Tues. March 2

Director Jonathan Demme, 66, is in town to accept the Coolidge Corner Theatre's Coolidge Award for two days, concluding Tuesday March 2. The man has made his mark with one of the best psycho movies ever ("Silence of the Lambs"), one of the best concert movies ever (Talking Heads' "Stop Making Sense") and one of the coolest crime/comedy capers ("Something Wild"). Demme's films have been screening at the theatre for a little while now and there's some extra special things going on when Demme's here. On Monday at 2 Demme introduced "The Agronomist," the 2003 documentary about human rights activist Jean Dominique, the Haitiaan radio galvanizer who brought global issues and free speech to the airwaves. He was booted out of the country twice. He returned in 2000 and was assassinated outside the Port-au-Prince radio station. Music by Wyclef Jean. Proceeds to benefit Parterns in Heath, with all tix $25. On Monday night, there was live music from the lovably psychedelic Brit eccentric Robyn Hitchcock - yes, the Syd Barrett for our times and the subject of another Demme concert doc, "Storefront Hitchcock." Then, Demme unveiled his latest concert film, "Neil Young Trunk Show" which Demme calls the “antidote” to last year’s "Heart of Gold." It was shot during two nights of the "Chrome Dreams II" tour at the Tower Theater in Pennsylvania, and it's the other side of the Neil Young coin (think "Rust Never Sleeps"). Unleashed, unrestrained, uninhibited, and very loud. Demme will introduce the movie give the audience a mini-master class on how to shoot a performance film afterwards. On Tuesday at noon, there's a screening of Demme's breakthrough film, "Melvin & Howard," followed by a 2 p.m. panel discussion hosted by Elvis Mitchell, former New York Times film critic, with long-time Demme cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, music editor Suzana Peric, and Demme himself. Is Demme done for the day? He is not. There's a cocktail party and awards ceremony to come, starting at 6:30, in which the Coolidge promises delicious food, elegant cocktails, and the chance to mingle with Demme and celebrity guests. Those include Walter Mosely, Roger Corman (who gave Demme his start), Bill Irwin and Sister Carol, followed by the Coolidge Award Ceremony at 8 p.m. Tix for this one: $100. A note on Demme's use of music in film: He has the best taste of any director working today, with Martin Scorsese getting the runner-up award. But consider Demme's choices - from the cool post-punk soundtrack of "Silence" (Tom Petty, Colin Newman, Book of Love, the Fall) to the use of Feelies as the high school dance band in "Wild" (as well as soundtrack songs by Steve Jones, New Order, UB40, Fine Young Cannibals doing the Buzzcocks "Ever Fallen in Love.") And the Heads and Hitch docs, primo. And he loves Hitch so much he cast him playing the reception in his 2009 film "Rachel Getting Married."

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