While plenty ofmovies from the 1970shave since built up cult followings, that does not mean they have not aged poorly in the subsequent decades. Whether due to outdated social and political content, poor special effects, or even outrageous concepts that don’t hold up in today’s modern cinema landscape, it’s interesting to notice how much time can ravage an audience’s perspective on a particular film. While these movies may have aged poorly, that does not necessarily make them bad, and it’s important to view them as products of the era in which they were made.
Some of thebest films from the 1970shave their fair share of issues regarding being outdated, and this was especially the case for cult classics that already stood outside of normal cinematic expectations. From silly premises like an offbeat comedy casting Clint Eastwood opposite an ape to sci-fi classics whose special effects just didn’t hold up,poorly aged 1970s movies showcase just how far filmmaking has progressed in the years since. While all these movies boast devoted fan bases, it must be admitted that they have aged badly.
10Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
Directed by James Fargo
As truly one ofClint Eastwood’s worst movies, the concept behindEvery Which Way but Loosefeels more like a strange fever dream than a genuine movie. This offbeat comedy paired Eastwood, fresh from the epic revenge WesternThe Outlaw Josey Wales, with an orangutan for a lighthearted movie that has not stood the test of time. Not only wasEvery Which Way but Loosea shockingly out-of-character movie for Eastwood, but it was also successful enough to get an even worse sequel in 1980 titledAny Which Way You Can.
While the novelty of seeing Eastwood in a monkey-filled comedy may have felt unique back in 1978, looking back, it’s an embarrassing anomaly in a career packed with iconic films. Today,viewers remember Eastwood as the Man with No Name in Sergio Leone’sDollars Trilogyor as the director and co-star of the Best Picture-winning filmsUnforgivenandMillion Dollar Baby. With this in mind,Every Which Way but Loosehas not aged well, and it’s clear Eastwood was mostly in it for the paycheck.
Every Which Way But Loose
Cast
Every Which Way But Loose is a 1978 action-comedy starring Clint Eastwood as Philo Beddoe, a trucker and bare-knuckle fighter who embarks on a cross-country journey. Accompanied by his pet orangutan Clyde, Philo faces a series of humorous and challenging encounters while searching for love. Sondra Locke and Geoffrey Lewis co-star in this film, directed by James Fargo, which blends action, comedy, and adventure.
9Pretty Baby (1978)
Directed by Louis Malle
While it’s clear social norms around acceptability have drastically changed over the past few decades, it still baffles the mind how a movie likePretty Babycould be perceived as anything but creepy, no matter the era. As the story of a 12-year-old girl being raised in a New Orleans brothel,the over-sexualization of the child actress Brooke Shieldsmeant that this film has aged very poorly. Featuring semi-nude and nude scenes with Shields, who was 11 years old at the time of filming, the moral and ethical issues ofPretty Baby’sproduction make it an unfortunate relic of times past.
When it was released,Pretty Babywas well-received by critics and even nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. However, despite its well-meaning intentions of deconstructing child exploitation and themes around the loss of innocence, having an actual child portray these scenes meant that the film could easily be accused of doing the very thing it was setting out to protest. More so than anything,Pretty Babyhighlights how much times have changed, and the film’s impact on Sheilds was further explored in the 2024 documentaryPretty Baby: Brooke Shields.
Pretty Baby
Pretty Baby is a period drama film set in 1910 New Orleans, focusing on the life of Violet, a 12-year-old prostitute, played by Brooke Shields, who lives in a brothel with her mother, Hattie. The film explores themes of adolescence, sexuality, and morality, as Violet’s life becomes increasingly entangled with the brothel’s patrons and photographer Ernest J. Bellocq, played by Keith Carradine.
8Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Directed by John Badham
John Travolta’s acting career really took off during the late 1970s as he gained roles inCarrie,Saturday Night Fever, andGreaseone after the other. While all these roles were highly acclaimed and remain cult classics to this day, the way thatSaturday Night Feveraddressed issues of sexual assault and abuse meant it has aged the worst out of them all. WhileSaturday Night Feverpowerfully addressed race and identity amid the disco music movement, it also showcased the very real threat of sexual violence for women during this time.
In one scene, Tony (Travolta) tries to force himself sexually on his dance partner Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney), and in another, Tony’s sleazy group of friends rape fellow disco dancer Annette (Donna Pescow.) AlthoughSaturday Night Feverhas gained a reputation as a fun-filled movie with plenty of music and disco dancing, upon rewatching it, it’s shocking how much bigotry, misogyny, and sexual violence were on display. While these aspects add to the thematic depth of its story, it also means, in many ways, thatSaturday Night Feverhas aged poorly.
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever: Released in 1977, Saturday Night Fever features John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young man who finds solace and acclaim on the dance floor of a local disco every Saturday night. Away from the music and lights, Tony’s life is fraught with challenges, including his growing interest in dance partner Stephanie.
7The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Directed by Jim Sharman
The Rocky Horror Picture Showhas earned its reputation as perhaps the definitive cult movie of the 1970s. With incredible music, subversive characters, and wild, campy, and outrageous energy,this Tim Curry film pushed social and political boundaries and showcased LGBTQ+ themesand issues in a way few movies had previously attempted. While all of this still holds true today, it must be admitted thatThe Rocky Horror Picture Showcan feel a little bit outdated in many ways.
While Dr. Frank-N-Furter may have been a groundbreaking character in 1975, their self-characterization as a “sweet transvestite” feels out of step with modern language use around gender non-conforming people.The Rocky Horror Picture Showwas also packed with scenes where consent was ambiguous or even outright ignored, which makes for uncomfortable viewing in the wake of movements like MeToo. Overall,The Rocky Horror Picture Showwas well-meaning in its intentions and should be lauded as a trailblazing film, but some aspects of it just don’t hold up in the 21st century.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Originally based on a stage play, The Rocky Horror Picture show is considered one of the most significant countercultural films of all time and maintains a wide cult following to this day. The film stars Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick, and follows Brad and Janet, a young couple who, after experiencing car trouble on a stormy night, are taken in by scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien transvestite who lives in a nearby castle with his equally colorful servants.
6Love Story (1970)
Directed by Arthur Hiller
Love Storyhas been remembered as one of the most romantic movies of all time, as the story of Oliver (Ryan O’Neal) and Jennifer (Ali MacGraw) struck a chord with contemporary viewers.Love Storyaddresses important issues around class and romance by showcasing how a boy and girl from vastly different backgrounds cross paths and eventually fall for one another. As an overtly sentimental story that fully embraced its more melodramatic aspects when tragedy hit,Love Storystruck a chord with audiences at the time, but today, it can feel emotionally manipulative.
One of the major aspects that madeLove Storyage poorly was the way it presented Oliver and Jennifer’s romance. The famous movie quote “love means never having to say you’re sorry” perfectly encapsulatesLove Story’sunhealthy depiction of romanceas the toxic dynamic between the couple was romanticized, as Oliver’s emotional distance, dismissive attitude, and occasionally controlling behavior were never fully confronted. WhileLove Storymay have been a cult classic of its era, looking back, it was filled with outdated themes and ideas.
5Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Directed by Hal Needham
Lame, cheesy jokes combined with poor production values meant that althoughSmokey and the Banditachieved iconic cult status, it has still aged very poorly. While the imagery and ideas from this film have stood the test of time, and the characterization of Bo “The Bandit” Darville will always be one of Burt Reynolds’ definitive roles, it’s impossible not to be hyper-aware of this movie’s age. Production values for action movies have gone up so much in the past nearly five decades thatthe stunts inSmokey and the Banditfeel incredibly tame.
Adding to these issues were gender stereotypes, racial representation, and an insentive portrayal of Southern culture. The humor inSmokey and the Banditwas packed with casual sexism, and although the characterization of Carrie, CB handle “Frog,” made it one ofSally Field’s best movies, it’s hard to argue she was not one-dimensional. While rewatchingSmokey and the Banditcan still be a lot of fun, and the film’s legacy is undeniable, it’s clear this movie has not aged well.
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is an action-comedy film directed by Hal Needham and released in 1977. Burt Reynolds stars as Bandit, a bootlegger working with his partner Snowman to deliver hundreds of cases of beer across state lines in their iconic Pontiac Trans Am. Eventually, the pair draws the attention of Texas sheriff Smokey, setting them in the center of a comedic game of cat and mouse.
4The Amityville Horror (1979)
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
The Amityville Horrorkicked offthe long-running folk horror franchisethat has included many sequels, direct-to-video releases, and even a 2005 reimagining. As the story of a young couple who purchase a haunted house, the movie addresses contemporary concerns about financial insecurity as its ‘credit-crunch horror’ themes have been subsequently repeated in later horror movies made during times of economic turmoil, such asThe Conjuring. While the thematic ideas ofThe Amityville Horrorheld up very well, it was its practical and special effects that dated this cult favorite.
In the decades sinceThe Amityville Horrorwas made, special effects have improved drastically, meaning that supernatural movies such as this can look painfully like products of their time. While more psychological-based films such asPsychoor slasher movies likeThe Texas Chain Saw Massacrehold up very well, ghost movies likeThe Amityville Horrorunfortunately do not. Although this movie has earned its place in horror history,the presence of an immoral ghost did not stopThe Amityville Horrorfrom aging.
The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror is the first film in the long-running horror franchise. In the original 1979 film, a family moves into a home where years prior, a brutal murder was committed. Quickly after moving in, they begin to experience supernatural events that take a toll on the father’s sanity. James Brolin and Margot Kidder star as the newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz.
3Deliverance (1972)
Directed by John Boorman
Deliverancewas a groundbreaking thriller whose “Dueling Banjos” scene has become a touchstone of popular culture. While the film was a critical and commercial success at the time of its release, looking back onDeliverance, it’s impossible not to notice the jarring cultural insensitivities at the heart of its narrative. With a terrifying story about four Atlanta businessmen encountering the deranged resident of the remote northern Georgia wilderness,Deliveranceleaned heavily into hillbilly stereotypesand longstanding stigma against marginalized rural people.
The depiction of the Southern characters inDeliveranceas violent, backward, and predatory meant that the film aged poorly regarding contemporary depictions of rural populations. The shocking and brutal sexual assault shown in the film also made for highly uncomfortable viewing that further entrenched the movie’s backward depiction of its antagonists. WhileDeliveranceis still remembered as a highly influential and powerful movie, it’s important to view it as a product of its time in its representation.
Deliverance
Deliverance, directed by John Boorman, follows outdoor enthusiast Lewis Medlock and his friends on a perilous river-rafting trip through the American back-country, as they attempt to experience the Cahulawassee River before it becomes a reservoir. Released in 1972, the film explores themes of survival and human endurance.
2Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)
Directed by Don Taylor
The originalPlanet of the Apesfrom 1968, starring Charlton Heston, has become a touchstone of popular culture that featured one of the best movie twists of all time. The sequel,Beneath the Planet of the Apes, cannot boast the same legacy. While the subsequent movies in the original franchise have gained a cult following, lackluster special effects and truly mind-boggling narratives mean they have aged quite badly.
Although Heston briefly reprised his role for this sequel, the main plot followed James Franciscus as Brent, an American astronaut sent to save Taylor (Heston.) This cult-favorite sequel then revealed that underneath the ape-run planet lay mutated humans who have since developed telepathic powers. While this was an interesting new direction for the franchise, it undermined much of the previous classic story’s narrative and wasfilled with lackluster special effects that badly datedBeneath the Planet of the Apes.
Beneath the Planet of the Apes
Astronaut Brent’s quest to locate his missing comrade Taylor leads him to a dystopian future Earth where intelligent apes reign supreme. While searching for Taylor, Brent stumbles upon a hidden society of telepathic mutants living beneath the planet’s surface. These mutants, who idolize a doomsday nuclear weapon, pose a significant threat to the apes.
1Foxy Brown (1974)
Directed by Jack Hill
The Blaxploitation genre emerged in the 1970s as a means for Black artists to reclaim their cultural identity with movies that focused more on an African-American outlook. Classics of the genre included movies likeShaftandSuperfly, which associated this style of filmmaking with incredible soul and funk music. Another important release wasFoxy Brown, starring Pam Grier, which showcased a more female-centric spin on these types of movies and was produced as an empowering representation of female autonomy.
While many aspects ofFoxy Brownstill hold up to this day, and it’s an incredible time capsule to a particular era in cinema, its female empowerment themes read more like objeectification when viewed through a modern lens.Foxy Brownwas packed with highly sexualized imageryand was even seized and confiscated in the United Kingdom under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic (viaMelon Farmers.) Although the themes and ideas explored inFoxy Brownstill feel relevant, it’s important to view it out of the context in which it was produced.
