Wow, I do believe that Night of the Hunter is one of the best films I have seen

[TVC15]

How did this puppy slip by me?  I should have come across this a long time ago, not while exploring the limits of cinema.  I know I have heard of it before, but I probably thought "shitty scifi" based on the title.

As someone that watchs a lot of films, I can safely say that aside from technique and technology, this film is still as good as it ever was.  No caveats.  This is a fucking insanely great movie!  FUCK!

[Smooth Groove]

What's so great about this movie?  Is it the type of movie that is so bad that it's good?

[TVC15]

What's so great about this movie?  Is it the type of movie that is so bad that it's good?

No, it is really fucking good.  If you like noirs, you would probably like it.  It has a rather noir-y plot, although the visuals are more naturalistic than most noirs.

I don't want to say too much about it--I am hoping to inspire people to watch it, plus some things in this movie have been heavily ripped off ("love" and "hate" tattooed on the knuckles?  That's from here).  If you dig classic movies, you gotta see this!  I have to assume this movie isn't very common knowledge.

[The Fake Shemp]

The Robert Mitchum movie?  That's pretty well known, dude.

[TVC15]

The Robert Mitchum movie?  That's pretty well known, dude.

I know I've heard of it, but like I said, I probably assumed it was a shitty genre flick.  I'm willing to wager there are a significant amount of others that are either in the same boat, or haven't heard of it at all.

[Smooth Groove]

Thanks for bringing up this movie.  It gave me the idea for the title of my 1st film:Night of the MILF Hunter.

[Ichirou]

How did this puppy slip by me?  I should have come across this a long time ago, not while exploring the limits of cinema.  I know I have heard of it before, but I probably thought "shitty scifi" based on the title.

As someone that watchs a lot of films, I can safely say that aside from technique and technology, this film is still as good as it ever was.  No caveats.  This is a fucking insanely great movie!  FUCK!

You'd never seen Night of the Hunter?

lol noob

[Ichirou]

Did you know the reason Charles S. Laughton never directed another movie is because Night of the Hunter initially got negative reviews?  Critics are such ASSHOLES.

Also, it's a pretty famous movie so I'm surprised you'd never heard of it.  It's covered extensively in nearly all the books on film noir I've read.  Heck, the LOVE/HATE image is the cover of the Film Noir book from Taschen.

[TVC15]

Did you know the reason Charles S. Laughton never directed another movie is because Night of the Hunter initially got negative reviews?  Critics are such ASSHOLES.

Also, it's a pretty famous movie so I'm surprised you'd never heard of it.  It's covered extensively in nearly all the books on film noir I've read.  Heck, the LOVE/HATE image is the cover of the Film Noir book from Taschen.

As I have said, and reiterated, I am fairly positive I have heard of it before, but I probably wrote it off immediately after hearing the title.  I don't read books on film (criticism. . .note that I do read a bit on photography, video, and the production aspects of things), either.  I find reading about art to be contrary to its purpose.  If you have read something, your opinion has already been unduly influenced because you know what check boxes and important tidbits you are supposed to look for in the piece.  I would rather experience things cleanly than experience them in the most efficient manner.

When it comes to reading crit, I try to keep things light.  I have the scaffolding to read things well; anything from this point on is usually extraneous. 

[Ichirou]

You're the last person I'd expect to advocate not reading about a subject that interests you.  I love books on film, be they histories or criticisms or analysis.  It's thanks to those books that I've been able to find out about films such as Night of the Hunter (lol) as well as excellent B-noirs such as The Dark Corner and Detour.

[Eric P]

i can't believe you hadn't seen this before

have you seen carnival of souls?

[TVC15]

You're the last person I'd expect to advocate not reading about a subject that interests you.  I love books on film, be they histories or criticisms or analysis.  It's thanks to those books that I've been able to find out about films such as Night of the Hunter (lol) as well as excellent B-noirs such as The Dark Corner and Detour.

I like experiencing things clean.  I'll read contemporary reviews and the like, but I try to keep the archive of info as clean as possible, at least for movies.  I checked out this flick because it was on top of someone's list at The AV Club the other week, so I figured what the heck.

Yes, I have seen Carnival of Souls.  Pretty neat movie.

[Phoenix Dark]

Mitchum chasing the kiddies upstairs in Frankenstein pose always cracks me up

And for a 1955 it sure has a lot of violence. Lots of women get what's coming to them

[Tauntaun]

Mitchum chasing the kiddies upstairs in Frankenstein pose always cracks me up

And for a 1955 it sure has a lot of violence. Lots of women get what's coming to them

I likes me some Mitchum.   and 

[Ichirou]

You're the last person I'd expect to advocate not reading about a subject that interests you.  I love books on film, be they histories or criticisms or analysis.  It's thanks to those books that I've been able to find out about films such as Night of the Hunter (lol) as well as excellent B-noirs such as The Dark Corner and Detour.

I like experiencing things clean.  I'll read contemporary reviews and the like, but I try to keep the archive of info as clean as possible, at least for movies.  I checked out this flick because it was on top of someone's list at The AV Club the other week, so I figured what the heck.

Yes, I have seen Carnival of Souls.  Pretty neat movie.

I should start another film recommendations thread.