Manhunter (1986)

Former FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial killer dubbed "the Tooth Fairy" by the media.

Director:

Michael Mann

Writers:

Thomas Harris (based on the book "Red Dragon" by), Michael Mann (screenplay by)

Stars:

William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Petersen	...	Will Graham
Kim Greist	...	Molly Graham
Joan Allen	...	Reba McClane
Brian Cox	...	Dr. Hannibal Lecktor
Dennis Farina	...	Jack Crawford
Tom Noonan	...	Francis Dollarhyde
Stephen Lang	...	Freddy Lounds
David Seaman	...	Kevin Graham
Benjamin Hendrickson	...	Dr. Frederick Chilton
Michael Talbott	...	Geehan
Dan Butler	...	Jimmy Price (as Dan E. Butler)
Michele Shay	...	Beverly Katz
Robin Moseley	...	Sarah
Paul Perri	...	Dr. Sidney Bloom
Patricia Charbonneau	...	Mrs. Sherman

Storyline

Will Graham (William Petersen) is a former F.B.I. Agent who recently retired to Florida with his wife Molly (Kim Greist) and their young son, Kevin (David Seaman). Graham was a "profiler", one who profiles criminal's behavior and tries to put his mind into the minds of criminals to examine their thoughts while visiting crime scenes. Will is called out of his self-imposed retirement at the request of his former boss Jack Crawford (Dennis Farina) to help the F.B.I. catch an elusive serial killer, known to the press as the "Tooth Fairy" (Tom Noonan), who randomly kills whole families in their houses during nights of the full moon and leaves bite marks on his victims. To try to search for clues to get into the mind of the killer, Will has occasional meetings with Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox), a charismatic, but very dangerous imprisoned serial killer that Will captured years earlier which nearly drove him insane from the horrific encounter that nearly cost Will's life. With some help ...

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Plot Keywords:

serial killer | hannibal lecter | neo noir | profiler | fbi agent | 

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Taglines:

Enter the mind of a serial killer... you may never come back.

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Genres:

Crime | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Did You Know?

Trivia

In the book "Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris, Will Graham's son is named Willy. In Red Dragon (2002), Graham's son is named Josh. In this movie, his name is Kevin.

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Goofs

Merchandise behind Will Graham in grocery store during conversation with his son.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jack Crawford: We should have talked at the boatyard. You don't wanna talk about it here.
Will Graham: I'm not fallin' all over myself to talk about much anywhere, Jack.

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Alternate Versions

The new Michael Mann approved "restored director's cut" DVD from Anchor Bay is missing the scene with Graham and Dr. Chilton before Graham goes to talk with Lecktor. In the scene Chilton explains a few rules about Lecktor, and then inquires about how Graham caught Lecktor through his thoughts. It is unknown whether or not director Mann intended for this scene to be left out, or if he couldn't find the film elements. This scene is in the original Anchor Bay director's cut on VHS tape and on the second disc of the Limited Edition set. The earlier director's cut appears to be from tape source elements which Mann put together.

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Connections

Featured in Manhunter: The Mind of Madness - An Interview with William Petersen (2016)

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Soundtracks

HEARTBEAT
Performed by Red 7
Courtesy of MCA RECORDS, INC.
Written by Michael Becker and Gene Stashuk
Published by COLGEMS-EMI MUSIC, INC. AND SHE SAID MUSIC

User Reviews

Excellent movie. Great story with great performances.

I'm big fan of this movie. At the time of its release it didn't have a lot of star power, so it's impressive that it succeeds in spite of that. All of the actors were perfectly cast.

There's a lot of realism in this film. It doesn't try to tell a story with expensive actors and special effects. It brings you in with a great storyline, engrossing score and brilliant use of colors and visuals.

This movie holds up very well and is an all time classic.

Details

Official Sites:

-excerpt from this film -excerpt from this film

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blutmond

Filming Locations:

Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,204,400, 17 August 1986

Gross USA:

$8,620,929

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,620,929

Company Credits

Production Co:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), Red Dragon Productions S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 124 min (director's cut) 85 min (video)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1