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Manhunter [VHS] [1989] starring: William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina

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Rating: - GRIM AND GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER...

Based upon the wonderful, well-written novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this is a superior and chilling thriller. Grim and gripping, it features William Peterson in the role of taciturn, retired FBI agent, Will Graham, who is called back to service in order to track down a bizarre serial killer. It appears that Graham has the uncanny ability to get into a killer's mindset and figure out what his next move might be. It is as if he and the killer become one. In his preparation for this, Graham even consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (yes, THE Hannibal Lecter), deliciously played by Brian Cox.

The movie is compelling and, at all times, gripping. Joan Allen affectingly plays a blind woman who unknowingly involves herself with the creepy serial killer who is chillingly played by Tom Noonan. It is her involvement with him that helps bring the film to its stunning conclusion. Good performances by Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, and Kim Greist round out this fine, ensemble cast.

This film is a taut, unnerving psychological thriller that is deftly directed by Michael Mann and accompanied by a terrific, musical score used to great effect. Who ever would have thought that Iron Butterfly's heavy metal "In A Gadda Da Vita" could be used to such chilling effect in the final, climactic scene? This is a film well worth watching.

Rating: - Manhunter

Manhunter was the first film to include the character Hanibal Lecter. It is the original version of the Red Dragon Book by Thomas harris.
The film was directed by Michael mann of Miami Vice fame, and as a direct result, the film is photographically superb and highly stylised - very eighties.
The story is based around William Peterson's excellent FBI profiler, Will Graham, who has medically retired because the years of getting inside sadistic killers minds have left deep scars in his own. He is bought out of retirement to help solve a particularly greusome series of murders. Like Silence of the Lambs, the FBI are forced to enlist the help of twisted Doctor Hanibal lecter - a great, understated portrayal by Brian Cox.
The cinematography and music help make the film a classic - even though it did little on it's release, it has aged well and stands up as a great film, yet another cult classic.
One curious point though, was the fact that Tom Noonan (The Tooth Fairy) underwent hours of tedious make-up, to have the magnificent Red Dragon tattoo emblazoned on his chest, only to have all references to it cut in the finished film.
The DVD includes 2 documentaries.

Rating: - GRIM AND GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER...

Based upon the wonderful, well written novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this is a superior and chilling thriller. Grim and gripping, it features William Peterson in the role of taciturn, retired FBI agent, Will Graham, who is called back to service in order to track down a bizarre serial killer. It appears that Graham has the uncanny ability to get into a killer's mind set and figure out what his next move might be. It is as if he and the killer become one. In his preparation for this, Graham even consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (yes, THE Hannibal Lecter), deliciously played by Brian Cox.

The movie is compelling and, at all times, gripping. Joan Allen affectingly plays a blind woman who unknowingly involves herself with the creepy serial killer who is chillingly played by Tom Noonan. It is her involvement with him that helps bring the film to its stunning conclusion. Good performances by Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, and Kim Greist round out this fine, ensemble cast.

This film is a taut, unnerving psychological thriller that is deftly directed by Michael Mann and accompanied by a terrific, musical score used to great effect. Who ever would have thought that Iron Butterfly's heavy metal classic, "In A Gadda Da Vita", could be used to such chilling effect in the final, climactic scene? This is a film well worth watching.

Rating: - The FIRST Hannibal Lecter

Almost Hitchcockian in is sterile horror - refrains from showing you the gore, rather lefts you imagination fill in the gaps. Stylisht Michael Mann (Miami Vice director and a perfection in the Hitchcock school of doing some of the camera work yourself) shows the visions from the same source material can be so different. Manhunter is from the Thomas Harris Book 'Red Dragon' the prequel, if you will, to the Silence of the Lambs, also by Harris. It is so interesting to view both films together and see the contrasts. Manhunter has a male, William Petersen, as FBI's fey tracker, while Lamb's focus is female through Jody Foster. Lambs is so dark, brooding and dank, you think of bad 1950's mad scientist movies, while Manhunter is blinding awash in light. Compare the cells of the different version of Lector. Hopkins is house in a madhouse basement, where shadows are deep and bogeymen lurk just out of sight...Brian Cox's lector is in a pure white cell, white pants and TV shirt, so clean and sterile it evokes the slightly nauseating sense of antiseptic hospitals. Hopkins' keeper is the kindly blackman, Benny; Cox's 'step back or I'll mace you in the face' redneck. The polarisation of these films is nearly endless, and yet both are so on target in achieving their aim.

Which do I prefer? Hard to say, but I think in repeated watching that Manhunter edges out Lambs. Mann 'paints' his movie in imagery that is so evocative, so compelling, but in a less is more manner that cause many to put him down as all style but no substance. I have never bought that. Anyone can watch "Evan" episode of Miami Vice or "Out Where the Buses Don't Run" and see there are so many layers to a Mann production - but it is for YOU to find the many textures and nuances. If you don't, it's your loss.

Manhunter just get better and better with age, and is a sheer treat on DVD.

Rating: - GRIM AND GRIPPING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER...

Based upon the wonderful, well written novel "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, this is a superior and chilling thriller. Grim and gripping, it features William Peterson in the role of taciturn, retired FBI agent, Will Graham, who is called back to service in order to track down a bizarre serial killer. It appears that Graham has the uncanny ability to get into a killer's mind set and figure out what his next move might be. It is as if he and the killer become one. In his preparation for this, Graham even consults the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (yes, THE Hannibal Lecter), deliciously played by Brian Cox.

The movie is compelling and, at all times, gripping. Joan Allen affectingly plays a blind woman who unknowingly involves herself with the creepy serial killer who is chillingly played by Tom Noonan. It is her involvement with him that helps bring the film to its stunning conclusion. Good performances by Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, and Kim Greist round out this fine, ensemble cast.

This film is a taut, unnerving psychological thriller that is deftly directed by Michael Mann and accompanied by a terrific, musical score used to great effect. Who ever would have thought that Iron Butterfly's heavy metal "In A Gadda Da Vita" could be used to such chilling effect in the final, climactic scene? This is a film well worth watching.

Review Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next »