Into forgotten movies from the 70's?

[Rickenbacker]

Including all those great, late night tv movies from that era? Then this Facebook group might be up your alley! (ok, here comes the plug!)-

That Obscure 70's Movie! is the place to chat about all those lesser-known/forgotten & fun films from the 1970s. Hope you dig!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/948558985158256/
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[selmer]

There should be something like this for the 80's movies.

[Oreb]

Great topic for discussion - pity it's on FB.

[selmer]

Agreed. But nobody can deny us the opportunity/pleasure of talking about it here, in the movies thread or to create a new topic. At the moment I'm more interested in lesser known films from the 80's, but the 70's flicks are great too. Not only theatrical, but also TV stuff, like Spielberg's Duel or Carpenter's Someone's Watchine Me. Definitely one of the best decades for American TV movies. A lot of people say that those kinds of TV movies haven't been made for a long time.

[PeterG]

Into forgotten movies from the 70's?

I've forgotten or I can't remember

But seriously, what makes a movie "forgotten" is it lack of box office success, or B list thesps or terrible story or a combo of factors?

[PeterG]

A few of my favourite budget films share a theme:

Time After Time, 1979 - which has H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) chasing Jack the Ripper/Stevenson (the ever creepy David Warner) into the 20th century. Jack had used Wells' time machine to escape to the future. Amy (Mary Steenburgen) guides Wells around a20th C. US city...can't remember if it was NYC or SF. I remember a classic exchange though, when Amy asks Wells where he ate lunch or where he had been, and he says "Oh, I found this charming Scottish restaurant down the street, McDonalds"

Somewhere in Time, 1980 - Christopher Reeve is a writer in Chicago who uses self-hypnosis to go back in time to find the actress whose very old portrait hangs in a grand hotel - Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer.

Biggles, 1986 - WWI fighter pilot James "Biggles" Bigglesworth (Neil Dickson) and 1980s businessman Jim Ferguson (Alex Hyde-White) discover that they can time travel to each other's eras. They try to stop the Germans from changing the outcome of WWI. And Peter Cushing plays an Air Ministry SOE type.

[PeterG]

At the moment I'm more interested in lesser known films from the 80's, but the 70's flicks are great too.

For me, it's both 70s and 80s.

The year/decade a film is made, however, says very little really. It is all about the production, screenplay, subject, cast, director etc. For example, all of Richard Curtis's romcoms could have been filmed in the same year, as they are all very similar, all have that same feel good factor, all lightweight and fluffy and good clean family fun

About Time, 2013
The Boat that Rocked, 2009
Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason, 2004
Love Actually, 2003
Bridget Jones Diary, 2001
Notting Hill, 1999
Four Weddings and a Funeral, 1994

[Oreb]

Anyone interested in 70s obscurities should check out the great book "We can be who we are" by Lee Gambin. A great read.

[dropforge]

A few of my favourite budget films share a theme:

Time After Time, 1979 - which has H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) chasing Jack the Ripper/Stevenson (the ever creepy David Warner) into the 20th century. Jack had used Well's time machine to escape to the future. Amy (Mary Steenburgen) guides Wells around a20th C. US city...can't remember if it was NYC or SF. I remember a classic exchange though, when Amy asks Wells where he ate lunch or where he had been, and he says "Oh, I found this charming Scottish restaurant down the street, McDonalds"

Somewhere in Time, 1980 - Christopher Reeve is a writer in Chicago who uses self-hypnosis to go back in time to find the actress whose very old portrait hangs in a grand hotel - Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer.

Big fan of Time After Time here. I saw it in the theater. TCM has shown both ^ these movies within the last 3-4 months.

[nosebone]

53 Pick-up (1986)

Sleazy Elmore Leonard story involving Roy Scheider, his wife ( Ann Margaret), and a trio of blackmailing pornographers led by the sadistic John Glover.

A+++

[dropforge]

Actually, it's 52 Pick-up — and yes, a great movie AND book. I like quite a few of Elmore Leonard's books/movies like that one, and Mr. Majestyk and Get Shorty.

[nosebone]

52 ....oops

[JKL2000]

Big fan of Time After Time here. I saw it in the theater. TCM has shown both ^ these movies within the last 3-4 months.

I saw it in the theater too, and love it - in fact, we just watched it a few weeks ago. I never thought of it as a budget film. In fact if you want the documentary or commentary on the DVD they used some new kind of technology that got some great looking London street scenes. Also, the cast was far from budget, since Malcolm McDowell and David Warner were well established. At least McDowell was, I guess I'm not sure about Warner. Also, I think Director/screenwriter Nicholas Meyer had already written (and directed?) The Seven Percent Solution.

Anyway, a great movie (with a few glaring but fun to dissect plot holes), and Nicholas Meyer was quite a talent. What my wife kept saying as we watched it last was "Why did he put the key on the outside of the time machine!?" Good question!

[JKL2000]

My dad took me and my little brother to see the movie "Ben" (1972) about a kid and the pack of rats that kill for him.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Gawd, "Ben" gave me nightmares.

Not the movie ... the Michael Jackson song.

[dropforge]

[JKL2000]

But it's so sensitive!

[dropforge]

I saw [Time After Time] in the theater too, and love it - in fact, we just watched it a few weeks ago. I never thought of it as a budget film. In fact if you want the documentary or commentary on the DVD they used some new kind of technology that got some great looking London street scenes. Also, the cast was far from budget, since Malcolm McDowell and David Warner were well established. At least McDowell was, I guess I'm not sure about Warner. Also, I think Director/screenwriter Nicholas Meyer had already written (and directed?) The Seven Percent Solution.

Anyway, a great movie (with a few glaring but fun to dissect plot holes), and Nicholas Meyer was quite a talent. What my wife kept saying as we watched it last was "Why did he put the key on the outside of the time machine!?" Good question!

TAT's cast was perfect. McDowell, Warner, Steenburgen. For whatever reason, Warner didn't seem to get more "big" roles after the '80s, which is too bad. He was great in TAT, Time Bandits, Tron, and another overlooked 1979 gem, Nightwing.

Also, Time After Time has essentially ONE massive plothole that doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the movie to this day. And it's not the keyhole being on the outside of the machine.

[PeterG]

For whatever reason, Warner didn't seem to get more "big" roles after the '80s, which is too bad. He was great in TAT, Time Bandits, Tron, and another overlooked 1979 gem, Nightwing.

Don't forget that he was also the mad priest in The Omen. BUT he has been very active since the 80s, granted he's always been a character actor never the leading man, but he's made hundreds of flms and tv shows. Most recently last year (2015) appearances in Lewis and in Wallander. And in 2014 in Penny Dreadful as prof Van Helsing alongside the gorgeous Eva Green.

[dropforge]

Don't forget that he was also the mad priest in The Omen. BUT he has been very active since the 80s, granted he's always been a character actor never the leading man, but he's made hundreds of flms and tv shows. Most recently last year (2015) appearances in Lewis and in Wallander. And in 2014 in Penny Dreadful as prof Van Helsing alongside the gorgeous Eva Green.

Yes, he has. He's also a stage actor. And good call on The Omen (forgot that one). I haven't watched Penny Dreadful.

[Gruno]

Time After Time, 1979 - which has H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) chasing Jack the Ripper/Stevenson (the ever creepy David Warner) into the 20th century. Jack had used Wells' time machine to escape to the future. Amy (Mary Steenburgen) guides Wells around a20th C. US city...can't remember if it was NYC or SF. I remember a classic exchange though, when Amy asks Wells where he ate lunch or where he had been, and he says "Oh, I found this charming Scottish restaurant down the street, McDonalds"

Somewhere in Time, 1980 - Christopher Reeve is a writer in Chicago who uses self-hypnosis to go back in time to find the actress whose very old portrait hangs in a grand hotel - Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer.

A couple of great ones.

I have been on a 70s & 80s movie craze the last few months. Watched these recently.

another overlooked 1979 gem, Nightwing.

desmodus rotundus

Don't close the circle!!!

I wish they would show this on cable again. I know it won't get a BluRay treatment. I have a VHS to DVD transfer. Took me back to watching this in the theater in 1979! My brother and I would watch this whenever it was on cable. To this day we recite dialogue from this flick.

[Gruno]

Here's a list, mainly films from the late 70s and early 80s, that I have watched in recent months. Anyone good or bad memories from this list?


Trilogy of Terror (1975)
Three bizarre horror stories all of which star Karen Black in four different roles playing tormented women.
Karen Black, Robert Burton, John Karlen


Car Wash (1976)
A day in the life of the employees at a Los Angeles car wash.
Franklyn Ajaye, Darrow Igus, Richard Pryor


Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
The isolated inhabitants of an abandoned police station are under attack by the overwhelming numbers of a seemingly unstoppable street gang.
Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer


Thank God It's Friday (1978)
This film tells several intertwining stories of the patrons and staff of a fictional Los Angeles disco club 'The Zoo' on one long Friday night...
Jeff Goldblum, Donna Summer, Valerie Landsburg, Terri Nunn, Debra Winger, The Commodores


Over the Edge (1979)
A group of bored teenagers rebel against authority in the community of New Granada after the death of one of their own.
Matt Dillon, Vincent Spano, Michael Eric Kramer, Pamela Ludwig


Nightwing (1979)
Killer bats plague an Indian reservation in New Mexico.
Nick Mancuso, David Warner, Kathryn Harrold


10 (1979)
A Hollywood lyricist goes through a mid-life crisis and becomes infatuated with a sexy, newly married woman.
Dudley Moore, Bo Derek, Julie Andrews


The Warriors (1979)
In 1979 a charismatic leader summons the street gangs of New York City in a bid to take it over. When he is killed, The Warriors are falsely blamed and now must fight their way home while every other gang is hunting them down to kill them.
Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright


The Exterminator (1980)
A man's best friend is killed on the streets of New York. The man (Robert Ginty) then transforms into a violent killer, turning New York into a great war zone and Christopher George is the only one to stop him.
Robert Ginty, Samantha Eggar, Christopher George

The Final Countdown (1980)
A modern aircraft carrier is thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, Katharine Ross


The Stunt Man (1980)
A fugitive stumbles on a movie set just when they need a new stunt man, takes the job as a way to hide out, and falls for the leading lady.
Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey

[Guitarplyrjvb]

"The Parallax View" with Warren Beatty. He uncovers a covert recruiting organization for assassins. Count me as another fan of Time After Time!

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

The Stunt Man is a great film, a favorite of mine -- but hardly "forgotten."

[Gruno]

The Stunt Man is a great film, a favorite of mine -- but hardly "forgotten."

From my experience, I don't see it mentioned all that much, if at all, anymore. That's why I included it here.