Best Picture: 1975
Jaws gets my vote! This is one of the most compelling thrillers ever. Sure, it has its shock value from scattered shark attacks, but there are some marvelous scenes between the three male leads that make it get under your skin, with talk about the damage sharks can do. One of Spielberg's strongest directing jobs, and he missed out on a nomination.
"Because here’s the thing about life: There’s no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days when you need a hand. There are other days when we’re called to lend a hand." -- President Joe Biden, 01/20/2021
Jaws is the only one I liked even a little, but I have absolutely no desire to sit through it again. Nashville is Altman's cynicism at its most distressingly facile. Barry Lyndon is Kubrick's usual mopey snit about how awful humankind is, this time with the self-indulgence of period trappings and photography by candlelight. Cuckoo's Nest is self-important nonsense, and Dog Day Afternoon is trash -- and no one made uglier movies than Sidney Lumet in his prime.
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell