Now THAT’S What I Call a “Cell Phone:” Brian Cox’s Hannibal Lecktor

|Jay Ditzer| Will Graham: I thought you might be curious to see if you’re smarter than the person I’m looking for. Dr. Hannibal Lecktor: Then by implication, you think you’re smarter than me since you caught me. Will Graham: I know that I’m not smarter than you. Dr. Hannibal… Continue reading

Mindhunters, Maneaters, & Maniacs: The Seismic Impact of Manhunter

|Jackson Stern| “You owe me awe,” says the fictional serial killer at the darkened core of Manhunter. Lucky for him, the moviegoing public not only met his demand but put it on a pedestal. In the four decades since the film’s release, Michael Mann’s third theatrical feature has become the… Continue reading

Thief: That One Last Job and the American Dream

|Sophie Durbin| “Frank unfolds his wallet to place the letter inside. A tattered paste-up collage is there, too. He opens it. There’s a white house from a magazine. A cut-out Cadillac is glued in front. Bits and pieces of trees are drawn in with green Pentel. A small baby from a Gerber food ad… Continue reading

“That Means You Don’t Talk”: Michael Mann’s The Insider

Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) records his whistleblowing interview for 60 Minutes in Michael Mann’s The Insider (1999).

|Steve Rybin| Four years separate Michael Mann’s crime drama Heat (1995) and his next movie, The Insider (1999).  While Heat’smonumental pairing of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro is considered by many to be the highlight of the director’s career, The Insider remains the Mann film… Continue reading

Making Romania on Film: The Case of The Keep

|Sophie Durbin| The Keep was a tough sell for me, a Michael Mann fan who fell in love with him through Heat and Thief—on my first watch, I was almost offended by the supernatural plot (I’m fine with the paranormal on film, but keep it out of my Michael Mann features). Of course… Continue reading