When it came to entertainment, the 1970s proved to be a heck of a decade. For starters, Americans were treated to great movies like “M*A*S*H” (1970) and “The Clockwork Orange” (1971). Of course they weren’t the only remarkable movies to come out during that time frame. I can name several that were released in the first half of the decade alone. With that said, here’s a quick look at five of them:
“Dirty Harry” (1971)
If you ask me, the decade kicked off with a bang. It started with the film “Dirty Harry.” It was directed by Don Siegel and starred the venerable Clint Eastwood. Eastwood played a tough talking cop with a deadly aim. The film was full of what would eventually be known as classic Eastwood moments. One of my favorite parts of the film was the bank robbery scene.
“The Godfather” (1972)
I am a huge fan of mob movies, so of course director Francis Ford Coppola’s film “The Godfather” had to be on my top 5 list of 1970s flicks. It starred such tremendous actors are James Caan, Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. Of those three, Pacino is my favorite. The storyline focused on a large crime family and spawned several other noteworthy films. One of the most memorable scenes for me is when the wife of Pacino’s character is murdered.
“The Exorcist” (1973)
I also adored director William Friedkin’s film “The Exorcist.” Its storyline focused on the possession of a child and also generated some stupendous sequels. In my opinion, it had some of the most memorable scenes of the decade as well. The best ones involved Linda Blair. Moments that I can’t get out of my mind are when her head spins around and she does the spider walk. Other consummate artists that starred in the film were Jack MacGowran and Ellen Burstyn.
“The Great Gatsby” (1974)
Another notable film of the decade is director Jack Clayton’s “The Great Gatsby.” Personally, I thought that the film was enjoyable to watch and I am looking forward to the remake that is expected to be released in 2013. The original storyline focused on the lives of several people living in the 1920s. Some of the stars that appeared in the film were Robert Redford and Mia Farrow.
“Jaws” (1975)
Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jaws” also made my list. I had to include the film because is scared the life out of me when I first saw it. The initial storyline focused on a nasty great white who seemingly wanted to eat everything in its path. It starred Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss. Several sequels also followed. However, I never found them to be as scary as the first one.
Source: Personal Experience
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