Vincent Collins200 (1975)

This trippy tribute to our country's 200th birthday was funded by a Bicentennial Project Grant and animated by Vincent Collins who made other psychedelic cartoons. This film was produced by the United States Information Agency -the government's propaganda agency.

This item is part of the collection: A/V Geeks

Director: Vincent Collins
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Keywords: patriotism; propaganda

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: PhotoElectricMan - - March 9, 2008
Subject: Wow.

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.

Reviewer: glenn - - January 4, 2007
Subject: Stockstock film festival 2006 selection

A portion of this was selected as one of the 'stock film' clips provided for the 2006 stockstock film festival...

Reviewer: Minordian - - December 14, 2006
Subject: mash-up 200 v jeopardy

follow this link:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=89251831

Reviewer: uniQ - - March 3, 2006
Subject: A few notes.

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

Reviewer: Spuzz - - January 22, 2006
Subject: More drugs please.

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.

Reviewer: mateh - - December 14, 2005
Subject: best piece of american propaganda ever!

beautiful, simple; all that is the epitome of america with an pyschedelically artistic twist.

Reviewer: Wilford B. Wolf - - July 28, 2005
Subject: Lemme get out my red, white and blue tie-dye...

"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.

Reviewer: Arvid Rudling - - June 8, 2005
Subject: Far out, dude

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!

Reviewer: funwithfilm - - May 26, 2005
Subject: why

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

Reviewer: Karma Hawk - - April 9, 2005
Subject: Warning: May Cause Seizures

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.

Reviewer: chadwys - - March 26, 2005
Subject: Convulsions

Yikes man, that's some convulsion-inducing animation. Watch at your own risk. Psycho-delic man...

Reviewer: FP - - March 20, 2005
Subject: A perfect period piece

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.