Best Films of The 70s (V2) [List] - Movies & TV

Hayden

Letterboxd

Annual breakdown—
70: 6
71: 15
72: 8
73: 13
74: 11
75: 10
76: 10
77: 10
78: 7
79: 10

Countries represented: 14
Best Picture Winners: 8
Palme D'or Winners: 4
Animated Films: 1
Documentaries: 0

Highest ranking film not on the original list—
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (#23)

This list features 6 films over 3 hours long (the longest of which is The Travelling Players at 222 minutes).
The shortest film on this list is Fantastic Planet (71 minutes).

The actor who appeared in the most films is Robert Duvall (6). (I think).
Roy Scheider & John Cazale both appear in 5.
(Figuring this out is tricky this decade... but I think it's Duvall)

Feel free to post in the thread now, etc Smile

(thank you for your patience)

Last edited by Hayden on 09/04/2023 04:21; edited 2 times in total

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

Spectacular job as always Hayden!

Maybe its recency bias on my part, but I can't think of a top 100 decades list of ours that I more closely agreed with than this one. Setting aside a couple I've never seen which I have no opinion of, I don't recall seeing a single film you posted where I was like "Okay, thats quite a bit overrated imo, are people really still voting that into the top 100?" (or similar thought)
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

AfterHours

Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)

@Hayden

Also, still curious to see your personal top 100 Think

Link?
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

Hayden

AfterHours wrote:

Spectacular job as always Hayden!

Maybe its recency bias on my part, but I can't think of a top 100 decades list of ours that I more closely agreed with than this one. Setting aside a couple I've never seen which I have no opinion of, I don't recall seeing a single film you posted where I was like "Okay, thats quite a bit overrated imo, are people really still voting that into the top 100?" (or similar thought)

Also, still curious to see your personal top 100 Think

Link?

I've yet to see 22 of the films, which is kinda nice. Still plenty to dig though Smile

(highest of which are Jaws and Halloween— and I've been meaning to get around to Blazing Saddles eventually...). Actually, most of the films I haven't seen are in our 81-100 range (12 of them! — needed to triple check I was using a frame from the film Laughing

)

And here's my list (an earlier version of it is posted in the poll thread— you even quoted it Razz

)

I have some personal notes on what I was surprised with. I'll probably share them tomorrow.

CA Dreamin

Gender: Male
Location: LA

Old list vs. new list comparison:

OLD LIST

1. Taxi Driver -2
2. Annie Hall -7
3. Solaris -12
4. Apocalypse Now +3
5. A Clockwork Orange (no change)
6. Eraserhead -18
7. Mirror -25
8. The Godfather +4
9. Stalker +1
10. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest +8
11. Harold and Maude -17
12. The Godfather: Part II (no change)
13. Aguirre, The Wrath of God -1
14. Star Wars +4
15. Badlands -2
16. Barry Lyndon -9
17. Chinatown +10
18. The French Connection (no change)
19. The Wicker Man -15
20. Network -2
21. Jaws +8
22. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie -65
23. The Conformist -24
24. The Conversation +8
25. The Exorcist -11
26. The Deer Hunter -18
27. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom LEFT
28. Cries and Whispers -5
29. Life of Brian -30
30. Last Tango in Paris -26
31. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (no change)
32. Alien +26
33. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre +3
34. Manhattan -14
35. Monty Python and the Holy Grail -16
36. Being There -41
37. House -15
38. A Woman Under the Influence -2
39. Young Frankenstein -11
40. Autumn Sonata -60
41. Dersu Uzala LEFT
42. Day for Night LEFT
43. Carrie +22
44. Days of Heaven -5
45. Lady Snowblood LEFT
46. Watership Down LEFT
47. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul -20
48. In the Realm of the Senses LEFT
49. The Rocky Horror Picture Show LEFT
50. The Outlaw Josey Wales -49
51. Tristana LEFT
52. Five Easy Pieces -11
53. Mad Max -31
54. Suspiria +34
55. Deliverance +10
56. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory -5
57. El Topo +2
58. Halloween +39
59. The Sting +20
60. Dog Day Afternoon +49
61. The Warriors -24
62. Midnight Express -6
63. All That Jazz -15
64. The Man Who Fell to Earth LEFT
65. Don't Look Now +30
66. American Graffiti LEFT
67. The Long Goodbye +21
68. Le Cercle Rouge -29
69. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles +26
70. Love and Death LEFT
71. Picnic at Hanging Rock +34
72. Woodstock LEFT
73. Bring Me the Head of Aldredo Garcia -6
74. Death in Venice LEFT
75. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant LEFT
76. Duel -22
77. The Spirit of the Beehive +15
78. The Andromeda Strain LEFT
79. Fantastic Planet +7
80. The Tenant +27
81. Saturday Night Fever LEFT
82. Grey Gardens LEFT
83. The Last Picture Show +45
84. We Won't Grow Old Together LEFT
85. The Passenger LEFT
86. Dawn of the Dead +22
87. McCabe and Mrs. Miller +33
88. Nashville +62
89. Paper Moon +62
90. Claire's Knee LEFT
91. Deep Red LEFT
92. Sleuth LEFT
93. Trafic LEFT
94. Husbands LEFT
95. 3 Women +12
96. Rocky +23
97. The Man Who Would Be King LEFT
98. Face to Face LEFT
99. Shaft LEFT
100. Rock 'n' Roll High School LEFT

NEW LIST

1. Apocalypse Now +3
2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest +8
3. Taxi Driver -2
4. The Godfather +4
5. A Clockwork Orange (no change)
6. Alien +26
7. Chinatown +10
8. Stalker +1
9. Annie Hall -7
10. Star Wars +4
11. Dog Day Afternoon +49
12. The Godfather: Part II (no change)
13. Jaws +8
14. Aguirre: The Wrath of God -1
15. Solaris -12
16. The Conversation +8
17. Badlands -2
18. The French Connection (no change)
19. Halloween +39
20. Suspiria +34
21. Carrie +22
22. Network -2
23. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders NEW
24. Eraserhead -18
25. Barry Lyndon -9
26. Nashville +62
27. Paper Moon +62
28. Harold and Maude -17
29. Straw Dogs NEW
30. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre +3
31. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (no change)
32. Mirror -25
33. Cries and Whispers -5
34. The Wicker Man -15
35. Don't Look Now +30
36. The Exorcist -11
37. Picnic at Hanging Rock +34
38. The Last Picture Show +45
39. The Sting +20
40. A Woman Under the Influence -2
41. Dirty Harry NEW
42. Invasion of the Body Snatchers NEW
43. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles +26
44. The Deer Hunter -18
45. Deliverance +10
46. The Long Goodbye +21
47. The Conformist -24
48. Manhattan -14
49. Days of Heaven -5
50. Young Frankenstein -11
51. Monty Python and the Holy Grail -16
52. House -15
53. The Tenant +27
54. McCabe and Mrs. Miller +33
55. El Topo +2
56. Last Tango in Paris -26
57. Obsession NEW
58. Serpico NEW
59. Life of Brian -30
60. The Travelling Players NEW
61. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory -5
62. The Spirit of the Beehive +15
63. Five Easy Pieces -11
64. Dawn of the Dead +22
65. All the President's Men NEW
66. World on a Wire NEW
67. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul -20
68. Midnight Express -6
69. The Ascent NEW
70. Klute NEW
71. The Getaway NEW
72. Fantastic Planet +7
73. Rocky +23
74. The Holy Mountain NEW
75. Scenes From a Marriage NEW
76. Punishment Park NEW
77. Being There -41
78. All That Jazz -15
79. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia NEW
80. Walkabout NEW
81. Sorcerer NEW
82. The Omen NEW
83. 3 Women +12
84. Mad Max -31
85. The Warriors -24
86. Murder on the Orient Express NEW
87. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie -65
88. The Devils NEW
89. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion NEW
90. Sunday Bloody Sunday NEW
91. Westworld NEW
92. Stroszek NEW
93. Blazing Saddles NEW
94. Escape From Alcatraz NEW
95. Logan's Run NEW
96. Wake in Fright NEW
97. Le Cercle Rouge -29
98. Duel -22
99. The Outlaw Josey Wales -49
100. Autumn Sonata -60

Let me know if I made any inaccuracies and I'll fix them. Will post more thoughts tomorrow.

Hayden

CA Dreamin wrote:

Old list vs. new list comparison:

OLD LIST

27. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom LEFT
66. American Graffiti LEFT
74. Death in Venice LEFT
75. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant LEFT
85. The Passenger LEFT

NEW LIST

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest +8
19. Halloween +39
23. Valerie and Her Week of Wonders NEW
29. Straw Dogs NEW
32. Mirror -25
35. Don't Look Now +30
53. The Tenant +27
54. McCabe and Mrs. Miller +33
77. Being There -41
78. All That Jazz -15
87. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie -65
97. Le Cercle Rouge -29
100. Autumn Sonata -60

Thanks CA— looks accurate Smile

I've left in the changes that surprised me most.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest gradually climbed the list at such an unusually steady pace. It was kinda floating around the 25-ish range for most of the poll, and then the final few weeks it seemed to always jump 2-3 spots which each submission. Insane to see it land at #2 after all of that. I hadn't even made a poster for it when I was calibrating what I thought would land the top 10.

Throughout the poll I was surprised how much Straw Dogs was popping up all over the place. It wasn't exactly a favourite last time around, but it was almost always consistently in the teens for this poll. (Figured it'd actually land a little higher)— but for a film that didn't appear on the original list, it did very well. Likewise Valerie (which, for quite a while, floated around the 11-14 mark).

Didn't expect Mirror to fall so much, nor The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Being There and Autumn Sonata (literally 2 points away from not being on the list is insane for that film). Halloween, Don't Look Now and The Tenant did much better than I thought they would. All That Jazz didn't change all that much, but it's still bizarrely low (in my opinion). American Graffiti missing the cut is shockingly un-BEA-ish. And although A Special Day wasn't on the original list either, I found that a weird snub (once again).

Love Apocalypse Now at #1. I think it's a fantastic choice. I also think Dog Day Afternoon, Paper Moon and The Last Picture Show climbing so much makes sense. That feels a little better.

I also hope people appreciate the images for the tie at #11 Mr. Green

(we don't usually have ties that high up in the rankings, let alone films that star the same two actors).

Fun internal note— had the poll closed when it was originally supposed to, our #1 at the time was actually A Clockwork Orange.

Tha1ChiefRocka
Yeah, well hey, I'm really sorry.

Location: Kansas

Here's a question I think I asked the last time we did this.

What is the highest ranked film from your personal list that did not make the final list at all?

Mine is Breaking Away which is my number 2.

Go out and watch it if you've not seen it! Very Happy

Hayden

Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:

Here's a question I think I asked the last time we did this.

What is the highest ranked film from your personal list that did not make the final list at all?

Mine is Breaking Away which is my number 2.

Go out and watch it if you've not seen it! Very Happy

I have not Very Happy

(I'm actually picking up quite a few recs from this poll... think I've wishlisted about 20 films).

My highest ranked that didn't land was my #4, Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets— which... erm... nobody else seems to like Sad

(oh well).
Although it was a little further down, I'm shocked I was the only person with Touki Bouki on their list. I mean... what.

Applerill
Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female
Age: 30
Location: Chicago

I've wanted to see that for soooooo long Hayden <3

(I still haven't even finished Pastoral, but when I last tried to watch it nearly a decade ago, it made me, umm... feel things...)

Though for me it's I Spit On Your Grave at #3.

mickilennial
The Most Trusted Name in News

Gender: Female
Age: 35
Location: Detroit

Tha1ChiefRocka wrote:

Here's a question I think I asked the last time we did this.

What is the highest ranked film from your personal list that did not make the final list at all?

Mine is Breaking Away which is my number 2.

Go out and watch it if you've not seen it! Very Happy

The Castle of Cagliostro