Top Ten of 1974: World Premieres
| 1. | Chinatown Dir. Roman Polanski. With Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston A+ |
| 2. | A Woman under the Influence Dir. John Cassavetes. With Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk A+ |
| 3. | The Conversation Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. With Gene Hackman, John Cazale A |
| 4. | Xala Dir. Ousmane Sembene. With Thierno Leye, Seune Samb, Makhouredia Gueye A |
| 5. | The Godfather Part II Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. With Al Pacino, Robert De Niro A– |
| 6. | Ali–Fear Eats the Soul Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder. With Brigitte Mira, El Hedi ben Salem A– |
| 7. | Swept Away Dir. Lina Wertmüller. With Mariangela Melato, Giancarlo Giannini, Riccardo Salvino A– |
| 8. | Claudine Dir. John Berry. With Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs A– |
| 9. | Hearts and Minds Dir. Peter Davis. Documentary about American reactions to Vietnam War A– |
| 10. | Mirror Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky. With Margarita Terekhova, Philip Yankovsky, Ignat Daniltsev A– |
Reviews from 1974
★ = Full Review / © = Capsule Review / ★ = Blog or Special Feature Review (New Window)
★ Claudine Dir. John Berry. With Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs A–
★ Swept Away Dir. Lina Wertmüller. With Mariangela Melato, Giancarlo Giannini, Riccardo Salvino A–
More Grades from 1974
Unreviewed titles I have seen recently enough to grade
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore Dir. Martin Scorsese. With Ellen Burstyn, Alfred Lutter III B+
Blazing Saddles Dir. Mel Brooks. With Cleavon Little, Harvey Korman, Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks C+
Blood for Dracula Dir. Paul Morrissey. With Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro, Arno Juerging B+
Cat's Play Dir. Károly Makk. With Margit Dajka, Samu Balázs, Elma Bulla, Mari Töröcsik B+
Céline and Julie Go Boating Dir. Jacques Rivette. With Dominique Labourier, Juliet Berto, Bulle Ogier B–
Conversation Piece Dir. Luchino Visconti. With Burt Lancaster, Helmut Berger, Silvana Mangano C+
Daisy Miller Dir. Peter Bogdanovich. With Cybill Shepherd, Barry Brown, Cloris Leachman C
Earthquake Dir. Mark Robson. With Charlton Heston, Geneviève Bujold, Ava Gardner, Lorne Greene D+
The Great Gatsby Dir. Jack Clayton. With Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern D
Harry and Tonto Dir. Paul Mazursky. With Art Carney, Philip Bruns, Ellen Burstyn, Larry Hagman C
Je tu il elle Dir. Chantal Akerman. With Chantal Akerman, Niels Arestrup, Claire Wauthion A–
Lenny Dir. Bob Fosse. With Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, Jan Miner, Stanley Beck, Frankie Man C+
Lovin' Molly Dir. Sidney Lumet. With Blythe Danner, Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, Conrad Fowkes D
Murder on the Orient Express Dir. Sidney Lumet. With Albert Finney, Richard Widmark, Lauren Bacall C
The Migrants Dir. Tom Gries. TV Movie. With Ron Howard, Cloris Leachman, Sissy Spacek, Ed Lauter B–
The Nickel Ride Dir. Robert Mulligan. With Jason Miller, John Hillerman, Bo Hopkins, Linda Haynes B–
The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat Dir. Robert Taylor. Animated. Voices of Skip Hinnant, Reva Rose C–
The Savage Is Loose Dir. George C. Scott. With George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, John David Carson D+
The Sugarland Express Dir. Steven Spielberg. With Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Michael Sacks B+
Thieves Like Us Dir. Robert Altman. With Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, Bert Remsen, John Schuck B+
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Dir. Michael Cimino. With Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy C–
The Towering Inferno Dir. John Guillemin. With Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden B–
Young Frankenstein Dir. Mel Brooks. With Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr B–
Notable Shorts
Tough to grade along stable criteria
Dyketactics Dir. Barbara Hammer. Experimental portrait of lesbian bodies, eros, and collective being
Also from 1974
Memories too distant for grading
Fetching
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Dir. Tobe Hooper. With Marilyn Burns, Gunner Hansen, Ed Neal
Still to Come from 1974
Gourmet Prospects:
Alice in the Cities Dir. Wim Wenders. With Rüdiger Vogler, Yella Rottländer, Lisa Kreuzer
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Dir. Sam Peckinpah. With Warren Oates, Isela Vega
Edvard Munch Dir. Peter Watkins. With Geir Westby, Gro Fraas, Kerstii Allum, Eric Allum
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser Dir. Werner Herzog. With Bruno S., Walter Ladengast, Brigitte Mira
A Film About a Woman Who... Dir. Yvonne Rainer. Feminist experiment with filmic image and sound
Lacombe, Lucien Dir. Louis Malle. With Pierre Blaise, Aurore Clément, Holger Löwenadler
Lancelot du lac Dir. Robert Bresson. With Luc Simon, Laura Duke Condominas, Humbert Balsan
The Night Porter Dir. Liliana Cavani. With Dirk Bogarde, Charlotte Rampling, Philippe Leroy
The Parallax View Dir. Alan J. Pakula. With Warren Beatty, Paula Prentiss, William Daniels
The Phantom of Liberty Dir. Luis Buñuel. With Michel Piccoli, Jean-Claude Brialy, Monica Vitti
Further Research:
99 and 44/100% Dead Dir. John Frankenheimer. With Richard Harris, Edmond O'Brien
The Abdication Dir. Anthony Harvey. With Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Cyril Cusack, Paul Rogers
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz Dir. Ted Kotcheff. With Richard Dreyfuss, Micheline Lanctôt
And Now My Love Dir. Claude Lelouch. With André Dussollier, Marthe Keller, Charles Denner
Arabian Nights Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini. With Ninetto Davoli, Franco Citti, Franco Merli
The Arena Dir. Steve Carver. With Margaret Markov, Pam Grier, Lucretia Love, Paul Muller
The Autobiography of Jane Pittman Dir. John Korty. TV Movie. With Cicely Tyson, Eric Brown
Black Christmas Dir. Bob Clark. With Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon
Brian's Song Dir. Buzz Kulik. TV Movie. With James Caan, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Warden
Butley Dir. Harold Pinter. With Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy, Georgina Hale, Michael Byrne, Susan Engel
Caged Heat Dir. Jonathan Demme. With Juanita Brown, Roberta Collins, Erica Gavin, Ella Reid
California Split Dir. Robert Altman. With George Segal, Elliott Gould, Ann Prentiss, Gwen Welles
The Cars that Eat People Dir. Peter Weir. With John Meillon, Terry Camilleri, Kevin Miles
Cockfighter Dir. Monte Hellman. With Warren Oates, Richard B. Shull, Harry Dean Stanton
Conrack Dir. Martin Ritt. With Jon Voight, Paul Winfield, Madge Sinclair, Tina Andrews
Cousin Angelica Dir. Carlos Saura. With José Luis López Vázquez, Fernando Delgado
Crime of Love Dir. Luigi Comencini. With Giuliano Gemma, Stefania Sandrelli, Brizio Montinaro
Dark Star Dir. John Carpenter. With Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich, Dan O'Bannon
Dead of Night Dir. Bob Clark. With John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Richard Backus, Anya Ormsby
Death Wish Dir. Michael Winner. With Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, Steven Keats
The Deluge Dir. Jerzy Hoffman. With Daniel Olbrychski, Malgorzata Braunek, Tadeusz Lomnicki
Don't Touch the White Woman! Dir. Marco Ferreri. With Marcello Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve
The Driver's Seat Dir. Giuseppe Patroni Griffi. With Elizabeth Taylor, Ian Bannen, Guido Mannari
Effi Briest Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder. With Hanna Schygulla, Wolfgang Schenck, Ulli Lommel
Electra, My Love Dir. Miklós Jancsó. With Mari Töröcsik, György Cserhalmi, József Madaras
Emmanuelle Dir. Just Jaeckin. With Sylvia Kristel, Alain Cuny, Marika Green, Daniel Sarky
Eugenie Sex Happening Dir. Jess Franco. With Soledad Miranda, Paul Muller, Andrés Monales
Female Trouble Dir. John Waters. With Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole
For Pete's Sake Dir. Peter Yates. With Barbra Streisand, Michael Sarrazin, Estelle Parsons
The Four Musketeers Dir. Richard Lester. With Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain, Raquel Welch
Foxy Brown Dir. Jack Hill. With Pam Grier, Antonio Fargas, Peter Brown, Terry Carter
Freebie and the Bean Dir. Richard Rush. With Alan Arkin, James Caan, Loretta Swit, Jack Kruschen
The Front Page Dir. Billy Wilder. With Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Susan Sarandon
The Gambler Dir. Karel Reisz. With James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Lauren Hutton, Morris Carnovsky
Ginger in the Morning Dir. Gordon Wiles. With Sissy Spacek, Monte Markham, Susan Oliver
The Girl in Room 2A Dir. William Rose. With Daniela Giordano, Raf Vallone, John Scanlon
Going Places Dir. Bertrand Blier. With Gérard Depardieu, Patrick Dewaere, Miou-Miou
Les hautes solitudes Dir. Philippe Garrel. With Jean Seberg, Tina Aumont, Nico, Laurent Terzieff
Huckleberry Finn Dir. J. Lee Thompson. With Jeff East, Paul Winfield, Harvey Korman, David Wayne
Inserts Dir. John Byrum. With Richard Dreyfuss, Jessica Harper, Bob Hoskins, Veronica Cartwright
It's Alive Dir. Larry Cohen. With John P. Ryan, Sharon Farrell, James Dixon, William Wellman Jr.
Juggernaut Dir. Richard Lester. With Richard Harris, Omar Sharif, David Hemmings, Shirley Knight
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie Dir. Jorge Grau. With Cristina Galbó, Ray Lovelock, Arthur Kennedy
The Longest Yard Dir. Robert Aldrich. With Burt Reynolds, Eddie Albert, Ed Lauter, Michael Conrad
The Lords of Flatbush Dirs. Martin Davidson & Steven Verona. With Perry King, Sylvester Stallone
Luther Dir. Guy Green. With Stacy Keach, Patrick Magee, Hugh Griffith, Robert Stephens, Alan Badel
Madhouse Dir. Jim Clark. With Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri
Mame Dir. Gene Saks. With Lucille Ball, Kirby Furlong, Bea Arthur, Robert Breston, Bruce Davison
The Man with the Golden Gun Dir. Guy Hamilton. With Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland
Nuda per Satana Dir. Luigi Batzella. With Rita Calderoni, James Harris, Renato Lupi
The Odessa File Dir. Ronald Neame. With Jon Voight, Maximilian Schell, Maria Schell, Mary Tamm
Open Season Dir. Peter Collinson. With Peter Fonda, John Phillip Law, Cornelia Sharpe, Richard Lynch
Phantom of the Paradise Dir. Brian De Palma. With William Finley, Paul Williams, Jessica Harper
Rabid Dogs Dir. Mario Bava. With Riccardo Cucciolla, Don Backy, Lea Lander, Maurice Poli
Rhinoceros Dir. Tom O'Horgan. With Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Karen Black, Joe Silver, Robert Weil
Scent of a Woman Dir. Dino Risi. With Vittorio Gassman, Alessandro Momo, Agostina Belli
Score Dir. Radley Metzger. With Claire Wilbur, Calvin Culver, Lynn Lowry, Gerald Grant
Shanks Dir. William Castle. With Marcel Marceau, Tsilla Chelton, Philippe Clay, Cindy Eilbacher
S*P*Y*S Dir. Irvin Kershner. With Donald Sutherland, Elliott Gould, Zouzou, Joss Ackland
Stavisky... Dir. Alain Resnais. With Jean-Paul Belmondo, François Périer, Charles Boyer
Sweet Movie Dir. Dušan Makavejev. With Carole Laure, Pierre Clémenti, Anna Prucnal, Sami Frey
Symptoms Dir. José Ramón Larraz. With Angela Pleasance, Peter Vaughan, Lorna Heilbron
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Dir. Joseph Sargent. With Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw
The Tamarind Seed Dir. Blake Edwards. With Julie Andrews, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quayle
The Terminal Man Dir. Mike Hodges. With George Segal, Joan Hackett, Richard Dysart
Three the Hard Way Dir. Gordon Parks, Jr. With Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, Jim Kelly
Thriller: A Cruel Picture Dir. Bo Arne Vibenius. With Christina Lindberg, Heinz Hopf
The Turn of the Screw Dir. Dan Curtis. TV Movie. With Lynn Redgrave, Jasper Jacob, Eva Griffiths
The Voyage Dir. Vittorio De Sica. With Sophia Loren, Richard Burton, Ian Bannen, Barbara Pilavin
We All Loved Each Other So Much Dir. Ettore Scola. With Nino Manfredi, Vittorio Gassman
The White Dawn Dir. Philip Kaufman. With Warren Oates, Timothy Bottoms, Lou Gossett Jr.
The Yakuza Dir. Sydney Pollack. With Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura, Brian Keith, Herb Edelman
Year One Dir. Roberto Rossellini. With Luigi Vannucchi, Dominique Darel, Rita Calderoni
Zardoz Dir. John Boorman. With Sean Connery, Charlotte Rampling, Sara Kestelman, Niall Buggy
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