In the realm of streaming services, Netflix has carved out a niche for itself, but its selection of classic cinema from the 1970s is more of an 'only-ones-on-there' list than a 'best of' compilation. This is a shame, as the '70s were a golden age for cinema, marked by a wave of paranoid, racy, and unflinching movies that sent a shock through Hollywood. Nevertheless, the films Netflix does have on offer are generally worthwhile, either for their sustained entertainment value or as historical artifacts that represent a bygone era of moviemaking. These films are a good jumping-off point for continuing your cinematic exploration of the world of movies that set the stage for new classics and cinematic trends to follow.
One such film is 'Airport', an all-star disaster movie that effectively created the template for a decade of disaster-movie filmmaking. While it may not be a great movie today, it's compelling as a genre artifact, delivering an impressive sense of workmanlike, practical moviemaking. Another notable film is 'Slap Shot', a sports comedy that distinguishes itself from its peers by its stubborn hold onto a thread of melancholy, recognizing the more true-to-life circumstances of living outside the sport.
'National Lampoon's Animal House' is another cult-favorite feature film, a party comedy that spoke to a rowdy generation of young people who had grown up in a completely different America from that of their elders. 'Smokey and the Bandit' is a good-natured Southern outlaw movie that succeeded on the back of Burt Reynolds' and Sally Field's charisma, as well as some truly thrilling driving stunts.
'Rocky' is a classic sports movie that won Best Picture at the 1977 Academy Awards, signaling a refreshing optimism and a celebration of tenacity, hard work, and ambition. However, 'Rocky II' is a more bland and obvious sequel that can't consistently justify the continuation of the story.
'High Plains Drifter' is a meaner and sadistic Western film that Eastwood directed himself, fulfilling a similar persona to the one he had in Sergio Leone's 'Dollars' trilogy. Finally, 'American Graffiti' is a coming-of-age movie that captures the blissed-out wave of early '60s California youth culture, and serves as a farewell to a certain American innocence and adolescence.
