Flick Pick

Long before director Jonathan Demme sent the bean counters reeling with box-office hits like The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, he made one of the most energetic and engaging rock-concert films ever. Stop Making Sense, from 1984, stars David Byrne and the Talking Heads, and it's a treat not just for devotees of that legendary band, but also for movie lovers who appreciate a well-made documentary. Demme, who got his start (along with fellow beginners George Lucas and Martin Scorsese) in the stable of B-movie king Roger Corman, captures the joy of musicians at play and the crankiness of their egos at work. In this beautifully conceived and masterfully edited film, you can practically feel the creative juices flowing in both Demme and Byrne. For students of the art, Sense has long been a model for non-fiction filmmaking. For the rest of us, it's pure pleasure. The film screens at midnight this Friday, February 28, and Saturday, March 1, at Madstone Theaters in Tamarac Square; call 303-752-3200.