Reviewed By Jason LockardThe 1970s brought us The VCR, All in the Family and M*A*S*H on TV, the Watergate scandal; followed by President Nixon’s resignation and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. These were just some of the things that highlighted the 1970s, but than there was the cinema. A few years ago Mill Creek Entertainment released a 50 movie set of some of the great stars of the 70s in "The Swinging Seventies" movie collection.
This is a huge box set so lets take an look at the 50 movie collection. First off this hard plastic DVD Case house 12, one sided dual layer DVDs in paper sleeves. I love the art work! This is a really nice set! Now let's take a look at the film included in this set.
Our Rating System:
**** = Don’t Miss it!
*** = Worth a look.
** = An Ok way to spend an evening.
* = You haven’t missed anything.
Disc 1
The Hanged Man (1974) – James Devlin (Steve Forrest) was a reformed gunslinger, who is wrongfully accused of murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Miraculously surviving the execution, Devlin discovers that his near death experience has given him the ability to know men’s thoughts. Using this new ability along with his skills as a gunfighter, Devlin sets out to work on the right side of the law for his remaining days. **
The Gun and the Pulpit (1974) – An outlaw with a bounty on his head is on the run from a posse tracking him. Taking on the identity of a minister, he hopes to elude his pursuers but, also uses his new-found position to make a change in his life. **
The Last of the Belles (1974) – F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda are returning to America from Europe on an ocean liner, with the couple deep in debt due to their extravagant lifestyle. Fitzgerald is suffering from writer’s block and his wife is obsessed with becoming a ballerina, even though she’s never trained as a dancer. Eventually, Fitzgerald draws inspiration from his own life, and eventually develops the story “The Last of the Belles”. **
The Klansman (1974) – Set in Alabama shortly after the height of the civil rights movement, a small town is rocked by the rape of a white woman and some of the more vocal members of the community place the blame on an African-American man. With the local sheriff trying to maintain the peace, even though he tolerates some activities by the local KKK members. This films boasts a great cast including Lee Marvin, Richard Burton, Cameron Mitchell, Linda Evans, David Huddleston, Lola Falana and O.J. Simpson. **
Disc 2
Crypt of the Living Dead (1973) – An archeologist visits a remote island to bury his late father and, despite the warnings from the local people, opens the tomb of the vampire queen, buried over 700 years ago. This foolish act by the archeologist and his reporter friend places the entire island in danger. **
Against a Crooked Sky (1975) – A Native American tribe raids a pioneer families’ farm and makes off with their eldest daughter. Her brother sets off in search of the tribe in order to rescue his sister, enlisting the aid of a drunken fur trapper as a guide. **
Wacky Taxi (1972) – A family man struggling to support his family on the meager wages of his menial job has always dreamed of running his own business. Finally deciding to pursue his dream, he quits his job at the canning factory and buys an old Cadillac, which he transforms into a taxi. **
Rogue Male (1976) – An English aristocrat attempts to assassinate Adolph Hitler while he is on holiday in 1939. The Englishman his captured by the Nazis and horribly tortured by agents of the Gestapo for his assassination attempt. After enduring the suffering at the hands of his captors, the gentleman escapes and returns to England, but he is trailed by Nazi agents bent upon preventing him from revealing Hitler’s true plans. ***
Disc 3
The Proud and the Damned (1972) – A group of American Civil War veterans, scouting for a Columbian general, make their way into the town of San Carlos, Columbia and are welcomed by the mayor and the townspeople. The leader of the group becomes romantically involved with one of the local gypsies, which angers her boyfriend, and he is forced to kill the jealous man. Holding the Americans in jail due to their leader’s actions, the townspeople are unaware that delaying their return in reporting to the Columbian general may cause them great harm. **
Get Christie Love! (1975) – Christie Love is the first African-American woman hired by the Los Angeles Police Department. She proves her value to the department by working as an undercover operative. Her breakthrough case involves her infiltrating and then bringing down a major drug ring. **
Katherine (1975) – Katherine Alman (Sissy Spacek) is an upper class college girl who embarks upon a path of revolution and radical action after seeing for herself the adverse conditions in South America and the southern United States. Her liberal views take an extreme turn after joining a group headed by Bob Kline (Henry Winkler). ***
Mr. Sycamore (1975) – A postman who is weary of his current state of affairs and looks for a new path to his life. After hearing the legend about two temple guards who are transformed into trees, the postman decides to seek this fate by burying himself up to his knees in his backyard and awaits the metamorphosis. The postman’s concerned wife has her husband committed to an institution but this does not prevent the man from continuing his quest for peace by becoming a tree. **
Disc 4
Death Scream (1975) – Based upon a true story, a young woman is brutally attack in front of her apartment building and in spite of her cries for help; none of her neighbors came to her aid. A police detective and his partner investigating the crime find the residents of the apartment building uncooperative to them and it leaves them with more questions than answers. ***
The Driver’s Seat (1974) – Lise is a psychotic woman obsessed with finding the man of her dreams, in order for him to kill her. This schizophrenic lady travels from London to Rome in the hopes of discovering the perfect mate and her executioner, all in one. Elizabeth Taylor portrayed one of the most bizarre characters of her career. **
How Awful About Allan (1970) – A man is unable to save his father from a fire that kills him and disfigures his sister, he is sent to a mental institution for evaluation, the man returns later to take up residence at his sister’s home. Psychosomatically blinded by the incident, the man struggles with his life daily but finds things harder for him, when strange incidents begin to happen to him that has people doubting his sanity. **
Warhead (1977) – An American plane flying over the Middle East has problems and loses the nuclear warhead payload it was carrying over the Syrian Desert. A weapons expert vacationing in Israel is pressed into service with one task to complete, recover and disable the warhead before it falls into the wrong hands. **
Disc 5
The Werewolf of Washington (1973) – An ambitious young reporter and his girlfriend are traveling in Hungary, when a wolf attacks him. Returning to Washington D.C. with his girlfriend, who is the President’s daughter, he talks the job of Press Secretary for the President of the United States. When some recent acquaintances turn up murdered by some vicious beast, the young man comes to realize the wolf he killed in Hungary was actually a werewolf. *
David Copperfield (1970) – This screen adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic tells the tale of young David Copperfield; a boy brought to London at a young age and subsequently passed from one relative to another, to guardians and to a boarding school. ***
The Cop in Blue Jeans (1978) – A city finds itself besieged by a gang of pickpockets and petty thieves, all controlled by a ruthless crime boss. A tough undercover cop takes it upon himself to try to stop the crime ring and expose the mastermind behind the crime spree. **
James Dean (1976) – Written by James Dean’s former roommate, fellow actor William Bast, this feature tells the turbulent story of the star’s rise to fame. The tale covers his tortured and self-destructive journey that ultimately led to his untimely death. ***
Disc 6
The Borrowers (1973) – Based on the beloved novel by Mary Norton, The Borrowers follows the fortunes of a family of tiny humans who live beneath the floorboards in mansion. They live on the scraps left by “Big People” and live a relatively idyllic existence until they are discovered by an eight-year-old boy. Now they must frantically avoid being captured and exhibited as scientific curiosities. ***
Las Vegas Lady (1975) – Gambling, heists, love and intrigue are all a part of this suspense-filled comedy about a female gang that plans a daring caper in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas. **
The Young Graduates (1971) – Reflecting the humor and problems of the ‘love generation’, this is the story of high school graduates, who are eager to grow up and experience life, find themselves involved in adventures they’d rather live without. **
Congratulations, It’s A Boy! (1971) – Johnny Gaines (Bill Bixby), a confirmed bachelor is turned upside down one evening when a young 17 year old man stands on his doorstep and announces he is his son. **
Evel Knievel (1971) – On the eve of a major jump, Evel Knievel (George Hamilton) reminisces about his life and career. Covering from his teens through his major jumps and mishaps, an insight into his personal and professional life is given. **
Disc 7
Stunts (1977) – Glen Wilson is a veteran stuntman, who travels to one movie location after another to perform electrifying stunt work. When beautiful newswoman, enters this all male preserve, she is initially shunned, but eventually becomes Glenn’s number one fan and lover. When Glenn’s brother dies performing a stunt, he suspects foul play, and takes his brother’s place to investigate. **
A Real American Hero (1978) – Buford Pusser a sheriff in a tale based on the popular “Walking Tall” franchise. When teenagers turn up dead or blinded from drinking bad moonshine, Buford decides to take the law into his own hands once more. He becomes a one-man army bent on retribution against the despicable club owner who supplied the deadly brew. ***
The Death of Richie (1977) – In this haunting drama, Richie is a brooding and troubled teenager who feels overwhelmed by pressures that seem to come at him from every direction. While his overbearing and cruel father never sees his son’s descent into drugs or the inevitable tragic outcome that follows. ***
The Squeeze (1978) – A retired safecracker is enticed out of retirement to pull one last heist, so he travels from Mexico to pull the job. The plan is to steal a shipment of diamonds from a secure warehouse, but things don’t go as planned for our aging thief. The heist organizers plan is to take the loot and kill him to cover their tracks, but he escapes only wounded and must hide out in order to recuperate and plan is revenge. **
Disc 8
Wanted: Babysitter (1975) – A young woman unwittingly becomes part of a kidnapping plot involving the son of a movie producer she is babysitting. The kidnappers happen to be former business partners of the son’s father and are looking to exact some revenge on him. Our babysitter must bide her time and wait to see what will become of the son and herself, while the kidnappers begin to argue amongst themselves, placing the kidnap victims in great peril. **
Fair Play (1972) – A young man arrives at the town of Fair Play to see his uncle. What he finds upon arriving is a town hiding a secret from any outsiders. The young man must uncover the truth the townspeople wish to keep hidden in order to save his uncle. *
The War of the Robots (1978) – Representatives of an alien civilization on the brink of extinction arrive on Earth and kidnap two top research geneticists in the hopes they can find them a cure to their problem. Looking to stop a potential alien invasion and rescue the scientists, a group of soldiers is sent on a mission that could decide the fate of two civilizations. *
Concrete Cowboys (1979) – Two Montana cowboys decide to head to the big city and try their hand as detectives. Out of place in the city, our ranch hands also find themselves not well versed in the ways of private investigating. In spite of their lack of skills, our duo still tries their hand at dealing with the case of a missing singer being held captive by some extortionists. **
Disc 9The River Niger (1976) – Johnny Williams (James Earl Jones) is a house painter by trade, living in the ghetto and trying to support his family as best he can. Williams is proud of his son finishing flight school and has hopes of his success, away from the poverty and crime in the neighborhood. Williams must also deal with his wife’s cancer and his own struggles with daily life. This film is based on the Tony Award-Winning play and co-stars Cicely Tyson and Louis Gossett Jr. ***
They Call It Murder (1971) – Jim Hutton is a charismatic small-town DA working on several cases. His latest investigation centers upon a victim found in a swimming pool, where it is apparent the murder took place elsewhere and the body was dumped in the pool. This film boasts of great character actors Ed Asner and Leslie Nielsen. **
The New Adventures of Heidi (1978) – Katy Kurtzman stars as Heidi who is unfairly separated from her loving grandfather (Burl Ives), and forced to live with a gaggle of despicable relatives in the Big Apple. **
The Four Deuces (1976) – Vic Morono (Jack Palance) is a Prohibition-era mobster’s life take a turn for the better when he meets the lovely Wendy Rittenhouse and falls in love with her. With the aid of his new-found girlfriend and his gang of bumbling mobsters, Morono looks to end his rivalry and make a legitimate life for himself. **
Disc 10
C.C. and Company (1970) – C.C. Ryder (Joe Namath) is a mechanic who has joined a local motorcycle gang “The Heads”, which is led by their menacing leader Moon. When the gang comes across stranded fashion journalist Ann McCalley (Ann-Margaret), most of the gang members begin harassing her with the intent to attack her. Ryder stops the group and wins over the heart of McCalley, putting him at odds with Moon, and when Ryder attempts to help McCalley’s fashion show at a motorcycle event, he must battle Moon to protect her and the right to lead “The Heads”. **
Jory (1973) – A young lad and his father arrive in a remote western town looking to settle down and make a living. Unfortunately, the father dies and the young lad is forced to face life on his own. **
Treasure of Jamaica Reef (1976) – Off the coast of Jamaica, lies a sunken Spanish galleon with a fortune in gold waiting to be recovered. Unfortunately, there is a curse upon the treasure and bad things have happened to anyone who’s tried to find it. **
Cold Sweat (1970) – A reformed military ex-convict, Joe (Charles Bronson), runs into trouble when the gang he abandoned, comes demanding to use the fishing boat he captains. Their scheme is to pull off a drug heist and escape to another country. **
Disc 11
Jane Eyre (1971) – Jane Eyre, gaining employment as a governess after spending many years in an orphanage. Jane eventually falls in love with her employer, Edward Rochester, and accepts his proposal for marriage but is sent away after it is revealed he is still married. After a tragic event falls upon the Rochester home, Jane returns to her love. **
Border Cop (1979) – A border cop is trying to deal with a major problem in his patrol area. A major illegal immigrant smuggling ring has been bringing people across the border from Mexico, to working in sweatshops and slaughterhouses, for little wage and horrible living conditions. The border cop befriends one of the immigrants and decides to help stop the mistreatment by bringing down the ringleader. **
Good Against Evil (1977) – A young couple is forced to confront the ultimate horror when Satan decides to claim the young woman as his own. The boyfriend consults with two priests in the hopes of getting guidance on his spiritual dilemma. The two priests in turn decide to perform an exorcism in order to rid the woman of her possession. The boyfriend and the exorcists are pitted in a battle for the woman’s soul with Satan and his clan of worshipers. **
Hustling (1975) – Lee Remick stars as an investigative reporter whose assignment is to infiltrate the secret world of prostitution and expose its seamy underbelly. Her investigation leads her to a friendship with a hard-nosed hooker, who has been a victim of abuse. **
Disc 12
Maybe I’ll Come Home in the Spring (1975) – Denise Miller (Sally Fields) a teenage daughter of a suburban couple leaves home for a year to live in a commune with her hippie boyfriend. Returning home after becoming disillusioned with her chosen lifestyle, she finds alcoholic dysfunctional parents and a younger sister trying to emulate her older sister’s lifestyle, much the same as it was a year ago. ***
The Swiss Conspiracy (1976) – The customers of one of Switzerland’s most prestigious banks are being blackmailed, and the bank’s President (Ray Milland) wants it stopped. It’s time to call in former US Treasury agent David Christopher (David Janssen), who soon uncovers a diabolical international scheme. **
Mr. Scarface (1976) – A mob enforcer is tired of his position in the organization, just shaking down borrowers delinquent on their payments. When he meets up with another mobster, recently fired from his job and dissatisfied with his station in life, the two compare stories and decide on a scheme to get what each one wants. **
To All My Friends on Shore (1972) – In an uncharacteristically dramatic role, Bill Cosby stars as Blue, a middle-aged airport worker frustrated with his family’s meager existence and is determined to break his family out of the ghetto. The way Blue goes about trying to make a better life for his family alienates him from them, due to his stubborn will. ***
Firehouse (1972) – Shelly Forsythe (Richard Roundtree) is an African American firefighter candidate at an all-white firehouse in this drama. Shelly must deal with both the physical tests of his training as well as the racism of his peers as he strives to become a full-fledged fire fighter. **
In the final analysis all 50 films are not great, there are a many films in this collection that seem like they are just filler, but when you find the good films they are really worth a view. In these collection your getting quantity over quality.
So if you love 70’s cinema I do I highly recommend you head on over to Amazon or your local DVD store and pick up a copy of "The Swingin’ Seventies" from Mill Creek Entertainment and enjoy the days of yesteryear on DVD.
Moral Rating: Some movies are for mature audiences only.
Audience: Parental Guidance
Genre: Muti-Genre
Length: Over 74 hours
Released: 2012
Our Rating: B
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