By Dan Tester
2/2/2004

There was never, nor will there ever be, a decade of American films like the 1970s. To sift through and pick my ten favorites is about as easy as isolating the ten favorite DNA strands that make up my very existence. But I think I have finally settled on a list. So here goes nothing…

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10.) Freebie and the Bean (1974/Richard Rush): For the record, Freebie and the Bean is not really one of my 10 favorite films of the 70s. I usually take the opportunity, when writing these lists, to use the ten spot as an opportunity to recommend a little seen gem. Freebie and the Bean is surely an early version of the "buddy cop" genre that is so very prevalent by 2004. But what sets it apart is its wonderfully politically incorrect nature, something that is simply unattainable these days (are we really moving forward or backward, people?). Alan Arkin and James Caan are hilarious in the lead roles of two somewhat inept San Francisco detectives assigned to protect a mobster from assassination attempts until his trial. Things don't go as planned, of course. Sure, Freebie and the Bean is really nothing more than silly chaos most of the time, but what the heck is so wrong with that once in a while?

9.) The Day of the Jackal (1973/Fred Zinneman): Its slow-paced nature might be a turnoff to the casual viewer, but I find The Day of the Jackal to be one hundred times more taut and suspenseful than most others of it's ilk (check out the remake, The Jackal, with Gere and Willis -- putrid.) Based upon the Frederick Forsythe best-seller, Edward Fox is "The Jackal," the most proficient assassin known to man, who has been hired to kill French President Charles De Gaulle. The film follows, beat by beat, day by day, the occasionally mundane, often dangerous, always interesting process of "The Jackal" as he pursues his prey, while simultaneously cutting away to the police pursuit, which is always seemingly an hour behind. This is a great, great film.

8.) Apocalypse Now (1979/Francis Ford Coppola): Not much needs to be said here. Coppola's vision of the madness of war, or more so the madness of mankind in general, is a beautiful, surreal masterpiece. And I would highly recommend the documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmakers' Apocalypse (the amazing document of the embattled production of Apocalypse) as a double feature viewing.

7.) M*A*S*H (1970/Robert Altman): Altman's first film to really break through into the mainstream is still his best. I have been shocked to discover the many people that tell me how much they love the TV show, and then admit to never having seen the original film. Shame on them. M*A*S*H is a magical tribute to the insanity of war, blending wild slapstick with realistic wartime horrors, and of course Altman's now trademark style. But on top of it, M*A*S*H is just a terrifically entertaining, subversive, and bizarre film. The fact that it all ends up with a crazy football game is genius.

6.) "10" (1979/Blake Edwards): Anyone who discounts "10" as "just that Bo Derek running on the beach movie" is sadly underestimating this entertaining investigation into the male psyche. Dudley Moore stars as George Webber, who is going through a mid-life crisis at 40. He is seemingly stuck in an "adult relationship" he feels to young to accept, and the day he spies young, beautiful Bo Derek in the back seat of a limousine on the way to her wedding, something ignites within, and the fun begins. He becomes enraptured with his naïve vision of "virginal beauty" and begins a clumsy pursuit. But reality can sometimes be a slap in the face, or a roll down the hill, or a root canal, or any of the other abuses that Dudley's little body endures in his journey. The film is really much deeper than its reputation, with great supporting performances from Julie Andrews and Brian Dennehy. I love it. I heard a rumor that Hollywood is remaking "10" as a vehicle for Ashton Kutcher. The horror…the horror.

5.) Dog Day Afternoon (1975/Sidney Lumet): This is Al Pacino before every performance became a variation on Tony Montana, and it is one of his very best roles. This story of a botched bank robbery (based on a true story) and the ensuing hours of chaos is in many ways a "definitive" 70's film: its style and substance will never be seen again. It walks the line between comedy and drama with perfection, and the entire affair is nothing short of riveting.

4.) The Godfather/The Godfather Part 2 (1972/1974/Francis Ford Coppola): Okay, so I cheated. I didn't want to take up two spots on my list, and essentially they are one long movie anyway. We all know about the greatness.

3.) The Conversation (1972/Francis Ford Coppola): Wow, it just occurred to me that Frankie has four films on my list. I guess he did a pretty good job in the 70s. But The Conversation is my favorite of all of them. Gene Hackman's minimalist performance here is something that needs to be seen to be believed -- he is surveillance expert Harry Caul (the best in the biz in probing people's private lives) who becomes personally obsessed with his latest target, and ultimately goes mad. Or does he? There is a lot of controversy in the ending of The Conversation. Did Coppola cheat here? Check it out and let me know what you think! This is truly an amazing film.

2.) Network (1976/Sidney Lumet): Network is a true rarity; a film I have seen God knows how many times, but seems eternally fresh upon each viewing. This unabashed, brutal attack on the television news industry is as timely and important today as it was in 1976 (probably more so really), and its clairvoyant vision of television as a graveyard of exploitative, mind-numbing reality is stunning. Perhaps Network will never strike newcomers the way it did 28 years ago. I mean, how outrageous is the concept of the "Ecumenical Liberation Hour" these days, to a viewer who just spent two months excitedly watching some pathetic twat meet and marry the man of her dreams over the course of eight weekly installments, or soulless monkeys that eat live cockroaches for their 5 minutes of fame? (Warhol's prediction of 15 minutes has dropped significantly in the last few years.) Full circle can be a bitch, and when black satire eventually becomes passive reality, it is as telling as locusts on the horizon.

1.) Being There (1979/Hal Ashby): Peter Sellers gives the performance of his career as Chance the Gardener, a retarded man with no ability to relate to society other than what he has seen on television, who, through a series of bizarre events and misunderstandings, becomes the toast of the Washington D.C. elite. They think his ignorant ramblings are brilliant insights. Being There is an amazing film accomplishment, with Sellers' detached, childlike performance the key . The prospect of an adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski's novel must have been daunting, but every single moment here is perfect. PERFECT!! Hal Ashby is a sadly forgotten director by my estimation, but he is as responsible for the film renaissance of the 70s as Scorsese, Coppola, or Robert Evans. This is his best film, with a final moment that has caused more debate than any I have ever seen. By far, Being There is my favorite, favorite film of the 1970s, and my second favorite of all-time.