Lifetime Movies: 1974

Nominees: Blazing Saddles, Chinatown, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Young Frankenstein

The influence of Tobe Hooper's Chainsaw should be recognized not only as a genre touchstone, but for it's low-budget, indie success. And it's that rawness, the starkness of the violence, that has kept it alive and relevant through the years. (Plus, it gave us Francis "Chainsaw" Gremp from Summer School.) Speaking of influence, Chinatown is still regarded as having a nearly perfect screenplay, not to mention a powerhouse lead performance by Jack Nicholson. But the year comes down to the unlikely showdown between Mel Brooks and Francis Ford Coppola, each with an amazing 2 classic films released during the year. Blazing Saddles has long been a favorite (not to mention a sentimental choice because my grandfather was a big fan--ah, baked beans) and has held up better than a lot of Brooks' other films as I got older. Besides being relentlessly quotable, it's a rare important comedy, handling race in a way that would never be allowed today. That said, I can't go against the family (not to mention what may be the best movie of all time.) This one's for you, Fredo.

Winner: The Godfather Part II

Notes: A lot of really cool-sounding schlock this year (including 5, count 'em 5, Street Fighter movies), but it's hard to overshadow the all-time classics at the top of the heap...Even more impressive are the directors not mentioned above: Scorsese, Cassavetes, Peckinpah, and Altman...This was Gene Wilder--who needs to be remembered as one of the top comedic actors ever--at his peak...And get this--check out who else was born this magical Year of the Tiger: Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Hillary Swank, Amy Adams, Leo. And, of course, on October 28, Joaquin Phoenix. Suck on that, '75.

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