maverick cops gritty crime dramas mixed
genres and loosening limitations on
language and violence meant this decade
was Hollywood’s most badass one yet
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
action movies of the 1970s no advice
these are the films from the 1970s that
delivered particularly memorable and
iconic thrills when it came to action
sequences
and just to be clear we’ve taken all
genres into consideration for this list
number 10 shaft hey where the hell you
going sham to get laid where the hell
you going
shafts his name shafts his game it
doesn’t really come much cooler than
John shaft in this Gordon Parks directed
blaxploitation flick big case just
busted wide open buzzer for me that the
crap man is a shaft looks like you’re
gonna have to close it yourself shitty
when the title characters tasked by a
mob boss with solving a kidnapping case
the private detective kicks his attitude
into overdrive okay when I tell you you
open that door like this gun was about
to blow your head off
no signals are you gone got it
handing out beat downs like they’re
going out of style and dodging streams
of machine-gun bullets and if that
wasn’t enough to win you over then maybe
his jock will be can you dig it
why don’t you stop playing with yourself
Willie you ain’t gonna do shit number 9
the Warriors yeah that’s right Warriors
just keep walking
real tough mothers ancient you guys
don’t show me much bunch of dickheads
just walk all the way back home huh life
in a street gang can be brutal so it’s
not surprising that a plan to suggest a
truce would quickly go to hell and in
this action thriller drama it’s for one
Street gang in particular that it all
goes wrong
the Warriors we’re going in there like
everybody else dying guys no weapons
framed for the death of the beloved
peace seeker Cyrus
the titular group is hunted down by an
array of gangs including the sadistic
Turnbull ACS and the slugger wielding
baseball Furies I’ll shove that bat up
your ass and turn you into a popsicle
the result is a manhunt that brings food
of hand-to-hand combat and eerie
showdowns in what has become a 70s cult
classic number eight rollerball you know
what those executives dream about out
there on their desks they dreamed
they’re great Rolla Bolla
picture Arnold Schwarzenegger is the
running man meets George Orwell’s 1984
and you’ve got something along the lines
of rollerball the film is set in a
future society where the most popular
sport around is an outlandish game
called rollerball
while there is no war and no crime
there’s still plenty of violence thanks
to this so-called recreational activity
corporate society takes care of
everything
although rollerskating might not seem so
dangerous this sports movie delivers
plenty of cracked skulls and broken
backs and thanks to its sci-fi spin find
lead performances and fast paced action
sequences this one has it all and more
number seven death wish he’s in my way
no sir it’s your stunning home hello
jack
dad dad we got trouble trouble you and
Cal don’t tell me about it no no dad
it’s mom and Carol fake architects are
lame think again in this Michael Winner
directed flick we get to see Charles
Bronson play Paul Kersey a vengeful
vigilante out for blood following his
wife’s murder and his daughter’s rape
last night there was another double
killing which appears to be the work of
the person New York news media have
dubbed the vigilante not only does this
movie have plenty of violence but we
also get to see the protagonist evolve
from a blue sky thinker into a hateful
killer
it’s a classic raw action Charles
Bronson shooter
number six assault on precinct 13 as
Police Commissioner of Los Angeles
County I have called this emergency news
conference we have a crisis the juvenile
gang problem is completely out of
control this revenge thriller follows
the ambush of an LA police station by a
ruthless street gang looking to crack
some skulls I think we’ve just been
marked for something let me guess what
it is this is the siege it’s a goddamn
siege written and directed by John
Carpenter this 1976 flick is filled with
no-nonsense shootouts suicidal on slots
and some thrilling points of view from
either side of the battle the violence
in this movie really stood out from the
rest of the action output in this era
due to its gloves off no-holds-barred
approach remember the ice cream scene
our point exactly
I wanted vanilla twist
number five Enter the Dragon tell me now
the Sharleen commandment number 13 a
martial artist has to take
responsibility for himself and we accept
the consequences of his own doing
although he was sent just to investigate
a deadly tournament the legendary Bruce
Lee quickly makes his mark in this
martial arts masterpiece mr. Lee I’ve
come to speak to you about a tournament
of martial arts a tournament to which
you’ve already received an invitation
looking to avenge his sister Lee finds
himself having to defeat whoever he’s
pitted against which he does with flying
kicks nunchaku and screaming punches
aplenty there’s nothing better than
watching the father of mixed martial
arts take on wave after wave of bad guys
and Enter the Dragon delivers this with
aplomb
number four the French Connection all
right Popeyes here if your hand on your
heads
get off the barn get on the wall come on
move move not sweet – when a pair of
old-school narcotics detectives find
themselves tangled in a drug smuggling
case with a certain French Connection
ship approaches elevating they soon
realize they may have bitten off more
than they can chew from storming bars of
criminals to tailing mustache wearing
gentlemen partners Doyle and Russo don’t
only have to kick ass but also must
chase trains and seriously the train
chase is awesome
the French Connection is true drug
busting action at its best hold on
number three Dirty Harry I know what
you’re thinking did he fire six shots or
only five
well they tell you the truth in all this
excitement I kind of lost track myself I
being this is a 44 magnum the most
powerful handgun in the world and would
blow your head clean off you’ve got to
ask yourself one question do I feel
lucky known for dealing with San
Francisco’s dirty deeds homicide
inspector Harry Callahan is fittingly
hard as nails well do you punk so when
the Scorpio killer starts taking people
out with a sniper rifle Dirty Harry is
called to rein him in have you found a
good stick up for yourself I think so
it’s a building that overlooks the roof
where they spotted him yesterday as well
as giving us classic dialogue Clint
Eastwood delivers tense chases and
Rudolph beat’em ups but it’s when he
pulls out his legendary 44 Magnum hand
cannon that this crime thriller really
grabs you don’t think kill me if I tried
that your head it’d be splattered all
over this field where’s the girl Dirty
Harry fared so well it spawned four
sequels including 1976 ‘as the enforcer
number two Star Wars Episode four a new
hope wait a second there sandpeople all
right I can see one of them now after a
young farm boy embraces his destiny and
accepts that he’s bound to become a Jedi
defeat Darth Vader and rescue Princess
Leia we’re treated to a story of good
versus evil that’s got a hell of a lot
of action
what really sells this galactic epic are
its space battles and the new take on
the sword fight which displayed the
now-famous
lightsabers combine this with stunning
visuals and you have the beginnings of
one of the most successful sci-fi action
franchises ever spread 5 I’m going in
before we reveal our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
jesus H Christ
fuck your on J cafe number one Mad Max
and the nitride pigments I’m a
fuel-injected suicide machine in this
futuristic dystopian action flick an
Australian policeman seeks vengeance on
a motorcycle gang after they murder his
partner and family
equipped with iconic apparel and wheels
Mad Max aims to take out the culprits
one by one I’ll say the names if you say
yes or no what follows are high-octane
chases which always end with someone
being obliterated or thrown from a
bridge
strange costumes and cheesy but super
awesome shootouts this
search-and-destroy movie didn’t only put
Mel Gibson on the map but also into our
action loving hearts do you agree with
our list
better 50-50 chance you weren’t even
close what’s your favorite
hustle-and-bustle
action movie of the 70s for more
action-packed top 10s published every
day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com take your time
genres and loosening limitations on
language and violence meant this decade
was Hollywood’s most badass one yet
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
counting down our picks for the top ten
action movies of the 1970s no advice
these are the films from the 1970s that
delivered particularly memorable and
iconic thrills when it came to action
sequences
and just to be clear we’ve taken all
genres into consideration for this list
number 10 shaft hey where the hell you
going sham to get laid where the hell
you going
shafts his name shafts his game it
doesn’t really come much cooler than
John shaft in this Gordon Parks directed
blaxploitation flick big case just
busted wide open buzzer for me that the
crap man is a shaft looks like you’re
gonna have to close it yourself shitty
when the title characters tasked by a
mob boss with solving a kidnapping case
the private detective kicks his attitude
into overdrive okay when I tell you you
open that door like this gun was about
to blow your head off
no signals are you gone got it
handing out beat downs like they’re
going out of style and dodging streams
of machine-gun bullets and if that
wasn’t enough to win you over then maybe
his jock will be can you dig it
why don’t you stop playing with yourself
Willie you ain’t gonna do shit number 9
the Warriors yeah that’s right Warriors
just keep walking
real tough mothers ancient you guys
don’t show me much bunch of dickheads
just walk all the way back home huh life
in a street gang can be brutal so it’s
not surprising that a plan to suggest a
truce would quickly go to hell and in
this action thriller drama it’s for one
Street gang in particular that it all
goes wrong
the Warriors we’re going in there like
everybody else dying guys no weapons
framed for the death of the beloved
peace seeker Cyrus
the titular group is hunted down by an
array of gangs including the sadistic
Turnbull ACS and the slugger wielding
baseball Furies I’ll shove that bat up
your ass and turn you into a popsicle
the result is a manhunt that brings food
of hand-to-hand combat and eerie
showdowns in what has become a 70s cult
classic number eight rollerball you know
what those executives dream about out
there on their desks they dreamed
they’re great Rolla Bolla
picture Arnold Schwarzenegger is the
running man meets George Orwell’s 1984
and you’ve got something along the lines
of rollerball the film is set in a
future society where the most popular
sport around is an outlandish game
called rollerball
while there is no war and no crime
there’s still plenty of violence thanks
to this so-called recreational activity
corporate society takes care of
everything
although rollerskating might not seem so
dangerous this sports movie delivers
plenty of cracked skulls and broken
backs and thanks to its sci-fi spin find
lead performances and fast paced action
sequences this one has it all and more
number seven death wish he’s in my way
no sir it’s your stunning home hello
jack
dad dad we got trouble trouble you and
Cal don’t tell me about it no no dad
it’s mom and Carol fake architects are
lame think again in this Michael Winner
directed flick we get to see Charles
Bronson play Paul Kersey a vengeful
vigilante out for blood following his
wife’s murder and his daughter’s rape
last night there was another double
killing which appears to be the work of
the person New York news media have
dubbed the vigilante not only does this
movie have plenty of violence but we
also get to see the protagonist evolve
from a blue sky thinker into a hateful
killer
it’s a classic raw action Charles
Bronson shooter
number six assault on precinct 13 as
Police Commissioner of Los Angeles
County I have called this emergency news
conference we have a crisis the juvenile
gang problem is completely out of
control this revenge thriller follows
the ambush of an LA police station by a
ruthless street gang looking to crack
some skulls I think we’ve just been
marked for something let me guess what
it is this is the siege it’s a goddamn
siege written and directed by John
Carpenter this 1976 flick is filled with
no-nonsense shootouts suicidal on slots
and some thrilling points of view from
either side of the battle the violence
in this movie really stood out from the
rest of the action output in this era
due to its gloves off no-holds-barred
approach remember the ice cream scene
our point exactly
I wanted vanilla twist
number five Enter the Dragon tell me now
the Sharleen commandment number 13 a
martial artist has to take
responsibility for himself and we accept
the consequences of his own doing
although he was sent just to investigate
a deadly tournament the legendary Bruce
Lee quickly makes his mark in this
martial arts masterpiece mr. Lee I’ve
come to speak to you about a tournament
of martial arts a tournament to which
you’ve already received an invitation
looking to avenge his sister Lee finds
himself having to defeat whoever he’s
pitted against which he does with flying
kicks nunchaku and screaming punches
aplenty there’s nothing better than
watching the father of mixed martial
arts take on wave after wave of bad guys
and Enter the Dragon delivers this with
aplomb
number four the French Connection all
right Popeyes here if your hand on your
heads
get off the barn get on the wall come on
move move not sweet – when a pair of
old-school narcotics detectives find
themselves tangled in a drug smuggling
case with a certain French Connection
ship approaches elevating they soon
realize they may have bitten off more
than they can chew from storming bars of
criminals to tailing mustache wearing
gentlemen partners Doyle and Russo don’t
only have to kick ass but also must
chase trains and seriously the train
chase is awesome
the French Connection is true drug
busting action at its best hold on
number three Dirty Harry I know what
you’re thinking did he fire six shots or
only five
well they tell you the truth in all this
excitement I kind of lost track myself I
being this is a 44 magnum the most
powerful handgun in the world and would
blow your head clean off you’ve got to
ask yourself one question do I feel
lucky known for dealing with San
Francisco’s dirty deeds homicide
inspector Harry Callahan is fittingly
hard as nails well do you punk so when
the Scorpio killer starts taking people
out with a sniper rifle Dirty Harry is
called to rein him in have you found a
good stick up for yourself I think so
it’s a building that overlooks the roof
where they spotted him yesterday as well
as giving us classic dialogue Clint
Eastwood delivers tense chases and
Rudolph beat’em ups but it’s when he
pulls out his legendary 44 Magnum hand
cannon that this crime thriller really
grabs you don’t think kill me if I tried
that your head it’d be splattered all
over this field where’s the girl Dirty
Harry fared so well it spawned four
sequels including 1976 ‘as the enforcer
number two Star Wars Episode four a new
hope wait a second there sandpeople all
right I can see one of them now after a
young farm boy embraces his destiny and
accepts that he’s bound to become a Jedi
defeat Darth Vader and rescue Princess
Leia we’re treated to a story of good
versus evil that’s got a hell of a lot
of action
what really sells this galactic epic are
its space battles and the new take on
the sword fight which displayed the
now-famous
lightsabers combine this with stunning
visuals and you have the beginnings of
one of the most successful sci-fi action
franchises ever spread 5 I’m going in
before we reveal our number one pick
here are a few honorable mentions
jesus H Christ
fuck your on J cafe number one Mad Max
and the nitride pigments I’m a
fuel-injected suicide machine in this
futuristic dystopian action flick an
Australian policeman seeks vengeance on
a motorcycle gang after they murder his
partner and family
equipped with iconic apparel and wheels
Mad Max aims to take out the culprits
one by one I’ll say the names if you say
yes or no what follows are high-octane
chases which always end with someone
being obliterated or thrown from a
bridge
strange costumes and cheesy but super
awesome shootouts this
search-and-destroy movie didn’t only put
Mel Gibson on the map but also into our
action loving hearts do you agree with
our list
better 50-50 chance you weren’t even
close what’s your favorite
hustle-and-bustle
action movie of the 70s for more
action-packed top 10s published every
day be sure to subscribe to
watchmojo.com take your time
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