Lists and Recommendations : 10 films from the 70's decade….

10 films from the 70's decade….

….that may not so much be easy going favorites, (so many gems the decade had on offer), but ones that you still enjoy, are top tier quality, original and define the era and/or the *director as a distinct and genuine new wave auteur.

*Old school directors don't count and only use a director once within your own list:

THE BOYS IN THE BAND - '70 dir: William Friedkin

ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE - '74 dir: Martin Scorsese

JAWS - '75 dir: Steven Spielberg

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST - '75 dir: Milos Forman

CARRIE - '76 dir: Brian De Palma

ANNIE HALL - '77 dir: Woody Allen

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - '77 dir: John Badham

3 WOMEN - '77 dir: Robert Altman

THE DEER HUNTER - '78 dir: Michael Cimino

ALIEN - '79 dir: Ridley Scott

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Solid list! It's hard to comprehend Alien being from the 70's, TBH.

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I was unsure about including Alien, being a futuristic setting, but it works its wonders as a technical cinematic horror presentation.

The clever design helps this film out and the sincerity of the performers who were beholden to Scott's vision.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Tremendous movie. I am quite pleased you added it.

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Obviously I love this question!

"Carrie"
"3 Women"
"Jaws"
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
"Turkish Delight"
"Going Places"
"In a Year with 13 Moons"
"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
"Halloween"
"Heat"
"The Boys in the Band"

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I haven't seen 3 on your list and interesting suggestions are part of reason for the thread.

The 3 I haven't seen are the foreign ones and they seem to fit into your earthy mold theme as well, yet looking them up, they also fit within the guidelines of what I requested.

You have listed 11 and as enjoyable as Heat - '72 is, I don't feel it does fit in. This one isn't so much top tier in terms of film-making and I'd condiser Paul Morrissey more of a grunge/underground film-maker. Then again, it would depend on what one considers top tier quality in terms of personal enjoyment.

Its difficult to single out 10 films from the 70's and there are others that come to mind and will be interesting to see if others mention them.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I'm always compelled to plug "Heat" whenever I can as it contains two of the funniest and most vivid characterizations I have ever seen. And I do like the grungy-seedy aesthetic, though at the same time there is a kind of overall blob quality to the movie. In some ways, it's unformed.

Yes! I think the 3 foreign films have the earthy quality I was talking about in the other post. I watched part of "Going Places" yesterday. It's an invigorating film. Definitely of the 70s decade. And Gerard Depardieu is simply magnetic.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I do like the grungy-seedy aesthetic, though at the same time there is a kind of overall blob quality to the movie. In some ways, it's unformed.


Yes, Heat is very low budget, shot on 16mm and tacky for the most part, but it is fun. I would include Heat on say a list of "favorite" films from the 70's.

I'm veering away here from using "best" as a term to define film, as "best" is also very subjective. "one of the best" though can come into play when some films do have undisputed qualities attributed to their entity.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest does it for me. Nurse Ratched was more frightening than Bruce, the shark, in Jaws.

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Ratched became a villain to hate for the ages for those that have seen the film and she still tops many hateful movie villain lists.

She was a different kind of scary to the instinctual and naturally scary nature of Bruce in Jaws. She was as "unnatural" as they come, as evil cannot have anything natural about it except being about dominance, control and subjugation.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I despise NR. To the degree that she brings out the violence in me. Seeing her getting choked was highly satisfying. To be honest, they should have gang banged her. That's really the most appropriate reaction to the bitch nurse.



"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Seeing her getting choked was highly satisfying. To be honest, they should have gang banged her.


I couldn't even imagine any of those guys even wanting to go there. That would have been desperate and they were all pretty much demure. How she wanted them.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

In the book, MacMurphy rips her starched white nurse's uniform down the front, exposing her big tits. That was also satisfying.

I know I said gang bang, but what I meant was rape. Ordinarily, I would say that rape is an unspeakable violation, but in the case of this horrible, castrating bitch, I say she deserves nothing less than rape.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

She is a hateful sow and represents the worst of what many controlling women can end up like. Working for the corrupt establishment who wouldn't see a thing wrong with her and condescendingly look down on the patients.

Mac said it in a nutshell from his own spot on organic psychological analysis of her, that she likes a rigged game and she was a k<>t! Erudite and pompous ass superior doc wouldn't have liked that, even though it was true.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I love MacMurphy. Jack Nicholson was born to play that role. I love the way he fills out a pair of faded blue jeans. And his spirit is irresistible.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

He did more for those men on his ward, than that so-called professional nurse and psychiatrists ever did.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

That final scene! One of the greatest endings ever!

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

What you're describing as top tier, Hollywood refers to as "high-concept". Essentially, studio controlled, with high production values and a bankable cast.

Good list. I'd add Chinatown and Apocalypse Now, and swap Jaws for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Although Jaws is the more popular movie, CEotTK is the more groundbreaking and influencial of Spielberg's 70s stuff.

Check my block list because you're probably on it.

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

What you're describing as top tier, Hollywood refers to as "high-concept". Essentially, studio controlled, with high production values and a bankable cast.
Yes! However, I did include a low-budget horror film with Carrie, yet that is stylish with a now iconic director.

If you could make 10 based on the "high-concept" context, what would they all be? I am interested in hearing others perhaps add what I couldn't include, or films I haven't seen.

I had the notion to put Taxi Driver - '76, but I feel Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore doesn't get the Scorsese recognition it deserves and I personally prefer it over TD. It is also not typical Scorsese that many are used too.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK (1971) director: Jerry Schatzberg

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Harry And Tonto (Mazursky)
Nashville (Altman)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (Forman)
A Woman Under The Influence (Cassavetes)
Network (Lumet)
Harold And Maude (Ashby)
Fat City (Huston)
Mikey And Nicky (May)
A Clockwork Orange (Kubrick)
The Conversation (Coppola)

https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Good list.

Huston, Kubrick and Lumet were around the block though by the 70's.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Thank you.

I thought about excluding them, but didn't because by the 70s, they weren't "old school" and adapted well, while most others couldn't, including the actors, but it was pretty cool to see Robert Mitchum in something like "Friends of Eddie Coyle". Frank Capra would be a great example of a director who was great, but couldn't adapt. I couldn't even finish his last movie.

Have you seen "Wise Blood"? It's not very 1970s, but I liked it on my 2nd viewing. Kubrick seemed to have changed by 2001, but before, I would definitely agree he was pretty old-school. Even Lumet's stuff in retrospect might not seem special, but his debut, "12 Angry Men" was pretty different.

https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Hell YES. I love 70s movies. Such an odd decade for films.

My list, comprised of films I feel didn't quite reach the status of 'Apocalypse Now,' 'Jaws,' 'The Excorcist,' 'Rocky,' or 'The Godfather':

Suspiria - 1977 - Dario Argento
Phantom of the Paradise - 1974 - Brian De Palma
A Clockwork Orange - 1971 - Kubrick
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 1977 - Spielberg
Westworld - 1973 - Michael Crichton
Alien - 1979 - Ridley Scott
Wise Blood - 1979 - John Huston
Punishment Park - 1971 - Peter Watkins
Sorcerer - 1977 - William Friedkin
The Man Who Fell to Earth - 1976 - Nicolas Roeg

Hark! Harold the angel sings.

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Good Calls! I like Westworld but often forget about it.

Sorcerer never really appealed to me and haven't seen Wise Blood or Punishment Park.

The Man Who Fell To Earth I have to be in the mood to watch, but it is really an exceptional sci-fi film and very grounded and earthy like its title.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

I've seen four movies on your list ("Suspiria", "Phantom of the Paradise", "A Clockwork Orange" and "Alien") and I like them all.

"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

This one is one that tends to fly under the radar and is one I often forget to mention. It would in fact rate in my top 20 "high-concept" films, or top 20 dramas from the 70's:



Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Nice feets. I want them pressed on my face

Smells like Ass in here

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….



Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade…

1969 = DOWNhill Racer.

1970 = COLOSSUS: The Forbin PROJECT.

Also = NO BLADE of Grass.

1971 = The Andromeda STRAIN.

Also = THX 1138.

1972 = NIGHT of the LEPUS.

Also = JEREMIAH Johnson.

1973 = SOYlent Green.

Also = The STING.

1974 = The CONVERSATION.

Also = LOST in the Stars.

1975 = JAWS.

Also = The HINDENBURG.

1976 = LOGAN's Run.

Also = Silver STREAK.

1977 = The CAR.

Also = CLOSE ENCOUNTERS of the THIRD KIND.

1978 = LaserBLAST.

Also = HALLOWEEN.

1979 = PARTS: The Clonus HORROR.

Also = The VISITOR.

1980 = The LONG Riders.

Also = The Gods MUST Be CRAZY.

"THAT'S SOME BAD SHIT, HARRY!".

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade…

Some good choices. Robert Wise though for The Hindenburg, I would consider more old school director. He wasn't a fresh new wave face on the 70's scene.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade…

Thanks!

"THAT'S SOME BAD SHIT, HARRY!".

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

The Omega Man

Rollerball

The Black Hole

Death Race 2000

Wizards

Logan's Run

Salem's Lot

Ben

THX 1138

Mad Max

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Oh yes Mad Max. That really put George Miller on the filmdoms map, especially after the sequel.

Norman! What did you put in my tea?

Re: 10 films from the 70's decade….

Nice list. Mine would probably have a lot of overlap.
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