Notes from awards committee: Without a doubt, 1976 fielded some tough competition for Best Motion Picture. Rocky is a classic sports-underdog tale, but Network wins the HC Best Picture award in a split decision. The psychological unraveling of TV anchorman, Howard Beale, is unforgettable cinema. The wickedness of the cast, and the tight, hard hitting script more than made up for the minor flaws. Network directed by Sidney Lumet scores a rare triple HC award, and wins Best Motion Picture in a photo finish.
The World at Large
Fun Surprises - Rocky – written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, is a classic boxing movie about the (much loved) underdog fighting for respect and honor with his fists and plenty of heart. Battling to the brutal and bloody ending was exhausting, but it stumbles toward the feel good finish line with Stallone screaming, “Adrian!” over and over. And Apollo Creed says, “There ain’t gonna be no rematch.” But we all knew that was a lie. The cast of B-list actors delivered amazing performances and earned it best picture by the Academy. Many more Rocky Balboa flicks were to follow, but watch the original. It is clearly the best. Bad News Bears - There's not an ounce of sentimentality in this flick about a team of foul-mouthed misfit kids and their hard drinking manager, and that's what makes it great. One by one, this film takes aim at three sacred institutions: sappy sports flicks, sugary sweet kids' movies and the hell of Little League -- and the result is a down-and-dirty delight. This is Walter Matthau’s career best movie. Avoid the botched 2005 remake and watch the original. Silver Streak - This is the first of four films starring the comedy duo of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, and in retrospect, their best effort. I first saw this movie in 1976, and still enjoy it. It simply nails all the genres it aimed at, especially comedy. The final, climatic train wreck scene has to be seen to be believed. The movie plays with one of Hitchcock's favorite themes; an ordinary Joe (Gene Wilder) stumbles into an unexpected and dangerous situation. But the film's masterstroke is the addition of Pryor as a petty thief. Although this film restrains his usual vulgar language, he instantly adds a cool energy and a perfect counterbalance to Wilder. This is a classic train flick that would not be made today. Midway – is a military history film about the WW2 American naval victory off Midway Island about six months after the shocking and devastating Japanese surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. The movie was made 30 years after WWII, so it doesn't have a jingoistic feel to it. It has more of a matter of fact feel to it, more a docudrama than propaganda. The movie is different from most war movies because it clearly shows how Grand battles are won and lost. There is some individual heroism by ordinary sailors and airmen shown, but the focus is on the American and Japanese high command, in this case admirals make decisions and take risks usually based on sketchy information. They put everything on line. We see how the outcome of a battle can hinged on risky decisions or sometimes on indecision. We see how commanders have to sweat out their decisions as History hangs on the balance. This battle, after all, is considered the turning point of the War in the Pacific. If viewers give it the appropriate attention, they will see that this movie plays like a giant chess match. The outcome determined by gutsy moves and bad decisions, sometimes indecision. The movie boasts an impressive cast which include, Henry Fonda, Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum, Cliff Robertson, Charlton Heston and they all do fine jobs. Taxi Driver – is a fictional portrait of Travis Bickle, an alienated loner in an urban hellscape. Travis drives a taxi on the night shift in NYC and meets a couple of memorable female characters: Betsy, the unattainable blonde goddess played by Cybill Shepard, and Iris, a 12 year old prostitute played by Jodie Foster (she was actually 14 but did look 12 in the film). Iris works for Harvey Keitel, the only white pimp in Harlem. Travis tries his hand at courting Betsy, but it is a disaster waiting to happen; Betsy being haut bourgeois and Travis being a low prole makes for some of the only funny scenes in this film. The movie trudges through the psychological breakdown of Travis and drags during subplots before we finally get to the dramatic showdown where Travis unexpectantly goes from a Zero to a Hero dispensing vigilante justice, a favorite theme of the 1970s. TD is not a bad movie, but I saw it once and never wanted to watch again. The movie is miles away from the “masterpiece” zone as claimed by so many Cineastes/ Scorsese fan boys. Footnote for Taxi Driver: Five years later in 1981 at the DC Hilton Hotel, a psychopathic loser named John Hinckley took six shots and wounded four men, including President Reagan. Hinckley believed the mass shooting would impress Jodie Foster, with whom he had developed a romantic obsession after seeing her in Taxi Driver as Iris. The clueless Hinckley was not aware that Jodie is a lesbian. Disappointments - All the Presidents Men - How could a bungled burglary at an unknown place named Watergate derail an American presidency? We know now that it was the FBI's number two man, and J Edger Hoover loyalist, W Mark Felt (aka Deep Throat) who betrayed Nixon to feed WP reporters, Woodward and Bernstein, critical tips and inside information that led the trail to Nixon’s White House. Redford and Hoffman were at their best during the 1970's, and do a believable job of depicting news hounds Woodward and Bernstein, even if they do embrace the fake version of presenting the gallant reporter in the difficult task of discovering “the Truth”. The movie is very overrated and much of the praise this film received is for the confused, “noble” message about “the President is not above the law” when in fact Mr. Nixon never once claimed he was. Strictly speaking from its intrinsic cinematic quality, the film is mediocre at best, but highly effective as biased political propaganda.
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