A Nice Chianti

Hannibal Lecter is an official pop culture icon.

People know him even if they haven't devoured any of the four books, four movies, Hannibal TV show, or known anyone devoured by the doctor himself. There's even a Hannibal Lecter mask for sale at Wal-Mart. You don't get much bigger than that, although we sure hope you have to show ID to buy it. And how about a Hello-Kitty-as-Hannibal- Lecter decal?

You know, for the kids.

The film doesn't have fans that watch it scores of times, shouting dialogue at the screen or organizing conventions. It's just not that kind of movie. Watching the film is work; it's not something you can do except occasionally. But there's a fan-fiction website with thousands of entries, that shows the power of the film's psychological dimensions—there's just so much to explore and imagine in the characters of Lecter and Clarice.

Because Hannibal Lecter is such a distinctive character who haunts everyone's dreams, he's been parodied on The Simpsons, The Simpsons, The Simpsons, and by funny man Dom Deluise of all people, making Lecter the most lovable flesh-eating serial killer of all time.