True Stories 1986
David Byrne's True Stories (1986) is unequal parts travelogue, musical, comedy, and satire that pays tribute to the fictional town of Virgil, Texas and its upcoming 150th anniversary. Along the way, our unnamed guide (Byrne) meets a variety of Virgil's more colorful characters -- some of which are directly tied to the celebration -- including a country singer looking for love (John Goodman), the world's laziest woman (Swoosie Kurtz), a compulsive liar (Jo Harvey Allen), a Tejano singer with unique hearing abilities (Tito Larriva), a civic leader whose family conversations play out like the telephone game (Spalding Gray), and others. Their perspectives, interactions, and performances give the film a patchwork quality knit together by theatrical monologues and musical performances, many of which were written by Byrne for the Talking Heads studio album of the same name.

True Stories is one of the quirkiest and most original movies of the 1980s. That is not altogether surprising, since the Talking Heads were perhaps the most authentic and original rock band since Velvet Underground. Their concert film Stop Making Sense (1984, dir. Jonathan Demme) is justifiably considered to be the most perfectly filmed musical performance to date. That film, like the Talking Heads themselves, was birthed from the New York New Wave underground scene, with true-blue eccentric David Byrne as the front man, driving force, and genius of the group.


Director: David Byrne
Cast: David Byrne, John Goodman, Annie McEnroe
Country: USA
Genre: Musical, Comedy

BD50, 2xDVD9, CD | 1080p AVC, NTSC, WAV | 01:29:17 | 46 Gb + 12.5 Gb + 0.8 Gb
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

Introduction - a short archival introduction to the film by David Byrne. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080i).

The Making of True Stories - this brand new documentary explores the production history of True Stores, from its conception to the shooting process in Texas to its editing. Included in it are new interviews with David Byrne, fashion designer Adelle Lutz, writer Stephen Tobolowsky, production associate Christina Patoski, and producer Karen Murphy, amongst others. The documentary was created by Criterion in 2018. In English, not subtitled. (64 min, 1080p).

Tibor Kalman - graphic design artist Tibor Kalman worked with David Byrne on the opening montage and poster deign for True Stories. This new documentary, produced by Criterion in 2018, focuses on his life and work. Included in it are new interviews with writer and illustrator Maria Kalman and David Byrne. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

Real Life - presented here is a short documentary that filmmakers Pamela Yates and Newton Thomas Sigel created during the shooting of True Stories. The documentary features plenty of raw material from Texas communities and clips from interviews with Texans that answered various questions about the 'proper' appearance and vibe of Virgil. In English, not subtitled. (32 min, 1080i).

Deleted Scenes - in English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080i).

No Time to Look Back - in this new documentary, filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross, apparently huge fans of True Stories, return to the original locations where David Byrne shot his film. In English, not subtitled. (12 min, 1080p).

Trailer - a vintage trailer for True Stories. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Soundtrack - CD with 23 songs, containing the film's complete soundtrack, compiled here for the first time.

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