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The Spirit Of ’76
(1991)
Featuring: David Cassidy, Leif Garrett, Carl Reiner, Tommy Chong, Devo
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OK, this movie I recommend with great trepidation. The Spirit Of ’76 is a very goofy (and at times downright stupid) send-up of the 1970s. If you lived through that decade, you may find yourself laughing at how spot on they got it and at some of the attention to details. Remember how all the fire hydrants were painted red, white, and blue during the bicentennial year? I myself noticed how dogs stopped peeing on them because they were afraid they’d be desecrating the American flag.
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OK, this movie I recommend with great trepidation. The Spirit Of ’76 is a very goofy (and at times downright stupid) send-up of the 1970s. If you lived through that decade, you may find yourself laughing at how spot on they got it and at some of the attention to details. Remember how all the fire hydrants were painted red, white, and blue during the bicentennial year? I myself noticed how dogs stopped peeing on them because they were afraid they’d be desecrating the American flag.
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And if you weren’t alive or old enough to remember the Disco Era, you’ll watch this movie and thank your lucky stars for that. The Spirit Of ’76 is one of those “guilty pleasures” for me, but I am self-confident and bold enough to publicly admit that I really like this movie. It takes me back to a time when my hair wasn’t grey and my pants were bell bottomed.
And if you weren’t alive or old enough to remember the Disco Era, you’ll watch this movie and thank your lucky stars for that. The Spirit Of ’76 is one of those “guilty pleasures” for me, but I am self-confident and bold enough to publicly admit that I really like this movie. It takes me back to a time when my hair wasn’t grey and my pants were bell bottomed.
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Here’s a synopsis:
American time travelers from 2176 attempt to return to 1776, hoping to regain knowledge of their lost ancient heritage in order to save a dying planet. Unfortunately, a computer glitch lands them instead in . . . you guessed it . . . 1976. July fourth, nineteen seventy-six to be precise. DOH!
American time travelers from 2176 attempt to return to 1776, hoping to regain knowledge of their lost ancient heritage in order to save a dying planet. Unfortunately, a computer glitch lands them instead in . . . you guessed it . . . 1976. July fourth, nineteen seventy-six to be precise. DOH!
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2176 Time Traveler: "We've come here to retrieve the heritage of our nation. The Constitution."
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1976 Teenager: "Are you for real? You came all this way just for THAT? Duuude!"
2176 Time Traveler: "We've come here to retrieve the heritage of our nation. The Constitution."
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1976 Teenager: "Are you for real? You came all this way just for THAT? Duuude!"
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The movie shows or mentions just about every “artifact” from that era, including mood rings, gas lines, Grand Funk Railroad, and self-realization seminars. Pay special attention to the line that David Cassidy delivers when his character, Adam-11, sees the Partridge Family lunchbox. Ha!
The movie shows or mentions just about every “artifact” from that era, including mood rings, gas lines, Grand Funk Railroad, and self-realization seminars. Pay special attention to the line that David Cassidy delivers when his character, Adam-11, sees the Partridge Family lunchbox. Ha!
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This certainly is not for everyone, but if you find that you can laugh at stupid stuff, and if you lived through this very loud era, you might find the “trip” back down memory lane to be more fun than you would have expected.
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Here are a couple of things I have written about The Spirit Of ’76 in years past:
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A superstupid movie, but boy does it take me back to 1976 and my senior year at Santa Monica High School. I can't watch it without my face breaking out. I always bring soda, popcorn & Clearasil.
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DON'T BOGART THAT (VERY) "GUILTY PLEASURE", DUDE
DON'T BOGART THAT (VERY) "GUILTY PLEASURE", DUDE
[*A Haiku Review]
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Loud clothes! Fords explode!
Seventies: silly, zitful.
STILL want Susan Dey!
Loud clothes! Fords explode!
Seventies: silly, zitful.
STILL want Susan Dey!
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Ya know, today being the Fourth of July, watching this movie might be a good way to celebrate it . . . or not.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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A Note About The Patches:
None of the patches displayed on this blog bit are replicas; these are ORIGINALS! They were sewn onto a blue denim jacket that I wore regularly circa 1970. The jacket eventually grew too small for me to wear, but before tossing it out about a decade ago, I first removed the patches and saved them for a rainy day (or a 2010, Fourth of July blog bit).
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My very favorite of the patches was always the one that reads "ZAP", and for this reason, I referred to this particlular article of clothing as my "Zap Jacket".
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Video Preview Link:
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YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.
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Okay, that did it. I've moved this to the top of my Netflix queue. I don't know if my wife will appreciate it since she probably won't understand most of the references, but I'll let you know what I think.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
It takes a big man to admit to them patches, McDogg!
ReplyDeleteSomeday I'm gonna haveta watch that movie...if only to remember my pet rock!
R-LEE-B ~
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this will be your cuppa joe, but if you like outrageous spoofs and Monty Pythonish type stuffs, there's a good chance this ultra-silliness will provide you with at least a couple of good laughs.
TODDFAN DISCMAN ~
Yeah, once upon a time, I was a little hippie. Who'da thunk it, eh?
Was "Rocky" the name of your pet rock?
~ "Lonesome Dogg" McGroovy
Hey Dogg -
ReplyDeleteI am late to the party as usual... but I enjoyed your review of a movie I never heard of. I think I'd like it, so I will keep my eyes peeled for a chance to pick it up somehow. I don't Netflix, and almost never watch anything but sports, anyway.
I am a bit older than you, and although I had bellbottoms, I had no patches... except a NASA patch and a 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympic games patch. A nerd before they invented the term.
Paulboy
MR. PAULBOY 6 ~
ReplyDeleteBetter late than nevuh.
I'll trade you a "The Devil Made Me Do It" patch, a packet of Pop Rocks, and a Don Sutton baseball card for your NASA ["Never A Straight Answer"] patch.
~ "Lonesome Dogg" McMe
the movie is supposed to arrive today via Netflix. I'll probably watch it tonight. I'll let you know what I think afterward.
ReplyDeleteLee
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI hope I didn't mislead ya. Maybe you better have a few beers while watching that.
~ "Lonesome Dogg" McBonemaster
It won't be on my list of all time favorite life altering movies, but it was definitely one heck of a good time. Great soundtrack and I loved the costuming and the colors of the set decor.
ReplyDeleteSome very clever references to the era. Some of my laugh out loud favorites were when the guy slips on the picture of the Chiquita banana, the Pinto catching fire, and --damn there was another one I was thinking of but I forgot-- must have drank too many brandy and amarettos(hey it's cheaper than Grand Marnier).
Any I recommend it to anyone who lived through the era or appreciates it. My wife wouldn't watch it, but I don't think she would have really gotten much of it either.
Thanks for the recommendation. Black Stallion will be coming next.
Lee
Tossing It Out
r-LEE-b ~
ReplyDeleteGlad ya enjoyed it. Only certain types of people can and I'm always apprehensive about recommending that one to a person.
Yeah, the scene with the Pinto is my favorite.
"But it didn't even touch."
"It doesn't HAVE to!"
That's some funny stuffs.
I also like how the children are reading from their shirts at the end.
"You want to know what I have up here. ...Nurse."
Ha!-Ha! Yeah, goofy, silly, stupid movie, but a perfect example of one of my guiltiest of pleasures.
See ya at Ikiki Beach, Brother.
~ Stephen
"As a dog returns to his own vomit,
so a fool repeats his folly."
~ Proverbs 26:11