Past Film/Video | Series & Festivals

True Stories

(David Byrne, 1986)
Introduced by Lee Kline, Technical Director, Criterion Collection

New Restoration

A man in a cowboy hat rides in a convertible

In the cult classic True Stories, music icon David Byrne (Talking Heads) serves as our guide to the fictional town of Virgil, Texas, and the “Celebration of Specialness” marking its 150th anniversary. Inspired by real-life tabloid headlines, Byrne’s survey of the resident oddballs turns up the Laziest Woman in the World (Swoosie Kurtz), an aspiring country singer (John Goodman), a clueless-but-intense local businessman (Spalding Gray), and more, in a glorious tapestry of Americana askew. The film’s Talking Heads soundtrack features the hit “Wild Wild Life.” (90 mins., 4K DCP)

Please note: due to an expected high volume of event traffic on campus, parking is suggested in Arps Garage.

 

More about the expert

Lee Kline is technical director at the Criterion Collection. Among the many restorations he has supervised are David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977), Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life (2011), and the miraculous reconstruction of Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy. This is his fifth appearance at Cinema Revival.

A man in a cowboy hat rides in a convertible

True Stories, image courtesy of Warner Bros.

A man with longer, curly hair plays the drums in front of a brightly lit background

True Stories, image courtesy of Warner Bros.

A family sits at a nicely set dining table with their heads bowed

True Stories, image courtesy of Warner Bros.

A six-piece band wearing cowboy hats performs in front of a green background

True Stories, image courtesy of Warner Bros.

Restored by the Criterion Collection.

SEASON SUPPORT FOR FILM/VIDEO
Rohauer Collection Foundation

SUPPORT FOR THE FILM/VIDEO STUDIO PROGRAM
Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Endowment for the Arts

GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR THE WEXNER CENTER
Greater Columbus Arts Council
Ohio Arts Council
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation 

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Past Film/Video

True Stories