This list of the best movies of the '70s has all of the top films from the 1970s, including some of the best movies ever featuring some of the greatest actors and actresses of all time. The greatest action films from the '70s, the best dramas of the decade, and the funniest movies from the '70s are all on this list of the top movies of the 1970s.
The 1970s were a great era for filmmaking, with a dark and dirty New York City for storytellers to play in. Practical special effects were reaching their peak, and artistic styles were unrestrained. Remember, this is the decade that brought us classic '70s movies like Rocky, Jaws, and even Star Wars. The death throes of the Hays Code were finally over and Hollywood was free to enter a new Golden Age, as you'll see when perusing this list of the most popular '70s films.
What is the greatest movie of the 1970s? Vote and find out! If your favorite '70s film isn't on the list, please feel free to add it to the list of the best '70s films yourself. If you disagree with what others are voting up as the best movie of the decade, vote for your favorite films from the 1970s and vote down the most overrated films from the '70s.
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1,525538The Godfather
Al Pacino, Marlon BrandoReleased: 1972
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
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1,494495Jaws
Steven Spielberg, Richard DreyfussReleased: 1975
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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1,593573Star Wars
Harrison Ford, Carrie FisherReleased: 1977
Directed by: George Lucas
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1,159401Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John HurtReleased: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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1,213487One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVitoReleased: 1975
Directed by: Miloš Forman
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1,134470Apocalypse Now
Marlon Brando, Harrison FordReleased: 1979
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
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1,267538The Godfather Part II
Al Pacino, Robert De NiroReleased: 1974
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
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870303Dirty Harry
Clint Eastwood, Don SiegelReleased: 1971
Directed by: Don Siegel
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1,134505Rocky
Sylvester Stallone, Joe FrazierReleased: 1976
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
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724286Blazing Saddles
Mel Brooks, Gene WilderReleased: 1974
Directed by: Mel Brooks
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762320Young Frankenstein
Gene Hackman, Mel BrooksReleased: 1974
Directed by: Mel Brooks
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894441The Exorcist
Max von Sydow, Ellen BurstynReleased: 1973
Directed by: William Friedkin
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698315Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Richard Dreyfuss, Teri GarrReleased: 1977
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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753317Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder, Jack AlbertsonReleased: 1971
Directed by: Mel Stuart
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1,108557Taxi Driver
Robert De Niro, Jodie FosterReleased: 1976
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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573249Patton
George C. Scott, Karl MaldenReleased: 1970
Directed by: Franklin J. Schaffner
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833434Monty Python and the Holy Grail
John Cleese, Terry GilliamReleased: 1975
Directed by: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
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609288National Lampoon's Animal House
Kevin Bacon, John BelushiReleased: 1978
Directed by: John Landis
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717355The Sting
Paul Newman, Robert RedfordReleased: 1973
Directed by: George Roy Hill
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723390Halloween
Jamie Lee Curtis, Kyle RichardsReleased: 1978
Directed by: John Carpenter
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615304Deliverance
Burt Reynolds, Jon VoightReleased: 1972
Directed by: John Boorman
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649343American Graffiti
Harrison Ford, Ron HowardReleased: 1973
Directed by: George Lucas
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476181The Outlaw Josey Wales
Clint Eastwood, Sondra LockeReleased: 1976
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
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416194Escape from Alcatraz
Clint Eastwood, Danny GloverReleased: 1979
Directed by: Don Siegel
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631363Dog Day Afternoon
Al Pacino, Carol KaneReleased: 1975
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
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