Americathon

Americathon
by Neal Israel

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Category: VHS Video
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Product details

Actor: Chief Dan George, Fred Willard, Harvey Korman, John Ritter, Richard Schaal
Director: Neal Israel
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Running Time: 86 minutes
Release Date: 1998-01-01
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Publisher: Warner Home Video
Studio: Warner Home Video

VHS Movie Reviews of Americathon

Movie Review: OMG, I can't believe this movie exists!
Summary: 5 Stars

With this whole economic crisis on Wall Street and the Feds trying to bail us out, I told my husband this evening, "What if there was a telethon so we could raise money for America and we could save our own country, could that help?" He responded by saying, "You know, there's an actual movie about that with John Ritter and San Diego gets sold to Mexico." Here I thought I was coming up with an original idea and clever idea someone beat me to it. I am on a mission to find/buy this movie and watch it. the premise sounds hysterical. I will add to the review when I do. But seriously, I think as an American, if there was an "Americathon," I could not ignore the crisis and would try to help with as much as my pocketbook would allow. I'm not rich my any means but $500-$700 would be feasible and I would hope more of my fellow Americans would do the same to take us out of this mess that Greedy Corporate America has gotten us into. Go OBAMA!

Movie Review: A second Look
Summary: 4 Stars

With the recent Wall Street meltdown and increasing bailout from foreign investors, I think this movie deserves a second look. It's predictions from twenty years ago are becoming eerily accurate. I'm still laughing, just a little more nervously.

Movie Review: How soon we forget!
Summary: 4 Stars

In an age where Liberals have more or less succeeded in resucitating the sad legacy of Jimmy Carter, this film was actually made during the pits of the Carter administration (with John Ritter as a thinly disguised Carter), taking the consequences of his inept presidency to the ultimate conclusion as envisioned at that time. With all of the efforts by assorted Liberals and Socialists around the world to turn him into a hero, many people are too young to remember the real Carter who inspired this comedy. The pacing is a little too slow by today's standards, but the point is made. Too bad we have often forgotten the real Carter, yet one need only follow the news to realize that he has not improved at all. Carter lovers will either be offended by this film or else they will dismiss it, as they usually do.

Movie Review: A twisted view of the '70s.
Summary: 3 Stars

Americathon was a satire about the 1970s showing what the country would be like if the trends continued. People don't remember now but every night the news broadcasts announced a new "crisis" When I moved out to college in 1976 I could afford rent and food on minimum wage; by the time I graduated I was living off sardines and crackers. President Carter blamed America for being under a "great malaise" and interest rates hit 20%. To a lot of people the future depicted in "Americathon" wasn't all that unbelievable.

Movie Review: Funny Movie--and Scarily Prophetic...
Summary: 3 Stars

I remember seeing AMERICATHON a long time ago on video. I thought that it was weird, dumb sometimes, but with a wicked sense of humor that I appreciated. This film was made back in 1979, and the plot is set in 1998.

Well, right now we're in 2001, on the heels of the most catastrophic terrorist attack in this country since Pearl Harbor, on the verge of a deep recession, and we are running out of money--fast. Tonight, we're having the kind of star-studded telethon that took place in this movie. Of course, it's to raise money for the victims of the awful attack, but it IS an "Americathon" of sorts, isn't it??

This movie stars a likably goofy John Ritter as the President of the United States (har-har) and a wonderfully twisted Harvey Korman as the beleaguered host of the Americathon (and whom is not entirely dissimilar to Peter Finch's beleaguered TV news anchor in the great 1976 movie NETWORK). Some of the great cameos include Meat Loaf as a car-battling stuntman and Jay Leno as a mother-boxing son. Sure, it's wacky and sometimes stupid, but overall, I must say that I liked it.

Now let's hope that our real "Americathon" tonight goes much better...and, of course, let's continue to pray for the families who lost their loved ones last week. And, in the middle of all this madness, please take some time to take your mind off this terrible, senseless tragedy, and go watch this movie. I think that it will make you laugh a little.

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