Michael Gildea (mjgildea)

Night Tide Unrated

Dennis Hopper plays a combination of the world's biggest rube and possibly the world's most annoyingly desperate sailor who falls for a girl who may or may not be a psychopathic mermaid. The cinematography has a certain charm and I like Night Tide for that reason alone, but the dialogue and story are cheesy and forced. The score was enjoyable in a weird way, but it definitely didn't fit this movie. The massage scene was unintentionally hilarious and full of double entendres. Do not watch this movie before 1AM on a Friday or Saturday night for the full effect. If nothing else it sets a reasonably great atmosphere. Don't expect anything and you may enjoy it.

Dillinger Unrated

A great gangster film.

The Night of the Hunter PG

I don't know how to convey the incredible magnificence of Night of the Hunter without coming across like a complete and total lunatic. First, it is a shame of biblical proportions that this was the only movie that Charles Laughton ever made. The man accomplished more in one movie than many directors ever pull off in their entire careers. The look of this movie is like a hellish fairy tale being told in a film noir setting. One of the most amazing-looking movies ever! Then you've got the performance of Robert Mitchum's career. (I would've like to have seen more of a fight out of him at the end but for the story's sake I'm kind of glad there wasn't...) I'm ashamed of myself for not liking this movie when I first saw it and am eternally thankful that Criterion re released it.

On the Waterfront Unrated

If this isn't a perfect movie, I don't know what is. On the Waterfront spares any glossiness that other classic Hollywood movies were pitching and just drenches the audience in humanity. This movie's characters' likability is merely incidental and despite what you may think of Elia Kazan, he knocked this one out of the park. The cast is amazing and everything just came together with this one. Absolutely essential...