Will latest Lecter film fall back into favor?

There wasn’t much of a theatrical appetite for “Hannibal Rising” -- Thomas Harris’ prequel to “Red Dragon” and “Silence of the Lambs” -- when it opened earlier this year. The grisly horror film took in just $27.7 million domestically -- compare that with 1991’s “Silence of the Lambs,” which made $130.7 million; 2001’s “Hannibal,” which took in $165.1 million; and 2002’s “Red Dragon,” which earned $93.1 million.

Now we’ll see if viewers at home have more interest in learning about the early years of everyone’s favorite cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. An unrated edition of the film arrives today on DVD (Weinstein Co., $30), exploring how this sweet young boy developed a taste for humans, Chianti and fava beans. Gaspard Ulliel of “A Very Long Engagement” plays the young Hanny.

The extras include a by-the-numbers production featurette, a look at the production design, deleted scenes and commentary from director Peter Webber and producer Martha De Laurentiis.

Julian Goldberger’s “The Hawk Is Dying” (Strand, $25), also out today, is pretty rough going. The drama, which had the briefest of theatrical releases this year, is based on Harry Crews’ novel about a working-class Florida man (Paul Giamatti) who, after a family tragedy, becomes obsessed with taming a beautiful red-tail hawk. Michelle Williams, Michael Pitt and Rusty Schwimmer also star in this offbeat, bleak tale.

Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell became fast friends in college while studying abroad in Indonesia. But when their post- college Web marketing jobs got the best of these aspiring filmmakers, they quit their positions, formed a production company and began work on “10 mph: Seattle to Boston” (Spinning Blue, $20), a quirky documentary chronicling their cross-country road trip on a two-wheeled Segway scooter. The DVD includes a gag reel, deleted scenes and homespun commentary from Weeks and Caldwell.

Also new

“The Naked Civil Servant” (BBC Warner, $20): John Hurt won a British Academy of Film and Television Award for his audacious, bravura performance in this landmark 1975 TV adaptation of gay icon Quentin Crisp’s first volume of his autobiography. Born Denis Pratt on Christmas Day in 1908, Crisp consistently suffered abuse and rejection as an openly gay man in an era that had little tolerance for homosexuals.

His autobiography began as a radio interview in 1964 by Crisp’s friend Philip O’Connor. A managing director of a publishing firm heard the flamboyant Crisp and commissioned him to write his story. The book was not successful, but the film was such a critical and audience hit that Crisp became a celebrity.

The DVD features a clip of the real Crisp talking on a TV show about British and American manners and nostalgic commentary with Hurt, director Jack Gold and executive producer Verity Lambert.

“The Lost Language of Cranes” (BBC Warner, $20): Sexually frank 1991 British TV movie adaptation of David Leavitt’s acclaimed novel about a middle-age married man (Brian Cox) who has been hiding his homosexuality for years. After his son (Angus Macfadyen) confesses that he’s gay, the man decides it’s time for him to come out of the closet. Eileen Atkins and Corey Parker also star.

susan.king@latimes.com