Meet Joe Black - 1998

Universal Pictures, City Light Films

Directed by Martin Brest

Cast:

• Joe Black – Brad Pitt
• William Parish – Anthony Hopkins
• Drew – Jake Webber
• Susan Parrish – Claire Forlani
• Allison – Marcia Gay Harden
• Quince – Jeffrey Tambor

Story: A wealthy and successful man, William Parrish is about to turn sixty five years old. But about a week before, he wakes suddenly in the middle of the night and feels a pain in his left arm. He rises to go to his bathroom to splash some water on his face, and he hears a voice whisper “yes”, but in spite of being startled, he returns to his bed. The next day in the office he feels a deep pain in his chest, and once again hears the voice whispering “yes”. That evening he hears it again, and the voice continues this time, saying he is standing at the front door to his penthouse and would someone please let him in. When he finally confronts the man whose voice he has been hearing, the man says he has been giving Bill the answer to his question. The question is “Am I going to die?”, and the voice providing the answer is Death's, who has come to offer Bill a deal. Death would like a tour of the living, and in exchange, he will grant Bill more time.

Review: Inspired by Death Takes A Holiday, a classic stage play that many of my generation read as teens for either English or Drama class in high school, this film marks, for me, the coming of age of Brad Pitt as an actor with depth. I know some people will point to A River Runs Through It, or even Seven Years In Tibet as the films where Brad showed true ability, but Death Takes a Holiday is a pivotal film where he has to reach into the unknown and his past to portray a “stranger in a strange land.” and he does it with a remarkable freshness and style. As an amateur actor, I know the importance of any production is to give the audience the illusion of the first time. Brad does that beautifully in this film.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that he is surrounded by an incredible cast, lead by the incomparable Anthony Hopkins. Jake Webber demonstrates his range as well, as do both Marcia Gay Harden and Jeffrey Tambor. Somewhere beyond perfect is Claire Forlani's portrayal of Susan Parrish, the younger daughter and medical resident who is attracted to Pitt's character, first in his portrayal of the young attorney freshly arrived in the big city, and then as Death personified in Joe Black.

The plot is straightforward, the photography exceptional (try filming a sex scene without revealing any body parts that shouldn't be seen), and the sets are exquisite examples of architecture. While certainly not an action film, the film moves forward briskly, without needless exposition or character development beyond what is needed. Rated PG-13, thanks to that incredible photography, this is a film for contemplation and reflection, and offers no religious allegories to good or evil. I own a copy, and I think it will be regarded as collectible.

Slipstream - 2007

Strand Releasing, Destination Films, Samson Films

Written and Directed by Anthony Hopkins

Cast:

• Bonhoeffer – Anthony Hopkins
• Bonnie – S. Epatha Merkerson
• Lily – Lana Antonova
• Gina – Stella Arroyave
• Mort / Phil Henderson / Patrolman - Michael Clarke Duncan
• Bette Lustig – Fionnula Flanagan
• Barbara – Camryn Manheim
• Himself – Kevin McCarthy
• Ray / Matt Dobbs / Patrolman – Christian Slater
• Geek / Jeffy / Dr. Geekman – Jeffrey Tambor
• Harvey Brickman – John Turturro

Story: An actor and would-be screenwriter, who at the very moment of his meeting with Fate, comes to discover that life is random and fortune is sightless. He is thrown into a vortex where time, dreams, and reality collide in an increasingly whirling slipstream. It's a surreal and dreamlike tale of one man's journey. Written by Gregg Brilliant (borrowed from IMDb)

Review: What goes through a screenwriter's mind? When does everything merge into everything else and become one huge canvas where you can draw from everything at once? This is the premise, I gather, of the film. Anthony Hopkins has written and directed a stream of consciousness surreal film that allows us, the viewer, to evaluate the actions and scenes for what they mean, which could be something or nothing at all. The casting of the film is brilliant, with Christian Slater, Jeffrey Tambor, S. Epatha Merkerson, and others too numerous to mention all giving a performance of lifetime in a film which really doesn't have a plot at all. Is this the movie that flashes before one's eyes at the moment of transition? Rated R for language and some violence, this is definitely not for the timid or the weak, and certainly not one for the Entertainment Tonight set. Don't get me wrong, I like to be entertained as much as the next guy, but watching Slipstream is more like attending a showing of Dali's paintings or reading a Virginia Woolf novel. This one gets into your head. Collectible like the volumes of Shakespeare you have on your shelf, you have to open your mind to the possibilities.

The Wolfman - 2010

Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Stuber Productions

Directed by Joe Johnston

Cast:

• Sir John Talbot – Anthony Hopkins
• Lawrence Talbot – Benecio Del Toro
• Gwen Conliffe – Emily Blunt
• Singh – Art Malik
• Inspector Abberline – Hugo Weaving
• Maleva – Geraldine Chaplin
• Passenger on the Train – Max Von Sydow

Story: The year is 1891, and a celebrated actor receives a visit from his brother's fiancee to inform him his brother is missing. Lawrence Talbot travels by train to his family's estate, and as he does he is met by a stranger who offers him a gift, a cane with a silver headed wolf for the handle that conceals a dagger within. He refuses and returns to sleep, but when he awakens, the stranger is gone and the cane remains. When he arrives at his father's estate in Blackmoor, he learns his brother's body has been found the day before in a ravine. He views the body, and it is obvious his brother has been mauled by an animal, an animal no one can identify. At first a band of gypsy's are considered the suspects, but when a group of men go to the camp, a vicious attack of the beast leaves several men dead, and Lawrence is seriously wounded. As his wounds miraculously heal, the people of the village are convinced he will become another beast.

Review: Finally! A return to the elements that make up a good old gothic horror film. This homage to the original wolfman films wastes no time in getting to the heart of the story, a werewolf has appeared and is killing men. The pompous men of the town are spouting theories, the brother of the man returns to find the killer of his brother, and the resolution of the film leaves us with both a conclusion and another mystery. The cast is superb. Anthony Hopkins creates an intriguing character in Sir John, with the proper amount of tension played between him and Benecio Del Toro, who plays Lawrence. Emily Blunt is striking in her portrayal of the fiance, Ms. Conliffe, showing the correct Victorian demeanor and just the right levels of emotion. Both Hugo Weaving and Geraldine Chaplin lend an air of mystery and drama in their roles , and the all too brief appearance of Max Von Sydow in the Director's Cut of the film provides the correct level of dynamic mystery to start us off. Collectible of lovers of horror films, and certainly a must see for the older folks who appreciate a well put together film. Rated R appropriately for violence and gore.

Red Dragon - 2002

Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Company, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Directed by Brett Ratner

Cast:

• Will Graham – Edward Norton
• Dr. Hannibal Lecter – Anthony Hopkins
• Francis Dolarhyde – Ralph Fiennes
• Jack Crawford – Harvey Keitel
• Reba McClane - Emily Watson
• Molly Graham - Mary-Louise Parker
• Freddy Lounds – Philip Seymour Hoffman
• Nurse Barney Matthews – Frankie Faison
• Dr. Frederick Chilton - Anthony Heald

Story: Will Graham is a retitred FBI agent who is called back to the BAU to help Jack Crawford catch “The Tooth Fairy”. Graham is a 'profiler' of criminal behavior, and tries to think like the killers he profiles in order to capture them. While searching for clues to the Tooth Fairy's identity, Will meets with Dr. Hannibal Lector, an incarcerated serial killer who Will captured years earlier. His early dealings with Lector nearly drove him insane, and almost cost him his life. He discovers secret communciations are being routed in newspaper personal ads between Lector and the Tooth Fairy, and Lector may be behind a plot to kill his family for revenge.

Review: This remake of Manhunter is the first of two prequels to the Hannibal Lector saga, and there are some marked differences in the visions of Ratner and Mann. Hopkins reprises his role as Hannibal Lector, and his viscious and brutal nature are more pronounced here that in the previous two films. Perhaps it is his hatred of Will Graham, played brilliantly by Edward Norton, perhaps it is his blossoming hatred of Dr. Chilton, the second appearance of Anthony Heald in the role. Frankie Faison also reprises his role as Barney, the nurse. Harvey Keitel's vision of Jack Crawford is an interesting shift from Scott Glenn's portrayal, with Keitel being a more emotional agent, but that may be a sign of maturity from the days of this film to SOTL. While I am a big fan of Michael Mann, I have to say this film is a more complete picture of the events, and a much more in depth look at the characters, particularly of Lector. Ralph Fiennes gives a spectacular performance as the Tooth Fairy, and Emily Watson's portrayal of the blind Reba McClane is passionate and very human. We have a glimpse also of Lecter before he was incarcerated in the flashback scenes between Hopkins and Norton, as well as the interaction of the two in Lecter's exercise room. Rated R and they mean it. Much too grisly and bloody for the little ones, and some teens and adults will find the settings and the gore disturbing. Collectible for lovers of Hopkins, Hannibal Lector, and anyone who loves a good horror story.

Hannibal - 2001

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentis Company

Directed by Ridley Scott

Cast:

• Dr. Hannibal Lecter – Anthony Hopkins
• Clarice Starling – Julianne Moore
• Barney – Frankie Faison
• Mason Verger – Gary Oldman
• Paul Krendler – Ray Liotta
• Inspector Reynaldo Pazzi – Giancarlo Giannini
• Allegra Pazzi – Francesca Neri
• Dr. Cordell Doemling – Zlejko Ivanek

Story:Ten years since the escape of the infamous Dr. Lecter, he remains free. He has chosen to live a benign existence, and is currently under review as a historian in Florence, Italy. Meanwhile, back in the US, Special Agent Starling's career is at a standstill. The FBI has her on field duty, and she is agent in charge of massive multi-task force to arrest one of the biggest drug smugglers on the west coast, when a local cop tries to play hero and the streets turn into the OK Corral. Starling is forced to shoot her suspect while she is carrying her baby. She is on suspension pending the outcome of the investigation, and the federal prosecutor wants her head on a platter. Mason Verger, a very wealthy former patient of Lecter's, is also looking for him...for revenge. Lecter was so repulsed by his crime, the rape and torture of children, that he convinced Mason to cut away parts of his anatomy while under the influence of drugs, leaving Verger a disfigured invalid. Inspector Pazzi, an Italian detective, has located Lecter and is ready to sell him to Verger, but at what cost?

Review: I've already talked about Hopkins in my review of Silence of the Lambs, so suffice it to say he is just as evil and monstrous in this film as in the last, if not more so. I was disappointed, as I think everyone was, that Ms. Foster did not agree to reprise her role as Clarice Starling, but Julianne Moore does an excellent job. Frankie Faison is consistent in his role as Barney, the kindly nurse who placed the chair opposite Lecter's cell in the first film, and in this one he is caught by Clarice auctioning off the remainders of Lecter's belongings. Most of the action is around Lecter and his intricate game of chess with Verger, played exceptionally by Gary Oldman, but the three subplots are brought together in the end, and an unexpected end at that. Ridley Scott, the director of such Sci Fi classics as Blade Runner and Alien, does not disappoint, and this film retains all the darkness and foreboding of the former. A must have for the collectors of Hopkins, crime dramas, and horror films. Rated R for gore, violence, language, and horrific scenes that are sure to give any sane man or woman nightmares.

The Silence of the Lambs - 1991

Orion Pictures Corporation, Strong Heart/Demme Production

Directed by Jonathan Demme

Cast:

• Agent Clarice Starling – Jodie Foster
• Hannibal Lecter – Anthony Hopkins
• Jack Crawford – Scott Glenn
• Dr. Frederick Chilton – Anthony Heald
• Barney Matthews – Frankie Faison
• Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb – Ted Levine
• Senator Ruth Martin – Diane Baker
• Catherine Martin – Brooke Smith
• Lt. Bill Boyle – Charles Napier
• SWAT Commander – Chris Issak

Story: A young FBI trainee with degrees in the law and psychoanalysis is sent on a mission by the head of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. She is to interview the notorious serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lector, nicknamed Hannibal the Cannibal. It begins as a routine visit, she is polite and courteous, but when the inmate in the next cell assaults her, Lector offers her a clue to some of his past records and perhaps even a clue to the identity of a serial killer they are looking for, a man called Buffalo Bill. Clarice follows his clue to a long term storage facility where she uncovers the disembodied head of a former patient of Lector's. Lector offers to help Clarice solve the crime and catch Buffalo Bill for a price, an exchange of information and insight into Clarice. Unbeknownst to all, Dr. Lector is using all of the people involved as pawns in an intricate game.

Review: There is something about this film that will continue to haunt me forever. Perhaps it is the idea that someone like Lector could actually exist. That thought exists due to the phenomenal acting of Anthony Hopkins. While there are many actors whom I would enjoy the privilege of sharing time with, I think to this day if I were to meet Anthony Hopkins, I would like it to be in an open room with plenty of people. That is how convincing his portrayal of Lector strikes me, and I know many people who feel the same way. Scott Glenn's portrayal of Jack Crawford is cool and calm, exactly what you might expect of a senior agent and department head in the FBI. Jodie Foster's portrayal of the ambitious Clarice Starling is as compelling and haunting as Hopkins', which would account for both of them winning their respective Academy Awards. Demme and the film itself also received Oscars, as did the screenwriters of this exceptional film. The film itself is superbly written, perfectly cast, and splendidly presented in every aspect. Details are important to Demme, obviously, so important that filming was done at Quantico for the academy shots, using actual FBI personnel in the training sequences. Perhaps the most riveting quality of the film is the portrayal of Buffalo Bill, and the ability of Ted Levine to carry off that twisted and complex role. Ted shows us how innocuous evil can be, and presents it with such flair and elegance we can imagine such a man being in a rural town like that, hiding his crimes beneath a veil of anonymity and isolation. Rated R for violence, language, gore, and some partial nudity, this is definitely not a film for the kids or even the young teens, if you ever want them to trust your neighbors and you live in a small town. Collectible? Without a doubt, one of the finest dramas ever brought to the screen.