1970s Films: Best Movies, Directors And Trends
New Hollywood, the first blockbusters, and British cinema surviving on comedy and horror.
Below: the films worth watching from the 1970s, the directors behind them, what was changing in cinema, and the year-by-year screen highlights from 1970 to 1979.
Useful for a film night, a themed party, a quiz round or working out what someone grew up watching.
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Shop prints and posters Look back to 1970 Look back to 1971 Look back to 1972
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Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card)
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Best films of the 1970s
- A Clockwork Orange (1971), Kubrick.
- The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974).
- The Wicker Man (1973).
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Life of Brian (1979).
- Jaws (1975) - the first summer blockbuster.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
- Rocky (1976) and Taxi Driver (1976).
- Star Wars (1977).
- Grease (1978) and Saturday Night Fever (1977).
- Alien (1979).
Directors who defined the 1970s
- Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and the New Hollywood generation.
- Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, who invented the modern blockbuster between them.
- Stanley Kubrick, still working from England.
- Ridley Scott, whose first big film changed science fiction.
- The Monty Python team, who kept British comedy on screen.
Cinema trends of the 1970s
- Jaws in 1975 and Star Wars in 1977 create the wide release and the summer season.
- Merchandising becomes part of the business - Star Wars figures outlast the film's run.
- British production shrinks; sitcom spin-offs and sex comedies fill the gap.
- Hammer horror fades out as American horror gets nastier.
- The last big drop in cinema attendance before video arrives.
Going to the pictures
- Queues round the block for Star Wars, for weeks.
- Smoking still allowed in parts of the auditorium.
- Kia-Ora, Butterkist and a Kiora advert everyone can still hum.
- The Pearl and Dean theme before the adverts.
Film and television, year by year
- 1970 - Colour television licences were still new and most viewing was in black and white.
- 1971 - The Two Ronnies began on BBC One.
- 1972 - Are You Being Served? and Emmerdale Farm both began.
- 1973 - Last of the Summer Wine began; Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em followed in 1973.
- 1974 - Tiswas began on ATV; Porridge began on BBC One.
- 1975 - Fawlty Towers began in September; The Good Life also started.
- 1976 - The Muppet Show began on ITV.
- 1977 - Star Wars opened in the UK in December.
- 1978 - Grange Hill began in February.
- 1979 - Life of Brian was released and banned by several local councils.
Years covered in the 1970s
- 1970 - England defended the World Cup, the Beatles ended and eighteen-year-olds got the vote. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1970
- 1971 - Decimal Day, the first Glastonbury as we know it and Slade on the way up. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1971
- 1972 - Miners' strikes and power cuts, Ziggy Stardust and a very good year for glam. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1972
- 1973 - Britain joined the EEC, the oil crisis hit and Slade wrote Christmas. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1973
- 1974 - Two general elections, the three-day week and Abba winning Eurovision. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1974
- 1975 - Bohemian Rhapsody, the EEC referendum and Fawlty Towers. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1975
- 1976 - The heatwave, the drought and the first stirrings of punk. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1976
- 1977 - Silver Jubilee street parties, Star Wars and the summer punk went overground. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1977
- 1978 - Grease, the first test-tube baby and the start of the winter of discontent. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1978
- 1979 - The winter of discontent, the first woman Prime Minister and the last year of the seventies. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1979
- That is every 1970s year we have written up so far: 1970 to 1979.
How to use this
- Film night: one film from the decade, the matching party playlist before it, and a quiz round after.
- Quiz round: read a film and ask for the year, or read a director and ask for the film.
- Reminiscence: ask what the first film they saw at the cinema was, and who took them.
- Anyone born in 1970 turns 50 in 2020, 60 in 2030 and 70 in 2040.
Found your words? Now find the card
Shop prints and posters Look back to 1970 Look back to 1971 Look back to 1972
How to write it so it lands
- Check the UK release date as well as the year - plenty of American films reached Britain months later.
- For a themed night, pick the film from the year someone turned eighteen, not the year they were born.
- Ask what the first film they saw at the cinema was. It gets a better story than asking their favourite.
Where to shop next
- Look back to 1970
- Look back to 1971
- Look back to 1972
- Look back to 1973
- Look back to 1974
- Look back to 1975
- Look back to 1976
- Look back to 1977
- Look back to 1978
- Look back to 1979
- 1970s books, films and TV
- 1970s calendar: year by year
- 1970s trivia: fun facts
- 1970s music: albums, artists and songs
- 1970s shopping guide
- The 1970s: the whole decade
- Retro gift guide: the 1970s
- 1970s party playlist
- 70s kids' TV shows
- 70s quiz questions
- British Bulldog rules
- Kerby rules
- Sweets that disappeared
- Test card, Ceefax and three channels
- Decade history: key events, politics and culture by era
- Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
- Decade films: best films and directors by era
- Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
- Decade shopping guides by era
- Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
- Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
- Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
- Decade calendar: every year from 1920
- Decade trivia: fun facts by era
- Decade trivia game: play for points
- Nostalgia gift shop
- Guess the year quiz
- Milestone birthday cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Pin badges
- All guides
Frequently asked questions
What are the best films of the 1970s?
A Clockwork Orange (1971), Kubrick. The full list above names real films with their release years, from the 1970s.
Which directors defined the 1970s?
Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and the New Hollywood generation. The directors section above covers the rest.
What was cinema like in the 1970s?
Jaws in 1975 and Star Wars in 1977 create the wide release and the summer season. The trends and going-to-the-pictures sections above cover both the industry and the experience.
Do you sell films or DVDs?
No. We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK. This page is free to read, print and copy for a quiz or a film night.