July 29, 2013

My Five Favorite Films From...1977

Honorable Mention – Annie Hall: It’s not my favorite Woody Allen movie, but Alvy Singer is my favorite Woody Allen character. Plus, the scene in the movie line with Marshall McLuhan is a classic.

5. Smokey and the Bandit: Yes, this film is pure cheese. But I must have watched it a hundred times as a kid when it first came out on cable. So I didn’t even understand the whole bootlegging angle. But it had fast cars and lots of chases. Worked for me then and still does.

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The more intellectual sci-fi hit of 1977. The final scene with a peaceful exchange between humans and aliens was a landmark moment in film at the time. In some ways it’s sad to see that the pendulum has swung back the other way (ID4 as one example).

3. Slap Shot: I love this movie. Definitely a Top 5 All-Time for sports movies. Everyone thinks about the Hansen Brothers, but the best scene for me was when Reggie Dunlop goads the opposing goalie into a brawl by telling him his ex is a lesbian.

2. A Bridge Too Far: One of the greatest war films ever made. Probably the most accurate war film ever made. It did poorly in the US, which is inexplicable to me, but did great business overseas. Just a top-notch film across the board with a cast you just wouldn’t see the likes of today.

1. Star Wars: This is the first film I remember seeing in a movie theater. I was five years old. Up until then, I had only gone to the drive-in during the summer. It is still my favorite movie-going experience.

Films I Like But Didn't Make The List: Allegro non troppo, Padre Padrone, The Hobbit, Kentucky Fried Movie, Cross of Iron, The Late Show, The Car, Suspiria, The Rescuers, The Gauntlet, Oh, God!, Soldier of Orange

Insane Film I Have To Mention – Eraserhead: I didn’t even see this film until the late 80s when I was in high-school. Wow. Lizard babies, brains for erasers and that’s the tip of the iceberg. I’m still not entirely sure what was going on. But it was very watchable. And without it I’d have never gone on to rent Blue Velvet a short time later, which just blew me away.

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