Yeah, baby…yeah

PARODIES, GAGS AND PLENTY OF CANDY APPEAR IN THE RETURN OF
THE SHAGADELIC SPY

By Howard Ho
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
hho@media.ucla.edu

  Photo courtesy of NEW LINE CINEMA   Photo courtesy
of NEW LINE CINEMA

You may be wondering if the Austin Powers series can still reinvent
itself with the third installment, “Goldmember.”
It’s not really hard to outdo the last one, “The Spy
Who Shagged Me,” which dismally relied on playground, fart
humor and was unable to deliver what the hype promised. Forgiving
the second film, the new one rocks.

The series succeeds when it parodies, poking fun dangerously at
the powers that be. The latest Austin Powers aims its punches at
Hollywood, from celebrity cameos that people will be talking about
for a long time to parodies of “Hannibal,”
“Godzilla,” gangsta rap and even Merchant Ivory
prestige films. This Austin Powers has a bite which won’t let
go.

In the film, Powers teams up with his father (Michael Caine), a
playboy and spy like his son, to thwart Dr. Evil’s attempt to
melt the polar ice caps. The man of a thousand faces, Mike Myers,
who plays Powers, Fat Bastard and Dr. Evil, now adds to his cast
Goldmember, a Dutch gold-monger whose phallus is in fact made of
gold.

  Photo courtesy of NEW LINE CINEMA

To satisfy hardcore fans, most of the old jokes (zip it, penis
on radar, “I want one million dollars”) come back in
new and interesting ways. In fact, a cameo in the film even points
out that they’re recycling the same damn jokes.

This Austin Powers, however, finds its niche with wonderful
visual gags involving silhouettes, subtitles and statues. The
virtuosity of visual space in the film is both awe-inspiring and
hilarious.

Along with the annoyingly obvious product placements (Heineken
and Pepsi), the film lacks strong supporting female roles. Beyonce
Knowles, who plays Foxxy Cleopatra, adds nothing more than eye
candy. Instead, the film focuses on father and son relationships in
a non-sarcastic manner. The film detours as it actually starts to
take its story seriously rather than as simple filler between
sketch comedy bits. Nevertheless, the story aspects remain edgy as
mock-up sentimental crap, the Hollywood ending to the extreme.

Go see this movie. While there are not as many new catchphrases
to recite, the film almost guarantees you’ll be discussing
with friends, “Remember the part when blah blah blah? Yeah,
that was cool, huh?”

WITH A THIRD FILM DUE OUT JULY 26, ‘AUSTIN POWERS’ CAN
STILL TAKE OVER AMERICAN POP CULTURE

By C.J. Yu
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
cjyu@media.ucla.edu

  Photo courtesy of NEW LINE CINEMA

While most pop culture icons and catchphrases usually fade away
as quickly as they come into popularity, the irreverent
“Austin Powers” film series has managed to stay on top
with its first two installments, leaving many of its audiences
still horny for more.

In the series’ newest addition, “Goldmember,”
the craze even spreads to the likes of Tom Cruise, and can anyone
blame him? Who could possibly resist the urge to say, “Do I
make you horny, baby?” Not Cruise, as he grins into the
camera during a brief cameo appearance in the film, which goes into
wide theatrical release on July 26.

From Hollywood celebs to elementary school children to UCLA
students, everyone knows the shagadelic Austin Powers.

According to the films’ director, Jay Roach, the
popularity of the series prompted several big names in Hollywood to
contact him for cameos, rather than the other (traditional) way
around.

“Some of them had been fans of the material and wanted to
be involved, and each one is appropriate for the part they play
exactly. In some cases, nobody else could do what they did,”
Roach said.

For those who have managed to find a hole big enough to hide in
for the past five years and avoided seeing the series, all of the
films basically have the same plot: British agent Austin Powers
tries to stop his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil, from taking over the
world. The films also use fish-out-of-water plot devices to poke
fun at, well, just about everything. Mike Myers has created a
winning strategy in combining “James Bond” stylings
with the slapstick parody of the “Naked Gun” films.

Miles Scoggins, second-year UCLA student and self-proclaimed fan
of the series, believes the films have been successful for a
variety of reasons, not just for their over-the-top characters and
star-studded cameos.

“Movies try to be too funny, but “˜Austin
Powers’ has a good balance.” Scoggins said. “I
think the fact that they take a lot of stuff from everyday
references, like the stuff with the baby back ribs from the second
film, it reflects a lot of American pop culture. I think
that’s why a lot of people think it’s so
funny.”

Second-year UCLA student Marina Alburger agrees.

“If anything, the films shape pop culture through all of
the advertisements and commercial tie-ins, like how Austin Powers
turns up in Pepsi commercials with Britney Spears,” Alburger
said. “It seems like every time I turn on the TV, it’s
something “˜Austin Powers.’ In other ways, the
catchphrases from the movie also totally showed up everywhere after
the first two films came out. Everyone was saying it, everyone was
being Austin Powers.”

Seth Green, who plays Dr. Evil’s son, remembers the
relatively humble beginnings of the series.

“The first “˜Austin Powers’ was an independent
movie with not a lot of money behind it, (a) first time director,
and a very high concept script. I thought it was funny on the page,
but you just don’t know. I can’t believe what it turned
into,” Green said.

Despite the buzz surrounding the newest movie in the series,
some still have their doubts as to how the film will hold up to the
media hype surrounding it.

Scoggins, though a big fan of the series, suspects that the
series may have reached its peak with the second installment
“The Spy Who Shagged Me.”

“For some reason, I just don’t think it’ll be
as funny as part two because part two is so damn funny. The third
part in a series is historically not as good. Look at Alien Three,
Godfather Three, Nightmare on Elm Street Three. How many people
have actually even seen those? It was garbage,” Scoggins
said.

Whether the newest installment of “Austin Powers”
will live up to the expectations of its loyal followers or end up a
fatal flop, one thing is uncertain. But according to Roach, another
sequel may be waiting in the wings if the “Austin
Powers” saga still has the legs for it.

“I would love to find a way to go into the late ’40s
“¦ or go way into the future in some way and play around with
“˜if Dr. Evil’s utopia came true, what would that be
like?’ For a long time we said this was the last time, and we
were so skeptical about doing even this one … but we may now
(make a fourth), so we’re not saying never again,”
Roach said.

MINDY STERLING GOES FROM SHYNESS TO SHAKESPEARE TO FRAU
FARBISSINA

By Amanda Suffecool
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
asuffecool@media.ucla.edu

  Photo courtesy of NEW LINE CINEMA

Mindy Sterling fearlessly faced the antics of Dr. Evil when she
collaborated with Mike Myers in the first two “Austin
Powers” movies.

Better known as Frau Farbissina, Dr. Evil’s sidekick known
for screaming orders, Sterling will add another appearance
alongside Myers this month in “Goldmember.”

Frau Farbissina is just one example of a comedic role Sterling
has played in her career. Her credits also include “Drop Dead
Gorgeous,” “Idle Hands” and Ron Howard’s
“The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.” Yet despite her
comedic resume, Sterling got her start studying Shakespeare.

“At age 13, you try to make a kid, who doesn’t know
who she is yet, do Shakespeare. It was just dreadful for me. It was
on Saturday mornings. I can’t even imagine what (my dad) was
thinking,” Sterling said.

Sterling soon traded in Shakespeare for a more contemporary
acting repertoire. Although Sterling’s father was an
entertainer and her mother was a dancer, the young actress was
still surprised when she took such a liking to performing.

“I was very shy as a little girl. And (drama) was an
opportunity for me to pretend, and do things, and be
accepted,” Sterling said.

Sterling debuted in a play when she was in the sixth grade. She
proceeded to surround herself with theater and drama throughout her
schooling.

Acting provided a path to self-discovery for the once shy
Sterling.

“Acting is such a healthy way to express yourself,”
Sterling said. “You get to explore all these areas in your
life.”

Sterling’s real break ““ and her opportunity to
become part of the “˜Austin Powers’ cast ““ came
when she landed a position with the comedy group The Groundlings.
She was on stage in improvisation acts with actors such as John
Lovitz, Lisa Kudrow and Myers.

Myers appreciated Sterling’s flair for comedy and asked
her to audition.

“I met Mike through The Groundlings. When the part for
Frau Farbissina came up, he had me come in and audition for
it,” Sterling said.

She won the part and has since enjoyed working on films with
Myers.

“Myers is very loose and generous and giving as a
performer and likes to play with you. You have to be there on your
toes for him,” Sterling said.

Once on the set, Farbissina’s character was allowed room
to develop from a side character to Dr. Evil’s lover. Due in
part to this flexibility, film is currently Sterling’s
favorite avenue for performing.

“I like doing film because you can do take after take, you
can try different things with it. You’re not on a time
frame,” Sterling said.

Sterling has been able to share her experiences with others. She
has taught and mentored many funny women such as Cheri Oteri and
Maya Rudolph from “Saturday Night Live.”

Sterling’s former students ““ along with many others
““ await her performance in the latest “˜Austin
Powers’ installment. However, there is at least one person
who is less than enthusiastic about Sterling’s role in the
third “Austin Powers” film. Frau Farbissina tends to
frighten Sterling’s 7-year-old son.

“He doesn’t like when I play Frau. When I do Frau
he’s like “˜stop it!'” Sterling said.

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