The Great Movie Tournament - Nominations Thread: 1970s

[mae]

The Day of the Locust (1975)
John Schlesinger

Watch trailer:

[mae]

I’m 44. There isn’t many films I like from the 70’s... that I have seen BUT as I stated. I’m going to watch some of the big guns here that I missed.

That's great, and thankfully a lot of the movies on our list are streaming on the usual services.

[Still Servant]

I haven't seen this one yet, but I've been wanting to watch it forever and finally picked it up on laserdisc recently. I feel comfortable seconding it even though I haven't seen it because I know I will likely enjoy it.

Rolling Thunder

[Randall Flagg]

I haven't seen this one yet, but I've been wanting to watch it forever and finally picked it up on laserdisc recently. I feel comfortable seconding it even though I haven't seen it because I know I will likely enjoy it.

Rolling Thunder

Whew! I nominated it long ago. It was #1 on the unseconded list for a long time.

[Randall Flagg]

I second The Seven-Ups.

[divemaster]

I was born in 1968 and there were a few films that imprinted on me from the '70s. Kid-friendly stuff, of course. Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters, the Pink Panther films, Star Wars. But it was really the '80s, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark, where movies hit my formative years I guess.

A few of the late '70s films I found as a teen, during the 1 month out of the year where I had access to HBO and Cinemax (Dad's house). Stuff I wasn't allowed to watch at home (Mom's house), like Death Race 2000 and other "R" features.

But as an adult, I've gone back to watch a lot of '70s movies and surely do appreciate the originality and complexity of many of them.

[divemaster]

I nominate In the Realm of the Senses (1976)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-o8EKjXJPQ

[Still Servant]

I haven't seen this one yet, but I've been wanting to watch it forever and finally picked it up on laserdisc recently. I feel comfortable seconding it even though I haven't seen it because I know I will likely enjoy it.

Rolling Thunder

Whew! I nominated it long ago. It was #1 on the unseconded list for a long time.

Yeah, I kept watching it waiting for someone to second it. I felt weird because I haven't seen it, but I would have been bummed if it didn't get in.

[Tommy]

All That Jazz (1979)
Bob Fosse

Watch trailer:

Second

[Randall Flagg]

I was born in 1960, so the 70's were my early imprint period.
I went to a lot of movies with my parents in my preteens. They were liberal and not well to do so most movies were the drive ins, including being snuck in to Fritz the Cat. My early teens we got cable, and ground breaking at the time...HBO!
At 16 I had a well paying job, and a car. I'd go to 3 or 4 drive in movies a week. Great place to drink and toke.

[DoctorZaius]

I was born in 1968 and there were a few films that imprinted on me from the '70s. Kid-friendly stuff, of course. Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters, the Pink Panther films, Star Wars. But it was really the '80s, starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark, where movies hit my formative years I guess.

A few of the late '70s films I found as a teen, during the 1 month out of the year where I had access to HBO and Cinemax (Dad's house). Stuff I wasn't allowed to watch at home (Mom's house), like Death Race 2000 and other "R" features.

But as an adult, I've gone back to watch a lot of '70s movies and surely do appreciate the originality and complexity of many of them.

I agree with your note on "originality and complexity." One person noted earlier in the process how they had seen so many remakes of movies that were being nominated - there's your originality. One thing I am noticing in looking at the 1970s through the nomination process is how male dominated the films 1970s are. This is the era of the male movie star.

[DoctorZaius]

I will second the very gentle performances of John Denver, George Burns, Carl Reiner, and Teri Garr in Oh, God! - loved it as a kid!

[sharki69]

I nominate Buck Rogers in the 25th century 1979

https://youtu.be/pAadQv-AL0Q

[DoctorZaius]

I will offer up another thriller starring Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier that gave me goosebumps when I realized what it was all about.

Film: The Boys from Brazil
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Year: 1978

Spoiler:

[mae]

One thing I am noticing in looking at the 1970s through the nomination process is how male dominated the films 1970s are. This is the era of the male movie star.

That is very true. Later decades, especially the more recent years, will have more diversity, which is great, but what the '70s lack in representation, I believe they make up in style and creativity. There were very few movies directed by women in the '70s, I did nominate some and have one or two more, but I understand they're not very well known.

[DoctorZaius]

One thing I am noticing in looking at the 1970s through the nomination process is how male dominated the films 1970s are. This is the era of the male movie star.

That is very true. Later decades, especially the more recent years, will have more diversity, which is great, but what the '70s lack in representation, I believe they make up in style and creativity. There were very few movies directed by women in the '70s, I did nominate some and have one or two more, but I understand they're not very well known.

Yes, and I should have added that it was dominated by white males. Another realization comes about from the many thrillers and political thrillers I, and others, have nominated. What a decade for them. I am confident it's this very premise that is responsible for my belief that Captain American: The Winder Soldier is the best of the Marvel movies. It owes so much to the 1970s.

[mae]

Yeah, as I mentioned, the '70s were before my time, but obviously I have learned about the political climate as much as I could through movies and documentaries and school and just I guess osmosis, and it does seem that this decade was especially politically charged, which makes sense, given Watergate.

[Randall Flagg]

I second The Boys From Brazil.

[Randall Flagg]

A small plead for someone to second Lenny. It's a bio-documentary movie starring Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce-think Richard Pryor before there was a Richard Pryor.


"Controversial comedian Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman) begins his career telling bad jokes to bored audiences in the 1950s, but can't repress his desire to unleash edgier material. When he does, he begins a one-man campaign to break down social hypocrisy, and his groundbreaking stage act propels him to cult-hero status. When authorities ban Lenny's act for obscenity, he begins a downward spiral of drugs, sex and debt, aided by his bombshell wife, a stripper named Honey (Valerie Perrine)."

[mae]

Sadly, I know it's a great movie, but one I haven't seen yet. It's unfortunately also not streaming anywhere.

[Tommy]

I really want folks to see Wake in Fright if they can.

Woefully short on Westerns and be damned if Altman wasn't great at nearly every genre so...


McCabe & Mrs. Miller


And looking at the list, I don't think we'll have another list of such diverse, in terms of plot or substance, films from another decade. The 70s was a weird, weird time for cinema. And no fans of Dr. Phibes? Really? It's so good and strange!

[Still Servant]

I'm surprised this one hasn't been nominated yet. Especially with a fairly recent and fairly popular remake.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974
Joseph Sargent

[RUBE]

The Rescuers
1977
John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, Art Stevens

Edit: Sorry to keep adding but I just read this was the first Disney animation to get a sequel.


This is the last cartoon I'll nominate, I promise. After looking over the lists, there really wasn't that much good animation in the 70s, unless you are really into Winnie-the-Pooh, Dr. Seuss, or Charlie Brown.

[DoctorZaius]

I'm surprised this one hasn't been nominated yet. Especially with a fairly recent and fairly popular remake.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974
Joseph Sargent

This one was next on my list, but I will have to second Lenny, which is the first biopic I can remember seeing. It solidified Hoffman on my list of actors to watch.

[DoctorZaius]

I will nominate another guilty pleasure, this time a WW2 piece. Imagine a cast of Robert Shaw, Harrison Ford, Carl Weathers, and a hot Barbara Bach chewing up the screen.

Film: Force 10 From Navarone
Director: Guy Hamilton
Year: 1978

Spoiler: