"Bicentennial" (aka "200") is pure 1970s psychedilia. The designs remind me strongly of Peter Max and Yellow Submarine. This short film is a series of flag and other American symbol motifs, almost done to abstraction. Interesting bits include the remenants of the hippie culture (the Woodstock logo, the flag shaped around a peace sign) contrasted with the symbols of mainstream consumer culture (a cornacopia spewing out cars, tvs, hamburgers, and hot dogs). Washington crossing the Delaware becomes a Fauvist riot of color. While trying to use all the American symbols it becomes a oblique critique of those symbols, as they are shown to be changable and repeated unto abstraction. The fact this was made for the US Information Agency is all the more surprising. The trippy visuals also have a decent jam band rock soundtrack. Put this movie up on the projecter at your next house party. The perfect addition to your 70's theme party. Lemme get out my red, white and blue tie-dye... 5 Wilford B. Wolf 2005-03-18 15:26:43 2005-07-28 22:50:42 35556 You can spot this as a US government production, because the visual style is about five years out-of-date for 1976. Yet, it's great to see this stuff again. A perfect period piece FP 2005-03-20 12:49:00 2005-03-20 12:49:00 5 36357 Yikes man, that's some convulsion-inducing animation. Watch at your own risk. Psycho-delic man... Convulsions chadwys 2005-03-26 23:27:14 2005-03-26 23:27:14 3 38079 The alternative title I was considering was "Warning: This film goes Nowhere." Anyway let's get down to buisness: This is a short trippy, psychedelic montoge of americana images (only funkified because hey...it WAS the seventies) anyway these images have a habit of flashing rapidly so be forwarned. Warning: May Cause Seizures Karma Hawk 2005-04-09 22:16:09 2005-04-09 22:16:09 4 who the hell did thay make this for did thay just show this at random on t.v. in 1976. its a trippy grove man why 2 funwithfilm 2005-05-26 18:51:23 2005-05-26 18:51:23 This clip ("Bicentennial" seems to be the original title) is the weirdest marriage of late 60s icons and style with general americana including parts of the "establishment". All done at a time when this visual language was no longer revolting but considered "safe". Camp meter reading off the scale! Far out, dude 5 Arvid Rudling 2005-06-08 16:13:00 2005-06-08 16:13:00 beautiful, simple; all that is the epitome of america with an pyschedelically artistic twist. best piece of american propaganda ever! 5 mateh 2005-12-14 18:36:15 2005-12-14 18:36:15 Trippy, and I mean trippy animated salute to what makes America great. Using a lot of familiar icons, the artist creates, uh, quite a collage of interesting things. I liked the pyramid, not too sure where he was going with that, and the recycling symbol, even though America was hardly recycling at that time. A fun watch. More drugs please. 4 Spuzz 2006-01-22 21:04:39 2006-01-22 21:04:39 In reply to other people's comments: The "pyramid" is on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States (De facto coat of arms). Check the back of a 1 USD bill or look on Wikipedia to see the non trippy ver. The "recycling symbol" is actually the logo for the Federal Energy Adminstration, which has a film in Prelinger here: http://www.archive.org/details/WhentheC1975 Lastly, I'm going to steal dynayellow's comment about "Your Chance to Live: Technological Failures" ( http://www.archive.org/details/your_chance_to_live_tech ): This looks (and sounds) like something they'd show on a crappy old sci fi pic to "re educate someone". Also, check out Grant Wood's "American Gothic" (When the eagle's flying around), that dude is... not like he was in the painting! -uniQ A few notes. 4 uniQ 2006-02-28 22:02:29 2006-03-03 14:58:38 follow this link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=89251831 mash-up 200 v jeopardy 5 Minordian 2006-12-14 05:25:10 2006-12-14 05:25:10 A portion of this was selected as one of the 'stock film' clips provided for the 2006 stockstock film festival... Stockstock film festival 2006 selection 4 glenn 2007-01-04 09:41:59 2007-01-04 09:41:59 There's not a lot I can add that other commenters haven't already said. I was 15 when this came out, and I'm sure I've never seen it before. It's too long to be a tv spot, so where was it shown? I actually feel pretty patriotic after watching it. Not to mention nostalgic. And high. Wow. PhotoElectricMan 2008-03-09 03:40:31 2008-03-09 03:40:31 5 I think I saw this on public television when I was little. I am having flashbacks to this day. This is a strange bit of propaganda, a good one at that and has the watered down corporate psychadelic flavor of the plastic 70's. Using this for my next video, thanks for posting it! One of the strangest things I ever saw NoiseCollector 2008-09-23 01:48:28 2008-09-23 01:48:28 5 Government Plot To Hypnotize Viewers To Vote Republican! Paid For By The N.R.A & Jerry Falwell's Acid Dropping Grandmother! Nixon-Ford Plot doowopbob 2008-10-24 14:08:30 2008-10-24 14:08:30 1 14 4.07