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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:05:36 GMT -5
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:06:15 GMT -5
Various Episodes<<<From Satellite News FAQ: Q: In many of the season eight episodes, when a character's hand was shown or focused on, Mike or one of the bots say "I thought you were Dale!" or some variation on that phrase. Who is Dale, and what is that a reference to? A: Actually, these references are all based on a mistake by Best Brains. Here's the whole story. From 1968 to 1970, there was also a commercial for Grape Nuts, in which a teenage boy mistakes teenage girl Dale's mother for Dale and utters the deathless line: "Oh no, Mrs. Burke! I thought you were Dale!" Later in the 1970s, there was a series of commercials for Ivory dishwashing liquid, in which mothers were mistaken for their daughters--because the Mom used Ivory and so her hands were young-looking. Best Brains only vaguely remembered these two commericials, and apparently mixed them up in their minds. There were apparently never any Ivory Liquid commercials in which a character said "I thought you were Dale!" And the Grape Nuts commercial in which that line was spoken had nothing to do with hands. So basically they goofed. But the writers thought they were making a reference to the Ivory Liquid commericals.>>> Q: I need to know: what the hell does "ED!" (or as Mike sometimes says it, "EEEEDDDDD!!!") come from? ?? In an old man's voice. He says it in a weird, accented way - EhhhD! almost Ehhh Duh! (but the 'uh' is really clipped). Mike, and sometimes Crow, say it during a handful of Season 8 episodes (Terror From The Year 5000, Teenage Werewolf, and Riding With Death, off the top of my head.) It sounds nothing like the Beverly Hillbillies "Jeeeeeeeed!" from Leech Woman. A: According to Mary Jo, the 'Eyod' reference is from a movie which shows an elderly couple making out. This is ostensibly meant to be humorous given the advanced age of the participants. The woman calls the man (in a cracked elderly voice) 'Eyod!' (a drawn out version of 'Ed', of course). The crew picked up on it and that's where the reference derived from. (RAD)Q: What is a Monclair Moment?A: Monclair Moment refers to a brand of cigarette's advertisement. Q: From Season 2, someone often says in a weird voice, "Charlie, they cut off my thumbs, Charlie!" From a movie? A: It's from "The Pope Of Greenwich Village" I've never seen it, but Eric Roberts losing this thumbs was a talked about scene in many reviews at the time. (Mighty Jack) Q: Where does "Gymkata!" come from? A: Gymkata was a 1985 Cold War movie about a gymnast. Basically Rocky 4, but with gymnastics and martial artsQ: So what does it mean when they say... Lucille! or Mrs. Carmichael...A: Lucille Ball had a show called "The Lucy Show". On that show, she played a character called Lucy Carmichael. She had a boss named Mr. Mooney, played by Gale Gordon. Mr. Mooney evidently would say "Lucille!" a lot on that show. So, if there is a old guy on MST3K that even resembles Gale Gordon, that's why they shout out "Lucille!"Q: In several episodes, for example Soultaker when the convenience store door closes on its own, Mike says "Why its Harvey, hi Harvey"A: The Harvey reference is to an old Jimmy Stewart movie about a man with an invisible friend rabbit named Harvey.Q: HO scale. Crow makes reference to something being "HO scale", in Prince of Space and Merlin's Shop (Also Godzilla vs Megalon"). Both times it's showing a terrible looking model. What do it mean?! A: HO scale (a.k.a. HO gauge) is the standard, most popular scale size for model railroads. Q: In a handful of episodes, whenever a man with a pencil-thin mustache picks up a phone, Servo says "Yyyyyeeeeeees?!" in a very piercing British-sounding voice. A: (1) It has to be Frank Nelson, a character actor from old time radio and early television, most notably Jack Benny. The Great Gildersleeve was the name of the title character he played on a popular radio show where he was the water commissioner in a small town. He always answered with that "Yeeeesssss?" bit. A spoof of this character can be seen in the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Hare Conditioned". The 'Simpsons' episode "Mayored To The Mob" also contains a parody of him.Q: I never really understood the 3M corporation riffs that were said by Servo in episodes like Pod People and Mitchell. Can anyone clear that up for me? A: I think the 3-M references are about the huge corporation that makes Band-Aids, Post-It Notes, and tons of other stuff. Servo usually says it when you see a shot of a large corporate building, as if he's narrating a promotional short about the 3-M Corporation. + 3M is also a Minnesota company and one of the biggest employers in the state. The music that usually accompanies Tom's 3M plugs sounds like what you'd hear in a industry promotional type video that a company such as 3M might put out. + Also, the reason he says it when a large corporate building is seen is likely because off I-94 going into to St. Paul is 3-M's big corporate building. (Blurryeye, ?? and VanHagar)Q: A running joke is "Stay alive! Whatever may occur, I will find you!" It sounds like it's from a movie. Which one? A: Line from the 1992 film adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans, the 1826 novel by James Fenimore Cooper. At one point, as title character Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) is separated from his love Cora Munro (Madeline Stowe), he delivers this line to her. The line does not appear in the original novel.Q: Who is Bob Crane? I hear that name referenced alot. A: Bob Crane was the lead actor in "Hogan's Heroes", he was also known for being into kinky sex and porn and was murdered by a blow to the head (MightyJack)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:06:43 GMT -5
Q: What is it a reference to when say say, "Oh Mr. Eddie's father?" in a strange accent. A: The Courtship Of Eddies Father An old TV show with Bill Bixby as a single father. The had an Asian housekepper named Mrs. Livingston. She called him "Mr. Eddie's father." Q: In a lot of eps when someone gets in some else's face they quip "Is this bugging you, I'm not touching you, is this bugging you." A: This might be referencing a bit by comedian Wayne Cotter. But it's probably just a reference to siblings bugging each other on car trips and such.Q: What the hell does "You're lucky my chick's not here!" mean?? A: The "You're lucky my chick's not here" is a line from the movie "Road House".Q: Action Jackson refers to what? A: Action Jackson was a toy. More info here... www.megomuseum.com/catalog/1973/aj.shtml In Mitchell, Joel and the 'bots are wearing backpacks and about to head off on a hike, and they start off singing, "Action Jackson is my name! Bold adventure is my game!" That was the "theme song" of the toy on the commercials.(TomServo69 & fathermushroom)Q: The riff "IT IS BALLOON!!!" or sometimes Basson? A: From the 1960s sitcom F-Troop. The line, spoken by Chief Wild Eagle, was used on a TV promo for the show when it went into afternoon syndication. So kids all across the country saw Chief Wild Eagle shout "It is BALLOON!" two or three times a day, every afternoon of their lives, for years and years. (Wizard + Veepa + fathermushroom) Q: Who the heckfire is Kirok?A: Kirok was the name Captain Kirk used in the original Star Trek series when he had amnesia while on a planet where the culture was basically the same as American Indians. (Wizard)Q: Whats, "The horror! The horror!" come from? A: It is a famous line from "Apocalypse Now", said by Marlon Brando. It is originally from the novel "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, from which much of the story in "AN" is inspired. (Blurryeye)Q: Where does "I'm coming, Elizabeth. I'm coming. Elizabeth, I'm coming." come from? A: It's from Sanford & Son. Whenever Sanford Sr. would get upset, he would pretend to be having a heart attack and he'd say, "I'm coming to join you, Elizabeth!" (Elizabeth was his dead wife.) (EmperorCupcake)Q: What the heck is a fantoozler? What do they mean, you can keep the glass? A: I always assumed that this came from Mike's days as an employee of TGI Fridays. I don't know if they have a drink called the Fantoozler or not... I do know that they used to have that moto of "Buy the drink, Keep the glass" back in the day. (MightyJack)Q: Where does "By this time my lungs were aching for air" come from? A: This references a line spoken by Lloyd Bridges in the old show from the 50's, Seahunt. (MightyJack)Q : "Start seeing motorcycles" ? A: A lawyer, who was also a motorcycle rider, ran an ad for years in the '90s offering his services to riders who had been in accidents. The tag line he used was "Start seeing motorcycles." The reason being that most car drivers involved in accidents with motorcycles didn't see the bike in the first place. (Change b. Goode) Q: "I'm on gool!"?? A Mike riff said when people are running around outside. A: "I'm on gool!" comes from a midwestern version of Tag. For whatever reason, folks in the midwest pronounced the goal (safe zone) as "gool". I grew up in Chicago and never could understand why people couldn't pronounce the dipthong. (sampo) Q: where does "I ain't gonna play Sun City" come from? A: Sun City was a Las Vegas style resort in aparteit South Africa. They paid big money to get Western acts to play there. Steve Van Zant ( E Street Band, The Sopranos) organized an all star benefit record to to declare they were not going to play racist Sun City (phantomengineer) Q: Every once in a while, Crow will say something like "And now Red in the silent spot". What does that mean? A: It's from the Red Skelton Show. Heard of him? At the end of his show he would do a pantomime skit that was called the Silent Spot. (phantomengineer) Q: "Help the bombadier" from many episodes? A: It's from the book Catch-22, near the end of chapter 5. (callipygeas)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:07:24 GMT -5
Various Episodes Part 2Q: Where does "I don't fink on soul brother!" come from? A: Clarence Williams III's "Linc Hayes" on The Mod Squad. "I don't fink on soul brothers." Linc was the stereotypical African American (of the time) on The Mod Squad, with huge afro and all. Also known for the catchphrase "Solid." (LordKat)Q: "What we have here is a failure to communicate"A: The line originates from the 1967 movie "Cool Hand Luke". Wikipedia has a whole page on it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_we%27ve_got_here_is_failure_to_communicate (LarryHastings)Q: Where does "I'll HARM youuu" come from? A: It was the schtick of an old comedian (and one of the later 3 Stooges), Joe Besser. He often played a sissy for laughs. (Mr. Atari)Q: Any time we hear the characters say the name Rocky, Crow shouts out "Again?"A: This is from the Rocky & Bullwinkle show. (MightyJack).Unspecified episode Q: Tom once calls Joel (or Mike or Crow) "Lapedimane"(sp) in a host segment, its not in a dictionary, what is it? I believe he says "Now what about this idea of yours, LaPetomane?" A: (1) To quote: "However, [Joseph Pujol]s early forays into showbusiness were as a comedy musician, the 'yokel with the trombone'. It was only with the encouragement of friends that he adapted his more unusual artistic skills to the stage and took the name 'Le Petomane' - the Fartiste." apparently, this guy was an 1800's fart comic. (2) In Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks played an inept Governor whose name was William J. LaPetomane. (Dr. Ted Nelson & sampo)Q: When characters in the movie are wandering around, Servo will say in a weird voice, "he-hello....hello..?" . A: About 10 years ago, I remember this question coming up a couple of times, and the answer was "Kevin is doing Flash Bazbo, from National Lampoon Radio Hour!" I specifically remember Barb Tebben citing this during a chat. (Cubby + Phantom Engineer)Q: What in tarnation does "Anderson! Thats meeeee!" come from?? A: That's from the 1952 movie Hans Christian Andersen, based on the life of the titular character (and fairy-tale author). At one point, the actor playing Hans (Danny Kaye, I think) stands with arms akimbo and belts out the song "I'm Hans Christian Andersen, That's Me." This song is referenced again in "Herclues Against the Moon Men." and in other movies where a character stands with their arms akimbo like that. (amethyst)Q: Crow says, in an odd whiney femmy voice, "That's not writing, that's typing!" A: According to the Penguin Putnam website, Truman Capote said this to criticize Jack Kerouac's "On The Road": One of the most sarcastic put-downs came from author Truman Capote, who responded to Kerouac's boast that he had created the original manuscript within a three-week burst of writing, with the snide comment, "That isn't writing; it's typing."Q: Hey guys, where does the "take your shoes off, sit a spell." line come from? A: I'm remembering "Take your shoes off" as a line in the Beverly Hillbillies theme song... Have you children no appreciation for your television history? Yes, of course it's from the Beverly Hillbillies end song (sampo & phantomengineer)Q: Multiple times throughout the series, (notable ones that come to mind are Servo in "Angel's Revenge" and Crow in "Warrior of the Lost World") the characters have shouted out " WHOOOOOO AAAAAARE YOOOOOOOOU?!" Where is this from? A: The "WHO ARE YOU?" line is from the end of one of Clint Eastwood's best western's "High Plains Drifter." at the end, when he paints the town in red paint, lights it on fire and kills eveyone in town, execpt for the last guy who screams "WHOOOO AREEE YOU??" right before Eastwood kills him.. (MoonZeroTwo & BCZF) (2)I thought it came from from Lawrence of Arabia, when he finally makes it to the Suez Canal and the British officer on the other side yells this at him, and, in his delusional and mentally weakened state, he isnt' sure how to answer. (crill)
Q: In a few episodes, when someone is playing the organ, they say: "And now WHOEVER on Pipe Dreams. Mike says it about Batwoman in 515 and Santa in 521. What's he referring to? A: Pipe Dreams is an NPR program devoted to pipe organ music. Similar to the "Music from Some Guys in Space" riff/song. (Captain Wrong)Q: "My mother was a saint!" Is this a reference to something? A: This is in reference to what Richard Nixon said about his mother during his final remarks to the White House Staff on August 9, 1974. In full Nixon said "Nobody will ever write a book, probably, about my mother. Well, I guess all of you would say this about your mother -- my mother was a saint. And I think of her, two boys dying of tuberculosis, nursing four others in order that she could take care of my older brother for three years in Arizona, and seeing each of them die, and when they died, it was like one of her own. Yes, she will have no books written about her. But she was a saint." This was said in response to Rose Kennedy (mother of former political rival- JFK) having a book written about her. (Van Hagar)Q: " You got your [blank] in my [thing]." "You got your [thing] in my [blank]!" What's that from? A: Thats an old Reeses Peanut Butter cup commercial. A guy eating a choclate bar bumps into a guy with an open a jar of peanut butter (?) and hilarity ensues! "You got your chocoate in my peanut butter" "You got your peanut butter on my chocolate"(MightyJack)Q: Several episodes has a newsman and J/M&TBs say "Here's Barry Zevan!"A: Barry is/was a local personality on TV station KTMA as you know was where the seeds of MST3000 were sown. He hosted The KTMA TV23 Matinee Movie and was weatherman on WJLA Channel 7 News. (Smitty)www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Barry+Zevan&search=Search
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:07:56 GMT -5
Q: Whenever a horn is seen or heard honking, one of them says, "Make that 3 hard boiled eggs". Anyone care to explain that one for me? A: That's a reference to the stateroom scene from the Marx Brothers' movie "A NIGHT AT THE OPERA". Harpo and Chico are hiding in a steamer trunk in Groucho's cabin. He's ordering room service and asks for two hard boiled eggs. Harpo honks his horn and Groucho says,"Make that three hard boiled eggs." (Wizard)Q: What the HECK is up with the hat parties, "and mine will be the grandest of all"? A: I think this refers to the children's book "Go, Dog. Go!" There is a character who is constantly asking "Do you like my hat?" At the end of the book she unveils the "grandest hat of all." (gallano)Unspecified Sci-fi Episode: Q: When Crow says in another funny voice " Chawmp!". A: McDonald's. For the McRib sandwich. Here's the actual commercial. www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0909/commercial-mcrib.wmv (yousonuva). Q: Double dur-hay? A: Just a bastardization of "duh," typically uttered by the stereotypical "Valley Girls" Also said by David Spade on SNL. (Gesture Professor & BigDad)Q: Where does the " Fang! Ha ha!" come from? A: "Fang" is the name Phyllis Diller always used for her husband in her act. (Treadwell)Q: There are a lot of references to "the big place," like in Laserblast: Mike as Eddie Deezen: Are you taking me to the big place? Crow (deep voice): Yes, Eddie, you'll like it at the big place. A: It is an "Of Mice and Men" reference... George and Lenny's fantasy about the farm. (drted)Q: "Love, exciting and new..." and variations. A: From "The Love Boat" theme. Q: Variant of above: Whenever we see someone in a plane (or a spaceship in Night of the Blood Beast) , there's a joke about "fear of intimacy, exciting and new." What's this about? A: The fact that it's a riff over a plane could be a reference to the book "Fear of Flying" by Erica Jong. It was a controversial novel from the 70s famous for its explicit sexual discussion from a woman's point of view. Replacing the word "flying" with "intimacy", it's a joke on the iciness of the character. (Mr. Atari)Q: In many forms, by many characters: "I am a student at a small midwestern college. The blond one was tall..." A: The "Small Mid-Western College thing" I think is a reference to letters sent in by readers to porn magazines. (TarlCabot)Q: What does "marry the ketchup bottles" mean? A: The practice of consolidating all the half-full ketchup bottles into full ones before the diner closes. (EmperorCupcake)Q: Every once and a while when there is some stock futage of an airplane, Servo will say somthing like "John Sununu goes for a haircut"A: John Sununu was George Bush's Chief of Staff. He was forced out of that position after he was found to have used a government vehicle to attend a rare-stamp convention. (TarlCabot)Q: "I woke up, you weren't there, I hate that!"A: Glenn Close says this to Michael Douglas in the movie "Fatal Attraction" Unspecified episode: Q: "They call me Mr. Tibbs" in a booming voice. A: Sidney Poitier says this line in the movie "In the Heat of the Night". A phenomenal movie. (Mr. Atari).Q: I'd like to know: "Spinach Chins" what's that about? A: Moe often called the other Stooges, "Spinach Chin." I believe it's a way of calling someone immature or green. IE: Baby eats strained spinach, and drools is down his chin. (Change B. Goode)Q: What are "Wampum Bucks"? Used in Code Name: Diamondhead and The She-Creature. A: A generic (or possibly regional) term used for "substitute money". "Special Money" used at specific locals such as casinos, amusement parks, or resort hotels. + "Wampum" is the name of the form of currency some Native American tribes used. Thus, wampum bucks are "funny money", fake money, etc. (Change B. Goode + Blurryeye).
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:08:25 GMT -5
Various Episodes cont'd:
Q: What is going on with the calling of "BEN!" when a bear or something bearlike is on screen? A: It comes from the TV show Gentle Ben. It's an impression of Clint Howard calling for his pet bear Ben. (WildRebel & Change B. Goode)
Q: "It's all hot and it hurts and stuff" What is that from? A: It's from an old commercial for Bacteine. A kid says it when he gets treated for a cut. (Mr. Atari)
Q: "Howard Johnson is right!" A: From the movie "Blazing Saddles" (Change B. Goode)
Q: One of Joel's favorite riffs was, "Is it soup yet?" I know that's become a common phrase in the programming world, but what is the original source? A: It was a Lipton Soup commercial. The approach was that their soup didn't come out of a can, it was in a packet and you added water. The slogan was something like "It's not soup till you make it soup." And the kids would come running in asking "Is it soup yet?" (Phantom Engineer)
Q: "I'm the god, I'M THE GOD!!"-- A: From a Twilight Zone episode, "The Little People". (Phantom Engineer)
Q: "You've never given up on anything in your life, now LIVE, dammit, LIVE!" A: From the movie "The Abyss" (phantom engineer)
Q: Where does "I like you, Dottie – LIKE!" come from? A: Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Change B. Goode)
Q: In many episodes where somebody does or says something stupid/lame, Joel & the bots respond with mocking "dumb guy" laughs, and Crow almost always adds something that sounds like "Deese!" or "Deeze!". Huh??? A: The "Deese" comment is midwestern(?) slang meant to express approval of someone else's comment. It's what you say to your fellow bully who's just made fun of the smelly kid. As in, "That was a decent put-down, Biff." I'm pretty sure the etymology traces back to the word "Decent". (Mr. Atari)
Q: Ya know how Servo will do a coughing schtick whenever a rickety old car is shown? A: He's imitating Mel Blanc on the Jack Benny Show (radio and TV, as well as similar situations in Looney Tunes), providing the "sound effect" of Jack's Maxwell (a really old car). (Treadwell)
Q: 'Rhubarb' Why do they go on about rhubarb in all the crowd scenes? (Also "Watermelon" and "Toy boat toy boat toy boat") A: Something they teach in drama and voice coaching. It's meant to simulate crowd noise. Muffled backround speech. The 'toy boat' riff doubles as a way of poking fun at a movie's special effects models.(Change B. Goode)
Q: When Mike or Joel and the 'bots want someone on screen to "mess up"--like, if a character is balancing precariously on a log bridge, or something--they often shout "NOONAN! NOONAN!" A: From Caddyshack. It's the main caddy's name, and as he's lining up the putt at the end of the movie, the other caddies yell that to throw him off. (Mr. Atari)
Q: In a few episodes, someone says something along the lines of, "Don't smoke...Please, don't smoke." Does anyone know what they were referencing with this? A: Yul Brenner did a series of Public Service Announcements after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In them he was asked if he could say one thing to everyone now what would that be? "Don't smoke...Please, don't smoke." (Change B. Goode)
Q: What's the source of, "You wrecked our [blank], ya' freaked out maniac!" A: I recall "ya' freaked out maniac!" as a line from The Boys From Brazil. Gregory Peck played Josef Mengele who was cloning Hitler's. Mengele killed one of the little Hitler's dad and he called Mengele a " freaked out maniac" (Phantom Engineer)
Q: "(Name) pops the clutch and tells (place) to eat his/her/its/their DUST!" A: That was the ad campaign for the Ron Howard 'vehicle' Eat My Dust. (Change B. Goode)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:08:58 GMT -5
Q: "Warriors, come out and playyayyy!" A: From the movie "The Warriors"
Q: "A great place to raise your kids up." A: From the Frank Zappa song "Centerville" (Change B. Goode)
Q: "Somebody's going to jail, well it's not going to be me!" "Where's the money you silly, stupid old man!" A: From "It's a Wonderful Life". Jimmy Stewart says it while shaking Uncle Billy after he misplaced 8000 dollars.
Q: "I lied" said in a deep, low voice. A: From the Arnold Schwarzenneger film "Commando". This line refers to an earlier scene where Arnold told a man he would kill him last. He lied. (See also #303 Pod People "I'll kill you last.") (Famous Mortimer).
Q: Where does "We're on a collision course with wackiness!" come from? A: There was also a horrible 80's movie starring Pat Morita and Jay Leno called Collision Course. The tagline to the file was "they're on a collision course with wackiness." This movie was so horrible after the credits, the production company inserted a message offering refunds. (Mitchell)
Q: In many Japanese season 3 eps, they say "You die Joe!" A: During WWII, Japanese soldiers were trained to scream "You die Joe!" as they charged at American soldiers in man-to-man combat, as a method of intimidation. (Phantom & Change B. Goode)
Q: "Again with the finger!?" in a Brooklyn-ish accent.? A: Is from Neil Simon's "The Sunshine Boys" where one character keeps poking the other one in the chest with his finger. (Chris the Dog)
Q: In several episodes someone's said, "Coincidence? Read the book!" A: It was in a commercial for the Time/Life series of books called "Mysteries of the Unknown" on UFOs, supernatural, unexplained phenomena etc. (Change B. Goode & Cubby).
Unspecified episode: Q: What did- Milton my brand new son-come from? A: From the cartoon show Milton the Monster, from 1965 to '67. Milton was a loveable, friendly Frankenstein-type monster with a southern accent similar to TV's Gomer Pyle. Milton was created by Professor Weirdo and his assistant, Count Kook in their laboratory atop of Horror Hill. His loveable personality had been the result of a lab accident during his creation. Professor Weirdo, in his haste, accidentally added too much tenderness and Milton was the result. Count Kook: "Better hold my hand I'm feeling sick!" Milton: "Hello Daddy." Professor Weirdo: "What have I done?" Milton: "I'm Milton, your brand new son!" (Change B. Goode)
Q: What is "Friends are here/visiting from Europe", said in an arch voice, from, anyway? A: Rula Lenska, a Polish actress, said this line in a coffee commercial in the late '70's. She had become famous in VO-5 commercials which began with her saying, "I'm Rula Lenska." This riff is basically a "She looks like Rula Lenska" riff, but sometimes is used when people in the movie arrive for a visit. (Change B. Goode, Blurryeye)
Q: "Mm-hmm, that's good _____!" said when someone takes a drug or medicine or powder that has an immediate effect. A: A Jackie Gleason bit, later imitated/stolen by Johnny Carson (CBG + Treadwell)
Q: In at least a couple of episodes, a phone rings and Servo starts singing this weird and _really_ annoying, high, screechy instrumental bit. "Bum bum bum...ree-dee dee-dee, REEE DEE DEEE DEEE DEEE, REEE DEE DEE..!!" A: The Rockford Files theme. Tom has done it a few times after phone rings. Most hysterically in Teenage Crime Wave. If Joel follows it up with a nervous "Jim, this is Angel and I'm...", that's a Rockford Files reference as well. (MightyJack)
Q: The weird music they all hum whenever we see someone approaching in a long shot. This one occurs a bunch of times, especially: 1. The Amazing Colossal Man, when the wife is driving toward the camera (Crow: Watch Susie go ballistic through the windshield!) 2. I Accuse My Parents, during the montage after Jimmy decides to run away. 3. Fire Maidens when Hestia is slinking toward the camera (I think it's just after the other astronauts looked over the wall and discovered the Maidens) A: Bass riff from the Nancy Sinatra song These Boots are Made for Walkin'. (Change B. Goode)
Q: Is the "I guarentee it!" thing Crow says every so often a reference to something? A: There's a chain of suit tailors called "Men's Wearhouse," and their commercials always feature their CEO at the end saying "I guarantee it" in this rather gravelly voice. (DoggieGoWalkies)
Q: "Slug Bug!" - heard it referenced in Riding with Death and then today in Manos.... Obviously something to do with Volkswagon Bugs but what is its origin? A: A car travel game you play with your (preferably smaller) siblings or cousins. You see a Volkswagen beetle (has to be a bug...not a Karmann Ghia or Bus) and you yell out "SLUG-BUG" and try to put the hurtin' on them, before they put it on you. (Change B. Goode)
Q: Okay...help me out here. "What is ...kiss?" What's the original reference to? A: Star Trek, "The Gamesters of Triskelion" (also source of "quatloos" references). The line was actually "What is... love?" Kirk explains to a beautiful "drill thrall" the concept of love. Later, Kirk demonstrates how people "help" on Earth by laying one on 'er. She asks him to help her again...(Treadwell)
Q: What exactly does the repeated quotes in several later season shows mean : "I'm in space already! Damn!" at the beginning of Prince Of Space, or during Mole People "Shut up already, damn!" A: It is a reference to Prince. The reason they say it in "The Mole People" is because someone says "Earthquake." The Prince song "Housequake" contains a repeated lyric: "Shut up, already! Damn!" (hugo)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:09:30 GMT -5
Season 1#102 The Robot Vs. The Aztec MummyQ: For answer to "Oh I'd hate to shoot a butt like that", read "Riffs Explained" here... www.geocities.com/opheliaskiss01/MightyJack/Aztec.html#104 Women of the Prehistoric PlanetQ: In a few references in host segments don't register with me. In response to the horribly-tranlated Korean instructions for the doomsday device, Servo asks "Who wrote this, Charlie Callas?" A: Charlie Callas used to make a lot of undeciferable sounds and noises in place of words when he did his act ("and then the guys went zzzip with the 'whistle" and voop!", so I'm gathering Tom meant that the thing was impossible to understand? + Charlie Callas was known for his sounds and facial expressions he used as punchlines. He's famous for pioneering the whole "Voomp voomp, ayee, ayyy, voomp" method of non-humor.Q: Joel starts playing eeny-meeny-miney-mo to figure out which wire to snip, Servo says "Ah, the Samuel Beckett method." A: Beckett as a well-known Irish playwright, most famous for his drama, "Waiting for Godot," one of the most famous plays from the Theater of the Absurd, as literary school developed by absurdists and existentialists in the 30's-50's. Anyway, since absurdism refutes any meaning or purpose in life, or at least, any a human could understand, the Beckett riff applies because the eenie-meenie-miney-moe thing is a method of decision without purpose; it's simply randomness and devoid of meaning.Q: One of the times we see an exterior shot of the golden ship (the one that the Admiral, Linda, etc are on), somebody riffs "Even our name means Merry Christmas!" What is this in reference to, and why is it pertinent to an exterior shot of a space ship? A: From a Norelco razor ad. They would blank out the R and the CO to spell NOEL. While Santa was in an electric razor made to look like a sleigh. Santa is flying in the razor sleigh so it looks like a spaceship. (lstcaz)#105 The Corpse VanishesQ: "Lovely, Lovely!" Joel would often says this line when a creepy guy would stroke a woman's hair (I think he does it during the Corpse Vanishes for example) A: This is a reference to the necktie killer in Hitchcock's "Frenzy" (jackbauer + MJ)#107 Robot MonsterQ: Whenever we see Ro-Man lumbering around the hillside, Joel sings out, in a stupid sounding voice, "Lookin' through the knothole in grandma's wooden leg..." The hell? A: It's from an old children's folk song. "Looking through the knothole in grandma's wooden leg Who'll wind the clock up when I'm gone Go get the axe, there's a flea in susie's ear And a boy's best friend is his mother" (krankor)#110 Robot HolocaustQ: Crow: "My favorite food? Cherry Pez, no question about it." A: That's a line from the movie Stand By Me. When the kids are sitting around the campfire shooting the breeze. (Phantom Engineer)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:09:54 GMT -5
Season 2#201 Rocketship X-MQ: When Frank is introduced, what is the string that Dr. F keeps pulling from Frank's backside? That really confused me! Where's it coming from? What's it doing there? Is this some kind of reference? A: Scroll down the review section, the end bit where it says "Of Note"... Rocketship X-M Basically, Frank is wearing a plastic butt and Dr F. is pulling a string through this as part of Franks training. (MightyJack) + May be a reference to SSP zip cord racers, or the way outboard motors are started up. (lstcaz)Q: Rocketship X-M: Joel asks Cambot for "Rocket #9" for the first time! *cheer* I've always been confused by Rocket #9. I wonder how Joel thought of that name (I assume it was Joel)? A: From Too Much Information www.highspeedplus.com/~dascott/tmigeneral.htm: "Rocket Number Nine" is the title of a song by experimental jazz musician Sun Ra from his 1972 album Space Is the Place [Impulse!]. Q: "Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down, that's not my department,"A: It's from a 1965 comedy record by Tom Lehrer, "Wernher von Braun", That Was the Year That Was (InStereo)#202 The SidehackersQ: During the race scene, Tom makes this high speed commentary run that ends with the line "and bringing up the rear... Beetlebaum!" (at least I think that's the name). I'm sure I've heard it somewhere before...but I can't think of it. Anyone know? A: It's from an old Spike Jones (the composer, not the director) song about a horse race. It's a version of the William Tell Overture where Beetlebaum (actually "Feitlebaum") is in last place early on, but ends up winning. (Mr. Atari + DoggieGoWalkies)Q: Where the phrack does the thing about "Rommel, you magnificent bastard/son of a bitch!" come from? And sometimes but not always they also add, "I read your book!" A: It's a famous line uttered by George C. Scott in "Patton". Patton: Rommel, you magnificent bastard. I read your book! (fredc)#203 Jungle GoddessQ: In the Phantom Creeps short (Jungle Goddess), they pick up an old guy and make a comment about the Dead. Then one of the bots says that Pigpen died... Hu? A: A member of the Grateful Dead, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan played keyboards, harmonica and was also a group vocalist until shortly before his death. He passed away due to complications of cirrhosis in 1973. (Cubby/Wikipedia)Q: When Bela's assistant guy is on screen, Joel often says in a rough voice, "That's my boss!" or "My boss!" and follows it with something, for example, "Always talking about the dangerous adventures he goes on, but I do all the driving!" and usually finishes with something like, "I'll be right back!" Anybody know who's being imitated? A: The boss thing is from the TV show Hart To Hart. The gravely voiced chauffeur would say that. (lstcaz)Q: When Crow does the whole "Pretty nosy, Kitty cat!" to the stock footage of a jungle cat. A: Those are lines from the movie Chinatown. (WildRebel)#204 Catalina CaperQ: Whenever someone takes a fall, Crow frequently says "He's no fun, he fell right over!". (ex. Catalina Caper when Robert Donner does the first of his many pratfalls.) A: It's a reference to a comedy album called "How can You be in Two Places at Once when You Aren't Anywhere at All?" by the Firesign Theatre. The line "s/he's no fun, s/he fell right over" occurs on both sides of the record. (Agent6ix)#205 Rocket Attack USA Q: WTF does the recurring "Shaking the bush, boss" riff in Rocket Attack U.S.A. mean? A: That's an indirect quote from the film Cool Hand Luke. "I'm shaking it, boss!" Luke has left the chain-gang to urinate behind a bush. He has to prove that he hasn't run away by "shaking the bush." (Smitty)Q: During the scene where the enemy blows up Hoover Dam, One of the guys says "Vince Coleman's final revenge" A: Vince Coleman was a Major League Baseball player. Here's why they reference him the way they do: Coleman became infamous in 1993. Three months after injuring Dwight Gooden's arm by recklessly swinging a golf club in the clubhouse, Coleman was charged with endangerment when he threw a lit firecracker into a crowd of baseball fans waiting for autographs in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. (Hugh Beaumont)#206 Ring of TerrorQ: Someone says "Theres the sidewalk Fred Mertz died on." I know William Frawley died of a heart attack. Did he die just walking down the street? A: He collapsed of a heart attack on March 3, 1966, and died, aged 79. He had been walking along Hollywood Boulevard to his suite at the Knickerbocker Hotel after seeing a movie. (Beljah)#207 Wild Rebels Q: When the name William Graefe comes up in the credits. Joel asks... "What's the extra E for?" and Crow responds, "Well it's for extra...", Servo interupts, "Uh-mm, Ixnay" A: There was a famous TV ad campaign on New York City cable during the 80s for a phone sex line featuring "watersports". The number was 970-PEEE; their slogan was "The extra 'E' is for extra PEE!" (LarryHastings)#209 HellcatsQ: What the devil is this "Kookie" bizness? A: Kookie was a character on the 50's private eye series 77 Sunset Strip. There was also a song titles "Kookie, lend me your comb" (phantomengineer & MightyJack)Q: In Hellcats, when Ross Hagen and the blonde chick (Linda?) walk into the Hellcats' bar for the first time, Crow says "Who does their decorating? Paul Revere and the Raiders?" Now I'm a fan of Paul Revere and the Raiders, but I have no idea what he meant by that riff A: I see two possiblities here: P R and the Raiders draped flags on the walls behind them when they performed and there are an awful lot of posters and stuff draped on the walls of the Hellcat's bar that look like flags....Or it's simply a play with the word Raiders..it's looks like someone raided the place...the decor is crazy, outlandish like the way the band dressed etc. (losingmydignity)Q: When J&TB see that guy in the German WWII military helmet, someone says "They lose me after the bunker scene." A: That's a line from 'Blazing Saddles.' There's a guy talking to someone dressed up as Hitler in the commisary, and he says that. (DonQuixote)Q: When they show Tony Cardoza's name in the opening credits, why does Crow say "FINE CORINTHIAN LEATHER"? A: Ricardo Montalban did a series of commercials for the Crysler Cordoba (Cardoza) automobile in the 70's. In the ad, he praised the "fine Corinthian leather" interior of said car.#211 First Spaceship on VenusQ: Anyone know who Crow is imitating when he starts doing golf talk? It's in several eps and always involves the mention of a "Schlezinger 9". A prime example is in 211 - First Spaceship on Venus when they see the big white sphere thing. A: From Goldfinger. James and Goldfinger are playing golf and Goldfinger is cheating which James knows. They both putt out on 18 and James gets the balls out of the cup and says something to the effect of, "Here's your ba- wait. Weren't you playing a Schlezinger 5? This is a Schlezinger 9! Here's my [other brand]. You must have played the wrong ball back on the fairway. Strict rules, that means you forfeit the hole AND the match. Tough luck, old boy." So Crow could have been doing a Scottish Sean Connery burr with that line too. (interoceter) + Later referenced by Jim Backus on Gilligan's Island (lstcaz)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:10:30 GMT -5
Season 3: Episodes 301 to 312
#301 Cave Dwellers Q: In the opening host segment, Frank starts to sing a song with "Daddy? There's a man outside..." A: This is making a reference to a hit song by Mike Douglas from the mid-sixties called "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" from the album of the same name. (Ford Prefect)
Q: Invention Exchange (the smoking jacket): Joel lifts a mic off the desk and speaks into it in a low voice. "Do what I do." Is this a reference? After-school specials, filmstrips? Or merely a riff of the amusing non-referential type? A: This is from those old "Amazing Discoveries" infomercials like the one they riff in response to the "The Phantom Creeps" (WildRebel)
Q: When they do the shot of the desert and Crow says "Welcome to Death Valley Days! The Driver's Either missing or he's dead!" A: (1) Death Valley Days was a syndicated western show that Ronald reagan once hosted. (2) You have to watch in season 2 for the Driver is missing or dead reference. From the "Phantom Creeps" short: A car goes off a cliff and another car pulls up behind. The reporter and an investigator hop out to see if the guy's okay and they approach kind of slowly. Suddenly a voice says, "The driver is either dead or he's missing!" The Death Valley Days thing comes in because the voice says it in such a Ronald Reagan-y whisper voice and I think that's what they picked up on. Crow may have even made a "Welcome to Death Valley Days." crack at that point. But that's what it's from.
Q: Joel says "Puma? Puma!" at one point. Since this is WAY before PumaMan, what's going on here? A: That's from Ring of Terror, "Puma" is the name of a cat that wanders off in this movie (MonsterX)
Q: When the snake god/priest guy is looking into a mirror of some sort, Crow suddenly says "I'm The Best Looking Man in the middle ages! My, My, My!" A: He's imitating Little Richard. (Emperor Cupcake)
Q: What does Joel mean when he says, "It's the Wango Zee Tango!" A: A Ted Nugent song, Wango Tango, starts out, "All right! It's zee wango, zee tango/ 1-2-3-4 /Come on boys/ Time to Wango" (CBG)
#303 Pod People Q: "Chief!?" "McCloud!?" A: The Chief, McCloud stuff comes from an old 70's Mystery show (part of the "Sunday Mystery Movie" the gang used to reference through season 3 and parts of 4 before Joel made the bots stop saying it.) called "McCloud" and stared Dennis Weaver as a cowboy hat wearing detective.
Q: When a character wakes suddenly, they say "Football practice!" What does that mean? A: "Football practice!" comes from the horror movie, "Shocker" acording to the MST catch-phrase catalog. (MightyJack)
Q: What is the source of the weird "Potatoes" voice Crow uses? A: The potato voice is a VERY clever riff series. Crow is immitating John Merrick aka The Elephant Man. Get it? (TarlCabot)
Q: Servo says throughout Season 3: "Don't you do it! Don't you do it! I got nowhere else to go!" I think it originates in ep. 303 Pod People, in the first segment, before the invention exchange, Joel calls Servo "Mayo" and then Servo delivers the line. A: From 'An Officer and a Gentleman'. Richard Gere is the one who says"Don't you do it! I got nowhere else to go!" Mayo is Richard Gere's name in the movie (Zach Mayo). Louis Gossett's character is trying to get Mayo to give him his DOR (dropped on request). (lisalovelace)
Q: Trumpy the alien comes back into little Tommy's room after having killed one of the campers (or was it the big alien? Doesn't matter). Tom Servo says, in a heavily accented voice: "I like you, Tommy. I'll kill you last". A: This is a reference to the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic "Commando", when he, in the role of John Matrix, tells Sully, the weasely former Special Forces soldier who's making sure Arnie does what the bad guys want him to "I like you, Sully. That's why I'm going to kill you last". (Famous Mortimer)
#306 Time of the Apes Q: One of the apes stares at the camera and Crow says in a goofy deep voice: "You put the lotion on..." What the hell does that mean? A: That's Jamee Gumb from Silence of the Lambs. I loved it when Trace did that voice, he did it so well it always cracked me up. (MightyJack and sampo) NOTE: This riff was done a lot in show #305: Stranded in Space
Q: Tom-"The owls are not what they seem." Joel-"I think I heard one call my name." ...and then Joel says, "Get it?" Huh? A: The Log Lady said "The owls are not what they seem" on the David Lynch TV show "Twin Peaks". "I Heard the Owl Call My Name" is a book about a minister's discovery of the meaning of life in the wilderness of Canada. (Gesture Professor & pumafan)
Q: What is Tom Servo referencing when he's yelling, "EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMIN...!"? A: EXTERMINATE! I'm not a Dr. Who fan, but wasn't that something the Daleks said all the time? (those freeze/time machines looked similar to the Daleks) (MightyJack)
#308 Gamera vs. Gaos Q: In the opening scene of Gamera vs. Gaos, who are the raspy-voiced people that they're imitating other than Lucille Ball? And what are they famous for? A: Joel says that he is "Brenda Vaccaro" She is most famous for her role in Midnight cowboy. And Servo says that he is "Harvey Fierstein" Who I think does alot of work on broadway, He was also in Mrs. Doubtfire. (Ratso)
Q: There's a great "Thunderbirds are go" riff as bird-like Gaos takes off over Tokyo. As Gaos flys over the center of the street, the next riff is, "No, Terry, No!" Is this another Thunderbirds riff? A: Nope. Terry (Pterry?) was the pterodactyl on Pee-Wee's playhouse. (drted)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:10:59 GMT -5
Season 3: Episodes 313 to 324#313 Earth Vs. The Spider Q: We see a ringing phone and Crow says "Wait...fo...da beep! Wait...fo...da beep!" then Joel and Servo join in with "Nobody home, nobody hooooome! Nobody home, nobody hoooome!". A: Wait for Da Beep etc, that was an old commercial from the 70's, maybe early 80's for some prerecorded gag messages that you could put on your answering machine. "Nobody home" was done to the tune of Beethovens 5th symphany (MightyJack, yousonuva)Q: Alrighty, this one's from the "Using Your Voice" short in Earth Vs. The Spider... A minute or so in, as the fast-talking salesman leaves the house and wonders aloud what he did wrong, Servo says something like "Maybe I shouldn't have spit in his rug." (??) then Joel harshly scolds him. I rewound it about six times and still couldn't figure out what exactly Servo said. A: The riff is "Guess I shouldn't have spit on his rug." I'm not sure what Servo means by 'rug' - either the carpet or the man's hair, as slang for toupee - but either way, spitting on it would be considered offensive. I don't know why Joel scolds him so much for saying it. Maybe he thought Servo used the four-letter "S" word. (Blurryeye)Q: From the short, what is the origin of the "Do you find me pleasing?" line that Crow dropped on a consistent basis? A: That's from the movie Blue Velvet. This is said after Dorothy discovers Jeffrey in her closet and takes him to bed. (BCZF)#315 Teenage CavemanQ: This happens in both Teenage Caveman (for longer) and in San Francisco International. They start going "Doo do do dooo do do doo do do do doo do." In Teenage Caveman it's when they're walking around towards the end trying to capture Teenage Caveman and Middle aged Caveman Father. In SFI it's once after they land the plane with the kid. A: It's "The Bunny Hop", an old nightclub song and dance circa the mid-1950s. It's sort of like the Conga, only lamer. (Treadwell + Blurryeye)#316 Gamera vs. ZigraQ: When a group of grownups are standing around worrying about the people stuck in the bathysphere, one of the guys (Crow, I think), "Quite a pickle, George, quite a pickle."A: It's from "It's a Wonderful Life", from the scene when all the depositors come to the Savings and Loan because there's a run on the bank on George's wedding day. Uncle Billy says this to George. (Sheik Yerbouti, WildRebel & Change B. Goode)#317 Viking Women a/t Sea SerpentQ: In The Home Economics Story short, Crow has one of the female students studying in the library say, "Hey Carol! Got any shovies?" A: In this case, "shovies" are tampons. (Cubby & BCZF)Q: In "Home Economics," at the very end when one of the six seniors shows her classmates her engagement ring, the narrator says " The 5-pound potty {?} ..." and then J&TB laugh so hard they drown the rest of it out, then riff, "Someone had a big breakfast!" A: It's actually "five-pound PARTY". A five-pound box of chocolates, and a party is built around that. GodoHell had a thread about this awhile ago - five pound party. (Change B. Goode & Dave Walker)Q: In Home Economics Story, is there any reason why Crow says "She was eating cubes of mescaline Jello!" Mescaline is a hallucinogenic drug that comes from a plant, also called Peyote. One of the methods of use is to mix the plant in a jello-type dessert, and swallow whole spoonfuls. This makes the absorption of the drug more gentle to the digestive system (dnaldy & Change B. Goode)Q: From Viking Women: "Light the shoebox and throw it in the toilet"A: It sort of sounds like a Viking Funeral. + For those of you who don't know, a "pyre" is a wooden platform that holds the body up and is set on fire. In this case the pyre is placed on a boat, lit, and the boat sets sail, burning in the sunset. + I think they were making fun of the level of the special effects in the movie. As in the models for the boats were so cheap that if Corman and Co. were to portray a viking funeral they'd do it with a flaming shoebox in a toilet. (Gypsy Attle, LordKat & WildRebel).Q: "Mind if we dance wif your dates?"A: From the movie Animal House (Phantom Engineer)#320 The Unearthly Q: Joel recites " What's the word, Thunderbird. What's the price, 40 twice... quite!" -- what is this from? A: Thunderbird is a very cheap wine like Boones Farm or MD 20/20. The quote is from an ad campaign from said wine. "What's the word? / Thunderbird / How's it sold? / Good and cold / What's the jive? / Bird's alive / What's the price? / Forty twice." (BCZF)#321 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians Q: Everytime Santa says "Oh me oh my, oh me oh my", Servo says " By the bayou." What's this a reference to? A: It's a reference to the song "Jambalaya" by Hank Williams, Sr. (who's NOT ready for some football). There's a part that goes "Pick guitar, filled fruit jar, me-oh-my-o, son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou!" (DefenseMechanism)Q: Source of riff, "Daddy, what's Viet Nam"A: It was a commercial for a series of Time/Life books on the Vietnam War. (amethyst)Q: What's with this " If they cancel Battlestar Galactica, I'm gonna kill myself?" line from SCCTM? Tom says it, and in Incredibly Strange Creatures he say "Why did you cancel Battlestar Galactica?" in the exact same voice, so I'm guessing it's something specific. A: There was a teenager in Saint Paul, Minnesota who was obsessed with the show, who commited suicide when it was cancelled. (MightyJack)#322 Master Ninja IQ: A depressed Max Keller says to his Hampster "I guess nobody wants us Henry." And Joel adds "This is the dark night of our souls."I thought it was hilarious. One of my favorite riffs, actually. But I was never sure if it was a reference to something? A: St. John of the Cross (Change B. Goode) #324 Master Ninja II Q: Crow: (Brooklyn-ish accent) "Hi. I'm the guy with a snake on my face."A: A John Candy character on SCTV. He ran Harry's Sex Shop. "Just ask for me - the guy with the snake on my face!" It was a tattoo. (Treadwell & Phantom Engineer)Q: There is a moment where a guy touches another guy's hair (If I remember correctly), and Joel says "ew, greasy kid stuff" A: "Greasy kid stuff" comes from a commercial for some male hair care product in the 1970s, when the "dry look" came into vogue. However, it's a reference not any single product, but the slick, shiny goop that many boys were encouraged to use by their moms, from the 1920s up to the 1960s, to keep their hair in place. (fathermushroom)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:11:28 GMT -5
Season 4: Episodes 401 to 412#402 City LimitsQ: What's the deal with "I wish I was a fish" line A: That's from "The Incredible Mr. Limpet." Don Knotts stairs out his window and says "I wish I were a fish." I think he says this more than once. Eventually he gets his wish and he turns into a fish. (MonsterX)#402 Giant Gila MonsterQ: Crow asks "Ever been bit by a dead bee?" over an old hick, A: "Ever been bit by a dead bee?" is a question Walter Brennan (who plays an old rummy) asks people in the classic Bogey/Bacall film "To Have and Have Not" (RexDart_EskimoSpy)#404 Teenagers From Outer Space Q: What was the whole garbage segment in Teenagers from Outer Space all about? A: It is a parody of an ad that used to run at drive-in theaters signaling that it was time for intermission. (Change B. Goode)#405 Being From Another Planet Q: Where does "Moses supposes his toeses were roses" come from? A: It's an old tongue-twister. It was also adapted into a song for "Singin In the Rain." (NoSprings)Q: When they are opening the secret drawer under the mummy, (I believe it was...) Tom sings the snippet "... gold doubloons and pieces of eight... pieces of eight... pieces of eight". I know I've heard the theme song that snippet is from, but for the life of me I can't place it. A: From the old Mickey Mouse Club TV show. The then-famous song "Gold Doubloons & Pieces of Eight" introduces you to "The Mystery Of Applegate's Treasure". A serialized story loosely based on the first Hardy Boys book "The Tower Treasure". (lstcaz)#406 Attack of the Giant LeechesQ: During one of the many sit-around-and-talk moments, one of the sheriffs says "There's something even more incredible..." to which Crow replies "I'm Skippy the chimp." And, in an all-too-rare moment, Joel actually laughs out loud at this! A: The Skippy the chimp line is what Josh said in 104 Women of the Prehistoric Planet. I guess it had to be one of those moments where Josh went completely off script. Because right when he said it Joel and Trace were like "Huh?" So I believe that Trace is making a reference to that. (Ratso)Q: Maybe my ears are clogged but during Attack of the Giant Leeches, when the scientist is smoking, (at around an hour and 7 minutes into the disc) It sound like Servo says "Hmm, mung fo cart"?A: I believe that this just might be a reference to the Hmong people who emigrated from Southeast Asian countries and settled in the upper midwest. The Hmong are known for their patterned tapestries ("Hmong folk art"). Here is a link to some examples... www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/collections/sea/hmong.html# (baroquejen) There is a painting on the wall in the background of the scene which probably inspired the riff.#407 The Killer ShrewsQ: In Junior Rodeo Daredevils, they say "And the crowd goes wild...Yayy"A: A reference to at least one episode of Tom Slick, which was part of the George of the Jungle cartoon (by Jay Ward of Bullwinkle fame). In the episode there were repeated cutaways to a very bored audience who gave the same half-asleep "yayy". (Treadwell)Q: As James Best and company make their way to the shoreline in their makeshift "tank" and are continuously attacked by the shrews, Crow is heard saying "I'm still HERE, Happer! ... craphound!" when one of the shrews is seen in close-up. A: This is a line taken from the 1983 Bill Forsyth film "Local Hero" starring Peter Riegert and Burt Lancaster, albeit somewhat out of context. (mycrofthisbrother)#408 Hercules Unchained (?)Q: The partner and I are having a disagreement over the "my backpack's filled with pecs" song in Hercules (Unchained, or Vs The Moon Men). I think it's from the "Hans Christian Anderson" song, my partner disagrees. Enlightenment would be appreciated. A: He's doing a variation on the old camping song, Valdaree. A lyric goes... "...along the mountain track and as I go, I love to sing, my knapsack on my back. Valdaree, valdara, valdaree, valdara - ha ha ha ha ha ha valdaree, valdara" (MightyJack)#411 The Magic SwordQ: From Magic Sword and Robot Holocaust: "The secret compartment of the ring I fill with a proton (photon?) super energy pill!" A: It comes from the cartoon "Underdog". (MightyJack)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:11:50 GMT -5
Season 4: Episodes 413 to 424#414 TormentedQ: Whenever there's a shot of the beach, Servo says " Sessions presents!" and names a bunch of crappy 70s artists as Joel and Crow sing song clips. A: Sessions was a company that did these horrible compilation albums in the 70's (like K-Tel), and their commercials always seemed to be set on a beach. (EmperorCupcake)#415 Fire Maidens of Outer SpaceQ: Another recurring riff, most recently in Fire Maidens, when the astronauts are running in formation across a field: "Serpentine! Serpentine!"A: From the original version of "The In-Laws" with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. As they're dodging bullets and trying to get from their hiding place to a near-by car, Arkin runs in a B-line straight to the car. Falk reminds him to run in a squiggly pattern by shouting "Serpentine, Sheldon (Arkin), serpentine." (nissl)#419 The Rebel SetQ: During the scene when the guy heckles the beat poet. The waitress walks up to two men (The bouncers) and I think Crow says "Thank you Mr. Cooper" in a womans voice. I'm baffled, none of the 2 men look like Gary or Alice or any other Cooper I can think of. Any ideas on what it means? The one guy looks a lot like Jackie Cooper. (lstcaz)#420 Human DuplicatorsQ: At the end, Kiel is standing outside the home ready to teleport, and Joel says (in that funny Kiel voice) "I was in an airport, I was in a cab, here. That's all I saw"A: George Harrison said this when he was interviewed on the Beatles' first trip to America about what he thought of the country so far. (famousmortimer + splintchesthair)#421 Monster A Go GoQ: What does the "WIPEOUT" line in "Monster a go-go" mean? A: (1)It was a big surfer song from the 60's. The most famous version is by The Surfaris. It starts out with a guy doing a really high-pitched laugh, saying "Wipeout!", and then the song commences. The Ventures also sang Wipeout - an instrumental, featuring the whiny kind of guitar that is in Horror at Party Beach, or the grooving band from Skydivers. Another feature of Wipeout is an extended drum solo in the middle of the song. (Phantom Engineer, brisco32 and Blurryeye)Q: They frequently riff "Beeeee Ohhhhhh" when the music plays its sorry sad notes. A: It is from a series of old commercials from the 40s and 50s, (and then was probably spoofed or borrowed by Looney Toones from there.) It is for Lifebuoy soap. They would imitate a foghorn sound to tell you you need to get rid of your body odor, or... "Beeee Ohhh" (Chris the Dog)Q: "Show 'em the can, Andy."A: I'd swear "Show 'em the can" is from those godawful early-mid seventies Blatz commercials where people were subjected to a blind taste test between their favorite beer and Blatz. I don't recall the "Andy" in the commerical, but since Blatz had also been the sponsor for the Amos n Andy show...there could be a tenuous connection. (Sheik Yerbouti)Q: In Monster A Go Go (and some others) Servo says "He said good, then he said Garp, then he died." A: From the movie/book "The World According To Garp" - Glenn Close said this to Robin Williams (Garp). She was describing Garp's father's last words as a dying patient in a hospital ward she worked in as a nurse. She "climbed upon" him as a last act of compassion for a dying man, and was impregnated by/with Garp. (Change B. Goode)#422 Day the Earth Froze Q: Modified in other epidoes as well: "ABBA's gonna pay me to surf?" A: This is from the movie "Point Break" (and confirmed via Sloe Gin Circus). Featuring Patrick Swayze & Keanu ReevesQ: Why the Wuthering Heights reference in The DTEF? "Heathcliffe, Katherine!" is called out in a scene involving one of the characters and a tree. A: I think the Wuthering Heights riff was because the scene echoed ones in the film (Out among the cliffs by the sea) It's been a while, but I can picture Lawrence Olivier by a tree. (MightyJack)Q: "And now the Swedish Moses of soul!" Is this an oblique reference to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown or a reference to something else? A: The Black Moses of Soul was a title given to musician Isaac Hayes (of "Shaft" fame).(sampo)#424 ManosQ: In Manos, when Crow says, "Joel, I think they sent us a snuff film!" What do they mean snuff film? A: A snuff film is a movie that shows someone being raped and/or murdered.....in real life. + No one has ever found evidence that a real "snuff" film ever existed. A lot of movies claim to be snuff films in order to cause controversy, but real snuff films are sort of an urban legend. Q: The song Joel sings under his breath when Mike walks into motel hell? A: That comes from an old cereal commercial for Kellogg's Graham Crackos. The song is also sung in "War of the Colossal Beast" (Ford Prefect, MightyJack)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:12:16 GMT -5
Season 5: Episodes 501 to 512
#501 Warrior of The Lost World Q: When a motorcycle rider gets blown up by The Paper Chase Guy, the camera shows the dead body riding the burning motorcycle and Joel says "Another Buddhist monk protesting the helmet laws". A: It's a form of protest (against war mostly) that buddhist monks use where they calmly sit in the middle of the road and set themselves on fire, with the most restrained calmness as they burn in a huge flame. (yousonuva)
Q: Joel and Tom go into some weird thing about bad breath and drinking Robitussin A: It's a parody on cough syrup commercials and mouth wash commercials. + Specifically, mouth wash commercials featuring Ken Nordine. Mr. Nordine has an impressively deep voice, and has worked in radio and television voiceover work for decades. One of his specialties was ads where he would tape himself twice, so that he could talk over and interrupt himself. I'm not sure I remember a mouth wash commercial in particular, but I recall a Levi's TV ad in this style (by Mr. Nordine) airing as recently as the mid-90s. (Change B. Goode + Larry Hastings)
Q: When we see the tattoo'd guy they say "Hi. I'm the guy with the snake on my face!" A: See #324 Master Ninja II above.
Q: Crow does a few impressions of what seems to be a Scottish racing commentator. A: Never seen the episode but I would assume it was Jackie Stewart. (lstcaz)
#505 The Magic Voyage of Sinbad Q: How about a recurring riff, spotted most recently during the scene in Sinbad where the bird is singing the men to sleep... Joel says, in a stupid voice, "Duh...1. Duh... 2..." What's that a reference to? A: From Looney Tunes. The exact Bugs Bunny short is "Jack-Wabbit and the Beanstalk," which came out in the forties. As you can guess, it's your generic Jack and the Beanstalk parody, and it figures the giant in the original story is your big, slow-witted stammerer in the short. Bugs challenges him to a duel, telling him to "take twenty paces, turn, and fire." That's when he starts counting. (jose)
#506 Eegah Q: When Roxy first encounters Eegah, Crow says in his caveman voice "Uh, which way to Stephen Jay Gould's house?" A: Stephen Jay Gould is an evolutionary biologist who has written books about cavemen, among many other topics. (lstcaz + Blurryeye).
Q: I was just wondering, in Eegah when the guy leaps over the fence as Eegah is causing chaos by the pool, what is the significance of the Adlai Stevenson riff? A: Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic candidate who ran against Dwight D. Eisenhower in both 1952 and 1956. He of course, lost. Adlai Stevenson is basically just what they said any time they saw a balding middle-aged man onscreen, which was pretty much the best description of Adlai Stevenson as you could give. That...and the name sounds kind of funny. As far as I know, Adlai Stevenson has been referenced at least 2 other times. Once in "Hired: Part 2" ("Adlai Stevenson buys a car."). And in "Girl in Gold Boots" ("Hey, she's dancing for Adlai Stevenson back there") (Wolf99x)
Q: "Is that a real poncho, or a Sears poncho?" A: Frank Zappa, "Cosmic Debris" from the Apostrophe album. (Change B. Goode & BCZF)
Q: In Eegah, when he comes out of his cave, Joel sings in his Eegah voice, "Good morning, good morning, we stayed the whole night through!" or something like that. What's that from? A: From the musical Singin' in the Rain - 1952 Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly & Donald O'Connor - "GOOD MORNING" (Change B. Goode)
#507 I Accuse My Parents Q: Joel says "I Accuse My Parents brought to you by Boone's Farm". Can anyone tell me what that means. A: Boone's Farm is a brand of cheap wine. (phantomengeneer)
Q: In the short "Body Care and Grooming," when they're showing a guy's arm with some sort of rash on it, one of the Bots says, "Ah, that's an Indian rub all right. Do you have a younger sister?" What's an Indian rub? A: The 'indian rub' as I have encountered it is thus: Grab someone's forearm with both hands (from one side, thumbs and first fingers touching) and then savagely twist in opposite directions repeatedly. (DonQuixote & lazyrider)
Q: The scene where Jimmy is trying to cram a pair of shoes onto Kitty: Joel: Cruel shoes. A: It's a reference to a joke that Steve Martin tells about a woman at a shoe store who tries on every pair of shoes. The employee says there's one more pair: The Cruel Shoes. He explains that she wouldn't be interested, but she insists. The shoes are virtually impossible to walk in, let alone keep on a foot, as they have odd shapes and are equipped with razor blades, etc. After the torturous task of getting the shoes on, the woman exclaims that she'll take them. (TarlCabot)
#512 Mitchell Q: What is the meaning of the Daktari stool? A: "Daktari" was an old 60s TV show about a vet who specialized in wild, African animals. Like lions and zebras. Hence, the zebra stripes on the stool. The joke is a pun: dark tarry stool. + When President Reagan was diagnosed with colon cancer in the 80s, colon cancer got discussed a lot on the news. One of the symptoms of colon cancer is dark, tarry stool; the dark, tarry substance is actually coagulated blood, and is a sign of internal bleeding.(Mr. Atari & Smitty the Cable Guy + LarryHastings)
Q: Just what IS a hamdinger? A: Hamdingers were miniature microwavable patties made out of processed ham. Originally intended to be a quickie snack-meal item, they tasted so bad that most wound up being used as chum or fish bait. (Change B. Goode)
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Post by Blurryeye on Jul 6, 2007 15:12:46 GMT -5
Season 5: Episodes 513 to 524513 The Brain That Wouldn't Die Q: During the driving scene, what does Crow mean when he says"Mrs. Webb! You're in gear, Mrs Webb! Mrs Webb!!!!" A: It's from a Bob Newhart routine, "The Driving Instructor". (lstcaz)Q: As the facially-scarred chick is hallucinating from Dr. Courtner's drugged drink, we're shown a sudden blurry rapid wacky POV camera shot of the floor, and Crow says "I loooooooove this place!" in a goofy voice. A: MTV sports personality Dan Corteze did some annoying Burger King adds which ended with someone screaming... "I Looove this place" (MightyJack & yousonuva) #515 Wild World of BatwomanFrom the Cheating short; when Johnny gets caught in the act, Servo replies to the teacher "Ja wohl, Mein Furher," which pretty much just means, "Yes sir, my leader." (of course we all know which leader he is referring to.) (InStereo) Q: In The Wild World of Batwoman, right after the opening credits, Servo shouts, "I'm as mad as hell!" as a shot of two buildings pans downwards. What does this mean? A: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Beale (lstcaz)#518 Atomic BrainQ: In Racket Girls, when Scally's big busty woman first appears, Mike says " Mrs. Ha-wiggins!" Servo also says this in Atomic Brain when it shows the hinder of one of the women, and again (sorta) when the name "Sue Dwiggins" appears in the credits. A: That comes from a skit Tim Conway used to do on the Carol Burnett show. Conway's character was called Mr. Tudball and that's how he called his secretary, Mrs. Wiggins (Mrs. Ha-Wiggins). (phantomengineer & Merlin)#519 Outlaw (of Gor) Q They keep doing this " Great floors!" thing. What is that? A: It has to do with a commercial for Armstrong Tiles (WildRebel). Or it could be a reference to Henry Fonda as a spokesman for the GAF Company.. They manufactured home improvement products as well; ie:linoleum and wood flooring. (Change b. Goode)Q: The line "don't crush that dwarf, hand me those pliers".? A: A reference to one of The Firesign Theater comedy albums. (agent6ix)#521 Santa ClausQ: When Pitch is trying to wake everyone up by giving them nightmares, he whispers to someone, "There's a man outside!" Crow says, "His name is Tim! He asked if I could marry him!" A: See #301 Cave Dwellers above.#522 Teenage CrimewaveQ: At the end of "Teenage Crime Wave" during the car chase. They drive up and we see that phallic structure. The guys giggle, Mike goes "Oh wow", then Tom says... "It's the Roddy McDowell monument" and Crow laughs. I don't get it? Was Roddy known for having a big unit? A: That's the legend. (Phantom Engineer)Q: In Teenage Crime Wave when Terry and the doughy guy are leaving bar, Tom in a parrot like voice says - can do can do- what is this referring to? A: From Mighty Jack's website: 'This was a song sung by talented doughy guy, Stubby Kaye, in the Broadway musical "Guys and Dolls".' (Mighty Jack)#523 Village of the GiantsQ: After the giant teens begin to talk about getting someone and putting them away, Fred asks, 'Now what is happening?' Mike responds with something like ' downownownownownownownow A: Mike is doing the theme song to the TV show "What's Happening" (Sheik Yerbouti)Q: Mike a couple times shouts out the name 'Koruba!' ? A: Notice that he does it when Tommy Kirk is acting with his finger. This is a reference to 519-Outlaw of Gor. There's a scene in the movie where our hunky hero, Tarl Cabot, is explaining to his husky friend, Watney, where they are. *Tarl is walking, he's "acting" by looking confused and waggling his finger about* Tarl: Koruba! Watney: Koru-what? *continues the finger thing* Tarl: KORUBA! This is Koruba! (TarlCabot).#524 12 to the Moon Q: In "Design for Dreaming", when the weird chick is rising up on the stage with all the smoke Mike sings "Oooo, Black Diamond, duh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuhhh". What song/band is that from? A: "Black Diamond" by KISS. (Vlad89).Q: 12 to the Moon (among others), there's this line... "Behold, the only thing greater than yourselves"It sounds familiar but google was a wash. Anyone knows where that comes from? A: I believe that's from "Roots". When Kunta Kinte is an infant, his father holds him up to the stars at a cliffside and says this line, indicating God or the universe or something being the only thing greater than Kunta himself. (Lucy, Godo & Veepa).
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