Chris Klimek convenes a battle of the bands between two of the most acclaimed concert films ever made: Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense and Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz.

One is a lean, propulsive document of Talking Heads at the height of their powers, transforming a live performance into something theatrical and strangely transcendent. The other is a star-studded farewell to The Band that expands beyond a single concert into a sweeping elegy for an era of rock and roll itself.

Arguing for The Last Waltz is Steven Hyden (Is This It: The Never-Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes and Rock and Roll), who contends that Scorsese's film is more than a concert movie: it's the definitive cinematic statement on rock music and its mythology. Representing Stop Making Sense is Elizabeth Cantwell (Bright Wall/Dark Room), who makes the case that Demme's film remains the more immersive, inventive, and enduring work of cinema.

Is the greatest concert film about a band, or about rock and roll itself? Which movie best captures the power of live music on screen? Choose your winner at moviedeathmatch.com.

CHAPTERS

Intro / Meet the Advocates (00:00:00-00:00:00)

Rd. 1 The Movies in Their Time (00:00:00-00:00:00)

Rd. 2 The Movies in Our Time (00:00:00-00:00:00)

Rd. 3 The Movies for All Time (00:00:00-00:00:00)

The Verdict / Credits (00:00:00-00:00:00)

More From Elizabeth:

-One Must Imagine Talking Heads Happy

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/07/11/stop-making-sense-one-must-imagine-talking-heads-happy/

-Bright Wall/Dark Room Podcast

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/podcast/

-Assault on Precinct 13 and Schrödinger's Cat

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2026/06/15/assault-on-precinct-13-john-carpenter-schrodingers-cat/

More From Steven:

-Indiecast

https://art19.com/shows/indiecast

-Evil Speakers | Substack

https://stevenhyden.substack.com/

-There Was Nothing You Could Do

https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/steven-hyden/there-was-nothing-you-could-do/9780306832062/

-Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/steven-hyden/your-favorite-band-is-killing-me/9780316259156/

More From Chris:

Reviewing the opening of David Byrne’s 2008-9 Everything That Happens Will Happen Today tour for the Washington Post

Pop Culture Happy Hour: David Byrne’s American Utopia

Chris Klimek convenes a battle of the bands between two of the most acclaimed concert films ever made: Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense and Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz.
One is a lean, propulsive document of Talking Heads at the height of their powers, transforming a live performance into something theatrical and strangely transcendent. The other is a star-studded farewell to The Band that expands beyond a single concert into a sweeping elegy for an era of rock and roll itself.
Arguing for&nbsp;The Last Waltz is Steven Hyden (<a href="https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/steven-hyden/is-this-it/9780306836619/">Is This It: The Never-Ending Rise and Fall of The Strokes and Rock and Roll</a>), who contends that Scorsese's film is more than a concert movie: it's the definitive cinematic statement on rock music and its mythology. Representing Stop Making Sense is Elizabeth Cantwell (<a href="https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/">Bright Wall/Dark Room</a>), who makes the case that Demme's film remains the more immersive, inventive, and enduring work of cinema.
Is the greatest concert film about a band, or about rock and roll itself? Which movie best captures the power of live music on screen? Choose your winner at&nbsp;<a href="http://moviedeathmatch.com">moviedeathmatch.com</a>.
CHAPTERS
Intro / Meet the Advocates (00:00:00-00:00:00)
Rd. 1 The Movies in Their Time (00:00:00-00:00:00)
Rd. 2 The Movies in Our Time (00:00:00-00:00:00)
Rd. 3 The Movies for All Time (00:00:00-00:00:00)
The Verdict / Credits (00:00:00-00:00:00)
More From Elizabeth:
-One Must Imagine Talking Heads Happy
<a href="https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/07/11/stop-making-sense-one-must-imagine-talking-heads-happy/">https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/07/11/stop-making-sense-one-must-imagine-talking-heads-happy/</a>
-Bright Wall/Dark Room Podcast
<a href="https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/podcast/">https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/podcast/</a>
-Assault on Precinct 13 and Schr&ouml;dinger's Cat
<a href="https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2026/06/15/assault-on-precinct-13-john-carpenter-schrodingers-cat/">https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2026/06/15/assault-on-precinct-13-john-carpenter-schrodingers-cat/</a>
More From Steven:
-Indiecast
<a href="https://art19.com/shows/indiecast">https://art19.com/shows/indiecast</a>
-Evil Speakers | Substack
<a href="https://stevenhyden.substack.com/">https://stevenhyden.substack.com/</a>
-There Was Nothing You Could Do
<a href="https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/steven-hyden/there-was-nothing-you-could-do/9780306832062/">https://www.dacapopress.com/titles/steven-hyden/there-was-nothing-you-could-do/9780306832062/</a>
-Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me
<a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/steven-hyden/your-favorite-band-is-killing-me/9780316259156/">https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/steven-hyden/your-favorite-band-is-killing-me/9780316259156/</a>
More From Chris:
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803826.html">Reviewing the opening of David Byrne&rsquo;s 2008-9 Everything That Happens Will Happen Today tour for the Washington&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803826.html">Post</a><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/18/AR2008091803826.html"></a>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/15/924012336/american-utopia-david-bryne-s-coming-to-my-house-via-hbo">Pop Culture Happy Hour: David Byrne&rsquo;s American Utopia</a>

Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).

New and classic movie reviews and top 5 lists.

Filmspotting

Stop Making Sense vs. The Last Waltz | Movie Death Match

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3535158b-918e-49b9-b1c0-b4bd0128bbcc/transcript