The Godfather (1972)

Genre: Dramas, Crime Dramas, Classics

Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton

My Rating: 5/5

I was fairly new to Hollywood when i watched this movie, having seen action films like Rambo, Terminator etc.. during my childhood. Having heard about Marlon Brando as a big actor in Hollywood, when i saw the opening scene in which a business man talks about his daughter's health condition to the Don, his acting was so good that i immediately mistook him for Marlon Brando. Such was the acting by all the characters in the movie that makes it a powerful and engaging movie.

This movie truly is the godfather of all the mobster movies. Though it is almost a three hour movie, i can still watch this anytime. There are some memorable quotes in the movie like "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse", "A man who never spends time with his family can never be a real man" etc.. to name a few. The real strength of the movie was that each and every character played their role to perfection. Marlon Brando as the wise and ageing Don trying to keep his family business together, Al Pacino as the youngest son who doesn't want to be involved with the family's mafia business, the eldest son- i could really connect to him - an angry reckless guy, Robert Duvall as the lawyer who acts as an advisor to the Don's family, and the character Clemenza, everyone stands out. I think maybe this is one of the earliest movies where mobs are shown as the lead characters and yet you tend to love the movie. Kudos to director Francis Ford Coppola, uncle of actor Nicholas Coppola(known as Nicolas Cage in Hollywood).

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Genre: Action, Comedies, Adventure, Car Chase

Cast: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field

My Rating: 4/5

Classic 70's muscle cars in action. Highway patrolmen and the protagonist (Burt Reynolds) on a high speed chase across five southern states of USA. It cannot get better than this.

This movie is a lighthearted comedy with high octane car chases. It is about two guys accepting a bet to move banned alcohol alcohol from Texas to Georgia in a truck in a short period of time. Burt Reynolds drives his car to act as a diversion to the cops from getting to the truck. On the way from Texas, he offers a lift to a runaway bride who was supposed to marry a Sheriff's son. The rest of the movie is about the comic high speed chase involving the Bandit and the Sheriff and the various state patrolmen.

It looks like public do not halt for a cop's car with a siren turned on those days. Burt Reynolds gets all the help he can from the public by making them block the cop's cars or delay them by communicating through his transmitter.You also get to see the America of the 70's with the entire movie having been shot on the freeway, local highways and the diners.

Duel (1971)

Genre: Action, Thrillers, Car Racing

My Rating: 5/5

Director: Steven Spielberg

Steven's Spielberg first directorial venture. This made for TV movie later had a limited release and helped launch his career. In fact, I like this one better than "Jaws" which made him famous.

This movie is a highway chase thriller where the protagonist is chased by a truck.Though it's a one liner story, it's the genius of Spielberg that makes this movie interesting till the end even though you don't get to see the face of the driver. I could still watch this though it was made in early 70s.

You might find the first few minutes boring where we get to know about the hero but once he passes the old truck on the highway, the movie really kicks off.

National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)

Genre: Comedies

Cast: John Belushi, Donald Sutherland

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

MPAA Rating: R- Restricted

The movie that started it all. It is the grand-daddy of films like American Pie, Road Trip and other National Lampoon labeled movies. Though this movie was made in the 70's it would still pass today for his crude humor.

John Belushi is one of my favorite actors of all time though he acted in a handful of movies(He died at a very young age.)  Though he only comes a side character in this movie, watch out for all his expressions and mannerisms.

This movie is about a fraternity house in a college that is on a "double secret probation" (it was already on probation, so the dean not knowing what to do with them uses this term) due to misconduct and poor test scores. It shows all the activities that takes place at the fraternity- their parrties, food fights, pranks, paper chase and how they retaliate on the verge of suspension.

Alien (1979)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi Horror

Cast: Sigourney Weaver

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

" In space no one can hear you scream". I still remember how i started watching this movie reluctantly. I saw this in late 2000s, so thought this being a 1970s sci-fi movie, would be a total bore but boy was i surprised. It was thoroughly engaging and i ended up watching all the sequels.

I could imagine how popular it must have been during those days with its fresh idea about a space creature that attacks human beings. A crew aboard a space craft comes across a transmission and stops at a planet to investigate. They happen upon a dead creature and a chamber containing eggs. One of the eggs cracks and a creature attaches itself to a crew member's face.

I would recommend this movie to all sci-fi and horror enthusiasts.