5 Great 1970s Action Movies Nobody Talks About

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They could be genre-blenders, but they can’t be movies that are frequently talked about or referenced to this day. In other words, we didn’t include mega movies that still have a ton of clout and popularity like the ’70s 007 movies, the Dirty Harry films, The French Connection, Shaft, The Poseidon Adventure, Enter the Dragon, The Towering Inferno, Assault on Precinct 13, Superman, Mad Max, The Warriors or, of course, Star Wars.

5) Rolling Thunder

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Rolling Thunder is not a feel-good movie, not by a longshot. However, this story of a POW who returns home only to have his wife and child killed is about as gripping as a revenge action-thriller can get.

On top of the excellent lead performance by William Devane (Hollow Man, Marathon Man), Rolling Thunder also benefits from some typically reliable work by an early career Tommy Lee Jones, whose fellow released POW, Johnny Vohden, assists Devane’s Major Charles Rane in the lengthy shootout sequence that concludes the film. This is one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite movies, and one can certainly pick up on some of its influences on the Inglourious Basterds director when viewing it nearly 50 years after its release.

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4) The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

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The 2009 version directed by Tony Scott tried, but they already got adapting Morton Freedgood’s The Taking of Pelham One Two Three right the first time. Walter Matthau was perfect as the cool under pressure Lt. Zachary Garber while Robert Shaw was equally adept as the head hostage-taker Mr. Blue, who is putting all of this pressure on not just Garber but the entire city (especially the hostages).

It’s a cat and mouse game where both the cat and the mouse are mostly relegated to a single location, and it works like a charm. This classic is also notable for how many future big stars are present, e.g. Everybody Loves Raymond‘s Doris Roberts, Seinfeld‘s Jerry Stiller, and Héctor Elizondo.

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3) The Omega Man

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Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend is a book that has never been perfectly adapted, and The Omega Man is no exception. But at least it works as a tense post-apocalyptic adventure that isn’t afraid to have some fun.

It’s one of the better vampire movies out there, at least from the ’70s. Charlton Heston has the winking charisma required for the role of a man going against a group of pale-faced cultish vampire people, Anthony Zerbe always made for a fantastic villain, and the production design has an early ’70s charm.

2) The Getaway

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One of the great classic heist films, The Getaway was not particularly loved by critics when it first hit theaters. Respect for the film didn’t really start to build until the 2000s, probably because critics eventually got a look at just how bad a version of this story could be (meaning Roger Donaldson’s wildly unpleasant 1994 remake starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger).

It’s a pretty straightforward heist film, including all the staples that became favorites of the subgenre in time, including a betrayal, a wildcard member of the heist squad who takes his mask off and kills a guard, and the like, but this was before all of those things became cliches. As far as McQueen movies go, it’s no Bullitt, but it’s surprising how few people mention this one these days considering it was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1972.

1) The Eiger Sanction

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When it comes to Clint Eastwood’s ’70s filmography, Play Misty for Me, Dirty Harry, High Plains Drifter, Magnum Force, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Enforcer, and Escape from Alcatraz all still continue to hold a high level of clout 50 years later. The Eiger Sanction, however, not so much.

And the lack of love for Eiger is pretty odd, considering this was what amounted to Eastwood’s James Bond movie. It’s a combination of 007 and Cliffhanger and, while not high art, it’s a good bit of fun that lets you check your brain at the door.