Stop Making Sense

(Photo by the one and only Cory Doctorow, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

I was far too late to the Talking Heads train. I became an enormous fan literally a week after A24's restoration of the Jonathan Demme's landmark 1984 TH concert film Stop Making Sense left theaters, and as such, I was stuck being a fan in maybe the only time in history when the film has been entirely unavailable to view without an expensive and/or low-quality physical edition. Every single time since I have seen a glowing article about the film, with its energetic and performance art-like twists on the traditional concert, has been utter agony for me.

Well, this past week the film became available to stream on Max, buy or rent on all of the big VOD services, and the special-edition A24 Blu-Ray finally became available exclusively through their shop. You'd think I would rejoice at that, but:

• No, I don't have Max. And no, I don't want to get it.
• I am not keen on spending money to watch a movie I've never seen before if I'm not going to get the full big-screen experience.
• I requested that my library purchase the Blu-Ray of the film. The problem is that, being an A24 Shop exclusive, it's not available through their contracted vendors. So darn.

Which leaves me with only a few options if I am going to be able to watch the movie without getting over my hangups (which isn't an option, right?):

• A24 can add it to Kanopy. If you haven't heard of Kanopy, you should google it immediately. It's a streaming service that many libraries offer free with a library card, and there are some real greats on it (just to give you a taste, Kanopy has Sunset Boulevard, Harold and Maude, and Marcel the Shell With Shoes On all for free). I think there is a solid chance of Stop Making Sense finding its way on there. I believe A24 has some kind of licensing agreement with Kanopy, because many of their films are on there. However, I don't know if their recent deal with Max invalidates the one with Kanopy. I contacted A24's customer service email asking, and I didn't get a response. All I can do is cross my fingers.
• A24 can put it back in theaters for a limited time. I'm aware they've been doing some residency screenings lately, but none of them are close to where I live. The fact is, A24 probably thinks that everyone who was going to see it in the theater has seen it, and they may be right. But I don't wanna be left behind! Please! I'm sorry for being 40 years late to the hype!
• A24 can decide to let the Blu-Ray sell outside of their shop and my library can (maybe) get it. I think it's kind of unlikely, but hey, a man can dream.

I seriously want to watch Stop Making Sense. I have fallen thoroughly in love with the music of Talking Heads, the perspective-shattering lyrics and sounds. To see their music translated to screen in a way that makes it worthy of the title of "greatest concert film of all time" sounds enchanting to me. I haven't gotten to experience the full glory of David Byrne dancing with a lamp, or shaking around in the legendary Big Suit. This is one of those movies I need to see.

So please, A24? Pretty please with a cherry on top?