Critic's Pick — Weekend Classics: 'The Silence of the Lambs'

As the Oscars slowly become more accepting of horror movies — last year alone saw two of the four acting prizes go to actors in horror films — let’s take a moment to honor the true trailblazer: Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs. The iconic adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel is one of just three films in Academy Awards history (alongside fellow masterworks It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) to take home an Oscar in each of the Big Five categories — Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress and Screenplay. Before I hear any of you shout “But it’s not a horror movie!” consider these two points: 1. A film can be both a horror movie and a thriller; and 2. a cannibalistic serial killer crucifies a prison guard (in a scene set in Memphis!). I think that’s grounds for inclusion. Watch screen legends Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster go toe to toe, hopefully with a nice glass of Chianti, at the Belcourt this weekend. For showtimes, visit belcourt.org.

Oct. 3-4 at the Belcourt

2102 Belcourt Ave.