Star Wars Trilogy

Dir: George Lucas, Irvin Kirshner, Richard Marquand (1977-83) (8.9*)
These are the original three, though I really only think The Empire Strikes Back was a very good SciFi film; ironically, it was the one whose screenplay was co-written by a SF author, Leigh Brackett. That was the one that introduced Yoda, the land walkers, the ice planet. The first was good, but little more than a western in space. The special effects increased technically with each film, so that in Return of the Jedi we had a full-on space war raging with hundreds of space ships. I can't get used to the "new" titles (A New Hope?) and re-sequencing, so now the "original" three are 4-6, the "new" three are 1-3... Doh! Did Homer work on these? The casting of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader, and Alec Guinness as Jedi knight Obi-won (he admitted the dialogue "was inane") was a brilliant coup, most of the rest are either sleepwalking (Mark Hamill) or overacting (Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher). Still, a lot of fun, if a bit flippant at times. Nearly all technical, but 7 Oscars total

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Annie Hall

Dir: Woody Allen, 1977 (9.2*)

Best Picture (AA, GG)

AFI Top 100

The Woodman scored big with Annie Hall: Oscars for Picture, Director, Screenplay, and a Best Actress for then girlfriend Diane Keaton (sister of Michael, great-niece of Buster). Keaton created a character for the ages, a daffy but lovable nerd, just the right woman for Woody. There are some memorably funny Allen scenes of visual humor (spider killers), and intellectual humor, when someone they're arguing about in a film line (Marshall McLuhan) steps out to back up their argument with strangers in front of them. Others in the film include Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Colleen Dewhurst, Carol Kane, former gf Janet Margolin (she was in Woody's first films). One of the more likeable romantic comedies ever filmed. 4 Oscars

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Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Dir: Steven Spielberg, 1977 (9.8*)

Jaw-dropping special effects make this story of aliens visiting earth an awe-inspiring science fiction classic, perhaps Spielberg's finest directing achievement. The story begins with some typical UFO sightings, but after some abductions and increasing worldwide events it's apparent that someone is contacting us from elsewhere. Richard Dreyfuss is one main character who's drawn to a mysterious Wyoming rock monument, Melinda Dillon's toddler left to play with the pretty lights, and a conclave of scientists, who have picked up some intelligent radio signals, led by French director Francois Truffaut are all pulled to this particular area. There are thousands online, including Air Force personnel, who testify that the incident is true, and the information was released to Spielberg to make this movie of the event to cushion the shock to the public! One of a handful of truly great sf films.

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