Demme, Jonathan (1944- )

US film director, screenwriter, and producer. One of the most intelligent film-makers working in Hollywood's mainstream, he often deals with contemporary American values, sometimes with a satiric tone. His films include Melvin and Howard (1980), Something Wild (1986), Swimming to Cambodia (1987), Married to the Mob (1988), The Silence of the Lambs (1991; Academy Award), Philadelphia (1993), Beloved (1998), and a remake of The Manchurian Candidate (2004).

Reflecting his interest in popular music, he shot concert footage of the rock group Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense (1984), and often uses pop music in his soundtracks to give context to the narrative, as in Something Wild. He made his directorial debut with Caged Heat (1974) for the independent producer Roger Corman's New World Pictures.