Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs Director, Dies at 73

[bathroommonkey76]

Source: Variety

Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme has died of esophageal cancer and complications from heart disease, according to published reports. He was 73 years old.

Demme is best known for directing “The Silence of the Lambs,” the 1991 horror-thriller that was a box office smash and a critical triumph. The story of an FBI analyst (Jodie Foster) who uses a charismatic serial killer (Anthony Hopkins) to track a murderer became only the third film in history to win Academy Awards in all the top five categories ( picture, actor, actress, director, and adapted screenplay), joining the ranks of “It Happened One Night” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Though he had his greatest success terrifying audiences, most of Demme’s work was looser and quirkier. He showed a great humanism and empathy for outsiders in the likes of “Melvin and Howard,” the story of a service station owner who claimed to have been a beneficiary of Howard Hughes, and “Something Wild,” a screwball comedy about a banker whose life is turned upside down. He also scored with “Married to the Mob” and oversaw “Stop Making Sense,” a documentary about the Talking Heads that is considered to be one of the great concert films.

Following “The Silence of the Lambs,” Demme used his clout to make “Philadelphia,” one of the first major studio films to tackle the AIDS crisis and a movie that won Tom Hanks his first Oscar for playing a gay lawyer.

Read more: http://variety.com/2017/film/news/jonathan-demme-dead-silence-of-the-lambs-1202399122/

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Demme directed my favorite concert movie- RIP!

[frazzled]

1. Oh no.

Jonathan Demme was simply one of the kindest, most humane, down-to-earth human beings on earth. You know, the kind who writes thank you notes. Many years ago, he took an amused liking to our then 4- or 5-year-old daughter, and a few weeks after their meeting he wrote her a letter. I mean, really: someone with that kind of busy career taking time to write a child. His love of Haitian art and music was part of his large embrace of the world.

And he was a tremendous filmmaker, who worked across many genres. I'm so sorry we lost touch over these last years. Many, many condolences to his family. Why do the good ones always go too soon? I'm heartbroken.

[tosh]

7. Wow!

That is a truly special story for you and your daughter. Thanks for sharing it.

I'm glad you mentioned his love of Haitian art and music. That is one of many interests that mr. tosh and I shared with Mr. Demme. It was always fun to try and spot the Haitian paintings in the sets of his movies.

Mr. Demme has left this world too soon and will be missed.

RIP, Jonathan.

[frazzled]

18. I just saw a post from my daughter

She apparently remembered something I did not: that along with the letter was a gift, a book about the wild horses of Chincoteague. He had really tuned in to her love for animals, and it made a big impression on her.

Our encounters with him were sporadic--near the beginning, middle, and later parts of his career--but he was always the same person. A real mensch, as we say.

The music and art will stay with us.

[shenmue]

2. Rest in peace

[oasis]

3. Demme's work was outstanding. His valuable contributions to his art

will be celebrated for decades.

[ancianita]

4. I loved his films. I'm thankful that one's art keeps one alive across time.

[Zoonart]

5. LOVED JONATHAN DEMME

I must have watched Stop Making Sense 1000 times. Also loved Married To The Mob. R.I.P.

and who will ever forget...

[Paladin]

6. Great director. RIP.

I still regard "Stop Making Sense" as the most skillfully-made concert film, ever.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. Wow. R.I.P.

I liked "Silence of the Lambs" but "Philadelphia" was a great one (aside from taking place and being filmed here) -with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington.

Condolences and thank you for your insightful films!

[hibbing]

9. Silence of the Lambs

One of a handful of movies that if it is on the TV, I will stop and watch...again.


Peace

[Cooley Hurd]

10. Cross gently Jonathan - SMS is my fav concert movie ever!!!!

[beaglelover]

11. Silence of the Lambs is my absolute favorite movie. RIP Mr. Demme. I was just thinking about him

yesterday for some reason.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

12. How sad

I showed Stop Making Sense in one of my classes and one the students says "who are these guys?" He never heard of the Talking Heads, go figure.

[Calista241]

13. Scariest movie of all time. n/t

[yallerdawg]

14. Here was one who brought us pure excellence in his craft, and drew it out of all around him.

Rest in peace, Jonathan Demme.

[stuffmatters]

15. I was fortunate to know Jonathan in the 70's and 80's; simply the kindest person in Hollywood.

Jonathan's talent, love of film and consideration for everybody were off the charts. It was so enjoyable to watch his star ascend from that talented Corman collection of fierce, quirky talent (Nicholson, Dern, Monty Hellman) to the stratosphere of the Academy Award.

I hope Jonathan meets up with our other "Movie Game" film loving friends already in heaven, Phil Ochs, Alex Jacobs, Charles Higham, Curtis Harrington, and they get in a set for the ages.

To me Jonathan Demme has embodied for 40 years everything good about Hollywood. He was a great person, filmmaker, Democrat and humanitarian. Jonathan's final wishes were to support The Foreign Immigrant Fund in his memory. Classic Jonathan.

[Skittles]

16. Something Wild

love that movie

[joeybee12]

17. Very sad

RIP

[kwassa]

19. I was supposedly at the same Talking Heads concert as Demme ....

where he got the inspiration for making "Stop Making Sense".

Greek Theater, Los Angeles, 1983, jaw-dropping concert, the best I've seen. Demme basically filmed the stage show. The visual concept is all David Byrne. I think "Life During Wartime" went on for twenty minutes. Everyone was dancing on their chairs.

I admire Demme quite a bit.

[dbackjon]

20. Philadelphia - His best and most important movie