I've been a Talking Heads fan since high school, and previous to viewing this DVD I had only seen their terrific concert film, 1984's Stop Making Sense, on VHS. I can honestly say that this particular review is one of the most time-consuming I've ever done, and I loved every minute of it. A big part of why it took so long was that several of the performances were so great they demanded repeated viewing.

Stop Making Sense is very cinematic in every respect, due in large part to being directed by a major motion picture director, Jonathan Demme. Demme, and his cinematographer, the great Jordan Cronenweth (Blade Runner), portray a music film here that is very different from the MTV style of filming music that has become the norm today. The lighting is brilliantly low-key with deep blacks and often uses what is not shown as much as what is shown. Medium and longer shots that put you in the audience are smartly interspersed with shots that take you onstage with the musicians to capture certain elements of their performance.

Demme really brings the energy of all of the performers into the film, not just the front man David Byrne. Talking Heads live were very performance art, whether it be David Byrne dancing with a lighted lamp, or rear projection images on big screen behind the band, and Stop Making Sense does a remarkable job of capturing what these innovative performers were doing.

For those that may have forgotten or never knew, there's never been a musician with such a strangely compelling stage presence as Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. But it's the music that is the star here. The band was touring in support of Speaking in Tongues, one of their very best recordings, which is the source of many of the music selections played. Stop Making Sense is a great concert film of a great band.