It’s the (not so) secret role model for the Austin Powers series and the absolutely hair-raising clash of opposing hit genres: “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine is totally nuts – now returning to home theater.
WME movie classic
Naughty mechanical bikini babes, a hilarious pastiche of a Bond villain and plenty of outrageous outfits. Furthermore: lively music, a crazy, extra-long chase through bustling San Francisco and lots of puns. “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine” is one of those unforgettable movies that in its twisted way is too good for the Tele-5 cult “Worst Movies Ever” format – and yet it belongs there as a figment of the imagination, tacky feast!
Or Oliver Kalkofe and Peter Rütten one day this Mixture of 007 parody, sci-fi comedy, flower power oddity and horror cinema show We don’t know if they will appear on “SchleFaZ”. Meanwhile, it is clear that she recently celebrated her home theater comeback: “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine” is now available again as a limited edition including DVD and Blu-ray:
» “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine” at Amazon*
The Media Book is the new edition of an edition that appeared in 2020. If you can spare the booklet and the stylish presentation: the witty slapstick with horror icon Vincent Price in the evil title role is also available as a cheaper standard edition DVD* And Blu ray* popped up.
“Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine”: The Shrill Grandpa from “Austin Powers”
The Crazy Dr. Goldfoot (Vincent Price) and his late assistant Igor (Jack Mullaney) invented the Bikini Machine, a bizarre device that spits out female robots. These beautiful temptresses have only one goal: to seduce rich men into marrying idiots, then run off with their money and Dr. Surrender to Goldfoot! The plan works shockingly well, but Special Agent Gamble (Frankie Avalon) has the cause through…
In case you’re wondering how such a movie could have ever happened, we’ve got a surprising answer: It wasn’t the drugs! The origins lie much more in business calculations and the target group of his studio: American International Pictures focused on the young audience in the 1960s and celebrated numerous respectable successes with it.
The studio has released numerous popular party comedies, mostly set on the beach, as well as a variety of chilling horror films. Producer and CEO James H. Nicholson decided to show this diversity in one film. He also wanted to respond to the agent hype caused by James Bond.
And so Nicholson’s business grew a drunken espionage satire with bizarre sci-fi aspects, horror film sets and the logic of a frivolous beach party comedy. Needless to say, the cast and crew of “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine” is made up of people who have worked on various movie comedies – or the studio’s popular Edgar Allen Poe adaptations.
Culthorror tip new to the home theater: Psychedelic nightmares like this unfortunately hardly exist anymore
Above them is the iconic horror star Vincent Price, whose films are repeatedly referenced. For example, Dr. Goldfoot portrayals from previous Price roles, plus the villainous mad scientist’s torture chamber modeled after the star’s earlier films. At least in the scenes where director Norman Taurog didn’t just copy footage from the acclaimed “The Pendulum of Death” 1:1.
Actor/singer Frankie Avalon as the chaotic hero and Dwayne Hickman as his sidekick will be part of the “teen party movie” audience. In addition, Disney legend Annette Funicello and several Playmates round out cameos, while acclaimed stop-motion director Art Clokey designed the closing credits with music from the hit combo The Supremes (!).
But it’s not just the quirk that says “Dr. Goldfoot and his bikini machine”: These popping clothes consistently do their smugly grotesque thing! With captivating pride, she relies on daring comedies and offers so much thigh-slapping dialogue that one eventually falls in love with her. Unless you fell in love with this party from the start anyway. The finale, on the other hand, is a turbulent car chase that combines comically throbbing rear projection with clever stunts in real-life locations!
The only downside: the film was originally planned as a musical for an extra dose of absurdity, but was abandoned to Vincent Price’s regret. Decades later, horror director and rock musician Rob Zombie brought a touch of justice to his song “Living Dead Girl”* a reference to “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine.”
Admittedly, Zombie’s music has little to do with the swinging 1960s vibe of cult madness or the “Austin Powers” series, which is strikingly reminiscent of him. But maybe Peter Rütten or Oliver Kalkofe will soon come across a copy of “Dr. Goldfoot and His Bikini Machine” and they make sure that at some point on Tele 5 between Dr. Goldfoot’s escapades are sung merrily and shrill?
Ironically, in the finale of a cult horror trilogy, the main actress did not want to play anymore – and the reason is completely understandable!
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