# Top 25 Movies of the 1970s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 5, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330 "2019-10-05T21:44:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/1 "2019-10-05T21:44:28Z")
1. Harry and Tonto 2. Nashville 3. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest 4. Network 5. A Woman Under The Influence 6. Harold and Maude 7. Mikey and Nicky 8. The Godfather 9. McCabe and Mrs. Miller 10. A Clockwork Orange 11. Taxi Driver 12. The Godfather: Part II 13. One Is A Lonely Number 14. Chitchat On The Nile 15. Fat City 16. Sunflower 17. Autumn Sonata 18. Five Easy Pieces 19. Stroszek 20. Annie Hall 21. A Brief Vacation 22. Next Stop, Greenwich Village 23. An Enemy of the People 24. Dog Day Afternoon 25. Barry Lyndon (I just realized I made a mistake with two #5’s, but my back hurts, and it was hard not only limiting my options to 25, and also tough using IMDB scores as a reference, and deviating from it based on how I feel right now) ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/2 "2019-10-05T23:09:25Z")
What a difference a decade makes! If France owned the 60s, the US owned the 70s. Adding fewer than 25 to make up for the other thread: Il Giardino Dei Finzi-Contini (1970) Vittorio De Sica Jeanne Dielman (1976) Chantal Akerman Love And Death (1975) Woody Allen Mad Max (1979) George Miller Monty Python Life of Brian (1979) Terry Jones Network (1976) Sidney Lumet (just mentioned in another thread) Pasqualino Settebellezze (1975) Lina Wertmuller Pink Floyd (Live) At Pompeii (1972) Adrian Maben Rollerball (1975) Norman Jewison Série noire (1979) Alain Corneau Solaris (1972) Andrei Tarkovsky The Deer Hunter (1978) Michael Cimino The Emigrants (Utvandrarna) (1971) and The New Land (Nybyggarna) (1972) Jan Troell The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) Victor Erice And a quick shout-out to actors becoming auteurs like Jean-Louis Trintignant, Paul Newman or Barbara Loden and far-from-unanimous auteurs Jodorowsky or Fassbinder or Pasolini. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/3 "2019-10-05T23:13:11Z")
> [@eunoia](#): > > What a difference a decade makes! If France owned the 60s, the US owned the 70s. > > Adding fewer than 25 to make up for the other thread: > > Il Giardino Dei Finzi-Contini (1970) Vittorio De Sica > Jeanne Dielman (1976) Chantal Akerman > Love And Death (1975) Woody Allen > Mad Max (1979) George Miller > Monty Python Life of Brian (1979) Terry Jones > Network (1976) Sidney Lumet (just mentioned in another thread) > Pasqualino Settebellezze (1975) Lina Wertmuller > Pink Floyd (Live) At Pompeii (1972) Adrian Maben > Rollerball (1975) Norman Jewison > Série noire (1979) Alain Corneau > Solaris (1972) Andrei Tarkovsky > The Deer Hunter (1978) Michael Cimino > The Emigrants (Utvandrarna) (1971) and The New Land (Nybyggarna) (1972) Jan Troell > The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) Victor Erice > > And a quick shout-out to actors becoming auteurs like Jean-Louis Trintignant, Paul Newman or Barbara Loden and far-from-unanimous auteurs Jodorowsky or Fassbinder or Pasolini. I love Série noire, and Patrick Dewaere. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/4 "2019-10-05T23:22:34Z")
> [@MortSahlFan](#): > > I love Série noire, and Patrick Dewaere. The US owned the 70s, but Dewaere owned 1979, two movies at Cannes and _Coup de tête_ isn’t one of them? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/5 "2019-10-05T23:37:30Z")
Some of my favourites not mentioned Apocalypse Now Poseidon Adventure The French Connection The Black Stallion Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Airport Airport 77’ The Towering Inferno Juggernaut ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/6 "2019-10-05T23:53:38Z")
> [@Boycott](#): > > Some of my favourites not mentioned > > Apocalypse Now > > Poseidon Adventure > > The French Connection > > The Black Stallion > > Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory > > Airport > > Airport 77’ > > The Towering Inferno > > Juggernaut Who knew Airport 77 was a 60s film? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/7 "2019-10-05T23:54:44Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Good picks Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/8 "2019-10-06T00:23:16Z")
Car Wash (1976) For the nine second shot where The Waitress (Tracy Reed) is hurrying to work in the blue minidress. Ay caramba. ---
**Author:** ![tuesdayweld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@tuesdayweld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tuesdayweld)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/9 "2019-10-06T04:36:43Z")
_Last Tango in Paris_ (1972) ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/10 "2019-10-06T07:33:47Z")
In no particular order: Kelly’s Heroes (I had this on my 1960s’ list as I thought it was a 1969 film, but it’s from 1970. I’ll replace it with Women in Love, the Oliver Reed movie from 1969) MASH A Man Called Horse Harold and Maude The Omega Man The Devil in Miss Jones Deliverance Sleuth Coffy Charlotte’s Web The Last Detail The Paper Chase Papillon Scorpio Blazing Saddles Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Three Days of the Condor The Bad News Bears Silver Streak Slap Shot Smokey and the Bandit The Deer Hunter Hardcore Monty Python’s Life of Brian Norma Rae This was more difficult than the 1960s. I had to pare the list down from 33. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/11 "2019-10-06T09:13:04Z")
Godfather 1 Godfather 2 Apocalypse Now The Conversation Taxi Driver Annie Hall Nashville Mccabe and Mrs Miller Chinatown Jaws Star Wars Close Encounters of the Third Kind French Connection The Sting Patton Barry Lyndon All that Jazz Days of Heaven Five Easy Pieces Spirit of the Beehive Life of Brian The Europeans Amarcord The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Day for Night Undoubtedly a great decade for American cinema and quite remarkable how so many young filmmakers emerged at the same time: Coppola, Scorcese, Spielberg, Lucas, Woody Allen, along with Robert Altman who was a bit older but emerged then. Also remarkable that Scorcese and Spielberg in particular are still going quite strong. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/12 "2019-10-06T13:12:40Z")
> [@tuesdayweld](#): > > _Last Tango in Paris_ (1972) This almost made my list. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/13 "2019-10-06T15:33:03Z")
\*Not in order and based on both being well made movies that have held up and movies I enjoy re-watching. \* 1. The Godfather 1972 2. The Godfather: Part II 1974 3. Jaws 1975 4. The Exorcist 1973 5. Rocky 1976 6. Bad News Bears 1976 7. The Muppet Movie 1979 8. Alien 1979 9. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977 10. The Sting 1973 11. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest 1975 12. Harold and Maude 1971 13. Monty Python and the holy Grail 1975 14. Animal house 1978 15. Blazing Saddles 1974 16. Young Frankenstein 1974 17. Murder by Death 1976 18. M_A_S\*H 1970 19. Kelly’s Heroes 1970 20. Bedknobs and Broomsticks 1971 21. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 1971 22. Patton 1970 23. A Bridge Too Far 1977 24. The Outlaw Josey Wales 1976 25. Fiddler on the Roof 1971 **Honorable mentions** : Taxi Driver, Network, Life of Brian, Godspell, 1776, The Legend of Hell House, All the President’s Men, Apocalypse Now ---
**Author:** ![2Bits](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e95f7d/32.png) [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/14 "2019-10-06T17:36:42Z")
I’m trying to find ANY of these on Netflix… HA! ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/15 "2019-10-06T18:21:37Z")
_Patton_ (1970) _Beyond the Valley of the Dolls_ _Gimme Shelter_ _Dirty Harry_ (1971) _The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie_ (1972) _The Harder They Come_ _And Hope to Die_ _Enter the Dragon_ (1973) _Golden Voyage of Sinbad_ _Blazing Saddles_ (1974) _Chinatown_ _Blood for Dracula_, a.k.a. _Andy Warhol’s Dracula_ _Lenny_ _The Parallax View_ _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ (1975) _All the President’s Men_ (1976) _Network_ _The Man Who Fell to Earth_ _Master of the Flying Guillotine_ _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_ (1977) _Dawn of the Dead_ (1978) _The 36th Chamber of Shaolin Bandits vs. Samurai Squad_ \*The Tin Drum \*(1979) _Hunter in the Dark_ Hon. Mention: _F for Fake_ (1973) _Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla_/_Terror of Mechagodzilla_ (1974/1975) _Andy Warhol’s Bad_ (1977) _Apocalypse Now_ (1979) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/16 "2019-10-06T18:39:57Z")
> [@eunoia](#): > > (snip) > Pasqualino Settebellezze (1975) Lina Wertmuller I wanted to highlight this and thank you for reminding me. Also, for anyone who’s interested, the film is known as Seven Beauties in English (and is [available on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig-Ty0ltY6k) gratis). Outstanding movie. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/17 "2019-10-06T20:15:27Z")
I am surprised only one person has so far mentioned Star Wars(1977). Also the first Christopher Reeve Superman film –_Superman_ was released in 1978. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/18 "2019-10-06T20:20:14Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > … > Also the first Christopher Reeve Superman film –_Superman_ was released in 1978. Superman was a mediocre movie overall that hasn’t held up at all. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/19 "2019-10-06T20:27:28Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Superman was a mediocre movie overall that hasn’t held up at all. It was one of my favorite movies growing up and it’s probably the second best Superman movie ever made(after _Superman II_). Though to be fair most of the other Superman films were horrible. Also \*Star Trek: The Motion Picture \* was released in 1979. And like the _Superman_(1978) it was exceeded in quality by its first sequel. Though \*Star Trek: The Motion Picture \* does deserve some credit for reviving the whole Star Trek franchise. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330/20 "2019-10-06T20:31:38Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > It was one of my favorite movies growing up and it’s probably the second best Superman movie ever made(after _Superman II_). Though to be fair most of the other Superman films were horrible. > > Also \*Star Trek: The Motion Picture \* was released in 1979. And like the _Superman_(1978) it was exceeded in quality by its first sequel. Though \*Star Trek: The Motion Picture \* does deserve some credit for reviving the whole Star Trek franchise. I love Star Trek, but ST:TMP nearly killed the franchise. Wrath of Khan was made on a much lower budget and with Gene Rodenberry pushed aside. For the 1980s I will list both Khan & The Voyage Home. 2 of my favorite movies. But ST:TMP was a terrible movie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-25-movies-of-the-1970s/841330.md?page=2)