JAWS

     What is there to say about "JAWS" that hasn't already been said?  "JAWS" was the first summer blockbuster- it changed the way we went to movies, the way we think of movies, and the way we make movies.  It pretty much changed EVERYTHING about movies.  This movie made Steven Spielberg's career, and is STILL one of his finest films.  Hell, it's still one of the finest films of all time.

     Based on Peter Benchley's bestselling novel of the same name, "JAWS" tells the story fictional Amity Island, off the coast of New York.  The small resort island of Amity finds itself being terrorized by a gigantic great white shark during tourist season, and the local police chief, a marine scientist, and a grizzly old fisherman set out to capture and kill the great beast.  It's simple.  And effective.

     "JAWS" starts off with one of the most terrifying scenes in motion picture history.  In the scene, a young lady decides to foolishly take a midnight skinny-dip in the ocean and is attacked and eaten by an unseen creature in the dark water.   Due to budget restraints and studio pressure, young Spielberg decided to wisely keep the shark unseen in the opening scene and most of the movie.  Instead, we are treated to POV shots of the shark itself and John Williams' legendary and iconic score, which creates the illusion of the absent mechanical shark (which was problem-ridden from day one...).  It works magnificently.  That first ten minutes of "JAWS" are quite terrifying.  Fortunately for us, Spielberg and crew were able to get Bruce, the mechanical shark, functioning by the slam-bang climax, and that, mixed with actual footage of great whites deliver an enormously satisfying conclusion.

     "JAWS" quickly became a pop culture phenomenon and a box-office behomoth.  It became the biggest grossing film in history at the time.  In 78 days, it overtook "The Godfather" as the highest-grossing film in the North American box-office, and became the first film ever to pass the $100 million mark in rentals.  By 1977, "JAWS" had an amazing gross revenue of $400 million worldwide.

     Besides making a huge financial splash, "JAWS" also started a mass hysteria and fear of sharks in general and of the ocean.  Very similar to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" in how that film terrified audiences of taking a shower, "JAWS" made tons of people very afraid to get in the water.  It actually caused reduced beach attendance in 1975, and shark sightings increased dramatically all over the world because of the film.  It's actually still viewed as responsible for perpetuating a negative stereotype about sharks in their natural habitat.    Spielberg masterfully pulls the marionette strings- we are his puppets, and he has total control over his audience.  When he wants us to get scared, he pulls the strings and we get scared.  It's just that easy.

     "JAWS" is a suspenseful thrill ride that continues to deliver the goods today.  The film holds up tremendously well, and has lost none of its magic to entertain.  I honestly don't ever see a day that this film might seem outdated or irrelevant.  It's got brilliant direction, editing, score, acting- you name it, "JAWS" has it in spades.  It's truly one of the greatest epic films of all time, and in my opinion still Spielberg's shining moment.  This movie can easily stand up to films of today and hold it's own.  It's just that good.  Sadly, it's the type of film that Hollywood no longer makes, or wants to make.  It's a 70s classic all the way, and one of the most important films of all time.

   

KLUTE

   

   
     A care-free call girl named Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda) seems to be the only connection to a strange case of a missing man.  Small-town detective John Klute is assigned the case, as he is a personal friend of the  man.  He is a mixture of lone cop and private eye- as he has been hired privately by the family.  His trail leads him to New York City's seedy underground world of high class hookers, pimps, and drug addicts.  Which is where he meets Bree. Knowing full well that she will probably refuse to help, Klute taps Bree's phone to gather evidence to blackmail her into helping him.  But he soons discovers that Bree has been getting terrifying phone calls from an obviously disturbed man, and this person maybe connected to the disappearance of his friend.

       Alan J. Pakula created one of the most memorable films of the 70s with "Klute". It's a nifty suspense thriller with stunning acting and character study.  Sutherland is quietly haunting as Detective Klute, and equally holds his own against the unbelievable Fonda.  New York City itself becomes a huge character in "Klute", it adds grit and realism to the film.  "Klute" is a mystery that almost ventures into downright terror at times.  The scene where Fonda tries to seduce Klute and he quietly realizes a man is on the roof spying through the skylight is quite chilling.  Michael Small's utterly creepy score only adds to the suspense.  You can see this film being an obvious influence on Brian DePalma, especially in "Dressed To Kill".

      Jane Fonda delivers one of my favorite performances of her career as call-girl Bree. Fonda's performance is truly one to behold, and deserves to be seen.  Oddly, the film itself should have just been called "Bree", instead of "Klute".  Fonda simply owns this movie.  It's a wonderfully nuanced performance, and that's no offense intended towards Donald Sutherland.  He is sensational as he always is and perfectly compliments Jane.  But this is Fonda's movie, plain and simple.

     This is an intensely atmospheric film that shows us the true grit and grime that  resides in the city that never sleeps.  It's truly original too.  It presents itself as many things- besides the suspense and mystery, there is a love story.  It's also a very intelligent character study, and a very well-made film to boot.  "Klute" is easily one of the best films to come out of the decade.  As an added bonus, Fonda's hairstyle became one of the most copied hairstyles of the 70s- second only to Farrah's classic do.

     "Klute" is ranked #531 on the list of 1001 FILMS YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE.

CARRIE

     It doesn't get much better than Brian DePalma's masterpiece of 70's horror, "Carrie".  Sissy Spacek plays Carrie White, a shy high school girl ruthlessly taunted by her cruel classmates.  She also has to deal with her religious fanatic of a mother, Piper Laurie.  

     The movie starts off shocking- Carrie has her first period in gym class, and because her mother is such a religious wacko, she has failed to mention or explain menstruation to her daughter, who thinks she's bleeding to death.  Of course, her classmates find this terribly amusing, and led by Nancy Allen's super-bitch Chris Hargensen, commence to throwing tampons and sanitary napkins at Carrie while shrieking "Plug it up!".  It's a vicious and harrowing scene that shows just how cruel school kids can be.  Especially the girls.  Sue Snell, played by Amy Irving, feels bad for participating, and asks her popular boyfriend Tommy Ross (William Katt) to take Carrie to the prom to make it up to her.  He asks her, and she accepts.  But evil Chris doesn't like it one bit, and unknown to everybody but us, rigs up two buckets of pig blood to be dumped on Carrie and Tommy as they are announced King and Queen of the prom (which has also been fixed).  And we can only helplessly sit back and wait for the brutal climax we know is coming. Carrie comes to the realization that she has telekinesis, and after years of being abused and taunted by her classmates, uses that power to "bring down the house" for a little old-fashioned revenge at the prom.  Rarely has a horror movie, (or any movie, for that matter) evoked such a range of emotions while watching- pity, tension, revulsion, and outright horror.  You feel for Carrie White, thanks in large part to her unforgettable, Oscar-nominated performance.  Sissy Spacek owns the role of Carrie- you just can't imagine anybody else in the role.  Piper Laurie is terrifying (and utterly delicious) as Carrie's demented mother, Margaret.  Let's not forget the fabulous supporting players here- Amy Irving, Nancy Allen, Betty Buckley, P.J. Soles, and John Travolta in his first starring role.  In my opinion, actually better than the book it was based on (which don't get me wrong- King's novel is sensational- it was just magically brought to life on the screen by DePalma), "Carrie" is a tour-de-force of acting, directing, editing, and special effects that is still one of the greatest horror movies ever made.  And it's amazing how many times "Carrie" pops up in practically anything these days, whether in reference, imitation, or homage.   "Carrie" has made a huge impact on pop culture- the image of Sissy  Spacek, drenched in blood, is a true iconic image of horror.  This is one of the most awesome horror movies of all time.

THE STEPFORD WIVES

     One of my favorite movies of the decade and of all time is "The Stepford Wives"- the infamous 70's shocker based on Ira Levin's delightfully diabolical novel.  It's about Joanna Eberhart, a big city photographer, who very reluctantly moves with her family to Stepford, Connecticut- a small, picture card town.  Though beautiful, there is something a bit off about Stepford, and Joanna soon realizes something is horribly amiss as she uncovers a deep, dark secret of the little town. And that's where the fun begins.

     The women of the town, all glowing in beautiful gowns, act very strange- as if they all wandered off the set of a television commercial.  They seem very fixated on cleaning, cooking, and other "wifely" duties.  Joanna, a die-hard feminist, feels completely out of place amongst the Stepford Wives.  She thankfully ends up meeting wacky Bobby (perfectly played by Paula Prentiss by the way...) and bands together as they soon discover the sinister plot behind the Stepford Men's Association, which their husbands coincidentally have joined...

      The movie is a razor sharp look at the Women's Lib controversy of the early 70's.  But underneath the slyness, there is an eerie vibe to the movie.  Director Brian Forbes purposely chose bright colors and lots of white, cheery scenes to create a "thriller in sunlight"- which counteracts with the dark and foreboding elements of the story.  And it works perfectly.  This is a movie that does require a little something called an attention span, and offers no gore or cheap scares, if that's what gets you off,  But if you're looking for a restrained, eerie little movie, that will haunt you afterwards, then this is the one for you.  "The Stepford Wives" weaves a creepy little spell while watching,  as it slowly and suspensfully builds to its chilling and unforgettable climax.   The term "Stepford Wife" has became a staple in pop culture, and it did spawn two sequels and a terrible remake-  and boy, when I say terrible, I mean terrible.  I was appalled...

      No, stick with the original gem from the groovy 70's that shouldn't be missed by horror fans or 70's fans, for that matter.  Like "Rosemary's Baby" (which Ira Levin also wrote), "The Stepford Wives" is quietly haunting and chilling. It gets under your skin.  And once it does you'll never forget it.  An infamous 70's horror classic!

EYES OF LAURA MARS

       Laura Mars is a New York fashion photographer who specializes in violent and overtly sexual images.  Her "art" causes controversy, and she's the toast of the town.  Everything is just fabulous until somebody starts brutally murdering her friends and acquaintances in the chic fashion world of New York City in the 70's. To make matters worse, some of Laura's photos, unknown to her, are exact matches of shots of real-life crime scenes in the NYPD crime book.  To top all of this off, Laura begins to see the murders happening through her own eyes... brief visions of the murders, which can seize her vision at any given time... Throw in a title tune sung by none other than Barbra Streisand, and you've got the "Eyes Of Laura Mars"...
     There are so many things to say about "Eyes Of Laura Mars" that I'm not sure where to begin.  This movie is awesomely campy, there's no doubt about that.  Perfectly capturing New York City circa 1978, the film is an absolute gem of 70's style and fashions.  Chock full of delicious disco tunes, "Laura Mars" is a strange but definitely original suspense film.  Faye Dunaway leads an all-star cast here- Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif, and Raul Julia, just to name a few.  With a story by John Carpenter, slick, inventive cinematography and solid, stylish direction by Irvin Kirshner, the film is a tense and gorgeous little mystery/suspense shocker .  It has all the makings of a great movie, and almost succeeds.  There are quite a few things wrong with the film but I think overall the good outweigh the bad. There are many things the film has going for it.
     When Babs begins singing "Prisoner" (Love Theme From "Eyes Of Laura Mars"), you know you're in for a treat.  Streisand, you ask?  This is a Jon Peters production, you see. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just try to muddle through, okay?)  Faye Dunaway is nothing short of stunning here.  One of our greatest actresses, she is thoroughly believable in her role- and Rene Auberjonois is fantastically flamboyant as her best friend and assistant.  Brad Dourif is somewhat creepy as Laura's driver, who drives her around in some sort of weird station wagon...  Still not sure why a high-end fashion photographer wouldn't be driven around in a limo or at least a cadillac, but whatever.  It's a hoot.  Rounding out the crazy cast of characters is Tommy Lee Jones, who sports one of the worst uni-brows in celluloid history as he plays a cop determined to find out who's picking off members of the fashion world.
     "Eyes Of Laura Mars" is quite ridiculous, actually.  But Faye and friends do give the botched film all they've got, and it is extremely entertaining.  And... somewhat frustrating.  Frustrating because it could have been sensational, but unfortunately does fall flat in a few areas.  "Laura Mars" has many over-the-top scenes to enjoy, and besides being a time-capsule delight of the 70's, we're still treated to some somewhat suspenseful murder sequences and fabulous fashion sequences.  So all-in-all it's practically impossible not to have fun with "Laura Mars". If you're looking for a serious scare, you might not dig it.  But if you're looking for a deliciously campy murder mystery 70's style, then this is your film.