Top Ten Films of the 1970s


1979
1. MANHATTAN (Woody Allen)
2. APOCALYPSE NOW (Francis Ford Coppola)
3. THE ONION FIELD (Harold Becker)
4. ALIEN (Ridley Scott)
5. BEING THERE (Hal Ashby)
6. ALL THAT JAZZ (Bob Fosse)
7. THE CHINA SYNDROME (James Bridges)
8. HARDCORE (Paul Schrader)
9. THE IN-LAWS (Arthur Hiller)
10. STALKER (Andrei Tarkovsky)

Honorable Mention: IN A YEAR OF 13 MOONS (Fassbinder); KRAMER VS. KRAMER (Benton); OVER THE EDGE (Kaplan); SAINT JACK (Bogdanovich)

1978
1. DAWN OF THE DEAD (George Romero)
2. DAYS OF HEAVEN (Terrence Malick)
3. THE DEER HUNTER (Michael Cimino)
4. HALLOWEEN (John Carpenter)
5. BLUE COLLAR (Paul Schrader)
6. THE GREEN ROOM (François Truffaut)
7. THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN (Liu Chia-Liang)
8. FINGERS (James Toback)
9. AUTUMN SONATA (Ingmar Bergman)
10. THE DRIVER (Walter Hill)

Honorable Mention: GATES OF HEAVEN (Morris); GET OUT YOUR HANKERCHIEFS (Blier); INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (Kaufman); LONG WEEKEND (Eggleston); WHO'LL STOP THE RAIN (Reisz)

Most Overrated: COMING HOME (Ashby)

1977
1. ANNIE HALL (Woody Allen)
2. 3 WOMEN (Robert Altman)
3. STAR WARS (George Lucas)
4. STROSZEK (Werner Herzog)
5. PROVIDENCE (Alain Resnais)
6. THE DEVIL, PROBABLY (Robert Bresson)
7. INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Enzo G. Castellari)
8. MARTIN (George A. Romero)
9. THE AMERICAN FRIEND (Wim Wenders)
10. HITCH-HIKE (Pasquale Festa Campanile)

Honorable Mention: CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING (Rivette); THE GAUNTLET (Eastwood); SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (Badham); SUSPIRIA (Argento)

Most Overrated: KILLER OF SHEEP (Burnett)

1976
1. TAXI DRIVER (Martin Scorsese)
2. CARRIE (Brian De Palma)
3. NETWORK (Sidney Lumet)
4. ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (John Carpenter)
5. HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A. (Barbara Kopple)
6. ILLUSTRIOUS CORPSES (Francesco Rosi)
7. SEVEN BEAUTIES (Lina Wertmuller)
8. SMALL CHANGE (François Truffaut)
9. MIKEY AND NICKY (Elaine May)
10. THE MARQUISE OF O (Eric Rohmer)

Honorable Mention: ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (Pakula); JONAH WHO WILL BE 25 IN THE YEAR 2000 (Tanner); THE MIDDLEMAN (Ray); WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (Ibàñez Serrador)

Notable Shorts: TAKE THE 5:10 TO DREAMLAND (Conner)

1975
1. JAWS (Steven Spielberg)
2. F FOR FAKE (Orson Welles)
3. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Milos Foreman)
4. BARRY LYNDON (Stanley Kubrick)
5. NASHVILLE (Robert Altman)
6. HARD TIMES (Walter Hill)
7. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (John Huston)
8. FRENCH CONNECTION II (John Frankenheimer)
9. JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES (Chantal Akerman)
10. DEEP RED (Dario Argento)

Honorable Mention: THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (Jodorowsky); LOVE AND DEATH (Allen); MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE (Wang); MIRROR (Tarovsky); NIGHT MOVES (Penn); PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (Weir); SWEPT AWAY (Wertmüller)

1974
1. THE GODFATHER: PART II (Francis Ford Coppola)
2. DERSU UZALA (Akira Kurosawa)
3. THE CONVERSATION (Francis Ford Coppola)
4. CHINATOWN (Roman Polanski)
5. CALIFORNIA SPLIT (Robert Altman)
6. ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (Martin Scorsese)
7. HEARTS AND MINDS (Peter Davis)
8. JUGGERNAUT (Richard Lester)
9. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (Tobe Hooper)
10. THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (Michael Cimino)

Honorable Mention: ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (Fassbinder); BLACK CHRISTMAS (Clark); THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK (Barilli); THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (Buñuel); THE PHANTOM OF PARADISE (De Palma); RABID DOGS (Bava)

Most Overrated: GOING PLACES (Blier)

The Long Goodbye1973
1. THE LONG GOODBYE (Robert Altman)
2. MEAN STREETS (Martin Scorsese)
3. BADLANDS (Terrence Malick)
4. SCENES FROM A MARRIAGE (Ingmar Bergman)
5. THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE (Jean Eustache)
6. DON'T LOOK NOW (Nicholas Roeg)
7. THE WICKER MAN (Robin Hardy)
8. DAY FOR NIGHT (François Truffaut)
9. THE EXORCIST (William Friedkin)
10. TORSO (Sergio Martino)

Honorable Mention: THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (Zinnemann); ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE (Guercio); THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE (Yates); HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (Eastwood); PAPER MOON (Bogdanovich); PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (Pekinpah)SEX & FURY (Suzuki); TERRIFYING GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL: LYNCH LAW CLASSROOM (Suzuki)

Notable Shorts: LUCIFER RISING (Anger)

Most Overrated: LAST TANGO IN PARIS (Bertolucci)

1972
1. LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (Eric Rohmer)
2. THE GODFATHER (Francis Ford Coppola)
3. THE RULING CLASS (Peter Medak)
4. THE HEARTBREACK KID (Elaine May)
5. DELIVERANCE (John Boorman)
6. FRENZY (Alfred Hitchcock)
7. SOLARIS (Andrei Tarkovsky)
8. ULZANA'S RAID (Robert Aldrich)
9. SLEUTH (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
10. FAT CITY (John Huston)

Honorable Mention: AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD (Herzog); CABERET (Fosse); CISCO PIKE (Norton); CRIES AND WHISPERS (Bergman); DEATHDREAM (Clark); THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (Buñuel); THE HOT ROCK (Yates); KING BOXER (Chang); LISA AND THE DEVIL (Bava); MILANO CALIBRO 9 (Di Leo)

Notable Shorts: EYE MYTH (Brakhage)

1971
1. MCCABE AND MRS MILLER (Robert Altman)
2. WALKABOUT (Nicholas Roeg)
3. STRAW DOGS (Sam Pekinpah)
4. A NEW LEAF (Elaine May)
5. MURMUR OF THE HEART (Louis Malle)
6. FOUR NIGHTS OF A DREAMER (Robert Bresson)
7. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Stanley Kubrick)
8. WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Mel Stuart)
9. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (William Friedkin)
10. SHORT NIGHT OF THE GLASS DOLLS (Aldo Lado)

Honorable Mention: A BAY OF BLOOD (Bava); THE BEGUILED (Siegel); DUEL (Spielberg), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Jewison); THE HOSPITAL (Hiller); KLUTE (Pakula); LITTLE MURDERS (Arkin); MACBETH (Polanski); PLAY MISTY FOR ME (Eastwood); TWO ENGLISH GIRLS (Truffaut); TWO LANE BLACKTOP (Hellman)

Most Overrated: TAKING OFF (Forman)

1970
1. CLAIRE'S KNEE (Eric Rohmer)
2. THE CONFORMIST (Bernardo Bertolucci)
3. M.A.S.H. (Robert Altman)
4. DEEP END (Jerzy Skolimowski)
5. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (Billy Wilder)
6. BED AND BOARD (François Truffaut)
7. TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA (Don Siegel)
8. I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER (Gilbert Cates)
9. PATTON (Franklin Schaffner)
10. CATCH 22 (Mike Nichols)

Honorable Mention: THE BALLAD OF CABLE HOGUE (Peckinpah); FIVE EASY PIECES (Rafelson)