Movies turning 50 in 2021 that everyone should see

We’ll start with the winner of Best Picture for 1971. That would be “The French Connection,” the classic cop drama starring Gene Hackman as “Popeye” Doyle. Since this was the ‘70s, of course, the film is gritty, and naturally, Popeye is, at best, an antihero. If nothing else, “The French Connection” is worth seeing for an all-time chase scene.

Westerns had been a dominant force in film, but by the ‘70s directors were starting to play with the genre. Robert Altman, director of “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” even called his movie an “anti-Western” to describe it. It’s not loaded down with action or heroes on horseback, but the film, anti-Western or not, ended up on AFI’s list of the top 10 Western films.

Alan J. Pakula spent the ‘70s making paranoid conspiracy thrillers. While he would get around to “The Parallax View” and “All the President’s Men,” he started with the film “Klute” in 1971. A bit of a crime film, Jane Fonda won Best Actress for her performance, even if it’s Donald Sutherland’s character who gives the movie its title.

In 1972, Al Pacino would star in “The Godfather” and change his career forever. The year before that, he got his first significant film role when he got to star in “Panic at Needle Park.” It’s a harrowing drama about heroin addicts, which was never going to break a career like something along the lines of “The Godfather.” Pacino’s skills were on display, though.

If you don’t want to watch a movie starring Woody Allen we get it. That being said, “Bananas” is a goofy, ridiculous film brimming with jokes and sight gags. It’s one of his early, comedy-heavy movies that have more in common with films like “Airplane” than anything Allen would do later in his career.

There were a lot of searing dramas made in the ‘70s, a decade of “serious” films. However, there were some crowd-pleasers and family films in the era as well. Perhaps the movie with the most lasting legacy of 1971 is “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” Kids have been watching the movie for years, taking in Gene Wilder’s performance and getting freaked out by that boat scene. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton could never overshadow the original.

Peter Bogdanovich was at the forefront of the “New Hollywood” movement, and he really broke into the world of cinema with “The Last Picture Show.” Part of his skill was in bringing together a tremendous cast. The coming-of-age story featured actors like Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ellen Burstyn, and more. Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman both won Oscars. Bogdanovich never quite performed on this level again, but few filmmakers ever hit it out of the park-like he did with “The Last Picture Show.”

Clint Eastwood seems to usually play cops or cowboys, but in “Play Misty for Me” he plays a disk jockey dealing with an obsessive fan. That fan is played by Jessica Walter, best known for “Arrested Development.” You should consider watching “Play Misty for Me” if only to see Lucille Bluth in a thriller.

Musicals aren’t for everybody, and “Fiddler on the Roof” is specifically idiosyncratic. It’s pretty indebted to Jewish culture and regional culture. If it’s right for you, you’ll probably love it. Watching it is the best way to find out.

“Harold and Maude” is also idiosyncratic, but in a different way. It’s a quirky comedy with a catchy soundtrack that many people consider a personal favorite. Bud Cort is young. Ruth Gordon is old. They find friendship and love.

We had to get some family fare on here. “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” is a Disney film that has “Mary Poppins” vibes to it inasmuch as it’s a musical with some animation mixed in, and also the lead character is magic. Specifically, in this case, Angela Lansbury plays a witch.

A James Bond film came out in 1971, so naturally, we had to include it. This was Sean Connery’s final Bond film, as he returned for one film after George Lazenby’s turn in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” It’s a bit goofy, with some memorably odd villains, but it’s still a good one.

Clint Eastwood had a big year in 1971. Is the “Dirty Harry” series great? No, and its politics can be a problem. However, this was the beginning of a momentous film series that gave us some iconic quotes. “Dirty Harry” is famed and had a long tail of influence, which gets it on the list.

This is the third movie in the “Planet of the Apes” series. It’s not the best by any means, but film franchises were much rarer in the ‘70s. Having the third film in a series come out back then as significant. “Star Wars” wouldn’t even come out for six more years! So if you like sci-fi stories, “Escape from the Planet of the Apes” is worth it.

No, not the Sylvester Stallone version. Stallone was still pre-“Rocky” at this point. The original “Get Carter” is a British crime film starring Michael Caine, a notably better actor than Stallone. Although, Stallone may seem more suited for a crime movie where he has to play a tough guy. Caine showed that he’s perfectly capable though.

We know Alan Arkin as an actor, but he actually made his directorial debut way back in 1971. Arkin directed an adaptation of a darkly comedic stage play, and he managed to get Elliott Gould on board for the lead role. Both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave it four stars.

The ‘70s were the decade of Blacksploitation films, but “Shaft” is the best of the bunch. In fact, it might not even be accurate to include it in the realm of exploitation films. One thing is for sure about the Richard Roundtree-starring movie: It had a killer soundtrack. Isaac Hayes’ “Theme from Shaft” became a hit even bigger than the film in some ways.

“THX 1138” is perfectly fine as far as sci-fi movies go. So why watch it? Because it’s the directorial debut of one George Lucas. Years before he brought us the “Star Wars” universe, he was getting his start with this movie. That makes this quite an interesting watch, if only for the historical importance of it.

It’s a story that has been told many times over. A man believes himself to be the last person left on Earth. Then, he finds out he isn’t alone, but those left with him seem to wish him harm. “The Omega Man” and “I, Legend” are based on the same story. “The Omega Man,” which stars Charlton Heston, is a bit better as a movie.

For this last one, we just wanted to give you something that feels very  1971. “The Barefoot Executive” is just that. This is the kind of live-action Disney film that they simply don’t make anymore. Kurt Russell starred as a young man. Wally Cox was in it, of course. The film is about a chimp who knows how to predict television ratings. Seriously. It’s so goofy, but so perfectly a time capsule of the early ‘70s.