Top Films of the Decade - The 1970s - Voting Thread

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LMP

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Hey all, welcome to the Films of the Decade voting thread. You'll submit your Top 15 picks of what in your opinion were the best movies of said decade, instead of strictly favorites (personally, I do a composite of favorites and best, so a good share of films get listed). You're more than welcome to revise your list as many times as you want as long as you tell me which one you want me to count; you can also put more than 15 movies on your list, I'll only count the Top 15. The films will be assigned a point value according to their placement on the list (15 points for #1, 14 points for #2, etc...). Films have to be on at least 2 lists to be considered for the final list.

The main purpose of this thread is to provoke discussion about these films and each others' tastes... and most importantly for fun. The more lists submitted, the better the overall list becomes, so please submit when you can.

Please submit your list in the format provided below, it makes compiling and adding up votes 100x easier, trust me. No awkward spaces or reverse order lists, please. I cannot stress this enough:

1. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
2. Jaws
3. Young Frankenstein
4. A Clockwork Orange
5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
6. Alien
7. The Jerk
8. National Lampoon’s Animal House
9. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
11. Enter the Dragon
12. Kramer vs. Kramer
13. Rocky
14. Halloween
15. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

The voting period will last until the volume of submissions slows down, then we'll move onto the '60s list. Don't worry if you missed the voting for the last few decades, you can still dig them up and submit lists to those threads and I'll count them until the closing of the '60s thread. Enjoy!

(I haven't seen very many major movies from the '70s, so this list will probably be the one that changes the most once I see more movies.)
 
Here we go!

1. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
2. Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick, 1978)
3. The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
4. Taxi Driver (Mr. Scorsese, 1976)
5. Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974)
6. Duck, You Sucker a.k.a. A Fistful of Dynamite (Sergio Leone, 1971)
7. Last Tango in Paris (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1972)
8. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
9. California Split (Robert Altman, 1974)
10. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Vincente Minnelli, 1970)
11. The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
12. New York, New York (Mr. Scorsese, 1977)
13. 1900 (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1976)
14. Cabaret (Bob Fosse, 1972)
15. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (Billy Wilder, 1970)
 
You know, I greatly respect The Godfather films, and I'd probably have Parts I and II somewhere between 16-20. But they're probably going to win this poll anyway, and I'd like to give some other films recognition. Plus, I really do enjoy watching Fosse's Cabaret, for example, over The Godfather. It's an easier film to sit through. I also wish I had room for The Sting, The Conversation and Papillon, but what can you do? If it makes you feel any better, Coppola's in fine position as Apocalypse is my #1 of all time, period.
 
My buddy was recommending that I see Straw Dogs and The Getaway, have any of you guys seen them?
 
As a disclaimer for this and all of my decades lists, I'm trying to limit myself to one film per decade per director. Not very exact, but there are so many brilliant films it seems fairer to give as many as possible some recognition.

1. The Godfather Part 2
2. Taxi Driver
3. Alien
4. Annie Hall
5. Chinatown
6. Aguirre: The Wrath of God
7. The French Connection
8. Badlands
9. A Clockwork Orange
10. Hallowe'en
11. Jaws
12. The Wicker Man
13. Network
14. Monty Python's Life of Brian
15. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

And the runners up:
Harold and Maude, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sleuth, Get Carter, The Castle of Cagliostro, Dog Day Afternoon, Stolen Kisses and MASH.

Interesting that I've ended up with four horrors in that list (one of the reasons I left off The Exorcist in favour of The French Connection). Also laz, great to see another fan of Wilder's take on Sherlock Holmes. Not his best IMO, but I'm including it for still being a great film after losing half it's runtime and for the 'what if' aspect of it's original cut.
 
Hmm, look like I never made my 80's list. :ohmy:

I'm not even entirely sure I ever made a 90's one come to think of it.
 
The Last Detail should at least feature in everyone's top 10. One of the greatest road movies of all time (if not the greatest).
 
Slapnutz said:
The Last Detail should at least feature in everyone's top 10. One of the greatest road movies of all time (if not the greatest).

"Drop your socks & grab your c*cks, we're going to a party" :lol:

Never forgot that line :)
 
hardyharhar said:


"Drop your socks & grab your c*cks, we're going to a party" :lol:

Never forgot that line :)

That's a great one. :lol:

"Well, kid, there's more things in this life than you can possibly imagine. I knew a whore once in Wilmington. She had a glass eye. Used to take it out and wink people off for a dollar."

OK, I know what I'm watching again tonight.
 
I made an order but after the first few it would surely change everytime. I tend to lean towards favorites in these lists. Any of the 'others' could easily be in my top list.

1. Clockwork Orange
2. Manhattan
3. Star Wars
4. Taxi Driver
5. Monty Python's Life of Brian
6. Chinatown
7. The Godfather
8. Little Big Man
9. Outlaw Josey Wales
10. American Graffiti
11. La Cage aux Folles
12. The Longest Yard
13. Papillon
14. Hard Times
15. Apocalypse Now

Others: My Name is Nobody, Susperia, Phantasm, Exorcist, Omen, Magnum Force, Carrie, Alien, Barry Lyndon, Saturday Night Fever, Animal House, The Buddy Holly Story, Fists of Fury, Enter the Dragon, the Frisco Kid, Star Trek, Warriors, The Tin Drum, Harold & Maude, Where's Poppa, Annie Hall, Jaws, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, & a nod to Lazarus for Duck, You Sucker and Days of Heaven (2 good ones with top notch Morricone no less) and pretty much everything else on the other lists :)

This decade kicks butt on the 80's :ohmy:
 
Here's a quickie...

1. Jaws
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3. Alien
4. The Last Detail
5. Taxi Driver
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. Deliverance
8. Rocky
9. The Godfather
10. Get Carter
11. Star Wars
12. Five Easy Pieces
13. Serpico
14. The Wicker Man
15. The Outlaw Josey Wales
 
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Slapnutz said:


That's a great one. :lol:

"Well, kid, there's more things in this life than you can possibly imagine. I knew a whore once in Wilmington. She had a glass eye. Used to take it out and wink people off for a dollar."

OK, I know what I'm watching again tonight.


"I am the motherfucking shore patrol, motherfucker!"
 
monkeyskin said:
Harold and Maude, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sleuth, Get Carter, The Castle of Cagliostro, Dog Day Afternoon, Stolen Kisses and MASH.

Interesting that I've ended up with four horrors in that list (one of the reasons I left off The Exorcist in favour of The French Connection). Also laz, great to see another fan of Wilder's take on Sherlock Holmes. Not his best IMO, but I'm including it for still being a great film after losing half it's runtime and for the 'what if' aspect of it's original cut.

I really need to see the rest of those Antoine Doinel films. Hell, I need to see more Truffaut, period. I've only seen the first three, which I love to death.

I never knew that about Private Life, just read the info over on IMDB. Very sad that the footage may have been lost. It's fairly deliberately paced, so I'm thinking that episodic structure may have actually worked with a longer length.

Not that it's a great film, but I also enjoyed The Seven Per Cent Solution. Interesting little take on the Holmes myth. The book was even better. Robert Duvall as Watson has to be one of the most bizarre casting choices in film history.

You know, I was thinking it would be great if a major filmmaker and studio attempted to bring Holmes back to the screen. EVERYONE knows that name. You could make teaser posters with the hunting cap, the pipe, and the magnifying glass, and so many people would know exactly what they represent. As for actors, I think Daniel Day-Lewis would be perfect, but you have to imagine the sophistication of his Newland Archer from The Age of Innocence crossed with the arrogance of his Bill the Butcher (or I'm guessing his Plainview from There Will Be Blood). I think Jim Broadbent would make a great Watson. I'd choose maybe The Sign of Four over Baskervilles to adapt, though.

Anyway, one can only dream.
 
I'll give it a shot...

1. Star Wars
2. The Godfather, Part II
3. All The President's Men
4. Jaws
5. Alien
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. The Godfather
8. Taxi Driver
9. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
10. Chinatown
11. Rocky
12. Superman
13. The French Connection
14. American Graffiti
15. THX-1138
 
phanan said:
I'll give it a shot...

1. Star Wars
2. The Godfather, Part II
3. All The President's Men
4. Jaws
5. Alien
6. A Clockwork Orange
7. The Godfather
8. Taxi Driver
9. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
10. Chinatown
11. Rocky
12. Superman
13. The French Connection
14. American Graffiti
15. THX-1138


Thanks for submitting Phanan. The more the merrier! :)
 
Back with a list.
Depression in european cinema, reinvigorated American cinema. It shows:

1. A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
2. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
3. Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)
4. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
5. Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)
6. The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)
7. Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)
8. Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)
9. Le Boucher, (Claude Chabrol, 1970)
10. Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
11. Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
12. Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese, 1973)
13. Monty Python's Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979)
14. Cabaret (Bob Fosse, 1972)
15. Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby, 1971)

I have yet to watch Aguirre, The Wrath of God, though.
I've been so busy, I missed the 80's list :((((
 
There's still time God Part III, votings now open until every decade has been closed.

lazarus said:


I really need to see the rest of those Antoine Doinel films. Hell, I need to see more Truffaut, period. I've only seen the first three, which I love to death.

I never knew that about Private Life, just read the info over on IMDB. Very sad that the footage may have been lost. It's fairly deliberately paced, so I'm thinking that episodic structure may have actually worked with a longer length.

I've only seen The 400 Blows and Stolen Kisses in that series, but I'd love to see the rest. Other than those I've seen Shoot the Pianist and Jules et Jim, the latter of which is well worth the hype it gets.

And it is pretty tragic about TPLOSH, I hear that the DVD has some of the cut footage but not enough for a restoration. And surely there'll be a Sherlock Holmes revival soon. Like you said he's iconic enough for that instant audience familiarity and to be slightly cynical it would be an easy sell for a 'reimagining'. Hope they nail it though. I'll also look into The Seven Percent Solution.

lancemc said:
Hmm, look like I never made my 80's list.

Oi, get onto it already. We've only got 7 entries for this decade!
 
in no order:


1. Star Wars
2. Jaws
3. Annie Hall
4. The Godfather
5. The Godfather, Part 2
6. Taxi Driver
7. The French Connection
8. Last Tango in Paris
9. Chinatown
10. Apocalypse Now
11. The Deer Hunter
12. Animal House
13. Grease (please don't kill me ... fun can be good)
14. Network
15. Saturday Night Fever
 
one observation: it's interesting how there's much more of a "consensus" on the best films of the 70s (Godfather, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse, Star Wars) than of the 80s, 90s, or 00s.

i wonder if it's because the best films are unequivocally great, or because (i'm assuming) we're all under 40 and didn't grow up as aware of the films when they were released in the theater, but instead we caught up with much more of a defined "canon" on video. like, the farther back you go, the harder it is to find the hidden gems.
 
1. G-dfather
2. Network
3. A Clockwork Orange
4. Chinatown
5. Manhattan
6. Apocalypse Now
7. G-dfather II
8. Taxi Driver
9. Annie Hall
10. The Deer Hunter
11. The French Connection
12. Star Wars IV - A New Hope
13. The Conversation
14. Days of Heaven
15. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
 
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I'm kinda iffy about the order of these movies, but something like this:

1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather, Part II
3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
4. All The President's Men
5. Breaking Away
6. Apocalypse Now
7. Annie Hall
8. Taxi Driver
9. Chinatown
10. Kramer vs. Kramer
11. Star Wars
12. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
13. Sunday Bloody Sunday
14. Jaws
15. Jeremiah Johnson
 
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