Stop Making Sense (Demme, 1984)
Back in the early days of this newsletter (September last year) I recommended the new restoration of Stop Making Sense which was getting a special screening at our local IMAX to coincide with the world première in Toronto (hosted in idiosyncratic and not entirely successful fashion by Spike Lee).
It was a revelation. The 4K restoration of the picture was one thing but the leap forward wasn’t as great as the one made by Jerry Harrison’s sound mix. The soundtrack filled the room but also spread out, so it was much easier to identify all the elements and appreciate the musicianship of the entire band.
Last year I reviewed the new Stop Making Sense for At the Movies, comparing it with the current state of the art concert movies, Taylor Swifts’ Eras Tour:
When Talking Heads and director Jonathan Demme’s crew gathered at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California in December 1983, the band had been together for nine years and made five albums. As a live act they were at the peak of their powers but once the film was released, they would never go out on tour again.
When Taylor Swift played three shows at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in August this year she had been performing professionally for 17 years and had released ten albums and three re-recorded albums.
…
It’s a buzzy thing to watch them both this close together. In some ways, they couldn’t be more different. Talking Heads in a theatre with a capacity of 2,700, starting the show on an empty stage, a handful of roadies and stage crew and three 35mm slide projectors providing AV. Taylor Swift in a stadium housing 100,000 and with hundreds of stage crew (including 50 truck drivers who all got a $100,000 bonus you’ll be pleased to know) and millions of tiny LED screens attached to every conceivable surface.
What the shows have in common, however, is that they are both incredibly theatrical as well as musical experiences, using old fashioned stage magic as well as technology to move their audiences. And both represent the state of the art for when they were performed and it’s going to be the movie versions that the world will remember long after everyone who ever bought a ticket is gone.
In Australia and New Zealand the film is now available on DocPlay. Going straight to streaming is a sign of the times. It looks as if the A24 UHD version will only be available as an import. Oh well, Christmas is coming, eh?
Where to watch Stop Making Sense
Aotearoa and Australia: Streaming on DocPlay (4K)
Canada: Not currently available online
Ireland and UK: Digital rental
USA: Streaming on Max (4K)
Further listening
Last Friday I shared another excellent chat with Emile Donovan on RNZ National’s Nights programme. We talked about The Promised Land with Mads Mikkelsen, Am I OK? and one of Emile’s favourite movies, Pan’s Labyrinth.
