Getting old sucks, but I don’t need to tell you that. You’ll find out on your own, if you’re lucky/unlucky (delete as appropriate). I find it really weird to be able to say shit like “50 years ago blah, blah, blah”, but that’s exactly what I’m about to do. How’s that for a warm up?
Fifty years ago this year, two films, and one album came out that remain on my list of all time favourites. All three are well worth remembering, and revisiting. And if you’ve never enjoyed them yourself, then let the 50th anniversary of all three be the nudge you need to check them out.
The first film is “Jaws”, and if you’ve never seen it, you absolutely should. It was the very first big summer blockbuster. I don’t mean it was the first big Hollywood movie, but it was the first hyped-up film released in the summer, that went on to set box office records. But it wasn’t just a commercial success, the film was also critically acclaimed.
“Jaws” was promoted heavily, and had a lot of pre-release buzz surrounding it, prior to it’s debut. The way the film was successfully marketed became the blueprint on how to advertise new films. The pre-release excitement had people queuing around the block just to get a ticket.
I was 12 years old in 1975, and I got caught up in the massive hype too. The film was based on a very successful novel of the same name, written by Peter Benchley. In anticipation of the film, I devoured the paperback, much like a great white shark might, in big giant bites. And I read it more than once.
The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of the book. They omitted a minor subplot involving Chief Brody’s wife having an affair with Matt Hooper. It was a smart decision, as it would have been a distraction, and it would have made the character bond between Brody and Hooper weaker.
I saw the film at the very first screening on opening day. The film was a blast, and a half! Dramatic, exciting, action-packed, and just a tiny bit gory. Who knew shark attacks could be so messy?
The shark in the film, named “Bruce” by the crew, was a practical effect. There was no CGI back in the olden days. Could they make the shark look better today? Of course they could. Should they remake the film? OMG no no NO! The film still stands up today, and is as watchable now, as it was when I saw it in 1975. It’s extremely entertaining.
The second film I’d like to highlight from 1975 is “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, which was also wildly popular, though the subject matter was far less commercially appealing.
Based upon the 1962 Ken Kesey novel, the film went on to sweep all five major academy awards; Best film, best screenplay (adapted), best director, best actor, and best actress. It was also a commercial success, and surprisingly funny, considering the seriousness of the subject matter.
Michael Douglas was one of the producers on the film. At one point, his father, Kirk Douglas, was attached to star in the it, but that was more than a decade before this version was produced.
The story centres around Randall Patrick McMurphy, a boisterous, somewhat morally challenged, wise-ass, petty criminal, who feigns mental illness, and his locked up in a psychiatric hospital. He does this to avoid a worse fate, hard labour in prison. McMurphy is played by the great Jack Nicholson. Nicholson’s performance really drives the film. It is easily one of his best.
Jack Nicholson is one of my all time favourite actors. And he’s my homeboy, as we’re both originally from the same bit of the Jersey shore, though I didn’t know it back then.
McMurphy’s nemesis in the film is Nurse Ratched, played by Louise Fletcher. She is in charge of the ward in the mental hospital he ends up in, and she sees wise-cracking McMurphy as a threat to her authority. Both Fletcher and Nicholson won well deserved Oscars for their performances in the film.
And if you’re really paying attention, you should spot a young Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd in the supporting cast. The film was rated “R” in America. As I was only 12 years old, it meant I wouldn’t be admitted unless an adult accompanied me. I was ultra-hyped for the film, having read countless articles, and reviews about it, as well as seeing clips on TV. I spent weeks begging my father to take me to see it.
My dad wasn’t really a cinema goer, and I can count the number of times he went to the cinema with me on one hand. But I was persistent, and extra helpful around the house. He finally relented, and off we went.
I am not going to spoil the plot, as the less you know going in, the more you will enjoy it. As I said, there are parts that are laugh out-loud funny, but there are other elements that are extremely sad. Some might even say shocking, certainly to an audience 50 years ago. I expect it would be the same for an audience today.
If you ever get the chance, watch it. You really will laugh, and you will cry, and you will thank me for turning you on to such an amazing film.
“Born to Run”, is the album that made Bruce Springsteen a household name when it was released in 1975. All I ask is that you listen to it once. I’ve listened to it countless times, but I can remember the first time I heard it, like it was yesterday.
It was a few years after it’s release that I went Springsteen mad, but it was hard to miss the publicity he received when “Born to Run” came out.
Sure, we have NJ in common, but I think it wouldn’t have mattered where I lived. I would have still been into his music, and would have still become a huge fan wherever I grew up. That said, it didn’t hurt that Bruce and I lived in the same area, it was actually very cool.
When the record was released, Bruce was on the front cover of both Newsweek, and Time Magazine at the same time. That was pretty much unheard of, back then. Talk about hype!
Jon Landau, who was a music critic back in the day, provided this often quoted line, after attending a Springsteen performance: “…I saw rock ‘n’ roll future and its name is Bruce Springsteen”.
Landau was right. He also went on to work with Bruce for a while, as a producer and manager. And he helped Bruce get out of his terrible first record contract, that was signed in the dark, on the hood of a car.
The opening track of “Born to Run”, called “Thunder Road” is my absolute favourite Springsteen song. My favourite live version was recorded here in London at the Hammersmith Odeon, in 1975.
There are only 8 songs on the album, and it’s a just under 40 minutes long, but those 40 minutes insured that Bruce became one of the biggest rock and roll stars in the world. And 50 years later, that is still true.
I would suggest you listen to “Born to Run” at least once in track listing order. Think of it as a journey, follow the stories, and see where they lead.
In the 1970s, albums were considered an art form of their own. There were even radio stations that followed a format called AOR, which stood for Album Oriented Rock. You’re actually meant to listen to them their entirety. “Shuffle” is something else that wasn’t a thing back in the olden days.
Don’t think of all this as a homework assignment. Take it for what it is, a small, curated list of my top three pieces of media from 1975 that have more than withstood the test of time. I know there are many other films, and albums I could have name checked, but these three are special to me. One day, they might be special to you too.
After a 30 year career as a journalist, working for some of the largest news organisations in the world, including Associated Press and Reuters, and 15 years as a duty news editor for BBC News, Doug – the northlondonhippy is now a full time hippy, and writer. And for the last few years, he’s been #EpilepsyHippy. His life was a whole lot more fun before gaining that new title. For real.
Doug is also the author of “Personal Use by the northlondonhippy.” “Personal Use” chronicles Doug’s years of experience with mind altering substances, while calling for urgent drug law reform. It’s a cracking read, you will laugh, you will cry, and you can bet your ass that you will wish you were a hippy too!
If you want even more, (and who wouldn’t?) you could always check out Hippy Highlights – which is the best of the best stuff on the site, and it’s all free to read. What are you waiting for?
