Bargain Bin Bounty 5.

The Toxie review, of course, being part 4.

Or, think of it as "Latest Acquisitions", part 3.

Eh, let's split the difference, and call the next one something like "Movies I Purchased part 9", or something.


Manhunter (1986)

See here.

Last time, "Red Dragon", edged this one out, but, I go back and forth, and for now, "Manhunter", is my favorite of the two "Red Dragon", adaptations.

Brian Cox was the first Hannibal, and I think he does a damned good job.
And, I like the tone this one sets better.
Not just with the cinematography, and music, which are fucking great, but the performances are more understated, and real, not as Hollywood-y, and scenery-chew-y as the Hopkins ones.
The Hannibal TV series apes the former acting style.
TV Graham seems based more on the Graham in this one too.

Anyhoo, Bull Moose had 3 editions, a crappy no-frills fullscreen that was just out of the question, an edition that was just like the one I ended up getting, and then, The Limited Edition, which was exactly like that one, but had an extra director's cut disc, and a little booklet in the form of a (DVD case sized, of course) manilla folder full of loose pages like a real file.

The director's cut didn't let you jump right to the stuff that was added, you had to watch it all the way through.
So, here's what you get.

An extra few seconds of dialog referring back to Garrett Hobbs, and how Hannibal cut up Graham, and how only two of Hannibal's victims survived, one who was in a loony bin, and one on a ventilator.
The latter, would retroactively become Mason Verger in "Hannibal".
So, that's a neat little reference now.

An extra scene with the original Dr. Chilton discussing Hannibal with Graham just before he goes in to see Hannibal that's also in "Red Dragon".

Extra little seconds in the Hannibal conversation that make it exactly like the identical scene in "Red Dragon", except of course, for the differences in performance.

A scene after the final Dollarhyde fight, where Graham looks in on the family that would have been Dollarhyde's next set of victims.
This is not in "Red Ragon", and feels like Michael Mann's idea.
But, I could be wrong, it could be in the novel, I dunno.

Anyhoo, these scenes are cut into a slightly fuzzy print for some reason.
There's a fourth edition, a "Restored Director's Cut", that's (one assumes) as crisp as the theatrical cut, and has a commentary by Michael Mann.
Now, I'd really like that commentary, but you don't get the documentary with all the actors, or the little folder which actually has some good stuff in it.

So, you've either gotta be double-dipped, or make a hard choice.
I went with Limited Edition.
Mostly, because it was right there in my hands, and I always kick myself when I pass these things up.
It was also, oddly, two bucks cheaper than the edition without the extra disc, and booklet.
Go figure.


Hannibal Rising (2007)

See here again.

Last time, I bemoaned not adding this to my collection.
Well, that's finally done.

Two fucking years later...

Basic frills, commentary, documentaries, trailer.
Any flick made in the mid-00's onward gets 'em.
We kinda get spoiled.

I dunno, I like it.
It's Thomas Harris's vision, he wrote the screenplay, I dunno what people were expecting.

Sure, it's got shades of "Batman Begins", and "Revenge Of The Sith".
Young Hannibal is heaps better than young Anakin.
I mean, come on.
It's its own thing, though.

It doesn't rehash the Hopkins ones, it's its own style.
"Red Dragon/Manhunter", and "Silence Of The Lambs", were police procedurals, "Hannibal", was Gothic horror, this is a dark fairy tale.
The tone shift is deliberate.
I appreciate it, maybe it pissed some people off.

Another complaint, is Hannibal's kills aren't varied enough "why does he only eat people's cheeks?".
Well, for one, his killings are often poetic justice, and the story lays out pretty clearly what that connection was about.
The other thing you have to consider, is a line right from Hopkins-Hannibal in "Red Dragon".
"We mustn't judge too harshly, Will. It was his first time".
"...and that's what our pilgrim is doing. He is refining his methods. He is evolving".

That's the point, he's not Hopkins-Hannibal yet, he has to get there.
I don't know what people expected....

Anycrap, if this had been a trilogy, the next ones would have been his Chesapeake-Ripper years, and then third would have taken it up to "Red Dragon", but the TV series is covering that period just fine.

So, we haven't really missed out on anything.
...except for the "Hannibal", sequel Hopkins wrote.
Would've liked to have seen that.

Well, while I'm obsessing over Hannibal stuff, may as well talk about the show....


Hannibal (2013-2020)

The end-date is (perhaps) wishful thinking, but Bryan Fuller wants the full arc to be 7 years.

Just yesterday, NBC finally committed to the second season.
Bryan Fuller wants David Bowie to guest star as Hannibal's uncle, and that now becomes possible thanks to that renewal.

So....SQUEEEE!!!
*Hops around*

Yes, I am a fan, this series is well done.
Not just for Hannibal fanboys, it's one of the best fucking shows on.
Up there with "Breaking Bad", and "The Walking Dead", and stuff of that caliber.
Truly.

Anyway, I guess 2 3rds of this post could count as Hannibal series part 2, couldn't it?
So, there's a third title for this sucker....

Now, back on track with my DVD purchases....


Cemetery Man (1994)

See here.

Disgusted with myself it took this long to upgrade to DVD.
Damned fool.

This one's easily in the pantheon of all-time great zombie films.
"Dawn Of The Dead", "Return Of The living Dead", "Shaun Of The Dead", y'know, that pedigree.
As a horror comedy, it's right up there with "Evil Dead 2".
It might be blasphemy, but I personally think it might even be just a little better.
Yeah, I said it.

Only frills are a documentary.
No commentary.
No bother, the documentary tells you all you really need to know.

And, that's those.
And squeezed 'em all into 13 bucks.
Not too shabby.
I think Bull Moose is my new place.