00:00This video is brought to you by Locked, starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in the
00:07ultimate horror-thriller.
00:09Only in theaters March 21st.
00:10Oh, Agent Starling, you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool?
00:15Welcome to WatchMojo, and in honor of the horror-thriller Locked, starring Bill Skarsgård
00:20and Anthony Hopkins, we're pitting their iconic horror villains Pennywise the Dancing Clown
00:24and Dr. Hannibal Lecter against each other.
00:27There will be a few spoilers for the It and Hannibal movies.
00:31Popcorn!
00:32Is that your favorite?
00:33Uh-huh.
00:34I do!
00:35Round one, backstory.
00:40Underneath the ghastly makeup, Pennywise is something far more complex, an extraterrestrial
00:46entity that can take on a shape specifically tailored for its petrified prey.
00:50Of course, a creepy clown will usually do the trick, being It's go-to form.
00:55Arriving in Derry, Maine, millions of years ago, the creature made its presence known
00:59with the arrival of humans, feeding on their fears.
01:01They showed me the past.
01:03Showed me the way it appeared to them.
01:13It then retreats into hibernation, with the cycle repeated roughly every 27 years.
01:18While its backstory sounds complicated, there's a simplicity to the creature's motivations
01:22and the universal fears it embodies.
01:25Although its true form is clouded in mystery, the deadlights provide a glimpse of this pure
01:29evil.
01:30If you don't believe, close and see.
01:40While some versions of Hannibal Lecter provide deep dives into his backstory, Hopkins' tenure
01:44mainly focuses on his life post-arrest.
02:00When audiences first met the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs, Lecter was already
02:05incarcerated.
02:06Yet, it's clear from his manner of speech that Lecter is a brilliant psychologist with
02:10a vast understanding of the human psyche.
02:33He may seem civilized if it weren't for the whole cannibalism thing.
02:36Lecter's cultured charm and status in high society allowed him to elude the authorities,
02:41even working with the FBI as a consultant.
02:44As seen at the beginning of Red Dragon, only one suspected Lecter, leading to his imprisonment,
02:50temporarily.
02:51When it comes to Pennywise and Lecter, the less you know, the scarier.
03:09Although we're given a fair deal of information about their origins, there's an unknown element
03:13to Pennywise that makes the clown all the more terrifying.
03:20As such, it takes this round.
03:24Round 2, Dynamics with the Heroes.
03:27Pennywise likes to play with our heroes before striking.
03:30Sometimes it might even strike up a friendly conversation, luring them into a false sense
03:34of security.
03:47The creature will show its true colors sooner than later, however.
03:51Pennywise terrorizes each member of the Losers Club, but the clown's dynamic with Bill Denbrough
03:55feels the most personal, having killed his little brother.
04:04To each self-proclaimed loser, though, Pennywise is the epitome of childhood trauma, which
04:09carries into adulthood.
04:11After defeating Pennywise once, the Losers vow to return if it ever resurfaces.
04:17When that inevitably happens, the wounds of the past are ripped back open, having never
04:21truly healed.
04:38Bill Graham is the FBI agent who initially put Lecter behind bars.
04:57Years later, Graham finds himself stuck between an incarcerated Lecter and another serial
05:01killer, the Tooth Fairy.
05:03To catch one monster, Graham turns to Lecter.
05:06The Doctor walks a fine line between friend and foe, manipulating matters even when locked
05:11up.
05:15The same can be said about his relationship with Clarice Starling, who's tracking down
05:19Buffalo Bill.
05:20Lecter is less threatening toward Clarice.
05:23You might say he's infatuated with her, which is equally creepy.
05:27Following the Doctor's advice, Clarice catches Bill, but Lecter escapes, sending the FBI
05:33agent on another manhunt.
05:44Between these two killers, Lecter's dynamics with the heroes possess deeper layers.
05:49Part of that is because he spends much of the movies talking to them behind glass.
05:53That might not sound scary, but when Hannibal Lecter is doing the talking, every word creeps
05:57up your spine like a spider.
06:06Point Lecter.
06:07Winner, Hannibal Lecter.
06:14If Hannibal and Pennywise give you the creeps, check out Locked from producer Sam Raimi.
06:19Starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins, Locked is the ultimate horror thriller, only
06:24in theaters March 21st.
06:32Round 3.
06:33Fear Factor.
06:34In addition to more conventional monsters like zombies, witches, and naturally clowns,
06:39it takes on forms with close ties to victims.
06:54In Bill's case, it's his late brother Georgie, symbolizing the guilt that eats away at him.
06:59To that degree, it mixes psychological dread with the supernatural, making our worst fears
07:04manifest into a physical form.
07:09It needs to frighten and kill to endure.
07:12Based on Pennywise's over-the-top antics though, you also get the sense that it enjoys spreading
07:17misery.
07:18Thus, this isn't just about survival.
07:21The children of Derry are a banquet, and Pennywise is all too happy to feast upon them.
07:31In The Silence of the Lambs, Frederic Chilton describes what Lecter did to a nurse, showing
07:35Clarice a photo.
07:40Although we don't see the picture, Chilton's words and the look on Clarice's face paint
07:44a grisly image in our heads.
07:47The film is a true feat of suspense, largely relying on the power of suggestion.
08:03Lecter might be locked up for much of the story, yet it still feels as if he has a grasp
08:07on everybody in his orbit.
08:09He's a puppet master waiting for the precise moment to strike.
08:13When he does, Lecter lives up to his reputation, proving himself to be equally crafty and grotesque.
08:26The unknown will always be unnerving, but the older we get, the more we fear evil grounded
08:32in reality.
08:33In this case, that's definitely Lecter.
08:35Another point with some fava beans.
08:41As Pennywise, it may lure the innocent with a goofy grin and promises of fun, eventually
08:50leaning in for a bite.
08:58Every scare is an extravagant production, although some might question why Pennywise
09:02takes its time when going straight for the kill seems more practical.
09:05The hunt is just as integral, however.
09:20The longer a potential victim spends marinating in fear, the more gratifying and appetizing
09:25the murder will be.
09:26Pennywise can act through others as well, influencing vulnerable souls like Henry Bowers
09:31to carry out its bidding.
09:35The more people who believe in Pennywise, the more powerful it becomes.
09:40Like Pennywise, Hannibal Lecter brings showmanship to the murders he commits.
09:53Killing isn't enough to satisfy his literal hunger.
09:56He prefers to eat his victims, although he doesn't just gobble up their brains like
10:00some kind of animal.
10:02Lecter will prepare them into a meal that, as much as we hate to admit it, looks appetizing
10:06assuming you don't know the ingredients.
10:11He'll dress formally for the occasion as well.
10:19Even when making an escape with the clock ticking, Lecter relishes in the lives he takes
10:23along the way, decorating the crime scene with their bodies while listening to classical
10:27music.
10:31Although both killers get high marks for presentation, its ability to alter shape opens the door
10:36to more creative possibilities.
10:38That's a point for Pennywise.
10:46Winner – Pennywise
10:50Bill Skarsgård had big clown shoes to fill as Pennywise, following in the footsteps of
10:55Tim Curry.
11:01Whereas Curry's Pennywise leaned more into the clown angle, Skarsgård upped the stairs.
11:05That's not to say Skarsgård's Pennywise is lacking in humor.
11:09The minute the viewer hears that whimsically sinister voice, their instinct is to uncomfortably
11:14laugh in horror.
11:33We can't think of a more fitting sentiment for a killer clown.
11:35Beyond the voice, Skarsgård brings boundless energy to the role, proving emotive even when
11:41hidden under layers of makeup.
11:43Pennywise was already a horror icon, but Skarsgård solidified himself as the definitive dancing
11:48clown.
11:56Just as Skarsgård wasn't the first actor to play Pennywise, Brian Cox portrayed Hannibal
12:00Lecter before Anthony Hopkins sank his teeth into the role.
12:12That said, Hopkins ate up the part, not even leaving a crumb behind.
12:17Hopkins balanced wit, sophistication, and terror as Hannibal the Cannibal, convincingly
12:21going from a well-spoken gentleman to an unhinged madman in an instant.
12:31Although Lecter isn't on screen for long, Hopkins casts a shadow that looms over every
12:36picture he's in.
12:37The shadow has extended to other portrayals of Lecter.
12:41While there have been worthy successors to the role, Hopkins' Oscar-winning performance
12:45remains the one to beat.
12:51Both of these performances have already gone down as two of the scariest in cinema.
12:56However, Hopkins didn't just set a gold standard for Hannibal Lecter.
12:59He raised the bar for movie villains, and few, if any, have come close to leaving the
13:04same impact.
13:05Lecter takes this round for the win.
13:11Winner – Hannibal Lecter
13:13Do you think Pennywise could scar Hannibal Lecter, or vice versa?
13:17Are you looking forward to seeing Skarsgård and Hopkins in Locked?
13:20Let us know in the comments.
13:25This video is brought to you by Locked, starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in the
13:29ultimate horror-thriller, only in theaters March 21st.
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