King Kong (1976)
[6] After the world saw its first bona-fide blockbuster, 1975's Jaws, daring Italian movie mogul Dino De Laurentiis decided he needed to go down in history for producing the second one. He settled on a remake of 1933's King Kong…
Fritz the Cat (1972)
[7] Ralph Bakshi's first animated feature is an X-rated adaptation of Robert Crumb's Fritz the Cat. Fritz is a college student who likes to have a good time by way of weed and women, but manages to cram a lot…
The Great Gatsby (1974)
[7] F. Scott Fitzgerald's most required reading is faithfully script-adapted by Francis Ford Coppola, with Jack Clayton directing a production as lavish as required for the story of the uber-wealthy but mysterious Jay Gatsby. We enter into Gatsby's opulent world…
The Aristocats (1970)
[4] In one of Disney Animation's weaker efforts, a jealous butler seeks to do away with a mother cat and her three kittens before their owner can bequeath her fortunes to the furry little bastards. I can't blame him, really.…
Patton (1970)
[5] George C. Scott's charisma is the best thing Patton has going for it. The film is a pastiche of the famous (and infamous) army general's career through World War II, including his successful invasion of Sicily, media blunders resulting…
The French Connection (1971)
[7] A pair of New York city narcotics cops try to bust a big heroin deal being brokered between suspected mobsters and a French connection. But one of the cops, 'Popeye' Doyle (Gene Hackman), has a history of recklessness and…
The Pom Pom Girls (1976)
[7] The Pom Pom Girls stands out from the grindhouse pack for me. The title is actually a misnomer, as there are precious few moments with any cheerleaders. The movie is really about two high-school boys and their girlfriends making…
The Jerk (1979)
[6] Steve Martin and director Carl Reiner team up for this absurdist, serendipitous comedy about a poor country boy who leaves his family to discover what the big city has to offer him. Martin's character is an oblivious man-child whose…
Meatballs (1979)
[5] This dopey but harmless summer camp movie helped lead the charge of '80s teen comedies that would follow in its wake. It's tame by comparison, but noteworthy for being the first pairing of director Ivan Reitman and actor Bill…
Fortune and Men’s Eyes (1971)
[7] A young man named Smitty (Wendell Burton) goes to prison and immediately falls into a brutal struggle for power and supremacy. He reluctantly enters into a submissive relationship with one of his roommates, a tough guy named Rocky (Zooey…