List of Crap #115: Top 50 Movies of the 70s Countdown!

[Johnny Unusual]

#26

47 Points, 2 Lists, #1 Johnny Unusual

Gesundheit.

Year 1974

What's it about?

In New York City, a group of four men board a subway train, Pelham 123, and hold it hostage.  They demand $1,000,000 to be delivered in one hour or a hostage will die each minute it isn't there.  The man who has to deal with the criminals?  The grouchy but professional transit authority officer Lt. Garber.  Now New York City needs to scramble to pay the money or innocent people will die.  But how do these criminals plan to escape the train with the money.  Garber needs to use his head to keep the hostages safe and figure out what the criminals plans are, before things go very badly.

What's it REALLY about?

I guess if I have to look deeper than what's on the screen, maybe the labyrinthine systems (physical and those of red tape) in New York City at the time and the fallibility of the people in them.  But really, I just think of it as a fun, silly thriller.

Legacy
It had two remakes, neither particularly good.  Really, it's just one of those great thrillers and feels lie a weird hybrid of the gritty New York cop movie (but with more of a sense of humour) and the big cast disaster movies of the era (minus big names who aren't Walter Matthau).

Trivia
Since the film's release, no #6 train has ever been scheduled to leave Pelham Bay Park Station at either 13:23 or 01:23 by the New York City Transit Authority. This was the practice for many years until the policy was discontinued. Trains are still not scheduled to leave the Pelham Bay Park Station at either 1.23 am or pm.

Johnny's Thoughts
This is a film I heard referenced on MST3k a few times and assumed it was just some sort of campy guilty pleasure or something.  When I finally watched it, I was delighted.  And I kept finding it to be a great watch with each audience I brought it too.  Man, that last shot is one of my favourites of all time and its just Walter Matthau being very... himself.  If you haven't seen it, track it down and enjoy it.

[linszoid]

Doesn't this movie get remade every 5 years or so?

[F-Zero]

Never, ever seen Paper Moon. But there is however another Ryan O'neal movie I hope makes the list...

It is well to dream of a glorious movie in a snug armchair at home. But it is a very different thing to see it first hand.

[Johnny Unusual]

#25

47 Points, 3 Lists, #2 MartyS

No sense being a grifter if its the same as bein' a citizen.

Year 1973

What's it about?

In 1936, Johnny Hooker is a pretty good con man who has just made a ridiculous amount of money with his latest con.  Unfortunately, the money turns out to belong to a big time on boss and the only thing he's angrier about than losing cash is being humiliated.  Johnny's partner Luther dies for the insult but before dying, Luther advised Johnny to learn "the long con" from Henry Gondorff, a master at the game.  Johnny, wanting revenge but "not knowing enough about killing to kill", finds and convinces Henry to teach him the long con and the two team up to completely humiliate their mark and make a buttload of money doing it.  But how long will their long con go?

What's it REALLY about?

I haven't seen it, but presumably what a con entails.  Probably a double-cross or two?

Legacy
The film is among the best loved caper flicks and is considered just a pleasant good time movie.  It also was recently given a musical.  It also probably did a lot to reintroduce the ragtime music of Scott Joplin to a new audience.

Trivia
Robert Redford didn't see the movie until June 2004.  Which is weird, it was rated PG.  He probably didn't have to wait so long if he could find a parent or guardian to take him.

Johnny's Thoughts
Have yet to see it but it looks like a blast.

[Edward J Grug III]

I LOVE Popeye. I haven't seen Mccabe and Mrs Miller, but it's considered a masterpiece, so the pairing of these two in your comment seems funny to me.

Popeye is kind of... a mixed experience for me. I really don't like that it's a musical, that aspect of it just doesn't work for me. I saw Mccabe and Mrs Miller only once and I thought it was... well, kind of dark so I also have mixed feelings about it.

I love the Harry Nilsson Popeye sound track - I have the album on my phone and listen to it a lot.

[Edward J Grug III]

My fav Altman movie is from the 70s... and perhaps is on this countdown? Will have to wait and see

Altman had a lot of great work in that time. Some I only know by reputation so far, but I have another one on my list, and one that was just outside of it.

[Edward J Grug III]

Paper Moon was just off my list (31). I only saw it for the first time somewhat recently. Loved it.

I was the other The Taking of Pelham One Two Three voter - it was number 4 on my list. It is a brilliant film, and such an easy film to revisit.

The Sting is fun, but I never held it all that highly.

[PsychoGoatee]

Love The Sting, something about it just really works for me. Charming, unique vibe to it, goes down smooth.

[Charles Castle]

My fav Altman movie is from the 70s... and perhaps is on this countdown? Will have to wait and see

Altman had a lot of great work in that time. Some I only know by reputation so far, but I have another one on my list, and one that was just outside of it.

I have three Altman films on my list, two in my top five, and of what I have seen he has at least eleven films in the 70's ranging from very good to great, one of which is certainly McCabe & Mrs. Miller.

P.S. Popeye is amazing, and gets better with each viewing.

[Cyrusso]

Love The Sting, something about it just really works for me. Charming, unique vibe to it, goes down smooth.

I know this has been said like a million times even before the dawn of the 1980's but Redford and Newman were always excellent together.

[George-2.0]

With the exception of a certain...

Russian fellow
I limited my list to 1 film per favorite director.  I simply had too many I admired and I couldn't squeeze them all into 25 spots. So I have 1 Altman on my list, and another -maybe kind of an oddball pick- that I left on the cutting room floor...

Images needs more love IMHO

And Popeye? I remember that being real, real painful... but man, if Edward and Charles are giving it their seal of approval, I'm thinking I should give it another try. (haven't seen since the early 80s).

[Darth Geek]

Popeye would have been a lot more tolerable if it hadn't been such an insufferably bad musical. It feels like they just told the cast they'd be singing that day when they arrived on set.

[Cyrusso]

If there is one(or two) award(s) I would give to Popeye, it's outstanding production and costume design. I mean everything about that movie looks almost as cartoonish as the comic strips. Plus yeah, I have to admit Robin Williams nailed it as Popeye.

[Darth Geek]

If there is one(or two) award(s) I would give to Popeye, it's outstanding production and costume design. I mean everything about that movie looks almost as cartoonish as the comic strips. Plus yeah, I have to admit Robin Williams nailed it as Popeye.

The casting is phenomenal too. Shelley Duvall looks like she was genetically bred to play Olive Oyl.

[Edward J Grug III]

Popeye would have been a lot more tolerable if it hadn't been such an insufferably bad musical. It feels like they just told the cast they'd be singing that day when they arrived on set.

Literal nonsense.

The demoes and rehearsal tapes are even readily available online.