A24 Stop Making Sense 4K remaster (1 Viewer)

[titch]

Don’t know how much I can go into, but the project began with no original elements, only dupes with baked in image and audio.

A24 instigated a world-wide search and the OCN was discovered, along with the original audio recordings.

The film was literally put back through post-production - and everything was done correctly.

Newly processed image, all new audio mix. As noted. A big deal, and a true restoration.

Better than it ever was.

 

[Robert Harris]

Better than it ever was.

Technically and technologically a huge step forward. With A24 behind him, James Mockoski not only researched and located all the original elements, but used them to take the film to another level.

 

[titch]

Technically and technologically a huge step forward. With A24 behind him, James Mockoski not only researched and located all the original elements, but used them to take the film to another level.

And Jerry Harrison did the Atmos re-mix.

 

[jack phillips]

I assume there was no attempt to reintegrate the footage of "Cities" and "Big Business/ I Zimbra", and that that decision was taken because the elements for those were incompatible with the finished film?

 

[titch]

I assume there was no attempt to reintegrate the footage of "Cities" and "Big Business/ I Zimbra", and that that decision was taken because the elements for those were incompatible with the finished film?

Obviously not part of the original negative. Some people feel that these out-takes should have been reintegrated back into the restored movie. However, I've always seen them on home video as included bonus materials since VHS days and I think it's fine they were left out. They kind of disrupt the momentum of the movie.

Not all songs from the show were featured in the film. For example, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on August 3, 1983 and at Berkeley on September 2, 1983, Talking Heads performed the following songs:

Set 1
Psycho Killer
Heaven
Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
Love → Building On Fire (Love Goes To Building On Fire)
The Book I Read
Slippery People
Cities
Big Blue Plymouth (Eyes Wide Open)
Burning Down The House
Life During Wartime

Set 2
Making Flippy Floppy
Swamp
What A Day That Was
This Must be the Place (Naïve Melody)
Once In A Lifetime
Big Business / I Zimbra
Houses In Motion
Genius Of Love (as Tom Tom Club)
Girlfriend Is Better
Take Me To The River
Crosseyed And Painless

In addition, "Pull Up The Roots" was performed at the University Of Vermont on October 1, 1983.

Some performances in the film were shortened in the editing stage. The "Cities" out-take removes one complete verse and chorus.

Stop Making Sense

Infobox Film name = Stop Making Sense caption = 15th Anniversery Re Release poster director = Jonathan Demme producer = Gary Goetzman Gary Kurfirst writer = Talking Heads Jonathan Demme starring = Talking Heads music = Talking Heads…

en-academic.com

 

[Robert Harris]

Can a mod please change the title of this thread? It is not a remaster.

It is a new 4k Restoration.

 

[JoeStemme]

Took me nearly 4 decades, but I finally saw it!* Incredibly pleased that it lived up to the hype and reputation.

Nothing much to be added that hasn't already been said over the years. I did love how Director Jonathan Demme slowly grows the stage from David Byrne doing a solo 'Psycho Killer' to a duet, trio and finally the quartet, all the while showing the stagehands building the set. And, don't forget the exquisite backing band that truly fills the platform and the Pantages Theater. The choreography by Byrne, staging by Demme and Jordan Cronenweth's cinematography are aces, and the whole group boasts incredible energy and vigor. Byrne's gymnastics (and Big Suit) is a master-class in stage theatrics. One quibble is that the camera focuses solely on Byrne during 'Once In A Lifetime'. Yes, it's an iconic performance, but its a musically complex song and the other band members deserved some visual acknowledgment.

One surprise that I somehow hadn't heard about was a guest appearance by Tina Weymouth and Chris Franz' offshoot band Tom Tom Club. Jerry Harrison isn't featured per se, but is solid throughout. One irony: Harrison's solo song 'Rev It Up' charted higher than any David Byrne, Tom Tom Club or Talking Heads single!

The new restoration is fantastic and even though it's digitally remastered, it still maintains the spirit of its analog origins on film.

It shall not be 40 years 'til I watch it again!


* I actually had tickets to see, what I believe was its second ever public showing at Filmex in the summer of 1984, but %%$&ing work got in the way!

 

[RickardL]

Better than it ever was.

Just so everybody got the excellent nod here to the lyrics of Once in a Lifetime:
"Same as it ever was, same as it ever was"