Name the best 70's movie

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Baron Samedi

Baron Samedi

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I was just thinking that there were so many great movies that I saw oh so many years ago, and most of them are 70's movies! The older I get, the more I realize what a great time that was for movies. Now, I was a bit young back then, but in those days, when your parents wanted to go see a movie, they brought the kids, rated R or not...especially at the drive in. I saw many of these movies in the theater as a young pre-teen in the theaters, but also many in the 80's after the fact.

Now "best movies" is very subjective, and that's fine, so tell me WHY you think your movie or movies are the best.

Name NO MORE THAN 3 movies per post!

Tell us WHY the movies are great.

I'll begin, and I am going to dodge some of the more obvious films and start with some of my personal faves, that are not "obscure" by any measure, but that I think people today may have never seen or even maybe heard of;

Network - 1976
This movie is truly timeless. I think it would be much more well known if it didn't reflect so poorly on the media industry itself. There is so much truth in this movie, about politics, about media, about corporatism, about the nature of people, audiences, and consumers..it's almost painful.
The movie closes with a famous scene that, sadly, is still just as relevant in 2022 as it was in 1976...
"I'M MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANY MORE!"

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRuS3dxKK9U


Soylent Green - 1973

To me, this movie is more frightening today than it ever was to me. The plant based meats, the stories coming out about Iceland and elsewhere about how algae and bugs are the future of feeding the people....the future truly is Soylent Green.

Not going to post spoilers, but watching the movie today fills me with anxiety. It's coming. It's inevitable.

For those who don't know, the band Green Day got it's name from this film.
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Jeremiah Johnson - 1972

I'm kind of a woodsy mountain type of guy, and this movie I just never, ever get tired of. Some of it is nostalgia, because it's portrayal of Native Americans is pretty stereotype, but it's a great film, a classic. Robert Redford has never been one of my favorite actors, but he has a handful of films which I just love (most recently A Walk in the Woods with Nick Nolte, great book, good movie).
Jeremiah Johnson has it all, a little western, a little Grizzly Adams, a little bushcraft and survivalism, a little comedy, a little tragedy...all of it. It is sort of a quentessential theater experience, I don't know how to explain it. It's actually become a cult classic, on it's 50th anniversary year! What a GREAT film. It is quintessential Hollywood...on par with Jaws for it's era. Superior in my mind to other great, more modern films, such as "A man called Horse" or "Dances with wolves", because it brings more authenticity to table, in regards to what it actually took to survive in the wilderness.

Here is a clip from the film that really highlights why Jeremiah Johnson is more authentic and better than the other films I mentioned.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKUPu1epqnU


 
I love 70s movies. I love the slower pace and the great acting. I love the French Connection. Hackman at his best.

There are too many to choose though. Godfather Part II, All the Presidents men, the Sting, Annie Hall, the Deerhunter, Deliverance, Apocolypse Now etc etc

Even the light, popcorn crowd pleasers were great. Jaws, Star Wars, Rocky etc
 
Roberto71 said:
I love 70s movies. I love the slower pace and the great acting. I love the French Connection. Hackman at his best.

There are too many to choose though. Godfather Part II, All the Presidents men, the Sting, Annie Hall, the Deerhunter, Deliverance, Apocolypse Now etc etc

Even the light, popcorn crowd pleasers were great. Jaws, Star Wars, Rocky etc
Click to expand...

All classic.

It struck me that you mention the "slower pace and great acting", because that is one of the traits of Jeremiah Johnson I love, but also another classic that I didn't mention, the timeless "Slapshot".

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUbn5ss8j9c
 
Here are my top three and the reasons why.

A Clockwork Orange - A stunning adaptation of Anthony Burgess's book by Stanley Kubrick, this movie has it all: marvelous acting, inventive cinematography, and Kubrick's phenomenal melding of the musical score with the action on the screen.

Star Wars - The movie that elevated the science-fiction genre into the top tiers of the entertainment ranks, and created a franchise that still is going strong today. The title theme music and opening text introduction, followed by the entrance of the star destroyer, draws the viewer in immediately, and the movie doesn't let go until the final credits.

M.A.S.H. - Robert Altman's paean to the veterans of the Korean War. It's almost always funny, except for the times when it gets really serious and deals with death and racism and bullying.

Honorable mentions:

American Graffiti - the movie that let us know George Lucas was going to be a force in the industry, and the launching pad for Harrison Ford's career.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - best seen in a theater where the audience knows every line and comes prepared with toast.
Marathon Man - "Is it safe?" The dentist scene with Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier is one of the classic pieces of film.
Smokey and The Bandit - It's not a classic in the traditional sense, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Dirty Harry - Classic good vs. evil story with grit, cynicism and humor interwoven throughout.

And there's at least a dozen more I could add to the HM list.
 
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Malcolm McDowell is one of my all time favorite actors, and in my mind never got the recognition or role he really deserved.

He was always one of the best bad guys. Totally sold the role.
 
So many great movies in the 70s, I could probably name 30 that I loved.

The Sting - It's just one of the most enjoyable movies I ever watched, the story, acting, pacing, soundtrack, and still holds up wonderfully after all these years. Redford and Newman with great chemistry. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it tonight, I probably will.

Close Encounters - I'm a SciFi movie nut and I think this is one of greatest ones ever made.

Star Wars(original theater release) - Again SciFi nut so I can't leave it out, if I did I would be doing it just to try and not be cliché. It meant too much for the genre.
 
The movie that affected me most was Deer Hunter, had no idea what I was walking into.
Dog Day Afternoon is also memorable as I took a girl I had a crush on to it.
But for me I still have a fondness for Billy Jack.

I remember most of the other ones posted, All were were great movies
 
AnOldTroll said:
The movie that affected me most was Deer Hunter, had no idea what I was walking into.
Dog Day Afternoon is also memorable as I took a girl I had a crush on to it.
But for me I still have a fondness for Billy Jack.

I remember most of the other ones posted, All were were great movies
Click to expand...
Did your girlfriend run away from you after said movie?
 
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