"It is in your nature to do one thing correctly: Tremble." - It's the first adaptation of a Thomas Harris novel featuring Hannibal Lecter, known in the screenplay as Lecktor. Manhunter brings Red Dragon to life. For Hannibal fans, both the TV show and the Silence of the Lambs series, Brian Cox is Hannibal the Cannibal in 1986. Let the fun begin! Thomas Mariani, Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore tackle another gruesome horror film from the 1980s.
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 96 – Manhunter (1986)
Even since the end of the hit and masterful Hannibal TV series featuring Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal and Hugh Dancy as Will Graham, the Grue-crew from the Hannibal Fan Podcast have been teasing heading back to the films to review. Well, now Thomas Mariani, Christopher G. Moore and Doc Rotten take the opportunity on Decades of Horror to cover Michael Mann's adaptation of Thomas Harris' acclaimed novel Red Dragon. Given the film title Manhunter, the film celebrates its thirty year anniversary. Brian Cox is Hannibal, William Petersen is Will Graham and Tom Noonan is Francis Dollarhyde. Just as the mystery played out on the final episodes of the NBC TV series, the Tooth Fairy evolves into the Red Dragon with Reba McClane's (Joan Allen) life on the line. "Have you ever seen blood in the moonlight, Will? It appears quite black." - Hannibal to Will.
While Anthony Hopkins is by far the more well-known actor to portray Hannibal Lecter with Mads Mikkelsen still fresh in fans' eyes from the recent TV series, Brian Cox is no slouch in the role either. The Grue-crew banter back and forth about his interpretation of the killer along with Petersen's Will Graham and Dennis Farina's Jack Crawford. A young Stephen (Avatar, Don't Breathe) Lang is nearly unrecognizable as reporter Freddy Lounds and Tom Noonan is creepy as hell as Dolarhyde. There's plenty of comparisons to other films and the TV show as well as a long discussion about director Michael Mann. Ah! Hannibal, how we have missed you.