Top Ten Movies of the Seventies

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

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By: Colt Gay
  • 10. The Exorcist
    Scarey Classic
  • 9. Death Wish
    Bronson Classic
  • 8. Star Wars
    The start of a great trilogy
  • 7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
    Infamous cult classic is a must
  • 6. Halloween
    John Carpenters classic
  • 5. Black Christmas
    Underatted classic slasher flick
  • 4. Last House on the Left
    Wes Cravins ashamed of this all insane sick classic easily his best
  • 3. Assualt on Precinct 13
    John Carpenters second film is his best
  • 2. A Clockwork Orange
    Stanley Kubricks all time classic on crime and punishment
  • 1. Dawn of the Dead
    Sequel to Night of the Living Dead is better and a gore classic

By: Amanda
  • 10. Don't Look Now
    A heady, emotionally engaging, and ultimately devastating thriller. I actually cried at the end of this one. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie starred. Nick Roeg made it.
  • 9. Mean Streets
    By no means Scorsese's best, but as raw and powerful as anything he ever shot. Young skinny DeNiro bouces around like a maniac. The opening sequence is deliriously beautiful. Thanks to this movie I will be forever in love with the Ronettes' "Be My Baby."
  • 8. Providence
    Thank you M'sieur Film Professor. Alain Resnais' wildly disjointed narrative makes for supremely fascinating, if confusing, viewing. Dirk Bogarde was in this one; I forget who else. It's hard to find but well worth the effort.
  • 7. Dog Day Afternoon
    I love Al Pacino. I wish he would stop making so many of them larynx-shredders. Hoo ha indeed.
  • 6. Taxi Driver
  • 5. Chinatown
    Sometimes I physically crave this movie.
  • 4. Young Frankenstein
    "Yes! Yes! Say it! He vas my...BOYFRIEND!"
  • 3. Love and Death
    Top-of-the-line Marx-inspired Woody. I like Annie Hall a lot, but this, for me, is the pinnacle of his cinematic ouevre. "No, *you're* Don Francisco's sister."
  • 2. The Godfather
    Ah, Marlon...
  • 1. The Godfather Part II

By: Bridgette
  • 10. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
    One more time, a Robert Redford and Paul Newman movie. They were so good looking, and so cool. Too bad they had to get old...oops! I mean, oldER.
  • 9. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    Richard Dreyfuss was in many of the popular movies of the '70's. He's just a classic.
  • 8. Star Wars
    Forever changed our expectations of special effects in movies. Wonder where Mark Hammill is now?
  • 7. American Graffiti
    My appreciation for this movie came about 20 years after its release because its cast is full of people who later went on to become huge stars. It's so fun to go back and see these huge stars when they were young.
  • 6. The Exorcist
    When this movie was realeased, I remember people stood in lines that went on for blocks just to buy a ticket. Where have those long lines gone today?
  • 5. Grease
    Just a fun movie. Back in the 70's kids of all ages went to movie theatres to see this and loved it. Now it seems only young kids watch this movie with any enjoyment.
  • 4. Jaws
    Forever changed the way we all look at the ocean.
  • 3. The Godfather
    A classic. So well done. Al Pacino's bigger than life.
  • 2. Towering Inferno
    I believe this was the first in a whole string of realistic disaster movies. Wasn't Robert Redford in this one too?
  • 1. The Sting
    Starring Robert Redford & Paul Newman. Too cool.
1) If you're looking for a good '70's movie to watch on a rainy day, you can't go wrong with anything starring Al Pacino, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Richard Dreyfuss or Clint Eastwood (even though none of Clint's movies made my personal top 10) 2) There are so many good '70's movies. It was hard to narrow the list to just 10.
By: kristin
  • 10. Taxi Driver
  • 9. Shock Treatment
    The sequal to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, not too many people have seen this!
  • 8. Alien
  • 7. The Godfather I&II
  • 6. Halloween
  • 5. Excorsist
  • 4. American Graffiti
  • 3. Grease
  • 2. Saturday Night Fever
  • 1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
    I love this movie!!!

By: Bryan Lopper
  • 10. Deliverance
    Squeeeel like a pig
  • 9. Superman
    Inspired countless children to jump off of many high objects resulting in many broken bones.
  • 8. Halloween
    Michael Meyers is the greatest horror character of all time.
  • 7. Phantasm
    The tall man is one of the greatest horror characters of all time.
  • 6. And Justice for All
    Al Pacino....one of the most duped quotes of all time..."I'm out of order....
  • 5. A Clockwork Orange
    A Kubrick masterpiece, second only to Dr. Strangelove.
  • 4. The Shining
    Ranks right below the Exorcist as the second scariest movie of all time. The scene where Danny is peddling around the corner on his trike and the ghost girls are there makes my groin move......plus Jack plays the greatest madman of anyone.
  • 3. Star Wars
    Not much to say here....an absolute masterpiece in all respects.
  • 2. Exorcist
    Sweet Jesus this movie is scary. "You're going to die up there," she says blankly as urine trickles down her leg.....ugh, nightmares, nightmares, nightmares.....
  • 1. Harold and Maude
    Absolutely the greatest movie ever made....isn't really all that meaningful until the split-second scene with the death camp tatoo....then the context of Maude's character is truly understood. Bud Cort's mannerisms in this film are absolutely amazing and the satire laced throughout is clever and detailed. Also, the soundtrack is some of Cat Stevens best work.

By: Jarrett McCall
  • 10. Rocky
    John Avildsen
  • 9. Badlands
    Terrence Malick
  • 8. Network/Dog Day Afternoon
    Sidney Lumet
  • 7. Lenny/All That Jazz/Cabaret
    Bob Fosse
  • 6. The Godfather I and II/Apocalypse Now
    Francis Ford Coppolla
  • 5. Annie Hall
    Woody Allen
  • 4. Taxi Driver/The Last Waltz
    Martin Scorsese
  • 3. A Clockwork Orange
    Stanley Kubrick
  • 2. Nashville/M*A*S*H/McCabe and Mrs. Miller
    Robert Altman
  • 1. Star Wars
    George Lucas

By: Tracey Winter
  • 10. One flew over the cuckoo's nest
  • 9. Godfather
    another excellent trilogy
  • 8. Apocolypse Now
    Excellent War movie...Oh the Horror,the horror
  • 7. Billy Jack
    A cult film from 1970. Classic song.."One tin soldier rides away"
  • 6. The Omen
    Another great trilogy
  • 5. American Graffitti
  • 4. Grease
    Great musical
  • 3. Rock and Roll Highschool
    Love the Ramones!!
  • 2. Superman
  • 1. Star Wars
    The beginning of a great trilogy.....

By: Jay
  • 10. A Clockwork Orange
  • 9. Star Wars
  • 8. Jaws
  • 7. Chinatown
  • 6. The Godfather Part 2
  • 5. Rocky
  • 4. The Godfather
  • 3. The Exorcist
  • 2. The Hills Have Eyes
  • 1. Halloween

By: El Villano
  • 10. 1941
  • 9. Manhattan
  • 8. The Boys from Brazil
  • 7. The Outlaw Josey Wales
  • 6. Nashville
  • 5. Face to Face
  • 4. Brother Sun, Sister Moon
  • 3. Klute
  • 2. The Beguiled
  • 1. The Last Picture Show
Just wanted to add a few more films that didn't make other lists.
By: Dan Edwards
  • 10. The Chinese Connection (1972?)
    Probably the quintessential martial arts movie of all times, starring the immortal Bruce Lee.
  • 9. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry
    Another great car chase film with Peter Fonda, Adam Rourke, Susan George and Vic Morrow.
  • 8. The Exorcist (1973)
    I didn't get to see this film until it was re-released in 1979 but had heard all about it from those who had. From the time Megan urinated on the floor at her mother's cocktail party at home, I was in uncontrollable laughter! (Being under the influence of some good smoke.)
  • 7. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
    The quintessential disco movie of all times. Great cast, outstanding soundtrack!
  • 6. 10 (1979)
    Dudley Moore is always a riot! And then there was Bo Derek...
  • 5. The Last Detail (1974)
    Very comical at times and very sympathetic for the young Navy man (Randy Quaid) who was being escorted to the brig to serve a lengthy sentence for a rather petty crime. Another Jack Nicholson great.
  • 4. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
    One of the funniest and yet at times saddest movies I've ever seen. Jack Nicholson at his best.
  • 3. Apocalypse Now (1979)
    Quite surrealistic in it's depiction of the Vietnam conflict.
  • 2. The Deerhunter (1978?)
    Somewhat long and drawn out however, the Vietnam sequences, particularly the "Russian roulette" scenes are intense.
  • 1. Vanishing Point (1971)
    The "Grandfather" of car chase movies! Barry Newman starred and did his own stunt driving.

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