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. 2d ago

    Movie Review #61 - Wanda 1970 - See the Man Run 1971 - Man on a String 1972 - Play it as it Lays 1972 - The Man who could Talk to Kids 1973 - Watched 1974 - News from Home 1976 - Cotton Candy 1979

    Movie Reviews #61 8 movies to review today so Autobots rollout. 1 (Wanda 1970) here we have a Writer, director, and actor with no money kicking ass. Her name is Barbara Loden, and we had all never seen this movie before, a buried early feminist film finally unearthed, and by Criterion who has been quick to resurrect  some crud like that Nazi porn film, and leave a lot of the women, people of color and other marginalized groups films still on my list buried. So, more like this Criterion and thank you. 2 (See the man Run 1971) I did the write up for this and I now have no memory of this film, lemme grab my notes. Oh yeah I dug this one, it’s just got one of those dumb vague titles. Here is a plot for me that is NOT Freebox. Angie Dickenson, Robert Culp and Eddie Albert star in this, and you can and should watch it right now on the youtubes. It refreshingly has a plot and also has some odd acting choices and 70’s insanity that this cat craves. 3 (Man on a String 1972) Joseph Sargent directed this. He directed many 70’s movies that we love annnnnnd this. Kitty Winn, Jack Warden and a bunch of white guys that look alarmingly alike are here in this movie where this sharp shooter makes an impossible shot because he is impossibly, that good. 4 (Play it as it Lays 1972) Here we have another film by director Frank Perry that for me, knocks my socks off, I had no idea it was gonna go where it goes. Film is based on Joan Didion’s book, great, I have been so behind on books I need to read since I got my first iPhone, damn! 5 (The Man who could Talk to Kids 1973) Oh my Mr. Brady and the doctor from Jaws 2 are parents that are struggling with what the film calls, their emotionally disturbed Son, so they find a guy who can “talk to kids”. Important subject that we liked save the fact that the “guy” is just a guy that they let take their son and go wherever.  When I get my Time Machine, it will be on my list to find the writer and add at least one degree to this “guy” who talks to kids and NOT have him say, it’s just a hobby. 6 (Watched 1974) Not as good as the bootleg dvd box says it is, but for me it was worth a watch. Stacy Keach and his mates seem to have a lil time, some film equipment, and maybe some drugs, let’s make a movie. Why not?! 7 (News from Home 1976) Here we have a Rad Feminist writer and director Chantell Ackerman, who’s Belgian film Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles we really liked and were moved by. Here, let’s just say this is mollases ass slow. She films New York doin nothing and reads an occasional letter from her Mother. 8 (Cotton Candy 1979) Here is a made for tv movie I saw when it aired at 8 years old. It’s about friends forming a band. Even then I knew it was corny, but that I also wanted to someday be in a band. When I meet  Clint Howard I want him to sign his poster from this. Hey as always, thanks for listening friends. Maybe give us all the stars and write a review, thank you.

    2 hr

  2. Apr 29

    Movie Review #60 - Deadhead Miles 1972 - The Execution of private Slovik 1974 - My Father’s house 1975 - The Grateful Dead Movie 1977 - Spectre 1977 - Players 1979 - Sunburn 1979)

    Movie reviews number sixty. Seven films to review today so let’s get goin.
1. (Deadhead Miles1972)
Terrence Malick is the writer here and this is an early work of his. Alan Arkin is here in the starring role along with support from the butler from the Jeffersons, Doc Hopper from the Muppet movie, and Jaws from the Bond movies. The film cinematically answers the burning question, “Did they ever make a more ethereal stream of of consciousness Trucker movie?”
2. (The Execution of private Slovik 1974) This is a heavy made for tv based on the real story of Eddie getting executed for desertion 1945 by firing squad. 49 others were sentenced to death for desertion in that war but all were commuted except for Slovik, apparently to send a message, but then they covered it up. Martin Sheen, Mariclare Costello, and about a baker’s dozen of recognizable characters from the time appear in this one. What else to say except maybe strap in fam.
3. (My Father’s house 1975)
Spiderman’s Uncle, the rad guy from the Music Man, Mrs Peacock from Clue, and Rosemary Forsyth star in this thoughtful made for tv movie about a dad recovering from a heart attack who is thinking about life and his dad.
4. (The Grateful Dead Movie 1977) I think I liked this more than the others here. We all don’t dig the Grateful Dead much but Agree that the story is very interesting. It could have been more coherent but as Jerry himself said “We just keep trying to describe the Indescribable.”
5. (Spectre 1977) Here we have another Gene Roddenberry tv movie starring Robert Culp and Gig Young. The lil promo film we saw about this says that it’s trying to cash in on the Exorcist dollar, but this is waaaaaaay more bizarre, is it good though?
6. (Players 1979) Got a bootleg of this and for a 70’s movie completionist, it is fun for me to see Ali MacGraw, Maximilan Schell, Steve Guttenberg, and Melissa Prophet in this rather bad massive flop of a movie about Tennis, kinda.
7. (Sunburn 1979) The Plastic Surgeon’s assistant from Logan’s Run, The guy who made the worst writing studio for Carol Burnett in their garage in The grass is always greener over the Septic tank, the guy who gives grandpa Wookie space porn in the Star Wars holiday special, Edith Keeler from Star Trek, the Boss of Magnum P.I., and the Baroness from the Sound of Music, are all here in this, so it’s just got to be the best thing ever, we’ll see. Thanks film friends for listening, please consider writing a review, it helps a lot.

    1h 58m

  3. Apr 8

    Movie Review #59 - Tell me that you love me, Junie Moon - The Neon Ceiling - Sleuth - Day for Night - Rafferty and the Gold dust Twins - Abba the movie - Long Journey Back

    Movie reviews number fifty nine!
Diving in with the heavy today we have Otto Preminger’s (Tell me that you love me, Junie Moon 1970)
Starring Liza Minnelli and Pete Seeger. A very brave and early film with Queer content, and like Boys in the Band, it can get a bit rough.
next is (The Neon Ceiling 1971) “Your Turning Violet, Violet!” Denise Nickerson, Lee Grant, and Gig Young star in this hot mess of a made for tv film. 
On to (Sleuth 1972) Two extremely British men talk and meanly prank each other for 2 hours and twenty minutes.
Next up is (Day for Night 1973) Here is a film we are told by all film connoisseurs on the planet that we must love, and fine I guess I do just leave me alone about it. This film reminds me of Opening Night 1977 and I am then reminded how much more I liked that film.
Oh look what’s next (Rafferty and the Gold dust Twins 1975) Spoiler alert, if you want a free meal at a fine restaurant, just eat all ya want, walk to another table and gently set it on fire. 
Two more left in this batch and here’s (Abba the movie 1977) another concert film that got a theatrical release, this one had some big money put into it, annnnnd an actual plot, though it is of the “Freebox” variety.
Finally today we review (Long Journey Back 1978)
Train versus school bus and one students long journey back. So it’s obviously light and fun. Cloris mother f’n Leachman is in this films Haus!!!!
thanks for listening friends and if yer new
please write us a review, why not?

    2h 13m

  4. Feb 21

    Movie Reveiw # 58 - Bed and Board - The City - The Season of the Witch - The Sting - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quasi du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles - The Great Smokey Roadblock

    Movie reviews #58
 it’s happening now.
1 (Bed and Board 1970) AKA that Francis Truffaut film with the douche and the flowers in the courtyard.
 2 (The city 1971) AKA The first hispanic mayor tries to do his job, also he wants to bridge the generation gap, he doesn’t want to change his campaign poster, annnnnnnd he hates talking elevators.
 3 (The Season of the Witch 1972) AKA That one where Joan is an unhappy and mistreated housewife, who sees a real witch that is showcased at a dinner party and thinks, yes, absolutely YES. 4 (The Sting 1973) AKA that one where a grifter invokes the grifter community sighting grifter code 320 and they all go in on a long con against a ruthless crime boss. 
 5 (Jeanne Dielman, 23 quasi du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles 1975) That one heavy French film with the slooooow intensity rising. 
 6 (The Great Smokey Roadblock 1977) That one where Henry Fonda will do anything for the love of his truck!
Folks, them the reviews and we are out. Please engage with us, won’t you, we do work hard and hope you enjoy our stuff.Movie reviews #58
it’s happening now.

    1h 44m

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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, f****r.” 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

  8. 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
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4.9
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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:-)

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