You could say that special effects were really starting to change in the 70s as more movies were starting to make use of the stunning advances in various effects that were being used more and more. Some of those movies made a good argument for seeing the movie in the theater, especially since this was about the only real way to see them, as home videos were a thing, but they started out being insanely expensive as opposed what they would eventually come to cost as DVD’s started to be produced. The theater was still the big thing back in this decade however as the fact that home movies were expensive, as was the equipment, meant that paying the price of a ticket and for concessions wasn’t all that bad if one could afford it. Plus, the idea of sitting in a darkened theater with a date during some of these movies was great since it was a very personal time and something that could be enjoyed as a luxury and wasn’t really given the same cultural significance that it’s been granted today.
Here are five movies from the 70s that were likely better in the theater.
5. A Clockwork Orange
A lot of folks might see this movie as kind of an oddity today since it did take a view of the world in a very dystopian fashion, but it also introduced a story that was gripping to a great many people since it did entertain quite a few viewers. Watching it now there is a lot that gets lost in the translation between the decades since having been released over four decades ago, society has changed quite a bit, and as a result so has our understanding of anything that has been brought over from those long-ago days. With movies like it’s hard to determine the significance unless someone that’s watched it tells you, no matter if the rest of us are pretty sure of its meaning.
4. Rocky
Rocky is one of the greatest underdog stories to ever come to the theater since by all rights this guy had no chance when he stepped into the ring with Apollo Creed. In fact, Creed chose him because he wanted someone that the fans weren’t going to vilify him for fighting. Of course he didn’t expect the southpaw from Philly to be that tough, as Rocky took it to him in a way that Creed wasn’t expecting, busting him up inside as he refused to go down. The fact that Rocky lost in the first movie wasn’t a big deal, nor was it reason to think that we wouldn’t be seeing him again. Of course the movies got kind of goofy after that, but this one is still classic.
3. Star Wars
It’s funny at this point to think that no one had much faith in Star Wars to begin with, and here is a billion+ franchise in the current era that’s seen three trilogies and other movies and TV shows that have come thanks to this first effort that was so low budget that one might think that anyone watching Lucas make it must have been laughing their butts off. Of course, no one’s laughing now unless it’s in good humor since the worldwide spectacle that is Star Wars has lasted through several generations and has only grown stronger since its inception, becoming a true phenomenon of our time.
2. The Godfather
Some folks might think that the second movie in this trilogy could have been the start of the series, but without Marlon Brando it does feel as though the trilogy wouldn’t have been quite as good. The family dynamic of the Corleone’s really need to be front and present since without that there was no real basis for Michael being the way he was, for Connie turning into something of a jaded individual, or for Fredo to do the things he’d done. Simply the way this movie starts is classic, and much of what occurs after is great since it creates the story of a very powerful family and how they deal with a lifestyle that’s quite dangerous at times.
1. Jaws
Despite the fact that this movie demonized sharks a bit it still stands as a classic since the idea was something that was brand new and looked fantastic considering that the giant shark was an attraction that was brought over to Universal Studios after a while and put on the tour. To be realistic the movie wasn’t a gory as it could have been, that was kind of left to the sequels that came along, as this first movie was the beginning of a classic that has been a part of many a discussion and pop culture reference for decades now, not to mention the basis for many other shark movies that have come along.
Some us were born just a little too late to enjoy the greats in the theater.
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