Way Back Wednesday - Silence of the Lambs

Since today is the last day of September, I've decided to start the annual Halloween edition of Way Back Wednesday. Between now and Halloween, I will highlight my favorite scary/horror movies of the past few decades. I'm starting this out with a classic ...

.... The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 psychological crime/horror thriller directed by Jonathan Demme. It stars Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, Anthony Heald and Brooke Smith. Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, it is his second book to feature Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer. The film won the top five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Screenplay.

In the film, Clarice Starling (Foster), plays a young FBI trainee seeking the advice of the imprisoned Lecter (Hopkins) on catching a serial killer known only as "Buffalo Bill". Starling is pulled from her training at the FBI Academy at Quantico by Jack Crawford (Glenn) of the Bureau's Behavioral Science Unit. Crawford sends her to interview the notorious Hannibal Lecter, believing Lecter's insight might be useful in the pursuit of vicious serial killer Buffalo Bill (Levine).

Buffalo Bill is noted for kidnapping his victims and then removing large portions of their skin. We see him abduct is latest victim, Catherine Martin (Smith), the daughter of United States Senator Ruth Martin. Then the race is on to find Buffalo Bill before he can kill again.

This movie sends you on a thrilling ride through the twisted mind of a celebrated killer and the climatic conclusion of this wild chase. In my opinion, Dr. Frederick Chilton (Heald), director the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, is even more scary and evil than Lecter.

Favorite quotes:

Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

Buffalo Bill: It rubs the lotion on its skin. It does this whenever it is told.
Catherine Martin: Mister... my family will pay cash. Whatever ransom you're askin' for, they pay it.
Buffalo Bill: It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.

Jack Crawford: Just do your job, but never forget what he is.
Clarice Starling: And what is that?
[cut to Clarice's first trip to the psychiatric prison]
Dr. Frederick Chilton: Oh, he's a monster. Pure psychopath. So rare to capture one alive. From a research point of view, Lecter is our most prized asset.

Hannibal Lecter: You fly back to school, now, little Starling. Fly, fly, fly...

Det. Boyle: [greeting Lecter in Memphis] Welcome to Memphis Dr. Lecter, I'm Lieutenant Boyle, this is Sergeant Patrick. Now we'll treat you as good as you treat us, you be a gentleman and you'll get three hots and a cot.

Clarice Starling: If you didn't kill him, then who did, sir?
Hannibal Lecter: Who can say. Best thing for him, really. His therapy was going nowhere.

Hannibal Lecter: Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?

Buffalo Bill: [to a mirror] Would you fuck me? I'd fuck me. I'd fuck me hard.