Movies: What are your favorite films from 1970 - 81?

[Elvis P]

I like: @kihei

1. The Godfather Parts 1 & 2
2. Raging Bull
3. Star Wars - That's the original title.
4. Chinatown
5. Apocalypse Now - I just saw it last night and it's so good.
6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
7. Annie Hall - I had a roommate who couldn't understand why some like it better than Star Wars.
8. Taxi Driver
9. The Deer Hunter
10. M*A*S*H*
11. Jaws - It's good for its time. Pre-Star Wars special effects don't age well.
12. Rocky
13. Nashville
14. American Graffiti
15. Cabaret
16. Network
17. Raiders of the Lost Arc
18. A Clockwork Orange
19. All the President's Men
20. The French Connection
21. The Last Picture Show

Click to read more...

 

[DaaaaB's]

In no order:
The Godfather 1 & 2
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Raging Bull
Mean Streets
Outlaw Josey Wales
High Plains Drifter
Apocalypse Now
Kagemusha
Dog Day Afternoon
Alien
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Slapshot
Caddyshack

 

[ItsFineImFine]

I'll copy/paste the ones I rated the highest. Looks like I've seen 125 so far in that time period. Going through this list, it seems like it was a very macho-movie heavy era. But out of curiosity, why 1981 and not 1970 to 1979 or 80?

• The Godfather: Part II (1974)
  
  
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
  
  
• The Godfather (1972)
  
  
• Barry Lyndon (1975)
  
  
• The Day of the Jackal (1973)
  
  
• All the President's Men (1976)
  
  
• Apocalypse Now (1979)
  
  
• Badlands (1973)
  
  
• Das Boot (1981)
  
  
• Le Cercle rouge (1970)
  
  
• Day for Night (1973)
  
  
• The French Connection (1971)
  
  
• Gregory's Girl (1981)
  
  
• Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
  
  
• The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
  
  
• Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
  
  
• Bed & Board (1970)
  
  
• Breaker Morant (1980)
  
  
• The Conformist (1970)
  
  
• The Conversation (1974)
  
  
• Dersu Uzala (1975)
  
  
• Dirty Harry (1971)
  
  
• Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
  
  
• Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
  
  
• Love on the Run (1979)
  
  
• Paper Moon (1973)
  
  
• Sleuth (1972)
  
  
• Sorcerer (1977)
  
  
• State of Siege (1972)
  
  
• Thief (1981)

 

[Elvis P]

I'll copy/paste the ones I rated the highest. Looks like I've seen 125 so far in that time period. Going through this list, it seems like it was a very macho-movie heavy era. But out of curiosity, why 1981 and not 1970 to 1979 or 80?

I wanted to sneak Raiders in.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

the shining
dressed to kill
the jerk
the warriors
carrie
enter the dragon

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I have 5 10/10 movies from the 70s:

L'hypothèse du tableau volé
Le Navire Night
Aurélia Steiner - Melbourne
Mon oncle d'Amérique
Un homme qui dort

To complete a top-10, I'd go with:

Le fantôme de la liberté
Glissements progressifs du plaisir
L'invenzione di Morel
The Lickerish Quartet
Images

HM to 5 more: Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Exorcist, Deep Red, Le genou de Claire, Cet obscur objet du désir

Cleary French-heavy, but it was such a great period for French cinema - adding pure geniuses like Bunuel and Ruiz to their already amazing depth of brilliant filmmakers.

Edit: oh yes, my favorite 70s film by an American director is an European soft porn.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Road warrior

 

[Babe Ruth]

Rocky
Dirty Harry
Empire Strikes Back
Halloween (original)

Probably some other good ones I'm forgetting..

 

[kihei]

1970

The Conformist
The Wild Child
Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion

1971

McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Mon Oncle Antoine
The French Connection

1972

Solaris
Last Tango in Paris
Aquirre, the Wrath of God

1973

Don't Look Now
Spirit of the Beehive
Mean Streets

1974

Alice in the Cities
Chinatown
The Conversation

1975

The Mirror
Jeanne Dielmann, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Barry Lyndon

1976

In the Realm of the Senses
Taxi Driver
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands

1977

Star Wars
Providence
An American Friend

1978

Killer of Sheep
The Deer Hunter
The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting

1979

Stalker
Christ Stopped at Eboli
Apocalypse Now

1980

Ordinary People
Atlantic City
Mon Oncle d'Amerique

1981

Das Boot
The Road Warrior
Diva

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

1970

The Conformist
The Wild Child
Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion

1971

McCabe and Mrs. Miller
Mon Oncle Antoine
The French Connection

1972

Solaris
Last Tango in Paris
Aquirre, the Wrath of God

1973

Don't Look Now
Spirit of the Beehive
Mean Streets

1974

Alice in the Cities
Chinatown
The Conversation

1975

The Mirror
Jeanne Dielmann, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Barry Lyndon

1976

In the Realm of the Senses
Taxi Driver
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands

1977

Star Wars
Providence
An American Friend

1978

Killer of Sheep
The Deer Hunter
The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting

1979

Stalker
Christ Stopped at Eboli
Apocalypse Now

1980

Ordinary People
Atlantic City
Mon Oncle d'Amerique

1981

Das Boot
The Road Warrior
Diva

I love Solaris, Don't Look Now, The Mirror, In the Realm of the Senses, Providence, Stalker too - and you have a few films here I haven't seen - but most of all, I'm really happy to see a Ruiz film on that list!

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Damn, I forgot that we watched The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting in the movie thread a couple years back. I dreamt portions of that movie (intertwining with my own sensibilities) the night I watched it. What a movie.

 

[VMBM]

Jaws (special effects don't matter much; it's that well-made and doesn't rely just on those; Shaw, Dreyfuss and Scheider are brilliant)
Deliverance
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Godfather
Taxi Driver
The Exorcist
Mean Streets
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Star Wars
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Mad Max II (the Road Warrior)
The Wanderers
American Graffiti
Cross of Iron
The Long Good Friday

...And many many more, hi hi... I'm a little embarrased that I can't think of a European film (except British) that I really like from 1970—81, but if 1982 had been included, Bergman's Fanny and Alexander would certainly be there.

 

[Elvis P]

... but if 1982 had been included, Bergman's Fanny and Alexander would certainly be there.

I would have included Blade Runner.

 

[VMBM]

Now I got it; The Adventures of Picasso (Picassos äventyr) from 1978 (a huge hit all over the world! )
I just love Hasse & Tage and it was a kind of international film after all (dialogue mostly gibberish and e.g. some British actors like Bernard Cribbins).

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Apocalypse Now
Love & Death
Stardust Memories
Alien
Halloween
Taxi Driver
The Deer Hunter
Cabaret
Dog Day Afternoon
McCabe and Mrs Miller

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Stardust Memories

Yes. Should have included it in my HMs.

 

[Guardian17]

Star Trek The Motion Picture

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind

Rocky

Star Wars

Superman

Logan's Run

Meatballs

Xanadu

Live And Let Die

Moonraker

 

[kook10]

some additions to those mentioned:

Blazing Saddles
Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia
Delivrance
My Dinner With Andre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Dawn of the Dead
The Bad News Bears

 

[Zeppo]

01. Chinatown
02. All the President's Men
03. Five Easy Pieces
04. Raging Bull
05. Fat City
06. The Conversation
07. Wanda
08. The Conformist
09. The Man Who Sleeps
10. Barry Lyndon

 

[Hoverhand]

1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Godfather Part 2 (1974)
3. Raging Bull (1980)
4. Clockwork Orange (1971)
5. Taxi Driver (1976)
6. The Shining (1980)
7. The Elephant Man (1980)
8. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)
9. Rocky (1976)
10. Empire Strikes Back (1980)

 

[frisco]

Top 50 (in order--my favorite era for film):
Apocalypse Now
The Deer Hunter
The Godfather Part II
Saturday Night Fever
A Clockwork Orange
The Godfather
Network
Chinatown
The Getaway
The Shining
The Towering Inferno
Taxi Driver
Papillon
Raging Bull
Junior Bonner
Badlands
Love Story
The Omega Man
The Omen
Dog Day Afternoon
The Onion Field
Serpico
Soylent Green
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Le Mans
Ordinary People
The Exorcist
The Last Picture Show
Being There
Kramer vs. Kramer
Barry Lyndon
All the President's Men
...And Justice for All
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
Chariots Of Fire
Logan's Run
Midway
Grease
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Deliverance
Damien: Omen II
The Panic in Needle Park
Coming Home
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Earthquake
The Omen III
The Three Musketeers
The Day of the Jackal
Julius Caesar
Marathon Man


My Best-Carey

 

[Troy McClure]

I absolutely love Patton, even though it is a highly exaggerated bit of hero worship. What George C. Scott did was wonderful.

 

[Savi]

I have 5 10/10 movies from the 70s:

Aurélia Steiner - Melbourne

Can I ask why you have this one at 10/10 because I really don't see it

Anyway my highest rated are;

1. Apocalypse Now
2. Stalker
3. Solaris
4. A Clockwork Orange
5. Walkabout
6. Spirit of the Beehive
(those 6 are the only ones from that era in my total top 100)
7. The Mirror
8. Taxi Driver
9. The Conversation
10. Day For Night
11. Scenes from a marriage
12. Monty Python & the Holy Grail
13. Autumn Sonata
14. A Swedish Love Story
15. Cria Cuervos

 

[Unholy Diver]

Godfather & Godfather II
Jaws
Rocky
The Blues Brothers
Caddyshack
Animal House
Dawn of the Dead
Death Race 2000
Escape from NY
Death Wish
Star Wars: A new hope & The Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Can I ask why you have this one at 10/10 because I really don't see it

You sure can - and my answer would be pretty much the same for Le Navire Night - except for the amazing quality of the text, which is the first thing to be said about it. The text and Duras's voice, which is always amazing but here adds to the multi-layered "Aurélia" character (which is at once a woman executed by the nazis, her daughter, and/or a young woman who lives in Melbourne or Vancouver who reflects about loss and grief) with its obvious age and experience. The text is about the death camps and grief, but it's mainly an exercise about absence and the unnamable/unspeakable - an experience so unbearable that it cannot be expressed. The film responds to these ideas in its materiality, the absence of the parent figure in the text is echoed by the absence of narrative/characters, and the unnamable becomes unshowable. In film theory, you have the idea of "monstration" (the act of showing - mostly trying to show the "real" in early cinema) which becomes a tension in horror and extreme cinema between what you show/see and what you don't. Duras, in quite a few of her films, chose to frustrate the spectator by not showing him anything, and by doing so, invites him to consider with personal introspection what's not being shown to him.

I think Le Navire Night is also especially interesting in her filmography. She did film the story, hired actors and all, but just couldn't feel the meaning of her text in this narrative form. It's a love story about two people who meet on the phone by error, and ultimately never meet. Absence, longing. So she remade the film and only filmed empty sets, and she kept the actors in one single shot (and most people forget they've actually seen them) where they are at makeup, preparing for the scene. Like the characters, and like the spectators, they are waiting/preparing for something more.

I'm a "the medium is the message" kind of guy, and I think Duras - like Godard, Ruiz (often) - really is at the top of that game.