The Greatest Concert Movie Ever Made Is Getting An Awesome New Version
Stop Making Sense, the 1984 concert movie made by Talking Heads, was recently acquired by A24, who will be restoring the film in 4K and then re-releasing it into theaters.
Released in 1984, Stop Making Sense is a concert film for the renowned rock band Talking Heads, and it’s arguably one of the best of its kind. According to Variety, A24 has secured the global rights to the film, with plans to bring a 4K restoration of the classic feature to the big screen later this year. The studio has released many acclaimed motion pictures in recent years, including the Willem Dafoe-led The Lighthouse and Ari Aster’s 2018 psychological thriller Hereditary.
Directed by Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia), Stop Making Sense was shot over the course of three nights at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood as Talking Heads were touring to promote their latest album at the time, Speaking in Tongues. It was the very first movie made entirely using digital audio techniques. In 2021, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance.
Stop Making Sense begins with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne walking onto the stage and doing a solo of the band’s hit “Psycho Killer.” He’s then joined by Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, and Chris Frantz to perform two songs before three more musicians and two backup singers join the band. By the time the film concludes, the group has weaved together tracks from all six of its studio albums.
Distributed domestically by Cinecom Pictures, Stop Making Sense was originally released in theaters on October 19, 1984, earning $4.9 million during its initial run. That total has grown to approximately $5.1 million over the years, thanks to multiple re-releases. The movie reportedly had an estimated production budget of $1.2 million, which the members of Talking Heads are said to have raised themselves.
Stop Making Sense opened to phenomenal reviews when it arrived in theaters, and it continues to captivate viewers today. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rare 100 percent score from professional critics off 40 reviews. Meanwhile, the movie has a score of 97 percent from everyday viewers.
To tie into A24’s re-release of Stop Making Sense, record label Rhino will offer a deluxe version of the soundtrack on vinyl that will now include the film’s complete concert for the first time. The soundtrack will be available on August 18 as a limited edition two-LP set. It will also be available digitally along with a Dolby Atmos mix of the complete concert.
Along with Stop Making Sense, A24 recently acquired the film Pi, from The Whale director Darren Aronofsky. The studio re-released a restored version of the acclaimed 1998 thriller in theaters to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Additionally, A24 has several motion pictures headed to theaters in 2023, including the hotly anticipated wrestling biopic The Iron Claw.
The film follows the story of the Von Erichs, a dynasty of wrestlers who greatly impacted the sport from the 1960s to the present day. The Iron Claw stars Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White, Maura Tierney, Lily James, Holt McCallany, and Michael Harney. Sean Durkin directed the movie from his own script.
