Taking a look at the year 1975, picking my 10 favorite movies from that
year in random order.
Jaws
A seaside resort is terrorized by a great white shark, which has already
caused several victims. The mayor refuses to close the beach. Sheriff Brody
then fights the shark himself. For almost an hour we don’t get to see the shark,
which is the strength of the movie. Because what horror movies taught us over
the years is that it’s what you don’t see that scares us the most. “Jaws” is a
brilliantly filmed and powerfully acted horror film, with an excellent score by
John Williams.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Randle is transferred from a work prison to a psychiatric facility for
evaluation. Randle sees the fun in it. His ward is full of eccentrics and the rebellious
Randle gets the best out of them. Cold-hearted nurse Ratched is less fortunate
with all the commotion and goes against Randle, to the bitter end. It’s a
strong film, based on the book of the same name by Ken Kesey.
Dog Day Afternoon
A year before “Network”, director Sidney Lumet came up with a like-minded
film in which thirty-something Al Pacino plays Sonny, a fantastic bank robber
in the midst of an infernal media circus. It is a true story that beings on a
hot summer day in 1972 New York. Sonny Wortzik robs a local bank in Brookyn
together with the not too bright Sal. It culminates in a hostage-taking with
the arrival of the police and the case gets national attention when it turns
out that the loot was intended for the sex operation of Sonny’s lover Leon. It’s
a genius film, with great dialogue and a memorable performance by Al Pacino.
The Stepford Wives
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford,
Connecticut with her family. She soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in
the all too perfect behavior od the female residents. It’s an effective film,
which makes you blood curdle. Based on the best-selling novel by author Ira
Levin.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
In their first feature film, the Monty Python gang adapted the Arthur
legend with very little respect to the source material. It has a sequence of
legendary scenes, dialogues and characters. One of the funniest movies ever
made.
Three Days of the Condor
CIA employee Joseph Turner stumbles upon a conspiracy within the CIA. He
forces photographer Kathy Hale to hide him in her house. It’s a great action
film by Sydney Pollack.
The Return of the Pink Panther
The man with the ‘rare gift of knowing everything without having to
think’. This is how clumsy Inspector Clouseau describes himself, unaware of any
evil or failure. Actor Peter Sellers himself chose Clouseau’s controlled slant.
In this fourth film, the Pink Panther diamond is stolen again, with Clouseau as
the detective. Christopher Plummer and Catherine Schell play the suspicious
couple. With great locations in Nice and Morocco. It’s a great film, with masterful
opening animation, music and direction. Not my favorite in the series, but
definitely one you have to see.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
When this cult classic is shown in the cinema, fans sing all the songs. It’s
a silly musical parody on the horror genre, in which the most idiotic characters
are staged. It tells the story of a young couple who end up in a haunted house,
inhabited by transvestites. Tim Curry plays a provocative role and Susan
Sarandon is memorable as shaky Janet, who turns out to be a self-assured vamp.
The Man Who Would Be King
A splendid adventuristic drama, based on a story by Rudyard Kipling.
British officers Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan in colonial India travel to
Afghanistan to gather wealth. Dravot pretends to be the reincarnation of
Alexander the Great, making it easier for him to rob treasures. However, pride
comes before the fall, also in Afghanistan. It’s a classic, that many people
might not have seen yet. Worth a watch.
Barry Lyndon
I’ve only recently seen this movie for the first time. It’s a costume drama
by Stanley Kubrick, which is over 3 hours long. Set in Eighteenth century Ireland,
Irish adventurer and fortune hunter Redmond Barry pretends to be a nobleman. After
a conflict with the family, stubborn Barry has little choice but to take off. The
war awaits. A movie that I wouldn’t rewatch, but I can definitely appreciate
due to how the film was made.
