1979 Movies, Best to Worst
by J_Frank_Parnell | created - 31 Mar 2023 | updated - 2 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Apocalypse Now (1979)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, War
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Votes: 710,301 | Gross: $83.47M
10/10*
2. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 950,901 | Gross: $78.90M
10/10
3. The Wanderers (1979)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
The Wanderers is a teenage, Italian gang in Bronx, NYC, 1963. They have their confrontations with other gangs. Drugs and weapons are uncool. Adult life awaits them.
Director: Philip Kaufman | Stars: Ken Wahl, Karen Allen, John Friedrich, Toni Kalem
Votes: 12,367 | Gross: $0.01M
10/10*
4. The Warriors (1979)
R | 93 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A street gang known as the Warriors must fight its way from the Bronx to its home turf on Coney Island when its members are falsely accused of assassinating a respected gang leader.
Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright, Brian Tyler
Votes: 110,703 | Gross: $22.49M
10/10*
5. The Jerk (1979)
R | 94 min | Comedy
A simpleminded, sheltered country boy suddenly decides to leave his family home to experience life in the big city, where his naivete is both his best friend and his worst enemy.
Director: Carl Reiner | Stars: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King
Votes: 64,220 | Gross: $73.69M
10/10*
6. Life of Brian (1979)
R | 94 min | Comedy
Born on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.
Director: Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Votes: 421,868 | Gross: $20.05M
10/10*
7. Mad Max (1979)
R | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley
Votes: 222,393 | Gross: $8.75M
10/10
8. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
PG | 112 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Alcatraz is the most secure prison of its time. It is believed that no one can ever escape from it, until three daring men make a possibly successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Jack Thibeau
Votes: 147,457 | Gross: $43.00M
9/10
9. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
102 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A dashing thief, his gang of desperadoes and an intrepid cop struggle to free a princess from an evil count, and learn the secret of a treasure that she holds part of the key to.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Yasuo Yamada, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Makio Inoue
Votes: 33,572
10/10
10. Being There (1979)
PG | 130 min | Comedy, Drama
After the death of his employer forces him out of the only home he's ever known, a simpleminded, sheltered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful tycoon and an insider in Washington politics.
Director: Hal Ashby | Stars: Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden
Votes: 77,656 | Gross: $30.18M
9/10
11. The Muppet Movie (1979)
G | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Kermit and his newfound friends trek across America to find success in Hollywood, but a frog legs merchant is after Kermit.
Director: James Frawley | Stars: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt
Votes: 39,148 | Gross: $76.66M
9/10*
12. And Justice for All (1979)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A lawyer is forced to defend a judge, while defending other clients, and trying to find punishment for the guilty and provide justice for the innocent.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Lee Strasberg
Votes: 39,669
9/10
13. Quadrophenia (1979)
R | 120 min | Drama, Music
Jimmy Cooper loathes his dead-end job and his working-class parents. He seeks solace with his mod clique, scooter riding, and drugs, only to be disappointed.
Director: Franc Roddam | Stars: Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Phil Davis, Mark Wingett
Votes: 20,875
9/10
14. The Odd Angry Shot (1979)
Unrated | 92 min | Action, Comedy, War
In between drinking cans of Fosters beer, Australian soldiers tread on a few landmines, and generally experience the war in Vietnam.
Director: Tom Jeffrey | Stars: Graham Kennedy, John Hargreaves, John Jarratt, Bryan Brown
Votes: 1,336
9/10
15. Over the Edge (1979)
PG | 95 min | Crime, Drama
A group of bored teenagers rebel against authority in the community of New Granada after the death of one of their own.
Director: Jonathan Kaplan | Stars: Matt Dillon, Michael Eric Kramer, Pamela Ludwig, Vincent Spano
Votes: 8,125
8/10*
16. Scum (1979)
R | 98 min | Crime, Drama
An uncompromising story of life in a British juvenile offender institution in the '70s.
Director: Alan Clarke | Stars: Ray Winstone, Mick Ford, Julian Firth, John Blundell
Votes: 13,084
8/10
17. The Fearless Hyena (1979)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Action
A young man whose sickly grandfather has taught him a secret form of Kung Fu, starts to make a living off of his unique fighting style, only to attract the attention of his grandfather's mortal enemy.
Director: Jackie Chan | Stars: Jackie Chan, James Tien, Dean Shek, Hui-Lou Chen
Votes: 5,394
8/10*
18. The Last of the Knucklemen (1979)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama
In the tradition of Sunday Too Far Away (1975), this independent film is based on the classic Australian play by John Power. Pic tells the story of a group of miners living in a camp in ... See full summary »
Director: Tim Burstall | Stars: Gerard Kennedy, Michael Preston, Peter Hehir, Dennis Miller
Votes: 172
8/10
19. 80 Blocks from Tiffany's (1979)
67 min | Documentary
Depicts the daily life of gangs within the context of the South Bronx. Deals primarily with two African American and Puerto Rican gangs known as the "Savage Skulls" and the "Savage Nomads".
Director: Gary Weis | Star: Louis Gigante
Votes: 421
8/10
20. All That Jazz (1979)
R | 123 min | Drama, Music, Musical
Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid career of Joe Gideon, a womanizing, drug-using dancer.
Director: Bob Fosse | Stars: Roy Scheider, Jessica Lange, Ann Reinking, Leland Palmer
Votes: 35,394 | Gross: $37.82M
7/10*
21. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
PG | 107 min | Drama, Horror
Count Dracula moves from Transylvania to Wismar, spreading the Black Plague across the land. Only a woman pure of heart can bring an end to his reign of horror.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor
Votes: 40,537
7/10
22. Manhattan (1979)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy
Votes: 147,275 | Gross: $45.70M
7/10
23. My Brilliant Career (1979)
G | 100 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A proud young woman in early 20th century Australia must choose between marriage and independence.
Director: Gillian Armstrong | Stars: Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Wendy Hughes, Robert Grubb
Votes: 4,803
6/10*
24. Boulevard Nights (1979)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama
From executive producer Tony Bill comes a gritty and groundbreaking look at Los Angeles gang life in the city’s Mexican-American barrios.
Director: Michael Pressman | Stars: Richard Yniguez, Danny De La Paz, Marta DuBois, James Victor
Votes: 759
6/10
25. 1941 (1979)
PG | 118 min | Action, Comedy, War
Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen
Votes: 36,272 | Gross: $31.76M
6/10
26. Time After Time (1979)
PG | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.
Director: Nicholas Meyer | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen, David Warner, Charles Cioffi
Votes: 20,644
5/10
27. Elvis (I) (1979 TV Movie)
168 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biographical movie about the famous rock singer Elvis Presley.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Bing Russell, Robert Gray
Votes: 5,132
5/10
28. The Bugs Bunny/Road-Runner Movie (1979)
G | 98 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Bugs Bunny reflects on his past cartoon exploits.
Directors: Chuck Jones, Phil Monroe, Maurice Noble, Tom Ray | Stars: Mel Blanc, Arthur Q. Bryan, Paul Julian, Nicolai Shutorev
Votes: 4,457
5/10
29. Hair (1979)
PG | 121 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Claude Bukowski leaves the family ranch in Oklahoma for New York where he is rapidly embraced into the hippie group of youngsters led by Berger, yet he's already been drafted. He soon falls in love with Sheila Franklin, a rich girl but still a rebel inside.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo, Annie Golden
Votes: 40,883 | Gross: $15.28M
5/10
30. The Brood (1979)
R | 92 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, amidst a series of brutal murders.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle, Henry Beckman
Votes: 34,320
4/10*
31. Walk Proud (1979)
PG | 102 min | Drama
A young Chicano gang member in Los Angeles comes to realize that the gang life is not what he really wants but doesn't know how to get out.
Director: Robert L. Collins | Stars: Robby Benson, Sarah Holcomb, Henry Darrow, Pepe Serna
Votes: 367
4/10
32. Hot Rod (1979 TV Movie)
TV-PG | 97 min | Drama
A drag-racer enters a local championship race. However, he runs up against the town boss, a corrupt sheriff who has already made arrangements to ensure that his own son wins the race.
Director: George Armitage | Stars: Gregg Henry, Pernell Roberts, Robin Mattson, Grant Goodeve
Votes: 322
4/10
33. The Amityville Horror (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror
Newlyweds and their three children move into a large house where a mass murder was committed. They start to experience strange, inexplicable manifestations which have strong effects on everyone living in or visiting the house.
Director: Stuart Rosenberg | Stars: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud
Votes: 44,602 | Gross: $86.43M
3/10
34. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
G | 143 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
When an alien spacecraft of enormous power is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk resumes command of the overhauled USS Enterprise in order to intercept it.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan
Votes: 96,623 | Gross: $82.26M
3/10
35. Phantasm (1979)
R | 89 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A teenage boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave robber, known only as the Tall Man, who employs a lethal arsenal of unearthly weapons.
Director: Don Coscarelli | Stars: A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester
Votes: 41,276 | Gross: $11.99M
3/10
36. The China Syndrome (1979)
PG | 122 min | Drama, Thriller
A reporter finds what appears to be a cover-up of safety hazards at a nuclear power plant.
Director: James Bridges | Stars: Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady
Votes: 33,040 | Gross: $51.72M
3/10
37. World of the Drunken Master (1979)
Not Rated | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
The brother of a winery owner, who's a drunken Kung Fu master, trains two young thieves in the art of the drunken kung fu after he catches them stealing from his brother's winery.
Director: Joseph Kuo | Stars: Jack Long, Yi-Min Li, Jeanie Chang, Kuan-Wu Lung
Votes: 337
3/10
38. The Plumber (1979 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 76 min | Horror, Thriller
A young couple, living in a campus apartment complex, are repeatedly harassed by an eccentric plumber, who subjects them to a series of bizarre mind games while making unnecessary repairs to their bathroom.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Judy Morris, Ivar Kants, Robert Coleby, Candy Raymond
Votes: 2,582
2/10
39. Meatballs (1979)
PG | 94 min | Comedy
Wacky hijinks of counselors and campers at a less-than-average summer camp.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, Russ Banham
Votes: 23,870 | Gross: $43.05M
2/10
40. Moonraker (1979)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
James Bond investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, and discovers a plot to commit global genocide.
Director: Lewis Gilbert | Stars: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel
Votes: 108,811 | Gross: $70.31M
2/10
41. Giger's Alien (1979)
34 min | Short, Documentary
Documentary about Giger's work for the movie Alien (1979).
Directors: H.R. Giger, J.J. Wittmer | Stars: H.R. Giger, Ridley Scott
Votes: 93
2/10
42. Fast Company (1979)
R | 91 min | Drama, Sport
After his sponsor replaces him with his arch rival, a race-car driver decides to steal the car and race it himself.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: William Smith, Claudia Jennings, John Saxon, Nicholas Campbell
Votes: 2,615
2/10
43. Doing Time (1979)
93 min | Comedy, Crime
Fletcher is ordered to arrange a prisoner vs celebrity football game, unaware it's a diversion for an escape. Fletcher and cellmate Lennie accidentally discover the plan and must break back into prison to avoid punishment.
Director: Dick Clement | Stars: Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale, Fulton Mackay, Brian Wilde
Votes: 3,394
2/10
44. Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Music
Ramones fanatic and delinquent Riff Randell battles it out with the strict new principal of Vince Lombardi High School, Miss Togar, with help from the Ramones.
Directors: Allan Arkush, Joe Dante | Stars: P.J. Soles, Vincent Van Patten, Clint Howard, Dey Young
Votes: 11,207
1/10*
45. Van Nuys Blvd. (1979)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama
A small-town kid hears about the wild nights of cruising the boulevard in Van Nuys, California. He drives out there to check it out, and gets involved with drag racers, topless dancers and bikers.
Director: William Sachs | Stars: Bill Adler, Cynthia Wood, Dennis Bowen, Melissa Prophet
Votes: 600
1/10
46. The Black Hole (1979)
PG | 98 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.
Director: Gary Nelson | Stars: Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms
Votes: 27,992
1/10*
47. Disco Godfather (1979)
R | 98 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Rudy Ray Moore's fourth in a series of cult favorites finds him playing an ex-cop called back into action to stop an angel dust producer. The angel dust hallucinations alone are well worth the price of admission!
Director: J. Robert Wagoner | Stars: Rudy Ray Moore, Carol Speed, Jimmy Lynch, Jerry Jones
Votes: 1,789
1/10
48. The Driller Killer (1979)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill.
Director: Abel Ferrara | Stars: Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day, Harry Schultz
Votes: 8,439
1/10
49. The Psychotronic Man (1979)
PG | 90 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A man discovers that he has psychotronic powers--the ability to will people to die. He begins exercising that power.
Director: Jack M. Sell | Stars: Peter Spelson, Chris Carbis, Curt Colbert, Robin Newton
Votes: 519
1/10
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