Best 20 Films of the 70's
Submitted by ash_campbell on Mon, 06/02/2003 - 12:34
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- This list was a bit harder than either the 50’s or the 60’s, and there were several left off the list that might peeve some, but here goes:
- 1. Alien (1979). Ridley Scott ratchets up the pressure to the boiling point, in this great sci-fi thriller.
- 2. All the President’s Men (1976). Great, and unfortunately, true story of the Watergate cover up. Hoffman and Redford are dynamite.
- 3. Annie Hall (1977). Woody Allen has an unique perspective, that’s for sure.
- 4. Apocalypse Now (1979). Coppola is easily the best director of the decade, and he capped it with this wild ride, under the most harrowing of conditions. That scary journey is amazingly re-told in Hearts of Darkness (1991).
- 5. Cabaret (1972). The last gasp of the musical until its recent resurgence.
- 6. Chinatown (1974). Faye Dunaway is an extremely underrated actress, and it’s hard to understand why. Here she admirably holds her own against Jack Nicholson’s PI in a beautifully constructed film.
- 7. A Clockwork Orange (1971). Brutal and captivating at the same time, this has McDowell at his best, and Kubrick at the top of his game.
- 8. Dog Day Afternoon (1975). See, it’s ok to exclude Pacino’s Godfather performances, because he’s really the only show in town in this Sydney Lument film that captures a precise moment of New York history.
- 9. The Exorcist (1973). Scary beyond belief, with a great central performance from the late Jason Miller, as a priest who’s losing his faith, and maybe more.
- 10. Jaws (1975). “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Amen, Roy, amen.
- 11. Mad Max (1979). Mel Gibson in the Aussie outback, kicking ass. And to think this is the weakest of the trilogy.
- 12. The Man Who Would Be King (1975). If nothing else, this film got Caine and Connery together on film. That would have been a sad pairing to miss.
- 13. MASH (1970). A great anti-war film that also is hysterically funny.
- 14. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). Perhaps you like Life of Brian better, but I think this one has all of the Python group in their best form. Chapman is awesome as King Arthur.
- 15. Patton (1970). George C Scott’s best performance, and an intriguing look at a meglomaniacal genius of war. Creepy as it is good.
- 16. Robin Hood (1973). Sort of sad to think that the best screen adaptation of this tale is an animated one.
- 17. Star Wars (1977). Even if the more recent additions to the franchise have knocked its stature down, this first film completely transformed the fantasy genre, and influenced everything that has come after it. Besides, Han Solo is so cool.
- 18. The Sting (1973). Maybe everybody involved said, “Well, it worked once, maybe it can again”. I’m glad they went for a second round.
- 19. Taxi Driver (1976). No matter what any of the critics say, this is leagues better than Mean Streets.
- 20. Young Frankenstein (1974). Could Madeline Kahn be any funnier? Mel Brooks uses his regulars to great effect in this rip of the early horror films.
Great list! With the exception of Robin Hood and MASH, I actually love every film on this list, and your comments are terrific!
I do find Godfather Part II and Harold and Maude's MIA status a bit too disturbing (either could replace Mad Max, IMHO), but I'm very happy to see Cabaret and Chinatown. I'd also certainly have to switch Nashville for MASH, but hey, I may be in a minority on that. I just love Nashville.
You have a rather great series going here. I certainly hope to see more.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
"Robin Hood (1973). Sort of sad to think that the best screen adaptation of this tale is an animated one"
Have you seen "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938)? I like that one better than the Disney version.
I have seen the '38 version. I like the fight sequences, but there's someting both wooden and overlly hammy about the acting (but not so much that it's off-putting, just odd). Does that make sense?
The '38 version is a little below this version.
I wouldn't call it wooden, but I think the hammy acting is part of the fun.
Great list, I enjoy every movie. However, it's shocking to see Alien, MASH, and especially Disney's Robin Hood when you disregarded so many other classic 70's films. Instead of MASH, what about Robert Altman's better films; Nashville or McCabe and Mrs. Miller. The 70's was one of the best decades for movies most notably Godfather and Godfather Part II, but also; Kramer Vs. Kramer, Network, Sleuth, Serpico, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Deer Hunter, Barry Lyndon, Deliverance, American Grafitti, Short Eyes, Straw Dogs, and Dirty Harry. At least put on some honorable mentions as you did with the 80's list. Kudos for including Mad Max.
I haven't seen some of the films you mention, but it's true that lots of films got short shrift due to my rules. The only films you list that I disagree with are American Grafitti, which is good (but not that good) and Deer Hunter, which I don't particularly care for.
An honorable mention list might be a good call; for example, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was my last cut.
great list