1970's

When Capricorn One was released in 1977, audiences were still living in the shadow of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War—two events that had eroded public trust in government and media institutions. Against this backdrop, Peter Hyams’ taut conspiracy thriller struck a deep cultural nerve. Blending elements of science fiction, political drama, and survival adventure, Capricorn One is both an intelligent entertainment and a reflection of a paranoid age. It stands as one

Released in 1979, Hanover Street is a wartime romantic drama that blends espionage, adventure, and an impassioned love story, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Second World War.

Michael Crichton’s The First Great Train Robbery (released simply as The Great Train Robbery in some territories) is a delightfully crafted caper film that blends historical authenticity, dry wit, and old-fashioned adventure. Based on Crichton’s own 1975 novel, itself inspired by the true events of the 1855 Great Gold Robbery, the film captures the ingenuity and daring spirit of the Victorian age with panache.

Andrew V. McLaglen’s The Wild Geese stands as one of the most iconic British war adventure films of the 1970s — a bold, muscular production that combines old-fashioned heroics, moral ambiguity, and gritty realism. Released in 1978, it features an ensemble of legendary actors including Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Roger Moore, and Hardy Krüger. The result is an engaging, if sometimes dated, blend of action, camaraderie, and commentary on the murky world of mercenary warfare

Arthur Penn’s Little Big Man (1970) is a sprawling, unconventional Western that deconstructs the mythology of the American frontier while blending satire, tragedy, and pathos. Based on Thomas Berger’s 1964 novel, the film is part comedy, part epic, and part revisionist history, offering a panoramic view of 19th-century America through the eyes of its eccentric protagonist.

Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) is widely regarded as one of the finest Westerns of the 1970s and a defining film in Eastwood’s career as both actor and filmmaker. Adapted from the novel Gone to Texas by Forrest Carter, the film blends traditional Western tropes with revisionist sensibilities, exploring themes of vengeance, survival, and redemption in the turbulent years following the American Civil War.

Released in 1978, Straight Time is a gritty, uncompromising crime drama directed by Ulu Grosbard (with uncredited early direction by Dustin Hoffman). Adapted from Edward Bunker’s semi-autobiographical novel No Beast So Fierce, the film presents a harrowing portrait of recidivism, alienation, and the crushing weight of a society unwilling to forgive.

Directed by Hal Ashby and released in 1978, Coming Home is a poignant and politically charged drama that addresses the psychological and emotional aftermath of the Vietnam War. Starring Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, and Bruce Dern, the film presents a deeply personal exploration of love, loss, and transformation against the backdrop of national disillusionment.

Directed by Hal Ashby and released in 1973, The Last Detail is a quintessential example of American New Wave cinema—gritty, unsentimental, yet brimming with humanity. Adapted from Darryl Ponicsan’s novel by Robert Towne (who later wrote Chinatown), the film stars Jack Nicholson in one of his most celebrated performances.

Released in 1970 and directed by Bob Rafelson, Five Easy Pieces is a landmark of American New Wave cinema. Starring Jack Nicholson in the performance that cemented his reputation as one of the era’s most compelling actors, the film is a searing character study of alienation, class conflict, and the restless search for identity.

Directed by Martin Scorsese and released in 1974, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a poignant, character-driven drama that weaves together themes of female independence, resilience, and the search for identity.

The End is an odd, bold, and frequently funny film that tackles taboo topics with irreverence and surprising heart. Though uneven and occasionally too zany for its own good, it earns points for its originality and for showcasing a more vulnerable, daring side of Burt Reynolds. For fans of dark comedy and '70s cinema that refuses to play it safe, The End is a flawed but fascinating gem.

Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) is the third and final entry in the Columbia Pictures trilogy of fantasy-adventure films featuring the legendary sailor Sinbad, following The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973).

Silent Movie (1976) is one of Mel Brooks’ most daring and delightfully unconventional comedies—a film that pays tribute to the silent era while also brilliantly parodying Hollywood excess, studio politics, and the nature of celebrity.

Released in 1977, Slap Shot is a profane, chaotic, and oddly poignant sports comedy that has aged into cult status over the decades. Directed by George Roy Hill (The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and starring Paul Newman in one of his most uncharacteristically raucous and spirited performances, the film is a unique blend of slapstick violence, blue-collar grit, and dark social satire.

Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) is the fifth and final Pink Panther film to be released during Peter Sellers' lifetime, and the last of the series made before his death in 1980. Directed once again by Blake Edwards, the film continues the comic misadventures of the eternally clumsy Inspector Jacques Clouseau, this time embroiled in a plot involving the French underworld, international intrigue, and mistaken death.

The 1976 version of A Star Is Born marks the third cinematic iteration of a now-legendary Hollywood story—tracing the rise of a young performer as she eclipses the fading star who mentors her. Whereas the 1937 and 1954 versions (starring Janet Gaynor and Judy Garland, respectively) were set in the film industry, this update transposes the drama into the world of the 1970s rock music scene.

Every Which Way But Loose is a film that defied expectations and box office predictions. Starring Clint Eastwood—then best known for his stoic, hard-edged roles in Westerns and crime dramas—it marked a striking detour into the realm of redneck comedy, complete with bar brawls, honky-tonk ballads, and a scene-stealing orangutan named Clyde.

Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye (1973) is less a traditional adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 detective novel than a postmodern riff on it—a revisionist noir, a sun-drenched elegy for the hardboiled genre, and a sly, satirical portrait of 1970s Los Angeles in moral and cultural freefall.

Klute (1971) is a seminal work of American cinema that defies genre boundaries and expectations. On the surface, it’s a detective thriller—part of what would become director Alan J. Pakula’s "Paranoia Trilogy" alongside The Parallax View (1974) and All the President’s Men (1976). But beneath that noir-inspired veneer lies a penetrating character study of a woman negotiating her autonomy, trauma, and identity in a world dominated by male power.