sensitivity.

And of course, there is the absolute highlight and centerpiece of the film (at least in this reviewer's opinion): the double whammy of "Burning Down The House"--T Heads' then current hit--and "Life During Wartime." These two performances are like manna from heaven...the band all hit their marks perfectly. In "House," Worrell burns the synth to the ground with bizarre noises and funky fills...Byrne, Weir and Harrison all give a driving guitar rhythm...Harrison, Mabry and Holt mirror dance while Weir and Byrne drip with sweat. Percussionist Steve Scales dances around and even finds time to give the camera a silly mug. In "Wartime," Byrne plays at being aerobic instructor. His sinewy, bizarre movements and jogging in place give the song an energy that never lets up. Exhilarating for band and audience alike.

And herein lies the charm of this film...nine players on stage, of different races, genders and personality types, all coming together to give one incredible performance. All are represented at one time or another in the film. There are also some great bonus materials, such as a self-interview with David Byrne, where he masquerades as several different characters interviewing himself in the big suit, and gives suitably Byrne-esque pseudo-intellectual answers (he answers at least three of the questions with "I'll tell you later").

The sound of the DVD itself is quite nice, though fans of the original film and video will need to get used to the new 5.1 mixes. I personally prefer the "studio mix," which, ironically, sounded much more "live" to me than the "feature film" mix.

So then, why do I give this DVD only four stars instead of five? Well, frankly, there are some aspects of the disc itself that are a bit disappointing. The transfer itself looks okay, but I'd only give it three and a half stars out of five. There are little white flecks occasionally, and a few very egregious flaws, most noticeable when Mabry, Holt and Scales first emerge on stage (there are marks that scroll up and down the screen for a few seconds). There are also a few scenes where the holes in the top right side of the screen (which are used in theatrical prints to denote a scene change) haven't been digitally edited out. Also, without explanation, some lines in the movie have been changed. Near the end of "Place," where Byrne once uttered a cheery "uh-huh!" into the mic, it has been replaced with the same exact "hey!" he delivers later. Frantz's "too much of that g** damn snow white...all night!" during "Genius" has been replaced with the wholly inoffensive "and everything's just jumpin' outta sight...all night." Quite why they decided to change these lines is not known, and, in the case of Byrne's "hey!" just seems downright bizarre.

The last irritating aspect is the fact that the bonus songs are on a separate track, so that once you enter that section following the film, you can't skip back into the film. Furthermore, I don't understand why they were cut in the first place. They were in the running order of the videocassette for years, and are terrific performances in and of themselves, so why not leave them in for the DVD release? But, as Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap once said, "that's nitpicking, isn't it?"

If you're a fan of Talking Heads, the 1980s, music, fine films or art, you must have this in your collection. All gripes aside, it's an incredible piece of filmmaking that will stand the test of time and remains fresh after almost 20 years. Certainly the best concert film ever made (yes, I said it again), and the second greatest rock film ever made (behind "A Hard Day's Night"). Five + stars for the film, four for the DVD.

Stop Making Sense

Directed by Jonathan Demme

88 minutes

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (audience mix)

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (studio mix)

English: LPCM 2.0

I was passionate about music long before I became passionate about film. It began when my neighbor played Hunky Dory to me, and became stronger through school as I discovered the likes of Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Joy Division, The Fall and too many punk bands to mention. We shared albums on cassette and I started listening to the John Peel show on the radio. He broadened my appreciation for obscure music. I mention this because Talking Heads were a big part of my musical education. I remember playing Fear of Music to death when it came out.

David Byrne is not a conventional singer. In fact, very few of the bands I love have people who can really sing. It's just not a requirement for me. I prefer vocalists who obviously feel what they are performing, even if their vocal ability is limited. A list of my favorites would include:

Ian Curtis - Joy Division

Neil Young

Stephen Malkmus - Pavement (can't even stay in the same key)

Black Francis - Pixies

Tom Verlaine - Television

David Bowie

Kristin Hersh - Throwing Muses

Polly Harvey

Nick Cave

Thurston Moore/Kim Gordon/Lee Ranaldo - Sonic Youth

Kurt Cobain - Nirvana

Jonathan Richman - The Modern Lovers

Mark E. Smith - The Fall

Byrne whines, growls, yelps and screams. It works...for me. It may not work for everyone. The same goes for most people on the above list. That's why all those bands, and Talking Heads, don't sound like anyone else. They have their own identity. It amazes me that bands like Television don't get more recognition. Marquee Moon (arguably the best album of the 70s) is an absolute masterpiece of guitar sound, but they were labeled as punk/new wave and never got the recognition they deserve. I'm one of their 17 fans across the world.

Talking Heads deserve a special place in music history and the band was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Their sound isn't exactly rock, but what is it? There's a huge funk influence as well as world music.

The rhythm section was superb with Chris Frantz (drums), Jerry Harrison (guitar, keyboards) and Tina Weymouth (bass) all vital to the mix. For the purposes of this film, the band was joined by Bernie Worrell (keyboards), Steve Scales (percussion), Alex Weir (guitar), Edna Holt (backing vocals) and Lynn Mabry (backing vocals). The result was an intricate fusion of styles with multiple layers of sound. This complicated layering is prevalent among bands I have grown to love over the years.

The movie doesn't look like a movie at all; it looks like a live concert. It was filmed over several nights with cameras being positioned in different places each time. As a result, you won't see cameras cluttering the performance. It explains how we were given views of the audience from behind the drums without any other cameras in view. The shooting style is somewhat similar to that used in the dance scenes in Black Swan. You'll find yourself on stage with the band, right among the action.

The concert begins with David Byrne walking out carrying a boom box. He wants to play us a tape. It consists of the pounding backing beat of Psycho Killer and he performs it solo with his guitar. Tina Weymouth joins him for a rendition of Heaven, with Chris Frantz entering for Thank You For Sending Me An Angel and Jerry Harrison completing the foursome on Found A Job. The guest performers all add something to the sound and all nine performers are on stage for the start of the seventh song. I have seen Byrne use this formula for solo shows and it works well. I think it highlights what each musician adds to the sound and helps you appreciate exactly how much is going on in that rhythm section.

Byrne was a ball of energy, running on the spot, doing laps around the stage, leaping up beside the drums and performing a variety of patented moves. When the ensemble plays the Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love, Byrne leaves the stage. When it ends, he returns wearing the big suit. He wanted to make his head look smaller so he decided to make the rest of his body appear bigger. I think Byrne was one of the best front men in music history. Looking like a cross between a manic bird and Norman Bates, he was never still.

One of the gripes I have about popular music is that it's too manufactured. The record labels want a product that can be marketed and exploited. As long as those involved look the part, the music is secondary. That's not the case with Talking Heads. This was real. Look at their faces and how much they enjoyed the performance. Look at the effort involved.

The music is full of emotion.

There are 16 songs included in the 88 minutes:

1. Psycho Killer

2. Heaven

3. Thank You For Sending Me An Angel

4. Found A Job

5. Slippery People

6. Burning Down The House

7. Life During Wartime

8. Making Flippy Floppy

9. Swamp

10. What A Day That Was

11. This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody)

12. Once In A Lifetime

13. Genius Of Love

14. Girlfriend Is Better

15. Take Me To The River

16. Crosseyed And Painless

No weak tracks there. It's not quite the perfect set, but it's close. Don't Worry About the Government would have been a nice addition. The bonus features do include Cities and Big Business/I Zimbra, adding another 11 minutes or so of music.

Talking of special features, there's also a 65-minute press conference of the band at a 1999 film festival where the movie was shown for its 15th anniversary.

Can I recommend this to everyone? No, definitely not. It depends what kind of music you like. If all you have ever listened to is classic rock and AOR, the jump might be too much for you. If you are familiar with Talking Heads and appreciate what they do, the Blu-ray is an essential purchase. That said, you'll be disappointed by the picture quality. It's marred by frequent dirt, scratches and white specks. Concerts tend to happen in dim settings and you have to remember that it's 27 years old. I would rate the picture quality 3/5.

The real difference here is the sound. There are three lossless mixes. The audience mix (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), the studio mix (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1) and a PCM stereo mix. There are occasional sync issues, such as on Life During Wartime, but overall, things match up well. The audience mix gives more of a concert experience while the studio mix is more polished. Both are excellent.

I quickly forgot the shortcomings of the picture quality and enjoyed the music.

Overall 4.5/5

Up until its recent rerelease, I had been searching for a copy of the film to see if it was truly the epic masterpiece everyone had made it out to be. One could imagine the thrill I had upon hearing about the rerelease with enhanced sound and picture. After viewing the film initially, an epic masterpiece was an understatement. This film is monumental! The energy never diminishes from David Byrne's opening solo rendition of "Psycho Killer" up until the ending number "Crosseyed and Painless". It didn't stop the crowd from dancing in the aisles at the end. I was very impressed with the rhythm elements in all the songs....there was never a moment where my foot wasn't tapping. And don't forget Jonathan Demme's brilliant camera work, as complemented by David Byrne's artistic use of lighting, shadows and color as conceived for the stage. I was mesmorized by the creativity involved not only in the songs, but with the solos as well. Bernie Worrell and Jerry Harrison have the keyboards sounding like no other, and Alex Weir and Byrne had fascinating rhythm elements as well.

I would HIGHLY recommend you purchase this VHS/DVD. I truly see why this is the best rock film ever, and I believe you will as well.

According to the commentary track included with this DVD, David Byrne may be considered to be the central character in this Talking Heads concert documentary. In the course of the film's 90 minute duration, he is transformed as "a stiff white guy who sheds his inhibitions, gets loose and lets go. He is both changed by the music and set free."

The concert starts on a bare 60 by 40 foot stage with a solo performance of "Psycho Killer" and then slowly adds both equipment and musicians during the first five songs. By the sixth song, "Burning Down the House", nine musicians are present and will remain fully engaged for the next 10 tracks. Three additional tracks are included on the DVD as a bonus.

Seven cameras were used to record the performance, with much of the footage being shot from the perspective of the audience. Indeed, the viewer of the documentary is made to feel that they are actually witnessing a live event. The director takes great pains to record the artists not just as musicians, but also as "characters" with their own individual performance personalities.

The stage is lit solely by white lighting, with both the type and positioning of the lights permitting an amazing visual variation. Backlit slide photography of both text and representational images are sometimes used in the stage design as well.

The title, "Stop Making Sense", refers to David Byrne's approach to writing song lyrics during the early 1980's. His lyrics are often irrational and illogical, not making sense from one line to the next, yet they still tend to remain both intuitive and emotionally involving.

"Stop Making Sense" is resplendent in its entertaining divergence from the commonplace. Watch, listen and be moved by its wonderfully liberating creative energy!

Okay, so you already know that Stop Making Sense is a great movie, or you probably wouldn't be here reading this. But if you are thinking of buying it on VHS, stop! If you don't have a DVD player, let go of the past and buy one so you can watch this the way it was meant to be watched! Too many DVDs don't utilize the vast amount of space availible in disk format. Stop Making Sense is not one of these inferior DVDs. You can watch the movie with band commentary, compare Byrne's original storyboard to the film, and see that delightful little gem David Byrne Interviews. . .David Byrne. Oh, that cracks me up. But I am about to let you in on a little secret about this DVD that you won't find in any other review. By far the greatest extra feature on this DVD is a trailer for another DVD, a cheap Jamaican film called Dancehall Queen. You can find it under the Special Features menu. Then go to Hyperactive, and then to DVD Trailers. If you can form any sort of narrative from this wacky trailer, I'll be a monkey's uncle. But it's great, I love it! So much better than boiled boot water! Just watch it.