WHEN WERE THE BEST MOVIES MADE?

After watching so many of the movies coming out this summer I realized something. While I've enjoyed them quite a bit I'm not quite enjoying them as much as movies I've watched in the past. Couple that with the number of great movies now becoming available on Netflix (yes I have it and yes I love it) and I began to think about one question: when were the best movies made?

I suppose it's easy to say that the movies you remember from your young adult life would be the movies you remember most. But as a movie buff I was raised on the classic films of the 30s and 40s like THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, CAPTAIN BLOOD, FRANKENSTEIN, THE WOLF MAN, PUBLIC ENEMY, CASABLANCA and THE AFRICAN QUEEN. I spent many a late night or Saturday afternoon enveloped in these movies. But as much as I love them and know how wonderful they were the best movies for me were those made while I was in high school back in the seventies.

So I began to look deeper into it. No not so deep as to take up days worth of digging. But enough that I did searches for the top 100 films of each decade. In looking through those searches for each decade I noticed something. I was right when I started. The best movies that I can remember WERE made in the 70s. If you don't believe me then check out this list. Here are a large number of titles made during the 70s. After reading this list, tell me if you can think of a time when better movies were made.

AIRPORT (the first through the CONCORDE).... PATTON.... LITTLE BIG MAN.... THE OUT OF TOWNERS.... BILLY JACK.... THE FRENCH CONNECTION.... DIRTY HARRY.... A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.... THE LAST PICTURE SHOW.... WILLARD.... THE HOSPITAL.... KLUTE.... THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN.... SHAFT.... BIG JAKE.... THE GODFATHER 1 & 2.... THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.... WHAT'S UP DOC?.... DELIVERANCE.... JEREMIAH JOHNSON.... THE GETAWAY.... THE VALACHI PAPERS.... THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN.... THE COWBOYS.... SUPER FLY.... THE EXORCIST.... THE STING.... AMERICAN GRAFITTI.... PAPILLON.... THE WAY WE WERE.... MAGNUM FORCE.... PAPER MOON.... LIVE AND LET DIE.... SERPICO.... ENTER THE DRAGON....WALKING TALL.... SLEEPER.... THE TOWERING INFERNO.... BLAZING SADDLES.... YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.... EARTHQUAKE.... THE LONGEST YARD.... DIRTY MARY AND CRAZY LARRY.... TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.... FREEBIE AND THE BEAN.... CHINATOWN.... THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT.... ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.... JAWS.... DOG DAY AFTERNOON.... RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER.... THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN.... THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR.... FUNNY LADY.... THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.... TOMMY.... ROCKY.... SILVER STREAK.... ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.... THE OMEN.... THE BAD NEWS BEARS.... THE ENFORCER.... SILENT RUNNING.... SILENT MOVIE.... MURDER BY DEATH.... MARATHON MAN.... CARRIE.... NETWORK.... THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES.... TAXI DRIVER.... STAR WARS.... CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.... SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER.... SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT.... THE GOODBYE GIRL.... OH GOD!.... THE DEEP.... THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.... THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.... HIGH ANXIETY.... ANNIE HALL.... THE GAUNTLET.... GREASE.... SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE.... ANIMAL HOUSE.... EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE.... ANY WHICH WAY YOU CAN.... HEAVEN CAN WAIT.... HOOPER.... WHITE LIGHTENING.... GATOR.... FOUL PLAY.... THE DEER HUNTER.... THE END.... THE CHEAP DETECTIVE.... HALLOWEEN.... MIDNIGHT EXPRESS.... COMA.... STAR TREK.... THE JERK.... ALIEN.... APOCALYPSE NOW.... 10.... MOONRAKER.... THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN.... MEATBALLS....

About now I know what many of you who were there to see these movies are saying to yourselves. "Oh my God I hadn't thought of that movie in ages! I LOVED that movie!" Tell me I'm wrong. You saw the title and thought back to how much fun a movie was or how much it kept you in suspense. You started saying lines in your head from these movies like "Toga! Toga! Toga!"...."I'm gonna put this foot against that side of your face...and there's not a damn thing you can do about it".... "That Shaft is a bad...Shut yo mouth!"...."Squeal like a piggie!"...."I know what you're thinking punk...did he fire 5 shots or 6?"...."Boards...don't hit back"...."Is it safe?"...."Bond...James Bond"...."FOOD FIGHT!" and "...and scream I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more!" Admit it, reading one or all of these phrases brought back memories.

You also saw images in your head. The big Indian cradling Jack Nicholson at the end of CUKOO'S NEST.  Newman and Redford pulling off the big con and giving the signal of brushing their noses with a finger in THE STING. John Belushi falling back on a ladder in ANIMAL HOUSE.  Joe Don Baker tearing open his shirt to show the scars on his body in WALKING TALL. The mother ship coming up over the top of Devil's Mountain in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS. Yes indeed, your mind's eye saw all these images just from seeing the title of the movie. That's how deep an impression they made. And those memories will tell you that this decade was the best for movies.

Anyone care to disagree? Feel free to post comments. I've allowed them for anyone to see. If this wasn't the best decade for movies then what was? Your turn.

By the way, Netflix fans? A lot of these movies are showing up there so if you want to relive a favorite movie or two or three check for these titles there.