Watching one of the greatest concert films of all time in any format is a wonderful experience.
Watching a remastered version on the big screen is even better.
Watching it with a member of the actual band? That’s a — please, please pardon the pun — “Once in a Lifetime” opportunity.
Obviously, I’m talking about Stop Making Sense, the 1984 film directed by Jonathan Demme and Talking Heads that compiled the band’s four-night stint at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre into a cinematic touchstone. A24 acquired the global distribution rights earlier this year and set to work restoring it for modern presentation settings (4K, IMAX, etc.).
One of the venues splashing the film across its screen is the Oriental Theatre. And while the opulent movie house doesn’t have quite enough room for the gargantuan IMAX version, there will be space for a very special guest at this weekend’s screenings: Talking Heads guitarist / keyboardist / vocalist / album-cover designer Jerry Harrison.
The Milwaukee native and Shorewood High School graduate was enrolled at Harvard University when offered a spot in the band, which he joined in 1977. You may remember that Stop Making Sense starts with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne on stage solo, with the three core members joining one song at a time. Harrison was the finale in that process, stepping on stage for “Found a Job.”
This weekend, he’ll be at four screenings of the film at the Oriental: Saturday at 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. The ones you REALLY want to be at, however, are the first two on Saturday. That’s because 88Nine’s Dori Zori will serve as your gracious host for the evening, as well as the moderator for a conversation with Harrison immediately following the screenings.
General admission tickets for all the screenings are available for $12, with discounts for seniors 60 and over ($10), students and educators (ID required, $10), and children under 12 ($6). You can pick them up right now on the Milwaukee Film website.
