150 Word Review: 'Stop Making Sense' (1984)
My God, what have I done?
An intense, slim young man stands on a bare stage and sings about alienation. A clever woman joins him with a bass. They perform a sad song about happiness. Next: a drummer. Then another strummer. They are Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison—the Talking Heads.
Over the next hour and change, lead weirdo/singer David Byrne transforms from a loner into the head of a large, funky family. The stage fills with musical equipment, singers, lamps, percussionists, and the joyful, axe-wielding Alex Weir with each new song.
Director Jonathan Demme's beloved concert movie Stop Making Sense, shot over four nights at the Pantages Theater in L.A., is more than a record of rock geeks at the height of their powers. It tells a simple story: life is only endurable when surrounded by friends. Demme's cameras are everywhere, capturing the electricity of community, of voices rising together, of human creativity.