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Stop Making Sense Poster

Stop Making Sense

Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?
1984 | 88m | English

(23304 votes)

TMDb IMDb

Popularity: 3 (history)

Director: Jonathan Demme
Writer: Jonathan Demme
Staring:
Details

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.
Release Date: Nov 16, 1984
Director: Jonathan Demme
Writer: Jonathan Demme
Genres: Music, Documentary
Keywords concert, rock band, concert film, post-punk, new wave, energetic, exuberant
Production Companies Talking Heads Films, Arnold Stiefel Company
Box Office Revenue: $12,471,520
Budget: $1,200,000
Updates Updated: Aug 13, 2025
Entered: Apr 13, 2024
Trailers and Extras

International Posters

Full Credits

Name Character
David Byrne Self - Vocals, Guitar
Chris Frantz Self - Drums, Vocals
Jerry Harrison Self - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Tina Weymouth Self - Bass, Percussion, Vocals
Ednah Holt Self - Backing Vocals
Lynn Mabry Self - Backing Vocals
Steven Scales Self - Percussion
Alex Weir Self - Guitar, Vocals
Bernie Worrell Self - Keyboards
Name Job
Jonathan Demme Sound Supervisor, Director, Writer
Tina Weymouth Original Music Composer
Jordan Cronenweth Director of Photography
Bernie Worrell Original Music Composer
Gary Goetzman Sound Supervisor
Alan Chinowsky Sound Engineer
Chris Frantz Original Music Composer
Lisa Day Editor
Charles Myers Production Manager
Michael Looney Second Assistant Director
Joe Viola First Assistant Director
Mike Carver Boom Operator
Walter A. Gest Sound Recordist
Steve Maslow Sound Engineer
Mark Wolfson Other
Billy Youdelman Sound Mixer
David Byrne Original Music Composer, Sound Supervisor
Jerry Harrison Original Music Composer, Sound Supervisor
Name Title
Gary Goetzman Producer
Gary Kurfirst Executive Producer
Organization Category Person
Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


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2024 4 15 20 11
2024 5 20 27 12
2024 6 15 22 9
2024 7 19 44 10
2024 8 13 16 9
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2024 10 22 56 9
2024 11 12 19 8
2024 12 13 16 8
2025 1 10 14 6
2025 2 9 14 3
2025 3 6 13 1
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2025 9 398 693
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2025 6 705 841
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2025 5 249 653
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2024 11 831 831
Year Month High Avg
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Reviews

Geronimo1967
7.0

I'm not sure Jonathan Demme really had too much to do here as David Byrne and "Talking Heads" present us with a belter of a creative toe-tapper. It's a film of their concert - constructed from performances over three nights in a small Hollywood theatre, and that setting lends itself excellently to t ... heir showcase. The depth and height of the stage allows the band to arrive on set song by song, and for the camera work to get down and dirty with the band members amidst the most sparing of sets as they churn out some of the repertoire in an inimitable style that cleverly marries the intense with the entertaining, the comedic and the slightly fantastic. The audio is of an astonishingly strong quality, and the closeness and intensity of the photography makes the film really quite enthralling to watch. I am not the biggest fan of this band, but this film is really good and well worth a cinema watch - it only for that sound.

Oct 08, 2023
JN2012
7.0

I did write an artistically brilliant rendition of my thoughts on this movie but instead I’m going to give you this: I can't seem to face up to the facts I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire Don't touch me, I'm a real live wire Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce qu ... e c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh You start a conversation, you can't even finish it You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed Say something once, why say it again? Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh Ay-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya Ce que j'ai fait, ce soir-là Ce qu'elle a dit, ce soir-là Réalisant mon espoir Je me lance vers la gloire, okay Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah We are vain and we are blind I hate people when they're not polite Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh-oh-oh Psycho Killer Qu'est-ce que c'est? Fa-fa-fa-fa, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa, better Run, run, run, run, run, run, run away, oh, oh, oh, oh Ai-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya, ooh

Oct 20, 2023