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 The Silence of the Lambs
DVD Review by Yanman |
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"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti." What crazy things go through the mind of serial killers? These dark thoughts are explored in such films as Se7en, The Cell, and of course the trilogy of movies created from the books by Thomas Harris, including the lesser know Manhunter, the newest Hannibal, and of course the most known, The Silence of The Lambs. In this now classic psycho thriller, a young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Oscar© - Winning actress Jodie Foster) is forced to match wits with a Criminal mastermind, Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" (Oscar© Winner Anthony Hopkins) Lector in order to catch another. Haven't seen this one? Well if you don't think it will keep you up at night - Your Wrong! When FBI trainee Clarice Starling is called into her boss' office for a special assignment she has no idea what she is in for. She has been assigned to interview one of the darkest criminal minds ever captured, Dr. Hannibal Lector. Nicknamed "The Cannibal" for his predisposition to eat his victims, the Dr. is the worst kind of evil, deadly and smart. Watch as the psychiatrist turned killer plays with the mind and emotions of his young interrogator, as she attempts to get needed information from him on the whereabouts of a serial killer at large. The killer "Buffalo Bill" must be stopped at all costs though, so Clarice must endure, in order to save lives. Older movies can be a challenge to bring to DVD, there can be problems with the master, and restoration is extremely expensive. The Silence of The Lambs does show its age with dirt and dust that are obviously inherent in the master. While this maybe disappointing to some, the anamorphic 1.85:1 is still very sharp, and much better then other formats we have viewed this on, especially when watched on a 16x9 set. More disappointing in our minds is the decision not to remix this fantastic soundtrack into DTS or even better yet a new 7.1 channel mix (either DTS ES or Dolby Digital EX). While the provided Dolby Digital 5.1 setup is very good, and receives high marks on its own, this is one spot that we were left asking for more. There are some rather interesting extras here; we especially like the Phone Message from Anthony Hopkins. Others include 20 Minutes of deleted scenes, funny outtakes, 2 featurettes and more. While not a two-disc set like Hannibal, it is certainly good enough to be called a "Special Edition". I remember the first time I watch this movie many years ago; it was not at the theater, but on laserdisc after it was released on that format. I remember thinking about how much it disturbed me, not simply because of its content, but because I knew that people like this really do walk the earth. It is said that the killer in The Silence of The Lambs, is loosely based on three real serial killers, but in the end it doesn't matter who or where it was about; to me movies like this have become a sad reminder to remember to bolt our doors. Sleep tight! I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner…
This DVD was reviewed on Yanman.com's Reference Theater #1, using a Toshiba SD-5109 DVD player, Toshiba TW56X81, and M&K 750 THX Speakers. Panamax protects all systems at Yanman.com. |
The Silence of the Lambs Don't think it will keep you up at night - Your Wrong! Staring: Jodie Foster Directed By: Jonatthan Demme Running time: 118 Mins.
Bonus Materials
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