The Shadow Cinema of the American ’70s

"The ‘70s were such a rich time for American moviemaking it was inevitable that some films would be left by the wayside. Drawn from Charles Taylor’s new book, Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near You, this series showcases some of the underseen and underloved that constitute a shadow cinema of the decade. Reeling from Vietnam and Watergate, caught in the death throes of the ’60s, America is depicted in these movies through a hard-nosed and often pitiless vision, downbeat without falling into cynicism. These are movies from a time when Hollywood was not afraid to address the grown-ups in the audience." —Quad