Monday, November 22, 2010

Your Five Favorite U.S. Movies from the 1970s

Gerald So is interviewing writers from DISCOUNT NOIR over on Chatterific.


My Five Favorites (today) because truthfully I could have chosen fifty easily.


Patti Abbott
The Godfather, Chinatown, The Last Picture Show, Klute, Annie Hall

David Cranmer,
THE GODFATHER, THE GODFATHER PART II, CHINATOWN, THE GETAWAY, THE CONVERSATION

Steve Oerkfitz, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Chinatown, The French Connection,The Last Picture Show

Margot Kinberg, The Godfather, The Last Picture Show, Chinatown, Taxi Driver, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Charles Gramlich, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Wars, Revenge of the Jedi, Taxi Driver, Escape from the Planet of the Apes

Jeff Meyerson, THE GODFATHER, THE GODFATHER Part II, ANNIE HALL, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, CHINATOWN (though I almost went with CABARET)

Deb, Animal House, Annie Hall, Blazing Saddles, Chinatown, Close Encounters of the Third Kind

MP, The Godfather, Chinatown, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Don't Look Now, Halloween

Phil Abbott, Mean Streets, The Godfather, Annie Hall, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Conversation

R.Narvaez
Superman, The Conversation, Jaws, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Alien

Jared,
A Clockwork Orange, The Godfather, All the President's Men, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Apocalypse Now

Chad Eagleton,
-Star Wars, Superman, Enter The Dragon, Rolling Thunder, The Outlaw Josey Wales

James Reasoner,
The Last Picture Show, Chinatown, American Graffiti, Blazing Saddles, Star Wars

Dorte "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" (Dorte put all her eggs in one nest)


Dan Fleming,
Godfather I and II, Chinatown, Dog Day Afternoon, Taxi Driver. Star Wars


Randy Johnson, TAXI DRIVER, THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, JAWS, THE GODFATHER

Paul D. Brazill, Paper Moon, The Godfather, Eraserhead, Mean Steets, Prime Cut

Anne R. Allen, NETWORK, ANNIE HALL, BLAZING SADDLES, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, THE STING

John D. STAR WARS, JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER. ENTER THE DRAGON

George Kelley, CHINATOWN, ANNIE HALL, STAR WARS, TAXI DRIVER, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL

Naomi Johnson, THE STING.YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, AMERICAN GRAFFITI,THE CHEAP DETECTIVE, BREAKING AWAY

Xavier, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, DAYS OF HEAVEN, JAWS, PATTON
SCARECROW


Michael,
Who's Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? Young Frankenstein, Sleeper, The Sting
The Wicker Man

Dan Luft,
Nashville , Alice's Restaurant, Dog Day Afternoon, Chinatown, Paper Moon

E. Anders:
THE LONG GOODBYE. THE CONVERSATION, CHINATOWN, ALIEN AMERICAN GRAFFITI

Lois Karlin:
Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Star Wars, Annie Hall, The Sting"

Todd Mason,
THE CONVERSATION, THE CANDIDATE, BADLANDS, THE LAST WALTZ
SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

Cullen Gallagher, The Heartbreak Kid (Elaine May), Mikey and Nicky (Elaine May), Minnie and Moskowitz (John Cassavetes), Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett), and What's Up Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich).

46 comments:

David Cranmer said...

THE GODFATHER
THE GODFATHER PART II
CHINATOWN
THE GETAWAY
THE CONVERSATION

pattinase (abbott) said...

Just watched THE CONVESATION last night. Amazing.

Steve Oerkfitz said...

The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Chinatown
The French Connection
The Last Picture Show

Anonymous said...

Definitely The Godfather. Also The Last Picture Show, Chinatown, Taxi Driver and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Anonymous said...

Good question, but hard.

I know my choices will be boringly samey, but what can you do:

THE GODFATHER
THE GODFATHER Part II
ANNIE HALL
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
CHINATOWN (though I almost went with CABARET)

Interesting how no one so far has named a critical darling I think is way overrated: NASHVILLE.

Jeff M.

Charles Gramlich said...

I'm pretty much at a loss. Star Wars came out in the 70s I believe. Never saw any of the Godfather movies, Chinatown, the French Connection, or the Last picture show. Taxi driver was pretty good. If there was a Star tRek movie in the 70s I'd count that. Or maybe Planet of the Apes?

Deb said...

In alphabetical order:

Animal House

Annie Hall

Blazing Saddles

Chinatown

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

MP said...

The toughest question you've ever asked:

The Godfather
Chinatown
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Don't Look Now
Halloween

John McFetridge said...

I would have one list for movies I saw in the 70's and another for movies that came out in the 70's that I appreciated later.

The Godfather didn't mean much to me when it came out. Same with Taxi Driver, I never for a minute believed that blonde woman would go on a date with that guy, never mind to a porno movie. But I was a teenager and later on when I realized that none of the stuff in the movie really happens, that it's all just inside his head, it made more sense and I appreciated it.

But Jaws I liked right away. And Bad News Bears, and Slapshot and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Breaking Away. I don't think any of those would still be on my list of favourites from the decade now.

pattinase (abbott) said...

You mean he was just imagining it all. John? I am crushed. I doubt I realized it either and I was in my twenties by then.
I can't think how to list these so I will let them be discovered.

RNarvaez said...

Superman
The Conversation
Jaws
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Alien

Jared said...

Not much to add, other than I really have to stick with personal influence (in chronological order):
A Clockwork Orange
The Godfather
All the President's Men
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Apocalypse Now

Chad Eagleton said...

-Star Wars
-Superman
-Enter The Dragon
-Rolling Thunder
-The Outlaw Josey Wales

James Reasoner said...

The Last Picture Show
Chinatown
American Graffiti
Blazing Saddles
Star Wars

Dorte H said...

I have said before that I don´t watch many films, and that is certainly true, because the only one I can come up with is "One Flew Over the Cuckoo´s Nest." Well, at least it is a brilliant story.

Dan Fleming said...

This is an incredibly hard thing to do because I consider the 70's to be the most creative time in American film making, but here is what I have this very moment, subject to change in another ten seconds.

1. Godfather I and II
2. Chinatown
3. Dog Day Afternoon
4. Taxi Driver
5. Star Wars

Randy Johnson said...

I sense a sameness in my responses.

In no particular order;

TAXI DRIVER(DeNiro was great here)

THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES(my favorite Eastwood)

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

JAWS(my favorite Spielberg. It launched the concept of summer blockbusters)

THE GODFATHER(I'd read the book and thought it was one of the best adaptations I'd seen. Part II as well. Let's not talk about III)

Paul D Brazill said...

Paper Moon
The Godfather
Eraserhead
Mean Steets
Prime Cut

maybe ...

Anne R. Allen said...

NETWORK
ANNIE HALL
BLAZING SADDLES
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
THE STING

John D said...

Good question. It's hard to narrow it to just five, but I'll give it a try:

STAR WARS
JAWS
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER
ENTER THE DRAGON

Anonymous said...

So many good ones out there, though there is a lot of overlap of course.

Since I'm a numbers nerd, so far we have (I'm counting every title that was mentioned; the ones with more than one vote are so indicated):

The Godfather 10
Godfather Part II 4
Chinatown 10
The Getaway
The Conversation 2
French Connection
Taxi Driver 4
Last Picture Show 5
Cuckoo's Nest 2
Klute
Annie Hall 3
Star Wars 4
Animal House
Blazing Saddles 2
Close Encounters 3
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Don't Look Now
Halloween
Superman 2
Jaws 2
Alien
Monty Python & Holy Grail
A Clockwork Orange
Apocalypse Now
All the President's Men
Enter the Dragon
Rolling Thunder
Outlaw Josey Wales 2
American Graffiti
Dog Day Afternoon
Paper Moon
Mean Streets
Prime Cut
Eraserhead

The only ones I can't stand on the list are ERASERHEAD and APOCALYPSE NOW, both of which gave me headaches.

Jeff M.

Anonymous said...

Whoops - last two were added after I started, so make adjustments as needed.

Jeff

George said...

CHINATOWN
ANNIE HALL
STAR WARS
TAXI DRIVER
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL

pattinase (abbott) said...

Eraserhead just eluded me. I am surprised I am the only voter for Klute. I think Star Wars would have had more votes before the release of 1-3 which sort of spoiled the originals. Apocalypse Now seems more like Apocalypse then last time I saw it. Brando doesn't hold up so well.

Naomi Johnson said...

THE STING
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
AMERICAN GRAFFITI
THE CHEAP DETECTIVE
BREAKING AWAY

I guess this list shows that I prefer films that make me smile. I like Chinatown and Taxi Driver and Cuckoo's Nest and all those films but I don't enjoy reruns of them too much.

Xavier said...

Not my favorite decade and yet... only five? Well, let's try.

A FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
DAYS OF HEAVEN
JAWS
PATTON
SCARECROW (or any other film Gene Hackman did during the period - that guy is the finest actor of the last five decades)

michael said...

Who's Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
Young Frankenstein
Sleeper
The Sting
The Wicker Man

Anonymous said...

Nashville (has no one mentioned this yet?)
Alice's Restaurant (way underrated)
Dog Day Afternoon
Chinatown
Paper Moon

Soooo much natural lighting

Dan Luft

Dan Fleming said...

You're not alone Patti, Klute was excellent, and Paul, it's so hard not to include Eraserhead on my list. Truly groundbreaking film, especially when you take into account it took about 5 years to make. These lists just make me want to go on a 70's spree.

Anders E said...

In no particular order

THE LONG GOODBYE
THE CONVERSATION
CHINATOWN
ALIEN
AMERICAN GRAFFITI

What a decade - there was such an incredible abundance of good stuff in every kind of genre.

Anonymous said...

And here is the final roundup:

Chinatown 13
The Godfather 10
Star Wars 6
Taxi Driver 5
The Last Picture Show 5
Annie Hall 5
Godfather II 4
Jaws 4

It looks like I was the only person to get all 5 titles on this list, for what that's worth.

Thanks to everyone for playing and drive home safely.

Jeff M.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I am surprised that CHINATOWN beat The Godfather.

Deb said...

I always associated "Eraserhead" with the 1980s. Perhaps because I was living in L.A. in the early 1980s and "Eraserhead" was the midnight movie at the Nuart in Santa Monica on the weekends.

Last week I came home (my husband and our younger kids were at a basketball game) to find my 18-year-old sitting in the dark, watching "Eraserhead."

Me: "Oh, that would so creep me out--watching 'Eraserhead' in the dark."

18-year-old (unfazed): "Oh, I'm OK."

And so the cycle continues...

Anonymous said...

I'm still surprised Charles said he's never seen the Godfather movies or Chinatown or The Last Picture Show.

Well, "surprised" understates it, actually.

Jeff M.

Erik Donald France said...

I've got to post about seeing The Last Picture show on the silver screen last weekend, with Jeff Bridges and Peter B. hanging out before abnd after. Dream come true (though Cybill Shepherd would have been welcomed, too . . .)

Todd Mason said...

THE CONVERSATION
THE CANDIDATE
BADLANDS
THE LAST WALTZ
SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE

sentimental favorites (in that decade) would include THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVED DOWN THE LANE and PAPER MOON and probably THE BAD NEWS BEARS...anything on the list might be challenged by, say, THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE and such fine, if perhaps not as profound or well-worked-out, films as CHARLEY VARRICK, DOG DAY AFTERNOON, THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE (Matthau made some good choices in those years), THE RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS SEVEN, and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

Todd Mason said...

(Leaving aside the temptation to "cheat" with Brit films like Kubrick's or the Pythons', or even Canadian films, or such edge of the '70s winners as MEDIUM COOL.

Five TV Movies:
THE NIGHT STALKER
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS JANE PITTMAN
THE LATHE OF HEAVEN (first broadcast 9 January 1980)
STEAMBATH
FAREWELL TO MANZANAR

Todd Mason said...

If PRIME CUT had been allowed to become the film it could've been, WINTER'S BONE would've reminded me of it even more strongly.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Need to see that one again. I remember all of those but THE LATHE OF HEAVEN.

Todd Mason said...

"E Anders" is actually Anders Engstrom, if I remember the spelling of his surname correctly.

THE LATHE OF HEAVEN, based on the Ursula K. Le Guin borderline fantasy first published as a 1971 serial in AMAZING SCIENCE FICTION, though it might've been a better fit in sibling FANTASTIC, was from the same folks who made the Vonnegut adaptation OF TIME AND TIMBUKTU and the awful John Varley adaptation (of an excellent short story) "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" for AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE, all PBS offers over the years...thoug more people might've seen the last in its MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 skewering. Le Guin was quite pleased with this LATHE, and so was I...it was finally released on DVD some five-six years ago. About that time, another adaptation, LATHE OF HEAVEN, was made with a much larger budget and about as much hostility to the text and the first adaptation as most remakes.

Todd Mason said...

Or, I'm confusing this Anders with the Engstrom the film director...sorry about that, Anders.

Cullen Gallagher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cullen Gallagher said...

Some favorites that I don't think were mentioned were The Heartbreak Kid (Elaine May), Mikey and Nicky (Elaine May), Minnie and Moskowitz (John Cassavetes), Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett), and What's Up Doc? (Peter Bogdanovich).

Anders Engwall said...

Todd is right - E is for Engwall. Good call on THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE, btw. The decade is filled with overlooked gems like that. FAT CITY, FIVE EASY PIECES, STRAIGHT TIME, DAWN OF THE DEAD, OVER THE EDGE, SLAPSHOT, TWO-LANE BLACKTOP... This list could go on and on.

pattinase (abbott) said...

The list is endless. And then everything changes and studios just went for blockbusters. Too bad.

Anders Engwall said...

STAR WARS was the death sentence, I'd say. It's totally incomprehensible today to imagine a movie like FIVE EASY PIECES in its day was successful enough to even warrant a parody in Mad magazine...