6. Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

Directed by Sam Peckinpah

Featuring Warren Oates

”I did ‘Alfredo Garcia’ and I did it exactly the way I wanted to. Good or bad, like it or not, that was my film.” (Sam Peckinpah)

Blood, sex and violence in slow motion, a trademark Peckinpah exploited in many of his films, Monty Python parodied and Tarantino stole. Django Unchained (2012) can be seen as a homage to his revisionist westerns like The Wild Bunch (1969) and Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973). Both marvelous and unique like only Peckinpak could manufacture them. To me, his non western films are still the best, for example The Getaway (1971) and Cross of Iron (1977).

In the beautifully shot Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974), we follow Warren Oates, as Benny, looking for the head of the already dead Alfredo Garcia. Peckinpah’s classic turns autobiographical in Bennie’s constant drinking behavior and refusal to take off his sunglasses, even in bed. In the middle of the film, Kris Kristofferson makes an adorable appearance as a rapist biker. The movie’s style breathes seventies in the coolest manner what makes it one hell of an awesome movie.

5. The King of Comedy (1983)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Featuring Robert Deniro and Jerry Lewis

“Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime.” (Rubert Pupkin)

However critics acclaim Scorsese as one of the biggest filmmakers of all time, a couple of his films do not get the attention they deserve. Alongside his famous masterpieces, his lesser known films like Mean Streets (1973) (!), Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), After Hours (1985) and especially The King of Comedy will dazzle you with their cleverness and excellence.

Opposed to his failure as a comedian in the film, Rubert Pupkin represents one of, if not the funniest De Niro performance ever. As a matter of fact, Jerry Lewis, acting opposite him, once was a real ‘king of comedy’ in classics as The Nutty Professor (1963) and The Bellboy (1960). Although it bombed at the box office, The King of Comedy (1983) is a total gem that does not fall flat coming after praised masterpiece Raging Bull (1980). This black comedy of celebrity worship is disturbingly hilarious which features Martin Scorsese’s favorite role by De Niro.

4. Stardust Memories (1980)

Directed by Woody Allen

Featuring Woody Allen and Charlotte Rampling

“As one great Hollywood producer said: ‘Too much reality is not what the people want”

With that remark, a psychoanalyst tries to handle probably Allen’s actual existential problems as an artist in his film Stardust Memories (1980). Like Otto e mezzo (1963) of Fellini, Alex in Wonderland (1970) of Mazursky, La nuit américaine (1973) of Truffaut, All That Jazz (1979) of Fosse  and later Sogni d’oro (1981) of Moretti, Stardust Memories is a self-referential portrait of the life of an ‘auteur’ director and their moral and creative struggling.  Questions like money, fame, women and cultural appraisal haunt them constantly during and after the film making process. Woody Allen plays an alter ego named Sandy Bates, a director who is misunderstood, hailed for unintentional reasons and has an identity crisis when he cannot express himself the way he wants. It stands among his best films, namely Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Husbands and Wives (1992).

3. Harold and Maude (1971)

Directed by Hal Ashby

Featuring Bud Cort and Ruth Gordon

“Vice, Virtue. It’s best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much *life.* Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you’re bound to live life fully.” (Maude)

Trendy hippie Hal Ashby was paradoxically one of the oldest dudes of the New Hollywood mavericks, invading the old studio system. He had actually started in it by ‘assistant’ directing a lot of Norman Jewison vehicles, with In the Heat of the Night (1967) as most famous example. That movie in particular represented Old Hollywood along the side of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Kramer, 1967) in the famous 1967 Academy Awards battle. They fought against a new guard of films such as The Graduate (Nichols, 1967) and Bonnie and Clyde (Penn, 1967).

A lot of colors and extraordinary characters with strange passions prove Wes Anderson owes Harold and Maude (1971). Next to this hilarious romance between a young adult and an old lady to the singer-song writing sound of Cat Stevens, Ashby made some of the most interesting films of the seventies. The Last Detail (1973) is one of those Jack Nicholson classics and Shampoo (1975) stars a Warren Beatty showing of the coolest hairdo of the decade. Coming Home (1978) features a heartbreaking relationship between John Voight and Jane Fonda, opposite a short but brilliant performance of Bruce Dern. Finally, his Being There (1979) embodies a little magnum opus for Peter Sellers.

2. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Directed by John Cassavetes

Featuring Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk

“Mabel is not crazy, she’s unusual. She’s not crazy, so don’t say she’s crazy.” (Nick Longhetti)

Not really a New Hollywood fella but very important in the Independent American scene, I decided to put this masterpiece on the list. After the revolutionary improvisation of Shadows (1959) and Faces (1968), John Cassavetes made this heartbreaking drama about a woman that cannot handle her family but mostly herself. As a filmmaker, he was a master in character development and this because of the freedom he gave to his actors. As the first film that I saw of him, A Woman Under the Influence made me feel sorry not only for the couple in it but also for the actual actors, Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk. It looked like the director exploited the real shortcomings of these people in an awkward way. In fact, they were just amazing performances that ‘tricked’ me.

Eventually, after watching all of his movies, I became aware of the greatness of Cassavetes’ work. As one of the best filmmakers ever, he comes unbelievably close to realism, therefore has had an enormous influence on recent movements like Dogma ’95 or Mumblecore. If you like this movie, I recommend you to see his wonderful Faces (1968), Husbands (1970), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Opening Night (1977) as well, you will not regret it. Actually, just watch all of his movies.

1. Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Directed by Bob Rafelson

Featuring Jack Nicholson and Karen Black

“I move around a lot, not because I’m looking for anything really, but ’cause I’m getting away from things that get bad if I stay.” (Bobby Dupea)

If there is a actor combo of magnificent films in the history of film, then it must be Jack Nicholson’s chain of masterpieces in the early seventies and this is one of them, to me the best one. Bobby Dupea has anything you can wish for, a rich family, a talent for music and a lady that stands by her man. But still, he is dissatisfied with life, which when we follow him, seems at the same time logic and understandable. We have a Jack Nicholson in all of us (I know I have), meaning wanting to drop out of society’s rules of careering, imposed by our middle class family. It is like Tim Heidecker’s wonderful character in The Comedy (Alverson, 2012) who out of money-spoiled boredom, washes dishes or drives around in a taxi cab. Entering the 21st century, we can conclude that the American, or better the Western dream (steady job+house+family=happiness) did not lead to anything that she promised. It is the existential disappointment of late capitalism.

Bob Rafelson is one of those crazy rich kids who, as a New Hollywood maverick, founded BBS Productions together with Steve Schneider and made some of the most wonderful gems of its period. Jaglom’s A Safe Place, Rafelson’s Head (1968) and especially The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) are good examples of their great but forgotten works. Those few films they produced are contained by a Criterion box dedicated to them, America Lost and Found: The BBS Story. Be sure to look it up!