anthony hopkins | the m0vie blog

The Once Terrifying Hannibal Lecter: Upping the Ante on the Anti-Hero…

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Darren

I have the pleasure of catching a rather wonderful screening of The Silence of the Lambs last week. It was a fantastic evening, not least because I got a chance to finally see the film on the big screen for the first time. However, it occurred to me on watching it that Hannibal Lecter was much more compelling as a character here than he would eventually become. With the (very debatable) exception of Brett Ratner’s Red Dragon, Lecter’s subsequent film appearances feel like they are missing some vital component. I like Hannibal more than most, but I think the character suffers when promoted to lead. The less said about Hannibal Rising, the better. I am more than a little wary about the upcoming television show, even if it does star Mads Mikkelsen. What happened? When did Lecter become so toothless?

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anthony hopkins, Caroline Dhavernas, Crawford, Federal Bureau of Investigation, hannibal, hannibal lecter, Hugh Dancy, Jack Crawford, Lecter, Mads Mikkelsen, NBC, red dragon, Silence of the Lamb | Leave a comment »

Jameson Cult Film Club: The Silence of the Lambs

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Darren

I had the pleasure, on Wednesday evening, of attending the Jameson Cult Film Club screening of The Silence of the Lambs. Any excuse to see Jonathan Demme’s masterpiece is worth taking up, but this was a wonderful night for two reasons. The first is that fact that although I am a huge fan of the film, I had never seen it before on a big screen. I’d only ever seen it on home media. The second reason is, as you might expect, that the guys and girls at the Jameson Cult Film Club really surpassed themselves in creating a powerfully immersive experience.

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: anthony hopkins, arts, Clarice, Clarice Starling, Demme, film, hannibal lecter, jameson cult film club, jodie foster, Lecter, Memphis Police Department, Movie, Silence of the Lamb | 2 Comments »

Non-Review Review: Shadowlands

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Darren

Shadowlands is, at its core, a very typical “weepy” romantic drama. However, it’s an exceptionally well-executed example of the genre, one that demonstrates a rather uncanny understanding about the complexities of love and loss that help it stand out from a lot of its fellow films. A superbly powerful central performance from Anthony Hopkins certainly doesn’t hurt, and Richard Attenborough’s elegant, yet unintrusive, direction allows the story to flow without ever feeling too emotionally manipulative. It’s an intelligent and well-constructed exploration of a tragic love affair, one that feels distinctly human in its approach to its subjects and themes.

Does Hopkins deliver a superb performance? You can bank on it…

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Filed under: Non-Review Reviews | Tagged: anthony hopkins, arts, Atheism, C.S Lewis, Christian, film, Health, Joy Davidman, Lewis, Movie, New Atheism, non-review review, Online Writing, Oxford, Oxfordshire, poetry, Remains of the Day, review, richard attenborough, Shadowland, United States, Writers Resources, Yes (band) | 6 Comments »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Horse Player (Review)

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Darren

As part of the “For the Love of Film” blogathon, I’ll be taking a look at Alfred Hitchcock’s contributions to his celebrated anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. I’ll be looking at some of the episodes of the classic show that he directed. The “For the Love of Film” blogathon this year is raising money to keep one of Hitchcock’s earlier works, The White Shadow (which he wrote, edited, designed and assistant-directed), available on-line and streaming for free. It’s a very worthwhile cause and you can donate here.

The Horse Player actually makes for a nice conclusion to our run of Alfred Hitchcock Presents reviews. It aired in 1961, towards the end of the sixth season of the anthology show, a year before the show would be rebranded The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. It was the second last half-hour show that Hitchcock personally directed, but is generally agreed to be much stronger than his final effort, a morality play titled Bang! You’re Dead. Instead, The Horse Player is an enjoyable and engaging meditation on those cardinal virtues of faith, hope and charity.

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, alfredhitchcock, anthony hopkins, art, Birds, catholic church, Claude Rains, Ed Gardner, helen mirren, hitchcock, Prayer, Psycho, The Horse Player, United States, Western Europe, White Shadow | Leave a comment »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Dip in the Pool (Review)

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Darren

Hitchcock’s collaborations with Roald Dahl are always worth the time, and I have to admit I have a special fondness for A Dip in the Pool, which is a bitter little comedy about a bet that goes very far wrong. It’s a wonderfully cynical little story about a compulsive gambler who makes an impressive bet on a sure thing. Of course, this being Alfred Hitchcock Presents, there’s no such thing as a sure thing. Filled with Dahl and Hitchcock’s trademark bleak humour and a wonderful central performance from Keenan Wynn, A Dip in the Pool makes for an entertaining little drama.

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: alfredhitchcock, anthony hopkins, art, Birds, Fay Wray, helen mirren, hitchcock, Keenan Wynn, Psycho, roald dahl, White Shadow | 4 Comments »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Mr. Blanchard’s Secret (Review)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Darren

Mr. Blanchard’s Secret is a fun watch, if only for the joy of watching Hitchcock gleefully spoofing Hitchcock. Pitched by the director as “a tale of mystery and intrigue, played in middle-class suburbia” during his introduction, Mr. Blanchard’s Secret reads an affectionate parody of Rear Window, perhaps the Hitchcock film that lends itself so easily to comedic skewering. Mr. Blanchard’s Secret is hardly a groundbreaking or astonishing piece of television, but it is highly enjoyable and quite clever, proving that Hitchcock has a wonderful sense of humour about himself. (As if we needed proof.)

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, alfredhitchcock, Angela Lansbury, anthony hopkins, Birds, Blanchard, Blogathon, hitchcock, Love of Film, Marriage, Mary Scott, Psycho, rear window, White Shadow | 2 Comments »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Hidden Thing (Review)

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Darren

As part of the “For the Love of Film” blogathon, I’ll be taking a look at his celebrated anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The “For the Love of Film” blogathon this year is raising money to keep one of Hitchcock’s earlier works, The White Shadow (which he wrote, edited, designed and assistant-directed), available on-line and streaming for free. It’s a very worthwhile cause and you can donate here. I thought it might be worth taking a look at an episode from a director other than Hitchcock.

The Hidden Thing is a bit of a strange little episode. It has a strong central theme, even if it is a little blunt about it. It also has an interesting set-up, playing off a sense of unjust randomness. However, it never really ties all of its ideas together, finishing on a rather bland and – inappropriately enough – forgettable ending. In many ways, it seems like the ending to The Hidden Thing is a twist that just fell apart and, rather than enhancing the surrounding story, ultimately detracted from the episode.

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: alfred hitchcock, Anthony Hopkin, anthony hopkins, Blogathon, helen mirren, hitchcock, John Hurley, Laura, Love of Film, Psycho, Satan, the hidden thing, White Shadow | 1 Comment »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Banquo’s Chair (Review)

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darren

Banquo’s Chair has a rather standard little plot. There’s no sense that any of the ideas are overcrowding one another, or that they’ve been rushed along to fill the twenty-five minute slot. Indeed, the plot and the script are about as standard as they could be, using a simple set up to play through a familiar drama and leading to a somewhat trite and predictable conclusion. Without being harsh, I think that’s a fair description of Banquo’s Chair. However, it is well served by an experienced cast and by Hitchcock’s direction. Neither truly distinguishes it from the rest of the series, but they do elevate a fairly simple set-up into an entertaining little adventure.

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: Alfred Hitchcock Presents, alfredhitchcock, anthony hopkins, Banquo, Blogathon, hitchcock, hollywood, John Williams, Love of Film, macbeth, Psycho, roald dahl, Scotland Yard, White Shadow | 1 Comment »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Case of Mr. Pelham (Review)

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darren

Due to circumstances outside our control, tragedy will not strike tonight. I’m dreadfully sorry, perhaps some other time.

– Hitchcock’s introduction; well, at least he apologises

The Case of Mister Pelham picked up the series’ first Emmy nomination, with Hitchcock himself nominated for outstanding direction. It’s not too hard to see why, as The Case of Mister Pelham is a wonderfully compelling piece of television, a psychological character study masquerading as a supernatural mystery. In many ways, it feels like the best episode of The Twilight Zone that was never an episode of The Twilight Zone. It’s sharp, cleverly constructed, and features and astounding central performance from Tom Ewell as the eponymous Mister Pelham. What more could you want?

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: alfred hitchcock, Anthony Hopkin, anthony hopkins, Blogathon, Emmy Award, helen mirren, hitchcock, Love of Film, Psycho, Tom Ewell, Tony Award, twilight zone, White Shadow | 4 Comments »

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat (Review)

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Darren

As has been our custom, we shall present homy little stories of an unusual nature. We shall continue to give the little man, or woman, his due. When crime is occasionally dealt with, it will be crime as practiced by ordinary people, like the fellow next door. I think that, by Spring, a large number of you will be thinking of moving.

– Hitchcock’s introduction

Mrs. Bixby & The Colonel’s Coat is, in effect, one joke. It’s a single joke extended over a half-an-hour, with a punchline appearing mere minutes before the end credits. While that might make the episode feel a little insubstantial, it is a Roald Dahl joke, which means that it is never boring. The set-up, the characters and the world around them is a wonderfully fascinating and darkly comic place. It’s no wonder that Dahl and Hitchcock seemed to work together so well. I suspect that they shared a similar sense of humour.