Good 70s Films: Three Days of the Condor

1975 Mystery Thriller
From Paramount Pictures
Directed by Sydney Pollack

Starring
Robert Redford
Faye Dunaway
Cliff Robertson
Max von Sydow
John Houseman

REVIEW: Wind River

Directed by Taylor Sheridan
2017 Crime Drama
1 hour 47 mins
From The Weinstein Company

Starring
Jeremy Renner
Elizabeth Olsen
Graham Greene
Jon Bernthal
Gil Birmingham
Kelsey Asbille
Apesanahkwat
Tantoo Cardinal

Wholesome Lads

I think the last decade that could be called wholesome was the 1950s.  We've drifted away from that every decade since and even by 1970 it seemed like an anachronism.  And yet... and yet at least three actors tried to make careers out of that very trait.  Good looks, a sense of decency, a touch of innocence, a knack for tackling emotions and they were ready to go.  And even in the hard core 70s they were able to pull it off.  And then one day they no longer could.  Their first names all start with an R. Any idea who they might be?

Remakes: Stagecoach

We're starting a new series called Remakes which will highlight films that have been made more than once.  Sometimes the title is maintained, sometimes not.  Usually the original is by far the better film and occasionally the remake is surprisingly good. There have been times the remake becomes a musical where the original was not.  We'll see what we come up with.  Let's begin with Stagecoach.

Good 70s Films: The Turning Point

1977 Drama
From 20th Century Fox
Directed by Herbert Ross

Starring
Anne Bancroft
Shirley MacLaine
Leslie Browne
Tom Skerritt
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Anthony Zerbe
Martha Scott
James Mitchell
Daniel Levans
Marshall Thompson

John Cassavetes

He is the greatest of maverick writer-directors whose most notable accomplishment-- and it's considerable-- is being the founding father of U.S. independent film-making.  Some may say one of the founding fathers and while that may technically be true, in my estimation no one was ever more dedicated to putting out indie films than this man.  Let's consider that the Independent Spirit Awards (televised every year usually one day ahead of the Oscar show) honors the best new film-maker with the prestigious John Cassavetes award.

Gena Rowlands

Here is half of one of the most legendary actress-director screen partnerships in Hollywood history.  There have been a number of other pairings but few evoke the stirring memories created by beautiful Gena Rowlands and her maverick husband, John Cassavetes.  Together, they were king and queen of the indies for 20 years, a deluxe duo who brought a searing realism to films like we'd never seen before. 

Good 70s Films: Ice Castles

1978 Romance Drama
From Columbia Pictures
Directed by Donald Wrye

Starring
Robby Benson
Lynn-Holly Johnson
Tom Skerritt
Colleen Dewhurst
Jennifer Warren
David Huffman

REVIEW: Lady Macbeth

Directed by William Oldroyd
2016 Period Drama
1 hour 29 mins
From Roadside Attractions

Starring
Florence Pugh
Cosmo Jarvis
Paul Hilton
Naomi Ackie
Christopher Fairbank

Good 70s Films: The Wind and the Lion

1975 Adventure Drama
From MGM
Directed by John Milius

Starring 
Sean Connery
Candice Bergen
Brian Keith
John Huston
Steve Kanaly
Geoffrey Lewis
Simon Harrison
Polly Gottesman