Barney1

I’m not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, but does anybody own the Talking Heads “Stop Making Sense” DVD wide screen? How is the PQ and is it more a documentary type DVD or music DVD? Thanks in advance!

Burke Strickland

I own a copy of the "Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense" DVD which is in my 300 DVD carousel for instant playback, which happens every so often, especially when I want to watch an aerobic workout accompanied by some compelling music. :>) (You'll know what imean when you watch it.)

"Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense" is a concert documentary. It is not a documentary about the group or their fans, or the cultural milieu of the times. It is an audio/visual record of the concert. That means it gives us complete renditions of songs filmed at a live concert, rather than MTV-style "music videos", or snippets of songs between narrative "talking heads". :>)

The camera is not static, sometimes showing close-ups of individual performers, sometimes showing the whole group (from various vantage points) but the performances are continuous, not interrupted by interviews or "back story" narrative, although there is an optional commentary track that plays over a lowered-volume stereo version of the soundtrack.

For the concert without the commentary, you can select a "Stereo", "Feature Film 5.1" or a "Studio Mix 5.1" soundtrack, all Dolby Digital, and all quite good. You can also either play the whole concert straight through or select a specific song directly.

Picture quality is not why you'd buy "Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense'" That's not to say that the picture quality is BAD -- it does the job effectively, clearly showing the performers and their high energy antics onstage, but I wouldn't call it system-demo quality either.

It's all about the music. The DVD is like getting a high quality recording of your favorite Talking Heads songs that just happens to have video of the group performing them. Or I suppose you could say it lets you enjoy watching one of their concerts with sound that is probably better than what the live audience heard.

Unless you are looking for some kind of "arty" movie experience, if you like their music, you're going to LOVE this "album".

Enjoy,

Burke

ThomasW

The PQ certainly isn't IMAX. It's gainy at times and a bit uneven, which is a function of the film being shot primarily with available light during the concerts (4 to be exact). The film's budget of $1.2 million dollars was raised by the band. Eight cameras were used and the sound was recorded on a Sony 24 track digital recorder. It was the first film in history made with all digital sound.

And as Burk said, it's about the music............ and David Byrnes' creativity...

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ThomasW: curmudgeon in training, putting the no in innovation