Many will argue that Gimme Shelter is the best concert documentary ever, and there is a case to be made for that incredibly disturbing deep dive into the worst concert train wreck of the decade. But if we're confining our discussion strictly to the documentation of a performance, Jonathan Demme's exuberant 1984 film Stop Making Sense remains unparalleled. Filmed over the course of three days at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, Demme and his crew captured Talking Heads at their electrifying peak. Here's a taste of the theatrics:
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film's release, Palm Pictures is releasing a digital version which will be screened in theaters nationwide, and released on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms on July 15th. “Stop Making Sense is as relevant today as it was 30 years ago," Palm Pictures and Island Records founder (and alleged vampire) Chris Blackwell said in a statement. "It says It amazes me how timeless the film and the music are. I think this is a great testament to the music of the [sic] Talking Heads and the groundbreaking cinematography of Jonathan Demme in creating this film."
The NYC screening will be at BAM on June 4th, with the possibility of a second screening in the works. If you haven't seen Stop Making Sense yet, this is the way to do it, in a proper theater with a quality sound system. BYO lamp to dance with during "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)."
The screenings are part of RadioLoveFest at BAM, in partnership with WNYC, and we've just been told that tickets are now sold out. HOWEVER, BAM's publicist tells us they will "have a standby line at the screening in case there’s drop-off." Worth a shot. The line forms one hour before the 7:30 p.m. screening.
