Good Movies 1970

The chicken sandwich scene Five Easy Pieces

Five Easy Pieces - Written and directed by Bob Rafelson. Starring Jack Nicholson and Karen Black who were both nominated for Academy Awards. It is the story of the angry rebellious son taking his lowlife girlfriend back home to meet his high life family. Though a critical success it will be remembered only for the chicken sandwich scene. Five Easy Pieces at filmsite.

The Great White Hope - Directed by Martin Ritt this Pulitzer and Tony winning play brought the stage actors to the screen. Starring James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander who were both nominated for Academy Awards. As racially charged movie as possible, Jones plays Jack Johnson who to the pain of White Americans not only held the Heavyweight Boxing Championship of the world circa 1910, but slept with White Women and ignored race. The Great White Hope at TMC

Joe - Low budget film directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, and Susan Sarandon in her film debut. The movie takes on the issue of the growing political animosity between the working class and the so called hippies. Peter Boyle steals the show as Joe angry redneck. The film is sometimes referred to as the predecessor to Taxi Driver. It can also be described as All in the Family with guns. Joe, the movie at wikipedia.

The Out of Towners - Arthur Hiller directed this Neil Simon story of the full weight of New York City falling upon an unsuspecting couple from Ohio. Everything that can go bad, does. Casting both Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as the unlucky couple made the movie a classic. Music by Quincy Jones. More on The Out of Towners at Popmatters.

Catch-22 - Starring Alan Arkin as the infamous Yossarian from the best selling Joesph Heller novel. Directed by Mike Nichols and screenplay by Buck Henry. The cast also included Martin Balsam, Richard Benjamin, Orson Welles, Art Garfunkel, Jon Voight, Anthony Perkins, Bob Newhart and Martin Sheen. There was one too many anti-war black comedy that year (MASH) which caused Catch 22 - a good movie - to gather neither critical nor box office acclaim. Catch-22 the book

Soldier Blue - Directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Candice Bergen, Peter Strauss and Donald Pleasence this anti-war movie of the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864 comes to theaters just as the Court Marshall of Lt. Willian Calley began for the My Lia incident. Many remember it primarily for Candice Bergen's jiggling butt in the wagon. And here it is!

Candice Bergen in Soldier Blue

New Movies 1970

The Boys in the Band
Carry On Loving
Carry On Up the Jungle
Chariots of the Gods
Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County
Cotton Comes To Harlem
Darling Lili
Diary of a Mad Housewife
Let It Be
Horton Hears a Who
Kelly's Heroes
The Landlord
Myra Breckinridge
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
The Owl and the Pussycat
Ryan's Daughter
Scrooge with Albert Finney
Two Mules for Sister Sara
The Vampire Lovers
Woodstock
Zabriskie Poin

B Movies 1970

Hercules in New York trailer

Hercules in New York - Starring Arnold Schwartzenegger in his first movie, also starring Arnold Stang. B Movie Central Review.

Gamera vs. Jiger

Beneath the Planet of the Apes

Colossus: The Forbin Project

Entertainment News 1970

1970 seems to be the top year for movies from the anti-establisment and anti-war factions. M*A*S*H, Soldier Blue, Little Big Man, Joe, Catch-22, Boys in the Band and Woodstock. Along comes Patton, with the opposite politics and takes Hollywood, Oscars and America by storm.

Patton was 1970's biggest hit winning 7 Academy Awards including best actor and best picture. As Goldie Hawn announced George C. Scott had won for Best Actor, Scott was home sleeping. He had told the academy that he thought the voting process unfair, the meat market atmosphere demeaning and would not accept. George C Scott's Oscar refusal.
The movie also starred Karl Malden, Michael Bates and Karl Michael Vogler with the screenplay by Francis Ford Coppula.
Originally Rod Steiger was offered the part but refused for political reasons later saying it was the biggest mistake of his career.

Country Joe McDonald kicks off Woodstock

The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. The film's soundtrack including Badfinger's "Come and Get It," (written and produced by Paul McCartney), is also released on Apple Records. NYTs Review of The Magic Christian

The controversial film The Boys in the Band, directed by William Friedkin and based on Mart Crowley's hit off-Broadway play, opens in theaters. More on The Boys in the Band

Academy Awards 1970

The pep talk flag intro from Patton

Picture: "PATTON", "Airport", "Five Easy Pieces", "Love Story", "M*A*S*H"

Actor: GEORGE C. SCOTT in "Patton", Melvyn Douglas in "I Never Sang For My Father", James Earl Jones in "The Great White Hope", Jack Nicholson in "Five Easy Pieces", Ryan O'Neal in "Love Story"

Actress:GLENDA JACKSON in "Women in Love", Jane Alexander in "The Great White Hope", Ali MacGraw in "Love Story", Sarah Miles in "Ryan's Daughter", Carrie Snodgrass in "Diary of a Mad Housewife"

Supporting Actor: JOHN MILLS in "Ryan's Daughter", Richard Castellano in "Lovers and Other Strangers", Chief Dan George in "Little Big Man", Gene Hackman in "I Never Sang For My Father", John Marley in "Love Story"

Supporting Actress: HELEN HAYES in "Airport", Karen Black in "Five Easy Pieces", Lee Grant in "The Landlord", Sally Kellerman in "M*A*S*H", Maureen Stapleton in "Airport"

Director: FRANKLIN SCHAFFNER for "Patton", Robert Altman for "M*A*S*H", Federico Fellini for "Fellini Satyricon", Arthur Hiller for "Love Story", Ken Russell for "Women in Love"

Top Box Office 1970

The Trailer for M*A*S*H

M*A*S*H - Director Robert Altman added his touch to this anti-war dark comedy starring Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt, Robert Duvall, Sally Kellerman, Roger Bowen, Gary Burghoff, Rene Auberjonois and Fred Williamson. Humor, sex, drugs, drink and irreverence dominate the bloody work in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. The movie culminates in a silly metaphorical football game (war). The movie spun off an even more successful TV Series. The M*A*S*H Movie Page.

Love Story - Perhaps the greatest tear jerker of all time, this beautiful young girl dying movie was Directed by Arthur Hiller and starred Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal. It is where the famous line "Love means never having to say you're sorry" comes from. It is sometimes so far over the top it is considered comedy camp by some while others contend it is one of the top ten love stories of all time.

Little Big Man - Directed by Arthur Penn and starring Dustin Hoffman as an old man presenting flashbacks upon his life as a white boy raised by Indians in the Old West. Much like the movie Foresst Gump, Jack Crabb seems to be present at many historical moments. Also starring Faye Dunaway, Chief Dan George, Martin Balsam and Richard Mulligan. Covers the unpopular issue of genocide of the American Indian. Little Big Man at allmovies.

Catch-22

Airport

Patton
The Aristocats
Woodstock
Ryan's Daughter
Tora! Tora! Tora!