A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations total
- Ramon
- (as Humberto 'Tito' Larriva)
- The Little Girl on the Road
- (as Capucine DeWulf)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia50 sets of twins appear in the movie.
- GoofsDisappearing reappearing rearview mirror in the red convertible.
- Quotes
Narrator: I really enjoyed forgetting. When I first come to a place, I notice all the little details. I notice the way the sky looks. The color of white paper. The way people walk. Doorknobs. Everything. Then I get used to the place and I don't notice those things anymore. So only by forgetting can I see the place again as it really is.
- Crazy credits2. Displayed at very end of credits, below the disclaimer: "IF YOU CAN THINK OF IT, IT EXISTS SOMEWHERE"
- Alternate versionsExtended/re-edited versions of the Wild Wild Life and Love for Sale musical numbers were released as music videos.
- ConnectionsEdited into Talking Heads: Wild Wild Life (1986)
"True Stories" a satire of smalltown America, of course, including some extreme caricatures of humanity (sloth, dishonesty, materialism, imperialism, etc). But it's done with such a low-key presentation that it might pass you by without you noticing. This film is definitely a comedy, but there are no punchlines. Just a bizarre feeling that everything is a joke.
David Byrne (referred to only as "Our Visitor") strolls through the bizarre setting of Virgil, Texas, narrating various odd episodes with his signature soft, nerdy voice. Anyone else would've come across as sarcastic, but Byrne is so deadpan--like Leslie Nielsen 2 octaves higher--that we often wonder exactly what he's trying to say. If anything.
But the episodes speak for themselves. If you don't immediately catch the absurdness of the situations, the wacky visuals and blending of surrealism should be enough to tell you you're watching a quiet madhouse. Several sequences border on Terry Gilliam-esque genius while others aren't quite as effective. But either way, it's a memorable experience. John Goodman's lines & facial expressions are classic, guiding us through an otherwise perplexing experience.
It's hard to compare this to other films, but Byrne's directing style reminded me of early Tim Burton ("Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood") with his cheerful fantasy-sarcasm. Other times I was reminded of Vincent Gallo ("Buffalo 66") with the odd compositions and asymmetric shots. And in a weird way I was reminded of Godard's classic "Alphaville", the way the humor is so elusive that you hardly realize it's there.
Notable songs (lip synched by different characters in the movie) include "Wild Wild Life" at a showcase, "Dream Operator" at a bizarre fashion show at the mall, "Love for Sale" on TV (the regular video), "People Like Us" at a talent show, and the iconic "Radio Head" (which, yes, lent its name to the band) and a slew of other Talking Heads & David Byrne tunes. I confess I didn't recognize any except "Wild Wild Life" & "Radio Head", but I imagine if you're a Talking Heads fan you'll hear plenty to keep you groovin.
I wouldn't recommend this to casual moviegoers or casual Talking Heads fans, but if you like (artsy) movies and/or recognize most of the songs I named above, don't hesitate to check out this weird movie.
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Gerçek Hikayeler
- Filming locations
- Allen, Texas, USA(Varicorp assembly line - filmed at InteCom, Inc., which was one of the first technology businesses in Collin County. The building at 33.085068, -96.681706 is now occupied by Experian as of 2018)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,545,142
- Gross worldwide
- $2,545,459
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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