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Started by SmallBlueThing, 04 February, 2011, 12:40:44 PM

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MacabreMagpie

Mads Mikkelsen is my Hannibal, personally. NBC's adaptation is one of my favourite shows of all time (the second season in particular is up there).

Rately

Quote from: radiator on 05 November, 2019, 04:24:46 PM
Quote from: Rately on 05 November, 2019, 11:34:57 AM
Re-watched Silence Of The Lambs.

Wow. Had forgotten just what a fantastic movie it is, and by modern standards, how lean and fast moving it is.

I've seen it about twenty times, at a conservative estimate, but every time Howard Shore's score tinkles into my ears, I'm watching attentively, as if it's my first viewing.

It's a classic. It might be controversial to say, but Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is probably the least interesting thing in the movie for me. Always find his performance very hammy and a bit over the top compared to the genuinely frightening/quotable Buffalo Bill and other lower level creeps like Chilton.

For me, the best performance in the whole movie is Ted Levine. He is utterly terrifying and pathetic. A great actor, and I've enjoyed him in everything from Monk to the remake of The Hills Have Eyes. A superb actor.

Rately

Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 November, 2019, 07:48:10 PM
Quote from: radiator on 05 November, 2019, 04:24:46 PM

It's a classic. It might be controversial to say, but Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is probably the least interesting thing in the movie for me. Always find his performance very hammy and a bit over the top compared to the genuinely frightening/quotable Buffalo Bill and other lower level creeps like Chilton.

Not controversial at all.  I don't know if you ever watched Manhunter but Cox's performance is far more restrained and potentially chilling.  In fact I always consider it a far superior film to Silence on so many levels.

Wonder how Brian Cox would have approached the role in Silence Of The Lambs? A shame he was never in with a chance of getting it. Always jars that the initial choice was Gene Hackman.

Of all the movies that have adapted Thomas Harris' work, I still think Manhunter is the best. The music, the performances and the performances from Peterson, Noonan and Allen. Just a great movie, and one I originally saw all those years ago on BBC2's Moviedrome.

JamesC

Quote from: Rately on 06 November, 2019, 02:44:18 PM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 November, 2019, 07:48:10 PM
Quote from: radiator on 05 November, 2019, 04:24:46 PM

It's a classic. It might be controversial to say, but Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is probably the least interesting thing in the movie for me. Always find his performance very hammy and a bit over the top compared to the genuinely frightening/quotable Buffalo Bill and other lower level creeps like Chilton.

Not controversial at all.  I don't know if you ever watched Manhunter but Cox's performance is far more restrained and potentially chilling.  In fact I always consider it a far superior film to Silence on so many levels.

Wonder how Brian Cox would have approached the role in Silence Of The Lambs? A shame he was never in with a chance of getting it. Always jars that the initial choice was Gene Hackman.


Should totally have had Ned Beaty in the next cell.

Rately

Quote from: JamesC on 06 November, 2019, 02:52:06 PM
Quote from: Rately on 06 November, 2019, 02:44:18 PM
Quote from: Tjm86 on 05 November, 2019, 07:48:10 PM
Quote from: radiator on 05 November, 2019, 04:24:46 PM

It's a classic. It might be controversial to say, but Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is probably the least interesting thing in the movie for me. Always find his performance very hammy and a bit over the top compared to the genuinely frightening/quotable Buffalo Bill and other lower level creeps like Chilton.

Not controversial at all.  I don't know if you ever watched Manhunter but Cox's performance is far more restrained and potentially chilling.  In fact I always consider it a far superior film to Silence on so many levels.

Wonder how Brian Cox would have approached the role in Silence Of The Lambs? A shame he was never in with a chance of getting it. Always jars that the initial choice was Gene Hackman.


Should totally have had Ned Beaty in the next cell.

:lol:

Mattofthespurs

I finally got around to seeing Joker

Wow! This is a cinematic masterpiece. I truly think it is. Just so much to absorb from the film on what it says about society, government, the class system, etc, etc plus it's set in a very realistic 'comic book' film.

Arthur's transformation through the film is utterly stunning.

And about that controversial music cue...I think that is very deliberate too. It would be far too jarring for it not to be. Everything other single piece of music was chosen very specifically. I was just glad they (deliberately) did not use enough of it so they would have to pay any royalties.

A stunning piece of cinema that was almost perfect in every single way.

radiator

Quote from: Rately on 06 November, 2019, 02:39:55 PM
Quote from: radiator on 05 November, 2019, 04:24:46 PM
Quote from: Rately on 05 November, 2019, 11:34:57 AM
Re-watched Silence Of The Lambs.

Wow. Had forgotten just what a fantastic movie it is, and by modern standards, how lean and fast moving it is.

I've seen it about twenty times, at a conservative estimate, but every time Howard Shore's score tinkles into my ears, I'm watching attentively, as if it's my first viewing.

It's a classic. It might be controversial to say, but Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is probably the least interesting thing in the movie for me. Always find his performance very hammy and a bit over the top compared to the genuinely frightening/quotable Buffalo Bill and other lower level creeps like Chilton.

For me, the best performance in the whole movie is Ted Levine. He is utterly terrifying and pathetic. A great actor, and I've enjoyed him in everything from Monk to the remake of The Hills Have Eyes. A superb actor.

There was an episode of the podcast I Was There Too with the actor who played the senator's daughter/kidnap victim where she talks about working with Levine - great stuff.

https://www.earwolf.com/episode/silence-of-the-lambs-with-brooke-smith/

Rately

Quote from: radiator on 06 November, 2019, 05:02:14 PM
Quote from: Rately on 06 November, 2019, 02:39:55 PM
Quote from: radiator on 05 November, 2019, 04:24:46 PM
Quote from: Rately on 05 November, 2019, 11:34:57 AM
Re-watched Silence Of The Lambs.

Wow. Had forgotten just what a fantastic movie it is, and by modern standards, how lean and fast moving it is.

I've seen it about twenty times, at a conservative estimate, but every time Howard Shore's score tinkles into my ears, I'm watching attentively, as if it's my first viewing.

It's a classic. It might be controversial to say, but Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter is probably the least interesting thing in the movie for me. Always find his performance very hammy and a bit over the top compared to the genuinely frightening/quotable Buffalo Bill and other lower level creeps like Chilton.

For me, the best performance in the whole movie is Ted Levine. He is utterly terrifying and pathetic. A great actor, and I've enjoyed him in everything from Monk to the remake of The Hills Have Eyes. A superb actor.

There was an episode of the podcast I Was There Too with the actor who played the senator's daughter/kidnap victim where she talks about working with Levine - great stuff.

https://www.earwolf.com/episode/silence-of-the-lambs-with-brooke-smith/

Cheers for the link! Sounds fantastic.

Mardroid

Terminator: Dark Fate

[spoiler]More of the same (T1-T3 wise, anyway) but done really well. I thought the de-aging done for younger Sarah Connor and John was really good. It's come a long way. I had mixed feelings about what happened to John in an Alien 3 kind of way, but it served this film, at least.

I'm not sure I buy what happened to 'Carl' but I suppose there was some pointers to that in T2 when 'Uncle Bob' explains about emulating humans more when around them. He was a good source of comedy, at least.[/spoiler]

Overall a good film.

Rara Avis

Just recently realised that the wig he is wearing where he does his 'Goodbye Horses' dance is actually a human scalp.

You can kind of see it here above his left eye:



[quote author=

For me, the best performance in the whole movie is Ted Levine. He is utterly terrifying and pathetic. A great actor, and I've enjoyed him in everything from Monk to the remake of The Hills Have Eyes. A superb actor.
[/quote]

Hawkmumbler

The "PUT THE LOTION IN THE BASKET" sequence is a masterpiece in subtle acting methods, you can make out every twitch and split second change in attitude, from playful to livid to vindictive in seconds. Absolutely criminal he was never nominated for an award for Buffalo Bill.

wedgeski

Transplanting Lecter to that dungeon was a bit daft, but no arguing with the effect it had on me when I saw it as a youth. That film taught me many idelible lessons about filmcraft. Manhunter's Lecktor was a different creature, a smarmy, vindictive uncle that I never found very scary. Framing an evil of that type needs a Demme, not a Mann, IMO, but Manhunter overall is still a brilliant piece of work.

wedgeski

Quote from: Mardroid on 06 November, 2019, 11:24:58 PM
[spoiler]I'm not sure I buy what happened to 'Carl' but I suppose there was some pointers to that in T2 when 'Uncle Bob' explains about emulating humans more when around them. He was a good source of comedy, at least.[/spoiler]
That whole subplot just wrecked it for me, despite the film's other qualities, of which there were many. [spoiler]It's the terminator, ffs. I'd rather Sarah had tracked it after John's death, decommissioned it, and pulled it out of mothballs when they needed some help. No character arc, sure, but better than taking the T-800 less seriously even than comic relief.[/spoiler]

Mardroid

Quote from: wedgeski on 08 November, 2019, 04:15:49 PM
Quote from: Mardroid on 06 November, 2019, 11:24:58 PM
[spoiler]I'm not sure I buy what happened to 'Carl' but I suppose there was some pointers to that in T2 when 'Uncle Bob' explains about emulating humans more when around them. He was a good source of comedy, at least.[/spoiler]
That whole subplot just wrecked it for me, despite the film's other qualities, of which there were many. [spoiler]It's the terminator, ffs. I'd rather Sarah had tracked it after John's death, decommissioned it, and pulled it out of mothballs when they needed some help. No character arc, sure, but better than taking the T-800 less seriously even than comic relief.[/spoiler]


I understand where you're coming from. [spoiler]It does kind of mess with Arnold's depiction in T1, as described by Kyle Reese as a "relentless machine that can't be reasoned with, and won't stop until you're dead". (Not an exact quote.)

You get the impression that Carl can totally be reasoned with.

That being said, I do think this is explainable. I think a terminator's programmed mission takes precedent, and until it is fulfilled, they won't stop, and absolutely can't be reasoned with aside from being captured and reprogrammed. Up until John Connor's assassination, I think this was true for the T800 who became Carl too.

After that, he'd fulfilled his mission, his very reason for being. The T800* in T2 stated "I can't self terminate", so he has to find some new purpose. I guess he could have gone on a human killing spree but he and other such infiltrators aren't  programmed for that. They kill their target, and anyone who gets in their way without remorse, but they don't just kill everyone for the sake of it. He didn't even kill Sarah directly after shooting her son. You even see the Rev-9 endoskeleton walk past a shocked guy and glance at him, but it doesn't harm him in any way as it sees no need, even despite it's robot nature being exposed.

And so Carl finds another purpose. The learning computer reaches its full potential and he changes.

I totally get why this depiction of him could be annoying and feel at odds with past characterisations though. And it does seem somewhat of a stretch, although it didn't bother me that much.

I confess the drapes thing amused me.[/spoiler]

The Legendary Shark

I kinda wish [spoiler]Carl survived the final battle and that someone else saved the day.[/spoiler] It was all a bit samey for me - not crap and not brilliant, just another Terminator flick.
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