The Favorite Films Before My Lifetime: 1978

Here's our Oscar race

WINNER - The Deer Hunter

Coming Home

Heaven Can Wait

Midnight Express

An Unmarried Woman

Now for me

Dawn Of The Dead

The first time I saw this movie, the gore in it blew my mind.  I'd never seen anything that extreme when it came to ripping bodies apart.  Do I like it better than Romero's original film?  Depends on the day really.  I usually tend to lean toward Night because it was just such an important film experience for me and I had more time with it before I saw Dawn.  But, if anyone is going to argue in Dawn's favor, they're not wrong.  Its not only one of the greatest zombie films ever made, its one of the best horror films of all time, and I'd make a case its a great action film as well. 

Days Of Heaven

Terrence Malick's second film is a sort of thing of beauty.  He turns movie into poetry.  This isn't really some crazy story or anything, its just in the way that Malick presents the story and how he shoots it.  Despite having two cinematographers, Days Of Heaven still winds up being one of the most beautifully photographed films you'll ever see.  Malick isn't for everyone, and I'm sure some think he makes super pretentious films, but if you're able to appreciate his craft, you'll eat up most everything he does.  I like to think he makes art first, movies second.

Grease

I do dig musicals and this is one of the first ones that wasn't some sort of Disney cartoon or live action movie from the 50s or 60s that I experienced.  Travolta was on a role at this time and he was absolutely terrific here again.  Danny Zuko was like the coolest dude ever when I was a wee little one.  Travolta also had this one-two punch with this one and Saturday Night Fever that just oozed with badass.  Plus, he and Olivia Newton-John share a great amount of chemistry.  And Olivia was like the hottest girl on the planet when I first saw this movie.  They cut a song I really like from the stage play, but I think we're all A-okay with everything on display here.  I'm sure there's those super machismo dudes that hate this movie or ones like it, but I can't see why and I've got a real soft spot for it.  

Halloween

No, you're not surprised this one is here.  And I'm pretty sure you know plenty about my feelings on the film.  If you're new to Naptown Nerd, look over to your right and click the 31 Days Of Halloween tab and you'll have more than you bargained for in terms of me and this incredible little "knife picture" as Tommy Lee Wallace calls it.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

One of the greatest remakes EVER.  While I like the original film, this one I feel is exponentially better.  Its incredibly terrifying and one of the more thrilling "who can I trust?" chase movies ever put to celluloid.  There are images from this movie that are both iconic and that will haunt you forever as well.  This is just a master stroke and a good reason to not be all uppity and pissy when it comes to remakes.  There are more bad original films out there than there are actually bad remakes.  A great horror film, thriller, sci fi and remake.  If you've never had the pleasure, do yourself a service and just check it out already.

Superman

This is where the magic of comic book superheroes on the big screen begins.  They said "You will believe a man can fly" and truly they did not fail audiences in that regard.  There's just something legendary, epic, and "this is why we love movies" about Richard Donner's follow up to The Omen.  I had a great time going back through this series and writing in full detail about it a couple years ago.  So, like Halloween, look to the right for the Superman tab.