Because it was, like, AWESOME MAN!!!! It blew people's minds!!! Wookies and Death Stars!! Awesome special effects!! I was ten years old!! It changed movies FOREVER!!!

Saturday Night Fever.
Closely followed by annie hall.

here's the rest of my top 10 of 1977:


03. opening night
04. rolling thunder
05. close encounters of the third kind
06. the american friend
07. short eyes
08. the goodbye girl
09. looking for mr.goodbar
10. suspiria

star wars was #79 out of 200 or something

Annie Hall, BTW gcribbs Annie Hall DID win.

Annie Hall by a mile. The lobster scene alone was better than Star Wars.

Why do we need to? It's an opinion, not a thesis.

Star Wars is the only film in this poll that I've seen. I was 3 in 1977. I have seen half of Woody Allen's movies and while I like most of them, I don't see him as deserving of any major awards. That said, I also have to point out that I think the Academy Awards is a crock of shit and I have never cared one way which films or people get those awards. No offense to anyone who feels different, that's just my opinion.

Just to be clear, even though I mentioned those as the film's strong suit, I wasn't trying to imply that was all that the film had to offer. As I said, I'm a fan. I agree with everything you said about the film becoming a part of our popular culture, etc. But I don't think that the award for "Best Picture" should be based on popularity (even though this often plays a factor in the Academy's mind, unfortunately).

Thanks for the excellent post, Terrell. I wish more people voting for Star Wars would follow your lead and take the time to give reasons why they feel it's the better film, just to keep the discussion going.

Right now the two films are neck and neck, with very few votes for any other films that year. Interesting results to be sure!

Annie Hall

To hell with the lobster scene, the scene with Marshall McCluhan is better than every Star Wars movie combined.

It would have been better if McCluhan didn't have such terrible delivery. Holy cow, that was bad!

I recently saw that scene cribbed nearly line-for-line in a commericial. I can't remember the product or the celebrity involved, however.

Star Wars doesn't have any cocaine jokes. That was the deal-breaker for me.

Annie Hall clever, well-directed, and overall brilliant cinematic experience...

Star Wars, great science fiction with awesome s/f with a terrific story, yet it did not measure up to Annie Hall in my eyes.

I like both film, but Annie is the one that would crawl away with the win in my book...

By the way isn't ART great!!!! The ambiguity in the eye of the beholder...

Cheers

DVD Smurf

H U G E Star Wars fan here! Multiple copies of the original trilogy on boots and VHS, own a large number of the books, defend Ep 1 and 2 every chance I get, and was 12 when it came out in the theatres. (Where I saw it 6 times.)

Star Wars was a major event in my life.

Annie Hall was the better film.

(What a great year for films too! Star Wars, Annie Hall, Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters, Sat Night Fever, etc)

Annie Hall wins. It's no contest.

What a great year for Richard Dreyfuss!

this is a good debate because it can literally define who you are!

anyone who picked star wars is a geek.
anyone who picked annie hall is a movie geek.
anyone who picked that obscure object of desire is a true cinephile or on the darker side a movie snob.
anyone who picked saturday night fever is either gay or just loves to boogie (or both)
anyone who picked the goodbye girl is a sap. But a sap with good taste.
anyone who picked the turning point needs to stop watching movies and study with their local ballet.
anyone who picked close encounters really likes mash potatoes.
anyone who picked julia just likes to be different.
anyone who picked the island of dr. moreau needs to have their head examined right away.

oh... one more...

anyone who forgot to pick suspiria will be killed by a mob of angry italians who walk to the beat of a goblin score.

IMO, Star Wars and Annie Hall are two A+ classics that have and will continue to stand the test of time. However, out of the two, I vote for Annie Hall. Because while Star Wars seems its best the younger you are, Annie Hall just gets better and better the older you are... and I'm not getting any younger.

I'm guessing around 90% of those who have voted for Star Wars just saw a contest involving their beloved movie and clicked in to vote for it despite having not seen Annie Hall or any of the other contenders (as is evidenced by the lack of support for SW in the posts).

I voted for AH. Not Woody's best film (that honor would go to Manhattan), but a milestone nonetheless. What Star Wars did for sci-fi/action-adventure, Annie Hall did for romantic comedy.

Well count me in the remaining 10%. I hate Woody Allen with the burning fire of a hundred suns. I've NEVER liked anything he did - and would have voted the same way if it were Annie Hall vs Police Academy 7: Mission to Moscow.

It's nice to know we all fit so neatly into categories.

Since I guess I am a geek I voted for Star Wars. Annie Hall is a very good movie, but to me, Star Wars inspired and captivated me, not only as a child, but as an adult as well. It is the influence that I can best point my finger at, that made me fall in love with Films and filmmaking.

I think alot of people can say that about Star Wars, but how many can say that about Annie Hall, as good as it may be?

I can. Annie Hall utterly captivated me with its unique use of film technique (the subtitled thoughts, the animated sequence, the compare/contrast with the two families etc.), and completely hilarious gags. I think, as a film to get someone into the art of filmmaking, Annie Hall is one of the best.

Nice way to discount all the votes Star Wars might get. Doesnt that, in a way, sort of attest to the power and greatness of that film? I mean if the same could be said for Annie Hall, than others might be whining that the only reason Annie Hall was doing that well was because all the Annie Hall fans instantly felt the need to support their film?

I think it is an insult and a slap in the face to all those who have seen both movies but still voted for Star Wars. I don't know you, but that remark sounds very snobbish to me.

I also wouldnt assume anything because people decided to vote and not make a statement as to why they made their choice. Besides, I think I saw alot of pro Star Wars posts in here, so that statement is without merit. By the way, I voted a couple days ago and only now, after reading the other posts did I make a response. I didnt know it was demanded of me if I were to vote.

I certainly can. I saw SW when it came out and I was seven and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread back then. But when I see it now, it just doesn't hold up anymore. It's more like nostalgic cheese for me. I went to see TPM hoping for some kind of reinvention or maybe to capture that feeling I had back when I was seven. The cheese was still there, but now it was just bad. I didn't see Annie Hall until the early nineties and was my first Allen film, and I was instantly captivated by it and his style of film-making. Simple, hilarious and here 10+ years later I still watch it 2-3 times a year.

I hate polls. I never see all the choices so I can't vote.

Edit: Sorry for this worthless comment.