Deal alert: Fans of zany spy yarns from the 1960s that feature bikini-clad fembots have struck gold! Both Blu-ray editions of the Dr. Goldfoot movies starring Vincent Price have reached an all-time low cost of $15.99 each. Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine was released in 1965 and co-starred Frankie Avalon. This first addition to the series was directed by Norman Taurog, best known for making the 1960s musicals with Elvis Presley. Check out the claymation title sequence, complete with catchy theme song by The Supremes, on Youtube here. Movie details from Amazon: "Beware! This band of bikini-clad cuties are licensed to kill... with comedy! Featuring screen icon Vincent Price (The Oblong Box, Dr. Phibes) in his most unusual and amusing role of his career and Frankie Avalon (The Million Eyes of Su-Muru), with cameo appearances by Annette Funicello and Harvey Lembeck, this sex-ational spy spoof is thrill-packed fun. Deranged Dr. Goldfoot (Price) has a dream... of taking over the universe! So the mad scientist invents a machine that builds sultry, bikini-clad sex sirens, whom he programs to seduce the world's wealthiest men into signing over their fortunes. But when Secret Agent Craig Gamble (Avalon) learns of Goldfoot's evil plot, he knows he must destroy these gorgeous gold diggers before losing his heart and quite possibly his life to the hottest assassins ever built! Norman Taurog (Blue Hawaii) directs the fun-filled sci-fi comedy co-starring Susan Hart (War-Gods of the Deep), Dwayne Hickman (Cat Ballou) and Fred Clark (Sunset Blvd.). Special Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Filmmaker David DeCoteau, Animated "Bikini Bots", Image Gallery, Trailer, Gallery."
Vincent Price returned to make Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs in 1966, this time under the unexpected helm of Italian horror maestro, Mario Bava. Fabian co-starred, along with comedy duo Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia. Details from Amazon: "Horror legend Mario Bava (Black Sabbath) directs this hilarious sequel to Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine featuring international superstar duo of Ciccio and Franco (Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia, War Italian Style). The great Vincent Price (Madhouse) is back as Dr. Goldfoot and no man is safe from his army of irresistible bombshell robots... not even N.A.T.O. generals! Goldfoot's gorgeous robots are loaded with lovemaking explosives. Their mission: ignite war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Goldfoot is one general shy of global domination and with the ravishing Rosanna (Laura Antonelli, Malicious) as his secret weapon; it's just a matter of time. Now, it's up to secret agent Bill Dexter (Fabian, Thunder Alley) to keep the general and the world safe from the diabolical Dr. Goldfoot and his sexy robots. Special Features: Audio Commentary by Film Historian David Del Valle and Filmmaker David DeCoteau, "Black Sabbath: Trailers From Hell" with Mick Garris, "Girl Bombs" Image Gallery, Trailers for Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, House of the Long Shadows." Although the Goldfoot films didn't quite reach the level of James Coburn's Flint and other spoofs made during the Spy Boom, they are quite fun and charming- often due to Vincent Price, whose fun performances, along with some cool set designs, keeps me coming back to revisit every few years or so. They are definitely silly, but recommended!
Selected Spy Vibe posts: Spectre Advanced Poster, Honor Blackman at 90, UNCLE School, Ian Fleming Memorial, Radiophonic Exhibit, Portmeirion Photos, Doctor Who Exhibit, Farewell Steed, Pussy Galore Returns, Diana Rigg birthday, Sherlock at 221B, Invisible Agent, Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Saint Doppelgänger, Fleming's Typewriter, Rare Fleming, Fleming's Music, Ian Fleming's Japan, Jim Wilson Corgi Interview, Fantomas Design, Jeremy Duns on Bond, John Buss interview, Avengers Season 5 Titles, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, Art of Modesty, Tokyo Beat 1964, Feraud Mod Fashion, Green Hornet Manga, No 6 Festival, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
Spy Vibe Comics Week: ROBOTS. Spend the week in our secret lair as we share images and stories from the Spy Vibe collection and research. Today we present a number of classic covers and panels featuring Robots! Details below. Related posts: Johnny Sokko, Gigantor. Spy Vibe's archive of vintage photos of people reading comics here.
We continue our Comics Week with a Saturday Matinee of classic robot covers and panels. Robots were fun! As walking humanoids, they embodied our love and fear of technology. Robots were the ultimate weapon of the mad scientist, and the creepiest operative sent to infiltrate human society. In the control of secret agents and boy heroes, they tipped the balance of power so that good could prevail. They were a mainstay of comics and Pulps throughout the Golden Age, and included such characters as Bozo, Electro, The Human Torch, Marvex, Flexo, Mr. Atom, and Robot Man. During the Silver Age and Cold War era, they loomed especially large in the DC universe, where mechanical versions of heroes like Batman and Robin threatened to destroy the status quo. During the Communist craze, paranoia of shifting ideologies and allegiances was channeled into stories about synthetic duplicates (without heart or faith) stepping in for major characters. And in their dullest moments, they appeared in Superman and Wonder Woman stories about secret identities and romance. From Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Fleischer's Mechanical Monsters (Superman), and Astro Boy, to The Bionic Woman, the Cybernauts (The Avengers), and Battlestar Galatica, Robots have endured as an essential element in genre fiction. In related current publications, readers should check out the 2014 Eisner-Award nominated web-comic by Brian Fies called The Last Mechanical Monster. Selected rogue's gallery of comic robots below. Enjoy!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: TV Avengers & Batman 75th, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Diana Rigg at 76, Gerry Anderson Box Set, Gerry Anderson Doc, Mr. Hulot's Box Set, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Mattel X-15, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Batman News, Monty Python Fathom Spies, Monty Python Returns!, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, The Spotnicks, Model Secret Agents, Remo Williams Blu-ray, Bunny Yeager and Ursula Andress, Danger Mouse, Lost Avengers Episodes, Big Fun Toys, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Mother's Day (Avengers), Mod Fashion Dolls, Cold War Archie, New Avengers Comic, Ipcress File Blu-ray, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, UNCLE Gun, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
If your vibe is minimalism and experimental music, check out the LA Minimalist Jukebox Festival this March and April. In addition to spotlighting new innovators, the line-up includes Phillip Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and eight 3-D concerts by Kraftwerk! Kraftwerk has done a series of album-by-album shows at major museums around the world, including a retrospective at MOMA in 2012. Tickets are in high demand, so guests will need to pre-register on Dec 3rd for a chance to secure seats. I wish I could be there every night! More info here.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, The Prisoner & Captain Scarlet, HMV returns to Oxford st w Beatles promo, Diego Fortunato & Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, Peter Asher, Gerry Marsden tour, Elio Petri on Blu-ray, Sophia Loren, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Beatles fall 2013 releases, A Hard Days Night cinematographer dies, Magic Christian on Blu-ray, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
