1970s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 3)

[tojoed]

The Silent Partner: Daryl Duke's The Silent Partner is as tight of a psychological thriller as was ever made. Eliot Gould stars a bank employee who accidentally uncovers a plot to rob his branch. In anticipation of this, Gould's character steals $50,000 of his own that day figuring that it will go unnoticed in the larger theft. So it does, until the thief, played by the wonderful Christopher Plummer, figures out what happened and decides that he's due a share of the money. There's nary of unnecessary scene or piece of dialogue in Curtis Hanson's script. Gould's attempts to outwit his adversary are met with shocking violence by Plummer and culminate a truly unforgettable ending.

Thanks for highlighting this wonderful film, Brian. Elliot Gould gives the sort of performance he usually reserves for Robert Altman only, and, indeed, there's a nod to The Long Goodbye when he says, "If it's okay with Julie, it's okay with me". Plummer too has never been better.
It'll be in the top half of my list.
I thought I'd mention that the DVD actually has genuine English subtitles, rather than the advertised closed captions. So if you are in Europe and require English subs snap it up.

[bamwc2]

Viewing Log:

Immoral Women (Walerian Borowczyk, 1979): The second of two triptychs made by Borowczyk this
decade (the other being the OOP and too rich for my blood Immoral Tales), features three women who all

Spoiler

commit murder

by the end of their stories and is batting about .333 according to my count. The first and best of the three stories is long enough to be counted as a feature itself, and ranks amongst the best of Borowczyk's erotic work. The film stars Marina Pierro as a young and frequently nude model to Raphael as he is commissioned to work on erotica for the pope. The story is well crafted and often humorous. Very well done. However, the second and third stories do not work nearly as well. The second, infamous for its (thankfully) off-camera bunny bestiality scene, struck me as containing the worst of what Borowczyk's critics accuse him of: using shocking excess for no particular point whatsoever. The final segment has plenty to detest on its own since it concerns a woman who is abducted by a psychopathic sniper and forced to perform tasks for him around town. It features a brutal and gratuitous rape scene that ruined it for me. Oh, and the soft lighting used throughout and wall-to-wall nudity made the whole film feel like it was a Penthouse production. On the whole I'd recommend seeing the first segments. Fans of Borowczyk may find reason to stick around for the second two segments, but I didn't.

One Way Boogie Woogie (James Benning, 1977): As I've said here in the past, I've had some difficulty relating to experimental films. Benning's One Way Boogie Woogie worked better for me than others classified under this term. Told without a story (though, as I've been assured on it before, with a narrative), the film consists entirely of sixty shots each lasting exactly one minute. What is Benning trying to say? Does the film have a message? I cannot say. But, I can say that the director chose interesting compositions that held my attention, and that for some reason that I can't explain, I liked it.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Herbert Ross, 1976): For whatever reason, this Sherlock Holmes films has more than its fair share of detractors; there are some people out there that just hate it. After seeing it this morning for the first time, I can't figure it out myself, as the film struck me as an above average Holmes tale. As the film begins we're treated to the dark side of Holmes as Watson returns to his side after three years only to find the great detective overcome by a cocaine addiction. In a plan crafted with his brother Mycroft, the two trick Holmes into traveling to Vienna and into the arms of Sigmund Freud. Holmes receives treatment for his addiction, while Freud uses Holmes's detective skills to aid a patient in trouble. The cast is first rate, and the film is set up for a sequel which we unfortunately never received. The Marvel Team-Up nature of the pairing is slightly odd at first, but the two characters (one fictional, the other real) work off of each other so well that it's easily forgiven.

The Vampire Lovers (Roy Ward Baker, 1970): I'm not a big fan of the "lesbian vampire" genre of Jean Rollins and Jesse Franco, so I wasn't expecting much out of this film despite the love that it's gotten from some members of this forum. While given my proclivities, it was perhaps wise for me to doubt the film, it turned out to be head and shoulders above any of the other films in this genre. Never doubt Hammer, I suppose. The film chronicles the undead adventures of Carmilla Karnstein (played by the great Ingrid Pitt) whose taste for blood leads her into the arms of several young and innocent women as the friends and family of one of her intended victims slowly uncovers the truth. I think that it's the film's cool and mysterious style that makes the story work so well. There's nothing special about the script itself, but its execution is top notch.

[bamwc2]

The Silent Partner: Daryl Duke's The Silent Partner is as tight of a psychological thriller as was ever made. Eliot Gould stars a bank employee who accidentally uncovers a plot to rob his branch. In anticipation of this, Gould's character steals $50,000 of his own that day figuring that it will go unnoticed in the larger theft. So it does, until the thief, played by the wonderful Christopher Plummer, figures out what happened and decides that he's due a share of the money. There's nary of unnecessary scene or piece of dialogue in Curtis Hanson's script. Gould's attempts to outwit his adversary are met with shocking violence by Plummer and culminate a truly unforgettable ending.

Thanks for highlighting this wonderful film, Brian. Elliot Gould gives the sort of performance he usually reserves for Robert Altman only, and, indeed, there's a nod to The Long Goodbye when he says, "If it's okay with Julie, it's okay with me". Plummer too has never been better.
It'll be in the top half of my list.
I thought I'd mention that the DVD actually has genuine English subtitles, rather than the advertised closed captions. So if you are in Europe and require English subs snap it up.

Glad to hear it! It'll be on my list too.

[Mr Sausage]

The Vampire Lovers (Roy Ward Baker, 1970): I'm not a big fan of the "lesbian vampire" genre of Jean Rollins and Jesse Franco, so I wasn't expecting much out of this film despite the love that it's gotten from some members of this forum. While given my proclivities, it was perhaps wise for me to doubt the film, it turned out to be head and shoulders above any of the other films in this genre. Never doubt Hammer, I suppose. The film chronicles the undead adventures of Carmilla Karnstein (played by the great Ingrid Pitt) whose taste for blood leads her into the arms of several young and innocent women as the friends and family of one of her intended victims slowly uncovers the truth. I think that it's the film's cool and mysterious style that makes the story work so well. There's nothing special about the script itself, but its execution is top notch.

Glad you liked it, but feel free to doubt Hammer when it comes to the execrable first sequel, Lust for a Vampire. The second sequel,Twins of Evil, is excellent, however, with a superb turn from Peter Cushing as a puritan witch-burner who's twice as frightening as any of the vampires. Indeed, a lot of the film's interest is in the way the fantastical horrors come to seem inconsequential next to the terrors of actual history as represented by the Cushing character.

[thirtyframesasecond]

I'm watching the Anthology of Polish Experimental Animation that covers nearly 70 years worth of animated shorts, but has a huge focus on the 70s. First of all though, Zbigniew Rybczynski's 'New Book' will be a dead-cert inclusion into my list. It's a precursor to Mike Figgis' 'Time Code', with a simple sequence of events being displayed on nine separate, adjoning screens, all from different angles/points of view. It's stunning. I knew Rybczynski initially for his music videos ('Close To The Edit', 'Opportunities') but he really is one of the most innovative video artists of all time.

[domino harvey]

the Face With Two Left Feet (Neri Parenti 1979) Knowing the premise of this film has about the same level of novelty and entertainment as actually seeing it. A bunch of disco-loving young Italians realize their loser friend resembles John Travolta and engineer a plan to pass him off as the real thing so he can romance the hott DJ at the local discotheque (A place named, I shit you not, "John's Fever"). The guy playing Travolta ("John Travolto") really does look like Travolta, the DJ is played by an Italian porn star who later went on to offer Saddam Hussein sex in exchange for world peace, and the film is stuffed with wall-to-wall fake Bee Gees songs, which is kind of fun. However, the movie drags during all the "comic" escapades leading up to the premise, many of which are just gay jokes, and not even good gay jokes. The film's an interesting relic looking at the wide-reaching impact Saturday Night Fever had on the world, but it's no wonder this was the first and last example of Travoltasploitation!

[knives]

I'm sure Travolto gave the better performance though. Oy, after seeing the original today I have to rewatch Blow Out to remember how Travolta stayed a star. The movie is decent, but I think Travolta is too dumb to play an idiot.

[domino harvey]

The fake Travolta does do this thing in the big brawl at the end where he balls up his fists while doing the infamous cross-chest pointing hand move from SNF and punches out some baddies in the process, which is pretty clever I guess

[zedz]

I'm watching the Anthology of Polish Experimental Animation that covers nearly 70 years worth of animated shorts, but has a huge focus on the 70s. First of all though, Zbigniew Rybczynski's 'New Book' will be a dead-cert inclusion into my list. It's a precursor to Mike Figgis' 'Time Code', with a simple sequence of events being displayed on nine separate, adjoning screens, all from different angles/points of view. It's stunning. I knew Rybczynski initially for his music videos ('Close To The Edit', 'Opportunities') but he really is one of the most innovative video artists of all time.

That's almost certain to be on my list. It's even more remarkable when you find out that the fictional space described so obsessively in the film bears absolutely no resemblance to reality - even to the extent of the different screens being shot in different cities.

[bamwc2]

Viewing Log:

Charlie Varrick (Don Siegel, 1973): Don Siegel knew how to make a great crime movie, and this genre bending caper-gone-wrong flick is no exception. In the first few minutes of the film, the titular character (Walter Matthau) leads the robbery of a sleepy New Mexico bank when half of his four person crew (including his wife) are killed. It soon becomes clear to the survivors that they have the mob's money and are in great danger. The rest of the film turns into an intriguing cat and mouse escapade with Varrick trying to survive the ever increasing threat of a psychotic mob enforcer. Without a weak element in the film, this one was a real winner.

Chatterbox (Tom DeSimone, 1977): Movies about talking genitals tend not to be very good, and unfortunately, Tom DeSimone's film about a woman's talking and singing vagina conforms to this rule. I decided to watch it after reading a Salon article that made it sound like a feminist classic about embracing your sexuality. Sorry, but no. It's just soft core drivel that follows the formula of having its lead say a line followed by a corny one-liner from down below. I suppose that it's a higher concept (it even mentions both Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan) that most films in its genre, but that doesn't make it good. Pass.

I Never Sang For My Father (Gilbert Cates, 1970): Hollywood legends Melvyn Douglas and Gene Hackman play an emotionally distant father and son in this wonderful drama about loss and isolation. While visiting their college professor son, the family's matriarch (played by Dorothy Stickney) suffers a fatal heart attack. The two leads then work through both her funeral and many of the emotional barriers that separated them throughout the years. However, the film does not treat these scars as easily surmountable or even solvable at all. The film's refusal to take the easy way out struck me as realistic and one of the best things that it had going for it.

The Petrified Forest (Masahiro Shinoda, 1973): This slightly better than average film from Shinoda examines the triangle the exists between a young medical student, his abused lover, and his devoted mother. The lovers hatch a plan to kill her sexually abusive boss, but soon after the deed is done he falls both into a deep malaise and the arms of another woman. His scorned lover hatches a plan to get vengeance against him through his mother, but she may have other plans... There's a lot to like here, but Ken'ichi Hagiwara is the weakest link as the film's star. His performance is never very convincing and he seems to sleep walk through the last act. His character is clearly meant to be experiencing shock over his own deeds, but it felt forced and awkward to me.

Scream and Scream Again (Gordon Hessler, 1970): This odd bit of British sci-fi horror was often incoherent, but still not without its charms. Police find a pair of apparent vampire killings in which young women are mysteriously drained of their blood. A sting leads back to the hideout of a mad scientist (Vincent Price) where the killer exhibits a number of bizarre abilities that proves irresistibly mysterious to a young police doctor whose superior (Christopher Lee) orders him off the case. The international conspiracy behind everything was a bit of a head scratcher, but on the whole, the film was corny and psychedelic fun. I'd give it a mild recommendation.

[knives]

I could be crazy, but is anyone else reminded of No Country for Old Men when watching Charley Varrick? Even beyond the story there's this deep felt sense that the world has moved beyond this game of cops and robbers and it might be easier on the soul to lay down to rest (though of course by the conventions of the day they never really go all the way with this line of thought).

[bamwc2]

I could be crazy, but is anyone else reminded of No Country for Old Men when watching Charley Varrick? Even beyond the story there's this deep felt sense that the world has moved beyond this game of cops and robbers and it might be easier on the soul to lay down to rest (though of course by the conventions of the day they never really go all the way with this line of thought).

The thought never crossed my mind when viewing Charley Varrick last week, but now that you mention it, I can see the similarities.

[bamwc2]

Viewing Log:

Master of the Flying Guillotine (Yu Wang, 1976): I had no idea that this was a sequel when I began watching it, but after finishing this crazy as all hell action fest, I will definitely track down the original. In the film Fung Sheng Wu Chi seeks revenge against the One Armed Boxer for killing his two students in the previous installment. The enraged master's quest for vengeance happens to coincide with a local martial arts tournament with most of the competitors possess some sort of Street Fighter II powers (in fact, given the similarities between a couple of characters in the game, and movie, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that the makers were inspired by the film). The action sequences are darkly comic and well worth the overall silliness of the premise. This isn't a movie to take seriously. Just sit back, turn off your brain, and you're guaranteed to have a damn good time.

Moses and Aaron (Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub): Since I know almost nothing at all about operas, I had no idea what to expect from this big screen adaptation of Schoenberg's Old Testament story. However, I'm happy to report that it's another rousing success from filmmaking spouses, Huillet and Straub. With all of the dialogue sung aside from the final scene, the film chronicles the Israeli exodus from Egypt up through the worshiping of the golden calf. The staging is excellent, and when things take a turn for violent depravity... we'll I saw some things that I really wasn't expecting. Fans of the duo shouldn't pass up the excellent release from New Yorker. It's well worth the purchase.

Theatre of Blood (Douglas Hickox, 1973): Now this one may have the best premise of any of Vincent Price's comic thrillers. Edward Lionheart is a Shakespearean stage actor in London. About half of the critics circle consider him a genius, the other half a ham. After losing an award for best performance, he attempts suicide, only to return years later seeking revenge on those who cursed him. His modus operandi revolves around him killing each of these critics in a manner that is found in the plays from his farewell tour (i.e. Julius Caesar results in a vicious mob attack, Othello finds Diana Dor's husband goaded into killing her in a fit of misunderstood jealously, etc.). It's a corny, fun good time and features Price at his hammy best. I suppose that I'm now on his hit list for that one...

Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff, 1971): Jesus Christ, if there was ever a film that could make me swear of alcohol, its this nightmare of a movie whose only monsters are the rotten decisions that the drink can make us choose, and the circumstances that fate sets up for us. Gary Bond stars as an unhappy schoolteacher whose is bonded to teach in rural Australia by the government. The day that the school year ends he tries leaving a nearby town, but the booze, women, and gambling keep him tethered there in a foggy haze of violence. Can he finally get out or will the town finish him off for good? Both Bond and Donald Pleasence (as the town's alcoholic doctor) are perfect in their roles, and the reused footage of an actual kangaroo hunt is disturbing enough to set the right atmosphere of dread. This may well be the first horror film that I've ever seen without an antagonist. Very unusual, but so well worth viewing.

[colinr0380]

The best thing about Theatre of Blood is how the hero escapes:

Spoiler

All the previous people have been killed in the manner of how characters in Shakespeare died, but with our hero they try to kill him by driving daggers into his eyes in the manner of the blinding of Gloucester in King Lear. But Gloucester didn't die from being blinded in the Shakespeare play, and Lionheart's unfortunate lapse on this point (likely intended by the filmmakers) is probably why our hero gets a chance to escape from his trap and foil them!

[knives]

I know this is of no substance and I'm the last person on earth to have seen The Jerk, but it is easily the funniest film I've ever seen all the while being weird rather than actually making jokes. The influence on Eyes Wide Shut is pretty blatant especially in terms of the performances and the way Martin reacts to his surroundings (the possibly funniest scene of the check plays things with a different catch and call for Martin). It's like a streamlined Marx comedy without having to worry about the code.

[domino harvey]

"He hates these cans!" I can't imagine a childhood without quotes from the Jerk! I don't think it'll make my list, but another "Why did my parents let me watch this?" SNL-star classic from the same time-frame will, National Lampoon's Animal House-- I rewatched it recently and man does it hold up! Definitely recommended if you haven't seen it either (I am 99% sure I was the only one to vote for it last round)

[knives]

I've seen that a billion times over. John Belushi was just the best. It's actually really weird to think as I kid I was very aware of Steve Martin, but the only film of his I had seen during my childhood was The Man With Two Brains and I had only seen it once.

[domino harvey]

Watching this in Gifted Education in fifth grade was like seeing the face of God for me and all my classmates

[knives]

I'm also never going to be able to take Blood Simple seriously again though knowing the Coens it never was meant to be. Bernadette Peterswas also fab. That knife throwing scene is just perfect comedic 'straight' acting. I'm going to have to see those other Reiner films now.

[Cold Bishop]

Master of the Flying Guillotine (Yu Wang, 1976): I had no idea that this was a sequel when I began watching it, but after finishing this crazy as all hell action fest, I will definitely track down the original.

It's really not, whichever way you look at it:

1) It bears no direct relationship to the original Shaw Bros. series. It's essentially an Asylum-style rip-off except, you know, good. He also managed to lure Shaw's top director Lau Kar-Leung away as choreographer (as well as his brother, Kar-Wing). Considering the long enmity between studio and former star, I always wondered how that conversation between Lau and Run-Run Shaw must have went.

2) It's something of a sequel to One-Armed Boxer (the original HK title is One-Armed Boxer vs. the Flying Guillotine)... but only if you accept that Jimmy Wang Yu's character has inexplicably traveled back two centuries in time in between films. The original film, however, is pretty wild for what it is.

[bamwc2]

Thanks for the history lesson, Cold Bishop. I have to admit to not knowing much of anything about this genre, but both this one and The Five Deadly Venoms have been sooooo much fun to discover. Thankfully youtube has both The One-Armed Boxer and Fatal Flying Guillotine up. I'll watch both soon.

[Cold Bishop]

Fatal Flying Guillotine is another off-brand rip-off of the original Shaw series. Be forwarned: it's not nearly as good or even well made as the Wang Yu film.

[YnEoS]

Master of the Flying Guillotine (Yu Wang, 1976): I had no idea that this was a sequel when I began watching it, but after finishing this crazy as all hell action fest, I will definitely track down the original. In the film Fung Sheng Wu Chi seeks revenge against the One Armed Boxer for killing his two students in the previous installment. The enraged master's quest for vengeance happens to coincide with a local martial arts tournament with most of the competitors possess some sort of Street Fighter II powers (in fact, given the similarities between a couple of characters in the game, and movie, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that the makers were inspired by the film). The action sequences are darkly comic and well worth the overall silliness of the premise. This isn't a movie to take seriously. Just sit back, turn off your brain, and you're guaranteed to have a damn good time.

This was one of the first Kung Fu films I ever watched, and I remember it always being a really good choice for movie nights with friends. Beyond all the wacky fighting styles, I do like how underhanded Wang Yu has to be to finally win in the end.

Fatal Flying Guillotine is another off-brand rip-off of the original Shaw series. Be forwarned: it's not nearly as good or even well made as the Wang Yu film.

I actually remember enjoying this a lot when I first watched it, but it's been quite a long time so my memory might be fuzzy. There's also the problem of it having no really good DVD release. I think the options are a fullscreen uncut version and a widescreen version missing 10+ minutes of material, both english dub only.

[Ibnezra]

Wow, it's been quite an experience digging through this entire thread, but I felt I owed it to the film scholarship that's on display. The obscurity of some of these spotlight selections seem extremely formidable, I kept expecting someone to reccomend Bob Dylan's "Renaldo and Clara". I'm very excited to see "Prime Cut", "Starting Over", and "Mahler" but for every film mentioned that I find time to view, there will be at least twenty I won't have time for before the deadline. There are only a few overlooked movies I would like to put everyone in mind of:

TOMORROW (1972)--Joseph Anthony

Bleak and thread-bare, this is the portrayal Robert Duvall is most proud of in his long career. An adaptation of William Faulkner that get's it right. A sawmill care taker takes in a pregnant drifter and slowly an affinity develops. The bond is constantly threatened by the social mores of the narrow-minded pitiless denizens of the rural south. Duvall caries himself with a quiet dignity through out his almost Book of Job-like experience.

HIGH ANXIETY (1977)--Mel Brooks

Although not nearly as much a masterwork as "Young Frankenstien", Brooks skewers Hitchcockian cliches with breath-taking abandon. Like any satire, this is derivitive of what it "sends up" (never mocking), it's really extremely inventive in many instances mining both comedy and suspence. Mel comes off well in the lead, with great comedic timing and not too much of the mugging we saw in "Blazing Saddles". As usual his road company of players meet every challenge with Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Dick Van Patten bringing the funny without hamming it up. The plot was really well concieved, I thought, and if the comedy was removed and the characters developed a little more, this could have stood as a better than average suspence movie in it's own right.

MARTIN (1978)--George A. Romero

Martin is believed by his Old World Granduncle, to be the Vampire of legend. This psychological examination revolves around the question of what causes Martin's strange, dangerous pathological behaviour. Is it triggered by actual vampirism, or is it the result of being raised in such a phenomonally superstitious family? He does thirst for human blood, but why? Shot on a shoe string and it shows, this fly-by-night production causes unease through-out, and should produce at least one incredibly startled gasp in anyone who takes the time to invest in the characters.

SCUM (1979)--Alan Clarke

Developed as a "Play For Today", the subject matter and graphic violence of this story necessitated its re-drafting into a film script. The movie depicts the experiences of a number of youths sentenced to time in the infamous Borstal system of institutions for juvinile offenders. These British reformatories of yester year, if portrayed correctly in this narrative, have less warmth and fuzziness than Gunnery Sargeant Hartman's Paris Island. Abuse and degradation ensue from the very starting pistol of this film, with bad going to worse and worse going to the absolute nadir of human abasement. It's troubling stuff, and a whistle-blowing film like this must have done a great deal to prompt the reformation of The Borstal System that followed. The power of film for good isn't just a pointless daily affirmation, it can actually effect the real world and this is a prime example.

[knives]

I've actually been looking for the Dylan, but can't find an affordable option. I'm sure it will be a grand awful mess, but I can't help but be curious.