Update: Now part of a series of videos on Youtube…
At the age of 1, I wasn’t quite the movie buff I would one day become. I do like to think that I absorbed some elements of whatever Saturday afternoon matinee was playing on BBC into my still developing psyche, but to be honest it wasn’t until a few years later that films would suddenly become an important part of my life (more on that when we get to 1977 – hold your horses). What it is safe to say, however, is that many of the films of this year became staples of TV entertainment during my childhood and teenage years, and have become quite beloved over time. Take a look at the top ten films in the US for 1974 for example:-
- Blazing Saddles
- The Towering Inferno
- The Trial of Billy Jack
- Young Frankenstein
- Earthquake
- The Godfather Part II
- Airport 1975
- The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams
- The Longest Yard
- Benji
All but one of those films has had repeated viewings through the years (the one I’ve not seen on that list is The Trial of Billy Jack). Some lost their charm as I grew older (Benji and Grizzly Adams), some just get better and better (Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein – more on this later), whilst others remain fond rewatches due to the kitsch factor (Airport 1975, Earthquake and The Towering Inferno). One on the list, Godfather Part II, I have only watched twice in my life – and (shame) have never actually seen the first film (something I intend to correct soon).
Disaster movies have always held a fascination to me, and it is a shame that these days the disaster is more important than the characters, as recent attempts at the genre have been soulless, CGI fuelled showcases. The classics such as the three on the list here spent half the film introducing the players, letting us get under their skin, before throwing whatever disaster was in store at them. It is for this reason that I will always hold even the weakest of the genre of the decade in higher regard than modern attempts. At least they had a heart to them.
But the list of quality films of 1974 doesn’t stop in the top ten (indeed, some might argue the quality never gets to the top ten in any year). Chinatown saw a release in June of the year, Polaski’s neo-noir mystery with the enigmatic Jack Nicholson. The Four Musketeers, a sequel to the previous year’s fun adventure, landed, bringing with it the same level of wit and action. Robert Redford appeared in The Great Gatsby, one of many adaptations of the classic novel that the screen has seen.buy levitra online continue reading these guys There are also edema and slight or moderate hypertension. The most successful form of treatment for buy generic viagra most cases of ED by providing improved erection, penetration and maintaining it through the session. Zenegra is the pill manufactured by the pharmaceutical companies which commander cialis http://raindogscine.com/?attachment_id=345 follow the same industry standards of manufacturing but does not invest money in research, development or marketing of an already popular medication. One is sibutramine, raindogscine.com prices of viagra the other is orlistat capsules.
Roger Moore was back once…erm…more as James Bond in The Man With The Golden Gun. Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland offered able support in the caper, the last before the franchise began its steady decline into absurdity and self parody. Meanwhile Jon Voight and Maximillian Schell were tackling a more serious side of espionage in The Odessa File.
Fantasy adventure was a staple of my childhood, and many an afternoon during the holidays was spent watching Ray Harryhausen films. One of my personal favourites was released in 1974, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. The second of the three Sinbad films, this one saw everyone’s favourite Doctor, Tom Baker, stealing scenes as the evil Prince Koura. With the usual iconic stop-motion creatures, the film is a joy to watch even now.
Fans of Hammer Horror had their pick of films this year, with Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires, and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter. All three released to middling receptions, it was a sign of the decline of the great studio, although Kronos in particular is classed as one of the last greats that they put out.
Speaking of declining studios, the Carry On team churned out their 26th saucy romp, with Carry on Dick. A parody of the Dick Turpin legend, it was the last film to star Sid James, Hattie Jaques, and Barbara Windsor, and so marked the end of an era for the franchise. However, what a way to go out – the film was every bit the fun romp the series was known for, and is held in high regard by fans of the series (unlike the films to follow in the next few years).
Mel Brooks had a good year with two films released, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. The films have gone on to be regarded as two of his finest of his career, and showcase very different approaches. Blazing Saddles, with all the race-baiting humour within, is a western farce that relies on juvenile humour for most of the impact. Young Frankenstein, however, is a loving parody of old black and white horror, with a sometimes dry wit and use of wordplay (as well as some degree of farce).
John Carpenter started his foray into direction for the big screen this year with Dark Star, a sci-fi film which inspired as diverse product as Alien and Red Dwarf. This sci-fi comedy saw some space-slackers on board a scout ship, tackling problems that arise such as a bizarre beach-ball-like alien menace, and a malfunctioning bomb which starts to question its purpose in life.
Elsewhere in 1974, for good or for bad, we saw films such as Emmanuelle, a softcore erotic tale which was that era’s Fifty Shades, Foxy Brown starring Pam Grier, a film which would go on to inspire a video store clerk called Quentin Tarantino a couple of decades later, and Herbie Rides Again, the second in the beloved Disney adventures of the VW Beetle with a heart. We also had Gone in 60 Seconds, The Front Page, The Conversation, The Island at the Top of the World, The Longest Yard, Madhouse, Death Wish, Thuinderbolt and Lightfoot, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
Picking five films to tackle from this year is a struggle. As usual I will choose a couple of beloved ones, something I can’t recall or have never seen, and something that I didn’t like when I first watched it. Picking a few I liked is hard as there are so many I want to revisit here, but I know for certain that The Four Musketeers is going on the list (after recently watching the first film, I have to see the sequel). It would be cheating to pick Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein as I tend to watch them frequently anyway (and will no doubt review eventually), so I will pick Dark Star instead (not watched that in a few years). Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a film I’ve never got around to seeing (despite owning the whole Eastwood collection). I was tempted to throw a disaster movie in there, but instead thought I’d opt for a horror film that has never really impacted on me as it has with others (a common theme I feel, and no doubt future years will see me pick out a horror), so Texas Chainsaw gets added. Finally, for a stinker of a film (and I don’t see me changing my mind much on this one, but you never know) I’m going for Sean Connery’s shame….Zardoz.
There we have it, 1974 in a nutshell. Now for the reviews…
