Americathon - Neal Israel - (1979) DVD

In the late 70’s, America, in the grip of an energy crisis, was running out of fuel. We eventually recovered. In Americathon, things didn’t turn out quite so nice.
In this reality, the Muslims and the Jews put aside their differences and formed the United Hebrab Republic and never lifted the embargo. China became a capitalist state and kicked Russia’s ass in a nuclear war. Vietnam became the new hotspot of tourism and gambling rivaling the French Riviera. (That was now, along with most of Europe and Africa, part of the Hebrab Republic.)

As a country, America was "nozzle whipped." Cars stopped moving and were eventually turned into low-income housing units. People either walked or biked to their destinations. What little energy was produced was spent on the one thing vital to America’s survival - television.
For those of us that can remember back that far, back in 1978 America was in the midst of an oil embargo and an energy crisis. Eventually the embargo was lifted, Reaganomics took over, and the oil flowed in, resulting, eventually, in SUV’s and soccer moms.
Americathon is strangely prophetic in some instances. (The whole Nike casual wear thing.) If nothing else it shows our priorities haven’t changed a whole lot in the last thirty odd years.

I think my favorite part of Americathon is Harvey Korman’s tour de force as Monte Rushmore. His megalomania is only matched by his paranoia and bloated sense of self worth. There’s a great running gag he had with a Shirley Temple clone who winds up stealing his toupee after he’s shot.

But my favorite scene is when they are falling way behind on donations and a kid who skateboarded across the country collecting donations arrives. Harvey welcomes the bruised and tired kid with a hug. But when it is revealed that he only collected about $36 bucks, Monte screams at him then shoves him off the stage where he crashes in a heap.

Quality Note: The aspect ratio on this item seems mildly stretched.

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