Product Details

• Actors: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gaspard Ulliel, Rhys Ifans
• Directors: Jonathan Demme, Michael Mann, Peter Webber, Ridley Scott
• Writers: Michael Mann, David Mamet, Steven Zaillian, Ted Tally
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• DVD Release Date: September 15, 2009
• Run Time: 369 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002BE7JGQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,406 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #21 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Horror
  • #23 in Movies & TV > Blu-ray > Military & War
• For more information about "The Hannibal Lecter Collection (Manhunter / Silence of the Lambs / Hannibal) [Blu-ray]" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Manhunter

Though it will always be remembered as the movie featuring the "other" Hannibal Lecter, Michael Mann's 1986 thriller Manhunter is nearly as good as The Silence of the Lambs, and in some respects it's arguably even better. Based on Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon, which introduced the world to the nefarious killer Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter, the film stars William Petersen (giving a suitably brooding performance) as ex-FBI agent Will Graham, who is coaxed out of semiretirement to track down a serial killer who has thwarted the authorities at every turn.

Graham's approach to the case is a perilous one. First he seeks counsel with Lecter (Brian Cox) in the latter's high-security prison cell--an encounter that is utterly horrifying in its psychological effect--and then he begins to mold his own psyche to that of the killer, with potentially devastating results. As directed by Mann (who was at the acme of his success with TV's Miami Vice), this sophisticated cat-and-mouse game never resorts to the compromise of cheap thrills. Predating Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of Lecter by four years, Cox plays the character closer to Harris's original, lower-key conception, and he's no less compelling in the role. Petersen is equally well cast, and as always Mann employs rock music to astonishing effect, using nearly all of Iron Butterfly's heavy-metal epic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" to accompany the film's heart-stopping climactic sequence. All of this makes Manhunter one of the finest films of its kind, as well as further proof that Harris's fiction is a blessing to any filmmaker brave enough to adapt it. --Jeff Shannon

The Silence of the Lambs

Based on Thomas Harris's novel, this terrifying film by Jonathan Demme really only contains a couple of genuinely shocking moments (one involving an autopsy, the other a prison break). The rest of the film is a splatter-free visual and psychological descent into the hell of madness, redeemed astonishingly by an unlikely connection between a monster and a haunted young woman. Anthony Hopkins is extraordinary as the cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, virtually entombed in a subterranean prison for the criminally insane. At the behest of the FBI, agent-in-training Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) approaches Lecter, requesting his insights into the identity and methods of a serial killer named Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). In exchange, Lecter demands the right to penetrate Starling's most painful memories, creating a bizarre but palpable intimacy that liberates them both under separate but equally horrific circumstances. Demme, a filmmaker with a uniquely populist vision (Melvin and Howard, Something Wild), also spent his early years making pulp for Roger Corman (Caged Heat), and he hasn't forgotten the significance of tone, atmosphere, and the unsettling nature of a crudely effective close-up. Much of the film, in fact, consists of actors staring straight into the camera (usually from Clarice's point of view), making every bridge between one set of eyes to another seem terribly dangerous. --Tom Keogh

Hannibal

Yes, he's back, and he's still hungry. Ten years after The Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lecter (Anthony Hopkins, reprising his Oscar-winning role) is living the good life in Italy, studying art and sipping espresso. FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore, replacing Jodie Foster), on the other hand, hasn't had it so good--an outsider from the start, she's now a quiet, moody loner who doesn't play bureaucratic games and suffers for it. A botched drug raid results in her demotion--and a request from Lecter's only living victim, Mason Verger (Gary Oldman, uncredited), for a little Q and A. Little does Clarice realize that the hideously deformed Verger--who, upon suggestion from Dr. Lecter, peeled off his own face--is using her as bait to lure Dr. Lecter out of hiding, quite certain he'll capture the good doctor.

Taking the basic plot contraptions from Thomas Harris's baroque novel, Hannibal is so stylistically different from its predecessor that it forces you to take it on its own terms. Director Ridley Scott gives the film a sleek, almost European look that lets you know that, unlike the first film (which was about the quintessentially American Clarice), this movie is all Hannibal. Does it work? Yes--but only up to a point. Scott adeptly sets up an atmosphere of foreboding, but it's all buildup for anticlimax, as Verger's plot for abducting Hannibal (and feeding him to man-eating wild boars) doesn't really deliver the requisite visceral thrills, and the much-ballyhooed climatic dinner sequence between Clarice, Dr. Lecter, and a third unlucky guest wobbles between parody and horror. Hopkins and Moore are both first-rate, but the film contrives to keep them as far apart as possible, when what made Silence so amazing was their interaction. When they do connect it's quite thrilling, but it's unfortunately too little too late. --Mark Englehart

Product Description

Manhunter
Witness the birth of evil. This "stomach-tightening" (The Washington Post ) thriller from writer/director Michael Mann (Heat, The Insider ) 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!

The Silence of the Lambs
A psychopath nicknamed Buffalo Bill is murdering women across the Midwest. Believing it takes one to know one, the FBI sends Agent Clarice Starling (Foster) to interview a demented prisoner who may provide clues to the killer's actions. That prisoner is psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins), a brilliant, diabolical cannibal who agrees to help Starling only if she'll feed his morbid curiosity with details of her own complicated life. As their relationship develops, Starling is forced to confront not only her own hidden demons, but also an evil so powerful that she may not have the courage or strength to stop it!

Hannibal
Anthony Hopkins is "perverse perfection" (Rolling Stone) in his return to the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the sophisticated killer who comes out of hiding to draw FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) into a high-stakes battle that will test her strength, cunning and loyalty.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Manhunter on Blu-Ray, September 18, 2009

By 

Bryan Hadley - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hannibal Lecter Collection (Manhunter / Silence of the Lambs / Hannibal) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

This release of Michael Mann's 'Manhunter' is about as perfunctory as it gets. It's packaged in a generic-looking triple pack with 'Silence of the Lambs' and 'Hannibal' and there are absolutely no special features (there aren't even names for the chapter stops). It's a surprise, then, that it looks and sounds as good as it does. The movie is old (1986) and it's generally referred to as a footnote to the other two in this set. Still, I've seen it dozens of times over the years (on film, cable television, VHS, DVD) and this Blu-Ray picture is the sharpest I've ever seen it. The night time and darkly lit scenes are crisp; the lights and colors (sometimes used expressionistically) are clearer and show more detail than I've ever seen.

I'm not bothered by the lack of special features; this was such as unlikely candidate for Blu-Ray release, it's a treat just to have the movie in such nice shape.

41 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Manhunter on BD!! But which version?, August 28, 2009

By 

John S. Harris "The Voice of Reason" (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hannibal Lecter Collection (Manhunter / Silence of the Lambs / Hannibal) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

Great collection of Hannibal Lector films. "Hannibal" wasn't as popular as others in the series, but it was a pretty decent film. The book, however, was much better and had a different ending, one that would DEFINITELY upset many fans of the films. Sorry, Clarice, but you were not the smartest person in the room.

The real joy in this set, however, is the added exposure this release gives to 1986's "Manhunter", the first film to feature Hannibal Lektor (spelling variation used in that film). Scottish actor Brian Cox originated the role that Anthony Hopkins made more famous 5 years later, but Cox's take on the character is not to be missed. Hopkins' Hannibal is imprisoned in a dark and dank dungeon. Cox's Hannibal is kept in a clean, sterile, all-white cell. No moody atmospherics used there. All the menace is in the performance, and there's quite a bit of menace, my friends.

Only question remaining is this: which version of "Manhunter" is it? There was the theatrical version (later released on VHS and LaserDisc) and no fewer than THREE different cuts of the film released on DVD over the years. For my money, the cut that was on VHS and LaserDisc (and the last of three DVD versions to be released) is by far the best one. I wonder if there is a way to find out which version is on Blu-Ray before I plunk my hard-earned on it.

Interesting trivia: In "Manhunter", William Petersen's character rescues Joan Allen's character from the clutches of the Tooth Fairy, this film's VERY creepy villain. Some 16 years later in Rod Lurie's movie "The Contender", Joan Allen's character is indirectly involved in a back-room scheme that publicly destroys Petersen's character's political career. They are sitting across from each other as the chips fall. I kept waiting for Petersen to look at Allen and say, "That's the thanks I get for saving your skinny butt from the Tooth Fairy? Some gratitude!" But he never does.


**** Follow-up ****

I read that the version of "Manhunter" included here is the original theatrical cut (the one originally released on VHS and LaserDisc). In my opinion, that is the best version.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BLU RAY box set review....2010 purchaser..., August 28, 2010

By 

Richardson "Clarence" (Sunny California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Hannibal Lecter Collection (Manhunter / Silence of the Lambs / Hannibal) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

As Amazon.com often confuses regular DVD sets and Blu Ray I wanted it clear I have just viewed this three Blu-Ray set. Firstly "Manhunter" was a primary consideration in my purchase and while the bonus features are missing....it did look surprisingly good based on my past DVD experience with this film on Anchor Bay in single and double disc configuration. "Silence Of the Lambs" is not bare bones in fact its the identical disc being sold separate with a full assortment of bonus features...and at times shows off the blu-ray quality but in some of the more muted scenes (and there are many) doesn't seem to be a big improvement over the standard DVD. "Hannibal" is missing all the wonderful bonus features and again...its shot in a less vibrant way so hard to judge the sharpness and quality of the upgrade to Blu-Ray. I purchased this used at a local store for $25 and at that price I'd give it 5 stars for content v price....at $50 I'd want a heckuva lot more.