LickTheABCs

This is where we differ. I thought the Lecter in Manhunter was the most menacing he's ever been. Cox made him real. The Lecter that Hopkins portrayed, while good and deserving of his Oscar, was too over-the-top for me.

Trevor

I think both Cox and Hopkins gave great performances, but I'll have to differ as well. Cox was easily at least as menacing and much more believable in the role, imo.
Interesting point. Do other people feel this way? I'm pretty sure that my mind is so simple that I take each movie as it's own world, and don't even think of any other incarnations (books/television/films).

The Man with the Golden Doujinshi

That's how I do things. It's why I can enjoy something like American Psycho 2. If I didn't look at it on it's own and compared it to the original, of course I'd hate it. As it is, it was okay but I can live without watching it again.

I've seen the movie that came out after SoTL and can't remember much about it but what little I do remember is mixed together with the movie where Anthony Hopkins did the same type of role in Instinct.

brayzie

I just didn't feel the threat of Hannibal in Cox' portrayal. He seemed like a bored participant within the storyline.

Hopkins on the other hand seemed gave the impression of a tightly coiled spring, mentally and physically.

I suppose it's not really fair to compare the two, in a way, because the Lecter material was much more rich in SILENCE than it was in Manhunter/Red Dragon.

I agree that Hopkins did portray it over the top, but it worked because it was tempered by Demme's directing and straight forward style. Not to mention the contrast with Jodie Foster's realistic depiction of Agent Starling.

I think it hurt the Lektor scenes that you never got a sense of WHY Agent Graham would be scared to get into the mind of Hannibal again. Graham (in both portrayals) always seemed so confident and spoke to him so curtly that I can't see why he was hesitant to talk with him initially.

Just to make sure I rewatched SILENCE, RED DRAGON and MANHUNTER. Silence is the only Lectur movie that holds up.
Manhunter though is really good and Noonan's character really shines. It's just a shame the original ending was not included.

And I agree, HANNIBAL and RED DRAGON, along with HANNIBAL RISING kind of tarnish Silence of the Lambs because you come to start viewing Hannibal as an almost comicbook villain/anti-hero.

Trout

So, which is it?

islandclaws

Me too, but I've always loved the ambiguity of exactly how he accomplished that feat. Maybe Barney? Who knows, but the shot of his eyes when Chilton goes for it, and finds it missing, gives me chills every time.

This is one of my top 10 films of all-time. I've always had a fascination with serial killers and their methods, and this is one of the best films dealing with the subject. I didn't know this was a selection, but I randomly decided to watch the (disappointing) BD with my gf the other day. It holds up better than most films I've seen. I absolutely love everything on the screen, and it's earned its accolades for a good reason.

Spiderbite

Watched this last night on BD from Netflix. Not really sure why this movie was picked since it seems to me more Crime/Drama than Horror, but whatever.

Well, there is good and there is bad. Haven't watched the movie in a while and I found that the endless parodies and endless Law & Order shows over the years have weakened the film quite a bit for me personally.

The scene where she meets Hannibal is still good even though the famous fava beans line kinda makes me laugh now instead of cringe. But the scene where they wheel him out in a strait jacket and that famous mask emits laughter more than chills now. Buffalo Bill still retained his creepiness though and even though the "lotion, hose" lines are still kinda funny, they don't really make me snicker like a lot of Hannibal's stuff does now.

And being a "realistic" crime thriller, doesn't anyone have a problem with the huge cage they build for him. Or the stringing up of the guard. And I have a hard time believing that trainee Starling actually figures out Hannibal's obscure anagram clue. I felt that was more like Batman & Robin figuring out clues from The Riddler. And the movie gives itself a free pass in showing a pen but never actually showing how Hannibal not only acquired it but managed to take it apart as well while completey strapped up. And being Southern, Foster's poor southern accent is borderline offensive at how terrible it is.

But there are still many good scenes. Starling in the dark cellar while Bill walks around her in pitch blackness is well done. I like the editing of the doorbell scene & the FBI busting into the wrong house. The meetings between Starling and Hannibal are all well done.

This is a good film but definitely doesn't deserve the kudos it gets. It just doesn't hold up as well on repeat viewings and I feel the years haven't been as kind to it as others seem to feel. Now to find that song that Bill was dancing to...

My rating: ***1/2 out of *****

Trout

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Spiderbite

Thank you sir. I just found it on iTunes. Very cool song.

Trout

Now, tuck and dance away....

LickTheABCs

Sorry, every time I hear that all I see is..

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Spiderbite

Ha! I completely forgot about that part. Haven't seen Clerks II since the theater.

Larry C.

Goodbye Horses is a killer song. I love that part in Clerks II specially at first when he says oooh.