Essential New Hollywood Films

New Hollywood or New Wave Hollywood is known as the biggest in change in status quo for American films since the introduction of sound. There was also more of an acceptance of themes that use to be more taboo (sex/sexuality, violence, etc). Taking place between 1967s Bonnie and Clyde and 1980s Raging Bull, New Hollywood has had a lasting impact on not only American films but foreign ones too.

Here I will list films from this era that I believe are essential films for the movement and over-all (in release order) and I will add films as I see them.

The Criterion

• Released between 1967 and 1980

• Director must have had defining films of their filmography or first released a feature in this period

• Summer blockbusters count but not their sequels

• Mainly or completely American production (the British had have their own new wave)

1967

The Graduate

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katherine Ross, The Graduate is one of the essential coming of age dramas. The film follows Dustin Hoffman's character, Benjamin Braddock, who recently graduated from college and has no clear aim of what to do next. He is then seduced by Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft) who is much older than he is, Braddock then proceeds to fall for Mrs Robinson's daughter played by Katherine Ross.

The Graduate is a fine example of how the aesthetics of the comedy genre were changed in the New Hollywood. Equal parts funny and intriguing, this film also features career highlights for all its leads.

Bonnie and Clyde

1968

Rosemary's Baby

1969

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is based off the true story of the people with the same names, who lived at the end of the period considered the wild, wild west. This is fitting as this movie is also one of the last westerns. Featuring the first of two collaborations between Paul Newman, Robert Redford and director, George Roy Hill. Simply this is a cop buddy movie but instead of being cops, they're cowboys.

While this movie's impact may not me as lasting as other movies from the era, it's still undeniably a fun movie to watch over and over. The duo of Newman and Redford is a strong and believable on screen and it also represents the link between the Golden Age of cinema and blockbuster age of cinema, respectively.

Easy Rider

1970

MASH

1971

The French Connection

Bananas

When people think of Woody Allen, admittedly most people don't think of Bananas. Bananas was the second film in which Woody Allen had full creative control over and it shows in the style of humor and the plot in this movie. Allen has moved away from the type of slapstick comedy presented here over the years but when watching it now it holds up remarkably well.

Themes that would later define Allen's cinematic explorations and interests pop up here in comedic ways but it does go to show how Allen's style in film making has evolved over the course of five decades.

1972

The Godfather

1973

The Exorcist

Badlands

Sisters

Brian De Palma's early days as a director were heavily influence by Alfred Hitchcock, so much so that Bernard Hermann did the score for a hand full of his movies, including this one. I don't want to give away too much of the plot but I will tell you this... A man and woman meet during a game show and they go out for drinks and by the time the movie ends you will never see twins or a deserted couch the same way.

Many people have imitated Hitchcock but even fewer have come closer to doing it right and De Palma is one of them and he manages to add his own style into the movie as well. If you think Margot Kidder only did the Superman movies, you're wrong.

Sleeper

1974

The Godfather Part II

The Conversation

Blazing Saddles

Bad comedy movies are known for often having racist jokes seeded through out but here in Blazing Saddles, it's social commentary. This movie not only had the laughs contained in it but also it had an interesting story with some great characters, all of which gained the movie three Oscar nominations.

The chemistry between Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder showed us that creed doesn't matter when it comes to who can be the stars of the movie. This is a comedy movie that has it's racist jokes but when you laugh at them it makes you have think about what you are laughing at and that trope in movies today is so rare.

Young Frankenstein

1975

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

This Jack Nicholson movie may not be his best well known movie in today's pop culture but it should be. After lying about his mental condition to avoid going to prison, Nicholson's character, 'Randle McMurphy', starts to cause upsets and distractions among the other inmates. While doing this he starts to get on the nerves of the head nurse and a conflict ensues.

There aren't many movies out there that make you laugh, cry and give the urge to yell at the screen but this is one of the two movies that give me that feeling. I'm sure that if you watch this movie you will probably feel one those three emotions rush through you.

Jaws

The original summer blockbuster is still one of the best and it's mainly because of Steven Spielberg's great direction (even if there on set issues with the shark and an actor). Jaws has some of the best and most creative camera work from Spielberg and that's in part due because he had to use POV shots of the shark as the shark wasn't working. The film features great performances from Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and especially Robert Shaw.

The film is held to John Williams brilliant score which has haunted beach goers ever since 1975. By today's standards it might not be really scary but it has some good scares if you haven't seen it before and it's also a fun watch.

Dog Day Afternoon

1976

Taxi Driver

Before Taxi Driver, very few people knew who Martin Scorsese was but after everyone in the film world did and they have never forgotten. Taxi Driver tells the story of the insomniac war veteran, Travis Bickle, played by Robert De Niro. Taxi Driver was another landmark film in terms of violence on the screen. This is a film that shows the grunge of society rather than glorifying it.

The main three people in the film were Scorsese, De Niro and the writer Paul Schrader and all of them were at pivotal moments in their lives and careers. Scorsese was building his career, De Niro had recently won his first Oscar for The Godfather Part II an Schrader had mental health issues while writing the script. Overall this makes for a landmark and essential film.

Network

Carrie

All the President's Men

1977

Star Wars

You know the name but even if you have seen it do you know why Star Wars is still a staple of pop culture today? Well simply because every time you and I watch this movie we enjoy the emotional adventure it takes us on. The characters in terms of writing are finding their footing during the movie but in any other movie it wouldn't work. Here it only adds to small desert world we begin on and by the time the death star is destroyed, you've just had the time of your life.

The movie is also backed up with special effects that hold up better than some of today's recent Hollywood blockbusters. Special mentions need to go to the detailed world building that Lucas didn't go out of his way to present as the story is always the focus and Alec Guinness's performance makes this movie so much easier to take seriously.

Annie Hall

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Earserhead

1978

Superman

Days of Heaven

Halloween

1979

Alien

Apocalypse Now

Over the years there have been many stories told about Apocalypse Now and with those stories, even more ways to talk about the movie. Last year the Oscar winning 'The Revenant' had well documented production problems with light and snow being the main problems. However if you go back 40 years you get Apocalypse Now. The production issues behind the film are so extensive and well recorded that their is a documentary about it.

Every time I watch this film I ask myself "how did they manage to make this movie so good?" and every time I still don't know. Is it because of editing that just flows seamlessly from scene to scene. Is it the cinematography of Vittorio Storaro who has an eye for colour like no one else or is just simply the direction of Francis Ford Coppola. The story is simple; Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) must head up the Nung river to find and exterminate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando). All while the Vietnam War is going on.

All That Jazz

After the New Hollywood movement the musicals as a genre dwindled. However that doesn't mean it would give us one last hurrah. All That Jazz is a semi-autobiographical tale that follows the story of Joe Gideon (played by Roy Scheider and inspired by director Bob Fosse) who is concurrently directing a new stage musical (which in real life is 'Chicago') and edit his previous film (which in real life is 'Lenny').

The structure of the film is often compared with Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 as there are fantastical elements in the film, mainly when he flirts with the angel of death named Angelique. Along with great production design, choreography and editing this film made me want to watch more musicals and is one my favorite films.

1980

The Blues Brothers

Airplane!

The Elephant Man

Dressed to Kill

Before I started to watch Brian De Palma's movies I read stuff like "he's a style over substance director" and "he's a guilty pleasure director". Then I saw Blow Out (which came out after the New Wave period) and I was hooked. De Palma is the spiritual son of Alfred Hitchcock and but his movies were never Hitchcock wannabes, they were De Palma masterpieces.

Dressed to Kill marks the first leading role for Nancy Allen (then wife of De Palma) and also stars Michael Caine. While you wouldn't consider this film a horror film, at time it feels like one. I read that De Palma considers coverage directing to be "dirty" and I've never got the sense that he shot coverage because it's his unique talent to imagine countless chase scenes and creative plots.