Gritty 70s Movies.

[SteyrAUG]

The “Billy Jack” movies were interesting. Also all the original “Death Wish” movies. Pretty much any Charles Bronson movie is bad ass in my book.

The original Death Wish was probably one of the most brutal films of it's era.

[usmcvet]

#2 on my list:

Electra Glide in Blue, with a very young Robert Blake, 1974. This one was pretty dark and reminds me of Easy Rider from the LE side.

I’m going to put this in my watch list. I just threw out a large family size can of Cap Stun a few weeks ago. It was still in the package. I think I saw that sliding into a pouch on his duty belt. Probably not. I think it was invented in the ‘80’s.

Included with Prime and made the year I was born!

[ThirdWatcher]

... Also all the original “Death Wish” movies. Pretty much any Charles Bronson movie is bad ass in my book.

+1. I was a real Charles Bronson fan too back in the day.

[usmcvet]

+1. I was a real Charles Bronson fan too back in the day.

I’ve been watching movies with my kids. My especially youngest, she’s 12. It’s made me think of watching Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson with my Dad.

Theses are some of my favorite Jose Wales clips.

https://youtu.be/eyPZFi2b380

https://youtu.be/atzmdijMfRY

https://youtu.be/e63Tk-5UKPc

[titsonritz]

Marathon Man
Serpico
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

[Averageman]

I think two movies from the 60's set the stage for gritty 70's movies.
Easy Rider and Bonnie and Clyde were late sixties movies that took drug use and violence to a new level. I remember the hoop la when they first came out and all the Ladies in the suburbs were a little upset as they went too far.
And yeah, the folks loaded us up in the station wagon and took us to both of those too. I think my Mom and Dad guess I was asleep when Billy got hit by the shotgun at the end, but I let out a "WOW" from the dark part of the back of the station wagon when it happened.

[chuckman]

Marathon Man
Serpico
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Holy cow, Marathon Man is a great movie, and scared the crap out of the first time I watched it (circa 1980...I was 12, 13 or so).

Serpico is a classic.

[SomeOtherGuy]

The original Mad Max from 1979. It's not post-apocalyptic or sci-fi, it's a gritty film set in rural Australia. The writer-producer based a lot of it on his personal experience as a traveling ER physician in the same area.

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

'The Friends of Eddie Coyle' is one that comes to mind.

[Co-gnARR]

Marathon Man
Serpico
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Beat me to the punch.

I'll add Dog Day Afternoon and Mean Streets.

ETA:
Also technically preceding the 70's but Battle of Algiers is an excellent faux-documentary...fair warning...you have to read subtitles and listen to French. IMO it is worth it.