Marathon Man

"Marathon Man" (1976) is a thriller directed by John Schlesinger. The film stars Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier and Roy Scheider. "A graduate history student is unwittingly caught in the middle of an international conspiracy involving stolen diamonds, an exiled Nazi war criminal, and a rogue government agent." (Synopsis quoted from: Wikipedia.) The film has an infamous scene with the well known quote: "Is it safe?" The film is based on the novel: "Marathon Man" written by William Goldman in 1974.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074860/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_Man_(film)

Mood: Thriller, suspense, conspiracy theories, Nazi criminals
Good aspects: Interesting story. From a technical point, "Marathon Man" was the first feature film using Steadicam with a theatrical release. (It wasn't though the first film to use Steadicam- "Bound for Glory" was the first.)
Worth noticing: Disturbing scenes.

Straight Time

"Straight Time" (1979) is directed by Ulu Grosbard and starring the always excellent Dustin Hoffman. It is an action crime drama film about a guy who has just been released on parole and attempts to lead a normal life which doesn't quite work out. Harry Dean Stanton also stars in the film. "Straight Time" has a great 70's atmosphere with great performances.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078326/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_Time

Mood: A bit dark.
Good aspects: An early performance of Dustin Hoffman. 70's era crime thriller.
Worth noticing: Some violent scenes.