156 of 173 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mediocre blu-ray for a five-star film... if you have this already on DVD, don't bother, March 17, 2009
Pulp entertainment of the highest order, "The Silence of The Lambs" is terrific filmmaking. Entertaining, suspenseful and more than a bit hokey (albeit in just the right places), "Silence" at its core is a "B" movie thriller given an "A"-level film treatment. Fine direction, a crackling plot, iconic characterizations, perfect casting and superlative performances all adds up to a five-star film (out of five) that is worth owning for any self-respecting horror/suspense fan. Unfortunately, MGM's "Silence" Blu-Ray debut is sure to disappoint, as it looks strikingly similar to a finely upconverted DVD, albeit one with heavy doses of grain throughout. Yes, sharpness is slightly improved, but it's only really noticeable in a handful of scenes, and the difference is hardly impressive; the same can be said for the Blu-Ray's blacks and slightly-improved colors.
Some are attributing this to the MPEG-2 encoding, but really the problem lies with the film master source, which really needs a better clean-up. Another contributing factor is the cinematography and lighting of the film, which just doesn't lend itself all that well to hi-def. The underwhelming DTS-HD 5.1 audio fares no better, again probably due to the limitations of the original audio source; the overall sound is flat with the rear channels and sub-woofer barely used, if at all. To top things off, this Blu-Ray release includes most, but not all, of the extras found on the previous DVD releases, meaning if you're a hardcore "Silence" fan, you'll want to to hang on to your old DVD(s). Of course, the Blu-Ray edition does currently offer the best visual and audio presentation of this film, but the difference is decidedly unimpressive and contains far greater film grain than any of the previous DVD incarnations, to boot.
As a side note, I want to state that I have no problem with film grain per say, and will always take the naturally grainy-albeit-sharp look of film over a waxy-looking DNR "remastering" any day of the week. Yet, when the only appreciable gain of a Blu-ray upgrade over its (1080P upconverted) DVD counterpart is a barely perceptible upgrade in sharpness, slightly stronger colors and heavier doses of grain (stemming from a combination of a worn master, mediocre re-mastering, digital noise and the type of film stock originally used for shooting the film), then I say stick with the DVD, as the trade-off simply isn't worth it.
Regarding special features, while the majority of the bonus features included on the Blu-Ray are simply ported over from the 2007 DVD release, the Blu-Ray does contain one exclusive: a picture-in-picture commentary / trivia track called "Breaking The Silence", which has factoids mixed in with occasional snippets of new interviews from Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Anthony Hopkins, and screenwriter Ted Tally. Unfortunately, it sounds cooler than it really is; while the interview snippets are pretty good, there is no making-of footage of any kind included in the PIP, and the factoids mostly contain information that is recycled from earlier (more compelling) bonus features. Also, there are annoyingly long stretches throughout the film in which the PIP track simply disappears. Overall, a mediocre exclusive bonus feature at best, and decidedly inferior to Criterion's audio commentary track (or the previously made making-of docs, for that matter).
So, for those who DO NOT OWN any DVD edition of "Silence of The Lambs", this is what it boils down to:
- The Blu-Ray is currently reasonably priced here on Amazon.com and (depending on your tolerance for film grain) is therefore worth picking up;
- For hardcore "Silence" fans, they should seek out both the Blu-Ray AND the Criterion DVD, as the Criterion disc contains special features that are not contained in any other edition of this film on home video, particularly an outstanding (and exclusive) audio commentary track that includes Foster, Hopkins and director Johnathan Demme. As I type this, it's still the overall best making-of feature made for "Silence", IMO.
- Be advised that the Criterion DVD has the weakest visual presentation of the various DVD releases, as the picture on that disc is in non-anamorphic widescreen, which is why I recommend the Criterion version to Criterion collectors and hard-core "Silence" fans only;
- For the price conscious, the 2001 "Special Edition" DVD can be had for under $5.00, has good (anamorphically-enhanced) video and (5.1 Dolby Digital) audio, and a nice set of special features, including the same hour-long making-of doc ("Inside the Labyrinth") that is included in both the Blu-Ray and 2007 DVD edition; although it lacks interviews from Foster and Demme, it's probably the best making-of feature that's been produced for "Silence", outside of the superior Criterion audio commentary.
- As for those who ALREADY OWN "Silence of The Lambs" in either the 2001 or 2007 DVD incarnations, there really is no compelling reason to upgrade to the Blu-Ray edition, unless you can get this on the cheap, or are an obsessive-compulsive Hi-Def completest with money to burn. The fact is, both the 2001 and 2007 DVD editions contain comparable audio and visuals that perfectly represent the original look of the film (although the 2001 "Special Edition" DVD release has a slightly greener hue to its video transfer, while the 2007 transfer has a slightly redder hue) and both editions look perfectly fine upconverted via 1080P. Never mind the naysayers who hate DVD upconversions, as there are some of us who can settle for "good enough" with certain films and save our hard-earned cash for far worthier hi-def material.
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90 of 99 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great new Collector's Edition, February 2, 2007
If you really love "The Silence of the Lambs", then this is the best edition you could find (though, nowadays it's also the only one you can find).
I have seen every DVD release of this film, though sadly I wasn't old enough to see it when it first came out. Nevertheless, MGM and 20th Century Fox have really outdone themselves:
1. Criterion
The Criterion Collection has always been a trusted source of films for me, and their initial release of this film was decent but lacking with special features, plus the video quality was somewhat scratchy. Still, couldn't beat that commentary track.
2. 2001 MGM
The MGM Speical Edition was pretty nice to promote the theatrical release of Hannibal, with a slew of documentaries and interviews that gave a lot of information of the Silence. No commentary track, but a nice new 5.1 surround mix and a much needed clean-up of the faded picture made the greens rich and the reds blood red.
3. 2007 MGM/20th Century Fox
This new 2-disc set offers the same anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer as was the 2001 release and it still has all of the same documentaries, but this release adds some more features that give even more information about how the film was made and the contoversy afterward. That, and the package art is absolutely delicious. Speaking of which, just behind the inside cover booklet is a tasty treat that invokes both sick humor and helpful tips about "cooking"
Bottom line, if you've never seen this film before then I highly recommend it...that is if you have a strong stomach. It's a brilliant story about good and evil and how dark some people can really be. If you already have all of the previous releases, check this one out too, it's worth the double-dipping into your wallet. The best reason to get this are the added bonus features, but if you really love this film like I do then you'll find it's a great addition to your DVD library.
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40 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Two Very Scarey Killers........One Killer DVD!, November 14, 2002
This review refers to the Special Edition(Widescreen) 2001 MGM release of Silence of the Lambs.......
Want to be scared out of your wits??This film will do that for you! Want to see it on an outstanding DVD. This one is top quality!
This film was probably the scariest ever to win the Best Picture(1991) Oscar. I don't think it was the most violent though, that honor most certainly goes to Braveheart. But Silence is just not a good scarey story.It's much more than that. It's an excellent film in all respects. Expert Direction by Jonathan Demme(recieving Best Director) and Cinematography by Tak Fujimoto really is what set this film apart from the others. The stars, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster(also both oscar winners for their performances), Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Brook Smith, and Anthony Heald, all were expert in their craft at making these characters either scare us or empathize with them.
For those who by chance have not seen it, here's a little taste of what were treated to. Clarice Starling is an agent in training with the F.B.I. She is bright,pretty and has a way of knowing how to handle people. She is sent out on an "errand" of sorts. To interview a serial killer, known as "Hannibal the Cannibal". He was an esteemed brillant psychiatrist and seems to be able to look into peoples souls. He may be able to help in supplying information to help catch another very demented serial killer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" because of his desire to skin his victims.
Hannibal takes a shine to Agt. Starling and will help her, but he wants something from her. For his own demented reasons, he wants to hear the details of her life, and as they exchange information, she is then forced to deal with the memories that have plagued her throughout her life. He provides her with clues to who the killer on the loose might be and she goes after him , providing us with some very tense,hide your eyes, nail biting situations.Does she have the will to take on this psychopath as well as her own demons? And don't forget about Hannibal, the story wouldn't be complete, without showing us what atrocities he's capable of.
This dark psychological thriller will stay with you for a long time. It has an effect that really makes you think about it for quite a while. This film was released in Feb of 1991 and still was well remebered at Oscar Nomination time. That's not something you see to often.
Altough not the more expensive editon,I was not only thrilled by this film, but also with this top quality transfer to the MGM DVD. The picture in the anamorphic widescreen presentation(There is another edition in full screen if you prefer) was beautiful. Colors and clarity excellent,even in the darker scenes. The 5.1 Surround sound is terrific. You can hear everything. I even heard what "Multilple Miggs" in the cell next to Hannibal's was saying, and I never heard that on my tape(that wore out). The Music by Howard Shore sounds great and is always there but unobtrusive to the intenseness of the story. There are some really great "extras". There are documentaries including one with lots of commentary by the stars and all the crew,lots of deleted scenes,photo gallery, trailers, and more. It can be watched in French or Spanish and there are also subtitles for those who may need them.
This is a great addition to your DVD collection and for the price you can't go wrong.
So "have a friend for dinner" and enjoy this together....Laurie
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