Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

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Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
The Theatrical Poster For Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Directed by	Jay Roach
Produced by	Eric McLeod Demi Moore Mike Myers Claire Rudnick Polstein Jennifer Todd Suzanne Todd
Written by	Mike Myers
Starring	Mike Myers Elizabeth Hurley Michael York Mimi Rogers Robert Wagner
Music by	George S. Clinton Quincy Jones (Song: Soul Bossa Nova)
Cinematography	Peter Deming
Editing by	Debra Neil-Fisher Dawn Hoggatt
Distributed by	New Line Cinema (USA) Pathé Distribution (UK)
Release date(s)	May 2, 1997
Running time	94 min
Country	USA / Germany
Language	English
Followed by	Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
IMDb profile

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, released in 1997, is the first film of the Austin Powers series. The film was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy. The movie co-stars Elizabeth Hurley as Vanessa Kensington, Robert Wagner as Number Two, Seth Green as Scott, and Michael York as Basil Exposition. There are cameos by Will Ferrell, Carrie Fisher, Rob Lowe, Christian Slater and Burt Bacharach.

The film is a parody of the early James Bond films (particularly those starring Sean Connery) as well as other 1960s spy films, mainly Our Man Flint. The film is also mixed with dance sequences reminiscent of the cocktail party sketches from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.

The film which cost $16.5 million, opened on May 2, 1997 to mixed critical reviews. It made a modest impact at the box-office, grossing US$53 million in its North American release and about US$68 million worldwide. However, the film became a hit and cult classic on the home video market and cable television.

Several of Austin Powers' joyful exclamations - such as "Ohh, behave!" - have become catchphrases in popular culture.

This film is number 41 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies".^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Cast 2 Plot 3 Production 3.1 Inspiration 3.2 Filming locations 3.3 Featured Music 3.3.1 Original Soundtrack listing 3.4 Characters 4 Cultural references 5 Notes & References 6 External links

[edit] Cast

• Mike Myers as Austin Powers and Dr. Evil

• Elizabeth Hurley as Vanessa Kensington

• Michael York as Basil Exposition

• Robert Wagner as Number Two

• Seth Green as Scott Evil

• Mimi Rogers as Mrs. Kensington, Vanessa's mother and a secret agent from the 1960's

• Fabiana Udenio as Alotta Fagina

• Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina

• SGC Belfry Ted Nude-Gent as hairless Mr. Bigglesworth

• Paul Dillon as Patty O'Brien, an Irish assassin

• Charles Napier as Commander Gilmour

• Joe Son as Random Task

• Will Ferrell as Mustafa

• Carrie Fisher as the group therapist

• Clint Howard as Radar Operator Johnson

• Michael McDonald as henchman flattened by steamroller

• Rob Lowe as an un-named friend of Dr. Evil's deceased henchman

• Christian Slater as the easily fooled security guard

• Neil Mullarkey as the quartermaster clerk

• Joann Richter as 60's model

• Anastasia Sakelaris as 60's model

• Afifi Alaouie as 60's model

• Monet Mazur as Mod Girl

• Cheryl Bartel as fembot

• Cindy Margolis as fembot

• Donna W. Scott as fembot

• Barbara Ann Moore as fembot

• Cynthia Lamontagne as fembot

• Daniel Evans as himself

• Burt Bacharach as himself

[edit] Plot

The year is 1967. Dentally-challenged British gentleman-spy Austin Powers and his nemesis Dr. Evil have faced each other many times during the decade. As Dr. Evil's henchmen have failed to dispose of Austin, he makes his own assassination attempt in a swinging London night-club. Austin foils the attempt and Dr. Evil escapes in a space rocket disguised as a Bob's Big Boy statue, where he places himself in a cryogenic freezing chamber to return sometime in the future. In return, Austin volunteers to have himself placed in cryostasis in case his services are needed in the future.

Dr. Evil returns thirty years later in 1997 with new evil plans for world domination and reunites with his his associates: Number 2 and Frau Farbissina. During Dr. Evil's absence Number 2 has developed Virtucon, the legitimate face of Dr. Evil's empire, into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, but Dr Evil prefers to follow illegitimate methods. However, following his thirty-year absence, Dr. Evil's plans to (a) blackmail the British Royal Family by fabricating an extra-marital affair involving Prince Charles which would lead to divorce, or (b) punch holes in the ozone layer using lasers to cause an increase in skin cancer, are both rejected by Number 2 as already having occurred. Frustrated, he decides to "do what we always do. Hijack a nuclear warhead and hold the world to ransom".

Having learned of the return of Dr. Evil, the British Ministry of Defence unfreeze Austin Powers. To help him adjust to the 1990's he is teamed with Vanessa Kensington, the daughter of his 1960's sidekick Mrs. Kensington. After being reunited with his previous belongings which include a "Swedish-made penis enlarger pump", Austin and Vanessa jet to Las Vegas in search of Dr. Evil. However, Austin's free-love credo from the 1960's does not go down well with Vanessa who continues to resist his advances.

Meanwhile, Dr. Evil learns that during his absence his associates have artificially created his son, Scott, using his frozen semen. Now a Generation Y teenager, Scott resents his father's abence and they attend a "fathers and sons" group-therapy session. Dr. Evil learns that Austin Powers is after him but his entourage have identified Austin's libido as his weakness and created a group of fembots: beautiful, blonde, female androids, equipped with automatic guns concealed in their breasts.

Posing as a married couple, Austin and Vanessa check into a hotel and are put on the trail of Number 2. During their time in Las Vegas, Vanessa gradually warms to Austin's charms but he refuses to take advantage of her while she is intoxicated. Over a game of Blackjack Austin meets Number 2's Italian, "confidential, private secretary", Alotta Fagina. Under instructions from the British Secret Service, Austin breaks into Alotta's penthouse appartment in search of plans for Dr. Evil's "Project Vulcan". After learning that Project Vulcan involves driving a nuclear war-head into the Earth's molten core to trigger massive volcanic eruptions, Austin is discovered by Alotta and she seduces him to learn his true identity.

The British Secret Service discover that Virtucon conduct tourist tours of their headquarters and this is considered an ideal opportunity for Austin and Vanessa to infiltrate. After bamboozling a security guard to gain entrance to the restricted area, Austin and Vanessa are apprehended by Dr. Evil's henchman, Random Task.

Dr. Evil presents his ultimatum to the United Nations and they concede to his demands. However, he is so evil that he decides to keep the ransom but still destroy the world. Austin and Vanessa are then placed in "an easily escapable situation involving an overly-elaborate, exotic death" from which they escape and Vanessa is sent for help.

While Project Vulcan is put into operation, Austin is way-laid by the fembots, but he overcomes them through use of his "mojo".

Led by Vanessa, British forces raid the underground lair and at the last moment, Austin stops the doomsday device. Austin confronts Dr. Evil and is joined by Vanessa who is being held hostage by Alotta Fagina. However, they are interrupted by Number 2 who resents Dr. Evils illegitmate plans after he has been so successful in the conventional business world, and wishes to do a deal. Dr. Evil seizes his opportunity to initiate the self-destruct mechanism and, once again, escape in his cryogenic freezing chamber inside the "Big Boy" spaceship. Austin and Vanessa escape in Austin's conveniently-parked Jaguar while the underground lair is destroyed in a nuclear explosion.

Austin and Vanessa are later married but during their honey-moon Austin is attacked by Dr. Evils henchman, Random Task. Defeated in conventional combat, Austin saves the day through the use of his "Swedish-made, penis enlarger pump". In a romantic moment Austin and Vanessa adjourn to their balcony to observe the stars. Noticing a rather bright star Austin pulls out a telescope only to discover that it is in fact Dr. Evil's cryogenic chamber.

[edit] Production

[edit] Inspiration

Mike Myers has stated that a major inspiration for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was the 1965 American International Pictures film Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, starring Vincent Price. The BBC series Adam Adamant Lives! was also an inspiration, in which an Edwardian hero is frozen by his arch-enemy The Face and is revived in 1960s London. There are many tributes in the movie (and the series) to such films as the James Bond parody Casino Royale and Peter Sellers' A Shot In The Dark. The theme music to this and the other Austin Powers films is "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones.

[edit] Filming locations

The following is a list of known locations during the filming of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.

• Japanese Gardens, Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys, California - Alotta Fagina's penthouse (Interior shots)
• Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada - Alotta Fagina's penthouse (Exterior shots)
• Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada - Interior shots
• Stardust Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada - Interior shots
• Valley of Fire State Park in Overton, Nevada
• Vasquez Rocks National Area Park in Agua Dulce, California

[edit] Featured Music

[edit] Original Soundtrack listing

1. "The Magic Piper (Of Love)" - Edwyn Collins
2. "BBC" - Ming Tea
3. "Incense and Peppermints" - Strawberry Alarm Clock
4. "Carnival" - The Cardigans
5. "Mas Que Nada" - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
6. "Female Of The Species (Fembot Mix)" - Space
7. "You Showed Me" - The Lightning Seeds
8. "Soul Bossa Nova" - Quincy Jones And His Orchestra
9. "These Days" - Luxury
10. "Austin's Theme" - The James Taylor Quartet
11. "I Touch Myself" - The Divinyls
12. "Call Me" - The Mike Flowers Pops
13. "The Look Of Love" - Susanna Hoffs
14. "What The World Needs Now Is Love" - Burt Bacharach And The Posies
15. "The Book Lovers" - Broadcast
16. "Austin Powers" - Wondermints
17. "The 'Shag-Adelic' Austin Powers Score Medley" - George Clinton

[edit] Characters

• Austin Powers' flamboyant fashion sense shows strong similarities to the TV character Jason King. While his copious chest hair is a homage to the Sean Connery-acted version of James Bond; his glasses are owed to Harry Palmer. His main outfit also resembles one worn by George Lazenby in the 1969 James Bond Film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
• Dr. Evil is a spoof of James Bond's nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and his voice is based on Saturday Night Live creator/EP Lorne Michaels (Mike Myers' former boss on SNL).
• Number Two is a spoof of the James Bond villain Emilio Largo who is number two in Blofeld's criminal organization SPECTRE.
• Random Task is a spoof of Oddjob from Goldfinger.
• Alotta Fagina is a spoof of Pussy Galore from Goldfinger (in some versions broadcast on American commercial television, the name Alotta Fagina is changed to Alotta Cleavaga).
• Frau Farbissina is a spoof of Rosa Klebb, the villain from From Russia with Love and Frau Blücher from Young Frankenstein.^[1]
• Mr. Bigglesworth (Dr. Evil's cat) is a parody of Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld's white Persian, although it is hairless due to the cryostasis.
• Mrs. Kensington and her daughter Vanessa Kensington are both spoofs of Emma Peel from the 1960s television series, The Avengers.

[edit] Cultural references

• The introduction is an obvious homage to the introduction to The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night movie.
• The line "This is my happening, and it freaks me out!" is a quotation from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
• The unfreezing process recalls the unfreezing scene from the movie Demolition Man.
• The deadly conference table chairs in Dr. Evil's lair, used to kill Mustafa and Number Two, were probably inspired by the Bond film Thunderball, in which a thug is electrocuted by a conference room chair.
• The scene where the fembots fire bullets from their bras is most likely inspired by Ursula Andress' character in the movie, La Decima vittima (English title: The Tenth Victim). Andress plays Caroline Meredith, an assassin, who kills one victim with a rounds fired from her bikini top.

[edit] Notes & References

1. ^ Mike Myers & Director's commentary on DVD.

[edit] External links

• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery at the Internet Movie Database
• Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery at Rotten Tomatoes