My Faves!! - Part V

Now for Part V of my series, my favourite decade not only for movies, but for music, TV shows, and fashion.  The 1970's, although I only lived through part of it, is largely responsible for who and what I am today.  I seemed to have discovered that later in my life, but I'm so glad I did.  As a result, for the purpose of these lists, I have seen at least 154 films from the 1970's.  (Probably more, but I've only rated 154 on imdb.com).  Anyways, here are the films I consider to be the best of the best from that highly influential decade...

The French Connection (1971)
Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey
Directed by: William Friedkin
IMDB Rating: 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

It was early during the 1970's that filmmakers started to perfect the gritty, real-life police drama.  There was none better than "The French Connection", and it was based on actual events!  Gene Hackman was absolutely stellar in the role of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle; hard-nosed, no-nonsense, play by the rules then break 'em kind of cop.  Roy Scheider is equally great as his partner.  But the true star of the film is the cinematography.  Through much of the movie it's almost as if the viewer is watching a documentary.  The now infamous car chase scene through the streets of New York was called, and some still call it, the best car chase scene ever filmed.  Fast paced, high octane adventure thats still fun to watch.
- The car chase was filmed entirely out of sequence and over a five week period as they were restricted to only five hours of shooting time a day at the location.
- The real cops that the movie is based on, Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, make cameo appearances in the film; Egan as the detectives' supervisor and Grosso as Klein, the BNDD special agent.

The Godfather (1972)
Starring: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Sterling Hayden
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDB Rating: 9.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Believe the hype!  This is widely considered one of the very best movies ever made, and it deserves to be on that short list.  Beautifully written, gorgeously filmed, phenomenal acting...it's got it all.  It shocks me to find out that there are still some people out there that haven't seen this masterpiece, but only because I've seen it about 50 times.  I'll even sit and watch the edited for TV version that lasts over four hours!  Al Pacino rightfully became a superstar after this film, and Francis Ford Coppola became the most sought-after director in the world.  Just plain fabulous filmmaking!
- Sergio Leone turned down the chance to direct the film, regretting it later and inspiring him to direct "Once Upon A Time In America".
- James Caan was originally hired to play Michael, but when Al Pacino came along, he was moved to the role of Sonny.
- Robert DeNiro was given the role of Paulie initially, after testing for Michael and Sonny.  Eventually, DeNiro backed out of the role to do another film, making it possible for him to be cast in the sequel.

The Exorcist (1973)
Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max Von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Lee J. Cobb
Directed by: William Friedkin
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

"Psycho" and "Jaws" scared the crap out of me the first time I saw them.  That was nothing compared to the first time I saw "The Exorcist"!  I even remember going to the theatre to see the re-release, the one that included the infamous "spider crawl", and still feeling scared...I was almost 30 years old!  But beyond the horror of seeing a young Linda Blair acting possessed (and what a fantastic job she does) there's a really interesting story with lots of history in religion and religious beliefs.  Most horror films are made for shock value, to get a reaction from the audience.  Few keep the viewer completely involved beyond those scary scenes.  "The Exorcist" is ALWAYS interesting!  A true classic.
- The author of the book, William Peter Blatty, won $10,000 on the TV show "You Bet Your Life".  When asked what he would do with the money he said he wanted to take some time off to write a novel.  That novel turned out to be "The Exorcist".
- Rick Baker was hired as a Special Effects assistant on this film.  He went on to garner 12 Academy Award nominations including 7 wins for Make-Up and Special Effects.

The Sting (1973)
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan
Directed by: George Roy Hill
IMDB Rating: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

The problem with a lot of con films are the enormous holes in the plot that we, the audience, are supposed to forgive because we're having such a good time.  Unfortunately, it's those giant holes that keep us from having a good time.  I dare you to find any holes in "The Sting".  It is expertly constructed by David S. Ward, who won the Academy Award for writing.  Then we have the remarkable team of Newman, Redford and George Roy Hill who struck gold with "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid" only four years earlier.  Then, on top of all of that, throw in one of the best actors around in Robert Shaw as the baddie.  Oh, let's not forget the unforgettable musical score by Marvin Hamlisch!  A fun, easy-to-follow film that is always entertaining.
- Robert Shaw's limp was not a character choice.  He split all the ligaments in his knee a week before filming began.
- Robert Redford hadn't seen the entire film until 2004.

The Conversation (1974)
Starring: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Frederic Forrest
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Even though it was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, a lot of people have never even heard of "The Conversation".  That's a huge shame, because it is one of Coppola's best and easily, for me, Gene Hackman's best performance.  He plays a surveillance expert...quiet, keeps very much to himself, very meek and mild.  He begins to think that the couple he's been hired to watch may be murdered soon, and a huge conspiracy could be uncovered by what he has recorded.  What is this lonely introvert supposed to do?  Hackman and Coppola give the viewer every reason to be concerned, but watching Hackman run through a gamut of emotions, mostly internalized, is pure magic!  And the sound editing is quite impressive as well.
- Coppola originally wrote the outline to the film in 1966 but couldn't get financing until "The Godfather" became such a huge hit.
- Gene Hackman learned to play the saxophone for this film.

Chinatown (1974)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Diane Ladd
Directed by: Roman Polanski
IMDB Rating: 8.4
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Roman Polanski created a beautiful, heartfelt throwback to 1940's Hollywood film noir with "Chinatown".  The difference is Polanski could get away with a little more in the 70's.  Nicholson, although a star already, really made a name for himself as P.I. J.J. Gittes.  Rarely before, if ever, did a lead character play half of the movie with a bandage across his face, symbolically showing J.J. was sticking his nose in something he should stay away from.  Dunaway is great, a little over-the-top in places, but believable under the circumstances.  One of the most memorable endings to a movie ever, and the last line has been re-used, changed-up and parodied as much as any other famous line in the history of film.  Maybe a little dated by today's standards, but still a great watch!
- The last movie Roman Polanski made in the United States.
- In the original script a voice-over is used to drive the story, narrated by J.J. Gittes.  Polanski ditched this idea so the audience would discover things at the same time as the character.

The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Bruno Kirby
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
IMDB Rating: 9.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

It's a very rare thing in Hollywood for a sequel to be as good as it's predecessor.  Coppola's second "Godfather" film may actually be better than the original!  We watch how Michael Corleone begins to run his "family", paralleled with the beginnings of Vito Corleone's life in America.  All the players from the first movie carry on their greatness in the second, and now we have the wonderful Robert DeNiro to watch as well.  Some equally iconic scenes like the first film, "Fredo, you broke my heart", help make this sequel an integral part of the Corleone saga.  Filled with everything we loved from the first film, mix in McCarthy Era political intrigue, and all the backstory involving DeNiro, it's no wonder this is the only sequel to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
- This sequel was being worked on before "The Godfather" was even completed, based on the buzz in Hollywood for the first film.
- Francis Ford Coppola did not want to direct the sequel because of the stress from the first film.  He handpicked Martin Scorsese to direct, but the studio turned him down.

Young Frankenstein (1974)
Starring: Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman
Directed by: Mel Brooks
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.  I still laugh out loud, even after having watched it dozens of times.  The perfect combination of Gene Wilder's comic timing and Mel Brooks' talent for high-schtick keeps the viewer howling.  All the supporting players are just as good; Madeline Kahn as Dr. Frankenstein's lover, Marty Feldman as "Eye-Gor", Cloris Leachman as Frau Blucher...even an uncredited turn by Gene Hackman as the blind man in the woods is hysterical!  Mel Brooks came up with some funny films, but his best is definitely "Young Frankenstein"!
- Steven Tyler of Aerosmith came up with "Walk This Way" after watching the scene where Marty Feldman tells Gene Wilder to "walk this way...this way".
- Gene Wilder came up with the "Puttin' On The Ritz" sequence.  It was shot even though Mel Brooks didn't think it was all that funny.  He changed his mind when he heard the reaction of the audience at a screening of the film.

Jaws (1975)
Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Murray Hamilton
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I first saw "Jaws" at a drive-in when I was about 5 years old (what was my mother thinking?!?).  Just as "Psycho" kept me away from taking showers for a while, "Jaws" kept me from learning how to swim!  I would not go into the deep end of a pool until I was about eight for fear that I'd be eaten by a shark.  This was the first true summer blockbuster movie back in 1975.  It shattered all box office records and had people going to see it again and again.  It is simply a great movie!  Not just because of the music and not knowing when the shark will strike again.  The story, the camerawork (a beautiful shot on the beach stolen straight from Hitchcock), the actors working so well together on screen (off screen was a different story apparently), the comedy when you least expect it, the fun of it all!  It doesn't scare me the way it once did, but I sure do appreciate it a lot more now.
- Shots used to show the shark's point of view were created out of necessity, as the animatronic shark kept on breaking down.  These shots ultimately added to the horror element of the movie.
- "You're gonna need a bigger boat" was ad-libbed by Roy Scheider.  Spielberg liked the unscripted line so much that he left it in the final product.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Based on a true story "Dog Day Afternoon" is not what people would call an exciting film.  It moves along rather slowly, but it says so much about the era, a time when New York cops were looked at as enemies of the people.  The story is rather simple, a man wants to rob a bank so he can pay for his lover's sex-change operation...you've heard it a million times before.  But all of a sudden people start to relate to him, the hostages, the crowds outside, the millions watching from home.  The cops, though, have a job to do, and you know darn well it ain't gonna end good.  Pacino and Cazale are a marvel to watch.  It's almost like watching a play at times.  The real star is the understated direction of Lumet, who made a name for himself making realistic, tough dramas like this.  Still a treat to watch, and I try to watch it at least once a year...usually during the dog days of summer.
- In the real robbery, $213,000 was taken from the bank.
- Most of the film was improvised by the cast during rehearsals.  They worked around an outline of the script and Lumet wrote down the good ideas as they happened naturally through preparation of the film.  The famous line "Attica! Attica!" came from these improvisations.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Danny DeVito, Brad Dourif, Christopher Lloyd, Will Sampson
Directed by: Milos Forman
IMDB Rating: 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

For me, this is the quintessential movie from the 1970's; it's gritty, realistic, incredibly well acted with an ending that can be considered happy or sad, depending on the way you look at it.  Nicholson was definitely at the top of his game while filming this movie.  Every action he takes, every smile, every smirk, every angry outbreak is completely believable and true to his character.  Louise Fletcher created a villain so clouded in her horribleness that the viewer almost feels sorry for her.  And the quiet strength, and physical size, of Will Sampson's Chief is probably one of the best characters put on film.  It took a while for me to first watch this movie, I thought it would not be interesting.  I was never so happy to be so wrong.  It is masterful filmmaking!
- Kirk Douglas owned the rights to the film and planned to star as McMurphy.  He waited too long, became too old for the role, and gave the rights over to his son, Michael Douglas.
- Most of the extras used in the movie were actual mental patients at the Oregon State Mental Hospital.

Taxi Driver (1976)
Starring: Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks, Peter Boyle
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
IMDB Rating: 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro teamed up for the first time three years prior with "Mean Streets", which is a great movie.  Their second, of eight(!) collaborations, was "Taxi Driver", and the world took notice.  DeNiro is in just about every scene of the film, and he commands your attention each and every minute.  He absolutely melts into the role of Travis Bickle.  All the supporting characters, from Foster's young prostitute to Shepherd's uptown-girl object of desire, to Harvey Keitel's cameo as Sport the pimp, are spot on.  Scorsese uses the camera as an open window for us to view the world of Bickle, going so far in one scene to turn the camera away from the action because it's just too hard for us, the viewer, to watch Bickle blubbering on the phone.  Great filmmaking, and a real show of DeNiro's Method.
- The script said "Travis looks in the mirror".  From this, DeNiro ad-libbed everything he said to himself, including the infamous "You talkin' to me?".
- There were over 200 applicants to play the role of Iris (played by Jodie Foster).  Some, then unknown actresses, that applied included Kim Basinger, Carrie Fisher, Mariel Hemingway, Bo Derek, Kim Cattrall, Rosanna Arquette and Michelle Pfeiffer.

All The President's Men (1976)
Starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook
Directed by: Alan J. Pakula
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Two crack reporters from The Washington Post team up to investigate a robbery which turns out to go straight up to the President of the USA.  As a result of their investigation, Richard Nixon resigns from office.  How could this story NOT make a great movie?!?  One of the things I love about this movie is it's break-neck speed.  It has to cover a lot of information, something that took months to gain and decipher, all in two hours.  If you're not paying attention, you will miss something. It's almost as if the movie is challenging you to keep up.  But how hard is it to pay attention when you have two of the best actors of the day playing the all important leads?  Mystery, intrigue, cover-ups...it's all there, and it's all so much fun to watch!
- There was an attempt to film in the actual Washington Post newsroom with actual employees as extras, but the filmmakers realized too many of the employees were too aware of the camera, some even attempting to act.  The "newsroom" was re-built in a Burbank studio for $450,000.
- On May 31, 2005, W. Mark Felt came forward as the actual "Deep Throat" that leaked information to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.  Bob Woodward and the Washington Post corroborated the confession.  Felt, at the time of the Watergate investigation, was second-in-command at the FBI.

Rocky (1976)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
IMDB Rating: 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Let's, for a minute, forget about what this movie spawned.  Forget about parts II through V and focus on the original.  I find "Rocky" to be one of the best character studies ever filmed, and not because Rocky is so deep and meaningful, but because it isn't.  It's simple, about a simple guy, who gets thrust into the limelight, and his struggles on how to accept that.  Who are his true friends?  Who really wants him to succeed?  Does he have what it takes to be the best?  There is no other person in the world that could have played Rocky Balboa after seeing the remarkable job Stallone did.  This was a personal journey for Stallone, and you can feel it through every frame of the film.  Yes, it's slow, but if you let yourself be caught up in the character, it surely doesn't matter.  Oh, and the phenomenal music score helps out a bit, too!
- Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff offered Stallone $350,000 for his script, meaning someone else would star.  Stallone, although having only $100 to his name, refused, saying he would only make the movie if he got to star in it.
- Stallone got the idea of the story after watching a boxing match between Muhammed Ali and Chuck Wepner on March 24, 1975.  Wepner, although a respected boxer, was predicted to go no more than three rounds against Ali.  Although Ali kept beating on him, Wepner kept coming back, lasting until 19 seconds left in the 15th round when Ali was awarded a TKO.

Annie Hall (1977)
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon
Directed by: Woody Allen
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

Up until "Annie Hall", Woody Allen was known for his slapstick movies.  They worked great, "Sleeper", "Bananas", "Love And Death" were all very funny.  Now we got to see a little more depth to the man.  "Annie Hall" is not short on slapstick, by any means, but it has a wealth in character development that we never got from Allen.  It has some lovely dramatic scenes that we never got before.  It has some wonderful shots of New York, a city captured so beautifully by Allen for so many years to come.  I felt like a was watching a true life romance bloom between Allen and Keaton, and loved watching it all unfold.  Woody Allen was a good writer/director before 1977.  He became an icon after, all because of this exquisite film.
- Diane Keaton's real name is Diane Hall, nicknamed Annie.
- This is Sigourney Weaver's film debut.  She plays Woody's date at the end of the film.

Star Wars (1977)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing
Directed by: George Lucas
IMDB Rating: 8.8
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

I was 5 years old when "Star Wars" was released.  As a result, it passed me by, too young to know what it meant to movie going audiences.  That is until I started collecting the action figures, and lunch boxes, and t-shirts, and everything else STAR WARS!!!  "Jaws" may have changed the way people went to the movies, "Star Wars" changed movies.  Because of it's sheer power over kids, young and old, merchandising from movies would never be the same.  It's not a perfect film by any means, but it's a film that changed our lives!  It's hard to explain that to anybody who wasn't around at the time, but this movie is as much a part of me as baseball, bacon, and my lactose intolerance.  It's a part of me that I would never want to let go of, even with the multiple editions that Lucas has profited from over the years.  I can quote just about every line from the film and I won't even apologize when I do it.  To me, this is not only a great movie, it's an unforgettable moment in time.
- George Lucas planned to score the film with existing classical music, like Stanley Kubrick used in "2001: A Space Odyssey".  That is until Steven Spielberg introduced Lucas to John Williams.
- Peter Mayhew won the role of Chewbacca as soon as George Lucas saw his 7'2" frame.
- Harrison Ford was hired to read the part of Han Solo during screen tests of other actors.  Through theses screen tests, Lucas realized the only person meant to play Solo was Ford and he was hired for the role.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)
Starring: Richard Dreyfus, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

I watched this movie much later in life.  I kept putting it off and putting it off for fear that I may not like it.  I began to believe in aliens after I watched it!!  Spielberg perfectly conveys the wonder and excitement wrapped up in making contact with alien beings.  He picks the perfect leading man in Richard Dreyfus, a man we, as the viewer, will totally go along with no matter how far he needs to go.  The special effects, for it's time, were astounding.  The little kid was even great!  How can you not watch the climax of the film open-mouthed, tingling all over.  It's everything we want to believe about other-wordly beings.  Would you go into the space craft?  Hard to say, but watching it is wholly enjoyable.
- Teri Garr was cast by Spielberg after he saw her in a coffee commercial.
- Stanley Kubrick was so impressed by child actor Cary Guffey's performance that he tried to get him cast as Danny in "The Shining" years later.

The Deer Hunter (1978)
Starring: Robert DeNiro, John Savage, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, Meryl Streep
Directed by: Michael Cimino
IMDB Rating: 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

This movie is more than just a Russian roulette scene, so much more.  At it's heart, it's a coming-of-age story, one in which lifelong friends go off to fight the war in Vietnam and come back as very different men.  It's a three hour epic, but it needs to be in order to tell the entire story.  All the leads are fantastic as we peek into their ordinary lives, ones that soon become a little extraordinary in their own ways.  Meryl Streep plays a simple role, but conveys a lot of emotion in doing so.  And back to those famous scenes of Russian roulette, both of them are incredibly gripping and intense, surely meant to stay with you long after the movie is done.
- This was the remarkable John Cazale's last film.  He died from cancer soon after filming was completed.  Because of his weakened state, all of the scenes he was in were filmed first.
- Roy Scheider was cast as Steven, the role played by John Savage, but dropped out just before shooting began over "creative differences".

Manhattan (1979)
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Michael Murphy
Directed by: Woody Allen
IMDB Rating: 8.0
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, "Manhattan" is Woody Allen's best movie!  I loved "Annie Hall", but in levels of love, "Manhattan" ranks higher.  Maybe it's because of the gorgeous black and white cinematography, casting New York City in a beautiful grey hue.  Maybe it's the very beginning of the film, an extended dance of innocuous New York scenes playing to the great music of George Gershwin.  It could be the story, slight on slapstick, high on comedy, with dashes of regret and temptation.  It could be the remarkable job by Allen, Keaton and especially Hemingway.  Or, quite possibly it's because of my absolute favourite single shot from any movie I've seen; Allen and Keaton sitting on a bench with the Queensboro Bridge in the background (look left).  Actually, it's all of these things and more.  I don't care that Woody Allen never liked the finished product...I do!
- Meryl Streep Filmed her scenes for this movie during breaks from filming "Kramer Vs. Kramer".
- Woody Allen told United Artists that he'd do his next film for them for free if they would shelf "Manhattan".

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, JoBeth Williams
Directed by: Robert Benton
IMDB Rating: 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Take a story about a marriage that's falling apart.  Mix in a young boy caught between the two.  The mother runs off leaving the boy with his father.  All of a sudden the mother resurfaces and wants the child back.  This is the high drama that is "Kramer Vs. Kramer", played out with all the tension, aggravation and emotion from the three great leads.  I say three, meaning the fabulous job done by Justin Henry who was only eight years old when the movie was filmed.  As a child from a divorced household, I felt I could relate to a lot that was going on, not only from the eyes of the child, but from the adults battling their feelings for each other and the love for what they created.  Hoffman and Streep match each other turn for turn.  In many places, the movie is uncomfortable to watch, which is exactly how it's meant to be.
- Dustin Hoffman contributed a lot of personal moments to the film as he was going through a divorce himself at the time of filming.
- The scene in the restaurant where Hoffman knocks the wine glass in the wall was planned by Hoffman, but not shared with Meryl Streep.  Her frightened reaction is authentic.

Ok, that took a while.  I told you I love the 1970's!  There are still some movies I'd like to see from that decade.  They include:

Aguirre, The Wrath Of God (1972)
McCabe And Mrs. Miller (1971)
Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
Day For Night (1973)
Days Of Heaven (1978)
The Man Who Fell To Earth (1978)
Cabaret (1972)
The Garden Of Finzi Continis (1970)
Julia (1977)
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Murmur Of The Heart (1971)
That Obscure Object Of Desire (1977)
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)