Best of MST3K

[Doctor Cringelord]

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Carnival Magic is my favorite so far. A family film about a talking chimp who sounds like Slingblade and whose skeevy, shirtless master who is inexplicably loved by his Carnival worker friends. A family film that covers lighthearted, family friendly topics such as alcoholism, financially challenged rednecks and domestic abuse. Classic MST3K material. My favorite moments were the hosts' robot noises when Markov slowly raises up from his yoga posture and the riffing during the carnies' assault on the research center.

Ugh, Carnival Magic was depressing in it's 70's sleaziness. It feels like the found the crappiest, sleaziest carnival around and made a movie about how it's a "place of wonder" which only made me more sad. I had similar feelings about the Italian Christmas movie. I probably won't revisit those two that often.

I think my favorite episodes were the Beast of Hollow Mountain (which is just a standard western that happens to have a T-Rex), Cry Wilderness (which reminds me of final sacrifice), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (with the most annoying child protagonist of any movie) and The Land That Time Forgot (which had submarines, cute dinosaur puppets, and discussions about caveman society).

 

[Peter Deadpan]

This show is so weird.
I tried.
For maybe 45 seconds.

Sorry.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Ugh, Carnival Magic was depressing in it's 70's sleaziness. It feels like the found the crappiest, sleaziest carnival around and made a movie about how it's a "place of wonder" which only made me more sad. I had similar feelings about the Italian Christmas movie. I probably won't revisit those two that often.

I think my favorite episodes were the Beast of Hollow Mountain (which is just a standard western that happens to have a T-Rex), Cry Wilderness (which reminds me of final sacrifice), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (with the most annoying child protagonist of any movie) and The Land That Time Forgot (which had submarines, cute dinosaur puppets, and discussions about caveman society).

That was what made it so hilarious to me. The "magic" of a sleazy southern carnival full of washed out, talentless hasbeens. A "family film" dealing with a grumpy, suicidal talking chimp, a wife beating animal abuser, a carnival owner laughing about taking money from townies and keeping his daughter on a short leash, etc. It's priceless, we're supposed to care about the characters but they're all pretty unremarkable and some of them are terrible people. The riffing on Markov had me rolling. He looks like a sleazy serial killer but the movie tries to portray him as a cool Obi Wan, Kung Fu, father-like mystic type of hipster sage loved by all.

It's really odd how the T. rex only shows up in the last 15 minutes or so in Hollow Mountain. Like they added it as an afterthought almost. Feels like two different movies. The first part feels like a typical western drama/romance. I wonder why they didn't make it about a killer gila monster instead.

I really liked Cry Wilderness, it had that Final Sacrifice meets Pod People feel. Avalanche was good too; I think the 70s movies are always good fodder for MST3K. "It's me Danny from The Time Travellers!"

Both the wizards episodes were good, especially part 2, but the albino Wookiee thing was pretty hilarious. The second one really had a feeling that the producers went into it with no script and sort of just winged the whole thing, while the first one, while really bad and low budget, at least felt like there was some effort and work put into it--Kor was a medieval Rowsdower, basically. Carradine is obviously drunk and phoning in his performance to make a fast paycheck in the second one. The second is Troll 2 level bad.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

This show is so weird.
I tried.
For maybe 45 seconds.

Sorry.

Find Space Mutiny or Werewolf on YouTube.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

They never found the talking chimp that did it.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

my top Joel era episodes:

Eegah
Warrior of the Lost World
I Accuse My Parents
Teenagers From Outer Space
Mitchell
Cave Dwellers
Pod People
Master Ninja I
any of the Gamera episodes
Secret Agent Super Dragon

my top Mike era episodes:

Laserblast
Escape 2000
Werewolf
Pumaman
Final Justice
Parts: The Clonus Horror
Time Chasers
Merlin's Mystical Shop of Wonders
Final Sacrifice
Zombie Nightmare
I would have said Space Mutiny but I've seen it so many times now that I'm tired of it.

my top Jonah episodes (so far):

Cry Wilderness
Avalanche
Carnival Magic
Wizards of the Lost Kingdom 2

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

There's a lot of good movies they could do in the next season. I'd like to see them tackle Space Rage or Plan 9 From Outer Space (even if rifftrax already did that one).

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

That was what made it so hilarious to me. The "magic" of a sleazy southern carnival full of washed out, talentless hasbeens. A "family film" dealing with a grumpy, suicidal talking chimp, a wife beating animal abuser, a carnival owner laughing about taking money from townies and keeping his daughter on a short leash, etc. It's priceless, we're supposed to care about the characters but they're all pretty unremarkable and some of them are terrible people. The riffing on Markov had me rolling. He looks like a sleazy serial killer but the movie tries to portray him as a cool Obi Wan, Kung Fu, father-like mystic type of hipster sage loved by all.

But all that bullshit just kind of made me sad that the filmmakers thought this would be wondrous. I think the director or producer did actually commit suicide or something like that. I believe it.

It's really odd how the T. rex only shows up in the last 15 minutes or so in Hollow Mountain. Like they added it as an afterthought almost. Feels like two different movies. The first part feels like a typical western drama/romance. I wonder why they didn't make it about a killer gila monster instead.

Yeah, it was so damn bizarre. I loved it. I also found the kid in it to be easily the least annoying of all the kids this season. I actually felt bad for him when his dad got eaten.

I really liked Cry Wilderness, it had that Final Sacrifice meets Pod People feel. Avalanche was good too; I think the 70s movies are always good fodder for MST3K. "It's me Danny from The Time Travellers!"

Both the wizards episodes were good, especially part 2, but the albino Wookiee thing was pretty hilarious. The second one really had a feeling that the producers went into it with no script and sort of just winged the whole thing, while the first one, while really bad and low budget, at least felt like there was some effort and work put into it--Kor was a medieval Rowsdower, basically. Carradine is obviously drunk and phoning in his performance to make a fast paycheck in the second one. The second is Troll 2 level bad.

I found Time Travelers to actually be kind of a good movie, for what it's worth. I love Gulfax. I'd make him an avatar if I wasn't stuck on this bird theme. I can't abandon it now.

 

[Lucy_Ricardo]

MST3K S05E06 Best of: Eegah! - YouTube

Eegah! is the best of MST3K, hands down. Eegah with a laughing face.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

MST3K S05E06 Best of: Eegah! - YouTube

Eegah! is the best of MST3K, hands down. Eegah with a laughing face.

Shtemlo.

That means I agree.

Also, I'm baffled about why the filmmakers felt the need to tie the whole thing back to the bible in the end. Were they worried about pissing off creationists by showing probably scientifically inaccurate cavemen?

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

But all that bullshit just kind of made me sad that the filmmakers thought this would be wondrous. I think the director or producer did actually commit suicide or something like that. I believe it.

He was murdered by his contractor and buried under concrete. His wife (why plays Markov's aging, busty assistant in Carnival Magic) died of breast cancer. Depressing stuff. I think the weirdness of that movie isn't unique to Carnival Magic. Aside from Disney films, there weren't a lot of "family films" made prior to the 80s, so I don't think people really knew how to make them well. Hence the weird talking chimp and heavier content like domestic abuse. It's like people back then assumed making a "family film" meant you had to have something to please the kids (talking animal) while including themes you might see in adult dramas to appeal to the parents. But it's more complicated than that, and often parents want to see something "lighter" in a family movie too.

Yeah, it was so damn bizarre. I loved it. I also found the kid in it to be easily the least annoying of all the kids this season. I actually felt bad for him when his dad got eaten.

Yes. I felt bad for him too. His dad was a great source of amusement though. Talk about a walking racial stereotype.

I found Time Travelers to actually be kind of a good movie, for what it's worth.

Me too. It felt like a standard 50s/60s sci-fi film. A bit dated but entertaining. One of those movies that works on MST3k not because it was bad but because it's so dated that it it's amusing. I could see myself watching it as a standalone minus the riffing and enjoy it. I actually feel that way about Time Chasers. It's decent, low budget entertainment but I can follow and enjoy the story.

I think there's basically three types of movies MST3K do:

-Low budget trash like Avalanche, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, and Manos, made by filmmakers trying to cash in on the popularity of better examples of their respective genres.
-Older movies that were decent but just haven't aged well like Time Travellers and This Island Earth.
-Completely bizarre shit like Manos

-maybe a fourth category for made-for-TV-movies/pilots like San Francisco International, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, and the two Master Ninja films.

I love Gulfax. I'd make him an avatar if I wasn't stuck on this bird theme. I can't abandon it now.

You could use the queen lady, since they kept riffing on her looking like a bird

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

He was murdered by his contractor and buried under concrete. His wife (why plays Markov's aging, busty assistant in Carnival Magic) died of breast cancer. Depressing stuff. I think the weirdness of that movie isn't unique to Carnival Magic. Aside from Disney films, there weren't a lot of "family films" made prior to the 80s, so I don't think people really knew how to make them well. Hence the weird talking chimp and heavier content like domestic abuse. It's like people back then assumed making a "family film" meant you had to have something to please the kids (talking animal) while including themes you might see in adult dramas to appeal to the parents. But it's more complicated than that, and often parents want to see something "lighter" in a family movie too.

Do you have another example of weirdness like that?

Me too. It felt like a standard 50s/60s sci-fi film. A bit dated but entertaining. One of those movies that works on MST3k not because it was bad but because it's so dated that it it's amusing. I could see myself watching it as a standalone minus the riffing and enjoy it. I actually feel that way about Time Chasers. It's decent, low budget entertainment but I can follow and enjoy the story.

I think there's basically three types of movies MST3K do:

-Low budget trash like Avalanche, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, and Manos, made by filmmakers trying to cash in on the popularity of better examples of their respective genres.
-Older movies that were decent but just haven't aged well like Time Travellers and This Island Earth.
-Completely bizarre shit like Manos

-maybe a fourth category for made-for-TV-movies/pilots like San Francisco International, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, and the two Master Ninja films.

In category three, I'd put Cry Wilderness. Why make a movie about Bigfoot when Bigfoot is basically ancillary to the story?

You could use the queen lady, since they kept riffing on her looking like a bird

Naw.... Chewbacca ripoff or GTF out.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Do you have another example of weirdness like that?

Nothing quite as weird as Carnival Magic but The Worst Witch jumped to mind for some reason. I think that's more because the idea of Tim Curry as a grown ass wizard idolized by prepubescent witches is a little fucked up. It also has that filmed-on-videotape washed over look a lot of 70s and 80s films have.

Watership Down gets pretty violent and heavy but it's actually a good movie.

Maybe Carnival Magic is all in a class of its own then, as far as family films go. I don't think the director knew what the hell he was trying to do, it doesn't have any consistent theme or message, just a series of things that happen, because why not film a movie at a carnival? I think it belongs in the bizarre Manos category, for that reason. It almost feels like he intended to make a more serious adult film, then decided to make it a family film by adding the chimp subplot.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

This is a job for weenie man!

Into the weenie mobile. Weenie man awaaaay!

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

I really hope they do a Neil Breen film in the upcoming season. Or maybe something like Tommy Wiseau's The Room. Another one I've probably already mentioned, but I think would be perfect for that show, is Space Rage.

This movie's pretty ripe for riffing. The trailer doesn't really show him, but the main protagonist is Richard Farnsworth (the Grandpa from The Waltons), so I'm sure they'd get a lot of mileage out of that...plus he looks about 90 in the film.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I really hope they do a Neil Breen film in the upcoming season. Or maybe something like Tommy Wiseau's The Room. Another one I've probably already mentioned, but I think would be perfect for that show, is Space Rage.

This movie's pretty ripe for riffing. The trailer doesn't really show him, but the main protagonist is Richard Farnsworth (the Grandpa from The Waltons), so I'm sure they'd get a lot of mileage out of that...plus he looks about 90 in the film.

Ninja Terminator please. There's a Ninja Empire and cute wind-up robots delivering VHS tapes with death threats. It's great.

The South Korean movie Dream of a Warrior is bonkers as well, but I don't think a dubbed version exists, so it's not likely it will show up. Picture Titanic meets The Matrix meets Star Wars Episode I and you have some idea of the insanity that is this movie.

I think the most incomprehensible movie they ever did was Mighty Jack. Watching that episode felt like taking a multiple big bong rips. No wonder there were so many weed jokes in that one.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

MST3K, Turkey Day, and 30 years of taking over the world before pie is served

- - - Updated - - -

They’re doing Mac and Me in the new season. Debuts Thanksgiving Day

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

MST3K, Turkey Day, and 30 years of taking over the world before pie is served

- - - Updated - - -

They’re doing Mac and Me in the new season. Debuts Thanksgiving Day

How did you find that out?