Films of 1978

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Last Updated: 3/31/24
Total Films: 45
Note: The year of each film is according to IMDb. It sometimes changes without my knowledge. When I become aware, I will make adjustments. Like the Oscars, I select the best for each category: picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, cinematography, editing, original screenplay, adapted screenplay, and documentary. This is based on the movies I've actually seen, and miniseries and telefilms are fair game. Each winner is named along with the next four ordered runner-ups (which may be less) and honorable mentions (if any). Any of these categories may be left blank if I feel there's no deserving winner. A ranked list of films is presented afterwards.



Best Picture
The Betsy

2. Coming Home
3. Midnight Express
4. King
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Actor
Paul Winfield (King)

2. Jon Voight (Coming Home)
3. Brad Davis (Midnight Express)
4. James Caan (Comes a Horseman)
5. Robert De Niro (The Deer Hunter)
Honorable Mentions: Harvey Keitel (Fingers), Eric Roberts (King of the Gypsies), and Peter Ustinov (Death on the Nile)


Best Actress
Jane Fonda (Coming Home and Comes a Horseman)

2. Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween)
3. Camille Keaton (I Spit on Your Grave)
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Supporting Actor
Michael Caine (California Suite)

2. Richard Farnsworth (Comes a Horseman)
3. Bruce Dern (Coming Home)
4. Jason Robards (Comes a Horseman)
5.
Honorable Mentions:


Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Milford (Coming Home)

2. Ruth Gordon (Every Which Way But Loose)
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Director
Alan Pakula (Comes a Horseman)

2. Hal Ashby (Coming Home)
3. Alan Parker (Midnight Express)
4. Abby Mann (King)
5. Daniel Petrie (The Betsy)
Honorable Mentions: James Fargo (Every Which Way But Loose)


Best Cinematography
Gordon Willis (Comes a Horseman)

2. Michael Seresin (Midnight Express)
3. Mario Tosi (The Betsy)
4. Jack Cardiff (Death on the Nile)
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Editing
Charles Bornstein and Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween)

2.
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Original Screenplay
Abby Mann (King)

2. Dennis Lynton Clark (Comes a Horseman)
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Adapted Screenplay
Anthony Shaffer (Death on the Nile)

2. Neil Simon (California Suite)
3. Oliver Stone (Midnight Express)
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Documentary
Scared Straight!

ScSt 2.
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Films Rated '10'
  1. The Betsy

Films Rated '9'
  1. Coming Home

  2. Midnight Express

  3. King

  4. Every Which Way But Loose

  5. I Spit on Your Grave

Films Rated '8'
  1. Comes a Horseman

  2. Halloween

  3. Death on the Nile

  4. Faces of Death

  5. The Swarm

  6. The Boys from Brazil

  7. Fingers

Films Rated '7'
  1. F.I.S.T.

  2. Straight Time

  3. Grease

  4. Go Tell the Spartans

  5. Pretty Baby

  6. The Cheap Detective

Films Rated '6'
  1. California Suite

  2. The Deer Hunter

  3. Hooper

  4. Heaven Can Wait

  5. The Great Train Robbery

  6. Someone's Watching Me!

  7. The Legacy

  8. Coma

Films Rated '5'
  1. The Driver

  2. Dawn of the Dead

  3. Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Films Rated '4'
  1. Jaws 2

  2. King of the Gypsies

  3. The Fury

  4. Oliver's Story

  5. Eyes of Laura Mars

Films Rated '3'
  1. Superman

  2. The Big Sleep

  3. The Wiz

Films Rated '2'
  1. Damien: Omen II

  2. The Toolbox Murders

  3. Days of Heaven

  4. Foul Play

Films Rated '1'
  1. The Bad News Bears Go to Japan

  2. National Lampoon's Animal House

  3. The Hound of the Baskervilles