This is one of my favorite films, written by Roman Coppola and directed by Lucas Reiner. And although it has Devo, David Cassidy, and Leif Garret in it (and many more, I will not spoil it) it is NOT a musical. So what is it?
It’s an incredible tribute to America’s 1976 bicentennial celebration. It is a thoroughly enjoyable light comedy which does deserve far more recognition than it gets. And it has a suitably bizarre plot. IMDB wrote a plot summary but it stank so I marked it up below:
In 2176, a magnetic storm degausses all recorded history, including the U.S. Constitution. Three time travelers are sent back to July 4, 1776, to retrieve our nation’s heritage and bring joy back to the present day, but they screw up and end up in the in 1976’s Bicentennial. They are pursued by a nerd and the CIA, which both think they are aliens. Will they save the future? Is Mark Mothersbaugh wearing his jacket backwards? Hey wait, Is that the real Iron Eyes Cody? You have to tune in to watch….
There are great short comedy bits in this movie. Also the entire Reiner family is in it, for good or ill. One thing is for sure, you can’t throw a rock without hitting a celebrity in this film. See how many celebrities you can pick out!
So watch! Or don’t! Everything is voluntary! I do hope you all have an excellent Fourth of July this year! Next week, I begin the Summer of Strange with Sons of Steel. I will spend the summer playing the most bizarre movies in my queue. The strange films will continue until the 4th anniversary post in August!
New animation!
I have a lot of new ones! They will roll out during the Summer of Strange
Redd Kross is in it too.
They are! You beat me to it. That is one of a few trivia facts I left out.
In 2176, a magnetic storm degausses all recorded history, including the U.S. Constitution.
Already dated with respect to technology…..
Diving in soon
Yeah. Should’ve been “a massive solar storm.”
Trippy credits.
A Pacer!
On that note, this is a great time to note that the Autopian folks and related peeps have published their four part series on American Motors on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/automoments
It is well done. Promise this is the last time I will mention it.
I opened it up from earlier cuz I’m quite curious. I’m feeling fun, US vibes of Clarkson+ mocking American shit, but I know we cranked some good shit out. Will watch.
Hah! I just noticed Rodney is riding a girl’s bike.
It really was the perfect touch. Sophia Coppola did all the costuming. I think she had a hand in vehicle selection too. I sense the Coppola family touch.
Sophia Coppola was the naked chick on the cover of the Redd Kross album.
MOE: I say, Jasper. Uh, what comes after seventy-five?
LARRY: Seventy-six.
MOE: That’s the spirit!
– Three Stooges, “Disorder in the Court”
Time Traveler Chick shows Wokeness never goes away.
@GT- when I was growing up, we had 2 AMC cars. A Gremlin (in purple) followed by a Pacer.
Until Mom blew it up one cold December morning, I remember the Gremlin being a hot little car with the 304 V-8.
The Pacer thankfully was totaled in a wreck (nobody was hurt), and got replaced with was to be my 1st car- a ‘vette.
Well, Chev-ette.
lol I learned on a Chevette. And a Rabbit.
In my mid 20s I had an 84′ Jetta GTI. When that car ran right, it was a lot of fun. Sadly, it only ran well about 20% of the time.
The classic Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection…
K-Jet is great. You just need a special gauge set to get the fuel pressure right. Which I still have.
I learned on a ’66 Mustang with a 3 on the floor, and a clapped out Datsun with a 1300cc motor.
Mid twenties was a Datsun diesel pickup.
I was going to buy a GTI until a friend suggested the Dodge Omni GLH. With a cammed and boosted 2.2 turbo, that GLH embarrassed a lot of 5.0 Mustangs back in the day. It also went through transmissions quicker than tires.
The Omni was the parts bin hot rod. You start going through the Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth catalog at the junk yard, and you could surprise a lot of car guys.
Tres, it is a Che-vette.
‘E-spicy!
Nice Asimov reference
I guess I missed that?
Psychohistory got a brief mention
Psycho-historical studies. Close enough.
Tommy Chong!
427 with a Holley 4 barrel.
🙂
That stripper is like Alex Jones.
That’s Julie Brown.
I think the translator is Guido Sarducci?
It is.
That was good. Thanks RJ!
Awesome. It was a quick scheduling swap, but it worked.
I’m kinda stunned Spinal Tap was Rob Reiner’s directorial debut. Odd to introduce yourself to the world through a cult phenomenon. (Eventually.)
I’d argue Monty Python and Christopher Guest’s crew are the two most revolutionary comedic groups post WWII, as in, changing the direction of comedy. I’d say the latter crew really had far more influence, largely inventing the now-everyday mockumentary style.
Having said that, his father is Carl Reiner. Ain’t like he didn’t have the best connections in the comedic world.
Excellent choice RJ. The entire movie is full of delightful cultural drops. If you lived 1976 then you’ll feel right at home. I still miss the chukka boots. They were snappy.
I was working at Baskin Robbins in 1976 and we had four bicentennial flavers.- Minuteman Mint, Concord Grape, Yankee Doodle Strudeland Valley Forge Fudge. The VFF was a hit and reappeared. The others disappeared once we managed to sell them all.
I wonder what kind of patriotic flavors Ben and Jerry’s will come up with for the 250th.
Bad Acne Blueberry
Poison Frog Pink Cherry
Woke Chocolate Chunk
Red Star Creamsickle
Fudge Redistribution Ripple
LOL
How could I miss Frosted Banana Republic?
AIPAC Owns All Our Politicians and Forces the US to Enable Israel’s Ongoing Genocide Against the Palestinian People Pistaschio
Strawberry Pinko.
Oh, per the Cadillac and hunting thread, I used a Montgomery Wards (Savage 311) 16gauge double for years. Damn good gun.
I had that gun, had a Tenite (plastic) stock and forend. It was a high school graduation gift from a friend of my dad.
I sold it in about ’74 for $65 ’cause I needed the money.
I sold mine a few years after I quit hunting. Now I use a single for shooting trap, when I do that. My old hunting partner is always trying to get me to shoot sporting clays, guess I should give it a try.
I’m disappointed. I was hoping for my request from last week.
Wicker Man?
Wicker Man is on the request list in the Forum. Not forgotten.
Yes. But also Song Of The South.
Got it
Some neighborhood fireworks have begun. I rather hope the holiday keeps folk away from work tomorrow, but I somehow doubt that. We sell fireworks. Kinda a lot of em, mortars included. Every display has a helpful A4 printout pleading “NO SMOKING!” attached. I also easily predict Friday Holiday-Funday folk rushing in to stock up on eve’s party and 3-day weekend.
It’s odd to have the place to myself without the pup, but at least the distant explosions aren’t frightening him.
1976 was an absolute glorious year for 13 year old Spud growing up in the Napa Valley.
I was 7. Not much to remember.
I was 5, and we just moved back to CA.
Patriotic school pictures and the Liberty Bell mural on Prado Dam.
That was great. Redd Kross and The Dickies during the credits, and a bonus scene after the credits.
Surprised how much Redd Kross was in the movie.
I think the Coppolas really liked them.
I was checking out photos of various presidents administering a salute and from someone who dodged service, Trump throws up a fairly solid saulte.
Daddy Bush and Baby Bush snap an officer’s salute.
Reagan looked like he should be raising the eye shield of a helmet
Clinton was checking a pimple mid forhead.
Same with Obama.
Biden…when not lost, threw a decent salute.
Bush Jr. also had the dignity to throw out a damn-good First Pitch.
Obumbles, indeed.
“I was checking out photos of various presidents administering a salute”
Fuck sake, you run out of paint to watch dry?
inorite
Patriotic duty sir. And i was on the shitter
Say no more.
Thursday likes its women like it likes its shaving cream: THICC and rich.
https://df4zi5ikvzdyp5.archive.is/iRM1x/799f008f94473a66f1cadf531895fcd0a3308232.jpg
NSFW.
https://d0cn3iywdcpcmm.archive.is/qUl2J/9ed370cd51455750e14d6a55aefb6457b2ec2214.jpg
NSFW.
https://dbjqxdvzdywnm6.archive.is/X82Bi/b2d9a10012cc2e5e2a70e3cf15ca20b37fcc4f23.jpg
NSFW.
https://d1vh0d7dc6i7qi.archive.is/lojUU/ed5e3deb1ac8a47ef0d08d10bb8853fbaa1e5da6.jpg
NSFW.
https://dglbap2szwnlsg.archive.is/nUQOh/9d422e04a39ae6891b3c82d6f3fa4f6c6d149251.jpg
NSFW.
Why…hello
Q: emailed you couple of days ago.
YES! Just saw it. I’m down to clown. Out of the area in two weeks and then again in August (TBD). Let me know when you’re thinking.
I’m ten minutes in and I’m hooked.
Community is back on Hulu and Hulu didnt bitch out regarding the dreaded ‘drow’ face episode.
America is healing
Never seen it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Unless it shows up on basic cable I probably never will cuz I am too lazy to seek it out even if it’s free.
Haven’t Drow suffered enough?
Rob Reiner is just playing himself. The sound track rocks.
Baby hair with a woman’s eyes> I can feel you’re watching in the night. All alone with me,
Oh won’t you smile awhile fore me, Sara?
Your Kiss
The last time I saw Olivia D’Abo was in Conan the Destroyer. She grew up right.
The worst part about the fucking fourth (and also New Years) is retards launching off mortars all goddamn week, and for the week after.
Fuck, yeah!
https://youtu.be/LasrD6SZkZk
https://youtu.be/RP0_8J7uxhs
Happy Fourth, you reprobates!
https://youtu.be/uhXjdB837WM
Who are you calling a reprobate?
First hunt begins now. Hope y’all have a great holiday.
Anyone having anything special planned?
Morning Slackers.
Happy Independence Day Free Glibs!
🗽🇺🇸🎆
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuKuw71YBbI
🎶🎶
Currently, our bay is nearly vacant. Giving folk too much credit, silly me, I hope people celebrated Independence by stocking up early and the pre-game hangovers keep folk in.
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/philadelphia-trash-strike-dc33-cherelle-parker/
Took her longer than I expected to go off the rails.
Tbf, it’s not quite over yet, but it’s not looking good for her…
suh’ fam
yo whats goody
TALL INDEPENDENCE CANS!
https://6abc.com/post/ll-cool-says-he-perform-wawa-welcome-america-due-dc-33-strike/16944061/
CWAA
He’s from Queens, what did you expect? You know who else was from Queens?
Mornin’, reprobates! Good day to grill some ribeyes and T-bones.
Bagel store closed today. Good of them to give their employees a day off to celebrate America. Funny thing, that shop is now run by the Latinos who used to work for the owner. Local diner was bought by Latinos as well. Our landscaper, Angel, bought the business from the old white guy he used to work for. Nobody gave these guys anything, they worked hard to get ahead. Living the American dream.
Good morning and Happy Independence Day, ‘patzie, Sean, homey, EfE, Teh Hype, and Ted’S.!
Right back atcha, GT! Finally, a weekend without rain. It’s going to be a great day.
Let’s hope they don’t get deported.
Fat chance. These are actual immigrants. And astute businessmen.
Obligatory.