As part of a year-long exploration, I’m looking at my 50 favorite films from the 1970s. Periodically throughout the year I’ll be sharing my favorite films in 10-film chunks. Today, I’m looking at No. 20 to No. 11.

No. 20: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
About: The first of two Steven Spielberg films to close out this list, this is an iconic film. Richard Dreyfuss does a nice job in the lead role, while the use of sounds and lights in the final act is nothing short of memorable. This is one of Spielberg’s more notable early films.

No. 19: Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
About: This comes from director Sydney Lumet and features Al Pacino, who as I mentioned dominated the 1970s. It’s a fantastic lead performance and based on a true story of a bank robbery that went wrong. So many fantastic sequences, it’s a classic for a reason.

No. 18: Young Frankenstein (1974)
About: The first of two Mel Brooks films that is on this list, this one is a send up of Frankenstein. I love Gene Wilder in the lead role here, and Peter Boyle is quite fun as The Monster. This is a funny and engaging film that’s become a classic.

No. 17: Taxi Driver (1976)
About: From Martin Scorsese, this is a film that is nothing short of memorable. It’s not an easy watch but it’s not meant to be. One of the things I love about films in the 1970s is that they are challenging. Robert De Niro is incredible here.

No. 16: The French Connection (1971)
About: The first of two William Friedkin films on this list, this one was a Best Picture winner. We can add Gene Hackman to the list of performers who made some great films in the decade. We’ve seen some already, but his work as Popeye Doyle in this film is top-notch.

No. 15: The Sting (1973)
About: We love seeing films with Paul Newman and Robert Redford. This one, a heist and con film from George Roy Hill, features the pair in an iconic story. I like the way the film plays out and the way it all comes together. It’s one of their better pairings and one of the better films of the 1970s.

No. 14: One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975)
About: Only three films in American history have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay. This is one of those three. It’s a dark film that’s sometimes hard to watch, based on the classic novel. It’s a great performance from Jack Nicholson and well worth checking out if you’ve never seen it.

No. 13: American Graffiti (1973)
About: We don’t think about this film when we think about George Lucas, but it was one of his first efforts, arriving four years before Star Wars. It’s a great slice of life, looking at a night for some friends on the cusp of life changes. It’s become an enduring classic for many, and it’s high on the list for me.

No. 12: The Exorcist (1973)
About: It’s been 50 years, and this film is still striking. In fact, it inspired a sequel released earlier this month. This is the second of Friedkin’s films on this list and another iconic film. It’s a great film for this time of the year, too.

No. 11: Blazing Saddles (1974)
About: The second Mel Brooks film on this list, another irreverent comedy. This one is a send up of Western films that features a great bromance between Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little. It’s an edgy film now, as it was then, but it’s a classic that sticks out to me, so it’s high up on my list.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.