Terribly disappointed in the DVD of Hannibal. Only the feature film is closed-captioned. Nothing else. I can't understand more than a phrase here and there. Yet the DVD says it is CC; look at it.
In the meantime, the great Sarniegirl from Loving Lecter is transcribing the director's commentary and will send transcripts to anyone who needs it (I may be posting it here as well, if she'll let me!). So, drop her a line!
8/25/01 -- Thanks to Livia for sending in THIS LINK which will tell you everything you want to know (and some things you don't) about Hannibal Easter Eggs! Also, thanks to the intrepid cleo for a new Hannibal DVD review from IGN DVD written by the always humorous Nick Nunziata.
8/22/01 (second update) -- Thanks to cleo for letting us know that Hopkins and Moore will be at the Toronto Film Festival! Here's cleo's report:
From IMDb:
**The Toronto International Film Festival announced Tuesday that an
impressive assemblage of celebrities have indicated that they will
attend
the 26th edition, scheduled for Sept. 6 to 15. They include Hannibal
stars
Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore; Hayden Christensen, who plays
Anakin
Skywalker in the next Star Wars episode; directors Jean-Luc Godard,
David
Mamet and David Lynch; rock star Mick Jagger; comedians Steve Martin,
Kevin
Kline, Danny DeVito and Tim Allen; actresses Glenn Close, Mira Sorvino,
Salma Hayek and Uma Thurman; and actors Denzel Washington, Ben Kingsley
and
Richard Harris. **
I notice that these are very nearly the same dates as the Boston Film
Festival, so either there's going to be a junket-esque atmosphere for
Hearts
("Hell, while we're on the road...") or an outright conflict. Either
way,
some articles and/or interviews might come out of this. And if any of
your
readers perchance can skip on up to Toronto next month (know any
Canadians?)...
Also, many thanks to Inge for pointing us to this new photo gallery from DVD Empire!
8/22/01 -- cleo the intrepid sends in mucho goodness. First, a very interesting interview with Anthony Hopkins by way of the great Edward-Norton.org; second, two new clips on the official site: Hannibal following Clarice on her run and Clarice returning to the Baltimore asylum where she first met Hannibal ("You wear Evyan skin cream and sometimes you wear L'Air du Temps, but not today..."); third, a new review from Jam!; and next, the following report:
from Cinescape.com: Hey hey! "A hidden Easter Egg leads to something called �flashframes� - a compilation of unused bits of film set to a song called �Clarice,� written expressly for this segment. The result is an adoring tribute to Julianne Moore that at times veers towards the terrain of a stalking serial killer." Ummm... Love it.
Next, thanks to brand new scooper Justin for this amusing report!
I copied this down last night after watching the Man Show. Their "Karl
Malone" sketch was about movie ticket prices. This was quoted during
the
rant(I may not have it exact)-
"Karl Malone pay $8.50 to see this movie called 'Handball' starring
Anthony Hodgkins. I sat through this movie, and saw no one playin'
handball. Just some white dude eatin' brain outta other white dude's
skull...... if you're gonna pay $8.50 to see white dude play
'Handball',
you might as well pay extra $75 to see Karl Malone play basketball."
8/18/01 -- Thanks to Inge for sending in links to images of the Hannibal front and back!!! Thanks, man!
8/16/01 -- Cool info from cleo came in today about Hannibal in general (not DVD specific but cool nonetheless!):
They've improved the CBS website coverage of the 60 Minutes segment since it first aired. HERE you get the majority of what's on the terrible streaming video clips--and a lot of material that isn't--for the "Actors' Take on Ridley Scott." Same goes for the "Ridley Scott on Ridley Scott" page, and the opening page basically has the transcription of (almost) the entire televised segment, narration and all. So there you go.
Thanks as always cleo!
08/15/01 -- Many huge thanks to the great Inge for passing along this new Region 1 review from DVDshrine.com!
Also, the following report from cleo:
**Hannibal voted all time most horrible villain: For my money, the reason he won--rather deservedly--is that, while he
may
have evil wit like half the villains on the list, He Will Also Eat Your
Face. That is to say, he covers both psychological and physical threat.
(Never underestimate the fear factor of face-eating, I say.)
In fact--as I remember--if you read the list of the top ten at the end
of
the message, John Malkovich's "Cyrus the Virus" in Con Air is #9.
Wasn't he
pretty much a rip-off of Hannibal anyway (restraints, rhyming name)?
08/10/01 -- Inge has seen the DVD and the news is good, but in the meantime, he sent us this link to a shot of the R2 DVD cover!
Many thanks to cleo for this funny report (Hannibal-related but not DVD specific):
**I've been wanting to send you this ever since I first read it in
the
print edition of Premiere, but (rather than type it out myself, natch)
wanted to wait until they put it online. And here it is. Sampling: "I
asked
my husband, Josh, if, say, a payroll assistant at my office told a
sniggery
sexist joke in my presence, would he be willing to duct-tape the guy?s
mouth, disembowel him, and hurl him out a window? Josh said no, but
he?d
sure want to hear the joke."
Despite the fact that "Libby Gelman-Waxner" is the female alter-ego of
In &
Out writer Paul Rudnick, "her" column pretty much sums up my feelings
about
the movie. ;)
Thanks, cleo!!!
08/06/01 -- Many enormous thanks to our favorite resident of the great nation of Norway -- Inge -- for sending us the following links. First, the R2 Project weighs in on the controversy. Read that HERE (but be warned, there be ending spoilers. And next, another review, this one from the great DVD File.
Next, from the great G!O of Western Australia, some very cool, spoilerific fx shots from the ending of Hannibal. These were scanned from the Aussie edition of Region 4 Mag. Click HERE to see the Hannibal pics. (For further amazement, check out what G!o sent us for the Silence page!). Thanks a mil, G!O!!!!
And even more coolness abounds thanks to our new German scooper, Armin, who informs us that you can now preorder the DVD in Germany HERE. See the cover image HERE. Armin tells us it says "shortened version" on the cover; hopefully, when it comes out, he'll tell us just what was shortened! Thanks Armin!!!
08/04/01 -- There's a controversy brewing! Is the Region 4 version of Hannibal edited? We've got reports from The Digital Bits (by way of our own scooper, Inge) in which the producer says it was NOT cut; and also a report from Coming Attraction's Test Pattern.
First this, from The Digital Bits (thanks, Inge!): Also, a note regarding the Hannibal: Special Edition DVD, as already released in Region 4. Apparently, there is some controversy. Note that if you haven't scene the film, SPOILERS FOLLOW. Many in Region 4 believe that the film on the disc has been edited to delete a graphic shot of Lector cutting a portion of brain from Paul Krendler. I've just spoken with the DVD's producer, Charles de Lauzirika, who wants to reassure everyone that this isn't the case at all. The key point to make is that the film NEVER HAD this shot... EVER. (there are spoilers here, so swipe this line to read!)The way the film was edited, you see Lector cutting the brain sac, cut to a reaction shot of Clarice grimacing, cut to a shot of Lector holding the tissue, then cut to the brain tissue "hitting the pan" so to speak. The proof of this is on the DVD itself. If you watch the Reaction segment of the Breaking the Silence documentary, you'll actually be taken INSIDE the theater during the New York premiere, to see the audience reacting to this very scene. It plays, uncut, on the theater screen as the audience watches... and you'll see that there NEVER was a shot of the brain being cut. Hope that explains it. Thanks to Charlie for settling that straight.
Next, we have the report from Test Pattern: Wednesday, August 1, 2001... There's nothing quite like a raging debate that spans two continents on either side of the Pacific Ocean over something as small as a few frames of film. Important frames, though, if the rumors are true and there are DVDs being released with edits to the feature film Hannibal. At this point we've received reports and we're pretty confident that the Region 1 DVD has been in no way edited, but there's still some concern that recent editions of the DVD released in Australia have been slightly altered for the movie's debut on disc. In response to the scoop we ran on Wednesday we've had a couple of interesting replies, one claiming the rumors are nothing more than total BS, but another that seems to verify the original report. Since this seemingly minor debate has to do with the only scene in the movie that was thoroughly effective, I say let's get it on. ***Spoilers*** have been hidden, so sipe to read if you dare:
"Hi Dayna,
Ta ta
Ahh... but that's not all. We also received this e-mail:
"no credit needed for this, just thought you might like some
backup reports to verify your scoop today on the Hannibal dvd and vhs
versions of the Australian releases....there does for all intents and
purposes seem to be an edit, having purchased the dvd and watched the vhs
and checked it out after reading it here.
Both have the same rating though so not sure why this has been done.
Also, and this may mean nothing at all, the rental and sell-thru releases of
the dvd have been packaged differently as well, but im unsure whether there
is a difference between those as well or just a sales design."
Stay tuned...
Also, huge thanks to the great nation of Norway's own Inge for sending us a link to this Hannibal DVD review from DVD.net.au. Why can't they release this DVD HERE NOW!!!!??? Thanks, guys! >
Mega thanks to Norway's own media master, Inge, for pointing the way to a great source of information and images, from which I culled the shots above. The awesome site, The Digital Bits, has transcribed the entire DVD panel from the 2001 International Comic Con. Charles de Lauzirika, who produced the Hannibal DVD, was on the panel and gave a cool presentation about the DVD itself. Here's an excerpt:
"Charles de Lauzirika: Each featurette covers a different aspect of the production. And they were culled together from a variety of different sources - EPK, on-set footage - much of which was shot by John Pattyson. I actually had to go to Morocco to record Ridley's commentary. He was there shooting his new film, Black Hawk Down. And so we got the commentary, and while I was there, I shot additional material for him for the different multi-angle sequences on this disc. So you're going to see a variety of different kinds of material - some of it slick-looking EPK footage and some that's more raw, home video-looking. For example, in New York, we actually go into the premiere, and we go into the after party, so you'll get to see a lot of areas you wouldn't normally get access to. You'll see actors just being themselves off camera and that kind of thing."
Anyway, read the whole thing HERE and be sure to look at the screen captures HERE. This was an incredibly fascinating, informative panel, one of the best at the convention, so I definitely urge you to read it!
Also, thanks to Michelle from Vancouver who writes in with this report for Canada residents only:
This is really for your viewers who are from Vancouver, BC Canada or that area. We have the chance to buy Hannibal at midnight August 20th
and be one of the first there to own the DVD of the century. There's no
real detail as of yet, but you can check it out at www.cnl.com Prize draws, give aways and door crashers for Hannibal? I'll be there.
07/27/01 -- MEGA UPDATE TODAY!!!! Huge, vast thanks to Norway's own Inge for sending us the image below. It's the Spanish back cover image. Inge, you rock. He also sent us info about the infamous alternate ending on the Hannibal disc, but we're going to hold that back for a while. I don't want to spoil the surprise (I didn't even read it)!
07/24/01 -- TWO REVIEWS!!!! Looks like Hannibal is starting to find its way out to DVD sites as two reviews have surfaced. Very exciting news! I did make it down to the annual San Diego Comic-Con Festival for a short visit and caught the DVD panel! They previewed the disc and showed the menus plus how they're going to show deleted scenes. Extremely exciting presentation. The scene I saw was leading up to the fish market shootout and a small amount of other shots. Needless to say, it looks like they did a bang up job! Read all about it at the great R2 Project and Region 4's Michael DVD!! Many righteous thanks to the great Inge from Norway and longtime scooper Mark B.
Next, a new picture of the video box plus a cool Aussie contest for the DVD (thanks G!O!) Check it out HERE!
And speaking of Mark B., he sent in a tasty comparison of the Hannibal movie versus the script:
I have just finished skimming through the Steve Zaillian revised
draft
of "Hannibal", and have noticed a number of extra scenes that didn't
make it
to the movie - perhaps these are the deleted or extended scenes that
will be
on the DVD.
Firstly, there is an extension in the script of the Gypsy/bracelet
scenario, more close to how it was in the book. Pazzi first gets a
female
gypsy, Romula, out of prison and asks her to get the fingerprint on the
bracelet by encountering Lecter. She tries, but then fails when she
looks
into Lecter's eyes, saying "He's the devil" and then is whisked back
off to
jail. It is then that Pazzi gets the help of the male gypsy we saw in
the
movie to do the deed.
The script also contains the character of Jack Crawford -- I'm not
sure
whether his scenes were actually filmed, but he is involved in the
extended
ending. Early in the script, he offers Starling a much easier job of
investigating fraud in Miami, Florida. At the end of the script, before
the
scene with Lecter and the little boy on the plane, we see that Starling
has
taken the job, and is on a sunny beach listening in on a suspect's
conversation with someone else through an earpiece. This is a nice
resolution for Starling's character, showing us that she has returned
to
some form of peace or happiness and has forgotten about the whole
Evelda
Drumgo shooting incident with the FBI. Crawford is in this scene
briefly. I
for one was always confused at why Lecter was given an epilogue in the
film,
but Clarice was not. Perhaps this explains it.
The script also contains a short scene showing how Lecter escaped
after killing Pazzi, by hitching a ride with a motorcyclist. We know
for a
fact that this scene *was* filmed, it's on Laura Palmer's website.
The scene where Barney gives Mason the infamous face mask appears
much
later in the script, as opposed to the movie where it was the opening
scene.
The script also contains an extended scene of Starling running in
the
park, and she encounters two men who were ordered to follow her -- to
supposedly protect her from Lecter -- and then we see Lecter spying on
Starling through binoculars only metres away. He then breaks into her
Mustang and licks the steering wheel (we also know that this was
filmed,
from the photo).
Anyway, I think these scenes that were in the script, but not in the
movie,
will be the deleted scenes on the DVD. As for the alternate ending, I'm
not
sure.
07/14/01 -- Many thanks to G!O from Perth in Western Australia for writing in with the following coolness:
"Next week in Southern California, they will be a preview of the Hannibal DVD at the San Diego Comic Con. Here is the press release!!!!!!!!
(Read the press release by clicking HERE)
Bye! From G!O FROM PERTH OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Right on!! I will be driving down for this and will attempt to take pictures and write a full report!!!!
07/12/01 -- The incredibly AWESOME R2 Project has scored some amazing stuff lately! The image on the top page comes from some screen shots they grabbed from the Hannibal DVD. Check out this coolness HERE. They also have a full list of the Hannibal extras on view HERE!. Mucho thanks to editor Andy C. and our own cleolinda for pointing the way!
07/06/01 -- Did they or didn't they? According to Julianne Moore, they didn't. Here's the report from the newly resurrected Cinescape.com:
Julianne Moore Talks HANNIBAL Rumors
Julianne Moore wants to set the record straight regarding rumors of additional footage that was shot and then cut from HANNIBAL. While talking to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Cindy Pearlman, Moore declared, "There are rumors that we shot a graphic love scene between Clarice and Hannibal that didn't make the movie, but will make the DVD. Let me repeat. We never shot that sex scene."
Okey dokey. Do I believe her? Hmmmm... Read what else she said in the Red Dragon section!
7/01/01 -- Mucho thanks to the great Garth Franklin (our idol) for linking to this site which, though Australian, has a very cool pre-order offer involving Hannibal and Silence box set (pictured at right)!
6/21/01 -- Very cool find from scooper Mark, who reports that the Hannibal DVD will be out Down Under on August 1!!! That's a full three weeks before we'll be seeing it here in the states. Mark was also kind enough to point me to this awesome Hannibal DVD site that is absolutely not to be missed! Check it out!!!
5/30/01 -- The great Dark Horizons had more info about the upcoming Hannibal and Silence DVD releases in the UK:
Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal (DVD): Details on these two new special editions due out August 21st have come through, courtesy of DavisDVD. The 2-disc "Hannibal" set includes an alternate ending and about 35 minutes of deleted and extended scenes with optional commentary by Director Ridley Scott. Scott also does a feature-length commentary and an interview in a featurette on the art of storyboarding. There's also five featurettes exploring the film's development, production, make-up effects, music and audience reaction. Finally, an uncut five-camera, multiangle breakdown of the fish market shootout sequence. "The Silence of the Lambs" includes nearly 20 minutes of 'newly discovered' deleted scenes, outtakes, a making-of featurette and a new documentary featuring a new interview with Sir Anthony Hopkins and an archival interview with Jodie Foster. Finally there's a voice-mail message that Hopkins left for every Orion Pictures employee (the film's original distributor) in 1991. There's shots of the Region 2 cover now up at The R2 Project. Thanks to 'Patrick' & 'Andy'
Here is the extremely cool full listing from DavisDVD:
5.30.01 HANNIBAL DETAILS UK - R2
Here are the BBFC's recently classified list of extras for the UK Hannibal DVD set (the US version should be exactly the same):
Featurette - Flash Frames Easter Egg - Final Cut (3m 8s)
Ridleygrams - Multi-Angle Supplement (8m 38s)
Main Title Design - Multi-Angle Supplement (1m 42s)
Trailers And TV Spots
What is this about Blockbuster getting Hannibal on VHS August 20th...my local guy just told me?
Also...I have a pretty good idea of what 2 of the deleted scenes are going to be on the DVD (this comes from a very good source who just contacted me about the TH letter that I met at the NJ April Chiller Convention)- one is "Hannibal
breaking into Clarice's car and licking her steering wheel while she's jogging
in the park" and another one is "Clarice going back to the asylum to check out
Hannibal's old cell" I asked him how he knew this as I would be spreading
the word and he said the leak came from someone over at the MGM distribution
center...we'll see."
Wow. Thanks, Helene!!!
Thanks to The Digital Bits for the cover artwork (right) and for the following report:
The Hannibal: Special Edition will be a 2-disc set, with the film in anamorphic widescreen video, Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio, an audio commentary by director Ridley Scott and a trailer for the original Silence of the Lambs on Disc One.
Disc Two will include 35 minutes of deleted scenes, 5 "making of" featurettes covering various aspects of the production, a multi-angle breakdown of the "Fish Market" scene in the film, a multi-angle featurette on the art of storyboarding with Ridley Scott interview footage, a multi-angle exploration of the film's opening title design, a gallery of trailers, TV spots, production stills and unused poster artwork and lots more.
From today's Dark Horizons:
Hannibal (DVD): Rumoured details of MGM's upcoming 2-disc set are out. Disc 1 will contain the film in anamorphic widescreen video with Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 audio. Director Ridley Scott will have a commentary track, while there's also a "Silence of the Lambs" trailer on it. Disc 2 has 35 minutes of deleted scenes, 5 "making of" featurettes covering various aspects of the production, a multi-angle breakdown of the "Fish Market" scene in the film, a multi-angle featurette on the art of storyboarding with Ridley Scott interview footage, a multi-angle exploration of the film's opening title design, a gallery of trailers, TV spots, production stills and unused poster artwork. Thanks to 'Mark MarksDVDs'
Thanks, Garth!
Long time reader, first time scooper. Having gotten an early copy of the R1
"Hannibal" DVD, and having read about the mystifying news of a censored R4
version, I thought I'd do some digging. Here's what I uncovered:
***SPOILERS BELOW***
Chalk this whole ridiculous Hannibal incident under the 'Biggs on
Tattooine' category, thanks to the completely imagined belief by some
misguided fans that the footage of Luke reuniting with Biggs at Toshe Station
in Star Wars was actually shown restored into the film during its TV
premiere on CBS back in the early '80s -- which was, quite simply and
indisputably, not true.
Below is a shot-by-shot breakdown of the relevant portion of the dinner scene
in Hannibal. Keep in mind that those poor souls who swear they saw Lecter
actually cutting off a piece of Krendler's brain are bound by two
unchangeable facts: 1) That Lecter could not cut a piece of Krendler's brain
off until AFTER he cut open Krendler's brain sac, and 2) that the "Reaction"
featurette on the DVD actually shows the relevant portion of this scene UNCUT
(from the brain sac cutting, to Krendler eating his own brain) as it played
THEATRICALLY before the L.A. premiere audience. Here we go...
1. MEDIUM CLOSE-UP (MCU): Lecter lifts off the top of Krendler's skull,
first exposing his brain.
2. CLOSE-UP (CU): Starling horrified.
STARLING: 'Dr. Lecter...'
3. MEDIUM SHOT (MS): Lecter and Krendler (with brain exposed)
LECTER: 'You see, the brain itself feels no pain, Clarice, if that concerns
you.'
4. CU: Starling reacting.
LECTER (Cont'd): 'For example, Paul won't...'
5. CU: Krendler, as Lecter waves and points his scalpel over his exposed
brain.
LECTER (Cont'd): '...miss this "...the seat of good manners.'
7. CU: Starling.
STARLING: 'Your profile at the border stations has five features. I'll
trade you...'
LECTER: 'Trade?'
STARLING: '...Stop now, and I'll tell you what they are.'
LECTER: 'How does that word taste to you...'
8. CU: Lecter.
LECTER: '...Clarice? Hmm? Cheap and metallic, like sucking on a greasy
coin?'
9. CU: Krendler.
KRENDLER: 'Who's Clarice?'
LECTER: 'Agent Starling, Paul. If you can't...'
10. CU: Lecter.
LECTER: '...keep up with the conversation, better not try to join in at all.'
11. CU: Starling, tearing up.
STARLING: '...Paul, I'm Starling...'
***NOTE: At this point, this scene is shown UNCUT (as it was shown
theatrically in the United States) in the 'Reaction' featurette on the DVD.***
12. MCU: Lecter first cutting open brain sac with scalpel.
LECTER: 'You see here, here's is the sac that contains the brain.'
13. CU: Starling reacting.
14. MS: Lecter peels open Krendler's brain sac.
15. CU: Starling horrified.
STARLING: 'I would really like some wine...!'
16. CU: brain piece being dropped into saute pan.
17. MS: Lecter and Krendler, as brain piece cooks.
KRENDLER: 'That smells great.'
LECTER: 'Yes.'
18. CU: Cooked brain piece being removed from saute pan.
19. MS: Lecter moves towards Krendler with cooked brain piece.
LECTER: 'Why don't you try a little piece?'
20. CU: Krendler opens wide, and eats brain piece.
STARLING: 'I would really like some...wine...'
END RELEVANT PORTION OF SCENE.
There are only two conclusions to be drawn here. 1) That a slightly extended
cut (by only one shot, apparently) of Hannibal was shown theatrically ONLY
in Australia, even though the entire rest of the world's prints were
conformed from the same U.S. version, and now the Australian DVD has been
conformed to match the rest of the world or 2) that this whole 'Hannibal is
censored' incident has been imagined by a few people whose memory isn't what
it used to be. Granted, nobody's perfect -- but the fact that this tempest
in a teapot has been given so much attention is laughable. I hope the above
shot breakdown clears this up once and for all (though, somehow, knowing
human nature, I doubt it.)
So there you go. Draw your own conclusions. Cut or uncut? Salted or unsalted? Does it exist, does it affect the scene? Is it only on the Australian DVD? What is the deal with this small but significant cut?
[Thanks to both scoopers; Reported by Dayna@CA.
Inge also sends in the English-language back cover image, which you can see at right. Thanks, Inge! Norway RULES because of you!
G!O also points out THIS LINK! Click it at your own risk!
Actress shoots down questionable rumors and talks about the sequel.
By: FRANK KURTZ
By: News Editor
Source: Chicago Sun-Times 
Anatomy Of A Shoot-Out (47m 6s)
Angles 1 - 5 (all 9m 25s)
Angle 1 - Ridley Scott Interview
Angle 2 - Full Frame Storyboards
Angle 3 - Storyboard/Shot Comparison
Angle 1 - Main Title Sequence From Film - W/ Film Soundtrack
Angle 2 - Main Title Sequence Test - W/ Test Soundtrack
Angle 3 - Nick Livesey's Notebook - W/ Ridley Scott Commentary
Angle 4 Plaza Dv Footage - W/ Nick Livesey Commentary
Hannibal - Domestic Trailer
The Glass (30s)
The Face (30s)
Traveling Letter (30s)
Silent (30s)
Broken Event (30s)
Hunter (30s)
Clarice (30s)
Two People/Barney (30s)
Final Event (30s)
Event Review (30s)
American Review (30s)
The Glass (15s)
Event (15s)
New Event (15s)
Clarice Cutdown (15s)
Final Event Cutdown (15s)
Event Review (15s)
American Review (15s)
Feast (15s)
Untitled - (Audio Only - 6s)
