Jun 17, 2015

My Hannibal Experience


I've been wanting to write this post
for a while, but just didn't get around to doing it until now.


HANNIBAL.


Oh my goodness gracious...
where to begin?

Rewind to my teen years.
Ah, those glorious carefree days when I could eat all the junk food I wanted 
and never gain a pound!!! Where were we?  Oh yes. Sorry- got distracted there.
Like many folks, I was first introduced to the character Hannibal Lecter 
by watching "Silence of the Lambs" when I was 16 years old.
 Anthony Hopkins was amazing.  I was horrified and intrigued by the 
entire movie. It stuck with me for a long time.


"Hello, Clarisse..."
Eeeek! *Freaked out squeal while hiding behind a pillow*


I haven't watched the other films
in which Hopkins portrays Dr. Cannibal Lecter.
Maybe I will someday.

*      *      *      *     *


When I heard that our dear Richard
had been cast in a role in the Hannibal TV series...
I was excited for him, yet disappointed because I wanted to avoid
being sucked into the world of Lecter again.
It's just a creepy place, and I'm a wuss!

On a wussy scale of 1 to 10, I am a 9.  Solid 9.


I thought, "Sorry, babe... I'm gonna sit this one out.
Call me when you decide to do some smexy period piece again."





But then...



I stood.
Sit the hell down, Richard!!!
Don't you know I avoid viewing anything
too suspenseful/creepy/horrific???


Actually, I DID sit there, but I was bored one
April night and decided to check out Hannibal on Amazon Prime.
(Damn you, AP, it's partially your fault!)


I watched the first episode and was like:
I'm scerrrred!
The blood!  The gore!  The creepy deer antlers!

(I know I use the word "creepy" a lot in this post.)
The cannibal cooking!  How in the heck are they allowed
to show this kind of stuff on prime time TV?
This is like Rated R material.  I guess TV ratings aren't
so strict these days.


I knew the show would be suspenseful and scary.
I guess it didn't help that I watched episode 1 late at night,
in the dark while it was raining outside.
*cue daunting background music*

I was a little bit traumatized and decided
I wouldn't continue watching the series.  Too-da-loo, handsome
Will Graham 
and sexy, yet menacing Hannibal Lecter!


A month later, I watched episode 2.
I don't know why I decided to give it another try, but I did.
I'm glad because Hannibal is a wonderfully written and acted show.
One of the best I've ever seen.  Yes, there are many chilling
events that take place.  Yes, I may want to pee my pants
at times... but once you get past that (just change your undies,
you'll be fine), the real meat of the story (sorry... shouldn't mention
meat, should I?) are the dynamics between Will, Hannibal and at
times, Jack Crawford.  Very enthralling!

Side note:
I can't help but wonder if I became desensitized
to the shocking murder scenes after the first few episodes?
(That is a topic for another post, I guess.)

I knew I liked actor Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal)
after seeing him in "A Royal Affair"
and Hugh Dancy (Will) in many films,
but wow.  They are better than ever in this series.

So, if you are like me, as in a Wimpy McWimpkins,
and too afraid to view Hannibal... just give it a try.
If it's too much for you to handle, I understand.
But you may find yourself watching another episode,
and then another, sitting on the edge of your seat, 
wondering what will happen next!

I ended up loving Season 1 and 
enjoyed Season 2 even more.  Hopefully
Season 3 will surpass them both!
Awesome cast.  I can't wait to see Richard join them!
(Well, some of them... *sniff*)
Don't be too scary, Richard!


Now...
I have a bone to pick (get it?) with Dr. Lecter.

Why can't he just make a freaking hamburger and fries!?
I mean, he has to be all fancy-shmancy all the time, making 
dishes nobody has ever heard of before.

If he tried to serve me "Langue d’agneau en papillotte
served with a sauce of duxelles and oyster mushrooms"

I'd know right then and there he was a sick bastard. 
Ew.

Just no.
I guess I don't have a refined palate.


8 comments:

Servetus said...

Love those Armitage posters. Does squatting count? lol.

I'm amazed this stuff can be shown on tv, too.

Hjw2707 said...

Brilliant post :-) And brilliant choice of illustrations :D

Joanna said...

LOL! Everything sounds better when you say so. I'll give it another try,Nat :)
Maybe it's good that some of those pictures (and sounds) makes me sick...I should loose some weight,you know ;)

Nat at RA FanBlog said...

Serv, thanks for the link to this post on your blog. :)
This is the bloodiest TV show I've ever seen. It keeps shocking me, but I'm not grossed out like I was at first because I've come to expect to be freaked out. If it were all gore and nothing else, I wouldn't watch, but the incredible acting with the mind games and intelligent dialog, along with the good old fashioned suspense is what has me hooked now,

Thank you, Hjw2707

Joanna, no guarantees that's you'll end up enjoying it like me, but there's a chance you'll get hooked if you give it another try. Hannibal is the only show I've watched that I don't crave a snack while viewing. :) In fact, I am tempted to become a vegetarian every time I watch! Ha!

Mulubinba said...

Ha, ha. yes ... I became 'Hooked on Hannibal' too Nat ... but we still are not up to the Red Dragon episodes in Oz. More importantly I just dropped over to wish this blog a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Can you believe we have been in this game for six years?? (I started blogging on about August 5th 2009, and thought I was on my own until suddenly there was a comment from you on one of my posts). Spooks Fan Blog and Reviewerama were there with us for a while too.

Hope all is well with you
x
Mulubinba

Phylly3 said...

Hi Nat!
I was just like you, not ready to watch Hannibal at all! But I did finally give in, for the same reasons. I haven't finished season 1 yet - I need to be in the right mood -- and that isn't very often!
I can't say I am "enjoying" season 3 but as I MUST watch everything with our man in it - I certain do appreciate his performance.

lg said...

تستخدم شركة مكافحة حشرات بالاحساء أفضل المبيدات الحشرية التي أخذت تصريحا من وزارة الصحة بأن يتم استخدامها إذا أنها لا تؤثر على الإنسان بشكل سلبي لذا فلا يوجد أي ضرر منها على الأطفال

افكار ونصائح فى تنظيف المنزل ومكافحة الحشرات said...

شركة تعقيم منازل في عجمان
شركة تعقيم في الشارقة
شركة تعقيم دبي
شركة تعقيم في راس الخيمة