Jonathan Demme dead of cancer at 73

There's apparently a lot quality copy "out there" somewhere...

 

Critic David Edelstein's piece from this AM's CBS News Sunday Morning...In remembrance: Director Jonathan Demme.

 

This leaked (again) the day after he died.

 

I had the pleasure of attending a talk by Mr. Demme presented by the College of Dupage in Illinois waaaaay waaaay back in the spring of 1989. The professor running the film program was pretty hip and was able to bring in Jonathan Demme for the evening. It was quite the fun evening and even then he spoke about how Swing Shift got away from him after the first edit. I'll paraphrase, but he was forced to direct the additional scenes with Goldie, Kurt, & Ed Harris. I he pretty much said that the direction by him was two words "action" & "cut"!

There's a good clip on youtube where Mr. Demme describes how Ed Harris saved his directorial career and "Stop Making Sense" by faking a headache during the reshoots for Swing Shift.

If anyone gets a chance they should check out the American Playhouse PBS short film "Who Am I This Time" directed by Demme and staring Christopher Walken, Susan Sarandon, & character actor (hey I know that guy!) Robert Ridgley.

 

Great talent. RIP.

 

He had such a unique style-the way his characters would talk directly into the camera, to you, really sucked you in. And SMS is the greatest concert film of all time. RIP.