2076 Olympiad

I saw this movie at a preview in Chicago and it was a funny spoof on coverage of the Olympics and television in general. Even Sex had become a sport in 2076. It was like watching 90 minutes of TV coverage of the Olympics in 2076 complete with commercials. If it were released today it would do better then it did in the late 70's. I would still like to get a copy of the film. The writer/director has made a number of feature length documentaries since then under the name of Jim Martin. Including Wrappped In Steel, about the SE side of Chicago, 90 minutes, won Best Network Documenary at the Chicago Film Festival, and Fired-Up, about Public Housing won an Emmy. Both aired on PBS.

2076 Olympiad is an unrated film, reviewed in Chicago by Variety. By todays standards it would probably be an "R." There was a year long fight with the MPPA about a rating that is a story by itself. It was my first attempt at making a fictional feature length film.

2076 Olympiad was picked up by Cannon Pictures originally and previewed in a number of locations, but did not do well up against a similar comedy Groove Tube that came out at the same time. There seemed to be room for only one. We got the film back from Cannon and tried another Distributor, Cambridge Films, and they previewed it in a couple venues including George Town in DC. Ultimately we got the film back from Cambridge as well.

The film is essentially a mockumentary and satire of television coverage of sports and the Olympics in the year 2076 when even Sex has become a sport. It is presented as 90 minutes of TV coverage complete with commercials, promos, news, and PSA's. The main hosts for the events include Sandy Martin (no relation) and another commentator who sounds like Howard Kosell. Other Actors in the film have gone on in the industry.

In 2076 no one actually has sex anymore, they transmit their emotions electronically to machines that create simulated non-explicit images of the encounters for replay.

2076 Olympiad had it's moments but in was episodic and needed a unifying character or plot to tie it all together. The humor is bawdy, and there is some nudity but no explicit sex. Probably if there had been the film would have been more successful. As it is the films humor is mostly slapstick and sophomoric but entertaining at times. Looking back it could have been edited a lot tighter.

It was shot in 35mm, in Philadelphia in 2 weeks. The budget was small but production value was very good and the film looks like it had much higher budget.

I transfered the 35mm film to video in the early 90's but the video master and 2 VHS copies have been lost. I have 2 35mm release prints and am thinking about doing another transfer to a digital format for DVD if there's enough interest to warrant the cost.

JRM

I think I was at the same preview the other poster attended; it seems there was only one, at Columbia College, where Jim Martin was a teacher. Jim had talents and was a terrific guy but this film was a bit of an embarrassment. Still, I'd like to see it again. Some DVD/Video company could make a few bucks off it and I'm sure Jim wouldn't charge an arm and a leg for the rights (if he has anything to say about it.)In the wake of some classically inferior movies, my memories of the film aren't quite as bad as my experience of watching it. Come on -- is there anybody "in the know" who can get a copy? Maybe some local (Chicago) theater could screen it for old times sake. Actually, it did get a pre-release writeup in Playboy.

Mr Martin I would be willing to purchase a copy of this movie. To me it would not matter what format it is copied in (DVD or VHS) but it would seem a shame to leave it in the can to rot. There are many ways to create interest in a film such as this. From what I hear there is great interest in nostalgic social commentary and this could become a cult film. I just watched film in its entirety online that very few people remember. Between time and Timbuctoo based on social commentary by Kurt Vonnegut and thought it was wonderful. The retro craze is in and many of the social problems of today are very similar to the problems of the seventies. In addition I think that you should post portions on you-tube to get interest in your movie.