So Who remember the classic 70s movies? The decade of the 70s is considered as the golden decade in the history of film making. However, The first half of the decade faced a major financial breakdown. This was because many movies released in the first 70s decade failed at box office. The situation was so critical that even masterpiece war films such as ‘Tora!Tora!Tora!’ flopped at the box office. Even the much successful James Bond movies struggled at the box office in the 70s putting a halt to the series. Small studios started selling their furniture and land to cover up loses, while big studios auctioned movie collectibles featuring from classic Hollywood movies.
Even though the first half of the 70s decade was financially low, yet it didn’t affect the directors to take big risks and try off-beat movies. This resulted in a series of highly successful movies in the 70s decade setting new records at box office. In fact, the 70s is considered as the only decade in which there was very tough competition between directors and it was hard for critics to decide the best film or best director of a particular year. Stanley Kubrick continued to make flawless classic films in the 70s. In terms of critical and commercial success, the decade of the 70s was led by – George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Tobe Hooper, John Carpenter, Francis Ford Coppola, Ridley Scott, Milos Forman, and Woody Allen.
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Greatest Movies of the 1970s
Not Just directors but even a new generation of actors led Hollywood in the 1970s. Superstar Marlon Brando was the most bankable star in the 1970s. Though in the 70s he only starred in half a dozen films, yet he overshadowed other actors. He was followed by several other screen legends including – Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Gene Hackman, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Harrison Ford, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Sylvester Stallone, Dustin Hoffman, and Woody Allen.
However, another thing that makes the 70s movies stand out of crowd was that directors were actually risking to give lead roles to heroines. You will find many movies in the 70s where the film centered around lead actress. Most notably being Ridley Scott’s Alien, John Carpenter’s Halloween and Brian De Palma’s Carrie. Among actresses – Jane Fonda, Sissy Spacek, Sally Field, Diane Keaton, Faye Dunaway, Glenda Jackson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver, and Carrie Fisher rose to fame.
The 70s is also noted for giving birth to slasher movies – A Subgenre of Horror movies which is popular til now. Thanks to Tobe Hooper’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre and John Carpenter’s Halloween. In fact, 70s horror movies are popular till today. The two most successful 70s movies that broke the record at the box office were Jaws and Star Wars.
Here is List of 100 best 70s movies:
100. The Towering Inferno
Director – John Guillermin
Cast – Steve Macqueen, Paul newman
IMDB Rating – 6.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 71%
Release Date – 14 December 1974
Box Office – $139.7 million
Genre – Action, Thriller
Awards – 3 Oscars for Best Song,Best Editing, Best Cinematography
Plot – A tower in flames and it is up to two men to save everyone from death.
99. Assault on the Precinct 13
Director – John Carpenter
Cast – Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 3 November 1976
Box Office – $11 K
Genre – Action, Crime
Awards – None
Plot – Two Criminals team up with a police officer to defend the station from a ruthless gang.
98. Slap Shot
Director – George Roy Hill
Cast – Paul newman
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 25 February 1977
Box Office – $28 Million
Genre – Sports, Drama
Awards – None
Plot – An Ice Hockey team adapts violent methods to win in games and to make hoceky popular once again in the town.
97. Logan’s Run
Director – Michael Anderson
Cast – Michael York
IMDB Rating – 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 68%
Release Date – 23 June 1976
Box Office – $25 million
Genre – Action, Sci Fi
Awards – None
Plot – A man is on the run from law in futuristic world where everyone must die after they cross 30.
96. The Enforcer
Director – James Fargo
Cast – Clint eastwood
IMDB Rating – 6.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 22 December 1976
Box Office – $46 million
Genre – Action, Crime, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot – A popular film in Dirty Harry series. A must watch series for action movie fans.
95. Fiddler on the Roof
Director – Norman Jewison
Cast – Topla, Norma Crane
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%
Release Date – 3 November 1971
Box Office – $83.3 million
Genre – Drama,Musical
Awards – 3 Oscars Best Music, Best Score, Best Cinematography
Plot – A russian man in pre revolution era tries marry off his three daughters.
94. Frenzy
Director – Alfred Hitchcock
Cast – Jon Finch
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 87%
Release Date – 21 June 1972
Box Office – $12.6 million
Genre – Thriller
Awards – None
Plot – A neck strangling serial killer is on loose while the london police is busy chasing the wrong man.
93. Don’t Look Now
Director – Nicolas Roeg
Cast – Julie Christie, DOnald Sutherland
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 16 October 1973
Box Office – $1.1 million
Genre – Horror, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot – A psychich warns a couple who have recently lost their daughter about an evil spirit.
92. Cabaret
Director – Bob Fosse
Cast – Lisa Minnelli, Michael York
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 13 February 1972
Box Office – $42.8 million
Genre – Musical
Awards – 8 Oscars including best directors, actress, actor, cinematography, editing, song, art direction, sound
Plot – Two men falls in love with a club dancer during the nazi era.
91. Smokey and the Bandit
Director – Hal Needham
Cast – Burt Reynolds
IMDB Rating – 6.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 19 May 1977
Box Office – $4.3 million
Genre – Action, Comedy
Awards – None
Plot – A man is tasked to run beer trailer across the country while the law is on chase.
