History of Film, Part 7: 1970-1979

A variation on the yearly threads we did a few years ago, with these monthly threads we will talk about individual eras of film, from the obvious classics to the forgotten masterpieces to those giants that might need to be re-evaluated.

In December we see the flourishing of New Hollywood, continuing the revolution that begin in the late Sixties with Bonnie and Clyde. From Coppola to Bogdanovich to Coppola, young and hungry directors, inspired by the French New Wave and the rise of auteur criticism, pushed the boundaries and made some of the best films ever made. The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and Chinatown are still foundational experiences and almost every current filmmaker can trace their love of movies to these works. Steven Spielberg and George Lucas were a part of the same movement, and for better or worse Jaws and Star Wars rewrote what big-budget spectacle filmmaking could be, and we still live in that dichotomy between the two schools of moviegoing.

Other major films include the terrifying and Freudian Alien, the iconic slasher film Halloween, and the iconic imagery in A Clockwork Orange. The Seventies was the height of the necessary relationship between artist and commerce, and the long-term effects of the successes and failures of various films still has reverberations today.

What are your thoughts? Favorites? Recommendations? Challenges to the canon?

Other decades:

History of Film, Part 1: 1888-1919 • forum.chorus.fm

History of Film, Part 2: 1920-1929 • forum.chorus.fm

History of Film, Part 3: 1930-1939 • forum.chorus.fm

History of Film, Part 4: 1940-1949 • forum.chorus.fm

History of Film, Part 5: 1950-1959 • forum.chorus.fm

History of Film, Part 6: 1960-1969 • forum.chorus.fm

 

Here

 

1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
2. The Godfather
3. Apocalypse Now
4. Taxi Driver
5. The Godfather Part II
6. A Woman Under the Influence
7. Halloween
8. Jaws
9. Chilly Scenes of Winter
10. The Conversation

 

Your dedication to Leatherface is fascinating.

 

And your aversion might be your worst entertainment take. There’s an argument that it’s the great American film

 

I have no aversion to it. It's a fun horror film. The great American film, though?

 

When was the last time that you watched it?

 

Probably about 5 years. It isn't even the best horror movie. Not even the best horror movie of the Seventies.

 

Sounds like you are due for a rewatch

 

That is a stalling tactic. The floor is yours. Why is it the great American film?

 

It’s about forgotten America, the people that are left to fester and spoil in the sun at the hands of capitalism and industrialism. It’s a commentary on Vietnam and the Manson murders and the death of the hippie movement and any hope that was remaining for the future of the country. We are all headed to hell.
And removing all of that, it’s beautifully shot, genuinely frightening and disturbing and also pretty funny. The dinner scene alone is unlike any other film, and so many later movies try and fail to replicate it. Perfect opening, perfect ending, perfect sound design. It is flawless outside of maybe the Franklin character

 

In researching your claims, I found out that the narrator was paid in marijuana.

 

It’s all in the flick, man. No research required

 

Reading film analysis is almost as important as watching the film itself.

 

Come to Philadelphia around March and you can guest lecture in my horror film class

 

The Chain Reactions documentary that came out this year about TCM is excellent. There’s also a lot of great writing out there on it. I really think you should read up and rewatch

 

I've already been to Philadelphia. I had good pizza but one of your biggest attractions is a bell with a crack in it. Nothing to see here.

 

The food, the bars, and the people are the best part

 

Good museums too