My selection for this edition of Retro Trailers is inspired by the awful news that a "Hannibal" TV series is currently in development. Reportedly, this would deal with Lecter's early career as a serial killer and his run-ins with FBI agent Will Graham - the protagonist of Red Dragon.
This series is being bled dry. I don't have any real opposition to Ridley Scott's Hannibal or Brett Ratner's Red Dragon (it's probably the best work of his sad career), but the Hannibal Rising prequel was an abominable mess and I think it's about time we put the beast to rest.
Frankly, Lecter was never more interesting than he was in his ten minutes of screentime in The Silence of the Lambs. Now 20 years old, the film could be called one of the first classics to come out of the 90's. It also represents some of the best work ever by many involved - onscreen and off.
A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.
Monday, September 12, 2011
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3 comments:
"Hannibal," as strange of a film as it is, remains one of my favorite. I see the flaws, but I somehow still enjoy it. It's like plugging your nose to enjoy a handful of bleu cheese crumbles.
"Hannibal Begins" *cough* I mean "Rising" honestly had potential for me, and there were some pretty decent set pieces that stick out in my mind - especial the tree/horse scene with the guy who shot Bruce Wayne's parents. The pacing, rising tension, the German poem - such a well done scene. But that's unfortunately all that movie achieves. A series of artfully choreographed murderous dance numbers (one scene, quite literally) that try to contribute to an ultimately boring and sad film, rather successfully adapted from a boring and sad novel that branches from a 3 page idea in the "Hannibal" book that was never touched upon in the version on film.
"The Silence of the Lambs"
"The Silence of the Lambs" I was going to say, remains the king.
Goddamn I hated Hannibal Rising, I'd forgotten about it for so long, but now I'm having flashbacks.
I didn't care for Hannibal much either in my youth and I think that stemed from my disappointment that it wasn't more like Silence of the Lambs. However, in recent years, I've come to appreciate it as an interesting film in its own right.
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