April 2 – Hannibal (2001)

Yesterday, I watched the previous movie of this series, Silence of the Lambs. I wonder why they took 10 years to do a sequel after the first one being so successful. I’ve read some good reviews on the sequel so I decided to watch it too. Fortunately, I had a little sanity still left to be able to watch this. It’s interesting to find out where Hannibal Lecter has been off to after the final scenes of the first movie. It’s nice to be able to find out how Clarice Starling has been all these years. Let’s see what the better movie is.

Hannibal is 2001 film created by Ridley Scott. Yes the Aliens and Gladiator guy! It’s a direct sequel to the 1991 critically-acclaimed movie Silence of the Lambs. The story picks up 10 years after the events of the first movie. It now follows Clarice Starling and her search for the notorious cannibalistic serial-killer Hannibal Lecter after his escape in the first movie. Anthony Hopkins is back portraying his Academy Award winning role Hannibal Lecter. Sadly, Jodie Foster wanted nothing to do with the sequel and did not return. Julianne Moore stepped up as the new Clarice Starling. Hey, she’s pretty hot too. I’m not complaining.

April 1 – The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Since it is after Holy Week, I decided to give myself with a little scare and mindf***ery. After all the gooey romantic movies of the past week, I wanted to go with a movie that really scared people. For this reason, the movie I picked for today was the critically-acclaimed 1991 psychological thriller Silence of the Lambs. I say critically-acclaimed because this movie won 5 academy awards: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay). Considering this was a horror movie, this is a pretty big achievement.

The story follows FBI-agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she helps catch the serial-killer named “Buffalo Bill”. His pattern involves abducting a fat woman, starving them, and later skinning them to complete a costume he is making. The agency decides to let her ask assistance from a former psychiatrist turned serial-killer they have in custody, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). Prior to their initial meet, Lecter’s character was already established to the audience. Proceed with caution. His background as a psychiatrist allows him to manipulate people. He eats people. Don’t touch the cell glass or else he’d jump at you. Never let him ramble or else he’d go to your head and turn you to stone. These information were all courtesy of Claire’s superior as he briefs her on Lecter’s history and the do’s and dont’s in dealing with him, before their encounter. A picture of sick and twisted man was painted as if to prepare the audience to the horrifying man they were about to meet.