Best Film of 1979 (ongoing survey)

[JonTurner]

A quick note:

Some people are now saying it's before their time, so they haven't seen enough to vote... If you've seen even one film that you really liked from the year, and thus you consider it the best you've seen (even if it's the only one you've seen), go ahead and vote. Heck, I was born in '82, so yeah, it's before my time too, but I've still got a favorite from most years back at least through the 70s, even if I've just seen 2 or 3 from the year.


I know we've got polls like this all the time around here, but I figure this one will be a little more comprehensive and perhaps even informative.

This thread will be for your pick for best film released during 1979 (think Oscar considerations for what's eligible). I'm not making it a poll because whether you like it or not, that would influence some people's choice.

Results will be posted in this thread, and all subsequent threads for each year, and they will be ongoing... so you can still vote here even weeks after other year's polls have begun.

Please start your post with your #1 film from 1979 (try to limit it to one - after all, that's the point - two at the most (I'll split the vote)), and yes, discussions are more than welcome!

Current Leader -- Apocalypse Now

All Years:
2000 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=169768) -- Requiem For a Dream*
1999 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=170274) -- Fight Club*
1998 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=171440) -- (currently) Saving Private Ryan
1997 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=172054) -- (currently) Boogie Nights
1996 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=173057) -- Fargo*
1995 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=174141) -- (currently) Braveheart
1994 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=175192) -- Pulp Fiction*
1993 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=176491) -- Schindler's List*
1992 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=177944) -- Unforgiven*
1991 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=179517) -- Silence of the Lambs*
1990 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=182060) -- Goodfellas*
1989 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=183974) -- (currently) Do the Right Thing
1988 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=186578) -- Die Hard*
1987 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=189840) -- Full Metal Jacket*
1986 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=193610) -- (currently) Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1985 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=195894) -- Back to the Future*
1984 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=197576) -- (currently) Ghostbusters
1983 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=199215) -- Return of the Jedi*
1982 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=201052) -- (currently) E.T.
1981 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=202653) -- Raiders of the Lost Ark*
1980 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=204201) -- (currently) Raging Bull
1979 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206190) -- Apocalypse Now*
1978 (http://www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=208024)

If you haven't voted on the previous years, feel free to go back and do so.

*Poll closed, winner declared.

[JonTurner]

Close one for me, but Brian gets my vote:

1) Monty Python's Life of Brian - 9/10
2) Apocalypse Now - 9/10
3) The China Syndrome - 9/10
4) Alien - 8/10

Siskel:
1) Hair
2) Kramer vs. Kramer
3) The Deer Hunter
4) Breaking Away
5) Manhattan
6) The Marriage of Maria Braun
7) Nosferatu, The Vampyre
8) The Onion Field
9) Time After Time
10) The China Syndrome

Ebert:
1) Apocalypse Now
2) Breaking Away
3) The Deer Hunter
4) The Marriage of Maria Braun
5) Hair
6) Saint Jack
7) Kramer vs. Kramer
8) The China Syndrome
9) Nosferatu, The Vampyre
10) 10

[Sunday Morning]

1979

#1 being there

02. manhattan
03. apocalypse now
04. breaking away
05. all the jazz
06. hair
07. over the edge
08. the warriors
09. real life
10. alien

11. the innocent
12. the onion field
13. wise blood
14. hardcore
15. lovers on the run
16. the tin drum
17. rock ‘n’ roll high school
18. nosferatu (herzog)
19. kramer vs. kramer
20. the china syndrome

of note:
10
the amityville horror
and justice for all
baby snakes
la cage aux folles
the great santini
home movies
the in-laws
the jerk
the kids are alright (the who)
life of brian
love at first bite
norma rae
north dallas forty
orchestra rehearsal
phantasm
que viva mexico
the rose
stalker
starting over
the tempest (jarman)
the wanderers
when a stranger calls
winter kills

[ckolchak]

'79 was a GREAT year for movies.
i remember it well.
and it is tough to choose

1) Manhattan
2) Alien

both of those i think will be timeless.

just watched 10 a week or so ago , and was surprised how much it reminded me of American Beauty (mid-life crisis/satire/adult/black humour)

i think 10 was better.

[BearFan]

Gotta go with Alien, scared the crap out of me.

[Johnny Zhivago]

Great year, many great films, but...

The best film was <b>Apocalypse Now</b>.

[Geofferson]

1. Alien
2. Breaking Away

[Goat3001]

Apocolypse Now

[madelinebh]

Alien.

[eedoon]

Apocalypse Now.

[LBPound]

<b>The Muppet Movie</b>!

closely followed by Apocalypse Now

[brizz]

Man...the 70s are gonna be so much harder than the 80s....so many good films.

This is a toss up between Alien and Apocalypse Now, but my vote has to go to the former and Sigourney Weaver's groundbreaking heroine....scared the living crap out of me when I saw it at the tender age of ten :)

Honorable mentions go to:
Life of Brian
China Syndrome
Deer Hunter - the roulette scenes were far and away the most power ten minutes of the year!

[ToddSm66]

1. Apocalypse Now
2. Being There
3. Alien
4. Manhattan
5. The Jerk
6. Monty Python's Life of Brian
7. The Muppet Movie
8. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
9. Mad Max
10. 1941

[JonTurner]

Originally posted by bgills
Honorable mentions go to:
Life of Brian
China Syndrome
Deer Hunter - the roulette scenes were far and away the most power ten minutes of the year!

All great films - but FYI, the Deer Hunter is from '78.

[Robert]

Apocalypse Now

[Jango Fett II]

Rocky II
Alien

[Gdrlv]

Apocalypse Now.

[Tyler_Durden]

Apocalypse Now.

Oh, to imagine this film not winning... the horror... the horror...

[Sierra Disc]

Apocalypse Now.

[Big Quasimodo]

I'm glad you qualified Deer Hunter as 78, cause I would have voted for that.

I go with Alien .

[randy1320]

Alien

The Muppet Movie

[Damfino]

Apocalypse Now

[TCG]

1. Apocalypse Now
2. Alien

[Frank TJ Mackey]

1. Apocalypse Now

2. The Deer Hunter

[garmonbozia]

This is probably the hardest pick yet.........
I ma having problems deciding between Manhattan, Alien, Life of Brian, Being There, and Apocalypse Now.
Ugh....I guess I consider Manhattan and Alien tied for first but am going to pick:

Alien

just for the hell of it.......mainly because I think Alien is so superior to Aliens and most people feel the opposite.

[Capo2002]

Apocalypse Now is easily the best film of that year.

[Surf Monkey]

Apocalypse Now

Boom!

Done!

[explosivej]

Apocalypse Now

[monkey]

Apocalypse Now

[Lebowski]

Apocalypse Now

[audrey]

Apocalypse Now

[Ginwen]

Good year but gotta be

Apocalypse Now

Being There and Manhattan are close behind

[movielib]

I know Apocalypse Now will win this easily but I've never cared for it. Especially when Brando comes on.

I may be the only one, but I vote for All That Jazz, one of the most brilliant and original films I've ever seen.

[wildcatlh]

Another vote for Apocalypse Now.

We've made it backwards to the time I was 2 years old. I'm running out of time.

[Jaymole]

Apocalypse Now

[conscience]

<b>Apocalyse Now</b>

Runner-up:
The Jerk

[Peregrin Took]

APOCALYPSE NOW!!!

Runner-Up: A L (I) E N

[lorenzoh]

Apocalypes Now

[DVD Smurf]

Apocalypse Now
Alien
Deer Hunter
La Cage Aux Folles
Life of Brian


DVD SMURF :)

[swamptours]

I'm going to have to go with Manhattan, with Apocalyspe Now and Alien very closely behind.

[wm lopez]

1)ROCKY 2
2)KRAMER VS. KRAMER

[Bostnbound]

Apocalypse Now

[funstan]

My vote goes to All That Jazz

[Eddyhazkel]

The Jerk

[brizz]

Originally posted by JonTurner


All great films - but FYI, the Deer Hunter is from '78.

I thought as much - didn't it come out round about the same time as Coming Home? regardless, why then is it on Ebert's list that you posted at the top?

[raithen]

Originally posted by Capo2002
Apocalypse Now is easily the best film of that year. How can that be when Alien is obviously the best of '79? Hrmmmm.... ;)

-matt

[JonTurner]

Originally posted by bgills


I thought as much - didn't it come out round about the same time as Coming Home? regardless, why then is it on Ebert's list that you posted at the top?

Going by the release dates on the imdb and the awards in picked up, it's definitely a '78 film... I don't know about Coming Home - I was born in '82 so I'm just going by the available data ;)

As for Ebert putting it on the '79 list, well, he does that sometimes (see Gandhi - on his '83 list) - it's bound to be because he never got to see it in '78 before his list came out, but he felt it definitely good enough to put on the '79 list.

I'm amazed by how many films I see other lesser known critics do this with - I wish everyone would just wait at least a few weeks into the new year to make their lists, but they just don't. Overall, Ebert's pretty good about not doing this.

[SightandSound]

Apocalypse Now

[evenflow]

Apocalypse Now.

[Tikokura]

Apocalypse Now, followed by The Deer Hunter

[yarbage]

Gotta go with:

Apocalypse Now

[randy1320]

Time for '78?

[JonTurner]

Originally posted by randy1320
Time for '78?

Yup, probably tonight, but possibly tomorrow.

[Sparrow]

Alien, then Breaking Away. Both outstanding.

[JonTurner]

Alright - Apocalyse Now dominated much more than I expected, and the other key point to mention is that The Deer Hunter is '79, not '78 (ignore Ebert / Siskel) - check out it's Oscar wins and its release dates on the imdb for confirmation... so we'll see how it'll due in '78.

Tally:
1) Apocalypse Now (28 votes)
2) Alien (8)

Nothing else got more than 2... this one's closed - 1978's open!