Good-naturedly directed by Robert Veze, BIKINI SUMMER is a retrograde, erratically amusing throwback to the 60s beach party movies, although this film's ample nudity would have shocked Frankie and Annette.
Set in L.A.'s Malibu Beach, photographer Chet (David Millbern), model Cheryl (Melinda Armstrong), musician Jazz (Shelley Michelle), who leads an out-of-work female rock band, and composer Richard (Alex Smith) all team up in Mad Dog's (Kent Lipham) plans to hold a "Hot Bikini" contest featuring
designer Rene's (Kelly Konop) creations. This contest, apart from furthering the aspiring participants' careers, will save the beach from evil land developers. Despite police intervention and other shenanigans, the competition is held, with last-minute help from Brad a Texas financier (Jason
Clow), and Cheryl wins. While she and Richard have fallen in love, the shy Rene finally tries on one of her own bikinis and is a knockout, attracting the eye of Chet, who's been searching for Ms. Right.
The acting is strictly one-dimensional, particularly by Kelly Konop, who achieved some media notoriety when she revealed that she was Julia Roberts's body double and did her nude scenes in the hit PRETTY WOMAN, and the script, by Veze and Nick Stone, is flat as a pancake. Thankfully and
redeemably, the movie's myriad bikinis are not. (Profanity, sexual situations, nudity.) leave a comment
