Look, I know it’s disgusting outside – the kind of thick, oppressive humidity and head-curdling barometric pressure I associate more with New York in July than Toronto. It’s been a really crappy summer, hasn’t it?
I can’t guarantee that the weather will improve by 9 pm tonight, but if you feel like sitting outside and enjoying a free movie, I’ll be presenting Jonathan Demme’s terrific Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense as the latest in Harbourfront Centre’s Retro Reels series.
As far as I’m concerned, this is easily the best of the six films we’re screening – a document of one of the most interesting American bands of the 1980s at the peak of their powers that’s also a textbook example of how to shoot a live performance.
Working with Blade Runner cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth, Demme reduces the band to its essential components, grouping and regrouping people and instruments around David Byrne until the stage is throbbing with activity. It all comes to a glorious release with that magnificent cover of Al Green’s “Take Me To The River”.
If you’ve seen the movie, you’re probably humming that now. And if you only know the Heads as that band David Byrne used to play with before he went all samba on us, you really ought to catch this. I did mention it was free, right?
See you there.
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