Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

A frickin’ work of genius. The New World Order or “management revolution” or VIRTUCON (“there is no world any more, it’s only corporations”) didn’t even know it had died, till Enron floated up stinking and Bill Bennett (who wrote the book) was caught shagging a monitor in his Las Vegas hotel room, although it still has great expectations.

The wearying gag of zoom-at-screamer gets sent up with a steamroller. Michael Medved the soi-disant critic thought there was too much poopie humor.

Its genius is the recognition that “it’s still the same old story.” That, or its enormous popularity even though you still find slagged-out arty types resolutely squatting at vernissages, saying “I wish I hadn’t been born a child of the Sixties.”