1979
Alien
(1979)
Dan O'Bannon (story), Ronald Shusett (story), Dan O'Bannon (screenplay)
Won 1 Oscar. Another 15 wins & 19 nominations.
The commercial vessel Nostromo receives a distress call from an unexplored planet. After searching for survivors, the crew heads home only to realize that a deadly bioform has joined them.
Apocalypse Now
(1979)
John Milius, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Herr (narration)
Won 2 Oscars. Another 18 wins & 32 nominations.
During the Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe.
Escape from Alcatraz
(1979)
J. Campbell Bruce (book), Richard Tuggle (screenplay)
N/A
The true story of three inmates who attempt a daring escape from the infamous prison, Alcatraz Island. Although no-one had managed to escape before, bank robber Frank Morris masterminded this elaborately detailed and, as far as anyone knows, ultimately successful, escape. In 29 years, this seemingly impenetrable federal penitentiary, which housed Al Capone and "Birdman" Robert Stroud, was only broken once by three inmates never heard of again.
Life of Brian
(1979)
Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin
N/A
The story of Brian of Nazareth, born on the same day as Jesus of Nazareth, who takes a different path in life that leads to the same conclusion. Brian joins a political resistance movement aiming to get the Romans out of Judea. Brian scores a victory of sorts when he manages to paint political slogans on an entire wall in the city of Jerusalem. The movement is not very effective but somehow Brian becomes a prophet and gathers his own following. His fate is sealed however and he lives a very short life.
Nosferatu the Vampyre
(1979)
Werner Herzog
5 wins & 8 nominations.
Jonathan Harker is sent away to Count Dracula's castle to sell him a house in Wismar where Jonathan lives. But Count Dracula is a vampire, an undead ghoul living off of men's blood. Inspired by a photograph of Lucy Harker, Jonathan's wife, Dracula moves to Wismar, bringing with him death and plague... An unusually contemplative version of Dracula, in which the vampire bears the curse of not being able to get old and die.
Quadrophenia
(1979)
Dave Humphries (screenplay), Martin Stellman (screenplay), Franc Roddam (screenplay)
N/A
London, 1965: Like many other youths, Jimmy hates the philistine life, especially his parents and his job in a company's mailing division. Only when he's together with his friends, a 'Mod' clique, cruises London on his motor-scooter and hears music such as that of 'The Who' and 'The High Numbers', he feels free and accepted. However, it's a flight into an illusionary world.
Scum
(1979)
Roy Minton
N/A
This is the hard and shocking story of life in a British Borstal for young offenders. Luckily the regime has changed since this film was made. The brutal regime made no attempt to reform or...
The Amityville Horror
(1979)
Sandor Stern (screenplay), Jay Anson (book)
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.
Newlyweds move into a large house where a mass murder was committed, and experience strange manifestations which drive them away.
The Driller Killer
(1979)
Nicholas St. John (screenplay)
N/A
Reno is an artist struggling to survive in NYC. He draws inspiration from scenes of daily street life and occasional random violence. Under pressure to finish his oft-delayed grand masterpiece, his psychotic alter-ego takes over and he begins killing random vagrants to boost his creativity, not quite realizing that it is happening in reality. When an art dealer grimly rejects Reno's finished masterpiece, Reno's mental condition quickly deteriorates.
The Jerk
(1979)
Steve Martin (screenplay), Carl Gottlieb (screenplay), Michael Elias (screenplay), Steve Martin (story), Carl Gottlieb (story)
1 nomination.
Navin is an idiot. He grew up in Mississippi as adopted son of a black family but on his 18th birthday he feels he wants to discover the rest of the world and sets out to St. Louis. There everyone exploits his naivety, but then a simple invention brings him a fortune.
The Warriors
(1979)
Sol Yurick (novel), David Shaber (screenplay), Walter Hill (screenplay)
N/A
Cyrus, the leader of the most powerful gang in New York City, the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for all the area gangs, with all asked to send nine unarmed representatives for the conclave. A gang called The Warriors are blamed for killing Cyrus as he gives his speech. They now have to cross the territory of rivals in order to get to their own 'hood. The Warriors slowly cross the dangerous Bronx and Manhattan territories, narrowly escaping police and other gangs every step of the way.