It’s a testament to how spoiled we are in Milwaukee that, when you receive a press release announcing that the 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense will screen at the Oriental Theatre, and that Talking Heads guitarist (and Milwaukee native) Jerry Harrison will be in attendance for a handful of screenings, you think to yourself, “Great! Just like the time Milwaukee Film screened Stop Making Sense for years at the Milwaukee Film Festival! And just like the time Harrison was in attendance for a screening in 2014!”
But whatever! A good ol’ fashioned Stop Making Sense dance party hasn’t graced the Oriental in a few years (due to rights issues surrounding its 40th anniversary remaster), and any chance to see the film and Harrison should be taken immediately. So here’s the deal:
The impeccably restored 40th-anniversary re-release of Stop Making Sense will begin a seven-day run at the Oriental on Friday, September 29. Harrison will participate in a live audience Q&A following the 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. screenings on Saturday, September 30. He’ll also be on hand for an extended introduction at the 10 p.m. screening on the 30th. Finally, he’ll do both an extended introduction and a live audience Q&A for the 7 p.m. screening on Sunday, October 1.
Get your tickets HERE.
“Reuniting with Milwaukee to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stop Making Sense will be an incredible homecoming moment for me.” Harrison says in a press release. “I look forward to joining Milwaukee Film to celebrate and connect to such an enthusiastic community that’s been a part of our journey over the years, and with those that will be experiencing the film in its newly restored format for the first time.”
“Get your dancing shoes on, Milwaukee!” says Milwaukee Film CEO Jonathan Jackson. “I think the sold-out, euphoric Oriental Theatre dance party screenings of Stop Making Sense over the film’s 40-year history, from screening late at night in the ’80s after its original release to in the last 10 years as a fixture during the Milwaukee Film Festival, are a testament to the enduring power of extraordinary performance, filmmaking, and song-making. We are so proud and excited to throw this weeklong birthday celebration on the occasion of this concert film’s 4k restoration. It’s a dance party in a historic movie palace. What more do you need to say?”
Did we mention it’s a dance party? And that you should dance during the film? It’s true! SEE YOU THERE, MILWAUKEE.
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