Buffalo Bill’s multi-room dungeon wins for its unforgettable mix of costume workshop, moth room, corpse-filled bathroom, and brick well.
In the discussion (1)
- The dungeon is selected after the earlier room-by-room discussion of its frightening layout.
☆★☆★☆★☆★
Roger Ebert awarded three and a half stars and praised Hopkins while noting flaws; Gene Siskel gave a negative review that the panel rejects.
In the discussion (2)
- Ebert is reported as giving three and a half stars, praising the palpable evil of Hopkins’s first appearance and the film’s suspense and restraint despite flaws.
- Siskel is reported as disliking the film and preferring to see Clarice on another case.
The four final preferences split among Lecter killing the guards, Clarice recounting the lambs, and the first Clarice–Lecter meeting; the guards escape receives two choices.
In the discussion (9)
- Clarice’s first descent to Lecter, his instant psychological reading, the fava-beans line, and Miggs’s assault are nominated; one participant selects it.
- Catherine Martin singing “American Girl,” helping Gumb with the sofa, and being abducted are nominated.
- Gumb ordering Catherine to use the lotion, combined with the revelation of the bloody fingernail, is nominated for its simultaneous terror and dark comedy.
- Lecter meeting Senator Martin while restrained and masked is nominated.
- Clarice’s final quid-pro-quo meeting with Lecter, including her lamb story and his lesson about coveting, is nominated; one participant selects the lamb confession.
- Lecter’s attack on the guards, staging of the bodies, face disguise, and ambulance escape are nominated; two participants select the sequence.
- Gumb’s dance intercut with Catherine capturing Precious is nominated.
- The cross-cut raid and Clarice’s realization that she is inside Gumb’s actual house are nominated.
- Clarice’s night-vision basement pursuit and killing of Gumb are nominated for suspense, foreshadowing, and payoff.
Chris Isaak’s conspicuous SWAT cameo wins; workplace harassment, Senator Martin’s hair, profiling without DNA, and helping a stranger move a sofa are alternatives.
In the discussion (5)
- Dr. Chilton immediately hitting on Clarice is presented as conduct that would not survive modern workplace norms.
- Senator Martin’s hairstyle is identified with early-1990s public-figure styling.
- The profiling-led investigation’s minimal reliance on DNA is period-specific.
- A young woman helping a strange man load furniture into a van is judged implausible today.
- Chris Isaak’s close-up cameo immediately after the “Wicked Game” video is selected as the most 1991 element.
Jonathan Demme’s visual framing and editing, the iconic poster and score, detailed Easter eggs, the antagonist construction, and the compact runtime lead a broad set of answers.
In the discussion (8)
- Dr. Chilton works as a human institutional antagonist alongside the overt killers, like the obstructive authority figures in Jaws and Poltergeist.
- Direct-to-camera framing, glass reflections, Howard Shore’s score, needle drops, and the poster remain formally distinctive.
- Whiteboards, notebooks, microfiche articles, bulletin boards, and dungeon details reward pausing and close viewing.
- Structural changes, especially removing the disciplinary-hearing sequence and repositioning the training drill, made the movie tighter.
- Cannibal fascination is said to remain culturally potent.
- The movie’s apparent ending followed by Lecter’s coda is praised.
- The point-of-view close-ups, Lecter’s mask and stretcher, “quid pro quo,” clear-glass cell, and night-vision imagery remain iconic.
- The film’s coveting clue and its disciplined sub-two-hour length are praised.
Gumb’s tuck dance wins after audience support; Napier’s scream, Lecter smelling Clarice, and other Gumb moments are alternatives.
In the discussion (3)
- Charles Napier’s scream after Lecter attacks is nominated.
- Lecter’s smelling gesture is nominated.
- The tuck dance is selected with emphatic audience support.
Lecter’s angel-like staging of Lieutenant Boyle’s body is selected, with the elaborate off-screen labor treated as a major nitpick.
In the discussion (2)
- The guard’s body spread like an angel or butterfly above the cell is the selected cinematic image.
- The panel questions how Lecter raised, tied, and arranged the body while also staging the second guard on the elevator.
“Goodbye Horses” wins over “American Girl”; “Hip Priest” by the Fall is an additional nomination.
In the discussion (3)
- “American Girl” is praised as an essential setup for Catherine Martin.
- “Goodbye Horses” is selected as the iconic musical moment.
- The Fall’s “Hip Priest” during the basement sequence is added as a third candidate.
Lecter’s extra-rare lamb chops win as an unusually literal and grotesque use of food.
In the discussion (1)
- The second dinner’s ultra-rare lamb chops are the only proposed answer.
Darla wins for playing Precious; her broader filmography is noted as strong enough to prompt an Apex Mountain joke.
In the discussion (1)
- Precious is identified as performed by Darla, whose credits also include Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, The ’Burbs, and Batman Returns.
Jack Crawford wins unanimously; one participant also criticizes the anagram-and-puzzle structure as comparatively clunky.
In the discussion (2)
- The anagram puzzle chain is criticized as either too prominent or insufficiently developed, though another participant enjoys the layered clues.
- Jack Crawford is selected for sending an inexperienced trainee to Lecter, offering a transparent fake deal, missing the first-victim relationship, raiding the wrong house, and leaving Clarice poorly supported.
Jack Crawford wins for reckless investigative decisions and institutional failures that leave Clarice alone with Gumb.
In the discussion (1)
- The same Crawford case is explicitly said to double as this job-competence award.
The mishandled sequel/prequel franchise, opening typography, profiling pseudoscience, political appropriation of Lecter, Foster’s accent, and trans implications are criticized.
In the discussion (7)
- The Hannibal novel’s Clarice–Lecter relationship repelled Jodie Foster; the later film rewrite and aging Hopkins prequel are treated as franchise mistakes.
- The large opening-credit typography blocking faces is criticized as an early-1990s aesthetic problem.
- Criminal profiling is described as much less reliable than the film assumes.
- Donald Trump’s 2024 references to Hannibal Lecter are identified as a degrading later association.
- Jodie Foster’s accent remains an explicit weakness.
- Serial killers communicating through neat anagrams is judged dated, though the panel misses the puzzle theatricality.
- The film’s failure to make Demme’s intended distinction between Gumb and trans identity clear enough is preserved as a serious contemporary criticism.
No single winner is declared; Charles Napier, Anthony Heald, and Brooke Smith are the supported candidates.
In the discussion (3)
- Charles Napier’s death screams are nominated.
- Anthony Heald’s expressive eyebrows and broad Chilton manner are nominated.
- Brooke Smith’s furious outburst after Clarice briefly leaves Catherine is nominated and defended as appropriate to the crisis.
The panel proposes only a joking solo Miggs webisode, then concludes that the movie does not need a conventional two-person sex scene.
In the discussion (1)
- A mock bonus episode centered on Miggs’s self-gratification is proposed as the only sexual extension.
No; the panel immediately rejects any replacement title.
In the discussion (1)
- A joking Miggs-related title is floated only after the unanimous refusal and is not adopted.
Four distinct takes argue that Lecter is a superb therapist, Catherine deserved punishment for endangering Precious, Hopkins’s Oscar category was fraudulent, and The Father is his better performance.
In the discussion (4)
- Lecter is called an incredible therapist for rapidly identifying and resolving Clarice’s childhood trauma.
- Catherine is said to deserve death because she endangered Precious; the take is tied to the participant’s animal-first stance.
- Hopkins’s Best Actor Oscar is called fraudulent because he should have competed in supporting.
- The Father is proposed as Hopkins’s greatest performance, drawing strong disagreement.
The panel preserves a wide, sometimes uncertain list: Hackman and Connery for Lecter/Crawford, Pfeiffer and others for Clarice, Ed Harris for Crawford, and numerous alleged Lecter auditions.
In the discussion (7)
- Gene Hackman reportedly partnered to adapt the novel and considered directing and playing Lecter or Crawford before withdrawing.
- Paul Verhoeven reportedly turned the film down and later expressed regret.
- Jonathan Demme reportedly wanted Sean Connery for Lecter, but Connery declined.
- Michelle Pfeiffer declined Clarice; the panel prefers Foster because Pfeiffer’s overt glamour would shift the character’s closed, professional center.
- Meg Ryan reportedly rejected the material as too gruesome, and Molly Ringwald auditioned but was considered too young.
- Ed Harris reportedly declined Jack Crawford because the role was not interesting enough.
- Reported Lecter possibilities include Daniel Day-Lewis, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Derek Jacobi, and Forest Whitaker; the panel openly doubts some unsourced casting lists while noting Whitaker publicly discussed auditioning.
Brooke Smith wins as Catherine Martin; Anthony Heald, Charles Napier, Frankie Faison, Diane Baker, and Dan Butler are considered.
In the discussion (5)
- Anthony Heald is considered because many know Dr. Chilton more readily than the actor’s name.
- Charles Napier is considered but may be too identifiable to Jonathan Demme fans.
- Frankie Faison is considered and rejected as recognizable by name from The Wire.
- Diane Baker and Dan Butler are identified as familiar supporting faces.
- Brooke Smith is selected as the performer many viewers know through Catherine Martin and later Grey’s Anatomy work.
Buffalo Bill wins easily over Miggs, Catherine Martin, Chris Isaak, the moth experts, and the thin-mustached FBI agent.
In the discussion (1)
- The panel lists a deep field of memorable limited appearances but calls Buffalo Bill the obvious winner.
No performance recast is proposed; the panel instead objects that a Baltimore-set story was filmed largely in Pittsburgh.
In the discussion (1)
- The category is explicitly framed as “director or city,” and the sole change discussed is restoring Baltimore as the principal filming location.
Research covers Lecter’s hockey-mask maker, Gumb’s house sale, serial-killer inspirations, Brooke Smith’s preparation, Francis Bacon imagery, and the Bahamas finale.
In the discussion (6)
- Lecter’s mask was reportedly made by New Jersey hockey-goalie mask maker Ed Cubberly.
- The Gumb house in Perryopolis, Pennsylvania reportedly listed for $300,000 in 2015 and sold for $195,000 in 2016.
- Gumb’s skin suit is linked to Ed Gein and the basement pit to Gary Heidnik.
- Brooke Smith reportedly gained 25 pounds and became friendly with Ted Levine during production; a prop worker later sent her the lotion bottle with a Gumb note.
- Boyle’s staged body was reportedly inspired by Francis Bacon.
- Lecter’s final scene was filmed on North Bimini Island in the Bahamas.
Jonathan Demme, Anthony Hopkins, serial-killer movies, Q Lazzarus, face-wearing, Chris Isaak, Francis Bacon homage, lamb chops, Ted Levine, night vision, the tuck dance, and Gumb’s van all receive cases.
In the discussion (8)
- Jonathan Demme is accepted because he won Best Director for a superior film to Philadelphia.
- Anthony Hopkins is accepted, with jokes about later cat TikToks and The Father.
- Serial-killer movies are debated against Seven and Zodiac without a final resolution.
- Q Lazzarus is accepted for “Goodbye Horses.”
- Wearing another person’s face is accepted, while The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Face/Off are discussed as rivals.
- Chris Isaak is accepted as plausibly at his commercial/cultural peak around “Wicked Game” and this cameo.
- Francis Bacon homages, ordering lamb chops rare, Ted Levine, night vision, the tuck dance, and the 1979 Dodge Tradesman Maxi Van are all proposed or accepted.
- Poodles are proposed, then rejected in favor of Best in Show.
Tom Cruise wins because he could plausibly play every male part, especially Lecter or Miggs; Tom Hanks is preferred only for Crawford.
In the discussion (3)
- Cruise is argued to have the unsettling intensity for Lecter and the range to play every male role.
- Hanks is proposed as an excellent Crawford who might improve that part.
- The panel explicitly settles on Cruise.
“Tuck Dance” is the final racehorse-name choice; “Lotion in the Basket” and “Hester Mofet” are other strong names, while “Louis Friend” is preferred as a hotel alias.
In the discussion (4)
- “Lotion in the Basket” is initially proposed and briefly called the pick.
- “Tuck Dance” is then selected as the best possible racehorse name.
- “Hester Mofet” is nominated as another racehorse name.
- “Louis Friend” is diverted into a proposed hotel check-in alias rather than the racehorse result.
The panel challenges Chilton’s pen, Catherine’s food, missed moth evidence, Lecter’s elaborate escape, profiling by personal acquaintance, Precious’s capture, Miggs’s death, Lecter’s wine pairing and moral code, and Gumb’s target selection.
In the discussion (11)
- Chilton imposes exhaustive safety rules and then leaves a sharp pen with Lecter.
- Gumb is supposedly starving Catherine to loosen her skin, yet she has enough food and bone to lure Precious.
- Investigators miss cocoons in multiple throats and fail to infer a skin suit from systematically removed body areas.
- The most dangerous prisoner receives only two guards and no visible camera surveillance.
- Lecter fits perfectly into a guard’s clothes, removes his face cleanly, raises and stages the second body, and fools medical professionals while healthy.
- Lecter’s apparent profiling insight is weakened because he already knew Gumb as a patient.
- Catherine’s off-screen bucket capture of a small, skittish dog is treated as mechanically improbable.
- Miggs cannot physically swallow his own tongue without first severing it.
- Chianti is criticized as the wrong wine for liver and fava beans.
- Lecter’s disgust at Miggs’s sexual assault seems inconsistent with his own cannibalism, though the panel frames it as a strict code against rudeness.
- The panel asks whether Gumb knowingly chose a senator’s daughter for notoriety or failed to recognize her.
The property already has a sequel, prequel, and two television series; the panel notes the absence of a Miggs or Buffalo Bill prequel.
This discussion recalls a choice from an earlier episode.
In the discussion (2)
- Hannibal, Red Dragon/Hannibal Rising, Hannibal, and Clarice are treated as filling the standard franchise options.
- A Miggs or Buffalo Bill origin story is jokingly identified as the remaining gap.
Byron Mayo receives one explicit preference, while Wayne Jenkins receives the closing choice because of the Baltimore setting.
In the discussion (2)
- Byron Mayo is called the definite best fit from the list.
- Wayne Jenkins is then performed and chosen for the Baltimore connection.
The three choices split among Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Best Picture.
In the discussion (3)
- Jodie Foster is selected because no rival Best Actress performance has a stronger case and this is judged her career-best work.
- Anthony Hopkins is selected by another participant.
- Best Picture is the third choice.
Questions range from Miggs’s name and Lecter’s cannibalism to Gumb’s music, victim pets, Chilton’s fate, personnel consequences, Precious’s custody, and whether Gumb invented Pinterest.
In the discussion (10)
- Is Miggs a first name, surname, nickname, shortening of Miguel, or a single mononym?
- If Lecter is a genius, why does he eat people, and are we sure cannibalism is bad?
- How did Gumb develop discerning taste in Q Lazzarus and the Fall while living his isolated life?
- Did all of Gumb’s victims own cats?
- How would Lecter season and serve Dr. Chilton?
- How quickly were the moth experts fired for workplace misconduct?
- What could Lecter have said to make Miggs kill himself?
- Did Senator Martin win reelection after rescuing her daughter?
- Did Catherine keep Precious, or did animal services place the dog elsewhere?
- Did Gumb’s wall of design inspirations effectively invent Pinterest?
Manhunter receives two preferences; Zodiac is the other proposed pairing.
In the discussion (2)
- Manhunter is proposed and immediately seconded.
- Zodiac is proposed as the alternative, acknowledged as an exceptionally dark combined viewing.
The panel imagines Precious being rehomed, Lecter eating Chilton and visiting Epstein Island, Clarice and Crawford starting a family, or Clarice dating a moth expert.
In the discussion (4)
- Precious is removed from Catherine and placed in a loving home.
- Lecter eats Dr. Chilton and heads toward Epstein Island.
- Clarice and Crawford start a family.
- Clarice dates one of the moth specialists instead, a proposal another participant dislikes.
The lotion and basket become the final pick; Lecter’s masks, night goggles, drawing, nightstick, FBI training town, and moth cocoon are all nominated.
In the discussion (6)
- Both Lecter masks, including the less comfortable nose-compressing version, are nominated.
- The night-vision goggles are nominated.
- The lotion bottle and Lecter’s drawing of Clarice holding the lamb are nominated.
- The nightstick used to kill Lieutenant Boyle is nominated.
- An entire FBI practice town and a moth cocoon are added.
- The lotion paired with its basket is selected as the final package.
Never help a creepy stranger move furniture into a van.
In the discussion (1)
- The panel explicitly frames Catherine’s abduction as a lesson against helping an isolated stranger load furniture.
Anthony Hopkins wins unanimously because the role made him an iconic, bankable movie star and remains endlessly imitated and referenced.
In the discussion (2)
- Three participants explicitly choose Hopkins.
- The rationale distinguishes Foster’s deserved Oscar from Hopkins’s career-transforming cultural impact.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Anthony Hopkins
- Speaker not identified
- Anthony Hopkins
- Speaker not identified
- Anthony Hopkins
The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location
Roger Ebert's review
Most Rewatchable Scene
The most "year the movie came out" thing
What’s Aged the Best?
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film
What’s Aged the Worst?
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
Is There a Better Title for This Movie?
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
Apex Mountain
Cruise or Hanks?
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
Is This Movie Better With…?
Just One Oscar
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson
Who Won the Movie?