The Wild Bunch (1969): Here is where Peckinpah as we know him arrives. I remember when I wrote my comments on the AFI list that this film would be perfect at #80. Well, that deserves a rethink - this belongs in the Top 20 as one of the greatest (and certainly most influential) American films of all time. There had been violence in movies before, but no one had ever taken it to that level. Stirred up a lot of controversy in its day, and almost everyone from Scorsese to DePalma to Tarintino will rave to you in interviews about how much Peckinpah's masterpiece influenced their work. If you haven't seen it yet, then by all means do so - this might be the most influential movie of the entire '60s.
Grade: A+
The Wild Life (1984): There are mysteries in this universe only vaguely comprehended by research physicists and inner members of the Psychic Friends Network, and this movie is one of them. Did the same Cameron Crowe direct this generic teen flick crap? This is Fast Times At Ridgemont High without the wit or charm: you know you're in for a secondhand turkey when Chris Penn reprises his elder brother's role as a clueless stoner jerk. Its cultural legacy comprised of helping initiate head butting as a trend among the young, drunk, and stupid.
Grade: C-