There are very few activities capable of releasing stress more than watching movies. The tragic ones can make you appreciate your life and choices, while the comic ones enhance your mood and health. Medical research has shown that comic movies tend to lower your blood pressure, reduce your stress hormones, decrease anxiety, and strengthen your immune system.
The movie industry originated in the 19th century, but advancements in technology and human initiative transformed the industry. The sector saw a huge transformation in the early 20th century by filmmakers such as Edwin Porter. By the mid-twentieth century, Hollywood introduced a list of mind-blowing films, with so many of them within the 1970s to 1990s.
Let us celebrate the top 10 movies from the ’70s to the ’90s!
Here is a list of the top ten movies from the 1970s to the 1990s to refresh your memories and for you to catch the excitement again.
10. Apocalypse Now (1979)
There could not have been a better movie for its content and reflection of the Vietnam war than the one written by Francis Coppola. Though motivated by Joseph Conrad’s book titled “Heart of darkness,” Coppola strategically changes the narration to suit the Vietnam war. The movie also experienced severe challenges such as having some expensive materials destroyed by severe weather, Sheen suffering a heart attack on location, and Coppola having to edit the scripts countless times. However, the patience was worth it. Apocalypse now sits at the sixth rank in the directors’ poll of the greatest movie of all time and has won many recognitions.
The Academy rewarded Coppola for his patience with the Best Director’s Award at the 52nd Academy Awards. Apocalypse now tells the story of a secret soldier who journeyed from Vietnam to Cambodia to assassinate a member of the special armed forces presumed to have gone insane.
9. Chinatown 1974
Tagged by a New York Times article as ” a meditation on evil,” Chinatown showed why movie afficionados refer to the 1970s as the movie industry’s golden generation. Audiences and critics considered Chinatown as culturally, aesthetically, and historically relevant. Thus, the movie earned a place in the National Film Registry. Chinatown has an amazing storyline that gradually indulges the audience’s interest by drawing attention to the series of disputes over the California waters. Well-directed by Roman Polanski, the movie won the Oscar Award for the best screenplay at the 47th Academy Awards. The Oscar was just the beginning of many awards for the impeccable artwork. Other recognitions include the Golden Globe Award for the best drama, the best direction, best actor, and best screenplay. You could argue that there was no better movie produced in 1974.
8. Fight Club (1999)
At the time of its release, Fight Club failed to get to the targeted audience. But its critiques soon paved the way for its emergence. The film, which was a display of Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel, portrayed the hero as a victim of capitalism who expresses his displeasure by spending time at a fight club, punching other people for fun. The highly unique satire was meant to present ordinary people’s situations in the community, but it earned more criticism for its effort. The maxim that “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything” does not reflect any sign of responsiveness and man’s humanity towards another. But David Fincher made his point by depicting the situation of an average man.
On its tenth anniversary, the New York Times called it the “defining cult movie of our time.” Such was the picture created by the movie. A national daily also tagged the movie unsuitable as society could potentially replicate its occurrences. Fincher did not just write a movie; he brought a philosophy with one of the greatest movies of all time. Like every philosophy, Fincher earned himself a lot of criticisms. However, none could deny his movie was one of the greatest films. Though it lost to Matrix, Fight Club received a nomination for the Academy Awards for best sound editing. By the time of its nomination, Fight Club had become a familiar name. Although the movie did not win many awards, it was genuinely a thought-provoking movie.
7. Friday (1995)
If you enjoy watching comics, this is undoubtedly the movie to watch. Friday is a comedy directed by Gary Gray. It was not just like every other movie. The film showed some positives about the hood while displaying several humorous scenes.
With characters like Chris Tucker and Craig Jones, a deep sense of humor characterized Friday. The movie has obtained a cult following while also inspiring an Internet meme and pop-cultural references. The movie also saw a large commercial success, grossing $27million worldwide.
On the contrary, the movie received criticization as an adult movie that is not ideal for children because of the sex talks, sexual content, violence, and drug usage. Despite the allegations, audiences highly rate Friday among other films produced in 1995.
6. The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather is an American gangster film directed by Francis Ford. Francis Ford and Mario Puzo wrote the script. The film was based on a novel written by Mario Puzo before Paramount Pictures obtained the rights for $80,000. The film was the highest-grossing movie of 1972. And for some time, it was the highest-grossing film ever made with about $827 million.
Arguably, The Godfather is the greatest and most influential film ever made in the gangster genre. The movie also earned the American Film Institute the second greatest movie.
5. Baby Boom (1987)
Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer wrote this masterpiece. Baby Boom was a comic movie that tells J.C Wiatt’s story, the major female character who was adjusting to her new role as a mother after the sudden death of her cousin. The smart, intelligent, and detail-oriented woman inherited a property she completely had no idea about.
When asked about the movie, Nancy said, “Our movie is about someone who never planned on motherhood.” Wiatt’s efforts in adjusting to her new role generated most of the humor in the film. Arguably, Baby Boom is the best comedy of the 1980s. The movie was a huge commercial success, and it laid the foundation for other American movies of that category.
4. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this magnum opus. The movie reflected the hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century. Graphic violence characterized the novels in the mid-20th century, which was the dominant content of that period. Pulp Fiction was a movie that combined the elements of humor with violence.
The movie won awards such as Palme d’Or at the 1994 film festival and best picture and original screenplay award at the 67th Academy Awards. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named it the best movie since 1983. Pulp Fiction was a huge commercial success, beyond any movie produced in the 1990s.
3. Star Wars (1977)
Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars had a total earning of $775million in the 1970s – the highest-grossing film at the time of its release. Its trailblazing visual effect was a major reason for the widespread hit. The movie received ten Oscar nominations and won seven. The American Film Institute listed the soundtrack of Star Wars as the best movie score of all time. The film has also appeared in novels, comics, video games, and amusement park attractions. Undoubtedly, the movie launched actors like Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Anthony Daniels, while actors like James Cameron, Gareth Edwards, and Christopher Nolan admitted Star Wars influenced them.
2. Aliens (1986)
James Cameron announced himself to the movie industry with Terminator, but he cemented his place as arguably the best movie director of that century with Aliens. At a time when the science fiction genre was not gaining attention, Aliens earned $130 million during its theatrical run, making it the highest-grossing film of 1986. The financial success of Aliens had a larger impact on his earlier successes.
Cameron’s legacy extended to the point that his movies’ scenes became a cliche in the science fiction genre and extended his influence on video games.
1. Terminator (1984)
The story of a cyborg assassin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sent from the future (2029) to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor, the woman whose son was to destroy machines’ future. Heavily protected by Michael Biehn, a soldier sent back in time to protect Sarah. Terminator was full of suspense and anticipation. The film was a hit in the 1980s, but its audience cut across different ages. The movie launched the extensive career of Arnold Schwarzenegger and the director, James Cameron.
Fans voted Schwarzenegger’s phrase “I’ll be back” as the 37th greatest movie quote by American Movie Institute. In 2005, Total Film named the film the 72nd best film ever made, while in 2008, Empire recognized it as one of the 500 greatest movies of all time. The movie also ranked 42nd on AFI’s 100 years…100 thrills – a list of America’s most heart founding films.
The film led to the making of a television series, comic books, novels, and video games. You could argue that there was no better movie made in the 1980s.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In conclusion, the list holds ten movies from different genres that audiences could watch repeatedly, with every view looking like a new experience. This order of presentation might not be the best in your opinion. However, the movies here stand for some of the classics produced within the 1970s and the 1990s.
Author: Chris Ingledue
Contact: email
Bio: I am the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab pop Culture and Toy Shop. My vision has always been to reunite customers with their favorite childhood toys and pop culture, triggering fond memories, and reigniting their imaginations. Every day, I work in the “lab” where it’s Christmas 365 days a year. I scour the internet, like when we had the Sears Catalog of yesteryear, for the next great treasure. Then, I await the arrival of the postman as if he were Santa Claus himself and helping collectors worldwide with their own versions of Christmas. Every day as a vintage toy buyer is an absolute joy!