True Stories

The uncanniness of the suburban everyday is plumbed with aw-shucks gusto in the Talking Heads lead singer’s directorial debut. Byrne stars as a visitor to Virgil, Texas, a Reagan-era vision of utopia on the verge of its annual “Celebration of Specialness.” DP Ed Lachman’s cinematography throws the hyperrealism of the middle American landscape—littered with shopping malls and populated by a wealth of zany denizens (including memorable turns from John Goodman and Spalding Gray)—into sharp relief, and the Talking Heads’ soundtrack suffuses the film with a cohesively postmodern energy. Hoberman writes that the film “is so unambiguously patriotic as to be the avant-pop analogue to [Reagan’s 1984 campaign film] A New Beginning.”

2-for-1 double feature with Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure!

The 2-for-1 double feature discount will automatically be reflected in the check-out process once both screenings have been added to your cart. As a reminder, this special pricing is only valid for double feature pairings on the same day.