Girl in Gold Boots - Jody Daniels

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Ted V. Mikels
USA 1968

For all the glitz, glamour (and tits) that Paul Verhoeven's SHOWGIRLS offers, it only wishes it could be as truly off-the-wall as Ted V. Mikels' considerably more modest THE GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS in which diner waitress Michelle (Leslie McRay, BLOOD ORGY OF THE SHE DEVILS) decides on a whim to accompany small-time crook Buz (Tom Pace, THE ASTRO ZOMBIES) on a road trip to Hollywood where his sister Joanie (Bara Byrnes, THE MALIBU BIKINI SHOP) headlines a go-go dancing act at "The Haunted House" run by dope-dealing Leo McCabe (former "Mr. Judy Garland" Mark Herron, 8 1/2). They are joined along the way by draft-dodging, folk-singing drifter "Critter" Jones (Jody Daniels, POLICEWOMEN) who form sort of a platonic triangle after a bit of sexual tension (settled by Michelle's screeched "I'm here to be a dancer!"). When they get to Hollywood, Joanie agrees to train Michelle in go-go dancing (or "the Wounded Turkey" as it is described in Mystery Science Theater 3000's commentary on the film) while Buzz falls in with Leo's gang, and Critter takes on a job as the club's janitor in order to pine (musically) for Michelle as she supplants drugged-out Joanie on the dance stage and on Leo's arm. The film also features Mikels regulars Victor Izay (hero of BLOOD ORGY OF THE SHE DEVILS) as Michelle's drunken father and William Bagdad (THE DOLL SQUAD) as Leo's chief heavy.

Eric Cotenas

Poster

Theatrical Release: 25 April 1968 (USA)

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DVD Comparison:

Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

(Image Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Image Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	88 Films Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:30:48	1:30:42
Video	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.14 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.21 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Image Entertainment
Bitrate: 88 Films
Audio	English Dolby Digital 1.0 mono	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
Subtitles	none	none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Audio commentary with director Ted V. Mikels • Theatrical Trailer (4:3; 2:32) • Lobby Cards Gallery • Ted V. Mikels Filmography • Ted V. Mikels Trailer: 'The Corpse Grinders', 'Blood Orgy of the She Devils', '10 Violent Women', • 'The Doll Squad', and 'The Worm Eaters' DVD Release Date: 23 October 2001 Amaray Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: 88 Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • Audio Commentary by Ted V. Mikels • Viewing Notes and Gallery by Calum Waddel • Theatrical Trailer (4:3; 2:28) • 88 Films Trailer Park DVD Release Date: 13 October 2014 Amaray Chapters

Comments

Like 88 Film's other Mikels' offerings, their anammorphic, dual-layer disc offers an NTSC-PAL conversion of the 16:9 master that first appeared on disc stateside from Image Entertainment more than a decade before. Interlacing artifacts on the UK release are a bit annoying during the dancing sequences, but it will depend on how your TV handles them. For some reason, the 88 release is missing about five or six seconds from the beginning of a scene of Michelle and Joanie rehearsing on stage. The print is pretty scratched up (with accompanying crackling on the soundtrack), but the colors are bold and the music has good presence on the mono tracks.

Both discs offer up the same Mikels' commentary in which he sporadically discusses the shoot with anecdotes about the sports car loaned to the production that barely ran, paying two biker extras with beer, loaning out his own camera equipment for EASY RIDER, shooting at "The Haunted House" club, and catching up with some of the surviving cast members (including attending Leslie McRae's wedding in which three of her ex-husbands were also in attendance).

For the UK release, Calum Waddel also provides an essay in which he talks about go-go dancing in exploitation film, Mikels' conservative take approach to sex and violence, and comparison of the film's narrative to SHOWGIRLS. Besides the theatrical trailer (also on the Image disc along with other Mikels trailers), the disc also features trailers for Mikels' THE CORPSE GRINDERS, BLOOD ORGY OF THE SHE DEVILS, and THE DOLL SQUAD, along with ones for TWO MOON JUNCTION, THE TOXIC AVENGER, HIDEOUS! , ROBOT WARS, DOLLMAN, CASTLE FREAK, and SLICE AND DICE.

In America, the film is currently in-print as from Alpha Video in its original version and from Shout! Factory in its Mystery Science Theater 3000 version.