Patton - 1970 - Dir. Shaffner

I have to admit to not remembering very much about this movie as I write it. There's war in it. And Patton whips a rag tag army into shape... but he's a thorn in the governments side because he's mean and plays by his own rules. He's good at tanks. Germans lose. I dunno. I suppose, George C. Scott is real good in it. I think I ended up being fonder of Karl Malden though. I JUST WANTED TO SQUEEZE HIM!! I remember feeling like the movie was sort of challenging and really conventional at the same time. And kind of too bland to feel like I wanted to be challenged by it. I suppose I do like the idea of Patton's drive being to take part in the war. That in some way it is his destiny... It's an interesting aspect but I feel like the movie doesn't go much further with it. It seems much more interested having Patton come to grips with the higher ups and the bureaucracy of the war. Which, I suppose, IS more cinematic. I dunno. I just wasn't spurred by the film. The washed-out photography didn't help win me over either. Definitely feels like a Coppola script with all the wise-ass remarks. I dunno, I guess I'm not surprised at it being an American Classic...

Duuuuuuhhhhhhhhh...

The Towering Inferno - 1974 - Dir. Guillermin

Old 70's big budget adventure film spoke to me one drunken evening. And I got about half an hour into it. It took two more evenings before I finally managed to patch this motherfucker up. You know, we've basically perfected this kind of movie at this point but it's kind of fun to see one that is just getting used to wearing the pants of a modern day special effects thriller. I was pretty surprised at how willy-nilly it killed off its numerous characters. Much more immorally than perhaps they might get away with these days. So in a funny way, it felt a little fresh in that sense. Like, they hadn't yet come up with those hard and fast rules that are so infrequently broken. In some sense there is good reason for that. The movie does have stilted, nonsensical, and down right goofy moments. But I mean, it's a fun premise and all. Set up well. At times, it has these funny "If Only We Had All Obeyed Fire Safety Regulation" moments where it really seems like Steve McQueen is moments away from looking imploringly at the camera. The movie is long as hell, too. I watched it in enough chunks that perhaps I'm not the best person to speak of it's pacing apart from that I didn't want to watch it in one single sitting. Then again, it doesn't seem like the kind of movie that really needs to be watched in one sitting anyway. There were some exciting enough sequences. Enough cheesy moments and 1970's star power to make it well worth it. I mean, who would want to miss one of OJ Simpson's many brilliant roles pre-violent crime era!?

I fucking love this.

The Devils - 1971 - Dir. Russell

I saw it once in college and thought it seemed neat. I hadn't seem any of Ken Russell's stuff so I didn't really know what I was in for. A little slow and sometimes hard to follow. I left just feeling pretty confused but I really enjoyed the oddities that appeared throughout. But the film always sort of stuck with me. This time around, I stumbled upon the movie and threw it on to see if it still appealed to me. But this time around, I was completely blown away. This movie is so bonkers. So delightfully nuts all the while covering a serious topic still pertinent to this day. Sure, the dialogue might be a little rough to follow at times, but it felt worth it. And I like that the movie has a kind of expansive dialogue. It contrasts so well with the silliness of what is often going on visually. Vanessa Redgrave's performance is absolutely one of the best parts. I feel like the movie has the feeling of Trauma that has a tendency to win me over. Everything is so vivid, emotional, and violent. The film's strangeness is persistent but managed so well that it never changes the tone. We aren't pulled out of the universe of the film. I dunno, I just get damn kick out of the film. It's got all the elements I want and I feel like there's still stuff about the movie that makes me want to rewatch it. And it's not so burdensome that I would ACTUALLY be excited to see it again.

Nun In Thought

Lenny - 1974 - Dir. Fosse

I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this movie basically because I never gave much of an "eff" about Lenny Bruce. Understanding that he was an important early foul-mouthed comedian. He never really struck me as all that funny. The film gives me a little spanking for that. Much of the film follows Lenny's obscenity trials and I suppose I'm someone who has a good time watching some musings on our first amendment rights so I had a pretty good time with the movie. No, you know what? I really liked this movie. I got into it. It also helped not having any idea what happened to the man so the movie had nothing but surprises. It's filmed in the usual Fosse manner of having character interviews interspersed between sequences. Some of the party sequences are just awesomely assembled and are probably some of my favorites in recent memory. Hoffman makes for a great Bruce. He has a ton manic energy as very subtly shifts into out of control Lenny. It's fun to see it early on, where he's just brimming with the stuff and has no outlet. If I had to nitpick, the whole arch revolving around the Wife sometimes feels a little artificial. She's so unimportant in the second act that her role in the third sometimes seems a little unwarranted. But hey, I suppose Biopics have a tendency to do that, don't they!? Anyway, a fine film. A fine film, indeed!

Bruce struggles with the Solo Pull My Finger gag...

The Conversation - 1974 - Dir. Coppola

I always forget Coppola did this. It's a lot quieter, less ambitious, and less... well... less dynamic than say Apocalypse Now or the Godfather films. But to be honest, this probably ranks up as my favorite film of his. I had seen it long ago and entirely forgot about it. It's a taut, character-driven thriller. Hackman, always excellent at making unlikable characters watchable, draws us in as Caul. The film is a nice reminder of how enjoyable a movie can be when you have a strong character leading us. Caul is faced with a conspiracy but the majority of the film isn't about him unraveling the conspiracy. Rather, we are given almost all the information up front, but it follows Caul as he struggles with himself regarding the information he has. Information he doesn't understand but struggles to without leaving his safety zone. Generally, I suppose, people get all up in arms about the sound design. I'm not really sure I know very much about it's place in sound design history so I won't really speak on that. But hey! It's got a lot of great sounds and uses sound really well. Which is good based on how much of the film is about sound and HEARING and EARS. Anyway, the ending is great. Pitch perfect. And we also get to watch John Cazale act which is always dandy. And Harrison Ford! As a douche!

Hackman trying to understand toilets.

The Omen - 1976 - Dir. Donner

Probably better and more engaging than I thought it would be. Anytime you have the main conflict of a film be whether or not parents are going to kill their child. I mean, you generally want to see how that turns out. Having Gregory Peck play the father helps a ton, too. Sure, it's no "To Kill a Mockingbird" or anything but that guy brings his shit wherever he goes. Also, Jerry Goldsmith's score is a classic 70's horror score. Probably makes the movie. I mean, it's not exactly a "scary" movie. It's certainly tense enough and has plenty of strong sequences. It also doesn't rely on the pale five-year-old boy to bring the scares. In fact, what I kind of appreciated was that to some degree the film doesn't exactly ever condemn Damien. We're never like "GET THAT MOTHERFUCKING KID" because he doesn't do anything. Awful shit just seems to happen around him. So when Peck is debating whether or not to kill his son, it seems more like a debate because we haven't just watched scene after scene of Damien dismembering people with an evil glint in his eye. The kid is a kid, who just happens to be the son a Satan. So yeah, it's a pretty good movie. It's not a stand-out by any means, but it seems like just a very solidly made picture. And David Warner is in it too. That never hurts.

Quit bein' such a prick, kid!

The Parallax View - 1974 - Dir. Pakula

Certainly no All the President's Men, Pakula's middle entry of his paranoia trilogy is a straight-forward thriller. It seems to struggle to get started and then when it does so fails to really pick up much steam. It just feels uneven as hell and Beatty plays the unorthodox reporter on a big scoop about as well as anyone else might. Although, it bothered me as hell with how capable he was at basically everything. The man could even throw a punch! It was one of those characters whose flaw is that he loves the Truth TOO MUCH. Perhaps it is a little impressive in that it is about as entertaining as a generic paranoid thriller made these days (Compliment?). Except you get to look at Warren Beatty's ridiculous hair (Compliment!). I was caught off guard (shocked even) with how badly executed the Dam sequence is. That being said, the final assassination sequence is top notch! It is strange to think that it is the same movie. I don't suppose the ending will really catch anyone by surprise, but I'm not going to hold it against them. The third act is probably the strongest portion where Beatty struggles to tip the odds in his favor. So, a pretty ordinary paranoid thriller from the 70's. I imagine it's on a shelf a bit higher than it's peers at the time but that is something I should look into. OH! The opening sequence is pretty sweet too.

Wilson from Home Improvement is starting shit!

All That Jazz - 1979 - Dir. Fosse

All That Jazz was way crazier than I expected it to be. Although, I suppose I should have expected it, I only had secondhand info about Fosse. Maybe it's because of Black Swan but it seems like Aronofsky takes a lesson from the book of Fosse. Larger than life characters, wild, snappy editing, shaky realities, repetition. First of all, I've never seen Roy Schneider to a role like this and it completely blew me away. I feel like it must have been particularly hard to sell such a dirtbag-ish character but Schneider does so with ease. I'm not a huge musical guy, but Fosse is fun to watch and it works particularly well in the film. Although, I feel like the end number is way longer than it needs to be and kind of kills the mood. Easily my favorite part of the film is the editing, it's just nice and insane. The scene where almost all of the sound is cut out is just absolutely awesome. At first, it's a little hard to keep up with but eventually you manage to piece it together. The movie has it's slow points and I feel like the major criticism I have is that it's a pretty shallow film, you don't get much more out of it than the experience of the viewing. It doesn't seem like Fosse aimed much higher than that though, so I guess he did a perfectly fine job. And I had a blast watching it, so I'm not complainin'. Oh... and did I mention that Schneider kinda charmed the pants off of me?

Ben Vereen is terrified to be touching Roy Schneider's Head.

Tentacles - 1977 - Dir. Assonitis

Oh, Tentacles! What could I say about Tentacles that hasn't already been said? I'm not sure exactly. An Italian-American attempt to capitalize on the Jaws money, it's a pretty poorly conceived movie. The basic idea is: If we have a bunch of people attacked while they are in the water, it will basically be the same thing. To be honest, I was pretty shocked by how poorly put together this movie is. It doesn't even try to hit on some of the same tropes that we are used to in mediocre horror movies. Do the villains get their comeuppance? No. In fact, you'd think they were in a different movie by the way they're treated. Do the heroes save the day? No. Bullshit saves the day. Stupid, stupid bullshit. I'm really surprised by how this movie is plotted. It's a series of octopus attack sequences with character who are barely introduced interspersed with scenes of actual actors doing a really shitty job of acting. I mean, fucking Henry Fonda blows ASS in this movie. John Huston is a big ball of bullshit, too. I mean, these guys are REAL ACTORS. If I can say anything positive about this movie is that the score is awesome. It's got hot 70's synth and bubble sound effects. I actually really liked it and tried (unsucessfully to download it) In light of how bad it is, I suppose it's pretty fun to watch. But man, this is a bad movie. Let there be no mistake, but it is entertaining... Sorta...

Oh no! Tentacles!

The Plumber - 1979 - Dir. Weir

A short TV movie that ended up being a bonus feature on The Cars That Ate Paris, which I enjoyed enough to give this a shot. I think I may have enjoyed The Plumber even more, which makes sense. It's a little tighter. About a woman who is getting used to the life of a homemaker who finds herself "terrorized" by a rather overbearing Plumber. It's a little like the spiritual ancestor of The Cable Guy. Naturally, one of the more entertaining aspects of the movie is the woman struggling to draw the line of what is acceptable behavior from the Plumber, who knowingly takes advantage of her upper-class guilt and pushes the boundaries further and further, behaving increasingly manic. Where he does manage to go is awesome and the transformation of bathroom is easily one of my favorite aspects of the film. Judy Morris is especially great as the protagonist. I definitely felt for her, but at the same time, she wasn't so likable that I was rooting for her throughout. She's one of those characters who you want to see a little terrorized. Part of the fun is not just seeing what the Plumber will do next, but how long she'll manage to keep up her facade of everything being peachy keen. It's a fun movie, a simple story told extremely well with a great balance of comedy and drama.

Caaable Guy- I'm mean- PLUUUUMBER!

The Cars That Ate Paris - 1974 - Dir. Weir

A movie I rented somewhat randomly, not really having a great idea as to what it was about. Throughout the movie, I kept expecting it to get a little more supernatural but it follows a town and their obsession with automobiles, to the degree that their economy seems based on outsiders getting into car accidents in some way. It's Weir's first feature and definitely feels like it. There's a definite unevenness and a strangeness. This makes it a little disjointed of a film but also quite a bit of fun to watch. It's silly and the ending most certainly hits the spot as a gang of youths terrifies the town and our protagonist gets over his fear of driving. It's got some Western/Mad Max touches that warmed my heart. The film has a series of strong moments and fun/creepy ideas and images that makes up for the weakness of the whole. The opening sequence is a good example of that. I always liked what I was watching, but often struggled to put it all together and make sense of it all. By the end, I don't think I ever successfully did, but I look back on the movie with great fondness and even as I write this, I'm remembering more things I liked about it. So maybe it's satisfying in a long-term sense. And I would certainly go for another viewing. Also Bruce Spense shows up! FUN!

You don't wanna cut this car off! LOLOLOLOLOLULZ!

Amarcord - 1973 - Dir. Fellini

Of all the "Great Masters of Film," I think I struggle with Fellini the most. I dunno. His films are very watchable and obviously they deserve some level of respect... I suppose I just don't really care all that much to see them. I'll sit and watch 'em! No problem with doing such an act, but I don't know... I just don't seek them out and aren't very emotionally involved with them. He can be a blast visually. And he makes a fine joke. And I'm pervy enough to get down with his... inclinations. I suppose, Amarcord seems to be the most charming of his films that I've seen. Anyway, it's a fun movie! It's mostly a series of light-hearted sequences with goofy townspeople. We somewhat follow a young fellow who happens to be coming of age and his various pseudo-sexual romps (The Tobacconist sequence probably being the most memorable). The movie is paced very nicely considering it's meandering nature. I feel like films like this can often too strained. There are obviously some more serious bits but they are underscored or result in humor by the end. There's also an insane hooker in it! The wikipedia entry makes me feel like there's way more to the movie than I give it credit for, which I'm sure is reasonable but wikipedia entries will do that, won't it?

Sigh... Italian People...

How Much Wood Could a Woodchuck Chuck - 1976 - Dir. Herzog

Sort of a mini-documentary. Or just a normal documentary, I guess. "It's forty minutes long" is what I'm saying here! Herzog is capturing the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. There are a handful of interviews in the beginning, some shots of Pennsylvania, but I would say the majority of the film is watching auctioneers strut their stuff. So the length is really appropriate length for the film. Any longer and I might have started to pull my hair out. That isn't to say that the subject matter isn't interesting. It's fun to see how all of the auctioneers do what they do. And rather hypnotizing. The scope of the film is a little limited. Apart from the opening when the auctioneers talk about their "craft." There isn't much to the movie apart from the actual auctioneering. I would have gotten a kick out of speaking with a few more people. There's something kind of funny when people are filmed talking about a subject about which they certainly don't seem to have a lot to say. Even the auctioneers don't have much to say repeating the mantra "Practice makes perfect" and go through how they began to practice. The movie is nice in depicting the atmosphere of the Championship. There seems to be something inherently engrossing about the film to someone like me who is very distant from that world, and also somewhat amusing.

Cattle! You are all just Cattle! It makes me sick!

The Jerk - 1979 - Dir. Reiner

Haven't seen this movie since my high school days and to be honest couldn't remember much about it until someone quoted it and the memories came flooding in. I was a huge fan when I first saw this! And I still am! Steve Martin's first starring role as a supremely naive man raised by a poor black family who goes out into the world when he realizes that he's not their blood child. That and he discovers the pleasures of white people music. It's a fun movie. My especially favorite part would be the gas station section of the film, which is kind of a shame because it's so early on in the film. The movie never gets AS funny as that section. It certainly has its laughs throughout. It's not as seriously plotted as many comedies, he becomes rich, then loses it. Generally, not due to any actual action he takes. But that's about as far as we go. So it's like a series of goofy scenes dragging a story along behind it. Certainly we're never really asked to take the plot seriously or do we ever worry that things won't work out for him in the end. I suppose that feels like a weakness sometimes, but the movie is just too silly for serious story-telling, so it feels right that it treats the story as it does. It's a great early Steve Martin role especially to see him in his prime doing something other than the sarcastic prick roles that he seemed to be typecast in frequently afterward.

That's what I wear when I go to the bathroom!

F for Fake - 1974 - Dir. Welles

I had no concept about what this movie was going to be like before watching it. So I was pretty surprised to say the least, especially coming from Orson Welles. It seems like Kane overshadows this later work, which I suppose makes sense, especially since Kane is way more accessible. It's Welles' examination of authenticity or FAKERY and naturally, he goes about it in a bit of a sneaky way. The movie is incredibly playful which also makes it unlike a normal documentary. Ostensibly, it is about Elmyr de Hory, a professional art forger, and his biographer Clifford Irving, who has been declared a hoax after writing a fake biography about the last days of Howard Hughes. There are a few deviations from this basic premise and it's a little tough to follow at first, Welles drops a lot of information on us at once. And he also has some pretty intense editing to begin with, which is probably my favorite part. It's like a precursor to the wild editing we're so used to seeing these days, but all seventies. It's pretty neat to see that Welles had a hand in it back in the day. As if his name wasn't already big enough! I have to say that I struggled to keep up with some chunks of the movie. Especially when it involved Hughes and Irving's relationship. I'm not well versed in what went on there, Welles mostly catches us up but he takes his time doing so, making some of the movie a bit of a struggle. Welles is charming enough to keep us going though, unless you happen to think of him as an unwatchable, pretentious douche later on in life... in which case, this movie might be a bit of struggle. He is ALL OVER THIS MOVIE. Like a plate of french fries. I don't hold that opinion, so I say: A great doc!

Orson is freaking ooouuuutttt!

House - 1977 - Dir. Obayashi

I've been excited about this movie for a really long time. I had hoped to make a screening of it back in NY last year but THE TIME JUST WASN'T RIGHT. When someone tells me there's a Japanese movie where the directors eight year old daughter helped out and the special effects are outrageous, I get pretty excited and skeptical. Preferring to watch it in the right frame of mind. And the movie is certainly a handful, beginning with hyper melodramatic sequences of schoolgirl's "normal" everyday life. Oh, and the girls names are just descriptions (Prof, Gorgeous, Sweet). The movie is so insistently innocent and cutesy, I think I was a little surprised when the horror aspects ended being somewhat gory. It's certainly more goofy than scary or violent, probably no one under ten would be intimidated. The special effects make no attempt to convey realism and are more of a tool to say "Look what we can do with film!" So they end up being fun. The movie is fun when you get right down to it. It's silly, unpretentious, and paced really well. I didn't find myself getting impatient, "waiting for the good stuff." It's all good stuff. About as genuine as you can get trying to translate a child's vision to film. I would certainly be on board to watch it again.

Check out this rope I found!!

Last House on the Left - 1972 - Dir. Craven

I think have a tendency to get down with these grimy 70's movies... at least, moreso than the clean fare we've got going on. I think there's a cheapness and a goofiness that's lost these days. Maybe it's just the way the 70's were, cheap and goofy. Who is to say? It was such a long time ago and anyone we could ask are long gone. Anyway... the movie is pretty straightforward, girl and friend gets abducted and terrorized by criminals, criminals by chance end up staying in girl's house, parents find out and kill criminals. I was pretty emotionally disconnected by the movie, everyone is a pretty, massive stereotype and their arcs are all pretty obvious. The movie also is supported by a goofy folksy score which undercuts what tension could be gathered up. The film is basically focused on the criminals taking advantage of the two girls. The criminals seeking shelter with the parents and the ensuing vengeance, seems like a afterthought which is a shame because I feel like that's the primary draw and contains possibilities for some really awesome scenes. Rather, we breeze through, and I'm somewhat disappointed. Especially since the movie is particularly lazy storytelling wise when it comes to anything apart from the two girls being raped and terrorized. Coincidences and bizarre, inexplicable behavior abound. The only memorable performance in the film would easily be Jeramie Rain, who was just a ton of fun to watch. She puts the others to shame with her performance. As corny 70's horror memorabilia, the movie is great and a shining example. If you're looking for genuine thrills, gore, or anything the film's plot might imply, you might want to look elsewhere. Unlike the Mother in the film, this ain't got teeth.

Caaaalm down, Lady...

Alien - 1979 - Dir Scott

I've seen this a handful of times, although I can't remember the last time I've seen it. First of all, I think it's an awesome blend of the horror and sci-fi genres. It's completely understandable as to why the Xenomorph just won't stop popping up into different incarnations. To some degree, I feel like this one is almost disappointing at times because it's ONLY one Alien. That's not a complaint as much as a testament to how great of a creature is really introduced in this movie. It is also just such an excellent combination of different factors, the isolation of space and the confines of the ship, we have a creepy ass Ian Holm talking up the perfection of the alien (even the Face Hugger can't be beat!), and the infighting of the crew. I suppose it just takes the best of both genres. I guess some people would consider it pretty slow... like any good "classy" horror or sci fi flick. I have to admit getting a bit of a boner at how long they take before they actually reveal the Alien. Scott's direction helps tons. Every time I see this movie, it looks better and better. Occasionally because it's remastered, but I'm amazed at the special effects that went into the picture. Also, the cast is just a friggin' classic 70's cast. JOHN HURT ISN'T EVEN FILTHY! Until his chest burst opens... then he gets all gross again.

Awww! Man! I'm exhausted!

Clockwork Orange - 1971 - Dir. Kubrick

A film I had seem plenty of times in high school and then apparently "grew out of it" (JUST LIKE ALEX IN THE NOVEL! GASP!). I suppose I just got sick of it after heaps and heaps of references. I had long forgotten about it by the time I'd seen it this time around. Despite my weariness with the film, it is still a classic. It was nice to watch again, to be surprised. And learn to appreciate it again. Malcolm McDowell is friggin' awesome in it. He carries the movie at times, especially as it goes on. He manages to make camp, self-satisfaction, and smugness incredibly watchable. Kubrick is going wild in this movie. A precursor to a million hyperviolent music video films, this one can actually justify it's content and style. Something I was never able to appreciate before, OR SOMEONE, was Michael Bates who plays the Chief Guard. I'm surprised I managed to miss such a ridiculous fucking character. By no means, is the movie perfect, it's long, first of all. Severely blunt at times. Generally whatever flaws the movie might have can be easily forgiven because it's fun as hell to watch. It's shamelessly campy, violent, and loud. Like our protagonist and his giant, murderous porcelain dick.

Don't worry, Everyone! I'm have a great time!

The Culpepper Cattle Co. - 1972 - Dir. Richards

A 1970's western that seemed to stay under the RADAR and that fact never seemed to have changed. It's got an awesome cast of barely recognizable character actors. Geoffrey Lewis is probably the most well known name. YOU KNOW!? GEOFFREY LEWIS? And he is just fucking awesome in it. But there was a lot of "OH THAT GUY!"'s for me after viewing the movie. I was also pleased to find out Luke Askew who played one of my favorite characters plays the excellently nutty Hollis Greene in Big Love. So... I got a kick out of that at least. It's a simple story, naive boy runs off on a Rough and Tough cattle drive. It only gets rougher and tougher when the Boss hires some wacko outlaws to fill the ranks. I love a movie where a chunk of the time is spent watching "straight" people dealing with violent eccentrics. Especially when you've got such a sweet cast of weirdos. It's also an early Jerry Bruckheimer production which is interesting to watch in that context. It's the Blockbuster machine cutting his teeth, with a Jerry Goldsmith score to boot! Our Naive Cowhand through-line plays out well enough, not too sappy, not too cynical. It could have felt tired and overused but it actually makes for a pretty satisfying viewing experience. The only thorn in my side is a very strangely edited exchange with the Young Guy's Mother. Something wacky must have gone on there. A fun western, it's a shame it's not as well known!

Not a lot of screen captures but: Sweet Poster.