It took about five seconds after I agreed to participate in this blogathon for me to have a realization: "Crap, I guess I'm putting my age out there for the world." After toying with lying and putting forward a list topped by say Pulp Fiction or The Matrix, I figured I'd come clean and say...Hello, my name is Patrick and I was born in 1973.
It wasn't until recently that it even occurred to me that my presence on-line is probably pulling the average film blogger age north. I listen to the LambCast, Slashfilm and other podcasts, hear the reviewers describing seeing The Phantom Menace as a kid and realize "Man, I'm getting old."
That, however, is what it is. Despite being a devoted cinephile, it never even occurred to me to look at the films released during my birth year. So, what started as excitement with participating, then turned to horror at putting my age out there, finally rounded into intellectual curiosity best summed up as:
"How about that? I was born the same year Battle for the Planet of the Apes was released."
Without further ado, my top five movies released during my birth year:
5. Robin Hood - A sentimental favorite for me growing up. I've seen it recently and my brain can see its flaws, but my heart keeps rudely shouldering my cranium aside to fall completely in love with Disney's anthropomorphic treatment of the classic tale.
4. American Graffiti - I think I first saw this in high school. Beyond the realization that Han Solo was behind the wheel of one of the cars, it's that rare movie that both encapsulates a moment in time while remaining completely timeless. Every kid goes through the struggles and confusion these teens go through. And it allowed George Lucas to make Star Wars.
3. The Sting - It's been a while since I've seen this. I remember just being blown away by the ending. This for me is the ultimate con movie. And if you saw Robert Shaw as Quint in Jaws yet still remain unsure as to his cinema god status... check him out here. Must... watch...again...
2. The Exorcist - I first saw this on a television. As a kid. In the middle of the night. Alone. Not sure how old I was, but definitely not old enough. The mood and Linda Blair creep rotating head were nightmare food for weeks. Today, I really appreciate the craft of what director William Friedkin created. That constant sense of dread and building suspense does not just happen.
1. Enter the Dragon - Again, my brain said The Exorcist was number one, but my heart just cannot let it by Enter the Dragon. I spent most Saturdays watching syndicated, dubbed kung fu movies. Couldn't get enough of them. However, when I first saw Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, everything else fell a step. It's one of those movies with one of those performances that simply cannot be unseen. The early death of Lee remains one of cinema's great tragedies. And the final battle in the House of Mirrors is one of film's most bad ass sequences.
I feel it's important to note that there is a fair amount I have not seen. Badlands, Serpico or Walking Tall for example may sneak onto the list when I see them. Battle for the Planet of the Apes will remain the sixth best movie of 1973 regardless. Of course, at the rate I'm moving through films that will be six years from now before I even get to 1973.
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