Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Cinema Bestius: Stop Making Sense

This week, the single greatest concert documentary, courtesy of Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme.

#36 - Stop Making Sense

Phil Spector once said that "talking about rock and roll is like dancing about architecture." In that same spirit, the Pope offers the following...



If this does not satisfy your movie jones for today, check out the podcast that "Patrick and the Pope" (which sounds like a new sitcom on NBC) recorded almost five years ago.

"In nomine Patrice, et Demme, y Sprititu Byrne, Oimen."

14 comments:

  1. The way "Stop Making Sense" unfolds is so perfectly crafted. Through the duration it just keeps building and getting fuller and fuller (literally as well - that suit) by introducing new elements with Byrne keeping the viewer engaged due to his high energy.

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  2. Yes, that's one of the many wonders of this film. The structure is so organic and so natural, it's a wonder no one else ever thought of it. The Pope was so winded after all that dancing that he forgot to list the film's Three Miracles, but your unfolding point would certainly be one of them.

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    1. I was hoping the pope has a massively oversized cassock in the video :)

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  3. This... this is the documentary I never knew I needed.

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    1. And of course... I am referring to Stop Making Sense 2.

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  4. I caught this at the Music Box last week for the first time, and it was pure joy. It felt more like an actual concert than a movie, and halfway through it erupted into a dance party on the stage and in the aisles.

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  5. This video brightened up my day :-)

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  6. I respectfully disagree. If there was one rock and roll doc "to rule them all" it would of course be The Song Remains The Same.

    And enough with the New Wave bull. Sonic Youth injected more creativity into the music scene with their first album, than all the "New Wave" aka new pop artists combined .

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    1. I'll still check out this doc, because I do respect your opinion sir.

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    2. Sonic Youth and New Wave artists aren't really comparable; only by virtue of the evolution. Thurston Moore was pushing the Post-Punk/Noise Genre in which Byrne paved the way for coming from the New York Punk/No Wave scene. Talking Heads rightfully are credited with one of the bands who introduced New Wave, however their history shows how progressive they were in which that sound evolved. For the most part, New Wave bands that followed were simply pop bands. Byrne is just as much of a genius as Moore and the body of work shows the diversity and influence. The guy was Punk in the very definition of the genre.

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    3. I'm sorry, I don't know what I had up my ass that day....I usually strive to be positive.

      TBH, I never gave Talking Head much of a shake. Also Sonic Youth, while bleeding creativity, were pretty terrible musically for for their first 5-6 album's...then they became pop...then there started making some pretty interest music.

      Thanks again for giving context, and dumbing down my negative comment.

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    4. No worries, Paul. I didn't take your comment as negative. Just wanted to share some insight.

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  7. Never even heard of this before (and totally missed that podcast somehow) but I'm super-intrigued. Regarding your excellent video essay on the film, I always thought you photoshopped yourself into that getup - you really are The Pope!

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  8. Simply delightful.

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