brody's rate n' review thread (starring hamlet)

[brody]

i've decided it was much easier to make this into a regular rate n' review thread. so that's what i'm doing

coming soon:

time of the apes
hamlet
space mutiny

[brody]

Hamlet (1969)

Plot: The greatest play ever written. Except in German, and dubbed by Ricardo Montalban


How's the Actual Movie?

What a turkey. Don't let the fact that there are no rubber monsters or cheesy spaceships in here. This is one of the worst movies to ever be shown on MST3K. And it seems painful to watch. The flat acting, the horrendous dubbing, and the fact that there is absolutely no competent direction make this a mess. I don't need to speak German to know that this is an awful movie.

ZERO STARS

As for MST3K.....

Before I started this episode, I was nervous. After all, it had a reputation as being possibly the worst episode ever of MST3K. I still hoped to find some occasional chuckles and be able to acknowledge I had watched the episode, then move on.

But something totally unexpected happened, I loved it. I thought that it consistently provided me with chuckles with each joke, which is much better than a belly laugh, followed by ten minutes of flatness. Mike and the 'Bots were able to entertain their way through this incompetent bore without any hesitation. It felt like watching a bunch of high schoolers riffing on a copy of Hamlet the teacher found for 50 cents at the grocery store, and for some reason, that really worked for me. Jokes about Jewel, Denmark, and Hamlet's stiffness proved that both timing and humor are key to this show. If I had only seen the non-MST3Ked version, I would not think that any one could make anything clever out of this, but I was proved wrong.

The host segments are mixed. I think the opening with "hTom Sirveaux" and "Croe" is hilarious. And I also thought the way they led up to having Mike watch Hamlet was really funny. The different versions of Hamlet were kind of cute, with the all-furniture version providing some good laughs. The last two fall flat. The quiz show could've easily have been replaced with something more inventive and funny, and the windup Hamlet doll went nowhere (no pun intended).


***1/2

[theron]

Coincidentally just been watching Hamlet and it is one of my faves. Some great lines in it ('Have thee to a bakery' and love Crow's comment at the end 'Well Mike thats convinced me not to murder your father and marry your mother')

Never realised this was not a popular MST3K episode but as brod said had me laughing consistently all the way through which is great

[NardDog]

what happened to Hamlet?


...Actually, I don't blame you that is probably the worst MST3K episode I've ever seen no insult to Mike and the bots...they did the best they could...but seeing that makes you appreciate Mel Gibson's version...it even makes Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet appear watchable


EDIT: Oops I didn't read the whole thread(I thought there was only one page)

...but I stand by the rest of what I said

[Bix Dugan]

Any real fan of the Bard needs to see the Troma version of R & J:

Tromeo & Juliet

I don't remember Mel's version, but I did like that one with Leonardo D. & John Legusano. Very stylized.