 Tagline: The movie that introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter. Related Movies: • Manhunter (1986) [Blu-ray] • Silence of the Lambs (1991) [Blu-ray] • Hannibal (2001) • Red Dragon (2002) [Blu-ray] • Hannibal Rising (2007) Witness the birth of evil. This "stomach-tightening" (The Washington Post) thriller from writer/director Michael Mann (Heat, The Inside) first introduced the world to the cunning, unforgettable serial killer named Hannibal. Joan Allen and Stephen Lang costar in this "eerie, very intense" (New York), "dark locomotive of a film" (Los Angeles Times) that promises to "keep viewers riveted" (Time)! Former FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen, CSI) reluctantly returns to his old job to track a horrific serial killer known as the "Tooth Fairy." But in order to get into the mind of this maniac, Graham must face another: Hannibal, the imprisoned psychiatrist whose own insanity almost cost Graham his life . . . and whose insights into the "Tooth Fairy" could prove as dangerous as the killer himself. Storyline: Will Graham is a former FBI agent who recently retired to Florida with his wife Molly and their young son. Graham was a 'profiler'; one who profiles criminal's behavior and tries to put his mind into the minds of criminals to examine their thoughts while visiting crime scenes. Will is called out of his self-imposed retirement at the request of his former boss Jack Crawford to help the FBI catch an elusive serial killer, known to the press as the 'Tooth Fairy', who randomly kills whole families in their houses during nights of the full moon and leaves bite marks on his victims. To try to search for clues to get into the mind of the killer, Will has occasional meetings with Dr. Hannibal Lecktor, a charismatic but very dangerous imprisoned serial killer that Will captured years earlier which nearly drove him insane from the horrific encounter that nearly cost Will's life... Written by matt-282 Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov on October 1, 2011 -- Acclaimed director Michael Mann's "Manhunter" (1986) arrive on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The disc contains the Theatrical Version and Director's Cut of the film; original theatrical trailer; audio commentary by director Michael Mann; featurette; and video interview with cinematographer Dante Spinotti. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked". Retired FBI profiler Will Graham (William Petersen, Fear, To Live and Die in L.A.) is asked by his former boss Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina, The Mod Squad, Snatch) to assist with a case that has everyone puzzled and frustrated. His task would be to study and profile the elusive Tooth Fairy (Tom Noonan, Heat, Synecdoche, New York), a brutal serial killer who kills only during full moon nights. Ignoring his wife's (Kim Greist) protests, Graham begins researching the case. Soon, however, he concludes that the Tooth Fairy will be impossible to profile without external help - which is why he decides to approach an old foe, Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox, Hidden Agenda, Rob Roy), who is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison thanks to him. Like Graham, Dr. Lecktor is a brilliant profiler who understands how a man can become a monster, and how the mind of a monster functions. Dr. Lecktor immediately shows interest in the case but also begins manipulating Graham, who is running out of time as the next full moon night is just around the corner. Eventually he gives Graham a helpful tip about the Tooth Fairy's modus operandi, but also secretly informs him that the FBI's best profiler is after him. Meanwhile, the Tooth Fairy befriends a lonely blind woman (Joan Allen, In Country, Searching for Bobby Fischer) and then slowly becomes emotionally attached to her. However, he views their relationship as a serious and ultimately unneeded distraction affecting the quality of his work. Based on the bestselling novel by Thomas Harris, Michael Mann's Manhunter is a stylish thriller with distinctive 80s flavor. It was produced by the legendary Dino De Laurentis, who also produced such important classic films as Giuseppe De Santis' Riso Amaro, Federico Fellini's La Strada, and Sergei Bondarchuk's Waterloo. Though the narrative features a number of genuinely surprising twists, the film's greatest strength is the characterization. Despite their unusual abilities and obsessions, the three key characters - Graham, Dr. Lecktor, and the Tooth Fairy - are incredibly believable and multidimensional figures. Naturally, the string of dramatic events they become a part of never look far-fetched or kitschy. The tension in the film is built primarily through verbal descriptions of the killings (and particularly through Graham's monologues). Even when the identity of the killer is eventually revealed, the focus of attention is on his relationship with the blind woman, not on his horrific actions. The worst is left to the viewer's imagination. Clever visual imagery - colors and shadows are carefully selected and used to enhance the dramatic events - gives the film a chic retro style that effectively puts to shame a lot of similarly themed contemporary films using the latest CGI effects. The film is also complimented by an excellent psychedelic soundtrack featuring tunes by such legendary underground acts as Shriekback (responsible for two of the best tunes in the film, the superb "Coelocanth" and "Evaporation"), The Prime Movers, Mike Rutherford's (Genesis, Mike & The Mechanics) Red 7, and The Reds. Note: The Blu-ray disc contains the Theatrical Version and Director's Cut of Manhunter, the former running at approximately 121 minutes, the latter running at approximately 120 minutes (PAL). Only the Theatrical Version of the film is in 1080p. Optimum Home Entertainment have put together a good package for Michael Mann's cult thriller Manhunter. I personally prefer the look of the Region-A release, but having compared both, I can assure you that they look more or less identical. Pick whichever release you like better and more importantly are equipped to play. RECOMMENDED. Cast Notes: William Petersen (Will Graham), Kim Greist (Molly Graham), Joan Allen (Reba McClane), Brian Cox (Dr. Hannibal Lecktor [Lector]), Dennis Farina (Jack Crawford), Tom Noonan (Francis Dollarhyde), Stephen Lang (Freddy Lounds), David Seaman (Kevin Graham), Benjamin Hendrickson (Dr. Frederick Chilton), Michael Talbott (Geehan), Dan Butler (Jimmy Price [as Dan E. Butler]), Michele Shay (Beverly Katz), Robin Moseley (Sarah), Paul Perri (Dr. Sidney Bloom), Patricia Charbonneau (Mrs. Sherman). User Comment: kevin-186 from Iowa, 1 December 2002 • This will no doubt elicit howls of outrage, but I have always thought that Mr. Cox's portrayal of Hannibal Lector to be far superior to that of Mr Hopkins'. Mr Cox portrays Lector as someone coldly intellectual, almost reptilian and inhuman, while Mr Hopkins gives a performance that always brings to mind that of Ernest Thesiger as Dr. Pretorius in Bride of Frankenstein". Mind you, I really enjoy Ernest Thesiger as Dr. Pretorius; I'm just saying that the charming, witty and OH! so urbane serial killer has been done to death, and had been even when "Silence Of The Lambs" came out. Rent this video if you want to see how it's supposed to be done. Summary: Blasphemous opinion [CSW] - I agree with the openion that "I have always thought that Mr. Cox's portrayal of Hannibal Lector to be far superior to that of Mr Hopkins'." IMDb Rating (10/15/11): 7.2/10 from 24,278 users
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