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Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery poster

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

year 1997decade 90sdirector Jay Roachgenre Comedygenre Spygenre Parody

89 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Mike Myers Austin Powers / Dr. Evil
Elizabeth Hurley Vanessa Kensington
Michael York Basil Exposition
Mimi Rogers Mrs. Kensington
Robert Wagner Number Two
Seth Green Scott Evil
Fabiana Udenio Alotta Fagina
Mindy Sterling Frau Farbissina
Joe Son Random Task
Paul Dillon Paddy O'Brien
Charles Napier Commander Gilmour
Will Ferrell Mustafa
Elya Baskin General Borschevsky
Larry Thomas Casino Dealer
Carrie Fisher Therapist
Tom Arnold Texan (TMDB: Cowboy, uncredited)
Burt Bacharach Himself

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Sean Fennesseyproducer Craig Horlbeck
Explore episodeClose episode

What’s Aged the Worst?

Old Bond parody references; late-90s two-character camera trickery; FemBots' 1960s references

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:26Read transcript
  • Late-90s camera trickery could not convincingly put two characters played by one actor in the same scene, flagged as an aged-worst item.
  • Bond references from the Donald Pleasence era may be lost on viewers under 35, as the producer's reaction suggested, whereas in 1997 they were still fresh.
  • The Bond parody and the FemBots rely on remembering the 1960s.
  • Austin's harassment of Vanessa could be taken the wrong way, but many say the film aged well there because he does not sleep with her when she is drunk.
  • Robert Wagner is flagged as coming up in the aged-worst discussion.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Group therapy scene

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:18Read transcript
  • The cryogenic unfreezing with Gary Coleman and Vanilla Ice is a home-run four minutes: chest hair, the very long pee, the voice-volume side effect, meeting Vanessa, and the penis enlarger inventory gag.
  • Mustafa's Las Vegas scene, where he keeps saying he was shot and asks for the hatch to be opened, is nominated; he was brought back in the sequel.
  • The introduction of Dr. Evil's crew with bald Bigglesworth and his plan is a phenomenal four-to-five minute sequence; Will Ferrell slays, arriving from SNL, where he was still new and not yet mainstream.
  • The evil laughing scene, Austin naked while Vanessa eats a sausage, and the returning Mustafa death scene show Myers pushing a bit past unfunny and back; the evil laughing should be a meme, though there may be concerns about Robert Wagner.
  • The group therapy scene with Carrie Fisher is in the running for the greatest four minutes of 90s comedy and is one pick for most rewatchable; the Dr. Evil childhood speech is played in full.
  • The evil petting zoo line and the dynamic between Dr. Evil and his son are favorites, and the sequel leans into it more.
  • The dinner-party exchange questioning why Dr. Evil doesn't just shoot Austin, the reportedly improvised shushing scene, 'liquid hot magma' and the honeymoon ending are also cited.
  • Other nominations: the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club with Mimi Rogers, the airplane seduction with Austin spinning around, and Tom Arnold's 'showed that turd who's boss' moment.
  • All agree on the group therapy scene; one is partial to Austin waking up with the long pee and the penis enlarger and calls the two tied.

What’s Aged the Best?

Dr. Evil as Lorne Michaels; Elizabeth Hurley; Mimi Rogers as her mother; opening credits; musical interstitials; Will Ferrell as Mustafa; steamroller murder; the sequels; five stages of defrosting; head-loss jokes; Basil's mom; character names; the capitalism line

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:51Read transcript
  • Dr. Evil as Lorne Michaels remains hilarious; every Dr. Evil scene is lights out, from Bigglesworth to the finger to the mouth and the run, an all-time creation.
  • Elizabeth Hurley is great and still aging well; this is really her only well-known movie besides Bedazzled; casting her as Mimi Rogers' daughter is a home run.
  • The opening credits are praised as unusual for a comedy; a world-famous spy living through Beatlemania is a stupid paradox only noticed on this rewatch.
  • The dance interstitials with close-ups of Austin's teeth are funny.
  • Will Ferrell as Mustafa has aged best, and there is no Anchorman without this film: the flute sequence echoes the Burt Bacharach scene.
  • The slow-motion steamroller murder, still ten feet away in the wide shot, is called the funniest thing ever seen.
  • The sequels belong here, since some, including someone who might produce the podcast, find them better than the original.
  • The five stages of defrosting, with cutaways to Michael York and Charles Napier nodding, and the FemBots are cited, though the FemBots' 60s parody may land less in 2022.
  • Beating a dumb joke into the ground works in the five-straight head jokes ('a shame he wasn't more headstrong'), and punching Basil's mom kills.
  • The character names (Basil Exposition, the name heard as 'A lot of vagina', Random Task) and Austin emerging from cryo with the capitalism line are highlights.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Larry Thomas as the blackjack dealer

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:50:03Read transcript
  • Burt Bacharach does not count as a That Guy.
  • Charles Napier is definitely a That Guy: a prison guard in The Silence of the Lambs and a judge in Philadelphia, in many Jonathan Demme films.
  • The Soup Nazi as the blackjack dealer is named the winner, since he is known only as the Soup Nazi; his name is offered as Larry Thomas.
  • Fabiana Udenio's character also became a That Guy, recalled from Summer School with Mark Harmon.
  • Elya Baskin, the Russian officer in every movie, is also named.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Fabiana Udenio as Alotta Fagina

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:20Read transcript
  • The award goes to the character heard as 'a lot of vagina': the hot tub scene with Austin farting is bizarre, awkward and does not quite work.
  • The 'how dare you break wind before me' / 'I didn't realize it was your turn' exchange is the scene's one highlight; otherwise everyone overacts because it is a comedy.

Apex Mountain

Bond parodies; Elizabeth Hurley; "I Touch Myself"; bad teeth as a comedy gag

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:59Read transcript
  • Myers' apex is the second movie; his run through Shrek up to the third film is also argued, and he was the biggest comedy actor after 1999.
  • Notes show the hosts gave Myers Apex Mountain for Austin Powers 2 in the earlier episode.
  • Asked about New Line's apex, the sentimental pick is Boogie Nights, placed one year later. — Sean Fennessey
  • Another voice corrects that Boogie Nights was also 1997, about six months later, making 1997 New Line's apex.
  • The Lord of the Rings films and Nightmare on Elm Street complicate New Line's apex; its 1997-98 slate runs through Boogie Nights, Wag the Dog and The Wedding Singer, then dips with Lost in Space.
  • Another host agrees on Boogie Nights; New Line gave auteurs money and, for this film, $16.5 million with no notes, ending the decade with Magnolia.
  • Yes for Bond parodies and for Elizabeth Hurley, with agreement.
  • Yes for the 'I Touch Myself' song, which gained a second life from the film.
  • No for Seth Green, whose peak came later with Can't Hardly Wait.
  • Back to the Future is named apex for time travel comedies.
  • Yes for bad teeth as a comedy gag; for long movie pisses as a gag this film and A League of Their Own are the finalists.
  • This is probably the apex for Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Swedish-made penis enlarger pump; the penis enlarger book

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:37Read transcript
  • The first answer is the Swedish penis enlarger. — Chris Ryan
  • Others joke that he already has one and that the answer is clearly the enlarger, mocking the obvious alternative of Dr. Evil's suit.
  • The 'Swedish-made penis enlarger pumps and me' book is also wanted.
  • Denies owning a cryo chamber. — Bill Simmons
  • A participant did cryotherapy that weekend and on walking out was ribbed about a 2010 Celtics take.