Movie of the Year: 1971The 16 Films Are ChosenThe Battle Heats Up

In Part Two of the Movie of the Year: 1971 season, the Taste Buds—Mike, Ryan, and Greg—return to slice the bracket from 64 films down to 16. What began as a celebration of early-1970s experimentation has become a cinematic bloodbath. This is where masterpieces clash, cult favorites fall, and only the strongest survive.

1971 continues to reveal its soul: a year defined by disillusionment, moral decay, and the desperate search for meaning in a changing world. The Taste Buds wrestle with these themes as they try to separate the timeless from the forgotten in one of the most volatile brackets in podcast history.

The Cultural Turmoil of 1971

The deeper the Taste Buds dive into 1971, the clearer it becomes that this was a year unlike any other. The optimism of the ’60s had curdled into cynicism; art was bleeding into protest, and filmmakers were pushing boundaries few dared cross.

This episode isn’t just about elimination—it’s about exploration. Each cut exposes a tension between old Hollywood and the daring voices of New Hollywood. The moral clarity of the past gives way to ambiguity, violence, and alienation. Even in defeat, these films feel alive—vibrant reflections of a restless nation on the edge of transformation.

The Bracket: From 64 to 16

The Taste Buds take no prisoners as they slash the field in half. Beloved underdogs and prestigious heavyweights alike fall victim to the bracket’s brutality.

The discussion spans the full spectrum of 1971 cinema—from intimate character studies to radical experiments in form. What emerges is a portrait of a year obsessed with freedom and consequence, where the line between hero and villain, beauty and ugliness, grows thinner with every decision.

By the end, only 16 films remain—each a contender for the title of 1971 Movie of the Year.

Conclusion: The Revolution Continues

If Part One was discovery, Part Two is devastation. The Taste Buds have drawn blood, but the fight is far from over. As 1971 reveals its cinematic DNA—grit, daring, and rebellion—the question grows sharper: what kind of film deserves to define an era?

🎧 Listen now to Movie of the Year: 1971, Part Two. Subscribe, share your reactions, and email your predictions for the next round to [email protected]—because the bracket waits for no one, and 1971 isn’t done breaking hearts.