Manhunter

[dead_goon]

Am I the only person in the world that doesn't rate this film? I saw it a while ago, and was pretty disappointed. You could put it down to the hype of it, but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of Hannibal. I just thought it was pretty dull. It trundled along at a tedious pace, we were never really given an insight as to why the FBI guy came to his conclusions, and the final sequence was somewhat laughable IMO. Maybe I missed the point. I don't know, but I thought Silence & Hannibal were far superior.

[Randal_Graves]

Manhunter and Silence are both great, Hannibal was horrible.

Manhunter is a very visual film and its much more gritty than the other two, Hannibal was just like a spoof of the other two, with lots of stupid gore.

[dead_goon]

I agree Hannibal was on a less serious note, but wasn't that the intention? To take the character somewhere new? I personally found it very entertaining, balancing tension, humour, and horror very well.

[Shingster]

:eek: :eek: :eek: Manhunter's one of the greatest films of all time!!!!

[dead_goon]

There must be someone out there that didn't enjoy it????

[Madm@tt]

(I know it's a tired old expression but) N-O spells NO!

[kerbcrawler]

I'm with you dead_goon.

I think MH is all style over content. But that's what I think about most of Michael Mann's films - they often look great and have their moments but that's about it.

As for SOTL & Hannibal - both very different and both great IMHO.

[Shingster]

How the hell can people say that SOTL & Hannibal are deeper? Both are Hollywood sensationalism at it's best.
Manhunter starts off as a pretty excellent detective thriller, realistically portraying FBU procedures, it then switches to the serial killer's story & instead of having a one-dimensional nut job like Buffalo Bill in SOTL, we have a multi-dimensional character, one who is capapable of love & see's a chance to escape from his own nature through his relationship with Reba Mcintyre. Now let's look at Hannibal lector, in SOTL & Hannibal with have a grandiose OTT character that is uterrly unbelievable. Granted AH played him brilliantly & he is an excellen screen anti-hero, but Hannibal Lecktor in Manhunter is a much scarier person, because he's more realistic. Then there's the protagonist of MH, Will Graham, a man who has a talent, but it keeps putting him in dangerous situations, yet he's still compelled to take on the Tooth Fairy case, knowing full well it could kill him. That's why the final scenes are so effective, when all throught the film people have been telling him to back off, don't confront Dollarhyde & what does he do? Run straight through a window after the bloke, I thought it was a very tense moment.

[Michael Brooke]

<B>There must be someone out there that didn't enjoy it????</B>

Well, Cap'n Al's <A HREF="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=207&story=1993">review</A> and <A HREF="http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?html=y&id=reviews/other/manhunter.html">mine</A> only gave it 9/10...

:D

[Antx1]

Well I didn't enjoy it and Red Dragon is IMO one of the best books ever written far superior to SOTL & the dreadful Hannibal.:(

[Mike]

I think all three films are excellent and each complements the others nicely despite being so different in style.

As for the books, I think "Hannibal" is the best, "Red Dragon" is slightly less good and "Silence" is the weakest.

[Vinyl-Pants]

Originally posted by kerbcrawler
I think MH is all style over content. But that's what I think about most of Michael Mann's films - they often look great and have their moments but that's about it.

Obviously you havent had the chance to watch The Insider, Heat and Last Of The Mohicans then :)

[Quint]

There was hype? :confused:

I must have missed that, but from seeing it I must say it is an excellent film :)

[Brunnen-G]

Originally posted by Mike
I think all three films are excellent and each complements the others nicely despite being so different in style.

As for the books, I think "Hannibal" is the best, "Red Dragon" is slightly less good and "Silence" is the weakest.

I liked manhunter and sotl (in that order), and have'nt seen hannibal yet (in the "To Watch" pile atm). As far as the books go, i would say sotl, red dragon and a mile behind, hannibal (i, personally, am not interested in Lectors shopping habits), which underplayed the investigation side (which i like) and turned lector into a comic book, OTT villain.

Just my opinion of course. ;)

[kerbcrawler]

While I do look forward to seeing the Insider (and I will) I have in fact seen the other two. Of these I think Heat illustrates my "style over content" point perfectly - i've viewed it a number of times (in the cinema and TV) - and will readily admit that it looks fantastic, very very stylish, but IMHO that's about it.

I could go on but I've done that before and learnt my lesson. ;)

[Vinyl-Pants]

In all honesty I would say the Michael Mann titles I mentioned are some of my favourite films. All 3 films are very stylish especially Heat but at the expense of content? I would disagree there - as The Insider and Heat both clock at just under 3 hours long. You cannot be entertained for 3 hours solely by style - there has to be significant content otherwise the film would drag.

I only saw The Insider recently and I dont know why - its bloody good - I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Rest assured of all 3 films The Insider is more biased towards content - thoroughly engrossing.

However, going back on topic, I actually havent seen Manhunter but it Mann's other films are anything to go by I wont be disappointed. Its on my wants list :)

[chesterton]

The question now is which disc to buy. I am told that there are a few different cuts of the film in circulation, albeit with only minor differences. Is this a region issue?

[Shingster]

The current R2 is identical to the R1. Now, the R1 was originally released as a 2-disc LE, with a supposedly "Director's Cut" extended version (by about 3mins) on the 2nd disc. The quality of this director's cut is appaling though, so you're not missing much.

The confusion arises because the original theatrical & VHS version of Manhunter is a slightly different cut to the current R1/R2 version. It appears that the DVD version loses one scene & line of dialogue, but gains a couple of extra scenes.

This is explained better here (http://www.dvdfile.com/software/cut_list/manhunter.html)

[Cap'n Al]

Originally posted by Mike
I think all three films are excellent and each complements the others nicely despite being so different in style.

I agree entirely; for what it's worth, I gave each of the films 9/10 when I reviewed them recently, which I think reflects their artistic accomplishments. While I wouldn't describe them as a trilogy in the same sense that the Godfather films represent a trilogy, I'd certainly say that the story of Lecter, Graham, Starling and the rest of them is told consistently well.

[cluderi]

I liked Manhunter, it seemed more beliveable and realistic than SOTL and Hannibal (although it was in the book, the ending spoilt hannibal for me). The killer seems more human which adds to the emotional content and the suspense.

I've never seen Last of the Mohicans (i should have, i know) but The Insider and Heat are two fine films.

I always thought that the story in heat was designed to get Pacino and De-niro together. These roles must have been decided before a word was written and it seems to suffer slightly for that. But otherwise a fine film.

The Insider is a fantastic film and I can't recommend it enough, if you don't own it go and buy it now.

Pacino's overstated grand journalist character is mirrored perfectly by Crowes understated quiet character. Crowe shows pure talent in this film and IMHO steals the show away from Pacino. The storyline never seems to falter and even though its a long(ish) film you should remain entranced until the end.

[Panavision]

Manhunter had the best Lector portrayl. Hopkins' Lector is much more showy, almost sticks out like a sore thumb. Not that I hate Hopkins' version, it's very good but Brian from Manhunter is much realistic and interesting.

[monkeyman]

The casting for Heat could not have been decided before the script was written!!
La Takedown,a TV movie directed by Michael Mann is almost identical to Heat,and was actually made in about 1989.It is a sort of dry run for Heat,and to be honest isnt particularly good,but it shows tha the basic set up for Heat was devised at least six years before that movies release!!

[tinder]

All 3 films are very stylish especially Heat but at the expense of content? I would disagree there - as The Insider and Heat both clock at just under 3 hours long.



....in my opinion the fact that heat does clock in at almost three hours long is one of its bad points. I saw this film at the cinema when it came out and both my girlfriend and myself thought it arse numbingly slow.... stylishly arse numbing...but arse numbing nonetheless.

As for Manhunter...i also saw this around the time of its release and was impressed by it....however...I do not think that it better than either SOTL or Hannibal...just a different approach to the same subject....and a bit cheesy, if you dont mind me saying. Just cos it came first does not make it better.

On a more positive note...i think that The Insider is an excellent film and one that more than makes up for the pain i suffered watching Heat.

[Shingster]

Originally posted by monkeyman
The casting for Heat could not have been decided before the script was written!!
La Takedown,a TV movie directed by Michael Mann is almost identical to Heat,and was actually made in about 1989.It is a sort of dry run for Heat,and to be honest isnt particularly good,but it shows tha the basic set up for Heat was devised at least six years before that movies release!!

I'm pretty sure that in one of the Manhunter featurettes on the R1 DVD, Will Petersen says that he got the role of Will Graham after the film Heat fell through. He was one of the original choices for the lead in Heat, but it was shelved, so Heat must have been a pet project of Mann's for a long time.

[cluderi]

What I meant was that the film seemed to be a way of getting DeNiro and Pacino together.

I was aware of LA Takedown, although I havn't seen it. But Heat just seems to be more about Deniro vs Pacino than a film. I think someone decided to make a film with Deniro and Pacino in and then they went looking for a script / scriptwriter to fill that need. Its a good film, but Pacino and Deniro have been in much better films.

[George vader]

Manhunter :D

Silence Of The Hams :rolleyes:

Hannibal :)

[gZa]

I've been avoided buying this (r1 and r2) because of the strange 'Theatrical Cut' on the DVD, but having seen it in HMV for about £5 I'm thinking of buying it anyhow.

UNLESS anyone knows of a decent DVD version of the normal 'Theatrical Cut'?

Anyone got the French DVD?

I really want the version I've seen many times on VHS/TV/Cinema. :(

[jonathan.e]

Originally posted by George vader
Manhunter

Silence Of The Hams

Hannibal

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Red Dragon

[Cirrus888]

There's a Korean R3 2 disc version with both cuts available.

[nashie]

Originally posted by dead_goon
There must be someone out there that didn't enjoy it????

its a rubbish film.
i do not understand why people love this film so much, its dull, boring and brian cox is not very good as lecter.

its not an understated, less is more, kind of performance like some people will say, its just dull.

i was not scared of brian cox in the role.

hopkins in silence is class.

[gZa]

Originally posted by Cirrus888
There's a Korean R3 2 disc version with both cuts available. Eh?! I'm not talking about the 'Director's Cut' and the strange 'Theatrical Cut' that Anchor Bay originally released r1. So what you mean two cut's available? I don't think the Korean DVD contains the the strange 'Theatrical Cut' and the normal 'Theatrical Cut' do you?

[Cirrus888]

Originally posted by Garry Cowell
Eh?! I'm not talking about the 'Director's Cut' and the strange 'Theatrical Cut' that Anchor Bay originally released r1. So what you mean two cut's available? I don't think the Korean DVD contains the the strange 'Theatrical Cut' and the normal 'Theatrical Cut' do you?

If you put it like that then no it doesn't contain what your after.

[Earl Jolly Brown]

Vaguely related - there's a Korean DTS release of 'Silence of the Lambs', a 2-disc set with all the Special Edition features. About 12 notes.

[essexboyuk68]

i much preffered red dragon to manhunter. so there.

[tinder]

Originally posted by Vinyl-Pants
Obviously you havent had the chance to watch The Insider, Heat and Last Of The Mohicans then :)


....of the three films mentioned here, I would only rate The Insider...all I can remember about Heat is that my arse was numb by the time I left the cinema...and no...I hadn't been cornholed:norty: ...Manhunter is quite possibly one of the most boring films I have ever seen...beaten only by Heat in the boring film stakes:smokin:


...didn't realise that this was a resurrected thread...sorry for borng people with my regurgitated opinion...still least it was consistent:D

[TheoGB]

Manhunter's like Miama Vice: i.e. worthless!! :smokin:

Okay, that was harsh. It's not that bad, but it is bad. Anything touched by Dino De Horrendous usually is!! :D

[Panavision]

I'm glad Mann made Manhunter his own picture. 2 men on opposite ends who do not seem to fit into the world. I would love to have seen more of Brian as Lector, much more interesting than the showboater version by Hopkins.

The score is lovely.