A decade under the influence

About A decade under the influence

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:-)

Publisher

Ashes

Category

tv & film

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

25 May 2019

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

215 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Movie Review # 64 - The 5 Easy Pieces 1970 - Man in the Wilderness 1971 - Black Girl 1972 - Man on a Swing 1974 - Which Way is Up 1977 - Meetings with Anna 1978

   Feelin all bare bones business today, so let’s see.
Movie reviews #64. We review 6 today and they listed in order of their release.
1 (The 5 easy pieces 1970) I loved Catcher in the Rye when I was 17, and I was stuck in a boarding school when I read it first. It was pointed out later when I lived in a rad house full of lesbian activists, that it is pretty darn Male! Well this movie is like that though it’s super not as good. Our witty star is a bit of a shit. As we’ve said many times, they asking questions and having the dialogue but it’s 1970 and it’s rough. *It keeps gettin listed in 100 best films of the 70’s and I would just never put it there, it pushes too many others out of the way.
2 (Man in the Wilderness 1971) PG rated, oh my, I could be wrong but if memory serves this ain’t PG. It ain’t The Revenant but… Also obviously The Revenant is this movie with more gore and minus the early 70’s LSD of it all. I feel that I liked it, but I’m not sure I got it, or that anyone did. Scotty from Star Trek makes an appearance here, but it’s hard to see him under all the dirt and hair. John Huston and Richard Harris are here too.
3 (Black Girl 1972) See I didn’t even love this, but it is way better and more important than the 5 easy pieces. Again that is the flipping answer to all of this,,,,, 100 best films of 70’s, ok but what were you given to see!!!! So many films are still buried or harder to find, and,,,, why do you think that is. I dug this very much and so happy it’s out there now (un buried) it is a very important watch, it’s just a bit harsh at times. Brock Peters rules as a bit of a shit! Ossie Davis (Da Mayor from Do the Right Thing) directs here and he totally rules, as does Ruby Dee who played Mother sister in Do the Right Thing, ya see Spike Lee knew what he was doing. 4 (Man on a Swing 1974) Let me just say that I am a huge Joel Grey fan, and a Huge Elizabeth Wilson fan. You may not know Elizabeth by name but you have seen her rad work in 9 to 5, Quiz Show, Little Murders, Regarding Henry, Day of the Dolphin and many many more. Great Director too that we have been going through the films of, Frank Perry. I personally liked it, but collectively we agreed it’s a bit of a miss. Maybe for fans only hmmm. Joel Grey says he’s the best psychic and helps the fuzz fight some very icky crimes, question mark.
5 (Which Way is Up 1977) Ok, this one! Which way is up indeed, this for us was both flipping awesome and flipping shitty at times, the film could have used some more time to cook in some ways. I can see brilliance in it, and Pryor’s Genius, buuuuuut we also saw some other stuff. It was a WOW what the fuck was all that. For me, could be another one that’s just for fans, but also with some warnings I think. We will definitely tell you all about it in the episode.
6 (Meetings with Anna 1978) A director is on her way to a speaking engagement and meets folks along the way. Sadly for us the 2 other films of influential French director Chantal Ackerman have not knocked our flipping socks off like Jeanne Dielman 23. This one here looks way more awesome than it was however maybe with another watch that will increase, and this one is better than the way too arty News from home where Chantel just set a camera up, filmed people walking by in 70’s New York and reads letters from her mother. Here she is trying to capture loneliness say many, and maybe she succeeds, I suppose that can make a hard watch. What do you think.
Thank you for listening fam.

2. 

   7 Sept 2026

   Movie Review #63 - Thief in the Night 1972 - Juggernaut 1974 - Who - The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea 1976 - Madame Rosa 1977 - Headin for Broadway 1979

   Hey Film fans, movie reviews #63 is here in the can. Six films today and it’s nice and tight-ish.
1 (Thief in the Night 1972)- Old school Christian Apocalypse film. Just like the late 90’s poop like Left Behind, Megiddo, and that one with Gary Busey, but with longer hair and sideburns. Patty has nothing but people talking to her about specifically saying that she accepts JC into her heart, she’s like”huh” and gets left behind then post rapture she runs……..a lot!
2 (Juggernaut 1974)e My two pod buddy’s and the rest of the world were beating off about towering inferno, and Poseidon adventure, but they are not my bag, I will say I liked this one better than those and so far I think it’s disaster film #1 next to the one with Shaft as a daredevil, the one with Sparks in it, and the 1 were Helen Hayes rules the disaster film wasteland. Omar Sharif and Richard Harris are BOTH in here, wow, can we take all that Shakespearan pomp! Ok Now add a little Ian Holm, and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Directed by Richard Lester of Hard days night and the Ritz fame.
3 (Who?) Let’s not get me started on this one. Let’s just say that for this sci fi nerd that WHO? Looks way cooler than it is. I also feel Elliot Gould is half asleep through the entirety of this poop. It does exist and I’m intrigued that it exists and got released so of course I own the blu-ray, with commentary!
4 (The Sailor who fell from Grace with the Sea 1976)
V did the amazing write up on this one so I forget the origin but will guess that it is based on a Russian parable about supply and demand, he he not at all. This is about weird one about weird people and one truly nasty fascist sociopath. Director Lewis John Carlino wrote and directed some really rad stuff,,,,,,,,,,Not this! Let’s see what you think after you watch it.
5 (Madame Rosa 1977) Omg this is what it’s all about folks. Finding something like this. Recommend this story of Holocaust survivor who is a Madame, I guess it’s a see for yourself kinda thing, also I feel it yielded a good discussion. This won best Foreign film for 1977, so yes there will be subtitles if ya don’t know French.
Final film today is 6 (Headin for Broadway 1979) Director here is Joseph Brooks and we reviewed his directing before in You Light up my Life (that movie where they over play the song You Light up my Life) but mostly he is listed a musical advisor and conductor on many movies, and that just makes sense. This is light and fun and should go on your shelf right next to Fame and A Chorus Line.
See ya next time fam, and thanks for reading and Listening!

3. 

   27 Jun 2026

   Movie Review #62 - Traffic 1971 - The Front Page 1974 - A Very Natural Thing 1974 - Between the Lines 1977 - A Bridge Too Far 1977 - The Hobbit 1977 - The Special Olympics 1978 - Sooner or Later 1979

   Where were you, when we did our Movie Reviews #62?!
Right here apparently. Sorry that’s the tag line for American Graffiti in case everyone didn’t get it.
Movin on, 8 movies today 
 1.(Traffic 1971)
Here we have a film by the Famous French director Jacques Tati. I guess Jaques did some amazing and ground breaking films in the 40’s 50’s and 60’s, annnnd then there’s this one about people goin on a road trip to promote a vehicle that can do it all, I think, memory is foggy. 
 2.(The Front Page 1974) Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Carol Burnett, and the guy who works for Doc Hopper in the muppet movie star in yet another movie based off of a play.
3.(A Very Natural Thing 1974) This is not a documentary about the early gay liberation front movement in the early 70’s, but it is close. Movie has real protest and Pride footage, and you can basically see the meetings and discussions that took place to create the narrative that we see on the screen. Amazing film unburied after all these years.
4. (Between the Lines 1977) Here Jeff Gollum is young and on speed or something. Film takes us through some time with a radical newspaper as it is about to be bought by a major label, can these rads keep their street credit, and will Jeff take a well needed nap.
5. (A Bridge too Far 1977) Oh Mylanta they chucked a lot of dough on the screen, it’s like 300 extras parachuting at the same time oh my. We all liked this war movie very much but this is NOT based off of a play, but based off of a war! Almost every male actor working at the time appears in this for at least 30 seconds.
6. (The Hobbit 1977) Don’t think you need 7 hours of a blurry cgi mess to tell us what this tells us all. Hobbits are the shit! Love your home, protect your home. Love your friends, protect your friends, AND that war is flipping Stupid and gross!
7. (The Special Olympics 1978) You tube copy of this is astoundingly unwatchable, listen and we’ll tell you all about it. It is a shame and should be fixed, because this film is quite worthy of being seen, and not just for Charles Durning fans like us.
8. (Sooner or later 1979) Terrible ending to what I thought was a very charming and campy coming of age film. Gross pervy studio executive strikes again I think. Michael Skye band though!
as always thanks film fans!

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