Stop Making Sense backdrop
DOCUMENTARY . 1984 . 1h 28m . English . 8.3/10

Stop Making Sense_

"Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?"

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

Starring David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison
Box Office $12.5M
8.3/10
Rating
$12.5M
Box Office
1h 28m
Runtime
1984
Year
MASSIVE HIT
+939% ROI
Profitability
Updated Feb 16, 2026
Stop Making Sense poster
Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

WHERE TO WATCH

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Box office
Stop Making Sense earned $12.5M worldwide on a $1.2M budget — a 939% return on investment.
Cast
David Byrne stars as Self - Vocals, Guitar in Stop Making Sense.
David Byrne →
Year context
Stop Making Sense was released 42 years ago in 1984.
Stop Making Sense is a Documentary, Music film with a runtime of 1h 28m.

CAST (9)

David Byrne
David Byrne
Self - Vocals, Guitar
Chris Frantz
Chris Frantz
Self - Drums, Vocals
Jerry Harrison
Jerry Harrison
Self - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Tina Weymouth
Tina Weymouth
Self - Bass, Percussion, Vocals
Ednah Holt
Ednah Holt
Self - Backing Vocals
Lynn Mabry
Lynn Mabry
Self - Backing Vocals
SS
Steven Scales
Self - Percussion
AW
Alex Weir
Self - Guitar, Vocals
Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
Self - Keyboards

BOX OFFICE

$1.2M
Budget
$12.5M
Revenue
+939%
ROI
MASSIVE HIT
Verdict

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
88 min (1h 28m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
8.3/10 (348 votes)
Popularity
2
Budget
$1,200,000
Box Office
$12,471,520
Profit
+$11,271,520

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Stop Making Sense about?
A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.
How long is Stop Making Sense?
Stop Making Sense has a runtime of 88 minutes (1h 28m).
Who stars in Stop Making Sense?
The cast of Stop Making Sense includes David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, Ednah Holt.
How much did Stop Making Sense make at the box office?
Stop Making Sense earned $12,471,520 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $1,200,000.
What is the rating of Stop Making Sense?
Stop Making Sense has a rating of 8.3 out of 10 based on 348 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (2)

Documentary Music
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