One From the Heart (1981)

 

The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.

From memory: An expensive, audacious, but failed experiment by Francis Ford Coppola, it's visually stunning,  but narrative (and music) are simply not quite from the heart; it's all too obviously artificial.

Halliwell*: "Extraordinarily slim (for its cost) romantic fantasy which makes one wonder why, of all stories in the world, its creator chose this one. It does however boast attractive visuals."

Maltin**: "Lavishly produced but practically plotless romantic comedy...Dean Tavoularis' stylized Las Vegas set and the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and Ronald V. Garcia are astonishing! Unfortunately, pretty images do not make a film...one of Coppola's most surreal entertainments. A must for the curious - others beware." 

The Black Stallion (1979)

A young boy is shipwrecked on a deserted island with a wild Arabian stallion whom he befriends.

From memory: Surprisingly good (and old-fashioned) race horse tale aimed at a younger audience with especially beautiful cinematography.

Halliwell*: "1980 seems a bit late for boy-and-horse pictures, but this one is so beautifully directed and photographed, if drastically overlong, that most adults thought their children should see it."

Maltin***: "Exquisitely filmed story...Too slow at times, but still worthwhile, with many precious moments, stunning cinematography by Caleb Deschanel, Rooney's lovely performance as veteran horse trainer."

Tootsie (1982)

An unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.

Highly entertaining gender comedy with a great cast (Dustin Hoffman in the title role is spectacular), intelligent direction and an excellent script.

Halliwell****: "As with Genevieve and Whisky Galore, an unlikely comedy subject makes an instant classic. It's all in the handling."

Maltin****: "Smashing comedy...Farcical premise becomes totally credible thanks to razor-sharp script..., fine direction, and superlative performances all around..."

Head (1968)

Hey, hey, it’s the Monkees . . . being catapulted through a surreal sixties odyssey.

Deliberately plotless, harmless psychedelic romp; mainly silly, but also funny and entertaining, and a genuine document of its time.

Halliwell*: "A psychedelic trip of a movie which does for the Monkess what A Hard Day's Night  and Yellow Submarine did for the Beatles, and what Monty Python did for us all. Sometimes funny, slick and clever; often just plain silly."

Maltin***: "Far-out film debut for TV rock group...this overlooked item is a delightful explosion of crazy ideas with no coherent plot, many old film clips, some good songs, and such unlikely guests as Sonny Liston and Victore Mature...Well worth seeing."

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

After an encounter with U.F.O.s, a line worker feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.

This absorbing science fiction movie be acme an instant classic and is probably the film that best demonstrates Steven Spielberg's magical and optimistic vision of man's future; it's also groundbreaking for introducing aliens as benevolent.

Halliwell*: "There's a lot of padding in this slender fantasy, which has less plot and much less suspense than It Came From Outer Space which was made on a tiny budget in 1955; but the technical effects are masterly though their exposure is over-prolonged, and the benevolent mysticism filled a current requirement of popular taste, accounting for the enormous box-office success of a basically flawed film. Much of the dialogue is inaudible."

Maltin****: "Superb, intelligent sci-fi...Dreyfuss is perfect Everyman...Powerhouse special effects throughout, plus John Williams' evocative score. Vilmos Zsigmond's won an Oscar."