Many film scholars argue that the 1970s were the greatest decade of film. The legend typically revolves around the mavericks of “New Hollywood,” directors who helmed some of the most iconic films of the last half-century, such as The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, and Apocalypse Now. But this handful of filmmakers represents an incomplete snapshot of the era. Look beyond Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas to find a decade of dazzling variety with Washington City Paper film critic Noah Gittell.
Hear about the mainstream successes of Hal Ashby, Alan J. Pakula, and Michael Ritchie; blazing female talents like Barbara Loden and Elaine May; experimental masters John Cassavetes and David Lynch; pioneers of the German New Wave Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Werner Herzog; and blaxploitation directors Gordon Parks and Melvin van Peebles. Gittell also dives into how these directors influenced the best young filmmakers working today.
Grab your popcorn and box candy and settle in for a journey through one of the greatest eras of film.
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