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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 it's 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. The 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.
Video: How Does The Disc Look?
Stop Making
Sense is presented in anamorphic widescreen in a 1.78:1 aspect
ratio. Blacks are solid making for good color fidelity and
shadow detail. Fleshtones are rendered beautifully, as are
the intense reds presented in some of the rear projections
that appear behind the stage. Much of this film presents deep
blacks with pools of light here and there, a stunning effect
on this DVD that dies on a lesser medium like VHS. The picture
is very smooth and film-like, with no distracting artifacts
of any kind.
Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?
Stop Making
Sense offers two Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack mixes with two
different goals. One mix is the "Feature Film Mix 5.1" that
"creates a large and vibrant soundstage with stunning concert
ambience. In this mix, the listener will experience something
much like being front-row at the original performances." The
Studio Mix 5.1 was created by the original mix engineer of
the Stop Making Sense album and presents a "tight studio-like
account of the performance. In this mix, the listener will
feel like he is at the mixing board."
Does each
achieve it's particular goal? In a word, yes. Which did I
prefer? The Studio 5.1 mix, for the most part. The Feature
Film Mix definitely offers a broader soundstage, and brings
more of the music hall and crowd into the soundfield. It's
a bit more of a traditional concert mix in which the band
is up front in the soundstage and the crowd and hall ambience
are in the surrounds. Occasionally some of the backing vocals
float in the surrounds a bit (like on track 11 NaŠve Melody,)
an effect I liked a lot. But for the most part I preferred
the tighter, more cohesive soundstage and the more aggressive
wrapping of the music around the listener from the surrounds
presented in the Studio Mix. This mix seemed to fill the room
with the music more than the Feature Film Mix making for a
more intimate experience. At times, I wished for a mix that
would float the backing vocals into the surrounds more and
present the more expansive soundstage of the Feature Film
Mix, but would also be more aggressive with respect to mixing
the instruments around the listener like the Studio Mix. This
is a minor quibble however, and I'm glad both approaches are
presented and fully encourage viewers to experiment with both
soundtracks and see which approach works best.
Overall,
the fidelity is very good but not quite great. It's difficult
to tell if what I'm not hearing in this presentation is a
result of limitations in the original source material or the
Dolby Digital encoding. The bottom line is that this soundtrack,
fine as it sounds, doesn't recreate the sense of each instrument
and each voice occupying it's own space within the soundstage
that I hear in the best multi-channel music presentations.
It's not an experience that entirely convinces you that you
are in the music hall or onstage with the musicians. That
being said, it is a good soundtrack that does present enough
of the performance to make you sing along and perhaps, if
you're so inclined, even get up and boogie right in the privacy
of your own living room (which is probably safest for all
concerned.)
Supplements: What Goodies Are There? Stop Making
Sense is a pretty full-featured disc. Selections available
from the main menu include three bonus tracks not included
in the original release ("Cities,"
"Big Business" and "I Zimbra"),
and very interesting sequence of David Byrne's original storyboards
for the film. When viewing the storyboards you can choose
what appears below each storyboard, either David Byrne's original
notes for the storyboards or stills from the actual movie
for comparison.
Also vailable
from the special features menu is a very bizarre and humorous
David Byrne "self interview" in which Byrne, as various different
characters, asks himself the interview questions and then
answers himself. Notes on the origin of the infamous "Big
Suit" are also here, as well as the re-release theatrical
trailer for the film. There is also a Montage of the concert
footage and music that lasts the length of a song, and plays
a lot like a trailer. There also is a discography of the Talking
Heads music releases and bios of the band and director Jonathan
Demme.
The jewel
of the supplemental package here is clearly the screen-specific
running commentary track featuring all four members of the
band and director Jonathan Demme. It's funny, informative,
and revealing. Really good stuff!
Parting Thoughts
In
all, a great band, a great movie, a great disc and great sound.
Talking Heads fans should not be disappointed!
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