’70s
Noah’s Barks pages covering things relating to the years 1970 to 1979, i.e. the ’70s.
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Alien
One of my most controversial movie opinions is that I’m not that into Alien. It surprises even myself, as I love its concept. I like horror in general, and the relative novelty of sci-fi horror elevates proceedings. I’m even a particular fan of cosmic horror, and while the immediate threat of the Xenomorph isn’t dissimilar… (read more)
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The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is instinctually disturbing and aided by an amazing folk soundtrack that’s alluring to the ear but conveys dark desire when contextually examined. It’s a perfect allusion for the clandestine nature of Summerisle. The Wicker Man potentially comments on how some may react to the West’s particularly sexualized culture and their anxieties from… (read more)
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Jaws
Assessing Jaws is a little difficult, as the first half is just decent, but it builds empathy for the three characters in the second half, which is one of my favorite stretches of any film. Everything from when they board their boat until the ending is exhilarating. This is not a fight or mere slaughter.… (read more)
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Eraserhead
David Lynch’s Eraserhead is accomplished in the sense that it really feels like a nightmare come to the screen, complete with a randomly shifting narrative and odd symbolism that’ll turn any viewer into a dream interpreter, but the horror is weakened significantly by the fact that the dialogue is overly camp and many scenes are… (read more)
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The Tenant
The last of Polanski’s claustrophobic “apartment trilogy.” The themes start to run thin this time around. The mental deterioration is stronger in Repulsion, and the paranoia is much more real and sensible in Rosemary’s Baby. Though Roman Polanski does a fantastic job as the lead, the story is ridiculous and not remotely believable. To say… (read more)
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Flamin’ Groovies – “Shake Some Action” (1976)
With Shake Some Action, Flamin’ Groovies attempt a ’60s pop rock throwback in particular vein of The Byrds. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then Shake Some Action must be the most flattering album of all time, as its insistence and success at sounding exactly like a pop rock album that could have… (read more)
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Lizzy Mercier Descloux – “Press Color” (1979)
Lizzy Mercier Descloux’s classy, lounge-esque vocals on “Tumour” coupled with its perverse, post-punk guitars imitating saxophones it an indisputable highlight. Press Color is generally not energizing enough to be a great dance-punk album, and doesn’t go far enough into no wave territory to be endearingly abrasive. The combination of two genres known for their energy… (read more)
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Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Mardi Gras”
On Creedence Clearwater Revival’s final album, Mardi Gras, John Fogerty bends the knee and allows his mutinous band fellows to at last feature their own material. With the creative legend taking a backseat, the results go about as well as you might expect. (read more)
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Wendy Carlos – “Clockwork Orange”
A bit amusing how hard of a time I had finding this release for a moment. I wasn’t aware that Wendy Carlos had a sex change after making this soundtrack and changed her name, and her previous name was cemented in the soundtrack album’s cover art. Anyway, A Clockwork Orange is one of the strangest,… (read more)
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Kraftwerk – “The Man-Machine” (1978)
The reason I don’t like Kraftwerk is that they deliberately try so hard to make their music inhuman. There’s no humanity to be found in an indistinguishable vocalist blankly repeating “The Robots” into a microphone, tone or pitch never changing while plastic synthesizer beats repeat seemingly endlessly in a repetitive rhythm that doesn’t dare to… (read more)