But what I will do is pick a few genres and then pick five films from each. Five films that I think best represent the decade for that particular genre. Then I challenge anyone to come up with a similar list from any other decade that they believe is better.
Here are twenty-five films that I believe hold up against any twenty-five from any other decade.
Drama
- The Godfather (I could include the sequel here too)
- Chinatown
- Dog Day Afternoon
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Taxi Driver
Action/Adventure (including Science Fiction and Sports films)
- Rocky
- Star Wars
- Jaws
- The French Connection
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Comedy
- Young Frankenstein
- M*A*S*H
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Annie Hall
- Animal House
Horror
- Alien
- Halloween
- The Exorcist
- Dawn of the Dead
- Carrie
Other (just because I wanted to pick five more)
- A Clockwork Orange
- The Sting
- Dirty Harry
- Cabaret
- The Outlaw Josey Wales
So whaddya got? You think you could pick five films from these genres that are superior to the films listed above? Go ahead and try. You may even change my mind*.
*You really won't.
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Note: Remember to play the Bug-Eyed Trivia Challenge every day. Just being stubborn here.
19 comments:
"Breaking Away", God I love that movie. "Refund!, Refund!"
Wil Harrison.com
All great movies, but I am biased to Dog Day Afternoon because my sister in laws mother was in it. Also because it was AWESOME
I do think that with action, comedy, and horror, the 70s laid the groundwork for the future of movies. It's when the directors used those horrible techniques that the movies get boring.
Like The Exorcist, Deliverance, Jaws, Invasion of the Body Snatchers - it's like they didn't have enough story to fill a movie so they padded it with shots that have no emotional weight to them.
Even though the 70s laid the groundwork, the 80s beat the 70s with regards to comedy and action.
Comedy:
1. Caddyshack
2. Airplane!
3. Beetlejuice
4. Ferris Bueller
5. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
HM: Spaceballs, Raising Arizona, Naked Gun, Spinal Tap, History of The World, Ghostbusters, Back to School, Pee-Wee, Breakfast Club, Vacation, Beverly Hills Cop, Fletch, 3 Amigos, Coming to America, Better Off Dead, When Harry Met Sally
Action/Adventure:
1. Aliens (superior to the original)
2. Back to the Future
3. Empire Strikes Back
4. Princess Bride
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
HM: Terminator, Commando, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Predator, The Abyss, Robocop, Wrath of Khan,
holy crap..some serious movie debate...there are great movies in each decade...how about mel brooks being represented in 3 decades along with speilberg. to bad lucas shot his load with empire...i would have to say the 70's had better acting, the 80's better technology
blazing saddles should DEFINIELY be higher up than just an honorable mention..
Great list but what about Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? I love that movie, especially when....
Ohhhhh... 70's movies.
Nevermind.
Wil - Jackie Earle Haley is the shit!
Rachel - Heya! I do love that movie. Very cool about your sister in-law's mother being in it.
Adam - I, obviously, disagree with you that those films you mentioned are long, drawn out and boring. But to each his own. I also disagree about the comedies. I think the five I listed are superior to the five (very funny) films you listed. Again, to each his own. I will agree that the 8o's were better for Action/Adventure. Those are some great films. One thing though. Aliens was an incredible film. Comparing it to Alien, however, is a bit misleading. Alien was a Horror film set in space. Plain and simple. Aliens was cowboys and indians film set in space. Two very different genres. That's why I listed Alien under Horror. But all in all, not a bad response. I still think the 70's kick ass.
2abes - I actually think that as technology gets better the quality of some films goes south. There are obviously many exceptions to that rule.
Slyde - I know, but I already had Young Frankenstein up there and there were sooo many good comedies in the 70's. But it easily could be in the top 5.
Zibbs - oh you wacky Zibbs you!
The In - Laws! One of my favorite movies (the original)!
Great lists. Seriously- great movies. Some of them I wasn't aware were made in the 70's. < Crappy sentence.
Anyway, yes! good movies, all of them.
you forgot the scarey as hell "Last House On The Left". Still scares me to this day!
Happy Hump Day!
- Jennifer
BLAZING SADDLES. You are forgiven.
You are singing my song dude!!!
That was our day Earlsie!!
Sybil - Let's not even talk about the remake of the In-Laws. Blech.
Jenn - I was gonna include that, but I thought I was the only one who loved it.
Heff - it was one or the other, I chose YF. What are ya gonna do?
Candy - Well, I like to think it was a little before our time. Hush, now! ;)
I really hate you for this... I don't have time to be watching movies now, and yet a good number of films on this list are very compelling. I haven't seen Chinatown in far too long.
IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT IF I DON'T GET MY WORK DONE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WATCHING MOVIES!!
Dave2 - I've had Chinatown recorded on my DVR for about 6 months now, just taunting me...nay, urging me (same thing?) to re-watch it. But I'll take the blame. No problem.
Shouldn't Dawn of the Dead be filed under comedy?
Or was that Shawn of the Dead?
All very confusing...
Totally agree about Outlaw Josey Wales - truly great film.
WR - That would be Shaun, but there were some very funny moments in Dawn. Remember when that one zombie ate that guy's shoulder? Hilarious!
I really have never given this whole subject much thought, but then I read these films came out in the 70s:
Chinatown
Clockwork Orange
Caberet
Animal House
Taxi Driver
and The Exorcist...
...and I have to admit....I probably agree with you. At least for American Cinema.
Bruce - yeah, I stuck with American films here. I wouldn't know where to begin with foreign films. Probably with Kurasawa.
Not going to try and change your mind one bit.
As for the honorable mentions, I don't see a movie like "Breaking Away" on too many people's list. I really liked that movie. A great film and somewhat coming of age.
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