| Jonathan Demme (1944 - )
American director with exploitation beginnings who has carved out a successful Hollywood career. Worked in the early 70s as a writer on films like Black Mama, White Mama before directing his first picture for producer Roger Corman, the women-in-prison gem Caged Heat. Demme’s mainstream debut was the 1977 CB drama Handle With Care (aka Citizen Band), which were followed by such great films as the thriller Last Embrace, wartime drama Swingshift, Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, and black comedies Something Wild and Married to the Mob.
Demme’s Thomas Harris adaptation Silence of the Lambs was one of 1991’s most successful films, making Hannibal Lecter a household name, while the worthy AIDS drama Philadelphia was equally popular. Since then, Demme has floundered somewhat – Beloved and The Truth About Charlie were critical and commercial failures, although 2004’s remake of The Manchurian Candidate was a box office hit.
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