Night of the Hunter

Silent, menacing, and oddly enticing all the same — this is how I’d describe the avant-garde documentary, Leviathan (USA, 2012, Cinema Guild), which puts you in the POV of a North Atlantic fishing freighter amidst a black, endless void of both nothing and anything. With neither dialogue nor narrative aside from the muffled voices of near ghostly crewman, it’s a sensory experience worth the plunge for its untraditional execution alone. Available on Fandor and iTunes.

Charles Laughton’s sole directorial venture, The Night of the Hunter (USA, 1955, United Artists), presents not only a visionary tale of cat and mouse, but also an exploration into religious hypocrisy and two-faced societal figureheads. Shot to near perfection and masterfully led by the always-compelling Robert Mitchum, this story of greed from Hollywood’s noir era flew well under the radar of its time. This uncovered classic is now readily streaming. Available on FilmStruck and Vudu.

• Sterling Anno
• Film festival organizer and programmer