Movie Picks by Year - 1970s

I posed a challenge to myself. If I were only able to pick one movie from each year since 1930, which ones would I choose? I went through each and every year and I managed to select one per year, although there are some honorable mentions from each decade.

This is all about personal preference; in the end there is some variation but it’s all about what movie from each year do I enjoy the most.

If you’re a movie fan I highly recommend this fun little exercise. It’s a good way to pass the time. Plus, in your research, you might find some interesting movies you’d want to check out. I did.

I started with the year 1930 and went all the way into this year. Here are my picks 1970 – 1979:

1970. Woodstock - My favorite documentary about some of my favorite musicians. One of the biggest music events in history Woodstock brought together some of the biggest bands of the day for a 3 day concert. The concert drew 400,000 people and closed the New York State Thruway due to traffic. It is a truly unique event caught on film in a way fitting the festival. The interviews and shots are informal and yet effective. The musicians are the biggest draw with this movie, among them; Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, Santana, Joe Cocker, Sly & the Family Stone, Richie Havens, and Arlo Guthrie. But there are some very interesting scenes and interviews with other individuals, such as a maintenance man. A great look into the past, long but well worth the watch.

1971. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - It is not exactly the same as the story, but it left quite a mark. Charlie is an unfortunate young boy who wins a contest with four other children to tour the mysterious chocolate factory of Willy Wonka, the greatest candy-man in the world. Then the journey gets strange. A great 70s flick, it was remade by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp in the lead, but that cannot touch the magic of this movie. The songs are catchy, the sets are magical, and Gene Wilder is perfect as the unusual Wonka. He brings the character alive, but retains a startling darkness that is very subtle. Wonderful kids movie that is still enjoyable today.

1972. The Godfather - The greatest of all gangster films, Francis Ford Coppola's epic based on the Mario Puzo series is one of the best films ever. With an all star cast featuring the iconic Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone with the likes of Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. This film is deep, violent, and elegant. It would feel confusing and long at times if it weren't so masterfully crafted. Second on the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Films of all Time. It is an essential film.

1973. The Sting - In contrast to deep and dark mob epic of The Godfather, The Sting is a bright, colorful, and fun. The vibrant environment is a wonderful backdrop for the story of two con men who attempt to take a mob boss. The two con men are wonderfully portrayed by the classic film duo Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Featuring notable performances by Robert Shaw and Charles Durning. The story is well done, with good directing by George Roy Hill, and a jaunty soundtrack from Marvin Hamlisch featuring the best of Scott Joplin's ragtime songs. A very fun and enormously entertaining film.

1974. Blazing Saddles - Probably my favorite comedy of all time, number 6 on the AFI's 100 Funniest American Films of all Time, Blazing Saddles is hilarious. One of Mel Brooks' finest parody films. This time Brooks takes on the classic American Western and he leaves no cliche unturned. The cast is great from top to bottom; Gene Wilder, Cleavon Little, Harvey Korman, Slim Pickens, Madeline Kahn, Dome Deluise, and Brooks himself. The gags and jokes are plentiful but never overbearing. Funny in the finest of ways, Blazing Saddles is a classic.

1975. Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Monty Python's first real feature film is a spoof on the classic story of King Arthur and his knights in the search for The Holy Grail. The film is very bit based, the jokes come from specific scenes or characters, very characteristic of Monty Python. Jokes about swallows, coconuts, a Trojan rabbit, a killer rabbit, shrubbery and more are at this point legendary. Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin make up the Pythons who deliver a hilarious tale of hapless knights on a journey and at no point does the film stop being funny.

1976. Taxi Driver - One of Martin Scorsese's first feature length films. Taxi Driver follows the iconic and insane Travis Bickle in his downward journey into madness. Robert De Niro masterfully portrays the troubled Bickle. With a supporting cast the envy of any director; Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Kitel, Peter Boyle, and Albert Brooks. Undoubtedly one of Scorsese and De Niro's best. Dark, depressing, but strangely entrancing. It tells a story that is hard to swallow but it is so well executed that it is endlessly watchable.

1977. Star Wars - The best science fiction franchise around. Star Trek has nothing on this. This is where it all began. The story of a young man on the search for something greater than his ordinary life. The characters are well known. The story is timeless. The movie is great. Simply put, it is Star Wars.

1978. Animal House - Not the first or the last college comedy, but probably the best. Animal House is the story of a wayward fraternity and its haphazard attempt to remain together. John Belushi heads the misfit cast and he is in peak form. Brilliantly physical, unabashed, and manic, Belushi gives the film its energy and drive. Funny and a great watch for any age.

1979. Monty Python's Life of Brian - My favorite of all the Monty Python movies. It is a story set in Biblical times. It tells of Brian, a man who was born in the manger next to Jesus'. The story is very well written and unlike The Holy Grail the comedy is very organic and comes from the story line, it does not seem like bits sewn together. It brilliantly parodies religion, society, and humanity. It is funny and very sophisticated for a Monty Python project.

Honorable Mention:

1972. Harold & Maude - Not too much to say about this one. It is a must for any awkward outsider or teenage outcast. It is disturbing and quirky, macabre and melancholy, bittersweet and loving. From director Hal Ashby and starring Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort, Harold & Maude is a funny and charming movie and well worth watching.