Critics Club III: Film of the Year 1978

[Neon Ignition]

Space Invaders launches, the first test tube baby is born and a whole new slate of films faces your votes...


1978




Vote for your best films of 1978 and share your thoughts on this year in film

[beecee]

As if anything could top Superman, the best superhero movie ever made IMO, seen this 8 or 9 times easy at the cinema when it came out, but another great year for films. a lot of my classics are in this list. Hooper, FIST, Paradise Alley, Pink Panther, Convoy, Capricorn one, warlords of Atlantis and so on.

[Dogg Thang]

Yep, has to be Superman. Some good horror/scifi types on this list too. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers is still incredible. I rewatched it a couple of years ago. And The Fury and Coma aren't half bad too. And I haven't seen it in years but I really enjoyed The Swarm - it might well be rubbish. Obviously Dawn of the Dead is a huge one for horror fans as well. A good year.

[Atticus]

Favourite is Halloween. I love John Carpenter's film so much and this is one of his finest.

Other two choices are Dawn Of The Dead - this delivers the dream scenario of having the world to yourself but at a huge cost. I love all the bits where they're making the mall home. And Big Wednesday - a fab coming of age flick with beautifully filmed surfing sequences.

[Dogg Thang]

I totally missed Halloween.

[Asura]

A personal fave of mine is there, Capricorn One. Great thriller.

[QualityChimp]

I'll have a think.

While you're waiting, check out the awesome Goblin soundtrack to Dawn of the Dead.

[QualityChimp]

To my shame I've never seen The Deer Hunter. I guess it's because everyone it so keen to spoil the ending I've never bothered to see it.


Not worth ticking for me, but definitely seeing are:
Every Which Way But Loose - Clint + Orangutan = fun
The Lord of the Rings - interesting animation techniques and pretty scary for kids!
Return from Witch Mountain - Fun kids film
The Cat From Outer Space - Also a fun kids film
The Driver - Good driving sequences but pretty forgettable.
Jaws 2 - Pales to the original, but the end section with the helicopter and the cable is great, plus the reworked ride is based on this film.
The Swarm - Worth watching for Caine's hilarious wavering accent.


Watership Down - This can get lost.


Superman: The Movie

"You'll believe a man can fly!" Have you seen this recently? The credits are at the start and they go on for about 45 minutes, when you just want to see Superman (Falls) doing super stuff. Definitely worth seeing, although I think I prefered 2 and 3 growing up.


Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Holy smokes, this is amazing. Right from the start, something is wrong. That flippin' creepy score as we follow the alien spores travelling to Earth. The paranoia is instant with a teacher in a playground marvelling at these unique new flowers with her pupils, encouraging each of them to take one home for their parents to see.
After that, you're constantly scanning the frame for people huddling together and talking suspiciously.
The cast are also great. I mentioned in "Don't Look Now" how Sutherland has a unique look, but the presence of other quirky actors, Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Goldblum adds to the uncertainty of who to trust. Nice cameo from Kevin McCarthy from the original, so is it a sequel or a remake?
Dat ending tho...


Dawn of the Dead

NotLD is an amzing example of low-budget movie making, but Dawn is where it's at.
It's a bit disjointed at times, leaping around between who to follow. Maybe it's cut to keep pace, but once we join Stephen, Francine, Peter and Roger in their helicopter things settle down (apart from the random redneck rampage) and we get to the mall.
I feel it's a film that possibly shouldn't work, but it seems to get things just right and one minute you're laughing at Hell's Angels throwing custard pies at zombies, the next you're recoiling from one of the bikers getting torn apart as he's testing his blood pressure (what, you needed to do that right now?!), but you never stop cheering for our team. I'm glad Romero changed the depressing alternate ending.
Oh and that Goblin soundtrack!


Capricorn One

Saw this again recently as it has that great 70s vibe that I love. There's a chase scene with Elliott Gould that looks ridiculous as it's so speeded up, but apart from that, this is a great roller coaster adventure! I think my favourite part is when they're taken from the shuttle and you're left thinking the same as the crew - what the hell is happening.


Grease

Oh come on. Everybody loves Grease or has at least danced to Summer Loving.
It's the tale of a girl who goes into a coma whilst nearly drowning in the sea whilst on holiday. Trapped in her subconscious, she must free herself from her mental shackles of how she thinks she should be and help the friend who tried to save her so that they can both leave purgatory and go to Heaven (in a flying car).


Halloween

John Carpenter is one of my fave directors, without hesitation.
This is another example of a low budget and a simple idea transcending its small goals and becoming a juggernaut franchise that is still big today.
The actual night time murderin' is obviously tense, but it's the shots in the daytime that linger with me the most, aided by the use of a Panaglide (not Steadicam!) system to smoothly follow the characters around.

https://vimeo.com/71166481

Animal House

Well, Animal House is Animal House, isn't it.

Argh, I'm really torn (as there's no Bond to autoselect ) between IofBS, Halloween and DotD.

OK, I'm going with Invasion of the Body Snatchers as my favourite.

[CMcK]

This is another great year for cinema but I’m going for Halloween above the Deer Hunter. But only because of the awesome soundtrack. Halloween is the essential slasher movie simple setup, builds tension well, not gory and leaves room for a sequel. Classic John Carpenter.