70s Movies
70s movies brought a real turning point to cinema in America. By 1970,
the rapid growth and popularity of 50s and 60s television had taken an
ever increasing share of the entertainment dollar. But technological
advances in the 70s decade burst into film-making as well - Panovision
and Dolby Sound changed the entire movie-watching experience with
spectacular special effects. As a result, such movies as Star Wars,
Jaws, Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, and The
Exorcist were big draws and became blockbuster hits.
Seventies movies also reflected Joneser attitudes and feelings. Movie-goers
related well to an underdog's pursuit of the American dream in Rocky and
its sequels, the poignant impacts of divorce upon family life in
Kramer vs. Kramer, the yearning (there's that Joneser word again) for
happier and simpler times in American Graffiti and Grease, and the
challenging quest to change one's life in Saturday Night Fever (while
popularizing disco at the same time).
The "Best" 70s Movies
Of course, choosing the "best" of anything depends upon the criteria chosen, but
Hollywood movie critics and historians generally rank the following
films highly on most lists as worthwhile and absolute "must sees" (see if you agree):
1970 - A Clockwork Orange1971 - The French Connection1971 - The Last Picture Show1971 - McCabe & Mrs. Miller1972 - Cabaret1972 - The Godfather1973 - American Graffiti1973 - Badlands1973 - Don't Look Now1973 - The Exorcist1973 - Mean Streets1974 - Chinatown
|
|
1974 - The Conversation 1974 - The Godfather Part II1975 - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest1975 - Jaws1975 - Nashville1976 - Network1976 - Taxi Driver1977 - Annie Hall1977 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 - Star Wars1978 - Days of Heaven1978 - The Deer Hunter1979 - Alien1979 - Apocalypse Now1979 - Manhattan
Top Grossing Movies of the 70s
Following is the more traditional measure of popularity - the film grossing the most revenue at the box office by year - which also takes out subjectivity and other preferences:
1970 - Love Story1971 - Billy Jack1972 - The Godfather1973 - The Exorcist1974 - Blazing Saddles1975 - Jaws
1976 - Rocky1977 - Star Wars1978 - Grease1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
|
|
-
Home
›
-
Generation Jones
›
-
70s Movies