MANHUNTER
ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT has done it again.  This company has really accomplished a great deal since their first "cropped" releases four years ago!  Now, almost every one of their titles receives 16:9 enhancement, dolby digital 5.1 and often commentary!  We were ecstatic to hear that they were going to be releasing "MANHUNTER," the prequel to "SILENCE OF THE LAMBS", and even more ecstatic at hearing it would be a limited edition, complete with the "rare" director's cut, previously shown on "Cinemax" many years ago as part of their "director's cut" series.  Well, "MANHUNTER" has finally arrived, and while we have some minor issues with the presentation, we're
still very pleased with it overall! 
It's surprising to find so few people are even familiar with this film,
especially when considering the enormous success of "SILENCE OF THE LAMBS" and the interest in the upcoming "HANNIBAL."  Michael Mann's "MANHUNTER" bombed in theaters when released in 1986.  While it has won over many fans in the past 15 years, it never received the proper presentation it deserved, even on laserdisc.  The previously available laserdisc suffered from grain problems, incorrect letterboxing, and limited sound quality.   ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT has fixed "all" of these problems!
In "MANHUNTER" William Petersen plays Will Graham, a forensic
psychologist/agent for the F.B.I.  He has the unique ability to establish
the "mindset" of the serial killers he's seeking to catch. He develops the
mindset by revisiting the crime scenes, but also by interviewing the
criminal deviants he's previously captured.  This is brilliantly displayed
when he visits Hannibal Lecter.  That's right,...Hannibal Lecter!  Before
Anthony Hopkins' Oscar winning portrayal, there was another equally stunning portrayal of the famous cannibal by Brian Cox.  In fact, when this reviewer first heard "SILENCE" was being made into a film, (at one time Gene Hackman was set to direct it, not Jonathan Demme)he was hoping Cox would be back.
While Hopkins definitely gave an incredible performance, both "Lecters" are completely different and equally breathtaking to watch!  As in "SILENCE", the agent in "MANHUNTER" is seeking to get assistance from the interview with Lecter, in order to catch a serial killer just as disturbed as Lecter has proven to be.  
"MANHUNTER" clearly exhibits Mann's penchant for music video imagery, but amazingly, it works perfectly here, without ever feeling cheesy!   This is a slick film from beginning to end!  While the imagery is always incredible to watch, unlike the "MIAMI VICE" show Mann created, stunning visual compositions are never achieved at the expense of great dialogue. 
As mentioned above, the laserdisc version suffered in spots to grain and
other problems, but it generally offered excellent resolution.  At least,
that's what we thought until we viewed the THX-certified transfer.  The
opening credit sequence, in which we are seeing through the killer's eyes as he mounts the stairs to his victims' room, lacked clarity on laserdisc.
Now, it's flawless.  There's incredible detail in every scene of this
transfer!  The film is presented with the proper  2.35:1 aspect ratio and
16:9 enhancement.  Colors are solid and fleshtones appear natural throughout the film.  When comparing it to the laserdisc, the detail achieved here is quite good, however it still has room for improvement. The blacks still don't appear to be black enough!  The limited edition also includes the director's cut on its own disc in a 2 disc set.  The quality of the transfer to the director's cut suffers from excessive grain and oversaturation.  The extra footage, while brief(only 3 minutes longer) makes a great film even greater, especially in terms of the film's conclusion. This and the fact that it only offers a 2.0 mix, differing from the 5.1 offered on the theatrical version, makes its inclusion a real disappointment! 
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is a remastered track created by Chace studios from the original elements.  It's still somewhat limited in terms of
directional effects and bass, except for certain musical cues.  In fact, the
dolby surround laserdisc version offers a spectacular "fly over" sequence
with a helicopter that's completely diminished on dvd.  However, the
separation of the front speakers works well, and the surrounds are
effective, though underutilized.
The "LIMITED EDITION" offers two featurettes.  "THE LOOK OF MANHUNTER" offers viewers the chance to hear cinematographer Dante Spinotti explain his choices for compositions.  Because the imagery is so memorable in "MANHUNTER", viewers will appreciate his insight.  Another featurette, "INSIDE MANHUNTER" is an excellent featurette, featuring interviews with the cast.  English Closed Captions are included, though no subtitles or alternate language options.
The theatrical trailer is presented, although not 16:9 enhanced.  There is
also a great novelty item included in the "limited edition."  A collectible
booklet fashioned to resemble an FBI file, complete with crime-scene notes, photos and more is included within it.