1977 in film

If Jaws set the stage for the era of the summer blockbuster, Star Wars kicked the door completely in.  There's a lot of great movies out there, including a whole host that in the grand scheme of things are far better than the original Star Wars.  But very few become a complete cultural phenomenon, and maybe none moreso than our introduction to Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and (especially) Harrison Ford did.  After 1977, everything had changed in a way that continues through today.

#5 - Jesus Of Nazarth: There's obviously quite a few high-quality works on the life of Christ.  Of the more comprehensive efforts, this is the one I always hearken back to in my mind.  The piercing eyes and effortless calm that Robert Powell brought to the role made him the standard going forward.


#4 - Slap Shot: How fun must this have been for Paul Newman to do?  All the great movies he's been in, all the fantastic roles that he was able to sink his teeth into and be honored for...and then there's this foul-mouthed bit of trash that has no hesitation whatsoever to get down and roll in the mud.  Speaking of vulgarities, be forewarned that the granddaddy of them all gets used (to great effect) in this clip.


#3 - Oh God!: Morgan Freeman gave it a good turn in Bruce Almighty, but I still have to give the slight edge to George Burns in this one.  Just love the way the entire courtroom has that look on their faces of complete enjoyment at watching Burns giving his speech.


#2 - Pumping Iron: This documentary could have derailed many other prospective actors/politicians with the coarse discussions and open drug use.  Instead, it served as an effective introduction to the awesome charisma of Arnold Schwarzenegger.  I've always gotten a rush out of seeing Lou Ferrigno screaming Arnold's name in this workout to provide motivation to push himself through the pain.  Whatever PEDs may have been used, it's still staggering to see the amount of weight these guys are training with and the lengths they pushed themselves.


#1 - Star Wars: Not sure what more really needs to be said.  The most impressive opening scene in movie history.