As we got into junior high they built a twin theater out west that was near a Pizza Inn and local arcade. This is where we started seeing movies and meeting girls afterwards which made them much more memorable. Around 1977 we were able to see movies on the weekend at night without our parents which gave us that sense of independence.

Seeing a good movie in the 70s had a pretty long lasting impression on me as a young buckaroo. This is my Top 20 list of those movies that left really great memories. These are not the best movies from the 1970s, but these are my favorites and the ones that were released at memorable moments in my life. I actually saw these first 10 films at a movie theater in the 70s so all of these were before college.

You will notice two huge movies left completely off of both lists. These movies almost always rank at the top of the best films of the 1970s. They are The Godfather and The Godfather II. For some weird reason I never saw either movie back in the day. I actually didn’t see either movie until I was in my fifties. I likes the movies but still would not put them in my top 20.

Enjoy the list and let me know which ones left lasting impressions on you. These are in no particular order.

1.) Close Encounters of the Third Kind – 1977 – This movie was the coolest. I still watch it every time it comes on. I think this was the first movie we went to see as young junior high students on the weekend at night without a parent along and then got to hang out afterwards. And we didn’t ride bikes to see it.

2.) Jaws – 1975 – The best suspense movie of the decade. If only every kid could see this at the movie theater as their first thriller movie. Everyone I knew stopped hanging their arms and legs off the side of the bed after seeing this one. I think we rode our bikes to the downtown movie theater to watch this one without parents but it was during the day.

3.) Star Wars – 1977 – Wow! Who would have thought you could do that on a movie screen. Special effects before there were special effects. This was a movie you HAD to see at the theater. I did really like this movie but never bought into all of the newer movies and series.

4.) Animal House – 1978 – Oh my gosh! The best boob movie for any young man in the 70′s. Most likely the funniest movie of the decade. I can still quote at least half of this fraternity flick.

5.) Saturday Night Fever – 1977 – Can you say disco? The songs alone were enough to remember for a lifetime. Loved the dancing, not so much the acting. This movie is a huge part of pop culture especially 70s pop culture.

6.) The Poseidon Adventure – 1972 – An awesome adventure movie! Non-stop action. This movie was way cool in the 70s and holds up today. A great story that was very unique with an awesome cast!

7.) Rocky – 1976 – Yo. Gonna fly now. A great underdog story from the 70s. I liked this one so much I bought the 45 record of the theme song. I think we rode our bikes to see this one in downtown Enid during the day.

8.) The Goodbye Girl – 1977 – I thought Richard Dreyfuss was a great actor. This was a fun movie and I really like the theme song. I think this was my first chick flick.

9.) The Warriors – 1979 – If you saw this movie and didn’t want to go out and start a fight you just weren’t normal. The best gang movie of all time. Great soundtrack. This was one of those movies our entire group of friends went to see together.

10.) Phantasm – 1979 – A little known horror flick that was ahead of its time. This movie had a cult following and that cult was my buddies and I. There were several sequels released later but none ever made as much of an impression. This movie left a lasting impression on us and left us very spooked when we left the theater. I remember being in the restroom afterwards checking behind me to make sure nobody was there.

I decided to add another 10 films to my favorites list. This group of movies is different in the fact that many of these I saw these for the first time on video, TV or some other venue rather than in a movie theater.

11. Halloween – 1978 – Of course the best Halloween movie of all time. This one I try to watch at least once every Halloween. I distinctly remember seeing Halloween for the first time at junior college. They were showing it in the library and I went by myself to see if I could meet some new people. It was a great film to see in a college library!

12.) Smokey and the Bandit – 1977 – Trans Ams and CB radios! Two of the coolest things you could want as a teenager. Sally Fields wasn’t bad either. I did see this film in in the theater. As much as I loved it I never had a desire to buy a Trans Am.

13.) One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest – 1975 – I kinda remember this movie being available to watch but I would never sit down to watch it because I thought I wouldn’t be interested in it. Boy was I wrong. I loved Jack Nicholson and all of the actors in this film.

14.) Alien – 1979 – Crazy movie. This one was a little freaky but one of the best sci-fi movies ever. This was our Jaws in Space!

15.) MASH – 1970 – I was a huge MASH TV show fan before I saw this movie. I am a fan of the movie but had already connected with the actors on television so I’ve never considered this better than the show.

16.) American Graffiti – 1973 – another Richard Dreyfuss favorite. I really enjoyed things form the 50s while growing up in the 70s. This movie is one reason I was such a huge Happy Days fan.

17.) Dog Day Afternoon – 1975 – Al Pacino sucked me in on this one. I remember catching this randomly on video or TV and at the end wondering why nobody had ever told me about this movie.

18.) Young Frankenstein – 1974 – We laughed until we cried watching this. I’m not sure where I saw this first but because it was 1974 I’m thinking it was on video.

19.) King Kong– 1976 – I remember going to this movie theater to see this thinking to myself that I was going to love it. And I did! I was a huge fan of the old black and white monster movies that came on TV on Saturday’s. I couldn’t wait to see this updated version of King Kong. It did not disappoint.

20.) Breaking Away – 1979 – This was a great feel good flick. I think I rented this on video and have now watched it several times. One of those movies that reminds me of me and my friends.

That’s my list! Lots of reasons these were my favorites but mainly because they were at a good point in my life or really struck a cord with me. Hope you enjoyed!

PODCAST

VIDEO

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I’ve seen myself and my friends being somewhat characterized in many movies over the years. Most of these movies are centered around a group of boys going on adventures and coming of age. I’ve become a big fan of this genre and would love to write my own book/movie about our experiences one day.

I originally created my list of coming of age movies back in May of 2009. My first list only contained ten movies. Over the years I kept watching more and more films that I thought should be on the list. In May of 2011 I updated the list of movies by adding an additional 15 films. This blog went offline for a few years and now it’s back with the list of The Best Coming Of Age Movies Ever!

Coming of age movies remind me so much of being twelve and growing up in the 1970′s. My dream story would be to take the characters from my neighborhood and put them in a story that combines “Stand By Me”, “The Goonies” and “Lost Boys”.

Our neighborhood gang spent almost every day together in the summer and would skip dinner just so we could play late into the night. We were always outside running around town playing games and tricking neighbors non-stop. We even invented a game that we’d play well past the time the street lights would come on.

The movies listed below are the closest examples of the good times we had as youngsters. I know there are many more coming of age movies but these top my list and have bits and pieces that remind me of days gone by. They are in no particular order. Enjoy and if you’ve missed any of these, they would make great weekend rentals.

This blog post was updated in February 2022 and again in July of 2022. There are many newer movies that could be added to the list and I will try to see as many as possible. I have recently added Super 8.

My Original Top 10 Coming of Age Movies (2009)

1. Stand By Me (1986)
four boys set off on a journey to see a dead body
2. The Goonies (1985)
a group of young misfits discover a map and set out to find a pirate’s treasure
3. Now and Then (1995)
Four childhood friends reminisce about their younger years when they were 12
4. Pretty in Pink (1986)
a true love story of the teenage heart about the divide between rich and poor
5. Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
set in ’59, a teacher dares to teach a group of boys life lessons not found in textbooks
6. St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)
a group of friends, just out of college, struggle with adulthood
7. October Sky (1999)
a 1950s boy from a small town overcomes challenges to find fulfillment in exploring science
8. Breakfast Club (1985)
five high school students meet in detention and find they have more in common than they thought
9. My Girl (1991)
a young girl nearing her teens finds her life turning upside down when she finds an unlikely friend
10. American Graffiti (1973)
a couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies

This list had gotten so popular in 2010 so I decided to add another 10 movies. If you have not seen the first 10 watch those first and then check these out. Again these are in no particular order.

11. Sixteen Candles (1984)
a 16-year-old has a crush on the most popular boy, and the geekiest boy has a crush on her
12. The Sandlot (1993)
a group of scrappy kids playing America’s greatest pastime, baseball, set in 1960s
13. The Outsiders (1983)
two bitter groups of teenagers — rich vs. underprivileged — and their territorial battles
14. Almost Famous (2000)
a high-school boy in the 70s travels with a rock band to write a story for Rolling Stone
15. Dirty Dancing (1987)
summer of ’63 at a country club where a young girl falls for an older dance instructor
16. Breaking Away (1979)
a working-class teen obsessed with cycling searches for life goals with his friends
17. School Ties (1992)
in the 50s, a star-quarterback at an elite preparatory school but must conceal he is Jewish
18. Summer of ’42 (1971)
a teenage boy has an interlude with an older woman during a summer trip
19. That’s What I Am (2011)
set in 65, a 13-year-old paperboy is paired up with a geek on a project
20. The Man in the Moon (1991)
set in the 50s as a 14-year-old girl gets her first difficult lesson in love

Okay, I’ve had to add even more after seeing a few more movies the second and third time around.

21. 13 Going On 30 (2004)
a rom-com about a 13-year-old girl that wants to grow up too quickly
22. My Dog Skip (2000)
a tale of a shy boy and his dog in a small, sleepy Southern town
23. White Squall (1996)
in 1960, a group of prep school boys boards an old-fashioned sailing ship
24. Second Hand Lions (2003)
a story of a shy, young boy sent to spend the summer with his wealthy, eccentric uncles
25. Flipped (2010)
a Rob Reiner film about two eighth-graders having feelings for each other
26. Super 8 (2011)
set in 1979, a boy and his friends save the city from an alien

The post The Best Coming of Age Movies Ever appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

ENID, OK – Paul Dano brought Richard Ford’s American classic “Wildlife” to the screen, marking his directorial debut. Academy Award® nominees Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan were actors in the period drama along with the young actor Ed Oxenbould.

Although the story was set in Montana, much of the movie was filmed in Enid, Oklahoma and the surrounding area. Filming took place during the end of the year in 2016. Many local residents were used as extras during the filming including myself.

After having a speaking role in my first movie a year before, I had caught the acting bug as far as wanting to be an extra in more films. My ultimate goal was to learn about movie making from behind the scenes so that I could eventually work on my own projects.

When it was announced that “Wildlife” was coming to Enid I thought it would be a great opportunity to see how major motion pictures are filmed and what equipment is used. I signed up with the casting agency and submitted myself for different parts.

It didn’t take long and I was asked to be an extra as a forest firefighter. I wasn’t told anything about the scene other than the date and town. Below are some of my scenes in the movie.

Movie clips from the movie Wildlife. See if you can spot me!

Gyllenhaal and Oxenbould scene in Hennessey. I’m in the middle walking away.

This was my longest on screen shot leaning against this metal shed.

This was the first Wildlife scene we did with Jake. Signing up to go fight fires.

The film will be released on October 19, 2018. Circle Cinema in Tulsa premiered the film on November 9th, 2018 which is where I saw it for the first time.

Continue on for the behind the scenes photos from the movie Wildlife.

The post Part 1: I Was In A Movie With Jake Gyllenhaal appeared first on Curtis Tucker.

Filming began in locations throughout Enid and reports started coming in as to the various locations. I popped over to the area of Enid where the main house was located and immediately saw director Paul Dano and the videographer walking down the street. Most of the film locations were blocked off by police and barricades so snagging photos was not an easy task.

My scene was to be filmed in Hennessey, Oklahoma, about 25 miles south of Enid. I was to be there pretty early for wardrobe and makeup. That morning, a large building in town began filling with all kinds of extras and film crew. We all slipped into costume and stood in line for makeup. I was given a heavy coating of dark brown makeup that made me look rather worn and rugged.

In Hennessey waiting in line for wardrobe and makeup. Thirteen of us were picked to be firefighter extras in the movie. We were fitted in Enid for wardrobe and met in Hennessey for filming. We all received make-up that really darkened our skin and appearance. While on this set we filmed several scenes with Jake Gyllenhaal.

My face after makeup. They used dark makeup on our faces, arms, hands and even fingernails.

A break for lunch while filming in Hennessey. Pizza was on the menu.

The main actors and director had lunch in the same area.

A big part of making a film is waiting. Here we were waiting on the next scene to be prepared. We filmed from early morning to after dark in Hennessey.

A few of our scenes were riding in the back of this truck with Jake. Here they were getting ready for a closeup of Jake in the truck.

This home on W. Maine and Polk was used for several scenes. They had to spray snow in the yard to make it look more like winter. It was cold outside while filming most of this film in Enid.

The crew discussing the upcoming scenes at this location.

Director Paul Dano looking over the location.

The crew filmed a night scene on W. Maine. They had two huge spotlights located a block away in each direction to help add light to the neighborhood. There were a couple of nights of filming very late at this location.

Jake discussing things with director Paul Dano.

Jake checking things out while waiting for the next scene on W. Maine. I think he was looking for me.

The safety crew discussing the upcoming fire scene at the home on W. Maine.

Jake pouring liquid on the front porch. There was a fire strip near the house which was lit to look like the spreading of the fire.

This fire scene on W. Maine took several takes. In one scene the porch actually caught on fire and there had to be repairs made to the home.

Jake and the crew filming the porch fire scene on W. Maine.

Some of the night driving scenes were filmed in the Waverly District in Enid. Paul and the crew were preparing to film from the back of a truck on W. Maine.

The family in the film lived in this house on Cottonwood. Many inside and outside scenes were filmed here. The home was vacant at the time.

Jake and Ed were out playing football to prepare for one of their scenes on Cottonwood.

The auto detail shop on E. Broadway was made to look like a working gas station. Although it was cold during filming there was no snow on the ground. The crew had to add all of the station props and snow.

The pumps, lights and merchandise in the station were all film props. The snow was blown in by a machine.

The crew blowing snow in for the gas station scene on E. Broadway.

The Turf Bar on E. Maine near the Main Street Bridge was used as a set. Jake and Ed filmed some of their scenes here.

Jake Gyllenhaal spent a little time walking around and checking out the Maine Street Bridge.

Most film locations had the is tent set up for the main actors and directors.

Ed Oxenbould grabbing a snack before filming outside the Turf Bar.

United Supermarket on E. Broadway was also a film location. Several local vintage cars were used in the film.

Ed road his blue bike up and down E. Broadway.

A scene was filmed on N. Washington above the old upholstery shop.

Enid Winnelson on N. Independence was made to look like Millers Fine Cars dealership.

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