6th: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Based on Thomas Harris’ novel, The Silence of the Lambs is a thriller with horror elements centered on Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a psychiatrist who loves the taste of human flesh. Hannibal is asked to help Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in finding a missing woman kidnapped by a gruesome psychopath serial killer, as the FBI agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) believes that Hannibal is the only one smart enough and with a mind so dark that he could find Buffalo Bill. But what seems only a professional job, transforms into a wicked relationship between Clarice and Lecter which leads Clarice to also confront her inner demons.
Hannibal (2001)
After escaping from the asylum in the previous movie, Hannibal goes to hide in Italy. But back in the USA, one of Hannibal’s former victims who survived his sick attack, a rich spoiled child molester named Mason Verger, left paralyzed and disfigured, is not looking for revenge. And his pawn is no one else but Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore).
Therefore, Hannibal finds himself obliged to return despite risking getting caught again or fed to a herd of wild boars. In this movie it can be found the controversial scene with Hannibal cutting a slice of Krendler’s brain and feeding the man his own flesh.
Red Dragon (2002)
Anthony Hopkins returns once more as Hannibal Lecter in Red Dragon. Three years before the events of this movie, the FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) was aided by Dr. Hannibal Lecter to find and catch the Chesapeake Ripper, who was Hannibal himself. The cannibal did not hesitate hurting Graham. Now retired, Will is asked once more to investigate a criminal who kills a family every full moon. Despite his emotional and psychological scars, Will accepts, but unfortunately for him, he has to turn to Hannibal for his help.
The Prequel (2007)
In 2007, Hannibal returned with a new old story – the story of his past, of his formation. Unlike the original trilogy, here the very intelligent criminal is portrayed not by Anthony Hopkins, but by the French actor Gaspar Uriel. The film introduces Hannibal as an 8 year old boy running away with his parents and sisters from the Nazis.
But a turn of fate makes the Lecter spouses die in an explosion and soon their daughter is killed and eaten by former militiamen in front of the young Hannibal. Now traumatized and orphaned, Hannibal escapes Lithuania for France where he meets with his widowed aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li) and starts plotting his revenge against those who killed his family.
5th: Back to the Future (1985)
Steven Spielberg’s comic science fiction production starring Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson is centred on the teen aspiring musician Marty McFly (Fox). One night, Marty meets his friend “Doc” Brown (Lloyd), a scientist, who unveils his new creation – a time travelling machine. Travelling from 1985 back to 1955, Marty alters the past to change the future so that his father turns from a bullied man to a successful one, his bully into his subordinate and his mother is not an alcoholic overweight woman.
Back to the Future II (1989)
The second instalment of the Back to the Future trilogy follows our characters in another time travel, this time from 1985 to 2015 (a 1980s version of 2015) to help Marty and his girlfriend’s future children. But while they try to save the future, their past is getting ruined.
A 2015 self of Biff, Marty’s bully, travels through time and changes everyone’s destinies. So when Marty goes back to 1985, he finds out that nothing is as he remembers. His father was killed a decade before and his mother married Biff who became wealthy and corrupt. Now Marty has to travel again to 1955 to save everyone from Biff’s machinations.
Back to the Future III (1990)
Unlike its predecessors, this movie has Western influences. This time, after succeeding in saving everyone from the 1985 timeline, Marty finds himself in more trouble, as Doc disappears after being struck by a lightning. So he goes to the Doc’s 1955 self. With Doc assumed to have been killed by Biff’s ancestor Buford Tanner, a crazed gunman. With a budget of $40 million and a worldwide earning of $244.5 million, the final part of the Back to the Future trilogy was considered a true commercial success.
Video Games
Due to its large success and popularity, various games based on this trilogy were released on console – such as Back to the Future, Back to the Future Part II & III, Super Back to the Future Part II by Nintendo and Back to the Future II and III by Sega Master System, on computer – Back to the Future and Back to the Future Adventure released by Pony Canyon, Back to the Future: Hill Valley, a mod for Grand Theft Auto and Back to the Future: The Game released by Telltale Interactive in 5 episodes.
In 19990, Date East Pinball made a pinball machine game based on the movie and entitled Back to the Future… The Pinball, while in 2006 International Fame Technology released the video slot machine Back to the Future Video Slots.
4th: The Matrix (1999)
Written and directed by The Wachowskis and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss and Hugo Weaving, The Matrix depicts a dystopian world in which the reality perceived by most people is actually simulated. The main lead is Thomas A. Anderson (Reeves), also known by the alias Neo. Neo is a computer programmer and hacker who gets contacted by Morpheus (Fishburne), a legendary hacker. Morpheus awakens Neo to the actual real world which is in the hands of a race of machines which has captured the humans in the Matrix. Now it is up to Neo to rebel against the machines and save the humans from annihilation.
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
Six months after the events from the first film, more people have been saved from the Matrix and brought to Zion. Neo discovers his new superpowers such as his super speed and the ability to see codes from the Matrix. But things are never truly fine and the Resistance finds out that machine sentinels are on their way to Zion. With Zion preparing for war and Agent Smith more powerful than ever, Neo, Morpheus and Trinity have to battle against their enemies.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
The machine army is still making its way towards Zion and Neo is trapped in the “Train Station” because of his power to free his mind from his body in the real world. Agent Smith is also still on Neo’s traces as he is the only remaining hope. So, after Neo is finally rescued, Neo ventures into the Matrix to save everyone, but with a huge price.
Unique
When people say Matrix, they cannot help it thinking about the visual effect “bullet time”. But the Matrix trilogy itself is a mixture of styles and themes which made it unique in the cinematic universe. An example of the cyberpunk science fiction genre, the trilogy contains motifs borrowed from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The producers were also inspired by the Japanese animation and martial arts films.