Manhunter [DVD] [1986]

When Miami Vice creator Michael Mann jumped into film, he stayed in the dayglo synth heavy seedy side of things. Translating the book Red Dragon into Manhunter with a lot of style (and a radically different Lecktor than the one we are used to) in this Police procedural, one of the best films about catching a serial killer that exists. Tom Noonan is perfect as the bad guy, a man torn between his urges and wanting to be normal. As is To LIve and Die in LA's Will Graham, he also struggles with being too good at having insight into the criminal mind. Mix with interesting music and stark visuals, Mindhunter is a moody 80s noir with a savage side. Extras are plentiful and the HD is great, 2 versions are included for the purists.

Michael Mann's film adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon is probably closest to nailing the vision of the book down, as opposed to some of the other adaptations. By now we have seen several incarnations of the Hannibal Leckter character and everybody has their favorite, so I won't really bother getting into this character too much - other than to say that Brian Cox does a great job portraying the good doctor in a very realistic way. Very subtle, but also very dangerous. The character I would mainly like to point out and focus on is the serial killer at the heart of the hunt - The Tooth Fairy. Tom Noonan does an amazing job with the character, genuinely creeping me out in some scenes. This is a person I would avoid at all costs based on his looks alone - he's just that creepy. You can't help but fear for anyone who shares a room with this guy, let alone the blind woman that does end up embracing him in warming way in the film. There's some good tension between these two, as they get very close to one another and she has no idea what the monster next her even looks like, she just knows his shy, slightly gentle voice and his even more fragile touch. The man on the other end of the hunt is ex-agent Will Graham. Will has the gift of a certain brand of clairvoyance, one that allows him to put himself in the shows of the killer and see what the killer sees - and does. Is this really a gift, or is Will just as crazy as the killers he chases. When we meet Will at the beginning of the film he is no longer an active agent, as his backstory goes he had captured Doctor Leckter, but not without taking his "gift" to some very dark places. Reluctantly, Will decides to come on board and offer what ever help he can, but as the case grows, so does Will's obsession with finding the killer - ultimately driving him back into depths of mental madness that he was previously so afraid of reaching. The film is an exceptional crime film, especially for anyone that is a fan of the Hannibal series, whether it be book or film. In my opinion, these are the type of films Michael Mann really shines on and Manhunter is no exception. Though, with this being an early Mann piece, there are some errors intact, mostly near the end when the production had run out of money. These scenes are very obvious, but when you find out the techniques employed to achieve certain effect, you cant help but have more praise from Mann as a creative talent. Another minor grip is with the Director's Cut, the DC scenes weren't given the HD treatment and actually look like the grainy stock footage straight from the cutting room floor. From what I've read this is just something we have to deal with. Fortunately the rest of the scenes are in HD. The Theatrical Cut is completely HD. There is a ton of content in the directors cut to really make a huge difference in the film, but the DC is definitely the preferred version for me. For casual viewers, the theatrical cut is still just as good of a film, so you can stick with this version if you are bothered by the DC insertions.

After years of being relegated to a bare-bones Blu-ray from MGM Manhunter has received the special edition treatment just in time for it's thirtieth anniversary courtesy of Scream Factory. My personal favorite film in the Hannibal Lecter series we follow former FBI profile Will Graham as he reluctantly seeks the help of the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecktor in a bid to track down a serial killer who's targeting families in the south. William Peterson's performance is tremendous as well as the great Brian Cox as Hannibal who's Lecter (or Lecktor in this film) is more grounded in reality than Anthony Hopkins famous protrayal. This release spans two discs, the first for the theatrical cut and new special features and the second for the director's cut and special features from the old Anchor Bay DVD. The transfer on the theatrical is the same as the MGM disc but is still a solid and strong one with fair grain levels. The director's cut is partially in standard-def as the only existing print of the different footage was from a video source sadly (but no worry, the scenes are still in widescreen). The standard-def scenes are spliced in with the high-def theatrical version so there's no love lost here although don't be surprised by the haziness of the standard-def scenes. The special features are absolutely tremendous and took me a whole afternoon to get through the various interviews with Bill Peterson, Joan Allen, Tom Noonan, Cinematographer Dante Spinotti and Brian Cox who's forty minute interview is the true highlight as he is a joy to listen to for his blunt honesty on this film and it's legacy. The packaging for this should be noted as well given it's the standard Shout/Scream factory double-sided cover art. This time featuring the 80's fuchsia-tinged new artwork by Christopher Franchi and the original poster art. The new art does come as a slipcover as of writing this so it's nice to have the slipcover and to flip around to the original poster art on the case so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. As usual, fabulous and highly recommended.

What a lot of people don't know is that is the first movie in the Red Dragon series. It was the pre-cursure to SIlence Of The Lambs.

Michael Mann's 1986 crime/horror thriller Manhunter, is best known as the film that first introduced the cinematic world to cannibal killer Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (later portrayed as Hannibal Lecter by Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs). Making little fanfare during its initial release, it is now regarded as one of the best films in its genre, anchored by a great performance by William Peterson as Will Graham, a former FBI profiler brought out of retirement to hunt a serial killer called the Tooth Fairy, who slaughters whole families every full moon. Graham quit the FBI due to serious injuries he suffered when he caught Lecktor, and because his ability to assume the mindset of a killer pushed him to the edge of madness. Now he must seek out Lecktor in prison to get his advice on how to catch the Tooth Fairy...and to "pick up the old scent," as Lecktor puts it. Stylish and slick with a strong 1980s Miami Vice sheen (down to the very 80s soundtrack), Manhunter is very much a product of its time, but that in no way diminishes the craft with which Mann tells the story, or the suspense as Graham struggles to catch the Tooth Fairy before he claims another family. The Blu Ray features two versions of the film, the theatrical cut which looks very good, and a director's version, which is pieced together from many sources including old TV scans and in some places looks very rough. This new edition features fresh interviews with William Peterson and fellow actors Joan Allen, Tom Noonan, and Brian Cox, as well as Director of Photography Dante Spinotti, and many of the musicians who contributed to the soundtrack. A Mann commentary and several old featurettes are also included. If you're a fan of Manhunter a purchase is a no-brainer.

Manhunter certainly took it's time in getting it's recognition, never getting the immediate praise and adoration the next Hannibal film (Silence of the Lambs) did, but in the decades since it's finally gotten credit as a both a favorite in Michael Mann's crime film filmography as well as even becoming some peoples favorite Hannibal film. So in honor of that, Shout Factory has gone pretty much all out in giving the film it's due in special edition form. The era of studios releasing great collectors sets for just about any well regarded film has died out since it's 2001-2006ish heyday, but thankfully boutique labels like Shout come through. If you're a fan of this film, definitely pick this up as it's mix of interviews, making of's and the directors cut of the film (some extra footage had to be sourced from SD materials unfortunately for the directors cut) in addition to the theatrical it's a set for you.

Another Michael Mann sleeper hit. A must have if you are a Silence of the Lambs fan. Brian Cox is a better Hannibal Lecter than Anthony Hopkins. This film is far superior than the Red Dragon remake. Excellent performance from William Peterson and Tom Noonan.

An early Michael Mann masterpiece that didn't get the critical attention or the awards that "Silence of the Lamb" got, but it's much more subtle and even more disturbing as it emphasizes the degeneration of the emotional state of the FBI agent (wonderfully played by William Petersen) that's trying to solve the "Tooth Fairy" murders.