The Best 70s Movies That Will Never Get Old

The 70s was an interesting decade for film. There were a lot of financial challenges in the first half of the decade, but this didn’t stop movies from breaking records and reaching high levels of success. Some of the biggest movies were produced and released in the 1970s. One of the best examples is “Jaws.” Who hasn’t heard of “Jaws?” This film tells the story of a terrifying killer shark on the hunt. The film score is especially recognizable. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you know the main title.

During this decade, filmmakers were pushing boundaries and trying new things. This made for great, but strange entertainment. “Jaws” isn’t the only unforgettable film of the 1970s. Who could forget “The Rocky Horror Picture Show?” The outfits and makeup were stellar. This horror musical perfectly blended the two genres together and starred big names like Tim Curry. 

Some movies during this decade, like “Halloween,” received an R-rating. 

Crime and serious films were also huge during this decade. In the 1970s we got the unforgettable “The Godfather.” So, what other movies were made in the 1970s?

To create this list 24/7 Tempo consulted various entertainment websites. We focused on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes for plot information and audience ratings. We also took some creative liberty and chose popular movies that didn’t rank as high as others. (For movies from this decade that made lots of money, check out The Highest Grossing R-Rated Movies of the 1970s.) 

Here are best 70s movies that will never get old:

“Halloween” (1978)

Source: Courtesy of Aquarius Releasing

• Director: John Carpenter
• Cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles, and Nancy Loomis

“Halloween” is an iconic film. This one independent slasher film spawned a whole franchise, spin-offs, and video games. It came out on October 25, 1979, and had a budget of $300,000–325,000. Despite this small budget, the film received praise and grossed a whopping $70 million.

“Halloween” is one of those films you don’t have to watch to recognize. The opening title song is highly memorable and catchy, and so is the name of the killer, Michael Myers.

“Taxi Driver” (1976)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Cast: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Leonard Harris

Also released during the 70s is “Taxi Driver.” This hit film was released on February 8, 1976, and killed it at the box office, grossing $28 million. The movie had a budget of $1.9 million.

So many incredible parts of this movie are hard to forget, including the “You talkin’ to me?” speech. “Taxi Driver” was nominated and won multiple awards. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Original Score. This movie is still beloved and has a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 93%.

“The Conversation” (1974)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• Cast: Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, and Harrison Ford

Francis Ford Coppola was super busy during the 1970s. He was killing it, directing multiple award-winning films that are still iconic today. One of the best 70s movies that will never get old is “The Conversation.” This film was released on April 7, 1974. 

Although only moderately successful during its release, the film is now beloved. It’s sometimes considered a cult classic. This movie tells the story of Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who hears about a potential murder.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” (1979)

Source: Courtesy of New World Pictures

• Director: Allan Arkush
• Cast: P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, Clint Howard, and Dey Young

Musicals were big during the 1970s. This was the decade that we got the culturally iconic and fun musical, “Grease.” During the same decade, “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School,“ was also released. This film features the Ramones, a popular punk rock band.

Not only are the songs catchy, but the characters are easy to fall in love with. The movie isn’t perfect, but it’s fun and scored an 81% on the Tomatometer.

“The Godfather” (1972)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, and Robert Duvall

Two years before “The Conversation” was released, Francis Ford Coppola released one of his best movies. He directed this American epic crime movie, “The Godfather,” with a budget of about $6 million. Who knew this movie would grow so popular?

You don’t have to watch the movie to know of it. So many films, TV shows, video games, and even music videos were inspired by this film. “The Godfather” grossed an impressive $250 to 291 million.

“The Outlaw Josey Wales” (1976)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Director: Clint Eastwood
• Cast: Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney and John Vernon

Clint Eastwood is a phenomenal actor and director. During the 1970s, he worked on a few projects, but one of his best has to be “The Outlaw Josey Wales.” This western war film was released on June 30, 1976. It was successful at the box office and has a 91% audience and a Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

This film may not sound interesting to you, but it was released during a time when the Western genre was low. Some even thought it was dying out. And yet, this film quickly gained success and recognition. Two decades later in 1996, the movie was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

• Director: Jim Sharman
• Cast: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” pushed a lot of boundaries. Many modern viewers are surprised it was released during the 70s and not now. This horror-comedy musical has a little bit of everything, including some of the best performances ever. The songs are catchy, the outfits are stunning, and the sets work so well. 

The film had a budget of $1.4 million and grossed a jaw-dropping $170 million. It has a cult following, and like the previous film on our list was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

“Superman” (1978)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Director: Richard Donner
• Cast: Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Jeff East, Margot Kidder, and Glenn Ford

So many superhero movies were released during the 70s. One of the best ones hands down is “Superman.” This action-adventure movie came out on December 15, 1978, in the United States. It was loved immediately and grossed $300.5 million against a $55 million budget.

Christopher Reeve does a phenomenal job in this film bringing Superman and Clark Kent to life. It won many awards, including an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (Special Achievement). This film also scored a 94% on the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Rocky” (1976)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

• Director: John G. Avildsen
• Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith

Lots of people each year travel to Philadelphia to run up the steps like Rocky, a character from the iconic 1976 sports film. So many audience members fell in love with Sylvester Stallone’s portrayal of this character. But did you know he also wrote the film?

“Rocky” was released on December 3, 1976, in the United States. It was incredibly successful at the box office, grossing $225 million against a $860,000 budget.

“All That Jazz” (1979)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

• Director: Bob Fosse
• Cast: Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer, and Cliff Gorman

Another musical makes our list. “All That Jazz” is a dreamy fantasy musical with incredible talent. The film was released on December 20, 1979, in the United States and was moderately successful. Although it earned more than its budget, the film became a cult classic later on.

The film was received well and earned plenty of awards. It earned Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, and Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score.

“Dawn of the Dead” (1978)

Source: Courtesy of United Film Distribution Company (UFDC)

• Director: George A. Romero
• Cast: David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, and Gaylen Ross

“Dawn of the Dead” is considered one of the best horror movies for a reason. It has great acting, a strong plot, and stunning makeup effects and costumes. This zombie movie accomplished a lot with a small budget of $640,000. It grossed $66 million.

This horror zombie movie was so successful it quickly spawned four official sequels. On Rotten Tomatoes, this movie has an audience score of 90% with over 100,000 ratings. 

“A Clockwork Orange” (1971)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Cast: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, and Miriam Karlin

Also on our list of the best 70s movies that will never get old is “A Clockwork Orange.” This fantastic film is unique and combines crime and dystopian themes. It stars talent like Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, and Miriam Karlin. Over the years this film has gathered a following.

In the United States, it was released on February 2, 1972. It grossed $114 million against a budget of $1.3 million. The movie won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film and Best Director.

“The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” (1974)

Source: Courtesy of Bryanston Distributing

• Director: Tobe Hooper
• Cast: Marilyn Burn, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, and Gunnar Hansen

Horror movies were killing it during the 1970s. Another great horror film released during this decade is “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.” This film is the reason many people are afraid of chainsaws. The movie tells the story of a group of young friends as they try to survive a chainsaw-wielding killer. 

This film was successful during its release, earning $30.9 million. It had a budget of about $80,000 to 140,000. “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” is one of the most influential horror films to ever be released. It transformed the slasher genre.

“The Exorcist” (1973)

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

• Director: William Friedkin
• Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair

How can we forget about “The Exorcist?” This bone-chilling paranormal horror movie is another classic. It was released on December 26, 1973, in the United States. This frightening film is one of the most influential horror movies of all time. Against a budget of about $12 million, it grossed $441.3 million at the box office.

The movie received multiple sequels and is a pop culture icon. Even if you’ve never seen the film, you’ve probably seen the clip of Regan possessed.

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975)

Source: Courtesy of Cinema 5 Distributing

• Director: Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
• Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin

Moving away from incredible horror movies, we have one of the best comedy films ever released, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” This hilarious British movie is still quoted today and has a large cult following.

The film was released on April 3, 1975. It did well in the U.K., but really earned recognition later on. On Rotten Tomatoes, this movie scored a 95% audience score and a 96% on the Tomatometer. The audience score is incredible, but even more amazing once you know it comes from over 250,000 ratings.

“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” (1977)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

• Director: George Lucas
• Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, and Alec Guinness

The 1970s was a great time for unforgettable movies. Many have become timeless classics. It’s hard to choose just a few, still, there was no way “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope,” wasn’t making our list. This incredible sci-fi movie came out on May 25, 1977. It’s the first of many Star Wars films. Who knew this movie would do so well?

Star Wars movies are so incredibly influential that you don’t have to see them to understand them. They’ve been parodied so many times and influenced many TV shows and films. This movie grossed a stunning $775.4 million against a budget of $11 million.

“Jaws” (1975)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, and Murray Hamilton

Probably the most memorable movie of the 1970s is “Jaws.” This terrifying thriller adventure follows a group of people as they are hunted, and hunt, a blood-thirsty shark. This movie inspired many shark movies and had some of the best effects of its time. The shark in the film, for instance, was mechanical. 

Because of technical and budget issues, the film ran into some problems. But it was all worth it. “Jaws” grossed $476 million against a $9 million budget. The main title of the film is super memorable. The moment you hear the first “dun,” you know what’s coming. “Jaws” won an Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score.

“Grease” (1978)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

• Director: Randal Kleiser
• Cast: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Eve Arden, and Frankie Avalon

Lastly is “Grease,” a musical romantic comedy that inspired a whole generation to want to wear pink poodle skirts and thick leather jackets. Set in 1958, this fun movie tells the love story of sweet Sandy Olsson and the greaser Danny Zuko.

Who can forget the songs from this film? They are catchy and easy to get lost in. “Grease” was released on June 16, 1978, and was an immediate hit. It grossed nearly $400 million on a budget of $6 million. 

The 1980s was also a special time for film. Click here to discover the Best 80s Movies That Will Never Get Old.