A decade under the influence

Ashes

We watch 70's movies and do two things: 1: We give commentary along with the movie that may or may not correspond with whats going on (we're the people that talk through the whole f***ing movie) 2: We give a short review of the film and give our observations, some context, and how it lines up with other films of the era. We really enjoy 70's cinema and want to expose you to it as well:-)

  1. 12/28/2025

    Movie Reveiw # 57 - Pied Piper - Watch Out We're Mad - Murder by Death - Amityville Horror - Strangers, The Story of a Mother and Daughter - Brubaker

    Movie reviews #57- 1 (Pied Piper 1972) This be a rated G movie about the Black Death with an obviously stoned looking Donovan as the Pied Piper. surprising that Donovan never wrote a song called “get the cash up front”. 2 (Watch out we’re Mad 1974) Your decade under the influence crew has watched several Italian 70’s films that had some good political and even queer representation, but they all also had horrible sexual assault of women scenes. Enter this film that does not have horrid assault, just two guys spending all their time together being frenemies and wanting 2 dune buggy’s, that’s it, annnnd we found it quite refreshing.
 3 (Murder by death 1976) Peter Sellers and many other talented people star in this zany whodunnit, but Sellers plays an extremely racist character, soooooo just watch Clue!
 4 (Amityville Horror 1979) The older brother from Goonies, Dad has great hair in this movie, in the beginning. As his demonic possession marches on his hair care routine goes right out the window. Better reporter, and superman’s girlfriend is here too, and the whole thing would be fine if the damned priest she asked to cleanse their new house knew what he was doing.
 5 (Strangers, the story of a mother and daughter 1979) Bette Davis and Gena Rowlands star in this serious but also campy rad made for tv movie about A Mother who don wanna talk and a Daughter who does, who will win.
 6 (Brubaker 1980) Wow this has a great top four, Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Alexander, and the mighty Morgan Freeman in one of 2 movies he did that year where he is stuck in prison. This film is great and is about prison reform which it still desperately needs. Reform hmmmmm maybe revolution.
folks that’s this batch of films and we will see ya next time. Please drop us a review, and thanks for listening.

    1h 23m
  2. 11/15/2025

    Movie Reveiw # 56 - On a Clear Day - The Owl and the Pussycat - What’s Up Doc - Up the Sandbox - Funny Lady - Main Event

    Special movies reviews today! It’s #56 and it’s all Streisand movies. Barbra Streisand made 9 movies in the 70,s and we have already reviewed 3, (The Way we were 1973-For Pete’s sake 1974-and A Star is Born 1976) So now you get our reviews of the remaining 6. 1 (On a Clear Day 1970) Here rad director Vincent Minnelli (yes Liza’s dad) gives us a weird musical about a woman with esp who can also make plants grow. Bob Newhart and Jack Nicholson are here along with a French guy and the racist ass cop from West Side Story. Babs sings her way into space at the end of this, and I’m extremely here for it. 2 (The Owl and the Pussycat 1970) This one has a director that I really like Herbert Ross (Footloose, Goodbye Girl, the Turning Point, the Sunshine Boys, the Last of Shelia, and T.R. Baskin) giving us a zany movie that I love less than all those others. this movie is still good but for me Babs could be more of a Xanadu Muse, than an insensitive crack addict. 3 (What’s Up Doc 1972) I might be getting this confused with the last film, and Maybe the “Muse” comment more applies here, I’m not sure cause it’s been a minute. Also both of these films are a bit similar and Zany, I like this one better though and we might have Madeline Kahn and San Francisco to thank for that. people loved this when it came out and it pairs Babs with Ryan O’Neal which just may come up again soooooon. 4 (Up the Sandbox 1972) Here Babs plays a rad woman and mother who says some of the coolest shit I’ve ever heard. Film ain’t perfect but this was a treat for us. Watch this and then The Empire Strikes back, 2 great films from the same director. 5 (Funny Lady 1975) Herbert Ross directing again in this messy sequel (ish) to 1968’s Funny girl. Not the worst film but I guess it’s not what people ordered at the time. I like That Cornelius from the planet of the apes is here, and that Roddy got to play an “out” character standing next to Babs. 6 (Main Event 1979) This pairs Babs with Ryan O’Neil again. this one was a place in my heart cause I saw it as kid in the theater, so I’ll always enjoy watching it. It’s fun and light, it’s got an issue or two and hey, why listen to us tell ya all about it. thank you film chums for listening.

    1h 34m
  3. 10/28/2025

    Movie Reveiw # 55 - Brewster Mcloud - Three Sisters - Ledgend of Boggy Creek - Man Who Fell to Earth - Sammy - Soldier of Orange - Yesterdays Child - Dummy

    Movie reviews #55 Eight movies today, can you believe it. 1 (Brewster Mcloud 1970) Very early Robert Altman film here where the amazing Margret Hamilton plays a racist jerk. Another early 70’s offering that’s quite trippy and political 2 (Three sisters 1970) A hard to watch production of an Anton Chekhov novel, I may have slept through this in high school. It is cool to me only because It stars the Grandma mechanic from (I love you to death), 3 (Legend of Boggy Creek 1972) Tagline, Rated G Hick, Bigfoot movie, barely. 4 (Man who fell to Earth 1976) Rip Torn, Buck Henry, and Candy Clark star in this sci if classic, that we should all see in the theater once. Almost forgot about the guy who wants the baby in Labyrinth, he’s here too. JK fam Bowie’s cool (rest in space). 5 (Sammy 1977) These Jesus films crack me up as a recovering Catholic it always amuses me, among other things. This one got a theatrical release. please listen to hear how much money it made opening weekend, I believe it will put a smile on yer face. 6 (Soldier of Orange 1977) Our first Paul Verhoeven film. I remember this being very good, but not much else. the guy who wants “more life, fucker.” In Blade Runner is young and joins the Dutch resistance. 7 (Yesterdays Child 1977) This made for tv movie is deliciously bizarre. Starring the mom of the Partridge family and the General from Planet of the Apes 5. 8 (Dummy 1979) Worf’s human brother, Geordie La’Forge, and the dip shit cop who goes after John Jay Rambo and doesn’t bring a bunch O body bags, star in this rad film about tryin to fight Ableism in the halls of justice. Thanks for listening.

    1h 59m
  4. 10/22/2025

    Movie Reveiw # 54 - Heartbreak Kid - The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob - The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - Mahler - Wrong Move - Nickelodeon - Lovey: A Circle of Friends Part 2

    Movie reviews #54 7 more 70’s films we chuckin in the (Done) pile. 1 (Heartbreak Kid 1972) Elaine May directs this strong movie, I just wouldn’t, call it a comedy. We can all see in Jeannie Berlin’s acting, that it is not funny how she is treated by said Heartbreak Kid. 2 (The mad adventures of Rabbi Jacob 1973) This was a fake out for me, as it is not a movie about a Rabbi gettin into adventures, but instead it’s about this goofy French guy, whom if memory serves, is a jerk. This one’s zany and there’s a vat of gum! 3 (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz 1974). Richard Dreyfuss, French Actress Michelle Lancot, Randy Quaid, and the rad Bowling coach from the 1979 hit movie Dreamer star in this movie where ya wish old Duddy would seriously get his head out of his ass. 4 (Mahler 1974) Jesus stars in this weird Ken Russell film about…………….Gustav Mahler. He looks back on his life while on a train. 5 (Wrong Move 1975) I guess this Wim Wenders did a lot for German Cinema, good, but for me the Wrong Move is not watching (The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum) another German film that came out the same year. 6 (Nickelodeon 1976) Here we have Ryan O’Neal, Burt Reynolds,Tatum O’Neal, and the Boss of Mr. French in this film about how 2 bumbling guys accidentally become some of the first American filmmakers ever. This is a Peter Bogdanovich film. 7 (Lovey a circle of friends part II 1978) Jane Alexander and Timothy Hutton’s Dad in Taps star in this important sequel to an important movie about how we deal with children with disabilities, not perfect, but at the time vital to show the world a better way than the medieval torture that came before. Medieval torture may not even be strong enough to describe the horrible ways people were treated in those institutions. Thanks for listening friends, let the people know there’s been a 70’s film podcast out there pluggin away for……about 7 years?

    1h 51m
  5. 10/07/2025

    Movie Reveiw # 53 - The Go Between - The Final Comedown - The Day of the Jackel - Black Belt Jones - Shelia Levine is Dead and Living in New York - Hot Potato - Roseland

    We got movie reviews number #53 today. Let’s do a little roll call, hmm. 1.(The go between 1971) Julie Christie and Alan Bates star in this British film, shocker. There’s a whole darn movie full of plot but it really kind of is about just what the title sez, Boring! 2.(The Final Comedown 1972) Long time hard ta get Lando film is here and it delivers the goods. Studio and distribution versus revolutionaries fighting fascist racist u.s. imperialism. There are issues here of course, and Lando and his Mom are all caught up in it. It gets the white radicals right, ha. 3.(The Day of the Jackal 1973) Omg it’s been a long time from seeing this film til today. It’s highly rated on IMDB but I remember nothing except that an assassin guy has a hard time. 4.(Black Belt Jones 1974) Hong Kong Fooey, the kid that calls Charlton Heston “Hostile” in Omega Man and the Guy who beats up racist cops and then drives to the airport in their squad car star in this film about a community out to save a rad Karate school, flawless victory. 5.(Shelia Levine is dead and living in New York 1975) Just Wow, more exposure for this movie definitely. Nazi hunter Jeannie Berlin from Hunters brings Gail Parents book to life. Find and watch this movie, then listen to us gab about it in yer headphones hmmm? 6.(Hot Potato 1976) Here is the extremely loose sequel to black belt Jones. It kinda reminded me of when the Beatles were talking about the movie help, which was filmed on location so they could chill and smoke weed in the Bahamas. It feels like the studio gave the people some dough and tickets to film in Thailand and they partied and forgot to write a script etc until the deadline. 7.(Roseland 1977) So many, if not most films that came out in 1977 after May 25 were overshadowed by Star Wars and left behind. I had never seen this Christopher Walken gem before, it’s quite a cinematic treat. Directed by James Ivory. That’s the news fam, thanks as always for listening.

    2 hr
  6. 06/29/2025

    Movie Review # 51 - Airport 1970 - Scarecrow - Earthquake - The Little Prince - Grilfriends - Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. AirForce - …And your name is Jonah

    Movie reviews #51
seven today so let’s go
1. Airport 1970. This one started them all. To me it’s just a less funny movie than airplane movie, but still funny. You don’t get the icky pedophile jokes, but you do get asshat men who live to cheat and cheat to live, this had a nice rad woman surprise that I am quite grateful for. Airport stars Helen Hayes!!!!
2. Scarecrow 1972. Many many 70’s films are based on plays, this one basically just filmed a play. Great Black Metal premise here with a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet letter guy. Blythe Danner, and Gene Wilder are here, and there’s a witch too. 
3. Earthquake 1974. Heston is here, this movie was not great. I had fun with friends, a lot actually. Heston is a shit but the Star Crash guy takes on bullies, and flippin Shaft is a rad stunt cyclist.
4. The Little prince 1974. This one’s trippy and fun, and we get our 2nd Gene Wilder appearance in this batch. You also get jazz hands Bob Fosse himself here as the snake. I always get this movie confused with the Gumby episode The Small Planets, and wonder where the screaming clay piano boy is.
5. Girlfriends 1978. Claudia Weill is our director here, in a coming of age film that should be more popular than it is, shrug emoji. We get the sole survivor woman from that trippy movie I love called Sole Survivor. Lots of great actors here including the guy who wrote Stonehenge.
6. Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. AirForce. This gets added to our list of super amazing made for TV movies of the 70’s, also Matlovich was real and fierce AF. Brad Dourif plays Leonard Mattlovich, and you can watch him and his mustache in this gem on you tube. A must see for those interested in Queer history.
7. …And your name is Jonah 1979. Intense TV Movie about a misdiagnosed Jonah, he is deaf and the s****y times and an even shittier Teacher and Dad make it flippin hell for this poor kiddo. Important to show where we were and where we should be with this country’s Ableism. Sally Struthers is here along with the asshat Dad played by asshat James Woods. Thanks fer listening friends. Please oh please give us stars and a review, thank you.

    1h 57m
  7. 04/28/2025

    Movie Review # 50: Dusty and Sweets Mcgee - 1776 - Top of the Heap - California Reich - Sorcerer - Phantasm - More American Graffiti

    Seven more 70’s movies, we can scratch off our list. Welcome to Reviews number #50.
Done over 70 movie showcases, and now 50 episodes of movie reviews equalling over 400 films.
Amazing, great work team.
 1. (Dusty and Sweets Mcgee 1971) Here is neat documentary style look at drug addiction as people walk around L.A. looking to score.
 2. (1776 1972) A musical I had not seen, annnnnd I’m a musical learner so I actually learned more from this story written by a history teacher then I did in school. This story and School house rock! Knight riders car and DR. Green’s dad from E.R. are here.
 3. (Top of the Heap 1972) Sadly here is another buried film, thanks Racism. It’s starting to come around and I hope we can help. It’s serious and heavy and it’s written, directed and stars Christopher St. John whom we should have seen much more of. Paula Kelly from many films including The spook who sat by the door is here, and she has a poster of Baphomet!
 4. (California Reich 1974) This Academy award nominated documentary should definitely be seen and is available on YouTube. This and Jesus Camp 2006 should be on a shelf marked, Well we did f*****g warn you!
 5. (Sorcerer 1977) Yeah F what the director says this is definitely false advertising. Movie is cool and we get More Roy Scheider and an amazing soundtrack by Tangerine Dream, but there are absolutely no witches wizard or magic at all in this film.
 6. (Phantasm 1979) Great flippin title. Group of hard working ambitious stoners make a movie that is very creative, cray, and not a Women hating slasher film. I’m here for it.
 7. (More American Graffiti 1979) I wanna just say cash grab, but they waited 6 years. I guess you had happy days in 74. Grease was 78 sooooo they probably tackled George to make sequel for some beach houses. George had little to do with this, editing the screenplay and apparently “Supervising.” People like to dismiss, but we found a few things here that we dug, also some real weirdness, which I keep writing about some and then erasing, meaning, if you saw the first one this is worth a watch. Thanks always for listening. Please like and subscribe, why not.

    2h 2m

About

We watch 70's movies and do two things: 1: We give commentary along with the movie that may or may not correspond with whats going on (we're the people that talk through the whole f***ing movie) 2: We give a short review of the film and give our observations, some context, and how it lines up with other films of the era. We really enjoy 70's cinema and want to expose you to it as well:-)