A Boy and His Dog (1975)

Set in 2024, in the post-apocalyptic aftermath of World War IV, Don Johnson talks to his telepathic dog as they hunt for food and women. Johnson finds the right woman in this low-budget survival tale, but she leads him to a creepy underground world.

d: L.Q. Jones | imdb.com | trailer

Young Frankenstein (1974)

A loving parody of the Universal “Frankenstein” films of the 1930s, the classic is Mel Brooks’ most disciplined work, with just-right performances by co-writer Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle (as the Monster), Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman and Madeline Kahn.

d: Mel Brooks | imdb.com | trailer | “Puttin’ on the Ritz”

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Robert Shaw and friends hijack a New York City subway train, holding its passengers hostage and demanding $1 million in an hour. The always authentic Walter Matthau proves his equal in negotiations in a taunt urban thriller.

d: Joseph Sargent | imdb.com | trailer | Taking Pelham
The man who stole your train | Unwelcome aboard | She’s moving.

The Longest Yard (1974)

Burt Reynolds is charming and authentic as a sellout quarterback in prison for stealing his girlfriend’s car. The prisoners play the guards, and director Robert Aldrich mines the game for comedy and brutality to produce a highly enjoyable sports movie.

d: Robert Aldrich | imdb.com | Son of a Bitch | Team recruitment
A broken nose | 15-minute romp | Ball Breaker | The longest yard

The Crazies (1973)

Director George Romero creates a companion piece to his zombie movies — a solid apocalyptic thriller set in Evans City, Pa., where the U.S. government releases (then attempts to contain) a biological chemical that produces insanity in the townspeople.

d: George Romero | imdb.com | trailer | the first part