Manhunter (1986) 120 Minutes

This was Tooda’s second Pick in the last three that ran Indoors, and Movienight’s second Indoor night in the last three Selections as well. And, as with Netti’s ‘Go West,’ though we were inside the rain didn’t fall during the Pick itself.

Still, with the bitter cold (just kidding, New England...) and a very moist Back Yard on Dicks Street the assembled Crew didn’t regret the decision. A big audition and a dead car battery kept Johnnie G. and Buffy away respectively. Netti missed as well, as an old friend from Paris was in town. But Wiener made it once again and he joined stalwarts Nubs and Wildcard Slim for Tooda’s follow-up to his rule breaking ‘Benjamin Button.’

Joan Allen and William Petersen debut in this quintessentially Eighties thriller, Michael Mann bows here for the first time too, and may not be back as this is his only film short enough to comply with the By-Laws. The amazing Brian Cox and the excellent Dennis Farina both go for two here - but neither actor has ever been screened outdoors!

Slim had two Picks in the dark days we all were stuck inside every week that brought the actors to our Canon - ‘Romeo is Bleeding’ brought us Farina and ‘Rushmore,’ Cox.

Next week, with luck we will be outdoors again and see how Nubs follows up his extremely well-received ‘Going in Style.’

“You want the scent? Smell yourself...”

Written and Directed by: Michael Mann

Brandon Comments:

Although there is some hesitation to refer to Michael Mann as a stalwart director, he sure can make one hell of a good thriller. Case in point: ‘Manhunter.’ The first in the Hannibal Lecktor series before there was even a glimmer of hope of a Hannibal Lecktor series, Mann creates a tense, action-filled film with a refreshing look at hero-vs.-villain.

‘Manhunter’ is one of those films that, once it’s on, you have to watch it. And usually Michael Mann films don’t leave a lot of hidden plot pieces that you catch on multiple viewings – they’re solid, Miami Vice-style blockbusters that provide all you need to know in the first viewing (for example: Heat, Collateral, Miami Vice the movie). That’s not to say that they’re bad in any way, they simply provide just enough plot information for you to fully digest on the first viewing—like a vitamin that dissolves in your stomach. But that is not the case with ‘Manhunter.’ Perhaps it has something to do with the very thorough novel the story was taken from, or maybe Mann’s youth and vigor at the time, but ‘Manhunter’ provides the viewer with more facts, more mystery and more character the more you watch it. William Peterson is very fucking enjoyable in this film, and you actually like wearing his skin as the viewer--a great protagonist. He smokes, he’s obsessed, he has issues, but he’s cool. He’s the only guy who actually looks semi-cool in those stupid testicle-high shorts that everyone wore in the 1980s.

And I brought it up during the post-movie discussion, so I’ll bring it up here in print too, but I personally liked Brian Cox as Dr. Lecktor, even more so than I liked Hopkins reprising the role during the next decade. Cox made his Lecktor more human, more everyday guy, which made the idea of this “average guy” butchering, cannibalizing and cooking his human victims even scarier. Anthony Hopkins was too delicate for me; he was not physically strong or opposing, and he always seemed like the first guy that the police should have investigated for strange incidents like partially eaten human beings.

Tooda, one hell of a Pick. Even though you had the film synced up with the near-full moon outside, I didn’t mind being indoors for this thrilling, gory masterpiece. The four walls and ceiling even added to the tension.

Nubs Comments:

I’ve said it all week and it’s worth repeating, ‘Manhunter’ is the only Michael Mann film I like. Indeed it was clever for Tooda to bring as it is the only Mann film that fits in our parameters and is perfect for Movienight. If only he had saved it for outdoors it could have been legendary. I’ll address Tooda’s ‘Swimmer’/‘Jaws’ choice of timing later, for now I’ll praise Mann’s skills when he keeps it under two hours.

I have been familiar with this gem since its cable release came as my brother, an aspiring director who over appreciates the pretentiously stylistic, took an interest in Mr. Mann. In ‘Manhunter,’ Mann’s signature slow motion shots, patient narration, and unique choices on where to edit his scenes work amazingly in this haunting tale of voyeurs and psychopaths. The opening shot from the perspective of the intruder as he salivates over his prey will give me nightmares for a long time. Furthermore, the one shot of the killer placing Joan Allen’s nocturnal hand over his crying face is more impacting then ‘Red Dragon’ achieves with twice as much screen time. The movie is affecting to say the least, but a great marriage of story and visual direction. I do like the alternate ending in ‘Red Dragon’ and wonder why Mann didn’t take the story one scene further with the killer coming for hero’s family as the story seems to be naturally progressing towards. Ironic that I should think a Mann movie should be longer, but it is where the story should finish if you sacrifice your “In-A-Gadda -vida” climax.

Nevertheless it’s perfect Movienight material and Tooda should be praised for bringing it…if he waited till outdoors. Yes, I’m afraid that this felt a lot like Netti’s indoor ‘Swimmer’ or Coolbaugh’s freezing January ‘Jaws’, it leaves you wondering what could have been. Like Slim’s ‘Three O’Clock High’ or Netti’s ‘Go West’ before it neither having anything to do with the Inauguration as attempted in the SELECTOR’s preamble, I’m not sure the reasoning for this Pick at this time. Tooda claims the timing was to honor the full moon, which had passed three days before, and something about good movies with bad soundtracks as the reason he claimed to have the perfect follow-up to Tangerine Dream. I understand like Netti, Tooda was forced to adjust because of weather, but I still wish he might have saved this great Pick. Could you imagine if the story is urgently trying to solve the crime before the next full moon and we ominously see the moon rising over the tree-lined horizon on Dicks? Or worse, how mind-bending might it have been to sit in a BackYard and watch a story on the window of someone’s house where the hero sits in the backyard gazing into the window of the victim’s house contemplating how the killer sat in someone’s backyard spying through the window of someone’s house. A candy bar might have been nice too, or retro-Orange soda.

Well, these are easy stones to cast especially since I’ve switched my pick with Netti next week so I can do what I want on my birthday two Wednesdays away. Seems appropriate for me to avoid my Pick in this latest JackFm rotation (playing what we want). I also wanted to give Netti, the king of the Valentine pick, his shot. Looking forward to it and to being outside.

SELECTOR Comments:

This is a great movie! I was loathe to run it Indoors, as I have only ever seen it on a TV set, but rather than audible and go with my Indoor Pick due to the elements, my gut said this was the night to bring Michael Mann to Movienight. I doubted anyone hadn’t seen it so I was delighted when Wiener told us this would be his first time. I can’t wait to read his review of the Pick (though I expect I’ll be waiting till hell freezes over).

Among this films many strengths is its commanding sense of pace. The tension built by the slow movement and washed out colors of the first ten minutes explodes with the revelation of deep red upon our first glimpse of the murder site. Its use of music is equally impressive, and “In A Gadda Da Vida” has never been better served than it is in this film (and that ‘Simpson’s’ episode).

The performances are understated and stay out of the way of the procedural drama. Brian Cox makes Lektor powerful and frightening without the operatic tones Hopkins employed years later as Dr. Lechter.

I am so pleased with the roll we have been on at Movienight, and it was my hope to continue the string of robust and unexpected films we have been enjoying of late. I hope the Crew feels I accomplished this task.

Onwards.

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