Star Wars and the Other Side of Midnight

[@TheBozChannel]

Have you ever seen the Other Side of Midnight? Have you ever been to a Star Wars movie on release day?

[@jongilbertson2106]

I saw Return Of The Jedi on release day. It was on a Wednesday.

[@jerryrichardson2799]

My mother saw it, she didn't like it. I remember the full page ads for the movie in the paper.

[@ciscojay2591]

wsg mr bozman

[@Torquemada70]

Lordy I haven't seen the poster for that movie since it was released!

[@robertchamberlain3481]

I saw "The Other Side of Midnight" in the theatre in 1977. I would term it "bad melodrama," a sort of female "Count of Monte Cristo" rip-off revenge tale with a twist ending that isn't even that much of a twist. (In 1979, I saw another Sidney Sheldon novel adaptation, "Bloodline," that was even worse.) But I was unaware of "Memories of Midnight." Thank you. At the time, I did know some women who liked "The Other Side of Midnight." I saw "Star Wars" on the second day of its wide release (and, like everyone else, several times thereafter). I don't remember exactly when I saw "The Empire Strikes Back," but I did see "Return of the Jedi" on its opening day.

[@scockery]

"A young pilot named Larry, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the rich adulteress hunt down and destroy his lovely wife."

[@eze417]

I'd have to argue that Peter Cushing was just as established as Alec Guiness.

[@TheBozChannel]

I thought about giving him a shout out too, but I didn’t think many people would know who he is. Cushing mostly did horror films but Guinness was in so many big budget films, like Lawrence of Arabia for example.

[@eze417]

@@TheBozChannel Yes, Guiness tended to be more mainstream. I was about twelve when I saw Star Wars and I recognized Cushing right away. I think I saw Guiness previously in The Fall of the Roman Empire but didn't remember him from it. Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai came on TV a few years later.

[@larryfreda5208]

How many people really remember Alec Guiness

[@jasonhebedead1710]

@@larryfreda5208 To be honest he's still pretty well known, and respected in British culture, and if more people watched his films outside of Star Wars they'd see what an interesting and versatile actor he was. The Ladykillers is a classic. He plays almost every character in the film Kind Hearts and Coronets as well as classic characters like Jacob Marley and Fagin. I know he was overly cumudgeonly about being asked about SW in his later life. Which didn't do him any favours. But I guess a lot of that was down to people forgetting all of the roles he'd excelled in being forgotten next to playing a wizard in that space film, and I agree with what others have said about his best performances being outside of the trilogy.

[@chaiselounge01]

How many David Lean movies was Peter Cushing in? Dr zhivago? Lawrence of Arabia? Bridge on the river kwai? So no, maybe not quite as well established…

[@OldBenOne]

Back then weekend movies were my and my girl's cheap night out every weekend. "The Other Side of Midnight" was the first time we ever saw something so p*ss poor that we walked out. Note: She's still my girl.

[@graemewilson7975]

👏👏👏 nice you still with your lady

[@seanbigay1042]

I remember somebody describing "The Other Side of Midnight" as a Tagalog movie, but in English. For Filipinos then and now, that isn't a compliment.

[@dvepps6780]

Coming up on a golden anniversary. Wishing you two well.

[@AC-ih7jc]

5:10 Correction: Movie theaters in the mid-1970's were *larger* than modern theaters (in terms of seats pet screen) because most hadn't yet been sliced up into multi-screen multiplexes. They were still old-school single-screen theaters built during the pre-TV era of the 1930's - 1940's. Reference: I saw _Star Wars_ the week it opened on the big screen.

[@TheBozChannel]

When I said they were smaller I meant the theaters had less screens per theater. I did’t mean that in terms of seats or the size of the screen. Sorry for the confusion.

[@AC-ih7jc]

@@TheBozChannel Thank you for the clarification! 👍

[@butchs.4239]

Singles or doubles. Most of the theaters in my hometown had two screens, the only multiplex in town at that point was 5 screens and showed second run movies. There was a classic single screen theater downtown, but in '77 it was in the middle of an extensive renovation and catered more to live theater performances after that. I do remember hearing about "The Other Side of Midnight" back then, looked like the sort of movie couples would go to the drive in to ignore while they were getting sweaty in the back seat. 🥵

[@Mars-xc1ns]

I could be wrong but screens were also larger, which is why The World of the Brothers Grimm has yet to have a digital release

[@ALurkingGrue]

The soundtrack to Sorcerer is great. (Tangerine Dream) Had that on cassette back in the 80s.

[@DrDavelope]

I saw this on TV about 20 years ago. I liked it at the time but then forgot the name until recently. It was hard to track down.

[@jorgezarco9269]

Damnation Alley was also released in September 1977. The English dubbed version of Jimmy Wang Yu's Master of the Flying Guillotine was released in North America that year.

[@theunsweetkarmaway]

I totally forgot about 'Damnation Alley', I saw that in the theater, the same theater where I watched 'Star Wars' a few months earlier.

[@tonyclemens4213]

This was the movie that 20th Century Fox thought going to be their sci-fi hit, It's enjoyable enough but it's no Star Wars

[@Torgo1001]

Also, Sorcerer, William Friedkin's remake of The Wages of Fear was released in summer 1977.

[@luiszuniga2859]

At that time, Fox wanted to release "War of Wizards", but decided to change the name to "Wizards", so as not to compete with Star Wars.

[@StevenLubick]

Good idea and planning. 😀😀

[@BonzoKilbourn]

Alec Guinness made a freaking pile off of that deal.

[@theunsweetkarmaway]

This is a really wild approach, and I'm digging it. I have never seen 'The Other Side of Midnight' but I remember the trailers on TV. I was 14 at the time, and there was a certain mystique about the film, a sense that it was filled with naughty bits that were too much for us kids. I was hitting puberty and had a prurient interest in the film, but it was R so it was forbidden... and then 'Star Wars' came out and I promptly forgot it existed until I saw this video. Awesome work!

[@Kuudere-Kun]

Didn't Raph Bakshi's Wizards also come out in 1977? From an Anime fan perspective, but with limited experience with pre 1992 Anime history, the most interesting Anime film of 77 seems to be the Space Battle Ship Yamato film. 1994 has Sailor Moon S Movie: Hearts In Ice.

[@TheBozChannel]

It did, but until I saw your comment I had never heard of that movie. I know who Bakshi is because I had seen his version of Lord of the Rings. Wizards sounds interesting. I don't know anything about Space Battle Ship Yamato or Sailor Moon S though.

[@greenmonsterprod]

I agree with the previous poster that Alec Guinness was not the only established star. Peter Cushing was well-known for his roles in Hammer and Amicus films. He wasn't a big box office draw along the lines of, say, Clint Eastwood or Burt Reynolds, but he was an audience favorite. And he, also, liked and supported the movie.

[@greenmonsterprod]

In addition, the main cast, while having difficulty with the script, did enjoy making the movie. While some Fox execs did want to abandon or curtail the filming, studio chief Alan Ladd, Jr. was always a firm supporter of the project. And "Star Wars" did not trounce every other movie that summer; "Smokey & the Bandit" did quite well and was a close second in the box office results. Finally, good word of mouth on "Star Wars" actually started on May 1st, when a sneak preview in San Francisco got a very good audience reaction.

[@mrmatt6740]

1954 is certainly in the running for best year for cinema. Seven Samurai, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, On the Waterfront, A Star is Born, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, THEM! Godzilla, Creature from the Black Lagoon, & Sabrina all came out in '54.

[@MonkDarkfyre]

I clearly remember Other Side of Midnight. I saw it on cable TV as a teen back in 1978, and the gorgeous Marie-France Pisier was permanently burned into my memory.

[@Slammy555]

My mom had something against Star Wars, refused to take me to see it. When we finally went my one friend in line had seen it 6 times and was wondering how many times I saw it. One of the movies my mom took me to instead was The Other Side of Midnight, I just remember it was tortuous watching it when Star Wars was out. She never admitted she liked Star Wars but I noticed we saw ESB pretty quick when it came out.

[@shawnsutherland2111]

The Other Side of Midnight was released during the summer of 1977, when my friends and I were hormonally-charged thirteen-year-old boys. I remember seeing the black & white version of the movie’s poster in a newspaper advertisement and us all thinking it rather suggestive. A friend pointed out, though, that what we all believed to be a woman’s chest was actually the sleeve of a pilot’s jacket. I was both (a) stunned at how disappointed he was by this artistic sleight of hand and (b) dumbfounded by the extent to which he’d apparently studied the illustration. Nearly fifty years later, the above is still all I know about The Other Side of Midnight. HaHaHa!

[@saharshahin1203]

Saw it in 1978 in a cinema in Beirut. I was 7 and was depressed by the ending. Then at 13, I started reading Sydney Sheldon books and read the book version. Yes, this movie was promptly forgotten by audiences.

[@waverly2468]

I saw it in 1977. I didn't know it was supposed to be a huge hit like "Valley of the Dolls". Had a beautiful soundtrack (listen to the theme on youtube) by Michael Legrand. For those who want to know how it ends, Noelle and Larry plot to get rid of Catherine (Susan Sarandon). Larry tries to accidentally lose her in a cave expedition. That attempt doesn't work. So then he and Noelle take her on a boat trip but during a storm she is unintentionally swept overboard. Larry and Noelle are arrested for her murder. Clu Gulager (RIP) is an old acquaintance who hates Larry and he testifies against him. Larry and Noelle are both executed by firing squad. Turns out that Catherine survived and was rescued by Raf Vallone, who is a rich Greek guy that Noelle betrayed at one time. A big part of the movie is Noelle's rise to superstardom and wealth which is an often used plot in shows of the era like "Captains and the Kings" (1975)

[@CommandLineCowboy]

I sooo remember seeing the posters for 'the Other Side of Midnight" when the family went to see Star Wars. I was intrigued because it was probably rated R20 and looked 'naughty' to my 12 year old eyes. Hadn't thought of that in 46 years, wow! There were three cinemas and indeed it was showing on the cinema next to Star Wars. We had been double booked for the seats and had to give up our seats. Got to see the opening roll and the star destroyer sequence then had to leave. My dad knew the manager of the cinema and he got us across the road to see "Speed Trap" a truly forgettable movie with Jo Don Baker, Tyne Daily and Lana Wood (Natalie's sister). We got to see star wars next weekend. It took ages for Star Wars to get to NZ, it was all in the news from the U.S I'd read the book and got the comic but waited waited waited for the movie. Looked it up debuted in the US in May 1977 but didn't get to NZ till Christmas.

[@rogeliolarronda]

I highly appreciate hearing To far away times in the background.

[@rodneykingston6420]

Were you alive then? If I recall, this movie was actually something of a hit, of course, no Star Wars, but it did okay. In my memory, it was a "Mom movie" - everyone else in the family went to see Star Wars, but mom rolled her eyes at the idea of light saber battles and spaceships, "I've seen Star Trek" she'd say and she'd go to this movie. I remember my friend's mom saying to me "Oh, your Mom should go see The Other side of Midnight. It's fantastic!" And she did and she loved it. And when it premiered on TV a few years later, everyone watched it. It was a lot like the mini-series(es) made from similar steamy mass market paperbacks that were a staple of TV at the time, only better.

[@Stroheim333]

I have never heard of the movie, only the novel (which is nowadays regarded as crap, like all Sidney Sheldon's novels -- but he was read by all romantic housewifes back in the days).

[@slightlyevolved]

Okay completely off topic, and first time I think I've come across this channel... But I was NOT expecting someone to be using a track from Chono Trigger in a video about movies. I approve. Oh, and the video's been good so far! 👍

[@jambec144]

1982: Blade Runner, E.T., Gandhi, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Connan the Barbarian, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Tron, Tootsie, The Thing.

[@robertfuller2196]

Don't argue with the OP. Of COURSE he's objectively wrong - but this is about click bait and the sound of his own voice...

[@jambec144]

@@robertfuller2196 I'm not arguing with him. But it was great to be a kid back in the 80s.

[@nw1750]

Did you REALLY just omit "The Thing"?!

[@jambec144]

@@nw1750 Holly smokes! Rectified!

[@victorseastrom3455]

If Fox thought that STAR WARS wasn't going to be a sucess it's only because they never went to the theaters and watched the audiences reaction to the trailers for the film.

[@mahatmarandy5977]

Eh, that’s not really fair. There were a bunch of science fiction films in the 1970s prior to Star Wars, but with the exception of Westworld, they were all bombs or disappointments. And they were all pretty expensive, so, in the eyes of every studio, there just wasn’t an audience for Science Fiction. Added to which, the movie kept going more and more over budget. Their fears were backed up by experience. So I mean, star wars upset the applecart in ways that couldn’t really have been reasonably anticipated by anyone.

[@stillbuyvhs]

Fox had some success with the "Planet of the Apes" series; that's why they picked up Star Wars. Star Wars had one good presceening, & two prescreenings where the audience didn't get it. Fox had a good reason to pick up Star Wars, & good reasons to doubt it would actually catch on.

[@victorseastrom3455]

@@stillbuyvhs I was at the Fox Studio executive screening that was held at 9AM on the lot. it could not have been a worse time for a screening. George Lucas was in the seat just ahead in the next row. The night before there had been an interview with him in the LA Times where Lucas was said something like " I made this crazy movie with robots and spaceships. They'll never let me make another movie". The film started and when the spaceship flew over head seemingly forever, the normally grim execs leaped out of their seats and started cheering. At that point they knew they had something special. I looked over at Lucas and saw a tear running down his cheek. True story.

[@anilrao4591]

@@mahatmarandy5977 2001: A Space Odyssey came out 1968. It did very well within a couple of days of release and ended up being the second highest grossing film of 1968. It was very successful for MGM.

[@Scotty-P]

1977 is the nexus year of modern pop culture. Star Wars and The Sex Pistols, and the influence of each being virtually impossible to overstate. .

[@WatchMaga]

I also watched Sorcerer last year. The film is deeply flawed. I’ve fantasized about re-editing it to create a more satisfying climax and resolution.

[@raymondtaylor1036]

I remember the movie "The Other Side of Midnight" as well as I remember the book it was based from. This is the type of story that Old Hollywood will always love to have because it was aimed at the older generation of moviegoers. I saw this story as nothing more than a potboiler of a novel better suited for television than the big screen. The fact that Hollywood at that time failed to see the reality of the business and the audience is the reason this movie crashed and burned at the box office. 20th Century Fox couldn't have released this movie at such a worst time'; In the summertime when millions of kids are on vacation and looking for something special to enjoy. The only smart thing that Fox did was to release both this film and "Star Wars" on the same date, at least they had the ladder to cover their backsides in the long run. If history ever taught a valueble lesson at that is that Hollywood should never ignore a prime audience at a peak moviegoing season. Chances are they may end up with a underrated B-movie oblierating an overblown melodrama.

[@ptorq]

From the description it sounds like it's at least equally true that The Other Side of Midnight ruined the release of The Other Side of Midnight.

[@jeffreywillstewart]

I saw The Other Side of Midnight. Several times on cable in the late seventies. I only remember how she pronounced her name Paj . And the Greek villa decor.

[@evelk5233]

In 1977 I saw Star Wars 22 times. Often watched on Saturday and Sunday. I was 9

[@Clarence_Oddbody]

The hype for Star Wars was carefully cultivated for nearly 2 years before its premiere, mostly driven by Lucas himself. He had the cast appearing at cons and he had the novelization by alan dean foster and the marvel comic out nearly a year out.

[@emadSciFi]

Just watched The Sorcerer. didn;t understand it one bit, but its so damn engaging!!!

[@bwtv147]

Alec Guinness called the script of “Star Wars” “fairy tale rubbish”. In addition to his salary he owned 2.5 % of the movie which supported him the rest of his life.

[@FreedomforHaiti]

I remember there being a movie out called The Other Side of Midnight but knew nothing else about it. I was only nine.

[@mysticnomad3577]

I saw all the original Star wars in the theater. The first two were stellar, but by the third one when the teddy bears save the universe I was done.

[@pathevermore3683]

this is refreshing to read after so much disney hate.

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

​​@@pathevermore3683 There were so many awful things about Return of the Jedi. Much of the background did not even look Alien. Solo saying "I love you" just before Leia shoots two Stortroopers with a really lame ruse.... Even the sets and special effects look second rate. And they again rethreaded the Death Star by claiming it was "bigger" this time around. The Phantom Menace is more bearable among the Lucas films, which is saying something.

[@hectormontes7056]

This reads exactly like every run-of-the-mill Disney Star Wars hate comment but directed at the original trilogy

[@wrathofatlantis2316]

@@hectormontes7056 You forget the 41 years of hind sight, although I'll admit my opinion never changed from day one. The fact is at least a few episodes of Ahsoka and Andor are on a much better level than RotJ or The Phantom Menace. And RotJ is probably inherently far worse than Phantom when you watch the documentary showing other kid actors rehearsing the Anakin role: It instantly plays 10X better. Everyone on the production was shocked when George persisted with his first choice after the rehearsals. It literally boggles the mind when you see the acting of some of the kids he turned down. Worst case of tunnel vision ever.

[@hectormontes7056]

@@wrathofatlantis2316 That’s a crazy opinion you have there. Most fans will insist everything George made or everything pre-Disney is better than anything Disney has ever made just because they’re bitter about The Last Jedi and can’t take their nostalgia glasses off.

[@thack57]

I saw both but my funny Star Wars story is that I saw it in April or May at a private Midnight Screening. I not sure if we knew anything about it or even the title. I knew at girl who worked at a Ct Radio station (WPLR) and she gave me 2 tickets to the show. Nobody knew what to expect but the one thing that I remember was it got a Standing Ovation from unwitting crowd. The Other Side of Midnight I thought that I saw it in the Theatre because at over 3 hrs TV surely cut it up for 2 Nights w/all the commercials. Our theatre had 8 and I'd see all the movies. I remember Susan in Midnight b/c I went to our 1st Midnight Show and it was Rocky Horror. That 1st week there was no dancing or sing along. We got to see + hear all of it. But by the 2nd week it became a spectacle with full participation. That's when I stop going b/c of the old 'I don't want to be a member of any club that would have me as a Member'

[@brentfinklea103]

The Other Side of Midnight was my first R rated movie. There is a scene where the French girl gives herself an abortion in a bath tub with a needle. Made quite an impression. My second R rated movie would be that same year Cross of Iron!

[@deletedscenes]

Forgot all about it. Until AFTER I called my weekly livestream by the same title. By then, it was too late to change it.

[@egggnome6266]

The Other Side Of Midnight certainly does sound like a movie I'd never have darkened a door to walk in to see anyway, so, thank God for Star Wars.

[@alphaprobe20]

I have seen most of this movie. My parents rented it back in the day, a double cassette VHS. I can’t remember much of the plot but everyone in the room was in agreement that it was trashy and boring. The guy who played Boss Hogg in the Dukes of Hazzard was in it.

[@TheBozChannel]

You’re right! I forgot he was in that.

[@haruruben]

5:55 my brother went to see Star Wars in the theater 30+ times, he literally spent all the money he had saved and got money from family to see it.

[@willswalkingwest7267]

I saw The Other Side of Midnight in 1980 at a midnight movie. I loved it. But yes, it never stood a chance against anything that came out in 1977.

[@JohnnyT002]

I heard of it back then but I forgot about it until I saw this video. Also at the 6:07 mark that still picture of the Loews theater was where I went to see Star Wars at lease 14 times.

[@CR41489]

You mentioned that “Sorcerer” opened the same day as “Star Wars” which would have been on May 25th, 1977. Actually, “Sorcerer” opened a month later on June 24th, 1977.

[@TheBozChannel]

@@CR41489 you’re right, and I don’t know how I messed that up because even in my notes I have sorcerer coming out a month later.

[@combatdoc]

I remember this poster at every theater I saw Star Wars.

[@raydunn8262]

Thank you. 1. The four Oscar nominated for Best Film other than Star Wars were women-centric, maybe the most of any year. Annie Hall -winner-Dianne Keaton The Goodbye Girl- Marsha Mason Julia-Jane Fonda and Venessa Redgrave The Turning Point- Shirley McClain and Anne Baxter 2. Other 1939 films nominated for Best Film at the Oscars: 1. Wuthering Heights 2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washinton 3. Dark Victory 4. OF Mice and Men 5. Goodbye Mr. Chops 6. Ninothcka 7. Love Affair

[@TheGuyInTheCheapSeats]

Cross of Iron also came out around the same time. There's a picture of people lined up to see Star Wars and none for Cross.

[@williamharris61]

I happen to be a huge Sidney Sheldon fan period in the case of this film, the other side of midnight, I've seen the film several times. Edited for television, on VHS, on DVD and Blu-ray. I still have the DVD and the Blu-ray and I won't part with them for anything. I also have and have read the book, the movie poster, the soundtrack on both CD and vinyl. But yet I agree with your assessment, that the plot, while fantastic, and the film sticks to the book really well, it is slow moving, and other than the performances of Marie France Piser, Ralf Vallone, Susan Sarandon, and Clu Gulager, the acting is all over the place. In other words, John Beck is woefully miscast. So, can I recommend this film in good faith? You've got to be the right kind of person to watch this. And unfortunately, while a lot of people would watch something of this nature still to this day, I don't think this would appeal to a great many people. Read the book! The book is fantastic!

[@jerryrichardson2799]

My mom saw that movie at the theater and didn't like it. I remember the suggestive full page ads taken in the papers for it when it came out.

[@williamblakehall5566]

Thanks! I wonder if you have any thoughts on another Sidney Sheldon adaptation, Bloodline, coming out opposite Moonraker and Meatballs. I'd also be interested in a true obscurity -- 1936's Anthony Adverse, based on a wildly popular bestselling novel, a huge production that simply never caught on like Gone With the Wind would three years later.

[@TheBozChannel]

I’ve never seen bloodline, but I’ve watched moonraker and meatballs. As I understand it though, bloodline was trashed by critics, and it seems like everyone was relying on Audrey Hepburn to carry the movie. I think Anthony Adverse wasn’t as successful or well known as gone with the wind because it wasn’t as big a deal as that film. Gone with the wind was 4 hours, in color, biggest movie star in the world, etc. think anthony made a decent amount of money for the time.

[@williamblakehall5566]

@@TheBozChannel Mmm, but NO movie was as big a deal as GWTW, that was the risk. They worried that four hours would cause people to riot. No, I'd be a little more interested in the details here.

[@seanbigay1042]

Back in 1977 sci-fi films were, on the whole, cheap, short -- and depressing. (Pick any two.)

[@FFEDITING_STUDIO]

Wow, very interesting! Great work.

[@darrenbent7601]

Never heard of the movie,... never heard of the novel. The poster looks pretty cool though, with the blending together of the two characters.

[@conoredmiston548]

I've never seen Sorcerer, but there's supposedly an episode of The Mandalorian that's a loose adaptation of it, which is an interesting meta joke. The one in season 2 where Mando and Bill Burr are driving through the jungle.

[@seanbigay1042]

One thing I do remember about "The Other Side of Midnight" was its theme song, an insipid little 1970s ditty as boring as its plot seems to have been. Then you go to "Star Wars," and with the first *BRRRAMMM!!!* of John Williams' magnificent score you're hooked!

[@neilp192]

You are wrong about theater sizes. They're tiny now. They were huge in the 70's. Theaters shrunk over the years as multiplexes came into vogue.

[@TheBozChannel]

@@neilp192 when I was talking about theater sizes, I didn’t mean square footage. I meant number of screens not number of seats. Back in the 70s there was more seating in the auditorium, but theaters typically only had a few screens and could only show 4 or 5 movies at a time. Now many theaters have 10 to 20 screens. That’s why they had to be careful about which movies they showed.

[@davidweihe6052]

Star Wars was in AMC Theaters (or whatever chain became AMC) for 18 months, which is fortunate because I didn’t get to see it until my birthday, a year after it came out. Growing up, we watched movies on TV, not in theaters. Cheapskates, I know :-)

[@mikezinza9699]

I saw midnight on HBO many years ago and I really don't remember much about it. You left out my favorite movie from 1977. The Spy Who Loved Me, which I think is the best James Bond movie of all time.

[@seanbigay1042]

Damn, dude, "The Spy Who Loved Me" came out in 1977? I honestly did not remember that until you brought it up. Guess "Midnight" wasn't the only movie run over by that Star Destroyer coming after the Tantive IV.

[@markoconnor1186]

I had the book,I recongised the cover,and never read It,thats why I clicked on your video 😊

[@seanbigay1042]

So the people who chose "Star Wars" over "The Other Side of Midnight" probably made the right choice? Dude, just from the plot summary I'd change "probably" to "definitely."

[@jorgezarco9269]

Sheldon's The Naked Face(1970) is a good book.

[@rayvenkman2087]

Classic Studio betting on the wrong horse and putting most of their eggs in one basket.

[@norahjaneeast5450]

You were saying you never met anyone who even seen this movie I've seen it probably inappropriate for me I was 13 remember having a conversation with with a parent volunteer at our Middle School she was talking about how horrible this movie was then I told her that I had seen it which was really something she was not prepared for and she was quite taken back I do remember it was a strange movie oh I remember it had something to do with abortion

[@robertborcherding9085]

I saw The Other Side of Midnight in the movie theatre in '77. I had just graduated High School and was getting ready for college. I also saw Star Wars, The Deep and The Spy Who Loved Me that summer. The Other Side of Midnight was a bit slow for me, but it did have a memorable scene involving a hot bath and blood. Star Wars was great. The Deep had me drooling over a wet t-shirt but the best film in my opinion was The Spy Who Loved Me. Call me crazy....

[@seanbigay1042]

Oh, admit it, you were ust drooling over Barbara Bach as the hot Russian spy.

[@brotherjustincrowe]

We just gonna pretend The Last Wave also wasn't a 1977 classic? Or that 1999 existed?

[@ajdc88]

i sure have heard of it, and seen it. i love it.

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Sheldon was the best selling novelist of all time.

[@ChimpAflame]

Oh yeah. I’m familiar with The Other Side of Midnight. Growing up in the 1970s, my mom had a few Sidney Sheldon paperbacks on the bookshelf at home, including TOSOM. She and my dad had a date night to see the movie, whilst a babysitter watched the kids. When they returned, I asked my mom how the movie was. Her reply: “Eh. You see enough bare bottoms when you have babies.” For some reason, I always remembered that. Decades later, I rented the DVD from Netflix. Nearly unwatchable. Calling it slow-paced is kind. And let’s not kid ourselves, I wanted to see the steamy 1970s-cinema sex scenes. And again, lame! The only thing I maybe remember is a woman gets executed by a firing squad at the end. I only remember this because she’s dressed up like Donna Reed in the 1950s. And I’m not even certain if that scene is from TOSOM, or another movie. If that firing squad scene is from another movie, then I remember nothing from TOSOM film itself … Only my mom’s comment about it when I was nine years old.

[@mikeyp2277]

Interesting video, however the fake film grain was unbelievably distracting.

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

Ive heard of OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT & even seen it on tv many yrs ago. I thought it was one of those 10 a penny made for American tv films, that were so popular at the time, I alsi saw STAR WARS at that time,in the Cinema it was...technically impressive I thought the story was average, I'm surprised to learn BOTH films were put out together as a double bill

[@branagain]

1973 was the best year in film. Including American Graffiti.

[@wardmicko1251]

Dude, the novel The Other Side of Midnight was a notoriously bad but trashy summer novel that would normally have merited only a TV movie or miniseries treatment as Rich Man, Poor Man had a few years earlier. However, something had happened in between those two screen treatments: Jaws, which was based on another bad, trashy summer novel but became a blockbuster because of Spielberg. The movie industry in the seventies was infamously run by a bunch of out-of-touch old shitheads who had no real idea of what audiences actually wanted and were pretty brainlessly chasing every successful trend they could find. Jaws was a monster hit, so obviously an adaptation of another best-selling piece of summer schlock would also be a huge hit, right? Before that, they shovelled ungodly amounts of money to the latest hit "auteur" on the basis of one hit movie, which resulted in some of the most expensive flops in history. Seriously, that was the extent of their collective acumen at that time. It's not an accident that the seventies were notable for a near-constant stream of studio bankruptcies and near-bankruptcies. The Other Side of Midnight was shit in every possible way. That was obvious to moviegoers just from the poster and the trailers. It couldn't even bring the trashy schlock in any competent way.

[@captstevedc873]

yes I have seen the other side of midnight. I loved it. but I am biased as a pilot myself

[@seanbigay1042]

Dude, come on, as a pilot the attack on the Death Star was made for you!

[@miked6288]

Very interesting! I never heard of that film!

[@tonyclemens4213]

Only hears of The Other side of Midnight in context with Star Wars, doesn't seem to be my kind of movie

[@JDDyson123]

Saw it because of Sarandon.

[@Foersom_]

7:20 As a kid I saw Star Wars in 1977, I think it was blah-blah. Close encounters of the third kind was a better film. A decade later I saw the The Sorcerers, that is great film, and I also like the orginal wages of fear.

[@docscout]

Great idea for a video, but your 1977 is the best year is very flawed. Yes, there are great films released that year, but 1939 still stands as king. Dark Victory, The Hounds of the Baskervilles, Destry Rides Again, Of Mice and Men, Dodge City, Drums Along the Mohawk, The Women, Only Angels Have Wings, Gunnar Din, Ninotchka, Young Mr. Lincoln. Saturday Night Fever is a good movie, but not great. What’s great about it, is the soundtrack and that’s about it.

[@BrianRatkus]

Nah. Saturday Night Fever is a great movie, but you're right about 39.

[@curiousworld7912]

I can't say that S. Sheldon was a 'good' writer - his stories are more soap-opera than anything else. But, Wm. Friedkin's 'Sorcerer' was an excellent film, and never received the love it deserved.

[@ajvonline]

1967 - the only one to age anywhere near well is The Dirty Dozen

[@coltseavers6298]

I have to disagree with this. IMO, If STAR WARS never existed this other film still would not have done anything much more. It feels like one of those romance films like - *_The Betsy_* - that has very limited legs to it, and really fits better on the _Hallmark_ or _Lifetime_ channel instead.

[@JamesELFERS]

Sidney Sheldon's fiction has certainly fallen out of favor! I mean absolutely no one reads him today. Danielle Steele is still publishing best sellers and in the 70's she was Sheldon's chief competitor! Not that she is any good mind you, but she is still around.

[@reluctantuser6971]

I remember seeing the Other Side of Midnight in theaters. I was 12 at the time. The only reason I remember it was that it was the first time I saw a pair of exposed boobies in a film. (This was the 70's - well before the internet)

[@kevinfield7787]

You mention Sorcerer (not "The Sorcerer") briefly, but it was definitely a bigger casualty of Star Wars' success than TOSOM. As you note, Midnight grossed nearly $25 million off a budget of $9 million -- not great, but also not terrible for a nearly three-hour movie aimed strictly at adult audiences. Meanwhile, expectations were high both from critics and the public over Sorcerer -- Friedkin's followup to his Best Picture-winning The French Connection ($75 million worldwide) and The Exorcist (*441 million*), two of the biggest hits of the 70s -- and it utterly tanked, taking only $9 million *worldwide*, not just domestic, off a budget of $22 million. Basically, the budgets and box office takes for both films were reversed. Yes, Midnight was a disappointment; Sorcerer, on the other hand, was a complete and utter bomb that derailed Friedkin's career. (Even worse: TOSOM is not a great movie, but still ended up turning a profit; Sorcerer is now considered a masterpiece, but all it took was a couple of decades to wash the stink of failure off it.)

[@TheBozChannel]

Agreed, the reason why I focused the video more on tosom was because it was the movie bundled with Star Wars, and it was based on one of the biggest novels at the time. I love sorcerer though. His film to live and die in LA was good too.

[@graemewilson7975]

I have heard of other side of midnight . Mainly in context to its tanking in stars wars wake...but it does look dull

[@roybixby6135]

Star Wars has fantastic special effects but feels like a kids film ...

[@stantheman9072]

I remember seeing The Other Side of Midnight, but I think it was on a pay channel like The Movie Channel maybe back in the early 80s. I mostly remember how dreadfully boring it was. No doubt it read better than it played, but I never enjoyed Sheldon’s mostly trashy writing. Some of his plots were okay, but his characters were usually just disgusting people with motivations to match.

[@WatchMaga]

I watched The Other Side of Midnight just this year. Utterly forgettable and contrived.

[@londomolari5715]

Never heard of it--don't think I'll try to watch it.

[@Hykje]

It suffered the fate of every long, boring, and not particularly interesting movie.

[@geographicaloddity2]

It was mid-June before Star Wars opened in the back water with the nearest movie theater, Baton Rouge. And even then, people ridiculed the fans standing in the long lines or paying to see it again. And no, I never saw or remembering hearing about The Other Side of Midnight. Sounds like the type of movie that Star Wars success was a response too. Boring, pretentious, 70s yuck. Star Wars, Rush's 2112 and other albums by Kansas, Boston and Styx were the only things good about the 70s. That decade and its Baby Boomer disco nonsense could not come to an end soon enough.

[@Barot8]

Poor John Beck was totally miscast. He was never a strong actor. He'd fit in something like an Irwin Allen disaster film. I saw it in the theaters and (I was very young) fell asleep. I was bored out of my mind back then.

[@MarkStevens-fh3wb]

You forgot "The Spy Who Loved Me! in your 1977 blockbuster list!, and I've seen The Other Side of Midnight, it was awful..........

[@TheBozChannel]

I thought about putting that one in there but I only wanted to choose five movies from each year. That was actually one of the first James Bond movies I saw.

[@pan8a]

Can someone please explain to me why gone with the wind is a classic

[@TheaterPup]

When you find out, you tell me. 🤷‍♀️

[@my2commonsense476]

Uh, ever hear of Peter Cushing?

[@nw1750]

I utterly adore when people refer to it as "The Sorcerer" --- so cute! As for the notion that the 1994 line-up presented is somehow stronger than the 1939 list of films..... that's a deranged, fantastically wrong take. But OK.

[@gavinelster3168]

Wait a tick! There was another film that exhibitors were forced to show along with Star Wars. That film? Alice in Wonderland the adult musical. Yep. A porn.

[@rayvenkman2087]

Might be misremembering it but there’s that time The Good Dinosaur was put on exhibitors by Disney if they wanted The Force Awakens... Back when people thought Disney knew what they were doing with Star Wars and largely ignorant of JJ. Abrams’ hackery.

[@dfolz1101]

What is 4 weddings and funeral doing on a list of the greatest films of 1994?

[@TheBozChannel]

I know it may sound shocking, but 4 Weddings and a Funeral is considered to be one of the greatest comedy films ever made. That film was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, and it won the BAFTA for best film. It was so successful, that at one point it was the highest grossing British film ever made. The British Film Institute, Time Out Magazine, and Empire Magazine have all ranked it as among the top 100 films of all time. I also really enjoyed that movie, so I'm going to stand by it.