Great Seventies Movies

[Emily]

Anyone agree that the 1970s were premium movie years?

I have a ton of favorites from that decade, but I'll start with a couple in a couple of categories:

So good they're great:
Godfather
The Conversation

So bad they're good:
Thank God it's Friday
The Initiation of Sarah.

And while we're at it, why were the seventies such a fertile time for movies? When did that begin? When did it end? Why did it end? And what could be done to foster a similar production period?

What do you think of these?
And what are your favorites?

[Chocolate Shake Man]

I think the 70s were definitely the premium movie years for American cinema. I think that World Cinema had its apex in the 10 years from 1957 to 1967 (Throne of Blood, Wild Strawberries, 400 Blows, Breathless, Dolce Vita, L'Avventura, 8 1/2, Winter Light, Blow Up, etc.).

But American movies in the 70s - man, such great stuff. The movies you mention in the first category are phenomenal. Both Godfathers are like modern-day Shakespeare tragedies. The Conversation shows Coppola's amazing diversity in that era and is all-too forgotten in the middle of the two Godfathers. But it's one of my favourites. The ending is staggering.

Two that I would like to bring up that are definitely in my top 10 are A Woman Under the Influence and Nashville. Both made a very dramatic impression on me.

I haven't seen the two movies in the so bad they're good category. Does the heading suggest that you are recommending them? 

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Anyone agree that the 1970s were premium movie years?

I have a ton of favorites from that decade, but I'll start with a couple in a couple of categories:

So good they're great:
Godfather
The Conversation

So bad they're good:
Thank God it's Friday
The Initiation of Sarah.

What do you think of these?
And what are your favorites?

I prefer Godfather 2 to the original. That might be my all-time favorite movie, in fact.

Scorsese was on fire with Mean Streets and Taxi Driver.

I think American Graffiti gets overshadowed by Star Wars but I prefer it, and either way its a masterpiece in its own right.

Al Pacino had some awesome non-Godfather hits with Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico

Saturday Night Fever has the unfair stigma of being a disco film and nothing more but its a great coming of age story.

Chinatown is another favorite. Probably the best neo-noir there is.

Rocky is good.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, although I think its a little slow in places.

Deer Hunter and Annie Hall are good, but slightly overrated imho

A Clockwork Orange is my fave Kubrick

The Sting is a very enjoyable movie

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Young Frankenstein prove what an underrated talent Gene Wilder is

Monty Python and the Holy Grail; best comedy ever?

Exorcist is most people's pick for scariest movie ever made...

...tho personally, I would give that honor to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974.

If the 60s were the best decade for music, the 70s were the best for film.

[Douchepool]

It's amazing to this day that Marlon Brando had arguably his two finest performances (The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris) in the same year.

[Emily]

I think the 70s were definitely the premium movie years for American cinema. I think that World Cinema had its apex in the 10 years from 1957 to 1967 (Throne of Blood, Wild Strawberries, 400 Blows, Breathless, Dolce Vita, L'Avventura, 8 1/2, Winter Light, Blow Up, etc.).

But American movies in the 70s - man, such great stuff. The movies you mention in the first category are phenomenal. Both Godfathers are like modern-day Shakespeare tragedies. The Conversation shows Coppola's amazing diversity in that era and is all-too forgotten in the middle of the two Godfathers. But it's one of my favourites. The ending is staggering.

Two that I would like to bring up that are definitely in my top 10 are A Woman Under the Influence and Nashville. Both made a very dramatic impression on me.

I haven't seen the two movies in the so bad they're good category. Does the heading suggest that you are recommending them? 

I would only recommend them if you enjoy a campy laugh. I don't think either meant to be campy, but they're camp classics to be enjoyed with friends, popcorn and drinks. TGIF features the debut of Donna Summer, a young Debra Winger and quite a few cameos. The Initiation of Sarah is an early horror movie with an awesome turn by Shelley Winters. Thanks for your response and that list of also great earlier movies.
You probably missed my edit with added questions for thought.

[Emily]

Anyone agree that the 1970s were premium movie years?

I have a ton of favorites from that decade, but I'll start with a couple in a couple of categories:

So good they're great:
Godfather
The Conversation

So bad they're good:
Thank God it's Friday
The Initiation of Sarah.

What do you think of these?
And what are your favorites?

I prefer Godfather 2 to the original. That might be my all-time favorite movie, in fact.

Scorsese was on fire with Mean Streets and Taxi Driver.

I think American Graffiti gets overshadowed by Star Wars but I prefer it, and either way its a masterpiece in its own right.

Al Pacino had some awesome non-Godfather hits with Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico

Saturday Night Fever has the unfair stigma of being a disco film and nothing more but its a great coming of age story.

Chinatown is another favorite. Probably the best neo-noir there is.

Rocky is good.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, although I think its a little slow in places.

Deer Hunter and Annie Hall are good, but slightly overrated imho

A Clockwork Orange is my fave Kubrick

The Sting is a very enjoyable movie

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Young Frankenstein prove what an underrated talent Gene Wilder is

Monty Python and the Holy Grail; best comedy ever?

Exorcist is most people's pick for scariest movie ever made...

...tho personally, I would give that honor to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre from 1974.

If the 60s were the best decade for music, the 70s were the best for film.

Amazing movies! Thanks! I agree about Saturday Night Fever. I can only watch it once a decade though because it's so heartbreaking.

[Emily]

It's amazing to this day that Marlon Brando had arguably his two finest performances (The Godfather and Last Tango in Paris) in the same year.

Indeed. And when people were thinking his career was done!

[Douchepool]

We can also thank the 70s for bringing us either the scariest or blackest comic film of all time in Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom. Le Cercle Rouge is also a favorite. Amarcord, in my opinion, was Fellini's greatest. El Topo is a mindfuck. Solaris is my second favorite Tarkovsky film.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

First - thanks for starting this thread. 70s cinema is one of my favourite things to talk about.

I would only recommend them if you enjoy a campy laugh. I don't think either meant to be campy, but they're camp classics to be enjoyed with friends, popcorn and drinks. TGIF features the debut of Donna Summer, a young Debra Winger and quite a few cameos. The Initiation of Sarah is an early horror movie with an awesome turn by Shelley Winters. Thanks for your response and that list of also great earlier movies.

Good to know. Speaking of camp classics from the 70s, have you seen Joe? A movie that is thoroughly of its time and its heart is in the right place but it is so amazingly superficial that it's hard to take it seriously.

And while we're at it, why were the seventies such a fertile time for movies? When did that begin? When did it end? Why did it end? And what could be done to foster a similar production period?

Good questions. I've seen a few documentaries on this era of film and they usually give a few helpful answers that I mostly agree with. I think that the films that emerged in the late 60s/70s were very much influenced by the kind of cinema that had been happening on the world stage in the previous 10-15 years and was becoming increasingly more popular amongst American audiences throughout the period.

Of course the cultural mindset had changed too - in no small part due to popular activism, hippie culture, drug culture, etc. It was a time of mass rebellion, of overturning stagnant cultural norms, etc. And when the studio system that had largely upheld these outdated values collapsed, those who were part of this counterculture became the new voice and translated the mindset of this rebellious culture into film.

I think though that this culture, though it still existed, became more fragmented throughout the 70s. And the biggest nail in the coffin was that the studio system had rebuilt itself by the end of the decade.

So I think that another major cultural shift would need to happen (and there have been inklings of it happening in the last 10 years) and those part of the counter-cultural movement would once again have to wrestle control away from those who control it now. Seems difficult!

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

^Thats definitely part of it. Also, look up "New Hollywood" in google or wikipedia. Basically, after Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, Studios were more willing to take a chance on young blood in the industry. People like Spielberg, De Palma, Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas, etc. And these were the first generation of directors who grew up watching movies and literally studying the art of film production. So not only did they know how to make technically proficient movies, but they learned faster than most what rules they could break, so to speak. This era came to an end in 1980 because of a few high profile flops from these young hot shot directors, most notably Heaven's Gate, which was a huge bomb that sunk United Artists studio.

[Emily]

I've heard that Bonnie and Clyde was a turning point and, CSM, it's startling to hear it so plainly put but of course it's true, once it's pointed out, that the studio system rebuilt itself.
One thing stands out to me in the seventies that I think might be related to the counter culture is characterization. Previously, I think most movies relied on types as story-telling shortcuts. I think part of the changes of the sixties was a rejection of a lot of types and in the seventies we got a lot of atypical characters and a lot of character exploration. I think since then we've developed a new set of types and the thoughtfulness around character has receded.

[Emily]

Also, CSM, thanks for the Shakespeare reference in relation to the Godfathers. I can't stop thinking about it - shades of Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III, Lear, Henry V. Almost makes me wish I were still in school so I'd have someone to hand in a thesis to!

And Mujan, American Graffiti and Rocky never did it for me, but Willy Wonka upended children's movies, Monty Python upended everything, anything Al Pacino did in the 70s is gold to me, as well as Coppola and Scorcese.

I also love seventies Spielberg. 

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

I've heard that Bonnie and Clyde was a turning point and, CSM, it's startling to hear it so plainly put but of course it's true, once it's pointed out, that the studio system rebuilt itself.
One thing stands out to me in the seventies that I think might be related to the counter culture is characterization. Previously, I think most movies relied on types as story-telling shortcuts. I think part of the changes of the sixties was a rejection of a lot of types and in the seventies we got a lot of atypical characters and a lot of character exploration. I think since then we've developed a new set of types and the thoughtfulness around character has receded.

Absolutely. Filmmaking is largely built on archetype characters and black/white morality again these days like it used to be. We dont have the Hayes Code, but now most studios push for that magic PG-13 rating to maximize profits. In the 60s and 70s, you had characters and plots that were a lot more ambiguous. Not that that wasnt the case sometimes before and since, but it was more common and more defining. Also, sequels werent built-in like they are now. Films back then told a complete, self-contained story. Now, more often than not, they leave a lot of loose ends and end on a cliffhanger because they expect to milk at least a trilogy if not a full blown franchise out of it. Drives me nuts. If you wanna know what I mean, compare original Star Wars and Force Awakens. One could end as is and tell a complete, satisfying story. The other could not, and to know basic plot elements like who are the first order and how did they get so powerful, who is this snoke and how did he convert kylo, how did that ugly orange lady get lukes lightsaber, how is rey so good with the force, etc, you have to be willing to pay another $30 bucks as they draw the new series out. I sing the praises of Empire which is a tad hypocritical I admit, but when that first came out people were extremely disappointed by that aspect of the movie. It wasnt until the videos when you could watch all 3 at once that people noticed how superior it was to its peers; at the time tho, people were pissed at the non-ending. Studios have changed and theyve conditioned audiences to expect less for the same buck. Now if you want to see a book adapted to film, youll have to pay twice or even thrice to see the whole thing, for example

[guitarfool2002]

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14993.0.html

70's movies.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Also, CSM, thanks for the Shakespeare reference in relation to the Godfathers. I can't stop thinking about it - shades of Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III, Lear, Henry V. Almost makes me wish I were still in school so I'd have someone to hand in a thesis to!

And Mujan, American Graffiti and Rocky never did it for me, but Willy Wonka upended children's movies, Monty Python upended everything, anything Al Pacino did in the 70s is gold to me, as well as Coppola and Scorcese.

I also love seventies Spielberg. 

Really? I think AG is an underrated classic. In a sense purposefully dated, yet in another timeless. Rocky is very good but its not something I watch regularly. I enjoy it tho.

I actually dislike Jaws and Spielberg in general   I love the first Indiana Jones but thats about it from him. I just bring him up because I know most people do respect him and he was part of the New Hollywood crowd

[Emily]

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14993.0.html

70's movies.

Oops sorry. Should they be merged?

[Emily]

Also, CSM, thanks for the Shakespeare reference in relation to the Godfathers. I can't stop thinking about it - shades of Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III, Lear, Henry V. Almost makes me wish I were still in school so I'd have someone to hand in a thesis to!

And Mujan, American Graffiti and Rocky never did it for me, but Willy Wonka upended children's movies, Monty Python upended everything, anything Al Pacino did in the 70s is gold to me, as well as Coppola and Scorcese.

I also love seventies Spielberg. 

Really? I think AG is an underrated classic. In a sense purposefully dated, yet in another timeless. Rocky is very good but its not something I watch regularly. I enjoy it tho.

I actually dislike Jaws and Spielberg in general   I love the first Indiana Jones but thats about it from him. I just bring him up because I know most people do respect him and he was part of the New Hollywood crowd

I appreciate AG but never grow to like anyone enough to care. Ironically, because now I'm going to say that I have a huge crush on seventies Richard Dreyfus, thus Jaws and Close Encounters. Though maybe it's just a Spielberg/Dreyfus combo that works for me because Goodbye Girl Dreyfus really annoys me. I think those two are the only seventies Spielberg movies I've seen. I'm fine with Raiders, it was fun. But he is a cheese fest.

[Mujan, 8@$+@Rc| of a Blue Wizard]

Also, CSM, thanks for the Shakespeare reference in relation to the Godfathers. I can't stop thinking about it - shades of Macbeth, Hamlet, Richard III, Lear, Henry V. Almost makes me wish I were still in school so I'd have someone to hand in a thesis to!

And Mujan, American Graffiti and Rocky never did it for me, but Willy Wonka upended children's movies, Monty Python upended everything, anything Al Pacino did in the 70s is gold to me, as well as Coppola and Scorcese.

I also love seventies Spielberg. 

Really? I think AG is an underrated classic. In a sense purposefully dated, yet in another timeless. Rocky is very good but its not something I watch regularly. I enjoy it tho.

I actually dislike Jaws and Spielberg in general   I love the first Indiana Jones but thats about it from him. I just bring him up because I know most people do respect him and he was part of the New Hollywood crowd

I appreciate AG but never grow to like anyone enough to care. Ironically, because now I'm going to say that I have a huge crush on seventies Richard Dreyfus, thus Jaws and Close Encounters. Though maybe it's just a Spielberg/Dreyfus combo that works for me because Goodbye Girl Dreyfus really annoys me. I think those two are the only seventies Spielberg movies I've seen. I'm fine with Raiders, it was fun. But he is a cheese fest.

He being Spielberg? Agreed.

[China Pig]

The Parallax View. Creepy 70s paranoia at its finest.
The Sorcerer. William Friedkin's best film.
The Conversation. Already mentioned.
Jaws. A film I can watch over and over.
Dirt Harry. Portrays life on the streets in all it's 70s grimy glory.

[guitarfool2002]

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14993.0.html

70's movies.

Oops sorry. Should they be merged?

Nope, just more classic 70's films mentioned in that thread that haven't come up here! Since making that list 2012 I have seen The French Connection - at least 6 times and it gets better each time. I have to revisit the Nicholas Ray avant garde film soon as well.

[guitarfool2002]

One great movie from '77 I just saw this year is First Love. TCM screened it as part of a series of films hosted by Ileana Douglas that spotlighted female directors through the decades, and featured quite a few lesser-known features directed by women, including Ida Lupino doing a pseudo-noir I never even knew existed. First Love was directed by Joan Darling, who also directed a lot of TV in the 70's and 80's and won an Emmy for directing the "Chuckles" episode of Mary Tyler Moore. It stars Susan Dey just a few years after the Partridge Family ended it's run, and William Katt who was in a lot of TV and film and a few years later starred in the series Greatest American Hero if anyone remembers that.

A real sleeper of a film, very well made, well written, and you actually care about and even associate with the characters. The scenery and the direction is top-notch, perfectly captures the region and Ivy-League college life in the Northeast. Beverly D'Angelo is terrific in a supporting role, and it also has a score by John Barry. Definitely check it out - Quite an accomplishment for a woman director to get a feature film at this time in Hollywood, it has a very unique perspective on college life and relationships and is pretty blunt and forceful at times too. Two thumbs up, worth seeking out.

[Emily]

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,14993.0.html

70's movies.

Oops sorry. Should they be merged?

Nope, just more classic 70's films mentioned in that thread that haven't come up here! Since making that list 2012 I have seen The French Connection - at least 6 times and it gets better each time. I have to revisit the Nicholas Ray avant garde film soon as well.

I love the French Connection. My dad made me watch it when I was 10 or something and I was just, "ok.... ?" But later when I saw it again it became one of my favorites.
I really like your post on that thread about realism until 1976. I can definitely see that there was a sea-change there.
Btw- my Tower friend is off on a cruise. I'll keep you posted!

[Emily]

One great movie from '77 I just saw this year is First Love. TCM screened it as part of a series of films hosted by Ileana Douglas that spotlighted female directors through the decades, and featured quite a few lesser-known features directed by women, including Ida Lupino doing a pseudo-noir I never even knew existed. First Love was directed by Joan Darling, who also directed a lot of TV in the 70's and 80's and won an Emmy for directing the "Chuckles" episode of Mary Tyler Moore. It stars Susan Dey just a few years after the Partridge Family ended it's run, and William Katt who was in a lot of TV and film and a few years later starred in the series Greatest American Hero if anyone remembers that.

A real sleeper of a film, very well made, well written, and you actually care about and even associate with the characters. The scenery and the direction is top-notch, perfectly captures the region and Ivy-League college life in the Northeast. Beverly D'Angelo is terrific in a supporting role, and it also has a score by John Barry. Definitely check it out - Quite an accomplishment for a woman director to get a feature film at this time in Hollywood, it has a very unique perspective on college life and relationships and is pretty blunt and forceful at times too. Two thumbs up, worth seeking out.

I'll definitely find that.  Sounds right up my alley.
I remember the theme song from Greatest American Hero.
William Katt reminds me of Dennis Christopher which reminds me of Breaking Away, a nice late 70's movie.
My mom is Ida Lupino's greatest living fan.

[Smilin Ed H]

There was such a wealth of great film-making during this period.

[JK]

Two favourites of mine that haven't been mentioned yet are Barry Lyndon and The Last Waltz.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feEBEpDLTKI