INDEX
STOP MAKING SENSE
At the beginning of the show, David Byrne appeared alone on an empty stage with a cassette tape. He plays “Psycho Killer” with a recorded beat. Later in the song, the blacks began to set up the stage, and for the second song, bassist Tina Weymouth appeared and played “Heaven. Sending Me an Angel” with Chris Frantz on drums. Byrne said that the purpose of the staging, in which the band members and the set gradually appeared following the order of the songs, was “to show how a concert is created.
The second half of the film, “Once in a Lifetime,” is a famous scene that is also featured in the trailer. Byrne, wearing glasses, performs a bizarre dance routine against the backdrop of what is arguably the best funk band of the time, featuring Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, and other supporting members. Throughout the film, Byrne’s and the band members’ performances are excellent, with Byrne running around the stage on “Genius Of Love” and Byrne’s stand-up light dancing on “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)”. ), and Byrne dances with the standlights on “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).
With only a few songs left in the film, “Girlfriend Is Better” is performed. Byrne, dressed in his famous biker suit, sings the lyrics that gave the film its title: “Stop making sense, stop making sense, stop making sense. Stop making sense, stop making sense.
Let go of meaning and dance. The band, described as an “intellectual band,” a term that includes a certain derogatory meaning, overwork their bodies like athletes. The heat melts the meaning.
Starting with “Psycho Killer,” the ensemble gradually builds, and the meeting of Afrobeat and punk is fulfilled. The film can be seen as a presentation of their ascent to the top bands and their youth. They were at their peak at this time.
The film’s achievement was to turn live performances into performance art. Since then, many musicians have come to demand not only the music, but also a thoughtful stage direction, and they have come to demand a total production of the live performance, from costumes and lighting to choreography. It is no exaggeration to say that the new ground they broke is the source of astonishing performances by the likes of Madonna and The Weeknd.
STOP MAKING SENSE 4K Restore
A24 brings to the screen a live film of the Talking Heads’ legendary live performance at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in December 1983.
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison and others
Distributor: GAGA
© 1984 TALKING HEADS FILMS
February 2, 2024 (Fri.) TOHO CINEMAS DAIMONDAI and other theaters nationwide roadshow
Official website: https://gaga.ne.jp/stopmakingsense/
