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HTF REVIEW: "Red Dragon" Director's Edition (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

Steve Schaffer

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Apr 15, 1999
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Steve Schaffer
BB had lotsa copies of the 2 disc set.

I'm a big fan of extras so the 2 disc set was a must-have for me.

I do watch good extras over and over, have waded thru the 2 extras discs on LOTR several times over.
 

David Glenn

Second Unit
Joined
Dec 29, 2001
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331
Just wanted to put in a vote for the 1-disc version

Why in the world would I intentionally get the 1-disc instead of the 2-disc? Well, at my Best Buy, it's $14.99 for the CE and $27.99 for the DE.

For a couple supplemental materials that I probably would never watch I didn't feel it was worth the extra $13. That's almost 2x the price for the same movie.

It's too bad, if it was $14 vs. $19, there would have been no doubt, 2-disc. However, $27.99 is a little ridiculous.
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Ditto, this was probably the only time I didn't go for a 2-disc version. The $13 difference is criminal and I refuse buy it and send a message that it is OK to take advantage of fans of this film. There are many examples of quality 2-disc sets that sold for less than $15.
 

Yumbo

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Chris Caine
I also think the price difference is unjustified.
 

Kachi Khatri

Second Unit
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Oct 29, 2002
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454
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Jay
I just bought my copy, 'Directors Edition' yesterday @ cost price courtesy of my brother who works at one the music places $26 and change CAD. The other one was $3 less so what the hell!
 

RobWil

Supporting Actor
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Mar 17, 2003
Messages
733
I watched the movie last night for the first time. I've read the book several times, beginning shortly after it came out in the 80's, and have been hooked ever since.
One thing that sucks about all movies from novels is that you just can't get into the head of the people as well...there's not enough time in a 2 hr movie to go into all that detail like they do in the books.
This movie followed the book pretty well but they left out one of the main parts of the book that really was critical to the reasoning he used to single out his victims. His grandmother certainly helped mold him into what he became but it was the rejection of his mother that was most to blame. His mother for the most part had abandoned him and went on to marry and have a normal life with a nice husband and beautiful children, and, during at least one period, Frances Dolarhyde had come to live with her and the 'new' family....had been treated like a freak outcast by the family, not loved by the mother and this was why he chose the victims as he did. Nice loving families , young attractive mothers, cute kids, pets, nice house and yard. He had wanted so badly to be loved in that context that he was trying to reenact the experience with him as a loving and loved member of the family. He wanted the family members to see how he loved his mother and how his mother loved him and he was gaining their acceptance through his staged 'audience' with mirror eyes.
The director could have at least touched on this, either through a couple quickie fashbacks, or during the opening credits while the actors names are slowly scrolling by, showing him born horribly disfigured, being shunned by the mother, made fun of by her 'normal' children, etc.
 

Andrew Chong

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 7, 2002
Messages
739
Interesting Rob, though I don't think that was Brett Ratner's, for lack of a better term, oversight - that would more likely be screenwriter Ted Tally's choice.

I've viewed all the materials in the director's edition too except for the commentaries with Ratner, Tally and Elfman. Perhaps there are some extra story tidbits and reasons for exclusion in there?
 

Joshua_Y

Screenwriter
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
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1,241
Well every movie based on a book has to condense...and I think they really put all that they could from the book in a two hour movie...I liked that they made it their own...I really dont mind the changes in Red Dragon...I think the exclusion and such really helps it...because it would be over 3 hours had they kept everything from the book...
 

Glenn_Jn

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 14, 2002
Messages
160
After just watching it I came to the conclusion that it is an OK movie in itself but I can't really say it improved on Manhunter at all. I think Anthony Hopkins must of been the big pusher to get this made. I guess he wanted the trilogy to be his. They even went so far as to recreate the cell from Lambs and even brought back Anthony Heald (Dr Chilton) and Frankie Faison (Barney Matthews) making Mr Faison the only person, as far as I know, to appear in all four Hannibal Lector films. Harvey Keitel looked like he walked straight off the set of Thelma & Louise.
 

Shawn Bridges

Auditioning
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
14
If John Douglas is involved, I'm there.
I agree! Although I just wish it was more than eight minutes.

I have yet to see Red Dragon (haven't seen Hannibal yet either), considering how IMO Manhunter really didn't hold a candle to the novel, I do want to get around to checking out this adaptation.

Ron, Thanks for another great review.
 

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