Demme cut his teeth with B-movie director Roger Corman and in the early 1970's directed several "women-in-prison" films - Hot Box, Black Mama White Mama and Caged Heat. In the 1980's, Demme graduated to more mainstream fare such as Melvin & Howard, Swing Shift, Swimming to Cambodia and Married to the Mob before becoming a household name with Silence of the Lambs. It would be his only Oscar nomination.
After Silence of the Lambs, Demme directed Philadelphia, the remake of The Manchurian Candidate and Rachel Getting Married. His last major motion picture release was Ricki & The Flash starring Meryl Streep.
Demme did direct several documentaries mostly with musicians including three with Neil Young as well as with The Talking Heads, Robyn Hitchcock and most recently Justin Timberlake. He also directed controversial Man from Plains featuring former President Jimmy Carter promoting his anti-Israel book Peace Not Apartheid. I saw the film and let's just say it wasn't one of his better works.
One piece of work that does stand the test of time was his work behind the camera for the Columbo episode "Murder Under Glass" featuring Louis Jourdan which you can watch here. It just happens to be Breaking Bad creator and Better Call Saul co-creator Vince Gilligan's favorite Columbo episode.
That is quite a tribute to Demme's work. R.I.P.
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