A cultural revolution. That is what perfectly describes Star Wars: A New Hope. Movie historians have longed said that Steven Spielberg and George Lucas gave cinema a rebirth. The early 70’s were a period for American and arthouse films, but these two men allowed movies to become fun again. According to Lucas, who created THX-1138 and American Graffiti, the purpose for this movie was just for movies to become fun again. What he did for cinema today, well we have this man to thank for it. This small low-budget sci-fi film spawned six more movies with many more to come. Star Wars has now spread across three generations, three generations of love. I love hearing stories from people who saw this when it came out in 1977. They tell me how much this cultural phenomenon impacted their lives. My father is a mega Star Wars fan, and it’s safe to say this is one of his favorite movies. How could such a small movie impact the movie business the way it did? Well, it helps that it’s a fabulous movie. The movie features an iconic villain named Darth Vader who is known for his deep breathing noises. We have two incredibly memorable heroes in Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. The two most famous robots in movie history are C-3PO and R2-D2. We have everyone’s favorite scoundrel in Han Solo, the pilot of the Millennium Falcon and his favorite sidekick Chewbacca, a bear-like Wookiee. So what I’m trying to stay here, is the film has instantly memorable characters. This film pushed new ground with visual effects. Luca’s own company, Industrial Light & Magic worked very hard in creating never-before-seen effects from the humming of the lightsabers to the robotic language of R2-D2. The film looks impressive for a 1977 feature, and that could have attracted scores of people. Most of all, this is a fun movie. It’s simple story of good versus evil set in a space setting, and many people were looking for such a feature.

Lucas, who is the director of the film, wanted to engage the audiences in a fun, space-filled adventure. Believe it or not, the production of this film was nearly a disaster. The honest fact is Lucas is not a great director, and he had a hard time keeping the cast in line. Lucas lost the support of nearly everyone, and he suffered from anxiety issues. The cast hardly took their jobs seriously, and they often called the movie a joke. Harrison Ford, who plays Han Solo criticized a princess who has her hair in a bun and he called Chewbacca a giant, hairy monkey. The film also went over-budget and nearly over-schedule. An eight-million dollar budget ended with ten-million plus by the end of shooting. Post-production also was troublesome for Lucas. Lucas wanted an opening scrawl, which was very unconventional for its time, and everyone was against that idea. His company had to create special effects that would normally take over a year to make in just six months. The film was originally scheduled for a 1976 release, but it had to be pushed to a May 1977 release, which would end up as a godsend for the movie. With all these troubles and then some, it just amazes me how great this movie turned out to be.

Why do I love this film? Firstly, it’s a very engaging story. A simple one, but an engaging one. I love science fiction films, so this film would be in my wheelhouse. Maybe it’s because of Star Wars that I love sci-fi so much. George Lucas had to go through so much to bring his vision to cinema. He had his ideas early as 1971, but it look many years to get Alan Ladd Jr. of Twentieth Century Fox studios to back his vision. Despite the lack of great direction, the performances were still sharp as I will discuss later. Memorable performances from everyone. I mentioned in earlier reviews on this site that composer John Williams is my favorite composer. Well just listen to this mighty impressive score and you’ll see why. The movie was fun to look at and to listen to and it enhances the story in a very positive way. The planets and their landscapes are wonderful to look at. I was impressed with the scale of the desert on the planet of Tatooine. There is a scene located at an intergalactic bar and it’s just amazing how good practical effects looked with all of these aliens together. (This bar also happened to be where the controversial scene where you wonder who shot first. Han Solo or the bounty hunter, Greedo?) Believe it or not, I hated Star Wars as little kid. Luckily, that has changed as the years went on.

So without further ado, let’s go into the story of the film. It’s a very simple, but well-defined story. The characters are simple ones, but they are given such deep characterization. This film follows a young man named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) as he sets out with his older, wiser Jedi mentor named Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and a scoundrel pilot named Han Solo (Harrison Ford) as they set out to rescue the Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) from the evil second-in-command of the Empire, Darth Vader. (David Prowse, but famously voiced by James Earl Jones). They also must destroy the Death Star, a moon turned into a planet-destroying weapon, if they have any chance in stopping the Empire. See how wonderfully simple this story is? It’s incredibly easy to follow, but there are layers to everything in the story.

Which such a wonderful story, there has to be good performances right? Of course there are amazing performances! Career-defining performances in fact. Harrison Ford later stated it was because of Star Wars that he had such a great career. Shoulda not talked thrash about this movie during filming Harrison, huh? Well, despite Ford talking crap, he delivers the goods as Han Solo. I loved his cocky attitude, but deep down he was a man who is caring (if you count his love towards Leia) and someone who had no love for the Empire.  Mark Hamill is great as Luke. His performance is shaky at first, but he grows as the film moves on. Carrie Fisher is great as Leia. A powerful heroine, which is something not seen in many 70’s movies. Alec Guinness added a veteran presence as Obi-Wan and he truly embodies his character. Of course then there is Darth Vader. He is played by David Prowse, but is voiced by James Earl Jones (an iconic voice for the villain). Wonderful performances all around, even from the robots. The first thirty minutes of the film is mainly R2 and C3 wandering around in the desert. These scenes were very fun to watch, even if the pacing became ploddingly slow at times during the beginning.

So to sum up my feelings about the movie, I just about loved it. I have this movie to thank for giving me my undying love for the science fiction genre. I appreciate what this film did to change the way movies were made. Starting in 1977, summer blockbusters were going to be very prominent. Star Wars is a series that will live on forever and ever. This is something that everyone loves. But way beneath the implications, the film is a low-budget sci-fi film that only wanted to deliver fun to audiences worldwide. It certainly did that. One of my favorite movies of 1977. Thank you, George Lucas, for creating Star Wars.

My Grade: A

Annie Hall was 1977’s Best Picture winner at the Oscars. I don’t think it should have been. It was a solid movie for sure, but I couldn’t buy the movie as the best film of 1977. While Woody Allen’s Bananas was a screwball comedy, this film does mark Allen’s most mature film up to this point. The comedy is still there, but the movie is deeper than in Allen’s previous efforts. Allen cited advancing age for his more philosophical views (as he turned forty in 1975 which gave him strong opinions about death.) These philosophical views involves what it means to be romantic, Jewish heritage, the ideas of getting older, the banality of life, and of course as in most Allen’s film, a love story to the great city of New York. It also has been told that the movie resembles the personal life of Woody Allen. I wouldn’t find that surprising because he did date the star of the film, Diane Keaton at one point. I thoroughly enjoyed the philosophical views that Allen had in the film.

That also comes to the crux of my problems I had with the film. All the philosophy is fine and dandy, but people don’t realize how much this film is talking. People call this film a masterpiece, but they fail to see that this film is 121 minutes of talking and walking. I was mesmerized by Allen’s incredible dialogue, but eventually the talk wore me out (which is hard to do). This is a major issue, but luckily for the film it was the only issue I had. Too much talk, but the words were incredibly fluid thanks to the thoughtful script by Allen. There are some memorable monologues, and I liked how Allen spoke to the camera. It is rare for a movie to have an actor speak to the camera in a successful way, but Allen made it work here. He created a romantic comedy that made people laugh, and also made people cry. It represented more of a mature side to him that people seldom saw before this. Sure his screwball antics are still here, but his maturity level was elevated by several notches.

Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) is a neurotic stand-up comedian who reflects on the demise of his last relationship. He dated a woman named Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) who was an aspiring nightclub singer. Alvy reflects over the good times and bad times over the course of their relationship and also on factors that caused this relation to happen. He talks about growing up near C0ney Island, how he had sexual desires from a very young age, and how he always felt guilty about his Jewish heritage growing up.

I’ve seen this movie twice. The first time, it took awhile for me to appreciate Woody Allen’s acting in this film. This time, I was instantly brought in to the story by his inner monologue. Allen is essentially playing himself with lots of rapid intellectual dialogue. But I enjoyed watching him piece out the information on why his relationship failed. I really did like how be added depth to his character. He may be funny, but it’s not all about the comedy this time around. Diane Keaton, whom we know from The Godfather, does very well in her role. Her character is somewhat based off herself she admitted. Her character is shy, insecure at times, but she’s sweet and honest. There are some good supporting roles here too. We get to see a young Christopher Walken as Annie’s brother Duane. We see two other women that Alvy got into relationships with and they were performed decently from Carol Kane and Shelley Duvall. Also, there are two blink-or-you-miss cameos in the film. Keep any eye out for Jeff Goldblum and Signourey Weaver!

Overall, I enjoyed watching what is probably Woody Allen’s most personal movie. He later admitted he was not happy with the film because it was not the film he intended to make. But that didn’t stop critics and audiences alike all around the world from calling Annie Hall the best movie of 1977. Unfortunately, I do not share that sentiment. I do, however, think this film is a good watch. It’s funny at times, but it is also a thoughtful film. I would even call it a semi-experimental film. It’s a film that you need to pay utmost attention to or you’ll be lost. The story is not linear because there are mnay flashbacks spread throughout. Only Woody Allen could create enough witty and strong dialogue where you wouldn’t need action to complement those words. For that reason alone, this film is deserving of its Best Screenplay Oscar win. This movie is a solid watch thanks to a strong, intelligent screenplay and very strong performances from Woody Allen and Diane Keaton. However, it falls short from the masterpiece everyone claims it to be.

My Grade: B

“I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.”

This is the most famous line in 1976’s Network and could possibly be one of the most famous lines of the decade in film. That quote is said by Howard Beales, perhaps the most memorable character of the movie. When people think about this movie, most of them think about the antics of Howard Beale in the movie. His character is associated on a real-life scenario where some news reporter committed an on-air suicide. We shall talk more about this character later, but this film is more than just about Howard Beale. This is a scathing satire about the decline of actual news reporting. The theme is simple and it leads into today’s news reporting. They just report what people want to hear, not actual stories. If ratings are bad, you can say goodbye to reporters, newscasters, programs, etc. and they will be replaced no matter how good they are. What the movie does very well is conveying those themes to the audience. The movie wasn’t kind to the route the future of news reporting was heading.

The 1970’s was a very strong decade for movies, and people arguably agree this may be the best decade for movies. The decade was mostly known for character-centric movies such as this film. It seems like more often than not, each film brings out the best in the director, the actors, and everything else. When I saw that Sidney Lumet directed the movie, I said “of course this film would be good and it would have something important to say.” I already said Lumet was on top of the themes and he made the film very believable (for the most part). He was the director of classics like 12 Angry Men and Dog Day Afternoon. Lumet did a wonderful job creating instant classic after instant classic.

One incredible part of the movie which stood out to me is the screenplay. The film was written by Paddy Chayefsky and it was one of the four Oscar wins the film earned. He really understood the news business and he once said a quote which provided an inspiration for the movie, I believe. He said, “Television would do anything for a rating…..anything.” Unfortunately, that holds true today. If a critically-acclaimed show gets poor ratings, it will probably get canceled despite the strong reviews. It was more or less the same in the 1970’s, but more with the news. Chayefsky also brought across a point saying that you can do anything or say anything  you want on television, but if you threaten the profits of the networks they will end you. This was a very good inspired screenplay that set up the base for the movie.

So let’s discuss what this film is about. In the 1970’s, extreme violence headed by terrorists were the source of the nightly news. Meanwhile, the corporate structure of the UBS Television Network was in the midst of a drastic change. Howard Beale (Peter Finch) is an aging news anchor who has poor ratings and the network decides to fire him. Beale reacts by saying on-air that he will commit suicide. That causes his ratings to skyrocket to high levels and he is changed as he becomes a preacher of a sort. We see how this affects members of the corporate team such as Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) and Max Schumacher (William Holden).

As with most if not all films directed by Sidney Lumet, the performances are all great. I was wowed by Peter Finch’s portrayal of Howard Beale. He became some sort of a drunken preacher and my favorite scene is right after he said the famous quote from the opening of this review, he told his viewers to go to their windows and shout “we are not going to take it anymore!” There was a shot that had people shouting out their windows in the apartment buildings and I found that to be some comedic gold. Finch was fantastic and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. In fact, he died shortly after this film’s release and he was the first actor to receive a posthumous victory. Even though most people remember Finch as Howard Beale, this film is centered on the exploits of Diana Christensen whom is played marvelously by Faye Dunaway who was previously in 1974’s Chinatown. This film had more focus on women, which I love to see from a 70’s film. She would do anything for ratings- even if it means meeting up with terrorists. (that scene featuring her and the terrorists in a meeting was weak, however). William Holden continues his long Hollywood career in this film as the elder executive who is mesmerized by Diana despite her ruining his news division and begins an affair with her. He was very convincing. Also convincing was the portrayal of Max’s wife, Louise whom was played by Beatrice Straight. She won an Oscar for Supporting Actress despite getting only five minutes of screentime. But she delivered a heart-wrenching, emotional speech to her husband after she found about the affair and because of that speech, I believe she earned her Oscar statue. In addition to getting caliber talent for the leads, Lumet stacked up his supporting cast very well. He was able to get the likes of Robert Duvall and Ned Beatty to make very convincing cameos.

I enjoyed Network to a large degree. It was a sensation when released it 1976 because it earned ten Oscar nominations. In terms of the themes, it holds up incredibly strong. In terms of production design and cinematography, well you can tell the movie is forty years old. What stood out to me is Paddy Chayefsky’s classic screenplay, Sidney Lumet’s fluid directing, wonderful acting performances across the board, and the messages that are very influential today. Despite the antics of Howard Beale, this film is women-focused and I love that. But also see this movie for Peter Finch’s incredible performance. This movie is angry at television and will forever be. After all, networks only care for their ratings not the content. Instead of delivering news and heart-warming stories, news are all about terrorists and violence. Nothing much has changed in that regard since 1976. While not the best movie of 1976, it is worth the watch.

My Grade: A-

Here is a good trivia question to ask. That question is, “What was the first sports movie to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars?” The movie with that special honor is 1976’s Rocky. This movie is an American classic and it’s widely known to be one of the most influential sports movies of all time. This movie spawned many sequels and a spin-off movie. The character of Rocky Balboa remains to this day a heavy cultural presence. In fact, if you travel to the Philadelphia Art Museum, you’ll be able to see a statue of Rocky at those famed steps. There is nothing special about the story itself. It’s a by-the-numbers underdog story, but it’s the underlying themes that make this movie so special. The themes of heroism and being the underdog really elevated this movie.

The making of this movie is part of that underdog theme, and it took a very long time for this movie to make it to the big screen. Sylvester Stallone wrote the screenplay and it was widely acclaimed in the movie industry. The studios felt it could have been a star vehicles for the likes of Robert Redford. But Stallone only wanted the movie to happen if he can act in the movie as the lead role. The studio executives thought that wouldn’t work because of his lack of acting experience. But with a very low budget, MGM/United Artists was able to get the movie made with Stallone in the lead role. This is an example of those classic underdog stories that I love to see.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)  nicknamed “The Italian Stallion” is a boxer who is struggling to make the big-time. He earns some money by collecting debts for a debt collector. He gets his lucky break when heavyweight boxing star Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) arrives in Philadelphia to set up a match for show. In order for “nobody” to become a “somebody.” Apollo Creed chooses Rocky Balboa because of his nickname. Of course, Apollo believes he will win. But with the help of his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) and his oft-quiet girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire), Rocky seizes this opportunity to leave his struggles and bring a name to himself.

The film is an American classic in part due to its iconic performances. Sylvester Stallone wasn’t a name before this movie, so that makes it even more amazing the success of this movie. I previously seen him in 1971’s Bananas as one of the hoodlums on the subway. But here, with his heavy physical presence and his instant recognizable voice, he brings himself into the public spotlight and forever, Stallone will be known as Rocky Balboa. Stallone drew inspiration from the likes of Joe Frazier and Mohammad Ali. He created such a tender performance in my eyes. He may act tough in the ring, but he had such a good heart otherwise. A classic example is where he would visit the very shy Adrian in her pet store job just to visit her. Speaking of Adrian, Talia Shire delivered a good performance as Adrian. Her character is vastly different than her Connie Corleone character from The Godfather and I appreciate that. Carl Weathers does a great job as Apollo Creed. The look on his face when he realized Rocky was trying to beat him was just a priceless look. Burt Young, who portrays Adrian’s brother Paulie, also does a solid job. He was a very abusive brother and the scene where he destroys the house with a baseball bat because he was not pleased with Adrian, added more drama to the movie and it showed the kind of man Paulie is. Last but not least, I must mention Burgess Meredith in his incredibly powerful performance as Mickey. Meredith was cast against type and despite being an old man, he helped Rocky get into the ring against Apollo Creed.

The movie has many iconic scenes to it. There is the training scene where Rocky is punching the meat carcasses. I loved that scene, but here’s another trivia. That scene was actually influenced by the training of Joe Frazier. Then who can forget about the iconic scene of running up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum and punching the air to the tune of Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now.” I loved that scene and I loved that music-both which remain cultural influences to this day. It’s just worth watching Rocky just to see these awesome training scenes.

Overall, I enjoyed watching Rocky very much. Admittedly, I am not much of a boxing fan. However, I was able to get engaged in the movie because it’s not just a story about boxing. It’s story about being a underdog, a true American hero. The story itself is a simple story and nothing that hasn’t been seen before, but it does draw you in and it keeps you engaged. I enjoyed the underdog aspect of the film. To see Sly from collecting money to facing the heavyweight champion, a feat that most people can only dream of. If you watch this movie, you can see why this film remains such an inspiration for many-especially athletes. Keep an eye on the performance by Stallone. A very incredible performance. One that was so good, that Roger Ebert compared him to Marlon Brando. The film lacks originality, but it makes up for it in everything else. John G. Avildsen directed a wonderful engaging sports film and one that will live on and on.

My Grade: A-

Let me tell you readers something about newspaper movies. They are generally about the excitement of the events that is occurring, but seldom do these kind of movies allow the audience to know that the majority of retrieving information is dull and tedious. In 1976’s All the President’s Men, that is exactly what it’s all about. This is a newspaper movie that takes you through the finer points of the newspaper business accurately as possible with very little action and mostly dialogue. I see that as a good thing……and a bad thing. See, there are some movies that should be accurate as possible and this is one of them. This movie is about how the Washington Post uncovered the Watergate Scandal and accuracy is about the best you’ll see in any film. But does that sacrifice the entertainment value of the movie? It depends on the moviegoer you are. If you like movie with lots of exposition, then you’ll have no problem. I think it also depends on your historical knowledge of the film and the more you know, the more interesting it can be. That being said, the movie has a reputation of being one of 1976’s finest films. I may not think so, although I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The story lends some historical value and it can grow tense at times. This film needs strong acting and it received excellent performances from everyone down to the last man. We can also credit the director for the relative success of the movie. William Goldman’s screenplay is all dialogue, and director Alan J. Pakula was able to take those words and bring them onscreen while keeping the movie’s tempo at a fast pace and getting performances out of all his actors.

So to understand this movie means you need to understand what led up to the infamous Watergate Scandal. That is essentially the plot of the movie. Heading up to the 1972 presidential elections, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford)-a reporter for the Washington Post, uncovers what seems to be a minor break-in at the Democratic Party National Headquarters. He grows suspicious when he sees that top defense lawyers are on the case already. The editor of the Post, Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards) wants to run the story and he assigns Woodward and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) to do so. As they uncover more information, they see how high up the Republican Party is involved in this cover up.

Another reason why this movie worked is because of the charm and pedigree of the cast. The movie is given an unusually stacked cast given the time period of the film. What I really liked about this cast is how they become so immersed in their roles. I wasn’t watching Robert Redford or Dustin Hoffman, but instead I was watching Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. They truly became reporters onscreen, and that is the mark of a good actor. To become the person the actors are playing. Redford and Hoffman were outstanding and they show great chemistry with each other. Let’s not forget about the smaller characters though. Jason Robards did an excellent job as the executive editor Ben Bradlee who always shown support in his reporters even if things went south. Martin Balsam does a solid job as the managing editor, Howard Simons. Then we have Jane Alexander as the woman who provided the men with their best leads. Last but not least, we have the great Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat, the mysterious source of the men. Everyone was able to take the words from William Goldman’s screenplay and make it their own words, which it’s very hard to do in the movies.

On the whole, All The President’s Men is a fine movie. Although I feel this could have been an instant classic that could have been destined for greatness. In some eyes, it is. Given its long length, this film could have been overly dull and tedious, but the cast, Pakula’s incredible direction, and a really interesting story were able to make this a taut, entertaining thriller. We get to learn about the journalistic process given that its repeated in several cycles, which can grow tiresome at some point. I liked this movie enough to give this movie a recommend, especially if you’re interested in seeing how the Watergate Scandal came to be with the utmost historical accuracy. Also this movie is just a good vehicle for the starpower of Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.

My Grade: B

Taxi Driver is truly the movie where director Martin Scorsese really comes into his own. 1973’s Mean Streets did not really connect with me as it did with other people and 1974’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was a very entertaining road trip movie but it’s not a classic. Now Taxi Driver is absolutely the definition of an instant classic. This film, about a loner with borderline homicidal tendencies, was well-received upon release and to this day, the movie holds up incredibly strong. There are many themes that can be applied to the film which we will get more into later, so this film is one of those rare ones that will challenge you to think; to make your own personal opinions about what is occurring onscreen. Paul Schrader’s screenplay is well-written and his words are easily brought onto screen with such effectiveness. Then again, I also think Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro helped bring those words to life.

So the film focuses basically on one main character. His name is Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) and you might recognize the name because how iconic this character is. Anyhow, Travis Bickle is a Vietnam War veteran suffering from bouts of insomnia. He spends his days in porn movie theaters and his nights driving a taxi around New York City. Essentially, Travis is a man who is socially inadequate and he often thinks about what is wrong with the world-particularly in New York. He generally despises people, but he has a soft spot for Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) who works for the office of Senator Charles Palantine, whom he later wants to assassinate. Also important to Travis is helping an eleven-year-old runaway prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster) whom Travis wants to protect from her pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel).

So who is Travis Bickle and what does he stand for? I ask this because this movie is all about him and it is effective it getting the audience to sympathize for this character despite possessing qualities of a bad human being. We are told he is a veteran from Vietnam and that he was psychologically affected from the experience overseas. His voiceover in the beginning of the film suggests very strong opinions about people of NYC. As he cruises down the city streets, he talks about the filth of the city. The pimps, the prostitutes, the robbers, etc. He mentions if he had his own way, he would clean up these streets. We also learn that Travis is a man with a quick temper and a violent edge to him. I loved how he pretended to know everything about the political candidate, Senator Palantine just so he can get the girl. My favorite scene (or one of my favorites) is when he drives the Senator himself in a taxi pretending he knows all about his campaign. And I wont do spoilers, but there is a certain connection between Palpatine and the mohawk on Travis’s head.

This is a film that requires powerful performances if you want to make this a good movie. But with Scorsese at the helm, everyone performs amazingly. Of course, Robert De Niro did an astounding job in making Travis Bickle his own. He performed the character with ease, though this must have been tough on the actor. But I truly believed this character as a loner who is violent and has very strong beliefs. I loved the rapport he had with the young Jodie Foster. Foster began acting at such an early age, and you can see how skilled she is when she holds her own against De Niro and both have strong chemistry with each other. The rest of the cast is rounded by the likes of Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Cybill Shepherd (who is a joy to watch as Betsy).

I must say the cinematography and the score are standouts of the film. Michael Chapman filmed mostly at night and the picture has a gritty, real-time feel to it. The score was created by Bernard Herrmann, and this would be his last score before his passing. What a way to end a storied film career! His score yearns for the loneliness of Bickle’s heart. The saxophone is synonymous with the empty shell that is Travis Bickle. It’s a powerful, though often haunting score.

The film does not go without its controversies. The ending was deemed way too violent and Scorsese actually had to de-saturate the color to get an R rating. Though I believe it plays an essential role of the film, I agree the film (especially the ending) is very, very violent. Essentially, the end has Travis going on a murderous rampage against Sport so he could return young Iris to her family. The film is also home to a political assassination, which was set up very well. Though this is a characterization piece, expects lots of violence and blood. In fact, The attempted murderer of Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley Jr. based his assassination attempt off the events in this movie.

Taxi Driver, admittedly can be a hard film to watch. Though an iconic character, Travis Bickle is not a pleasant man. But one cannot help but root for him. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and I found some interesting interpretations of this character. There are religious and social interpretations. He can be described as “an avenging angel,” and I can see that point very well. I loved how Scorsese kept the movie ending up to grabs. In other words, each person may have a different interpretation on what happens in the end. The film wouldn’t have worked unless it got excellent acting and powerful directing. And that is what we get. Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro pulled off a cinematic gem. Although you might get a little depressed watching at times. Don’t say I did not warn you.

My Grade: A-

Stanley Kubrick has returned after his 1971’s controversial success A Clockwork Orange with his tonally different 1975 feature, Barry Lyndon. His last feature was a movie that was ultra violent and about a totalitarianism society. This movie is different by a wide margin. It has more of a historical value because it takes place in England during the Seven Years’ War and we get a sense of English society at the time. It is also based off the works of famed nineteenth century writer William Makepeace Thackeray. This film also has a lovely atmospheric air to it. Kubrick, as usual, masterfully write this feature. You could tell that this is his pet project. However, the movie does clock in at over three hours and with the lack of action, there can be a dull moment or two to be had. After all, I feel the aristocratic world can get somewhat boring at times. That being said, we have Kubrick on the top of his game as he created a valued historical narrative that remains mostly interesting and our eyes are able to feast on perfect costuming and successful camera experimenting. Essentially, Kubrick and cinematographer John Alcott shot the film without the use of electrical light, and that is why the look of the film seemed a bit odd compared to other films.

Narratively, I felt the first hour of the film was the strongest. I found the last two hours enjoyable, but it would be very hard to top the perfect narrative of the first hour. During theS 1700’s in Ireland, Redmond Barry (Ryan O’Neal) is a man who is in love with his cousin, Nora. After Nora gets engaged to the British Captain John Quinn, Barry challenges him to a duel. He wins the duel and he escapes to Dublin, but he gets robbed. Left with no choice, Barry joins the British Army to fight in the Seven Years’ War. He decides to desert the army, and he eventually gets forced to join the Prussian Army where he becomes the protégé of Chevalier de Balibari (Patrick Magee). He soon marries the Lady Lyndon (Marisa Berenson) , but downfall is the near future as Barry’s obsession with nobility will become the downfall of his family and fortune.

As Stanley Kubrick is wont to do, he developed a cast that not many people may be familiar with. But because Kubrick always know what he is doing, the cast somehow works out well. The biggest name here is Ryan O’Neal and he is not even that much of a household name. He opened eyes with his role in The Love Story, so that is why people may recognize him. I thought he did a really good job. I was invested in his character throughout the entire film. His character could have worked as a completely serious character (and there are some very serious dramatic moments), but I love how he interjected some humor into his role. I also enjoyed Patrick Magee’s performance. Magee is best known for his work in A Clockwork Orange as the writer who gets robbed, and I thought his performance here was a really enjoyable one.

I love Kubrick’s taste of music in his films. Of course everyone knows about the famous music he used in 2001: A Space Odyssey and to an extent in A Clockwork Orange. So we know he has a passion for classical music based on his previous work. So it should come to no surprise he uses composers like Bach and Mozart to enhance his movie. A very good score which makes this movie even the more enjoyable.

Overall, Barry Lyndon is another fine piece of filmmaking from the legendary director Stanley Kubrick. It’s a bit strange because upon release in 1975, the film actually didn’t do too well critically and financially. People called it a disappointment because it was a completely different movie than expected and wondered why he would make a period piece that has plenty of English tax lingo and people cheating on each other. The movie may not have been a financial success, but the critical steam has built up over time and nowadays, people rank the movie as one of Kubrick’s best. It is not the perfect masterpiece as his previous films, but its still an enjoyable costume drama that tends to be a little stuffy and overlong. However, it has an excellent first half of the film plus the movie makes good use of music, costumes, set design, and everything regarding the beautiful visuals.

My Grade: A-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzNk3tjGwt8

I will say this upfront. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is my favorite film of 1975 and is in my personal top ten films of all time. It’s an American classic that was beloved upon release and forty years later, it still holds up well in terms of relevance and quality filmmaking. There is just so much to love about the movie. Just watching Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher go head to head is a delight to watch. Those two actors, whom won Academy Awards for their performances, make this movie into what it is. They are very special performances. People call this movie a comedy, but I’m not sure if you can call it one. There are comedic elements definitely, but this is more of a drama. A drama about losing everything for the benefit of others. Thanks to exquisite direction by Milos Forman and a array of performances from a diverse cast, this movie is one that is necessary to check out. Like right now.

J.R McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) has a storied criminal past. He has been in prison countless number of times. After his latest crime, he is back in trouble with the law. But in order to escape prison, McMurphy pleads insanity and he is sent to a mental hospital. In the hands of the wretched Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), he witnesses abuse and degradation towards himself and the other wards. In true 70’s spirit, McMurphy rallies up the other inmates in order to stand up against the wicked Nurse Ratched.

This film is all about the performances and characterization. Without these essential elements, this film would be half the film it currently is. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched are two iconic characters that will live forever in movie lore. McMurphy because of his unique rebellious character who seems like an ass on the outside, but somehow becomes close pals with the majority of the inmates. Then we have the Nurse Ratched. She is not evil in the sense one would think of evil. She manipulates people and uses the flaws of her patients to gain power. Her motives are generally clear to the audience, but she uses such a deceptively calm voice which irritates her patients. There is one powerful scene where McMurphy wanted to watch the World Series, but she uses an unfair voting system to make it clear he cannot do what he wants. In a sense, Ratched makes the perfect dominatrix with her calm demeanor, fishy motives, and that shiny nurses uniform. We also have a variety of important supporting characters. There is Chief Bromden, an intimidating Native American who lives in a shell by “being” mute and deaf, but he becomes a pivotal character for McMurphy. Then he have the likes of Billy Bibbit, a young man wanting sex for the first time (and has all the support of his mates), and Traber and Martini whom are more important inmates.

The performances are wonderful. Everyone plays off each other incredibly well. The chemistry between Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher was nothing short of brilliant. Jack Nicholson showed how talented he was in 1974’s Chinatown, but here he really shines and does more than enough to win his Academy Award statue. Louise Fletcher held a commanding screen presence by being psychologically evil. She just may be one of the more memorable screen villains of all time. Up there with the likes of Darth Vader or Jaws. The rest of the supporting cast did a fine job. We get great performances from many actors who would go on to have respectable careers such as Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, and Brad Dourif. Will Sampson was the man who portrayed Chief. I loved his character and how meaningful he was to the story. What he had to do for his pal McMurphy was an emotionally powerful scene which added greatness to the movie.

One interesting thing to point out is the score of the movie. Scores are used to evoke emotion out of the audience and I think Jack Nitzche’s music added something new and original. Apparently he composed the score with the aid of a eerie-sounding saw and some wine glasses. When you hear the score, you’ll know what I mean. I didn’t like it too much upon my first viewing, but it grew on me and I fell in love with it upon my second viewing.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a beautiful, beautiful film. This is a genuine American masterpiece and it features Jack Nicholson at his finest. His character embodies the stigma of loyalty, rebellion, and freedom. He wants to rid himself of evil, and in the process makes many friends. He endures everything from useless medication to shock therapy, but in the end his loyalty to others is what wins. McMurphy is the symbol of goodness. Nurse Ratched, on the other hand, is one of the greatest villains of all time. A mild complaint is how the film treats the women in the film. Not very well (outside of two girls used to give Bibbit the night of his life), but it works well with the plot. This film is expertly-written, masterfully-directed, and the performances are all genuine. Nominated for 9 Oscars, this is just an amazing piece of art.

My Grade: A+

I have a confession to make. As I was watching Dog Day Afternoon for this review, I realized my DVD copy was scratched and it would not play the last half of the movie. But luckily, I have seen this movie before and I am fortunate enough to remember how the movie ended. Both times I watched the film, I enjoyed it very much. Given the talent behind and in front of the camera, that comes to me as no surprise. Sidney Lumet is a very talented director who directed incredible films such as 12 Angry Men and Serpico. Lumet reunites with his Serpico star Al Pacino to create a very fine portrayal of a real-life story about a Brooklyn bank robbery. The film is more subtle and quiet when compared to other Lumet films, but the film has an unexpected lighter tone. The film has some funny lines and I was surprised how much I laughed given the subject matter, but then I realized Lumet was not trying to make a serious film. The thematic issue of gay marriage gave the movie a political edge which also surprised me. I was expecting a straightforward movie about a bank robbery, but I got something more in-depth. There is motivation behind what the characters do and that caused me to sympathize with them, despite robbing a bank and holding people hostage. You may have figured by now, but I really enjoyed this film very much.

Believe it or not, but this story is based off real events which occurred at the Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn, New York in 1972. The bank was held up by this gay man named Sonny (Al Pacino) and his dim-witted crime partner Sal (John Cazale) in order to get money to pay for Sonny’s partner sex change operation. The manager and tellers agree to cooperate with Sonny, but things go south when Sonny realizes there is not anything to steal because the money has been packed up for the day. When Sonny gets in contact with Police Captain Moretti (Charles Durning), he gets nervous when he realizes the entire bank is surrounded by cops. Now he must negotiate a way to get what he wants without compromising the safety of everyone in the bank.

Al Pacino is one of my favorite actors of all-time. He commits to every single role of his, even if the movie stinks. Obviously, this is not a stinker but it is impressive to see Pacino so committed to this role. I loved his performances in the two Godfather movies and Serpico. So it comes to no surprise I am impressed with this performance. This time around he brings an edge of comedy to his performance and it works spectacularly. The scene where he is being live broadcasted and he skips around in happiness telling people he’s a star, that was a wonderful but funny scene. John Cazale does a fine job as Sal. I felt Sal’s character goes hand-in-hand with John’s character in The Godfather, but regardless it was still a fine performance. Charles Durning plays it tough as the NYPD captain as he should because it easily fits his persona. Finally, Chris Sarandon as Sonny’s lover Leon does a fine job in his small role-a role that got him nominated for an Oscar.

I thought it was interesting about the political angle given to this movie. Gay marriage would not be a major political issues until many years after the release of this film, but it was interesting to see the viewpoint of the movie given how gay marriage was frowned upon during this era. The movie played the sympathy cards for Sonny and Leon and it gave a motivation for Sonny’s actions. The movie does not revile Sonny, but instead it makes him a deeply-flawed character.

Overall, Dog Day Afternoon is a excellent movie. It has committed performances by everyone, especially by Pacino. Sadly, Pacino still did not receive an Oscar up to this point despite being nominated for every movie he was in until 1975 including this one. Sidney Lumet continues to bring his style into all of his films. I love Lumet because like auteurs like Scorsese and Allen, many of his films are about New York. Each individual brings something to their films about the great city of New York and they make these films even more interesting to watch. I like the way Lumet turned the film from just an ordinary crime film to a film that is intelligent, creative, and still fun to watch. This is another impressive film on the resume for Sidney Lumet and Al Pacino.

My Grade: A

Jaws is one of cinema’s most influential movies of all time. This film did wonders for the movie industry. It brought about the advent of the summer movie season, it paved the future for blockbusters, it skyrocketed the career of a genius director in the form of Steven Spielberg, and of course this happens to be a damn good thriller. It is one of my favorite all-time movies and despite seeing this film multiple times, I always find watching the movie to be a wondrous experience.

Steven Spielberg is considered by many to be one of best movie directors of all-time, and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Time after time, he creates movies that exhibit joy, happiness, and the most of all-magic. Even his lesser films have a hint of magic to them. Each and every single thing the guy makes is pure art. 1975’s Jaws is just the beginning of his storied career. Now the production of the movie was often troubled, but the result was incredible. Spielberg often recalls that he thought he would never make a movie again because of his not-so-secret production issues. The film was over-budget, the screenplay was being written simultaneously with filming, the cast and crew were becoming tired and worn out, the mechanical shark they were using kept on breaking, and Spielberg was just a director whose lack of experience and his heavy ego made things even more complicated. But luckily, Spielberg persevered in creating a very fun, terror-inducing movie.

So obviously we know the film is about sharks. But lets take a closer look at the plot. After a fatal attack by a shark off the coast of popular summer resort Amity Island, police chief Marcus Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close down the resort. But the mayor of the town, Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) doesn’t want to close down the resort because it will hurt business. But after another attack, Vaughn decides to rethink things. With the help of a scientist from the Oceanographic institute Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and a seasoned World War Two sailor Quint (Robert Shaw), Brody goes after the huge great white shark that has been terrorizing the denizens of Amity Island.

The film has a wonderful cast-typical of a Spielberg film. They all bring their A games in the movie especially the three leads. Roy Scheider does a good job as Police Chief Brody who unsuccessfully alerts everyone of the danger lurking in the water. I liked Richard Dreyfuss’s portrayal of Hooper. Hooper has intense knowledge about sharks and I liked that performance very much. I also have to give it to Robert Shaw for his wonderful performance. He created his own monologue about how he and his crew was stranded in shark-infested waters during the war and he was one of the few survivors. That monologue was very well-done because it gave me a good case of the creeps. Murray Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn was solid, but it’s essentially Hamilton playing a role he always does.

I liked the transformation this movie witnessed. Based off the wildly popular novel by Peter Benchley, this film was originally conceived as a straight-up horror picture reminiscent of a Ray Harryhausen picture. But as luck would have it with the mechanical shark not working well, this movie turned into something Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of. They would show very little of the shark-maybe a dorsal fin here or there. By keeping the shark under the table for most of the film, the audience is shocked when the big reveal occurs. The final half hour when the crew is out in the waters hunting and fighting the shark, that was a very fun and intense time. But I loved the set-up. We see these attacks but we don’t see the shark. We know the shark is there thanks to the fantastic underwater cinematography by Bill Butler and of course the insanely popular score by John Williams. One of the best scores of all time. That opening sequence for the first attack is a scene that was well-done and it immediately set the tone of the movie. This movie is terrifying at times and it might make you not go into the water for months. Beware if you want to show this to any young children. Don’t let the PG rating fool you because there is lots of carnage and scary moments.

As I mentioned in the opening, this movie changed the movie business. Upon becoming the biggest movie of all-time in 1975, it set standards for the future. Good movies were primarily released in the winter time and bad movies in the summer. That trend began to change with this film being released in June. Also, it changed how movies were released. Usually films did not get wide openings unless they were crap. However, this film earned a wide release and it became a factor in future wide releases. Jaws is often accredited to the fact why our current summer blockbuster season is the way it is. Good job, Jaws!

Overall, Jaws is an influential movie that spawned three sequels and a special place in everyone’s heart. I found it to be a very entertaining and fun shark thriller that never gets old. The shark itself may be questionable at times, but considering what happened during shooting, I’m very happy the way the shark turned out to be. I thought the screenplay would be a weak spot, but it was actually well-written and rather straightforward. The acting was fantastic, and the direction was fluid despite the production issues. Spielberg began his esteemed career here with the record-breaking box office and the popularity that still persists today. I loved the terror and the tension the film inspires mainly due to the Hitchcock inspiration and the menacing, terror-provoking score by John Williams. As soon as you hear the first notes from the tuba, you will immediately connect it with Jaws. This movie is a straightforward, old-fashioned thriller and if you are one of those rare souls who haven’t seen this picture, please do.

“We are going to need a bigger boat.” –Marcus Brody

My Grade: A

Director Robert Altman impressed me with this two earlier directorial efforts M.A.S.H and McCabe and Mrs. Miller, but I believe he really comes into his own with 1975’s Nashville. The way he directed his movie and the way he made it a very intelligent movie with many important themes but can be understood by the general public is just outstanding. However, if you don’t keep up with the movie, you can be sure to get lost in the overload of information Altman throws at you. On paper, the film may seem like a mess but it’s really not. The film really does not have an overall plot, but it has interwoven segments that are related with each other and I’ll discuss a little bit later on. This film is full of unique performances from an unusually large cast. It’s not unusual that there are many characters, but how many major characters there are. There are approximately 25 major speaking roles, and that has to be some sort of record. But all the performances are wonderful and unique and you feel for each character in the country music setting of Nashville.

So what exactly is this film about? Well, that’s really hard to pinpoint as there is no one big linear plotline. It is essentially about a group of people living life in Nashville during a political-happy time (kind of reminds me of the current 2016 political race). But let’s break down the plot into the little segments. We have Barbara Jean (Ronee Blackley) who is the current reigning country queen of Nashville, but health problems is causing her to fall apart and she also later becomes a symbol for political assassination. Then we have Delbert (Ned Beatty) and Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin) who live a rather sad life because of a failing marriage and trying to take care of two deaf children. Delbert is involved in a politics as he is trying to bring politics and country music together. Then we have a British journalist named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin) who decides to get into the thick of events within the Nashville scene. As the famed movie critic Roger Ebert paraphrases what this movie is about, it’s many things. A musical, a docudrama about life in Nashville, a political story that was influenced by events like the Watergate scandal, and it is also a satire about country music.

With such a large ensemble, I was surprised how much Altman was able to get from all of his characters. They were superbly written and the performances were genuine. Many of the characters do their own singing, and you can tell they are not professional singers. While the voices may not be the best ones ever, I loved the raw, edgy sound with added to the realism of the performances. The film is not composed of big stars (at the time or even by today’s standards), but they often hit the spot. I loved Ronee Blackley’s performance as the country queen, Barbara Jean. Her singing is decent, but she brings a sensitive side to her character and she is involved in a big political showdown at the end of the movie. She reminds me of a similar real-life country singer, Loretta Lynn. Lily Tomlin delivered one heck of a impressive performance as the mother of two deaf children. I relate to her character because I suffer from partial deafness myself and I understand her pains. She brings such vulnerability to her character. Ned Beatty does a good job in playing the asshole husband who doesn’t care about his family but only about his job. We have very early performances from future stars from the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, and Keith Carradine (who was impressive as a rock singer). Henry Gibson does a solid job as another famous country star named Haven Hamilton (and did have a good voice).

So there were many aspects to the plot I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed the rather brutal satire on country music which gathered criticism from people within this industry. But my favorite was the political aspect of the movie. Maybe its because history and politics go hand in hand or maybe we are living in a political-happy environment at current time, but I feel like the politics aspect hold up strongly. I like the random scenes where we have this political party in support of a candidate named Hal Philip Walker whom we never meet, but his presence is always known. His politics and the country stars end up clashing in the end for a very powerful ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed Nashville. I don’t think it’s good of a masterpiece of Altman’s earlier McCabe and Mrs. Miller but this is his more mainstream effort. But use that word “mainstream” lightly because Altman brings his complicated style of directing to this movie. His use of the actors and his political and social commentary is widely shown throughout the film. As I say for most of Altman’s films, they are not for everyone. This film has excellent performances from everyone with my favorite performance coming from Lily Tomlin. There is an hour of music recorded for the film and despite the inexperience of the singers, the music mostly works with the film. Nominated for 5 Oscars and a 9 Golden Globes (a record that still holds today), Nashville is a solid work of filmmaking.

My Grade: A-

“I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart.”

Ah, those infamous words spoken in The Godfather Part II by Michael Corleone and those words essentially define the route this sequel took. Mike is the head of his family, but he is broken, angry man and no one can escape his wrath, not even his poor older brother. This film is a film that  laments for loss and is full of bitter emotions…….but this is also arguably one of the greatest sequels of all time to one of the greatest films of all time. This is one of favorite all-time films, and I wouldn’t hesitate to call it better than the first movie. This movie excels at everything, especially when it comes to storytelling. and the devolution of Michael Corleone’s humanity and morality. The film invokes emotion from us for many reasons from the sad but powerful score by Nino Rota, to the powerhouse acting from everyone in the cast especially from Al Pacino, a story that introduces the past effectively, a very shocking ending, tight editing, powerhouse directing by Francis Ford Coppola, and the list goes on and on. Sequels were not a commodity back in the day, and this sequel to the huge 1972 film The Godfather is one of the first of its kind. The success of this film is why today’s movie business relies upon sequels to make money. Regardless, this is one of the greatest films of all time.

This film continues the saga of the Corleone family as we continue from the events of the first film. Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) is trying to expand the family’s business into places like Hollywood and Cuba. His character takes a dive as he clashes with his brother Fredo (John Cazale), his lawyer Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), his wife Kay (Diane Keaton), and his sister Connie (Talia Shire). He is suspicious of his business associates activities such as folks like Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) and Frankie Pentangeli (Michael Gazzo). But this film incorporates another story into this story: the past. We meet Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) when he was growing up in Sicily and emigrates to New York City where be becomes connected with the mob life.

I loved how the story is told thanks to the masterful storytelling by screenwriter Mario Puzo and director Coppola. They successfully tell two stories over the course of the movie without any trouble. Each story complements each other very well. The continuing saga of the present day family remains a high point. Of course the central character is Michael Corleone. The first film he was a man reluctant to take over the family business, but now he is turning into a control monster who trusts no one, not even his inner circle. It’s a sad thing to watch as his morality crumbles and the final scene-one of cinema’s most famous scenes, makes the case to show why Michael Corleone turns into a monster.

I enjoyed the flashback sequences featuring young Vito. De Niro absolutely nails his role as Vito and he inherits the older Vito’s mannerisms very well. It was fun to see how Vito turned into the man we knew him from the first film. The scenes in Sicily, where he is connected with a local mob boss is very powerful because Vito’s mother was shot down. But that event helped turn Vito into the kind of man he was and to my happiness, Vito exacted the perfect kind of revenge. These scenes in Sicily and New York are beautifully shot and they really understood what New York was supposed to be in 1910.

This is a film full of performances, all of them wonderful. Pacino excels as Michael Corleone once again. I really wish he won an Oscar for this role because he deserved it. His performance was effectively scary. Robert De Niro was absolutely amazing as the younger Vito and his role showed the kind of versatility this man has. Diane Keaton was effective as Kay. This film has Kay standing up to his man as she eventually leaves his side. Duvall is always great as Tom Hagen. John Cazale has a bigger part in the second film, as he tries to do what’s best but simply does not have the brains and ultimately pays the price. His performance was a powerful one. Then we have the likes of the little known actors who gave an impression like Lee Strasberg who played the business partner Hyman Roth who wants Michael killed and Michael Gazzo who plays Frankie, a relative and associate of Michael’s.

There are some interesting things I have noticed. Just like the first film, this film has a big party sequence in the opening. Michael is seen in the office talking about business. This is a great homage to the first film. I liked how the film incorporated real history in its events. The beginning of the film has young Vito at Ellis Island, a major immigration center for potential Americans and being denied entry at first due to sickness. Then, this film also uses the Cuban Revolution for a story arc. Fidel Castro actually takes Cuba while Michael was there.

The Godfather Part II is one of the greatest films of all time. The Godfather is an amazing film, but this one may just be a tad better. That is a rarity because 1.) Just look at the quality of the first film and 2.) sequels are rarely better than the original film. Speaking of sequels, this is the only sequel to this day that has won Best Picture at the Academy Award. Indeed, it’s a very amazing feat. Although to be taken with a grain of salt, but on the website IMDB, this movie is ranked #2 of all-time. That goes to show the commercial value of the movie. I loved this movie for many reasons. From Al Pacino’s wonderful performance to the chill-inducing score by Nino Rota. There was also a flashback sequence that harkens back to the first movie as it brings back James Caan although Marlon Brando declined because he felt underappreciated. Anyhow, Coppola does an amazing job with the first two movies in the series. That end shot……just wow.

My Grade: A+