The Spirit of '76

I was quite surprised that I liked this B film, as the start is pretty corny. Once you get over that fact, you see a pretty fun film, one which anyone who lived through the 70s will appreciate.

Apparently, this film is a 2nd generation's project. The executive producers are Copalla and Riener, the sons of Francis Ford Copalla and Rob Riener. I think that accounts for the relatively large cast of 70s stars. The music was great as there were snippits from many 70s tunes. I went looking for the soundtrack, but, unfortunately, it doesn't exist.

The main star, David Cassidy, was the lead singer for the Partridge Family, among other things. It would have been very easy for the producers to harp on that topic, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the film didn't turn into an inside-joke factory.

This is a fun film to coast back to the 70s on. If you can get over the campiness of the beginning, you're in for a treat. Have a nice day!

As someone who grew up in the seventies, it was refreshing to see the 70s depicted as strangely as it really was. Some anachronisms exist, such as the exploding Pinto. thjat didn't come to light til the early 80s, but the movies hearts in the right place. Any one who was growing up then, or has even heard of the 70s will love it. Great Music, Great Clothes, and of course the hair brings back frighting nightmares.

I'd love to be able to say that 'Spirit of 76' is a forgotten comedy classic that desperately needs to be re-evaluated in these post-'Wayne's World'/'Austin Powers'/'That 70s Show' times, but sadly it really isn't all that funny. Still, I own a copy and watch it occasionally and get a few laughs out of it, so it isn't TOTALLY useless.

People who will enjoy it the most will be Redd Kross fans, as the fabulous McDonald brothers co-star. Perhaps the movie would have been better if they'd contributed to the script as well? They certainly know the territory better than most!

Anyway, you've got some silly clothes, a few obvious digs at the fads of the era, some enjoyable disco and metal on the soundtrack, and best of all a really eclectic supporting cast (Devo!). Maybe that's enough. Sometimes you just need some dumb fun...

Whoever came up with this concept deserves an award of some kind. Time travelers from the future need to visit 1776 to learn vital information about the founding of the nation. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and the explorers wind up in 1976 instead -- without realizing it! Something didn't quite make it in the implementation, though. Maybe it is the obviously rock-bottom budget. Throughout the movie, you are acutely aware that you are watching a movie set with a few Gremlins and Pintos parked here and there. Also, the decision to cast some 70's heartthrobs (Cassidy and Garrett) as major characters was interesting, but these guys are not exactly Academy Award material, if you know what I mean. However, there are some pretty entertaining scenes, including Rob Reiner as the insane leader of an "est"-like cult.

In the future, civilization has really declined. The fashions are U.S.S.R. retro, don't you know. Not only that, no one is flourishing. Therefore, when a man named Adam 11 (David Cassidy) insists he has made a time machine, the U.S. government asks him to go back to 1776 and study the founding fathers and the making of the constitution. It is hoped that he and his co-horts, Chanel 6 (Olivia D'Abo) and Heinz 57 will learn how to make society worth living again. The time machine takes off but lands in 1976 instead. Not realizing their mistake, the three interlopers try their best to find out how to revitalize their country with the lessons from the seventies. Amid Pacers and learning the hustle, can they succeed? This movie is a fast and fun look at the much maligned seventies. Things were more colorful then, that's for sure, and people did seem to be having a great time, despite the tight pants and floral shirts. Cassidy, D'Abo and company do a nice job of keeping the spirit of discovery alive. If you lived through the seventies, this movie is made for you. It has so many seventies icons that will make you laugh and remember. The younger crowd, too, would be entertained in seeing what they only know from history books. Don't hesitate to pop this movie in the VCR some evening in the near future. It was made, as the Bay City Rollers croon, for a fun, fun "Saturday Night".