Reading about David Byrne’s recent concert film Rise, Ride, Roar (in collaboration with Brian Eno) immediately inspired me to revisit the Talking Heads frontman’s cinematic past, which includes an array of soundtrack work (Wall Street, The Last Emperor) and directorial efforts such as 1986’s worthwhile True Stories.
His finest achievement in the world of film, however, will likely always be Stop Making Sense [aka the greatest concert film ever®] directed by The Silence of the Lambs’ Jonathan Demme. Check out this superbly odd promo clip of Talking Heads’ Byrne interviewing himself on the subject of the film while clad in a variety of strange, ever-changing guises. Despite all of its wilful archness and deliberately obtuse presentation, the segment is actually very revealing about Byrne’s view of the creative process, and showcases his off-kilter worldview and ability to self-deprecate at will.
Enjoy: