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Critics Club III: Film of the Year 1971

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    Critics Club III: Film of the Year 1971

    The year that the microprocessor was invented, the introduction of decimalisation in the UK and the creation of Greenpeace heralds a new list of cinematic releases for our judgment.

    1971




    What was your Film of 1971 and what are your thoughts on the year in film in general?
    34
    Countess Dracula
    0%
    0
    Lawman
    0%
    0
    THX 1138
    0%
    3
    Andromeda Strain
    0%
    3
    Vanishing Point
    0%
    2
    Making It
    0%
    0
    B.S I Love You
    0%
    0
    The Beguiled
    0%
    0
    Valdez is Coming
    0%
    0
    Plaza Suite
    0%
    0
    Escape from the Planet of the Apes
    0%
    1
    Big Jake
    0%
    0
    Support Your Local Gunfighter
    0%
    1
    The Young Graduates
    0%
    0
    Willard
    0%
    0
    The Panic in Needle Park
    0%
    1
    Scandalous John
    0%
    0
    McCabe and Mrs Miller
    0%
    0
    Klute
    0%
    1
    A Town Called Hell
    0%
    0
    The Million Dollar Duck
    0%
    0
    Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
    0%
    3
    Carnal Knowledge
    0%
    0
    Murphy's Law
    0%
    0
    Two Lane Blacktop
    0%
    0
    The Seven Minutes
    0%
    0
    Godzilla vs Hedorah
    0%
    1
    Doc
    0%
    0
    The Omega Man
    0%
    2
    A Gunfight
    0%
    0
    Red Sun
    0%
    0
    Kotch
    0%
    0
    The Last Movie
    0%
    0
    Catlow
    0%
    0
    The French Connection
    0%
    3
    The Last Picture Show
    0%
    1
    Duck, You Sucker!
    0%
    0
    Fiddler on the Roof
    0%
    0
    Play Misty for Me
    0%
    0
    Hannie Caulder
    0%
    0
    Black Beauty
    0%
    0
    Man in the Wilderness
    0%
    0
    Bedknobs and Broomsticks
    0%
    2
    Sometimes a Great Notion
    0%
    0
    A Clockwork Orange
    0%
    4
    Dirty Harry
    0%
    3
    Straw Dogs
    0%
    1
    Diamonds Are Forever
    0%
    2

    #2
    Two-Lane Blacktop.

    Comment


      #3
      Googling it, there is a ridiculous amount of gold that came out in 1971.

      Clockwork Orange, French Connection, Dirty Harry, Klute, Walkabout - Duel!!

      It’s a very personal thing but I absolutely love Vanishing Point which I now see is a 1971 film. A very simple story of a man driving hell for leather to deliver a car, going coast to coast with the cops after him.

      Of particular note is the character of blind radio DJ Super Soul, who warns the protagonist about where the police are and gives updates to other listeners on how he’s getting on. I’m convinced that he’s the basis for Jet Set Radio’s Professor K.

      I’m not a big Bond guy but 71 also has Diamonds are Forever, one of my favourite Bonds. Lots of cool ideas in that one, with the killer twins (with their BBQ skewers) and the filming of the fake moon landing - and subsequent escape via moon buggy - being particular highlights.

      There’s also the Big Boss, which while not actually a good film, does have Bruce beating seven bells out of people. Which is nice.

      Honestly there’s more than I’ve mentioned here. This year is stuffed with gold. As above, Two Lane Blacktop is also a terrific film.

      Comment


        #4
        The poll is now live and this time we're trying it with the settings allowing you to choose as many films as you like so you can just choose the ones you think are the best and most votes wins.

        Comment


          #5
          Weird that 1970 didn't have much I like, but a year later and I'm spoiled for choice!

          Comment


            #6
            I wondered for a second at the mention of Duel but then remembered, it's missing because it was a TV Movie

            Comment


              #7
              Yes, deffo more choice with 71. Got to go with The Last Picture Show. I'm a sucker for a film that stirs emotions and the themes in this get me every time.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Superman Falls View Post
                I wondered for a second at the mention of Duel but then remembered, it's missing because it was a TV Movie
                Vanishing Point should deffo be on there though!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Fifth down I think I'm gonna try watching that again at some point, it's been donkey's years since the last time I saw it

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Oops sorry!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I was underwhelmed by Vanishing Point.
                      Sweet ride, but not much happens. He drives about a bit, meets some kooky people, then is stopped from driving.

                      Maybe I was watching it expecting the car action to be better as it's regularly listed with best car chase scenes (as is The French Connection from this year).

                      I should also give it a second chance as I've not seen it in years either.

                      I banged on about The Andromeda Strain before (any nobody listened), but I was thinking about how great the opening is after watching the start of The Strain, which also has a great virus outbreak.

                      Escape From The Planet of the Apes was ahead of its time and is better than it has any right to be.
                      Beneath TPOTA was pretty poor and kinda concluded the story, but they managed to retcon the series and make a prequel-sequel years before Marvel and Jurassic World were doing it, using the fish-out-of-water role reversal storyline also predates many other sequels that do it (Smokey IS the Bandit!) and timey-wimey loops before BttF or The Terminator (but the same year as Black Sabbath's Iron Man!).

                      It starts off quite jovial, but its tone slowly shifts to a darker one and the corruption of mankind starts affecting the time travellers (before Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth in '76!) before they realise that man is not their friend.


                      Now that Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is out, it's time to assess where we are in the complicated, time travel dystopia of the franchise that started over a half century ago. We've got a timeline and an analysis of where the current series puts us.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        There's a lot of good stuff on that list. Panic in Needle Park, Vanishing Point, THX1138, French Connection and Straw Dogs to name but a few. I'm also a big fan of the Andromeda Strain but I have to pick A Clockwork Orange. Kubrick was an incredible director and in my eyes is possibly the greatest director ever.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Deffo.

                          Weird seeing it after it was finally released as there's a hint of "is that it? Why was it banned?!" but it's still a harsh watch at times, especially the home invasion scene.

                          On the other end of the scale, how ace is Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory?
                          Except for that work-shy grandad who feigns disability, so he doesn't have to go to work.
                          Thirty seconds after learning he's going to the factory, he's ****ing dancing. Dancing.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Most of the films I was too young to see at the flicks, only one I saw there was B&B which was great.

                            French Connection is one of the best films I've ever seen and based on a true-ish story. Love James Garner and so obviously voted for Support...

                            Also went for Dirty Harry (another classic), also went for Andromeda Strain, Omega Man and Diamonds.

                            Comment

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