A24 Releasing Remastered Version of Talking Heads Classic Concert Film ‘Stop Making Sense’
A24 has acquired worldwide rights to the classic Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense.” A 4K restoration of the movie will be released in theaters globally later this year.
Jonathan Demme, the acclaimed filmmaker of “Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,” directed 1984’s “Stop Making Sense,” which is regarded as one of the greatest concert films ever.
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If the suit still fits… This year, we’re bringing Jonathan Demme’s groundbreaking 1984 Talking Heads concert film STOP MAKING SENSE (newly remastered in 4K!) back to theaters worldwide. #StopMakingSense2023 pic.twitter.com/Kh2Nevaf2X
— A24 (@A24) March 16, 2023
In the New York Times’ 1984 review of “Stop Making Sense,” critic Janet Maslin says the rock concert film “looks and sounds like no other.”
“The film’s visual style is as coolly iconoclastic as Talking Heads itself,” she wrote. “Mr. Demme has captured both the look and the spirit of this live performance with a daring and precision that match the group’s own.”
“Stop Making Sense” stars core band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison along with Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt. The live performance was shot roughly 40 years ago over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December of 1983. It features Talking Heads’ most memorable songs, including “Burning Down the House,” “Once in a Lifetime” and “This Must Be the Place.”
“There was a band. There was a concert,” the Talking Heads said in a statement. “This must be the movie!”
Tied to the concert film’s re-release, Record label Rhino will offer a new deluxe version of the soundtrack on vinyl and digitally on Aug. 18. It will include the complete “Stop Making Sense” concert for the first time.
A24 just took home several Oscars, including best picture, for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “The Whale.” The company also recently acquired Darren Aronofsky’s debut feature “Pi” and re-released a restored version of the 1998 film in theaters on Pi Day to commemorate its 25th anniversary.
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