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Post by Mantis on Aug 10, 2009 15:08:14 GMT -5
Eegah and Manos were funny but not overwhelming. And the Godzilla, Megalon, Barugon, and the other Japanese monster episodes are only average. And Mitchell put me to sleep.
For me the most under-rated episodes are:
Time of the Apes King Dinosaur Teenage Caveman The Giant Gila Monster Bride of the Monster The Painted Hills 12 To the Moon The Projected Man The Deadly Bees Squirm Phantom Planet
And those that fully lived up to the hype for me are:
Santa Clause The Final Sacrifice Jack Frost (The best of the Sci-Fi era)
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Post by Tor Johnson on Aug 10, 2009 16:02:41 GMT -5
Final Sacrifice just never did it for me. I just don't get it. It has lots of fans around here but I tried to watch it a few times and it is just so hard to get through for me.
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Post by theprofessor on Aug 11, 2009 15:07:22 GMT -5
I'm going to have to vote for both Puma Man AND The Final Sacrifice. Sure, they got some laughs out of me but I can't understand the overwhelming love for them. But, then again, I don't understand people who don't like Season 3...
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Post by dangfish on Aug 11, 2009 16:43:20 GMT -5
I'm going to have to vote for both Puma Man AND The Final Sacrifice. Sure, they got some laughs out of me but I can't understand the overwhelming love for them. But, then again, I don't understand people who don't like Season 3... I've always had a theory about the whole season 3 thing. I think people who are into the premise and the puppets and the skits and the fun goofy japanese films and the good natured vibe of the show back then are big fans of season 3. For others, the most important thing is the riffing, period. These are the folks who are not too keen on season 3. I happen to be one of these. I could usually take or leave the skits. Some of them were okay, but I often fast forward through them because I'm anxious to get to the riffing. I always felt that the riffing in season 3 is pretty hit and miss and that they didn't reach their riffing peak till the last part of season four. I enjoy season three, but not as much as the later seasons.
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Post by fathermushroom on Aug 11, 2009 20:08:25 GMT -5
I've always had a theory about the whole season 3 thing. I think people who are into the premise and the puppets and the skits and the fun goofy japanese films and the good natured vibe of the show back then are big fans of season 3. For others, the most important thing is the riffing, period. These are the folks who are not too keen on season 3. I happen to be one of these. I could usually take or leave the skits. Some of them were okay, but I often fast forward through them because I'm anxious to get to the riffing. I always felt that the riffing in season 3 is pretty hit and miss and that they didn't reach their riffing peak till the last part of season four. I enjoy season three, but not as much as the later seasons. To which I'll add, that I bet some of the non-season-3-boosters out there (myself included) find the riffs aren't as hot when all the dialogue has been badly dubbed. Even though I really enjoy some of the dubbed films, like most of the spy flicks, when they're poorly dubbed (and most Sandy Frank productions are terribly dubbed), then the laughs, for me, aren't so great. I don't know why exactly that should be, but I think it's in there. It's almost as if I realize that the Brains can't possibly be riffing the original script ('cause obviously something's been lost in the translation) so it takes some of the air out of it for me. Maybe I'm not making sense, I dunno.
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Post by theprofessor on Aug 12, 2009 10:26:42 GMT -5
I'm going to have to vote for both Puma Man AND The Final Sacrifice. Sure, they got some laughs out of me but I can't understand the overwhelming love for them. But, then again, I don't understand people who don't like Season 3... I've always had a theory about the whole season 3 thing. I think people who are into the premise and the puppets and the skits and the fun goofy japanese films and the good natured vibe of the show back then are big fans of season 3. Yup. You've pretty much hit the nail on the head there. For me, season 3 sometimes feels like a seperate entity from the other seasons. For one, it's the only season to have mass loads of sequels to episodes (Gamera, Fugitive Alien, Master Ninja, Colossal Man), giving it a sort of insular feeling. It also represents the height of their skit writing; Season 2 and 3 have really heavily written host segments, something they would soon move away from. Plus, it's chock full of wonderful songs (Gamera theme song, Hike up your Pants, the Fugitive Alien songs, the "Master Ninja theme song!"). The goofy, good natured vibe just drips off these episodes...with a big three season contract under their belts, they seem to be having the time of their lives.
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Post by quinnmartin on Aug 12, 2009 11:03:37 GMT -5
I'm going to have to vote for both Puma Man AND The Final Sacrifice. Sure, they got some laughs out of me but I can't understand the overwhelming love for them. But, then again, I don't understand people who don't like Season 3... I've always had a theory about the whole season 3 thing. I think people who are into the premise and the puppets and the skits and the fun goofy japanese films and the good natured vibe of the show back then are big fans of season 3. For others, the most important thing is the riffing, period. These are the folks who are not too keen on season 3. I happen to be one of these. I could usually take or leave the skits. Some of them were okay, but I often fast forward through them because I'm anxious to get to the riffing. I always felt that the riffing in season 3 is pretty hit and miss and that they didn't reach their riffing peak till the last part of season four. I enjoy season three, but not as much as the later seasons. Yes, those are the key elements of what makes season 3 so appealing, though it's not my favorite. I consider season 5 and 6 stronger, but I those episodes have a somewhat different appeal, more about the riffing, as you say. And I agree with you on them hitting their stride riffing-wise at the end of season 4. I also think if you got into the show AFTER season 3 aired, you're much less likely to think it's one of their best. The reason being that if you got into the show during one of the later seasons, it was probably because you really enjoyed the riffing, and as a result you probably find the riffing in season 3 to be a letdown.
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Post by beljah on Aug 12, 2009 11:58:35 GMT -5
I also think if you got into the show AFTER season 3 aired, you're much less likely to think it's one of their best. That might be true for most, but Comedy Central became available from my cable provider via set top box in Summer 1994, about 15 years ago. The first ep I saw after picking up the STB was Swamp Diamonds and the first premiere was Colossus and the Headhunters. All I know is that I tended to react more favorably to the S3 eps than the majority of S4. I could be the exception, but I think it might have something to do with the influx of folks who first saw MST on SciFi. I know folks who didn't get CC from their provider until after MST was removed from that channel, but had SciFi all along. It was an edgier show during that era, so it would be hard to adjust to a softer, gentler approach. Sometimes even I have a hard time with "Joel as the 'bots papa" approach.
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Post by quinnmartin on Aug 12, 2009 12:42:33 GMT -5
That might be true for most, but Comedy Central became available from my cable provider via set top box in Summer 1994, about 15 years ago. The first ep I saw after picking up the STB was Swamp Diamonds and the first premiere was Colossus and the Headhunters. All I know is that I tended to react more favorably to the S3 eps than the majority of S4. Some of that could be season 4 itself. I remember back in the day there being very mixed feelings about that seasons amongst the online fans. Personally, I thought a lot that season lacked both the charm of the earlier seasons and the great riffing of later seasons. Sort of a "growing pains" season, if you will. Though from 419 on it was pretty brilliant stuff.
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Post by beljah on Aug 12, 2009 17:35:56 GMT -5
Though from 419 on it was pretty brilliant stuff. And now an example of how subjective this can be since I'm more of a fan of the near-middle period, favoring 414: "Tormented", 415: "The Beatniks", and 416: "Fire Maidens from Outer Space". The fact that they're bookended by the two Rocky Jones is an example of why I find it a flawed Season, apologies to RJ/Winkie fans. I don't think they're horrible, I just have a hard time getting through them.
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Post by glowgirl004 on Aug 12, 2009 19:43:27 GMT -5
Sidehackers, Sidehackers, Sidehackers. Probably my least favorite MST3K episode. I found it boring, and only a couple of jokes in there were funny to me.
Cave Dwellers was ok, but I agree with what someone else here said about it being too boring. The first part was funny, then it just drags on until he goes parasailing.
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Post by zombiewhacker on Aug 15, 2009 15:37:23 GMT -5
Ditto on Laserblast. I'd long looked forward to seeing that episode and found it to be only so-so at best.
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Post by ArtCrow on Aug 18, 2009 20:39:04 GMT -5
Time Chasers got a lot of hype, but for me it was a letdown and still is. Not many laughs there for me. Rebel Set, Girl in Lovers Lane and Outlaw don't rate too high for me either, but seem to get lots of love. After all I've read about season 3 in this thread, I still say it's THE peak of the Joel era. I guess I like Japanese and silly skits. Season 4 ain't shabby either.
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Post by tobleroneeffect on Aug 23, 2009 0:41:06 GMT -5
Sorry to see all the S4 haters; to me, the show was at its creative pinnacle during that time!
However, while S3 was a big season in the show's history, I will grant that it had its fair share of clunkers. Most of the Gamera movies don't do it for me; you've seen one, you've seen them all, you know? Come to think of it, most of the Japanese films are snooze-fests, from Time of the Apes to Mighty Jack to both Fugitive Alien movies. But Pod People, Daddy-O, Cave Dwellers, both Master Ninjas and the movies made by B.I.G. help balance out the season.
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Post by quinnmartin on Aug 24, 2009 13:43:18 GMT -5
It would be interesting to see if there's any episodes that haven't been listed in this thread as being "hyped". I just scanned through the thread and didn't see one mention of Manos, which has surely got to be the most hyped episode of all-time. Hasn't that always been the classic episode for disappointing people who watch it for the first time after they've been exposed to all of the "best episode ever" hype?
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