Rating: 
Summary: Quite possibly one of the greatest movies ever!
Review: David Byrne has done it again. This man created this hip little movie that has become my all time favorite movie! It is not funny, per sé.. even though it has some humorous moments. It is an abstract film about a little town named Virgil in the state of Texas. Texas is about to turn 150 years old, so Virgil, a town whose main industry is computers, is celebrating its "specialness" with parades and talent shows. It is narrated by the one and only David Byrne (who drives around in a red convertable). The movie really has no real plot (except for Louis, played by John Goodman, trying to find a wife). It just explores the lives of people in Virgil. These are the people that everyone knows: the lazy person, the liar, and the love-looker... we know these characters and encounter them in our everyday lives. John Goodman does great acting, there is some great music, and David Byrne says some things that make us laugh... and some that make us think. As the tagline said, it is a completely cool multi-purpose movie. I love the indy approach to making it.. and the end, when Mr. Byrne talks about how by forgetting all the details we can see something as it really is.. that always makes me stop to think. Is it comedy, is it drama, is it musical... I guess you have to take it as what it means to you. To me, it is a life-changer!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, Quirky, Unique, Entertaining Film
Review: I loved this movie when it came out and I still do. At this point, it's almost a document of its time, when the punk/new wave explosion of the late 70's & early 80's had successfully filtered throghout the culture and people like David Byrne were given the respect they deserved and the result was films like True Stories. Using bizarre stories he'd read in supermarket tabloids as his base, Byrne took the kooks and special people he'd read about and placed them all in one small Texas town. A tribute to individualism and self-invention, True Stories also successfully evokes the weird, rootless, surrealism one encounters once you get outside the bounds of congested cities and finds oneself stuck out in the middle of nowheresville, USA. Featuring a great cast who all give wonderful performances, even if they sometimes don't seem to "get" what Byrne was doing, Stories also boasts an excellent Byrne composed score, which at the time of the films release could be purchased in two versions - one where the cast performed their own songs and another where Talking Heads performed them. True Stories also probably marks the demise of the band, Talking Heads. Though they went on to record a couple more records (three more? I can't really remember), after True Stories it seemed they were no longer so much a band as slaves to Byrne's vision. As a tribute to the band, one he was on his own, Byrne's work lost a certain humanity, I guess you could say, an urgency or immediacy and his work took on the air of just more "art product". I still like it, mind you, just not as much. Anyway, True Stories stands alongside the Head records, Lauries Anderson's output (including the film of her United States concert), the filmed monologue(s) of Spauling Gray (Swimming to Cambodia), certain music videos, and other key works as essential artifacts of the 80's. And one more thing - I swear to GOD that a few years ago I saw widescreen versions of this filmd on DVD at various retail outlets, a little more expensive than the pan & scan. Where the heck is this release?
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting scenes, but difficult taken as a whole.
Review: When I received this DVD as a gift, I tried very hard to watch, after seeing the glowing reviews written by some of the people here. Unfortunately, while I found certain scenes extremely funny, I just could not get into the movie *as a whole*, and I finally just lost patience halfway through and had to turn it off. The trouble was, I felt like there were far too many extraneous shots, or lines that just came out of nowhere. And, if I may be blunt, I didn't care for some of the renditions of the Talking Heads' songs. I like this band, I really do--the trouble is, I don't like the way the songs came off *in this movie*. I also admit I'd hoped to hear some from Remain in Light and Speaking in Tongues, which are my two favorite albums of theirs by far. As I said, there were good points. David Byrne himself is definitely the most prominent one...as others have said, his commentary is quite funny to listen to, and I get a kick out of the intent expression on his face as he delivers these strange remarks. Also, certain scenes were very funny--the one that makes fun of all those 80s music videos was spot on, and just about had me rolling on the floor laughing! The woman who never got out of bed also had me laughing hysterically. And, you have to admit there's a certain truth to the dating-by-computer mishaps...it's just amazing that even so far back it would occur to David Byrne to portray this. Unfortunately, half of the movie (such as that ridiculous fashion show) simply had me raising an eyebrow and returning a stare as blank as Byrne's could be sometimes. I simply could not enjoy this experience as a whole, and while I cannot give it a 1-star review due to its good points, this is something I will definitely not be seeing again...better to sell it back and get myself something else.
Rating:
Summary: David Byrne is an alien
Review: How else do you explain his tour of Virgil and its denizens? Done with such affection, trying so hard to fit in. I've seen this film about 1/2 dozen times, I've turned more people onto it than I can remember (many have thanked me, some...oh well...) If anyone has seen Byrne's book "Strange Ritual" you will recognize set pieces for this film. He takes art and transfers it to the screen with characters springing to life in some surreal tapestry. The Lying Woman is my fave, I've thrown a few of her lines into party conversation just to watch the befuddlement on people's faces. Try it, it's a kick! Please, please, please just watch this movie once! Even if you don't thank me, I guarantee you will find yourself musing over certain lines at the weirdest times ("Honey, I knew the real Rambo! I saved his life so many times when I was a nurse in 'Nam...")
Rating:
Summary: Funny absurdist view of American life
Review: I saw this movie in the theater while living in Germany in 1986-87, and recall it as a sort of pseudo-documentary of life in America mixed with some Salvador Dali-esque fantasy scenes. The funny thing was, the Germans couldn't tell the fantasy from the reality. They thought the Shriners riding their little motorbikes around in a parade was something out of David Byrne's imagination! It recalled to me a line from Allen Ginsberg to the effect of "America, I love you like I love my crazy uncle who sits in the corner, drooling and eating flies." If you appreciate bonafide American craziness, such as the First Church of Elvis, Mount Rushmore, or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, you will get a kick out of this movie.
Rating:
Summary: The Joys of a Prefab Society
Review: This film is important for a number of reasons. It's like watching Noam Chomsky's Manufacting Consent, and its examination of American values, only from the narrative of a seemingly objective observer. David Byrne has always been fascinated by suburbia and our artificial landscapes. Just check out the Talking Heads second album. The title says it all, "More Songs about Buildings and Food". With a humorous, deadpan objectivity, Byrne explores not just manufactured Texas, and its corregated warehouses, shopping malls; Byrne also shows us the future, where semiconductor, hardware and software companies will dominate. He also examines America's "live to shop" credo; walking through a shopping mall and explaining how Main Street has been replaced by this climate controlled, muzak laden pleasure center, where you can always bump into a friend, and parking's never a problem. Spalding Gray plays the nutty chairman of the local microchip company; delivering deadpan lines and absurd hand gestures (similar to Byrne on stage and obviously pulled from the choreography of any politician or CEO), lecturing about the brave new world of computers (remember, this was about 15 years ago; so it's somewhat prophetic). John Goodman plays Louis Fine, a lonely man, just lookin' for someone to love; while locked up in the sterile room in the plant. "It's pretty okay, I guess," he quips from his cell. And, in America, since you can purchase anything you want, Louis figures he might as well go on TV and advertise for a bride. There are lots of other zany character in Virgil, Texas; like the "sweet" woman, surrounded by teddy bears and pink furry things, who can't accept any bad in the world; not even a sad song. And the woman who never leaves her bed, 'cause everything she needs is either on the TV or in a catalog. And it all takes place during Virgil's sesquicentennial Celebration of Specialness. Byrne delivers lines like Buster Keaton would, if he had talked; funny,ironic, and over some folk's heads. If you're not on the same wavelength as David, this film would seem, well, dumb. But it's not. It's brilliant, in an aburd, silly way. This movie is a must see for anyone interested in rock and roll, the sociology of latter 20th Century America (especially their work and leisure habits), and really big grass suits.
Rating:
Summary: A great comedy, NOT A MUSIC VIDEO
Review: David Byrne, lead singer of the Talking Heads, takes us on a tour of the life and times of Virgil, TX, as it prepares to put on a "Celebration of Specialness" as its contribution to the sesquicentennial celebration of the state of Texas. The video takes a bit of getting used to, but once you are in tune with what is going on you will see that there is great humor embedded in this pseudo-documentary. During the first part of the movie we meet main players. John Goodman plays a man hungry for a stable (or any) lasting relationship. He even advertises! You also meet "The Lying Woman" who tells a better and more unbelievable tale than anyone. There's a woman who hasn't gotten out of bed in years, it's not because she's ill, she's rich enough that she doesn't have to. There's the head of a local computer company and his wife who haven't had a direct conversation with each other for years, a mall full of twins, and a man who can tell a person's emotional state by touching their nose! An incredible, but extremely fun mix of Americana, music, and disjointed deadpan quips from Byrne as he plays the lead and narrator of the story. You will thrill at the majesty of a fashion show at the mall, experience kareoke at a local bar, and be a mouse in the corner at a computer board assembly line. Make any sense at all? Well, it will if you give this video a look. This is definitely a comedy, but you have to be ready for it. This is comedy tailor made for people with a dry sense of humor. This is not a video for people who need a laugh track, or overtly funny bits to see humor to enjoy a comedy. If, however, you see humor in life's little irony's, you grew up or live in a small town, and like music like that of the Talking Heads you will enjoy the show. It's a treasure. You should be advised that this is NOT A MUSIC VIDEO, and most of the Talking Head's music on the sound track is performed by someone else. The Talking Heads did, however, release a CD in 1986 called "True Stories" that contains the music from the movie, all done by the Talking Heads. A highly recommend this video -- give it a try. You may be glad you did. 5 stars. Alan Holyoak
Rating:
Summary: Excellent casting of David Byrne/Spalding Gray fantasy
Review: Who would have thought that Byrne and the Talking Heads would make such a sweet movie? It's a satire, of course, but the characters, rather than being ridiculed, are adorable. The perfect casting and relaxed pace give it just the right documentary feel, Byrne's reedy narration gives it just the right edge, and the story line plays out nicely. It's very watchable. Listenable, too. The songs are a blast, whether lip-synched by the 'locals' hilariously or sung by the cast. The Talking Heads as the backing band for the songs are terrific, with some gorgeous pedal steel guitar thrown in. For Spalding Gray fans, it is a classic performance, if brief. Worth buying, even though it's not widescreen and has no special features, because you will play it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Deep in the heart of Irony
Review: Talking Heads frontman David Byrne follows trailblazer Kinky Friedman (the original New Yawk musician/raconteur to enter the Lone Star state of mind) with this subtly satirical Texas travelogue from 1986. It is no easy task to pigeonhole "True Stories"- part social satire, part long-form music video, part mockumentary. Fans of droll humor (and Byrne's art-school sensibilities) will enjoy the film. The episodic vignettes about the quirky but generally likable inhabitants of sleepy Virgil, Texas should hold your fascination once you buy into "tour-guide" Byrne's bemused anthropological detachment (some might say, "conceit", but there is no detectable mean-spiritedness here). The pseudo-documentary approach and low-ley ensemble performances presages (by a good 10-15 years) the gently satirical "mockumentaries" Christopher Guest & Co. have become so synonymous with. The excellent cinematography seems to get overlooked by reviewers and is worth a mention. The DVD transfer is not as dismal as some would lead you to believe, although I would agree that it is a shame that "pan and scan" is the only format currently offered (but for such a low list price, there is not much room for complaint). The audio is quite adequate. Fans of the obscure and offbeat will rejoice.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie; Horrible DVD
Review: THIS REVIEW IS IN NO WAY a review of the movie, which is unique and fairly unmatched, and has set some artistic standards. Excuse me, but wasn't the brilliance of this movie at least worth.. well... a WIDESCREEN inclusion? Come on. Formatted to fit-your-tv only. No extra features, no insights, no commentary, and TWO - get this - TWO menu selections - either to select a scene, or simply play the movie. Warner Brothers went family-style cheap on this disc and it is a travesty to assume people with a DVD player just want a VHS-level rendition of an art film. Don't buy this - wait until a version comes out that shows evidence someone has given this incredible movie some respect. BLAH. Disappointing.
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