1971 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
OSCARS
Best Editing
Best Art Direction |
The Andromeda Strain
Dir: Robert Wise Stars: Arthur Hill The Andromeda Strain is my favorite book of all time, and I have read it at least a dozen times since my teenage years. So, this film had a lot to live up to...but with the masterful Robert Wise at the helm, it captures the scientific uncertainty and terror extremely well. A lot of the deducing and hypothesizing in the book happens in the mind, so that was a bit hard for cinematic exposition...but this is a movie that looks great and scares effectively. B+ DVD |
Bananas
Dir: Woody Allen Stars: Woody Allen Woody Allen, when starring in his own movies, thrives by being a weakling thrust into a situation he can't really handle. Usually this involves a woman way out of his league. This time, he is involved with one of those women again, but he is dropped off in a Latin American Banan Republic, and he gets involves in the revolution like a little Jewish Castro. A comedy like this is like shooting fish in a barrell, but it still works more times then it doesn't. B DVD |
OSCARS
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Bedknobs & Broomsticks
Dir: Robert Stevenson Stars: Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson This movie is such an obvious attempt to relive the majesty of Mary Poppins by adding a female Brit thespian, some magic, and live-action/animation mash-ups. Even so...it is still a great time. I grew up with characters like King Leonidas and Fisherman Bear walking around Disney World so it has a small, special place in my heart B |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Director Best Adapted Screenplay Best Editing |
A Clockwork Orange
Dir: Stanley Kubrick Stars: Malcolm McDowell 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #86 This is a dystopic smorgasbourd, full of deviant, violent psychos and dangerous, shocking behavioral modification. It goes without saying that Stanley Kubrick's direction is beautiful, but it is Malcolm McDowell's semi-comic portrayal of Alex that really makes this film shine. When poor Alex inadvertanly becomes conditioned against Beethoven as well as violence, I honestly started crying. That is impressive when such a strange movie can bring you to tears, during one of the strangest, most disturbing scenes of the film. This behavioral modification theme is SO much better than the ending of Brazil. A DVD |
Dirty Harry
Dir: Don Siegel Stars: Clint Eastwood 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I was pretty disappointed in this movie, because I love me some badass Eastwood. That iconic "Do you feel lucky, punk?" line really fell flat. It seems that all the parodies I have seen in my life of that line have all delivered the line with more gusto. When you really sit back and think about this film, it is really VERY simple...and Harry Callahan is a pretty lousy cop. How can he be mad at the system when HE is the one that screwed up. Vigilante justice is one thing...but I wasn't quite on board with "Dirty Harry"s methods. They weren't exciting enough to reach any kind of iconic status. C |
OSCARS
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Fiddler on the Roof
Dir: Norman Jewison Stars: Topol, Norma Crane It is long, it is gritty, it is epic, it is funny, and it is nearly perfect. This classic story about Tevye and his daughters is played to perfection by Topol...who is equal parts goofy, serious, honorable, and flat out scary in anger. The peaks and valleys this story takes as Tevye's world is crumbling around him makes the entire film a roller-coaster ride. It is hard to empathize as it focuses on a Russian-Jewish father, but learning his story is timeless and wonderful. A- DVD |
OSCARS
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The French Connection
Dir: William Friedkin Stars: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I didn't enjoy this movie much at all. This is a movie that is praised all over the place, and the car chase scene is considered one of the best all time. I will just say that I was left underwhelmed at almost every turn. The chase was interesting but by no means earth-shattering, the acting just never clicked for me, and the story was just a bore. I must have been in a bad mood the day I saw this because I think I really missed the boat with this one. C- |
Harold & Maude
Dir: Hal Ashby Stars: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die What an odd, strange, charming little movie. I enjoyed it on two completely different, seemingly incompatible fronts. I thought all the fake suicide attempts by Harold and how bored by them everyone is hysterical. I also found the pseudo-romance between the leads lovely. These two parts felt like different movies...but the entirety is definitely a fun time. B |
Monty Python's
And Now For Something Completely Different Dir: Iam MacNaughton Stars: Monty Python I LOVE Monty Python's Flying Circus. All this movie is is the Monty Python guys taking the best skits of their show and putting them to film for a worldwide audience. The skits are still absolutely hysterical, but in almost every instance, are inferior to the original TV show version. There was a grittiness and spontaneity to the originals that go a long way toward the laughs. These are a BIT too polished...but I still laugh my ass off. B+ DVD |
THX-1138
Dir: George Lucas Stars: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence So this takes place in a futuristic dystopia where citizens/workers are drugged in ways to keep them docile, asexual, and conciliatory...I think. I just found this sci-fi flick, which actually looked kind of cool, incredibly boring and unfocused. You could tell George Lucas was trying WAY too hard to be artsy-fartsy with the storytelling technique, but it sucked the life right out of the film. I found myself struggling to stay awake. C- |
OSCARS
Best Original Score
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Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Dir: Mel Stuart Stars: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson I find this movie as magical, as perfect, and as timeless as I do The Wizard of Oz. There is just something so GREAT about both the scenes within the factory and outside the factory that just makes me feel warm inside. Gene Wilder is so perfect as Wonka, with a sinister side, untrustworthy side, but ultimately charming and paternal. Every child who sees this film wants to visit his factory...and not Tim Burton's. A DVD |