Oscar winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme passed away today due to complications from esophageal cancer.
Demme’s diverse and acclaimed career began directing B-Movies for legendary producer Roger Corman during the 1970s. His talent would eventually catch the eye of Hollywood, allowing him to direct quirky comedies during the 1980s, such as “Melvin and Howard”, “Something Wild”, and “Married to the Mob”.
However, Demme’s most acclaimed features might have come in the early 90s. In 1992, Demme would win an Oscar for directing iconic the serial killer thriller “The Silence of the Lambs”. The film would also famously take home awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress for Jodi Foster, and Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins.
His follow-up would be the courtroom drama “Philadelphia”, which would explore prejudice surrounding the AIDS crisis and stare Denzel Washington along with an Oscar winning Tom Hanks.
Other notable pictures would include his adaptation of Toni Morrison’s “Beloved”. a remake of “The Manchurian Candidate”, and 2008’s “Rachel Getting Married”. Demme also directed several notible documentaries such as “Stop Making Sense” and “Neil Young: Heart of Gold”.
