THE MOST compelling villains embody an unnerving duality: they attract almost as much as they repel. From the moment Hannibal Lecter appeared in “Red Dragon”, a psychological-horror novel of 1981, ...

But rewatching The Silence of the Lambs this week, just days before its 35th anniversary, completely changed my mind. The gore (which, again, is pretty mild by today's standards) still didn't faze me.

I know it's a little early in the day, but think about having an old friend for dinner tonight, with fava beans... (SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS") ANTHONY HOPKINS: (As Hannibal Lecter) ...

He will have you for dinner: what is it about an unapologetic cannibal that so captured readers and audiences? NPR's Scott Simon talks with Brian Raftery about his new book, "Hannibal Lecter: A Life." ...