Carter Country

Jesse Walker continues his walk backwards as he gives us his top ten film for 1978.

Some would say, for film, the 70s came in artistically like a lion and went out like a lamb--or, to be more precise, came in as an era of experimentation and personal filmmaking and went out with a blockbuster mentality.  This isn't really fair, since there was still some amazing stuff in the late 70s (and there were plenty of blockbusters in the early 70s, just not Jaws or Star Wars level).

Anyway, here's the top ten:

1. Gates of Heaven
2. Dawn of the Dead
3. Blue Collar
4. The Deer Hunter
5. Pennies from Heaven
6. Days of Heaven
7. A Walk Through H: The Reincarnation of an Ornithologist
8. Girlfriends
9. Always for Pleasure
10. The Cramps: Live at Napa State Mental Hospital

I like Gates Of Heaven, though I'm not sure if it deserves to be #1.

Dawn Of The Dead may even top the original. (I'm still mad about The New York Times take on it.  If I recall, Janet Maslin noted she walked out early because she couldn't take it, but still gave it a thumbs down.  That wouldn't have bothered me, but then Vincent Canby went to see it and defended Maslin.  Screw you, Canby.)

Blue Collar's pretty good, though maybe ranked too high here.

I've never understood the reputation of The Deer Hunter, which seems incredibly dumb.  Yeah, it looks nice, and has some fine actors, but when it isn't slow it's stupid.

I should note that Jesse is referring to the British mini-series Pennies From Heaven, and I don't think you should mix a series with feature films on a top ten list. (I'm a big fan of Dennis Potter's The Singing Detective, but Pennies From Heaven doesn't do it for me--the only thing it has going for it is it's not as bad as the awful Steve Martin film version.)

Days Of Heaven is one of the most beautiful films ever made.

I've never seen 7, 9 or 10, though they all sound interesting.

Girlfriends is okay.

Honorable mentions:

11. Make Me Psychic
12. The Driver
13. Mongoloid
14. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
15. The Marriage of Maria Braun
16. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
17. ...Forever and Always...
18. Afterlife
19. Special Delivery
20. Phase Transitions in Liquid Crystals

11 and 13 are both (well done) shorts.  12 is a bit of a mess, but a fascinating one.  14 is pretty good (though not as good as the rapturous Pauline Kael review would suggest) and has aged well.  15 and 16 are decent.  I haven't seen the rest.

Other films that might make my top ten or twenty:

The Buddy Holly Story

The Fury

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs

Heaven Can Wait

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

National Lampoon's Animal House

Straight Time

Superman

Others films I like:

Almost Summer, American Hot Wax, The Big Fix, FM, Halloween, Movie Movie, Revenge Of The Pink Panther, An Unmarried Woman, Up In Smoke, A Wedding

Other films of note:

Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes, Autumn Sonata, Avalanche, The Bad News Bears Go To Japan, The Betsy, Big Wednesday, Blood Relative, Bloodbrothers, The Boys From Brazil, The Boys In Company C, The Brink’s Job, California Suite, Capricorn One, Caravans, Casey’s Shadow, The Cheap Detective, Coma, Comes A Horseman, Coming Home, Convoy, Corvette Summer, Damien: Omen II, The End, An Enemy Of The People, Every Which Way But Loose, Eyes Of Laura Mars. F.I.S.T., Fedora, Fingers, Foul Play, Go Tell The Spartans, Goin’ South,

Good Guys Wear Black, The Green Room, Grey Lady Down, Grease, The Greek Tycoon, Harper Valley PTA, Hooper, House Calls, I Spit On Your Grave, Ice Castles, Interiors, International Velvet, Jaws 2, King Of The Gypsies, The Last Waltz, The Legacy, The Lord Of The Rings, Magic, The Medusa Touch, Midnight Express, Moment By Moment, A Night Full Of Rain, Oliver’s Story, The One And Only, Orchestra Rehearsal, Paradise Alley, Perceval, Pretty Baby, Rabbit Test, Renaldo And Clara, Return From Witch Mountain, Robert Et Robert, Same Time Next Year, Scared Straight!, Sextette, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Silent Partner, Slow Dancing In The Big City, The Swarm, TGIF, The Toolbox Murders, The Tree Of Wooden Clogs, Trout, Uncle Joe Shannon,  Viva Italia!, What Max Said, Who Is Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe?, Who’ll Stop The Rain, The Wiz, Wolf Lake, Youngblood