Movie of the Year: 1971

Action Figure Draft, Part 2

The Chaos Continues in the Action Figure Draft 1971

In this week’s Movie of the Year, Ryan, Greg, Mike, and Taylor conclude the most brutal, strategic, and downright unhinged draft of the season: the Action Figure Draft 1971.

Every Taste Bud continues to choose characters from 1971 movies (or TV productions), imagining them as highly posable, battle-ready action figures. These figures must then be assigned to six RPG-inspired roles: bard, cleric, druid, fighter, wizard, and wild card.

The goal?

Build a team capable of winning an all-out fight against the other rosters.

And the twist that changes everything:

Once a character is drafted from a movie, no one else can draft anyone else from that same movie.

No backups. No consolation picks. Once it’s gone, it’s GONE.

If you thought last season’s drafts were chaotic…you ain't heard 1971.

The Draft Rules: One Year, One Movie Per Pick, Zero Mercy

To keep this battle as ruthless as possible, the Taste Buds lock in the following rules:

Snake Draft Format

The order reverses each round, forcing careful planning and last-second gambits.

Draft Roles

Each team must fill:

• Bard – charm, chaos, charisma
• Cleric – healer, protector, mystical weirdo
• Druid – nature, magic, unpredictable energy
• Fighter – the bruiser, tank, or martial artist
• Wizard – supernatural, cerebral, or ranged powerhouse
• Wild Card – whatever you dare unleash

Eligibility: 1971 Movies (and TV Productions) [and Musicians probably] Only

If it hit screens in 1971 (big screen, small screen, arthouse, grindhouse), it’s fair game.

The Killer Rule: One Character Per Movie

As soon as a player drafts any character from a movie or TV title, that entire production is locked out forever.

Pick a character from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? The rest of Wonka’s weirdos vanish.

Choose someone from A Clockwork Orange? Say goodbye to Alex’s droogs.

Reach into The French Connection? No detective backup for anyone.

This rule transforms the draft into a battlefield where stealing a movie is every bit as important as drafting the right character.

The Objective

Create a team of 1971 action figures capable of absolutely wrecking the others in a hypothetical battle royale.

Selecting the Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Wizard, and Wild Card

The Taste Buds dive deep into the weird, violent, soulful, experimental year that is 1971 cinema. With each category requiring a different kind of fighter, strategy becomes key:

• A bard might be a charming con artist, a manipulative cult leader, or someone who just screams enough to cause psychic damage.
• A cleric might heal, preach, or haunt.
• A druid might commune with nature or be a chaos gremlin.
• A fighter is your tank — your blunt instrument of violence.
• A wizard could be supernatural…or simply smarter and more dangerous than anyone else.
• And the wild card?
• Well, 1971 produced some bizarre characters. Anything can happen here.

And because each movie gets only one character drafted, every pick is a race to snatch a film before someone else steals it out from under you.

Strategy, Betrayal, and Full-Contact Action Figure Violence

This is one of the most competitive and ruthless episodes in Movie of the Year history. Expect:

• devastating movie steals
• furious accusations
• unexpected gambits
• arguments over which 1971 character has “wizard energy.”
• deeply questionable bard picks
• and several moments where someone makes a choice so chaotic that the others question their sanity

The one-movie rule forces every Taste Bud to think like a general — and fight like a child who desperately wants the coolest toy on the shelf.

Why Action Figure Draft 1971 Is a Perfect Snapshot of 1971 Cinema

1971 is a year filled with:

• unhinged villains
• counterculture antiheroes
• gritty detectives
• revolutionaries
• tragic romantics
• and deeply weird oddballs

Translating them into action figures reveals just how diverse and wild the cinema of 1971 really was.

This episode becomes part toy commercial, part Hunger Games, part film history, and part psychological warfare — all while celebrating the characters and movies that defined an era.

FAQ: Action Figure Draft 1971

What is the Action Figure Draft 1971?

A competitive snake draft where hosts build action-figure teams from 1971 movies using RPG roles.

What roles must each team draft?

Bard, cleric, druid, fighter, wizard, and wild card.

Who participates?

Ryan, Greg, Mike, and Taylor.

What’s the unique twist?

Once a character from a film or TV show is drafted, no other character from that same title can be selected.

How is the winner determined?

The team most capable of winning an all-out fight.

Why Action Figure Draft 1971 Is an All-Timer

When the dust settles, the Action Figure Draft 1971 becomes a celebration of strategy, movie lore, and the absolute chaos of trying to weaponize 1971’s characters. With the one-movie rule adding maximum tension, every pick becomes a fight, every steal becomes a betrayal, and every team becomes a glorious mess of plastic power.

Listen now to hear Ryan, Greg, Mike, and Taylor conclude the Action Figure Draft 1971.

Send your own dream rosters—or vote for who dominates—to popfilterco@gmail.com.

Subscribe for more 1971 chaos throughout the season.