Red Dragon [WS] [Collector's Edition]

Director: Brett Ratner Brett Ratner

Overview

"Fans of Hannibal Lecter get more than fava beans and a nice Chianti with Red Dragon from Universal. In this prequel to the blockbuster The Silence of the Lambs, viewers get plenty of in-depth extras about Hollywood's favorite serial killer. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, the picture is clear and crisp. Even during the shadowy scenes, the images come across sharp. The English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround lives up to the format's reputation, producing static-free dialog and sound effects. Universal created a satisfying selection of extras on this disc, mainly because there's so much attention focused on Dr. Lecter himself. To start, viewers can enter the world of cinema's creepy killer through ""Hannibal Lecter's FBI Case File and Life History,"" a nifty little collection of easy-to-read documents. Star Anthony Hopkins gives viewers an in-depth taste of his relationship to his character in ""Anthony Hopkins: Lecter and Me."" He discusses how he first met Dr. Lecter: Hopkins' agent sent over the script of The Silence of the Lambs, and Hopkins thought it was a children's movie. ""The Making of Red Dragon"" is the obligatory behind-the-scenes featurette, but Universal created a less commercialized, meatier extra by focusing more on the cast members and characters instead of the typical sales-pitch trailer stuff. For viewers who admire musical genius Danny Elfman, a quasi-hidden musical-score commentary will be much appreciated. The selection of additional scenes, with optional commentary, is a well-organized extra that's worth a look. Here, Universal broke the choices up into three categories: deleted scenes, extended scenes, and alternate versions of scenes. One particularly creepy choice is the ""Attic Scene with Dragon Voice."" The disc also boasts of a decent audio commentary with Brett Ratner and Ted Tally. The oft-funny banter touches on the origins of the film, the workings of the production team, and the nitty-gritty of filmmaking. Yet perhaps one of the biggest perks of the disc is the featurette ""Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer."" This Court TV-like feature, hosted by renowned FBI profiler John Douglas, provides insight into the mind of killers like Lecter. Douglas parallels his own experiences with those of the character Will Graham, played by Edward Norton."

Product Details

Release Date:	04/01/2003
UPC:	0025192198724
Original Release:	2002
Rating:	R
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Dolby Digital Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:05:00
Sales rank:	26,237

Special Features

Closed Caption;"The Criminal Profile of Hannibal Lecter": Renowned profiler John Douglas' theories on how Hannibal Lecter and real serial killers are profiled; "The Life History of Hannibal Lecter": A timeline from childhood to present day; Hannibal Lecter's FBI case file; Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter; Commentary by director Brett Ratner and writer Ted Tally ; Deleted scenes; DVD-ROM features

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Anthony Hopkins	Dr Hannibal Lecter
Edward Norton	Will Graham
Ralph Fiennes	Francis Dolarhyde
Harvey Keitel	Jack Crawford
Emily Watson	Reba McClane
Mary-Louise Parker	Molly Graham,Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman	Freddy Lounds
Anthony Heald	Dr Chilton
Frankie Faison	Barney
Bill Duke	Szef policji
Ken Leung	Lloyd Bowman
Stanley Anderson	Jimmy
Azura Skye	Bookseller
Tyler Patrick Jones	Josh Graham
Lalo Schifrin	Actor
John Rubinstein	Actor
David Doty	Actor
Tim Wheater	Actor
Brenda Strong	Lecter's Dinner Guest
Robert Curtis Brown	Lecter's Dinner Guest
Mary Anne McGarry	Lecter's Dinner Guest
Marc Abraham	Lecter's Dinner Guest
Veronica De Laurentiis	Lecter's Dinner Guest
Tom Verica	Charles Leeds
Marguerite MacIntyre	Valerie Leeds
Tommy Curtis	Billy Leeds,Billy Leeds
Jordan Gruber	Sean Leeds,Susie Leeds
Michael Cavanaugh	Forensic Dentist
Madison Mason	Police Commissioner
Katie Rich	Female Detective
Cliff Dorfman	Cop
Phillip B. Fahey	Cop
Elizabeth Dennehy	Beverly
Richard Pelzman	Locksmith
Dwier Brown	Mr. Jacobi,Tattler Guard
Grace Stephens	Jacobi Child,Jacobi Child
Kevin Bashor	Jacobi Child
William Lucking	Byron Metcalf
Andreana Weiner	Dr. Bloom's Secretary
Jeanine Jackson	Dr. Hassler
Frank Whaley	Ralph Mandy (uncredited)
Mark Moses	Father in Video
Kyra Helfrich	Child in Video
Alex Berliner	Photographer
Gianni Russo	Newsie
Christopher Curry	Mr. Fisk
Tanya Newbould	Chromalux Secretary
Edward Nicherson	FBI Agent
Terence Rowley	Superintendent
Frank Bruynbroek	Chef
Hillary Straney	Museum Secretary
Conrad E. Palmisano	Deputy in Car
Aaron Lacey	TV Cameraman
Danny Elfman	Composer

Technical Credits

Ted Tally

Brett Ratner	Director
Ted Tally	Screenwriter
Andrew Z. Davis	Executive Producer
Martha De Laurentiis	Producer,Producer
Francine Maisler	Casting
Conrad E. Palmisano	Stunts
Kenneth D. Papiot	Special Effects
Ridley Scott	Producer
Keii Johnston	Stunts
Kyle Alexander	Sound Effects
Yann Delpuech	Sound Effects
Kim Drummond	Sound Effects
Christopher Emerson	Sound Effects
Kathleen Driscoll-Mohler	Casting
Kim Ornitz	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Red Dragon is certainly worthy of its relationship to Silence of the Lambs (unlike the superfluous Hannibal). Ted Tally's uncanny ability to translate Thomas Harris' work for the screen (he won the Oscar for his adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, provides a solid story as well as juicy parts for each member of the highly talented ensemble. Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel and Anthony Hopkins are all given extreme characters to play, and they do a superb job of not overplaying the material. They make serial killers, a blind woman that loves a serial killer, and the cops that chase serial killers all believable. Philip Seymour Hoffman deserves special notice for stealing every scene he is in, as well as for providing welcome laughs in tense situations that still fail to dissipate that tension. The most noticeable difference between Red Dragon and the previous adaptation, Michael Mann's Manhunter, is that the character of Will Graham has been changed. In the book, as well as in Manhunter, Graham is on the edge of a total mental breakdown. His ability to think like Lecter, the skill that allowed for Lecter's capture, took a heavy psychic toll on him and his loved ones. In this film, Graham is cool and in control. This change makes the film a different entity from both the book and Manhunter. While Red Dragon is closer to the letter of the book, Manhunter is closer to the spirit. Both are worthwhile films.