in the 70s - Top Ten Movies of the Seventies

Top Ten Movies of the Seventies

What are your top ten favorite movies from the 70s?

We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 80s and 90s

By: Joe C.

10. Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder kicks ass in this scary as hell children's classic.Those Oompa Loompas gave me nightmares as a kid.EVERLASTING GOBSTOPPER!!!
9. Being There
Forrest Gump meets Rainman in a story about a simple gardener who becomes a political hotshot.Peter Sellars was a comic genius.
8. Deliverance
I don't know what's scarier:The non-acting kid playing the banjo or Ned Beatty getting raped by hillbilly #1.Either way,disturbing.And brilliant.
7. Enter The Dragon
Bruce Lee is the man.Period.
6. A Clockwork Orange
It's a crime that Malcolm McDowell wasn't oscar-nominated for his astonishing performance in Kubrick's ultra-violent masterpiece.
5. Jaws
The film that started the summer blockbuster trend.Steven was only 27 when he made this.The perfect escapist film.
4. Star Wars
Something about the force and a naive kid named Luke.Ever heard of it? By the way,George Lucas is from my hometown.Pretty cool,huh?
3. Grease
I can watch this film hundreds of times and never get bored.Travolta's dance in the gym is incredible.Olivia in those tight black pants! Wow!
2. Apocalypse Now
Coppola topped his mastery of the 70s with this little diddy about the Vietnam war.A true cinematic achievement.
1. Heaven Can Wait
One of the most charming and hilarious romantic comedies ever!This is Warren Beatty's last great film.Script and ensemble cast are 1st rate.

Honorable Mention: Gimme Shelter,Rocky,American Graffiti,Blazing Saddles, Days of Heaven,Close Encounters,Halloween,Animal House,Alien,Superman,The Godfather 1-2,Taxi Driver,Don't Look Now,Bad News Bears,the Warriors,MASH.

By: Mike Detamore

10. A Clockwork Orange
9. Halloween
8. The Conversation
7. Taxi Driver
6. The Godfather
5. Apocalypse Now
4. The Deer Hunter
3. The Sting
2. Jaws
1. All The President's Men

By: llama

10. Harold and Maude
cult classic
9. Midnight Express
the great escape of the 70s
8. The Exorcist
when i first saw this, i heard a man vomiting from the theatre bathroom
7. All That Jazz
Best 70s musical
6. M*A*S*H
hilarious military comedy
5. The Godfather
one of the best...Godfathers
4. Chinatown
polanski's brilliant noir
3. Deliverence
suspense, drama, and squeling like a pig
2. The Godfather part II
and you wondered why the second won more Oscars?
1. Apocalypse Now
a great war drama, enteraining, simply brilliant filmmaking

By: matt

10. Superman
9. Shaft
8. Young Frankenstein
7. Star Wars
6. Monty Python And The Holy Grail
5. A Clockwork Orange
4. Jaws
3. Godfather Part 2
2. Godfather
1. Rocky
THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER MADE, ROCKY IS TIMELESS, SLY IS IMMORTAL, AND BURGESS MERIDETH (MICKEY) IS THE FUCKING MAN

By: Steve Crobie

10. Deer hunter
Con tains the best scene ever, findind walken and de niro playing russian roulette with the vietnamese
9. Apocalypse Now
Longevity is a small weakness but sheen and brando are excellent
8. Dog Day Afternoon
Dog Day Afternoon is a true story and a great one. Al pacino and Cazale give out outstanding performances
7. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Harrison Ford is awesome, some great action sequences
6. One Flew Over The Coo Coo's Nest
Jack Nicholson is one of the finest actors we'll ever see and he proves it in this classic
5. Star Wars Trilogy
words can't express the Lucas masterpiec, some of the best characters ever
4. Jaws
one of spielberg's best
3. Taxi Driver
De niro's breakout performance, and what a great one it is
2. The Godfather part 2
the second best mob movie ever
1. The Godfather
The mob movie ever

I know I left out plenty of great films. The 70's is the best decade for films followed closely by the 90's.

By: lou

10. Deliverance
9. The Omen
8. The God Father
should probably be in the top 5
7. Superman
6. The Exorcist
5. Jaws
4. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
3. Rocky
2. Star Wars
1. The Deer Hunter

By: Erik Guglietti

10. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
9. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
8. American Graffiti
7. Chintown
6. Jaws
5. Chintown
4. Apoclypse Now
3. The Godfather
2. Star Wars
1. The Godfather Part 2.

By: Shaun

10. Hot Rock
A gem of Redford's movie
9. For Your Eyes Only
What can I say - it's a Bond movie
8. ABBA - The Movie
The ABBA girls are so hot
7. Cannonball
Very funny
6. The Taxi Driver
Another one of De Niro classic
5. Outlaw Josey Wales
Eastwood western classic
4. Midnight Cowboy
3. Toweing Inferno
2. Midnight Express
1. The Deer Hunter
One of the best movie I have seen

By: Patrick Croak

10. Jaws (1975)
I'm not sure it's holding up all that well, in light of the changes in the special effects arena, but at the time, this film scared half of America. Without a doubt, the scenes on the boat between Dreyfuss, Scheider and Shaw are classics. "We're gonna need a bigger boat!"
9. Harold And Maude (1971)
Probably the only "non-commercial" film on my list. Just the premise of the film and the fact that the writers, actors and filmakers were able to pull it off without offending the world was an amazing feat. In a strange way, maybe the best romantic film of the 70's.
8. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
As disturbing a movie as has ever been made. Regardless, it's power is in the story and the performances, especially Malcolm McDowell. If you can look past the disturbing features of the film to its ultimate point... a truly powerful film.
7. Star Wars (1977)
Although it's really just cowboys and indians in space, the special effects alone muster a position in the top ten. Star Wars changed how we watched movies. I won't necessarily say for the better, but it's impact can not be ignored.
6. Rocky (1976)
Forget about what Stallone turned into, this film about a down and out club fighter, given the opportunity of a life time, hits on just about every level. Again, another film with excellent supporting performances from Burgess Meredith to Talia Shire to Burt Young to Carl Weathers. Plus the music!
5. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
This film seems to have gotten lost over the years. Nicholson at his best (with the possible exception of The Shining). What makes this film as much as anything is the supporting cast, none of whom were known at the time. Danny DeVito is wonderful as one of McMurphy's fellow inmates and of course, who could ever forget Nurse Ratchet.
4. Taxi Driver (1976)
DeNiro's break out performance. A beautiful photgraphed film with all sorts of shots that were very inventive at the time. Quite simply an intense, riviting film.
3. Patton (1970)
From the beginning scene in front of the giant american flag, this movie becomes the perfect bio-pic of all time. It mixes just enough hollywood license with fact to make an incredibly entertaining film about one of the more complex characters of the 20th century.
2. The Godfather (1972)
Except for Copolla out doing himself, this is the number one film of the 70's. Brando came from no where to give perhaps his final truly great performance. James Caan is perfect as Sonny and I think overlooked over the years.
1. The Godfather - Part II (1974)
Maybe the only movie ever that surpassed the original, let alone an original of such magnitude. Career performances by Pacino and DeNiro, with DeNiro in what may have been the only "quiet" role of his career. Just a fantastic film.

There were actually more movies of note during the 70's than I originally remembered. Others worth some mention: Apocalypse Now (1979), The French Connection (1971), Alien (1979), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Halloween (1978), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), The Exorcist (1973), Young Frankenstein (1974), American Graffiti (1973), The Sting (1973), Enter the Dragon (1973), Midnight Express (1978), National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), Network (1976), The Deer Hunter (1978), Breaking Away (1979), All the President's Men (1976), Blazing Saddles (1974), Marathon Man (1976), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Annie Hall (1977), M*A*S*H (1970), The China Syndrome (1979), Little Big Man (1970), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Deliverance (1972), Serpico (1973), Coming Home (1978), The Omen (1976), Carrie (1976), Nashville (1975), Chinatown (1974), The Last Detail (1973), Klute (1971), Woodstock (1970), The Last Picture Show (1971), Cabaret (1972), Mean Streets (1973), Duel (1971), Airport (1970), Carnal Knowledge (1971). There are maybe a few more, and certainly some good Made for TV films not included, but this takes care of most of 'em!

By: Matt Glassing