Comments:

NOTE : The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray January 2018: The Criterion is from a "New 4K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Tak Fujimoto". This package includes a second Blu-ray with supplements. It is very evident to see the improvement of the Criterion transfer, with max'ed out bitrate in AVC, to the 2009 MGM/Fox Blu-ray . It is far crisper, has a green leaning but skin tones are cooler and more accurate. It looks superb in-motion. Criterion go DTS-HD Master for stereo and a 5.1 surround bump (both in 24-bit) and the score is by Howard Shore (Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars, Scanners and The Brood, Tim Burton's Ed Wood, Fincher's The Game and Se7en etc.) and it certainly benefits from the uncompressed transfer adding that suspenseful atmosphere infused with classical music and pop like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' American Girl. It sounds wonderful and the streo option is appreciated. There are optional English subtitles on the Region 'A'-lo c ked Blu-ray . Criterion include the audio commentary from 1994 featuring director Jonathan Demme, actors Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, screenwriter Ted Tally, and former FBI agent John Douglas. There is a new, 18-minute, interview with critic Maitland McDonagh exploring our cultural fascination with serial killers and The Silence of the Lambs and thirty-eight minutes of deleted scenes, plus a trailer on the first Blu-ray .



Blu-ray 2 has a 52-minute, three-part, 2005, documentary by Laurent Bouzereau entitled Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster - a featuring interviews with Demme and Foster, Inside the Labyrinth - a 1-hour, 6-minute, 2001 documentary by Jeffrey Schwarz featuring interviews with Foster; Hopkins; screenwriter Ted Tally; production designer Kristi Zea; editor Craig McKay; studio executive Mike Medavoy; producer Ron Bozman; costume designer Colleen Atwood; Demme's mentor Roger Corman, and many others. Page to Screen is a 2002 episode of the Bravo tv show "Page to Screen" featuring key members of the film's cast and crew discussing Thomas Harris's source novel and the production. It runs 41-minutes. Scoring the Silence is a 2004, 16-minute, interview with composer Howard Shore, Understanding the Madness is a 20-minute 2008 program featuring interviews with retired FBI agents Richard L. Ault Jr., Roger L. Depue, James R. Fitzgerald, Robert R. Hazelwood, R. Stephen Mardigian, and Michael R. Napier. There is a 8-minute behind-the-scenes featurette and the storyboards piece found on previous editions. The Criterion include a book featuring an introduction by Foster, an essay by critic Amy Taubin, pieces from 2000 and 2013 by author Thomas Harris on the origins of the character Hannibal Lecter, and a 1991 interview with Demme. The Silence of the Lambs remains an iconic film advancing the 'serial-killer' curiosity craze that still exists today in modern TV. One of the more re-watchable films of its genre and Criterion have created the definitive Blu-ray edition with the 4K-restored transfer and substantial extras. Our highest recommendation! *** ADDITION: Blu-ray February 09' : NOTE: This is finally listed at Amazon.com and is also available through Amazon.ca (in Canada - that does deliver to the US). I've done my best to match the DVD screen captures but these comparisons are somewhat imperfect (as noted below). Short summation about the image quality is that - Yes, it is obviously superior, but the older MPEG-2 encode was utilized and it does not produce the definitive image improvement that could have potentially been achieved. The color scheme supports the latest 2-disc MGM and the non-anamorphic Criterion still looks greenish. Detail is improved, skin tones strike a warmer tone (as very often the case with hi-def). I don't know if I can add much more than what my screen captures state. There is some noise still existing, but everything, in general terms, is superior visually to the SD-DVD counterparts. Depending on your system the improvements will vary but I toggled back and forth and it was quite evident that the 1080P transfer had more depth, sharpness and an overall film-like feel. While it is probably not perfect - it is the best I have seen The Silence of the Lambs look in my home theater. Audio offers a 5.1 DTS-HD Master @ 2764 kbps. It had its moments with some deep bass scares from Howard Shore's original score but while I wouldn't use the term 'aggressive' to describe the track - it did have a nice consistency to it. It doesn't tower over the older MGM 5.1 but did exhibit some improved depth and range to my faulty ears. While an improvement - listeners shouldn't expect a dramatic, blow-your-windows-out mix. It's competent and deeply suspense-inducing. The dialogue is supported with subtitles in a few languages signifying this as a region FREE release (verified elsewhere). Supplements go the last mile. Breaking the Silence replays the entire film with head shots, boxed in the bottom right corner, of key performers giving scene input. Some of the other documentaries are repeated from past editions and some are new - and in HD! All-in-all there is well over 2.5 hours of material to access with Inside the Labyrinth: Making of The Silence of the Lambs (1:06:29) being the most thorough . There are deleting scenes, outtakes, a documentary on scoring the film, TV Spots, and more. This is surely the most complete digital package of extraneous information on The Silence of the Lambs. The only thing I think we lose if the 'Photo Gallery'. With over 20 Gig of extras using the word 'stacked' to describe the disc supplements would be appropriate. Okay, bottom line - the MPEG-2 is not ideal, but the Blu-ray is the definitive for transfer quality at present. I'd forgotten how great the film was and seeing it in hi-def intensified the emotions that it evokes. Memorable, almost iconic, performances and a plethora of supplements to peruse. So, as a fan I'd have to say I recommend. *** ADDITION: MGM - 2-disc Collector's Edition - January 07' . First point - please forgive us. This was one of our earliest comparisons and hence a reliable methodology had not been adopted - meaning that most of the below screen captures are not exact frame matches. Hopefully there are enough to give a fair representation of each DVD. Tack onto the above statement that I cannot have positive opinions about many issues regarding these DVDs - especially color. I'll still contend that the Criterion has reddish skin tones and, most likely, had black/red levels boosted to improve sharpness. On advanced systems the, long out-of-print, Criterion will fall short as it is not anamorphic (16X9 enhanced). The new CE has a much higher bitrate and the image appears slightly darker. If I am forced to guess (and in this case it is a guess!) I suspect that the new CE is the best (meaning most theatrically accurate) of the three releases. It shares the DVD with nothing - all supplements on the 2nd disc. It doesn't have the greenish haze of the original MGM and skin tones seem fairly true. I find no evidence of manipulation on the progressive/anamorphic transfer. Almost 6 years ago MGM put out this film, identifying the DVD as a 'Special Edition'. This new product is labeled 'Collector's Edition' and is stacked with a 2nd disc of supplements although the director commentary on the Criterion is conspicuously absent. With all the extras on a second disc it allows for more information on the first for the film and its image has benefited. Audio appears duplicated from the original MGM 2001 digital release - a 5.1 English and standard French and Spanish DUBs. The MGM is loaded with, generally, very good extras (although many are repeated on the old SE) - 3 hours worth of documentaries including Inside the Labyrinth: Making of The Silence of the Lambs (1:03:12), The Silence of the Lambs: Page to Screen (2 Part - 40 minutes), Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster (3 Part - 52:35), Scoring the Silence (15:00) and the Original 1991 Making Of Featurette (8:00). There are also 22 Deleted Scenes, about 2 minutes of Outtakes, an Anthony Hopkins Phone Message, many TV Spots and some photo galleries. Included in the liner notes are some recipe cards with a Hannibal Lector invitation on one side and instructions for cooking such favorites as Fava Beans, Roast Saddle of Lamb and Deviled Lamb's Tongue - kind of cute addition. Overall, although I am rarely an MGM fan, I must endorse this new 2-disc CE as a complete and professional package. The film looked and sounded as good as I ever remember, the supplements are interesting and extensive - the only area it falls short is the commentary, which, depending on your enjoyment of the film, might be worthwhile picking up the Criterion used - if only for that. I don't think anyone will be disappointed in this 2-disc DVD. Recommended! **** ON THE Criterion vs. Original MGM : This was initially a tough one. At first I would have easily said that the MGM is far superior, but upon closer examination I was unable to make a positive determination regarding the image quality. The MGM has a greenish/yellow tinge to its images (see capture #5) in comparison to the Criterion which has a reddish/pink hue, but the skin tones are more accurate on the MGM (captures #2, 3). The Criterion is darker and video sourced where the MGM is film sourced to the best judgment of my naked eye. As far as I was concerned both discs image quality was acceptable, but viewing on a widescreen television the MGM was the winner being anamorphic and much sharper. On the MGM disc the blacks are pitch black. Neither image has excessive edge enhancement. The MGM has close captioned for the hearing impaired and 5.1 sound, both a bonus over Criterion. The Extras probably lean toward the Criterion for the commentary, but the MGM has some nice features too with the Foster/Hopkins interviews and short featurettes. Okay, MGM is the winner, but it took them 3 years and 10 days to come up with a better DVD. Note: I realize that in a couple of these screen captures, I have not got the extract frame. It is as close as I could get and it is within a second of the precise duplicate. Gary W. Tooze