Sightings of the Lampoons
Hannibal Lecter, a wonderful man from the emptied insane asylum, has friends for dinner. Congratulations!
Today we are watching a snippet from the 1991 psychological horror thriller Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Demme with the screenplay adapted by Ted Tally from the book of the same name by Thomas Harris. The movie stars Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins as the imprisoned serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter whom Clarice consults in her mission to find another serial killer, Buffalo Bill (played by Ted Levine). In this scene, Clarice first meets Dr. Lecter and tries to charm him into revealing some insights about the criminal she is hunting, but the doctor quickly figures out her motives and dismisses her. On the off chance you haven’t had an opportunity to see the film yet, I’ll leave you to discover what happens next.
As far as creepy character introductions go, this scene where we first meet Hannibal Lecter is one of the most effective ever set to film. Of course the acting, music and lighting design help sell the unsettled psychological atmosphere, but the scene staging really nails the vibe. The scene is set at the fictional Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. A sense of foreboding sets upon the viewer as agent Starling approaches the entrance, revealing the building exterior.
Most of the cinematic photography for the movie took place in and around Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The building chosen to represent the exterior of the fictional criminal hospital was the was the Administration Building of the Western Center. This structure was part of a former mental hospital in Canonsburg, about 15 miles south of Pittsburgh and had been abandoned when the movie was filmed. It was named a historic landmark, but the building was demolished in 2011.
The interior shots of the hallway and cells were filmed at the Old Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh, PA. This building is now a museum, with some of the old cells maintained for visitor viewings.
The current jail facility is located nearby and has since been modernized.
Wikipedia: The Silence of the Lambs (film)
Movie-Locations.com: The Silence of the Lambs | 1991
Film Oblivion: Filming Locations – The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Oh Martini, what a wonderful commentary on the state of things. The NYT and DonOLD are living in the same "reality". I had seen this movie many times before I realized the actor playing Buffalo Bill was the same guy who played the captain on Monk. That is acting. Thanks Martini.
That's one super-creepy gif, but at least it's from the one scene in SotL I didn't loathe.
I may have been the only person in the Western world who didn't love that flick!