Stop Making Sense backdrop
Stop Making Sense movie poster

Stop Making SenseFollow

1984 • PG • 1h 28m • Documentary, Music • Cinecom

Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?

🍅 100% 97% MC 94 IMDb 8.7

Box office summary

Domestic total
$5.07M
Incl. 2 re-releases
Compare with other movies

Cast & crew

Directed byJonathan Demme ScreenplayJonathan Demme Produced byGary Goetzman CinematographyJordan Cronenweth MusicBernie Worrell, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, David Byrne StarringDavid Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, Ednah Holt, Lynn Mabry StudioCinecom

The run

WkWeekendRankGrossChgTheatersAvgTotal
1984 release
1 Oct 19-21 31 $4.2K — 7 $595 $4.2K
2 Oct 26-28 31 $28.4K +582.2% 2 $14,211 $119.0K
3 Nov 2-4 30 $69.7K +145.4% 6 $11,623 $203.9K
4 Nov 9-11 31 $63.9K −8.3% 6 $10,653 $294.4K
5 Nov 16-18 33 $103.5K +61.9% 12 $8,626 $422.4K
6 Nov 23-25 26 $122.1K +18.0% 13 $9,396 $605.3K
7 Nov 30-Dec 2 21 $144.1K +18.0% 14 $10,295 $800.5K
8 Dec 7-9 23 $91.5K −36.5% 14 $6,538 $938.7K
9 Dec 14-16 24 $74.1K −19.0% 12 $6,176 $1.1M
10 Dec 21-23 29 $80.8K +9.0% 16 $5,048 $1.2M
11 Dec 28-30 29 $154.1K +90.8% 18 $8,561 $1.4M
12 Jan 4-6 26 $143.5K −6.9% 18 $7,972 $1.7M
13 Jan 11-13 26 $134.0K −6.6% 23 $5,825 $1.8M
14 Jan 18-20 24 $128.7K −4.0% 29 $4,437 $2.0M
15 Jan 25-27 23 $134.1K +4.2% 33 $4,062 $2.2M
16 Feb 1-3 23 $142.5K +6.3% 30 $4,752 $2.4M
17 Feb 8-10 29 $81.3K −43.0% 24 $3,386 $2.6M
18 Feb 15-17 30 $110.0K +35.4% 24 $4,583 $2.7M
19 Feb 22-24 28 $91.6K −16.7% 28 $3,271 $2.8M
20 Mar 1-3 32 $102.9K +12.3% 33 $3,117 $3.0M
21 Mar 8-10 29 $108.3K +5.2% 41 $2,641 $3.1M
22 Mar 15-17 28 $96.6K −10.8% 32 $3,018 $3.3M
23 Mar 22-24 26 $92.5K −4.3% 36 $2,568 $3.4M
24 Mar 29-31 29 $66.7K −27.9% 27 $2,469 $3.5M
25 Apr 5-7 26 $73.0K +9.5% 30 $2,434 $3.6M
26 Apr 12-14 30 $44.6K −38.9% 24 $1,859 $3.7M
27 Apr 19-21 29 $53.0K +18.8% 28 $1,893 $3.8M
28 Apr 26-28 30 $47.8K −9.7% 29 $1,650 $3.9M
29 May 3-5 32 $55.0K +14.9% 33 $1,666 $4.0M
30 May 10-12 33 $51.2K −6.8% 25 $2,048 $4.1M
31 May 17-19 28 $41.7K −18.6% 25 $1,667 $4.2M
32 May 24-26 26 $51.5K +23.5% 27 $1,906 $4.2M
33 May 31-Jun 2 24 $50.4K −2.1% 23 $2,190 $4.3M
34 Jun 7-9 23 $37.7K −25.1% 23 $1,640 $4.4M
35 Jun 14-16 19 $35.1K −6.9% 21 $1,673 $4.4M
36 Jun 21-23 23 $39.2K +11.6% 19 $2,064 $4.5M
37 Jun 28-30 23 $46.1K +17.6% 21 $2,197 $4.5M
38 Jul 5-7 23 $45.8K −0.8% 26 $1,761 $4.6M
39 Jul 12-14 24 $31.1K −32.0% 22 $1,415 $4.6M
40 Jul 19-21 27 $21.8K −29.9% 19 $1,148 $4.7M
41 Jul 26-28 26 $35.4K +62.2% 19 $1,862 $4.7M
42 Aug 2-4 27 $33.5K −5.4% 20 $1,673 $4.8M
43 Aug 9-11 30 $16.8K −49.7% 14 $1,202 $4.8M
44 Aug 16-18 30 $35.7K +111.9% 21 $1,698 $4.8M
1999 re-release
1 May 28-30 71 $21.1K — 4 $5,263 $4.9M
2 Jun 4-6 89 $2.9K −86.3% 2 $1,440 $4.9M
5 Jun 25-27 84 $1.4K — 1 $1,414 $4.9M
13 Aug 20-22 85 $4.4K — 4 $1,108 $4.9M
14 Aug 27-29 92 $2.5K −44.5% 1 $2,458 $4.9M
16 Sep 10-12 104 $1.1K — 1 $1,072 $4.9M
17 Sep 17-19 68 $29.5K +2655.4% 9 $3,282 $5.0M
18 Sep 24-26 93 $4.3K −85.5% 4 $1,072 $5.0M
19 Oct 1-3 99 $3.2K −25.7% 4 $796 $5.0M
20 Oct 8-10 94 $2.9K −7.9% 2 $1,466 $5.0M
21 Oct 15-17 86 $7.2K +146.2% 5 $1,444 $5.0M
23 Oct 29-31 103 $1.5K — 3 $499 $5.0M
25 Nov 12-14 94 $1.9K — 2 $946 $5.0M
26 Nov 19-21 95 $874 −53.8% 3 $291 $5.0M
27 Nov 26-28 97 $607 −30.5% 4 $152 $5.0M
28 Dec 3-5 98 $942 +55.2% 2 $471 $5.0M
2023 re-release (A24)
1 Sep 22-24 15 $856.8K — 264 $3,245 $1.5M
2 Sep 29-Oct 1 12 $1.0M +22.5% 786 $1,336 $3.0M
3 Oct 6-8 14 $444.8K −57.6% 527 $844 $4.0M
4 Oct 13-15 - $171.0K −61.5% 258 $663 $4.5M
5 Oct 20-22 - $70.7K −58.6% 89 $795 $4.7M
6 Oct 27-29 - $48.4K −31.5% 70 $692 $4.8M
7 Nov 3-5 - $41.8K −13.6% 32 $1,307 $4.9M
8 Nov 10-12 - $32.0K −23.5% 26 $1,231 $5.0M
9 Nov 17-19 - $14.1K −56.0% 24 $587 $5.0M
10 Nov 24-26 - $16.7K +18.2% 13 $1,282 $5.1M

Totals are lifetime: each re-release adds to the 1984 run.

Charts show the first 10 weeks · the run above is the full record
Weekend grossWk 10 · $80.8K
$4.2K
$28.4K
$69.7K
$63.9K
$103.5K
$122.1K
$144.1K
$91.5K
$74.1K
$80.8K
W1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W10
Weekend-over-weekend dropWk 10 · +9.0%
+582.2%
W1→2
+145.4%
W2→3
−8.3%
W3→4
+61.9%
W4→5
+18.0%
W5→6
+18.0%
W6→7
−36.5%
W7→8
−19.0%
W8→9
+9.0%
W9→10
Steepest −36.5%Biggest gain +582.2%

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