Foxes (1980)

Foxes is an honest (if nothing else) story of how four teenage girls (Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, Marilyn Kagan, Kandice Stroh) survive against all odds, including drugs, alcohol, boys, abusive or absent fathers and, neglectful or cold mothers (one of the latter played by Sally Kellerman). This was director Adrian Lyne's first film about surviving against all odds (before Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct) and because of its almost documentarian feel works as a time capsule (if nothing else). Music from the film actually took in bigger consumer dollars in 1980 with Donna Summer's huge hit On The Radio, and semi-hits from producer Giorgio Moroder, Cher and Grammy-nominated Janis Ian, played a lot - um - on the radio.

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Thank God It's Friday (1978)

No matter what anyone says, Thank God It's Friday is a time capsule of what it felt like to spend an evening in a 70s disco. Sure it might be contrived and each character is more an archetype than an individual but if you are too young to have lived through it, this pretty much sums up the energy: straights and gays, teens trying to get in, drugs (notice the poppers), assholes, dancing and the ubiquitous music. Ahhhh, those were the days.

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