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: Michael

10. Fingers (1978)
I realize there are so many great movies I have left off, but I have to include this small film by James Toback. Harvey Keitel is at his best and creates a rich, multi-dimensional character with the utmost realism. This is an extremely gritty film that never compromises. It is arresting material that is extremely underrated and fully deserves to be mentioned on more lists of the 70s greatest films. A hidden gem.
9. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The little movie that could. Using a cast and crew of individuals who worked mainly in television, they created the greatest non-traditional movie musical. There has still not been a film that has incorporated music so effectively. John Travolta created the most influential character of the decade. This film made its subject mainstream. However, what is now routinely acknowledged is that it is a truly brilliant work of art.
8. Star Wars (1977)
George Lucas brought his vision to the screen in ways no one could have imagined. An American treasure that is as fresh as the first day you saw it. Lucas' grueling work to make this film inspired, and still inspires, every generation.
7. Annie Hall (1977)
The greatest romantic comedy ever made. Woody Allen's best film. Bittersweet, honest, hysterical, and unforgettable.
6. Network (1976)
A remarkeable satire on the television industry. Brilliant acting, writing, and directing.
5. The Conversation (1974)
Similar to the character of Travis Bickle, Harry Caul is also one of American cinema's most memorable characters. Gene Hackman, in his best role, reveals a man haunted by his own profession. This is a morality tale of a nation struggling with personal privacy issues, paranoia, and deception from the establishment.
4. Taxi Driver (1976)
Robert DeNiro gives the performance of his career in Martin Scorcese's most powerful film. Travis Bickle is one of American cinema's most memorable characters. This is a deep descent into loneliness, sexual repression, violence, and the need for mass attention.
3. The Godfather & The Godfather, Part II (1972&1974)
Coppola made three entries on my list. I put these two films together because they should be seen that way. This is a family epic, as well as a comparison between organized crime and big business. Genius.
2. Apocalypse Now (1979)
A brutal, epic war film. Coppola finished the film and made a masterpiece in the process. An enormous artistic achievement.
1. Nashville (1975)
Robert Altman's greatest film and my choice as the greatest movie of all time. Nashville is simply about our lives in this country.

Too many to mention. Five Easy Pieces, MASH, Little Big Man, A Clockwork Orange, The Candidate, The King of Marvin Gardens, Mean Streets, American Graffiti, The Exorcist, Chinatown, Lenny, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws, All the President's Men, Rocky, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Looking For Mr. Goodbar, Blue Collar, Straight Time, The Deer Hunter, Coming Home, Midnight Express, Interiors, All That Jazz, The China Syndrome, North Dallas Forty, Being There, Norma Rae, Over the Edge, and Kramer vs. Kramer. I'm sorry for the long list, but those are just a small few I needed to mention.

By: antonis pouliasis

10. Young Frankenstein
9. Alien
8. Exorcist
7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
6. Saturday Night Fever
5. Chinatown
4. Jaws
3. Taxi Driver
2. Spiderman
1. The Godfather

By: antonis pouliasis

10. Young Frankenstein
9. Alien
8. Exorcist
7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
6. Saturday Night Fever
5. Chinatown
4. Jaws
3. Taxi Driver
2. Spiderman
1. The Godfather

By: Renee

10. Star Wars
9. The Godfather II
8. The Godfather
7. The Great Gatsby
6. Superman
5. Grease
4. The Wiz
3. All The President's Men
2. Mahongany
1. Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

By: Leonardo

10. Apocalypse Now
But half of Coppola's productions are masterpieces, by the way.
9. Saturday Night Fever
A template more than a movie. The story of a group of young low class anti-heroes just a few years away from the pretensions of the upwardly-mobile generation.
8. The Three Days Of The Condor
Great atmospherical paranoia movie of the spy genre. Robert Redford is only survivor in apparently unmotivated slaughter caused by CIA-hired hitman. Not many good guys in here.
7. Duel
Symbolical chiller with Dennis Weaver being pursued by giant tank-truck on deserted Arizona highway. An updating of Ford's "Stagecoach" for the individualistic Seventies.
6. Jaws
Probably Spielberg's finest moment, along with
5. Nashville
Robert Altman's satirical portrait of the Country music industry is a bit dated today, but formally still convincing.
4. Harold And Maude
Despite offbeat, questionable ending, a gem of provocative film-making by now forgotten director Hal Ashby. THE cult movie of all time.
3. Vanishing Point
Written by Cuban exile Guillermo Cabrera Infante, this one is a must-see for all fans of car racing movies. The "Easy Rider" of the Seventies.
2. Two-Lane, Blacktop
Cult director's Monte Hellman road movie with James Taylor and Dennis Wilson in car racing cross-country contest. Poignant and absorbing.
1. Five Easy Pieces
Bob Rafelson's finest, with strong performances all over and a superb Jack Nicholson in story of ex-pianist estranged both from well-to-do family and simpleton lover.

By: bill craig

10. The Longest Yard
Eddie Albert is a great bad guy in this one
9. American Grafitti
Watch every time it comes on expecting Richard Dreyfuss to finally hook up w/ Suzanne Somers
8. Batman And Robin Movie
Hilarious Campy and 2HRS LONG!!!!!!
7. Deliverence
U shore godda purdy mowf!
6. Rosemarys Baby
WEIRD
5. Uptown Saturday Night/ Lets Do It Again
Bill Cosby and Sidney Portier at their best
4. Blazing Saddles
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
3. Billy Jack
Ultimate guy movie.
2. Smoky and The Bandit
Remember when Burt was rugless?
1. Bad Ronald
Scott Jacoby in the all time creepiest movie!

By: Louis

10. Demon Seed (1977)
A scary scifi film with Julie Christie being raped by a supercomputer. Great ending
9. Claudine(1974)
Diahan Carroll and James Earl Jones shine in this comedy drama
8. The Godfather Part 2(1974)
What more can be said?
7. Dog Day Afternoon(1975)
One of the most finely crafted mocvies ever
6. Sheila Levine Is Dead And Living In New York
Why isnt this on video? A sad and sadly underrated classic
5. At Long Last Love(1975)
Burt Reynolds best performanes. A highly enjoyable musical that I never tire of
4. Shampoo(1975)
One of the best written parts for a gaggle of women A must see
3. Carrie(1976)
The best horror movie of the 70s=80s and 90s!
2. Nashville(1975)
United Artists must have kicked themselves for letting this one go. A sparkling mosaic of America
1. The Day Of The Locust(1975)
The most underrated movie of the 70s. It is a scathing portrait of Hollywood with carrer best performances from karen Black, Donald Sutherland(as Homer Simpson!), Burgess Meredith , William Atherton and Jackie earle Haley. A shattering climax!

OTHERS: THE OTHER(1972), SMILE(1075), BIG BAD MAMA(1974), LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE(1976)LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR

By: J.T.

10. A Clockwork Orange
One of the most disturbing movies ever is also hilarious. Lead the way for many of the cynical, satirical, future movies to follow.
9. Annie Hall
Woody Allen's perfect bridge between funny and serious is both and remains touching as well.
8. Jaws
Although its probably to blame for the summer trash that we've had to sift through for the last 25 years, but one of the most intriguing action/suspense films ever made.
7. Manhattan
Like 2001: A Space Odyssey, the visuals and music are inseperable and just as important as the story. Maybe too pretentious for Woody Allen, but it's beautiful.
6. The Deer Hunter
Factually questionable and with an overlong wedding scene at the beginning, but a heart-wrenching dramatic tale of mentally and emotionally scarred Vietnam vets.
5. The Conversation
A very politcally relevant movie for its time and still thrilling today. Gene Hackman is fantastic.
4. Apocalypse Now
I can't remember if this was better than Redux, but both versions are twisted visions of evil and surrealism.
3. The Godfather: Part II
Arguably as good or better as the first. Al Pacino becomes Michael and gives his best performance ever.
2. Taxi Driver
A very complex movie thematically, with showcases for Scorsese, Schrader, and of course De Niro
1. The Godfather
A worthy candidate for best picture of all time, this film excells in every way, direction, acting, music, and screenplay.

The seventies was obviously a high point in American cinema, and due to the other top ten lists for the seventies (as opposed to those from the eighties and nineties) it draws more serious film fans. While I still need to watch such classics as Chinatown, Mean Streets, and The French Connection over again to gain a fresh perspective, I feel this is a marginally impressive list.

By: Ed

10. All that Jazz
Roy Scheider should have taken the oscar over Dustin Hoffman....the movie is fantastic and original and not the least bit dated...fosse had a lot of genius in him and i wish he would have directed more movies.
9. Jaws
This movie scared the crap and of me and is the reason why i shower but do not bathe.
8. Animal House And Meatballs
The definitive college movie and the definitive camp movie...often attempted but never duplicated...and both truly funny to this day. who will ever forget "food fight" or "it just doesn't matter"
7. Willy Wonka And The Chocalte Factory
Brilliant...dark and funny...excellent message -- blame the parents, funny songs and gene wilder is incredible - where was his oscar?
6. Chinatown & One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
I have to include these Nicholson films together as quite possibly the best back to back films any actor has ever had.
5. Grease
If you were a kid when this film came out, it will always have a special place in your heart...what guy didn't want to be cool like Danny Zucko?
4. Annie Hall
The most realistic potrayal of relationships to date. The laughter and the irony.
3. Carnal Knowledge
jack Nicholson at his best...this was David Mamet style writing before David Mamet was writing.
2. The Poseiden Adventure
Every time it comes on and I catch a glimpse I always watch it to the end...the absolute definitive disaster film Oh, but its so much more.
1. The Godfather
Marlon Brando, Luca Brasi, the horse's head, Sonny getting killed, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall...How could it be any better?

honorable mention: Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, The Goodbye Girl, Blazing Saddles, Manhattan, Superman, The Sting, The Godfather II, Heaven can Wait, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

By: Kirsty Handley

10. Willy Wonka
What a fun film.
9. Willow
This film was based on magic and when I was a child It made me belive in magic which was fun.
8. A Clockwork Orange
7. Entitey
I don't know how to spell this so don't mind my spellings.I havent seen this film for years and would love to see it again.But I don't know how to find the film as it hasn't been around for years.
6. Grease
5. The Omen
4. Exorcist
3. Jaws
2. Don''t Tell Mam The Babysitter Is Dead.
This is a fun film.
1. Labrinth
I think this is the best movie ever, and I would love to know how to get my hands on this movie as I loved it when I was growing up.