There are so many things you could say about the life and career of Jonathan Demme.

You could say he was an eclectic filmmaker. You could say he loved people, onscreen and off, in all their messy glory. You could say he was restless. You could say he loved his character actors (and you have to love a guy who couldn't make a movie without trying to find a place in it for Charles Napier). And all of that is true. It's right up there onscreen.

For me, of course, the thing that marks Demme as one of the greats is the deep and abiding love he had for music. Continue reading →