#15: Star Wars (1977)

Emily says:
I hadn't seen this one in a few years, and what was most striking about it tonight was how well the special effects hold up 3+ decades later.  They are pretty impressive even now.  The dialogue really leaves something to be desired though...

The other thing that I particuarly enjoyed was the music - it's your stereotypical John Williams, but in Star Wars it seems so fitting and original.  The orchestration fits the galactic theme of the film and seems more authentic than some of the later Williams soundtracks.

I am always amused by Star Wars and "the Force" because I had a prof in college who was always reminding us that we can't reduce God to some sort of lowest common denominator "The Force."  God, although not a being, is more than an ambiguous power that has both a good side and a dark side.  I don't mean this in any sort of serious theological way, but it amuses me as I rewatch the film.


Paul says:

#31: Annie Hall (1977)

Paul says:

Emily says:
I'm usually a big Woody Allen fan, and find his sense of humor pretty enjoyable, but I didn't enjoy Annie Hall as much as I expected.  I liked Annie's offbeat character, but I found it difficult to want Diane Keaton and Woody Allen to end up together.  This was probably the point, but it still made watching the movie seem like a pointless task.  I have to say, it was nice to have a change from the dramas, but this one wasn't as great as I expected.

#32: The Godfather Part II (1974)

Stay tuned for our responses to this one... we'll watch it after The Godfather Part 1

#46: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Paul Says:

Emily Says:

This movie was creepy. I know that Kubrick's movies are always weird, but this one exceeded my expectations of creepiness. (Not a very substantive analysis on my part, but the truth). The sexual brutality and graphic violence were just too much for me to stomach.  I know I am extra-sensitive to these things (thanks mom...) but seriously, it was just gross.

 On the other hand I thought the treatment of using Pavlovian training on criminals to be somewhat interesting, and at times entertaining, but I wished that this movie had more to say about the nature of criminality and the appropriate response. I did find the judgment (condemnation?) of modern English society and politics entertaining, though.

#47: Taxi Driver (1976)

Paul says:

Emily says:

We've had a lot of sad movies lately, it seems. I enjoyed Taxi Driver - especially seeing De Niro's performance at such a young age and, of course, the phenomenal acting of the 12-year old Jodi Foster. The point that the movie tried to communicate about De Niro's purposeless existence - and the loneliness of his life was sort of interesting, but I wish his character had developed a bit more, instead of just becoming bitter over the loss of a woman. The sheer gore of the ending scenes was a bit too much to handle - I can understand why they had to make the colors more muted - in full color it would have been even harder to watch. I'm glad I saw it, but wouldn't watch it again.

#56: M*A*S*H (1970)

Emily says:

I thought MASH lent itself better to a TV show format than to this feature-length film. Even though I enjoyed the characters I know and love from the TV show, the plot was at best meandering and perhaps better described as non-existent. It had its funny moments, and was fun to watch since it shows some of the origins of the TV show, but I'd pick the show (at least the first few seasons) over the movie any day.

One perk of watching the movie is that now I will always picture the dentist's suicide scene from the movie when I hear the song - the last supper, the earnest words of the characters as they pretend to say goodbye to the dentist as he commits suicide (by taking a sleeping pill - unbeknownst to him) - so hilarious.

#64: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Francois Truffaut, Teri Garr, J. Patrick McNamara
Director: Steven Spielberg
IMDB

Emily says:

I was disappointed in this one. I just couldn't get into the plot and it moved a little bit too slow for me. I didn't find the characters very interesting and I just wasn't very attentive during this one. So, I don't have much to say about it.

Paul says:

#66: Network (1976)

Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty
Director: Sidney Lumet
IMDB

Emily says:

This one was definitely a winner in my book. Peter Finch is hilarious as Howard Beale, the angry television host who prompts everyone to share in his lament: "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore." The depiction of the corporate television industry paired with the off-beat shows that succeed - especially the "Ecumenical Liberation Army" series is just hilarious. My favorite twist is when the CEO character leads the outrageous Howard Beale to believe that he is some sort of higher power. All in all how outrageous this movie is just makes it more fun to watch!

Paul says:

#70: The French Connection (1971)

Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Schneider, Tony Lo Bianco, Frederic de Pasquale
Director: William Friedkin
IMDB

Emily says:

I was really excited for this one - it looked like it was going to be a lot of fun - narcotics police trying to catch drug trafficers traveling between the US and France. But... I fell asleep about 15 minutes into it and slept through the rest... maybe I'll have to watch it again sometime - but for now you'll have to see what Paul has to say about it.

Paul says:

#77: American Grafitti (1973)

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith
Director: George Lucas
IMDB

Emily says:

This movie was a lot like Grease only without music or much of a plot. That might be a little harsh - and I know it was the first movie the depicted the "new american teenager" or something like that, but I was really just not impressed with it. If I had it to do over again, I'd pass on this one.

Paul says:

#78: Rocky (1976)

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Director: John G. Avildsen
IMDB

Emily says:

I'd never seen Rocky and wasn't expecting much from a boxing movie but I heartily enjoyed this one. The theme song, Sylvester Stallone, and of course the training montages - so wonderful. I'm glad that an inspirational sports movie made it into the Top 100 - its an important American Film Genre. This movie is not just an inspirational sports film though - it's funny and heartfelt, well-acted, and well made overall. It was fun to watch.

Paul says:

#79: The Deer Hunter (1978)

Starring: Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep
Director: Michael Cimino
IMDB

Emily says:

Many of you know my penchant for films about the Vietnam War (which is weird, since I don't like violent films overall), and this one was no different. I loved seeing Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and most of all Meryl Streep in this movie - they were so young! The characters were interesting, even if they weren't always likable, and the movie explored one of my favorite topics - how war changes people. Ultimately a bond of friendship triumphed in the end, giving the movie a fulfilling ending without erasing the brutality of the characters' experiences. I'd watch this one again.

Paul says: