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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Jul 12, 2007 0:05:50 GMT -5
Hmmm . . . how to say this tactfully . . .
I have no intention of offending you or putting you or your reviews down, but I'd like to say this: the more a person asks for or even demands attention, the less people want to give it to them. You're not the only example of this I've seen, both within this board and in other experiences. Heck, I've experienced it myself!
So, my suggestion is this: relax! Chill out. Don't base your self worth on the reactions of others. I too have wondered if anyone cared what I was doing here. But whenever I doubt that anyone does care, I either remember that I'm also doing this for myself, or I take a look at my view count. I suggest you look at your view count too; it's doing pretty good! I figure if you have ten views or more per post in your thread, that's not too shabby! I personally don't expect there to be replies all the time, and there often aren't. But really, you should just write reviews for the kind of people who read reviews and for yourself!
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Aug 27, 2007 18:14:35 GMT -5
Hey, sorry to bump such an ancient thread here folks!
Some things have happened to distract me, I suppose . . . The big one is the beautiful cat that appeared out of nowhere a couple weeks ago and has come to live with us! Memphis is an all black cat and I'm pretty sure she's an American Shorthair. I just adore her! This is remarkable because I was quite anti-cat before Memphis showed up. I've been allergic to cats since adolescence and I dreaded the possibility of the spines of my record collection being used as a scratching surface (I've seen that way too often). Aside from that, I've just never taken to animals. I'd stated more than once to my wife that even if I weren't allergic, I wouldn't want live with a cat. But none of that lasted more than a few minutes after I first saw her! I've had only slight allergic reactions so far (hopefully spring won't be hell), and I'm in love! And I'm rambling off topic!
So, I watched Human Dupes again recently and realized there was something more to say about it.
You know when the blonde lady with the red convertible is poking around at the government supply place? Well when the one-armed dupe speeds off in the black sedan, he peels out while coming out of the driveway and hits the red vert! My bet is that this wasn't supposed to happen, but because it did, they figured they had to leave it in. He was probably just supposed to drive right past, but because the red car got dented, they couldn't just reset, so we get a nice tight shot of the driver backing up and continuing on. Thanks continuity department! I like to picture the director and crew standing around trying to decide what to do before just saying, "Well, I guess we can just use an edit to fix the fact that Jim hit the car and just stopped there like a dope until I had to yell cut!"
Okay on to the new review!
421 - Monster A-Go Go with Circus on Ice
This ep falls just short of classic, I think. I say that 'cause it doesn't quite blow me away, but it does do a lot of things very well. For one thing, the movie is truly awful, and I love that. There's a great short; the riffidge is also very good and then there are some classic mads/host bits. This one had mostly faded from my memory because the monster is pretty easy to forget (it's some big guy with oatmeal on his face that we see only a couple of times), and the A-Go Go is just as insignificant, but now that I think of it critically, this is a great episode.
I like that Tom calls the mads "The Kids in the Hall". KITH was the other show on Comedy Central I tried to watch whenever I could (Girl Drink Drunk was and is a favorite). When I started this thread of reviews, I intended to compile the definitive list of the names that the SOL crew call the mads and vice versa, but I let it slip a long time ago. At this point, I hope to compile the list on my next full-series viewing.
Johnny Longtorso is a classic bit. It is indeed a lot of fun, and there's just something about that name that's enduring. While they sing Johnny's song, it's fun to watch Frank trying not to crack up (as he does on the Poopie Tape). Frank: And then gear up for high adventure with the hair kit, the rugged nose option, the sleek and sassy butt portion, the realistic action batch and so much more! Gypsy rightly declares the concept as "Evil!" and yet it's right on. It's barely an exaggeration of modern marketing tactics.
Hey, funnily enough, these days there actually are nonviolent action figures on the market. You can get Shakespeare and Poe and Jesus and Moses and so on!
And, even if I'd been the judge, they still wouldn't have watched Local Hero. The mads win, no doubt.
The short is a great time! Screen: Circus on Ice Tom: Two bad things that go worse together! I love Tom's song for the pair of pink ladies: And now When you see pink You're gonna think "We're doomed!"
Skaters in two long lines converge . . . Crow: Suddenly mitosis takes place! The DNA strand separates in a dazzling display of color! Joel: Hi prophase! Crow: Hi anaphase!
One of the most laughable ineptitudes of the movie is the so-called capsule. It looks like the metals shop at the high school made it in a single class period. And it's glaringly tiny! Narrator: Without question, this was the capsule that had put Douglas into orbit. Tom: Hmph! Crow: Giggle! Joel: Right! Tom: Douglas was pear-shaped, very short, and stood the whole way!
The "I don't get you" sketch is fun. I find it weird that Crow's little ship model is covered with a black web of some kind. But the sketch has some great lines such as Crow's "Is it that I often panic while making sandwiches?" and Tom's "Nobody does [get me]. I'm the wind, baby!"
In the place where the people are dancing, check out the wallpaper! You can only see it in a couple shots, but watch closely and you'll see all manner of GUNS!
Joel: So, this is what goes on in the teachers' lounge, huh?
Some more fun riffs:
Crow as detective type: Are we awfully fast or are was that a jump cut?
Joel: Could you turn down your reverb, Chris?
Crow as narrator: It might have been nice to show that scene with the monster, but use your imagination. It was true horror!
Soldier: Sir, I'm losing him! Crow: Maybe you should've been more sensitive to his needs.
Narrator: There is one terrifying word in the world of nuclear physics . . . Tom: Oops!
Okay, let's talk more about the terrible film-making that we see in this picture.
There's the music, for one thing. I get a kick out of all the "B.O." riffs, even though I never saw the old commercial. Joel: What is this, Chinese music torture? . . . Crow: Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Thank you . . .
Then there's the narration. It's real classy how they attempt to make this stuff cohesive by clarifying with a voiceover instead of say decent film-making! Joel: In the director's cut, they eliminated the narration. (a reference to Blade Runner, maybe?)
The phoney phone-foley is a hoot, of course. I think that should've been the stinger.
There's also an entire scene/micro-plot of padding. And it's sleazy padding, too! What does the truck driver scene do but give them another victim to put on the map? And why'd it have to be so dang greasy? Yech!
And finally there is the twist ending! More like a copout! There was no monster!
Joel: Turned out to be an alien snipe hunt, go figure.
Tom: This is a test. Had this been an actual movie, you would have been entertained.
So, I read that this movie was begun and abandoned by Bill Rebane and then completed a few years later by someone else, and this could account for some of the above-listed awfullnesses, but it's no excuse. This movie should never have been started! Thank you, BBI, for giving trash like this a reason for existing!
This ep is a good time and hits some solid home runs. It really takes something worthless and turns it into a lot of fun, and that's one of my favorite things about MST3K.
Next up (and hopefully coming soon): The Day the Earth Froze!
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Post by Donna SadCat Lady on Aug 27, 2007 18:39:02 GMT -5
Very glad to hear that all is well with you and yours, AZ. Also glad to hear you've joined us cat lovers. Give cats a chance! I love Monster A Go Go. There's never a dull moment, or, more accurately, never a good moment. This film just keeps bringing the jaw-dropping ineptitude. And there are some really classic bits of riffing, as you've pointed out.
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Aug 31, 2007 14:19:43 GMT -5
422 - The Day the Earth Froze with Here Comes the Circus!
I love this episode! I'll try not to go on too long about it, I suppose . . .
I find this ep funny all the way through. The riffidge is clever and pretty dense, yet accessible and not too obscure. I think this would be a good episode for kids. For one thing, the short and the feature both figure children as a large part of their audience (I hesitate to call TDTEF a kids movie. Really, it's a folktale movie for the whole family). Both short and feature have lots of exciting visuals (trapeze artists! clowns! a guy pounding flame into a horse! a flaming moose boat!) and there are lots of riffs that are funny to adults and said funnily enough that when kids don't get the joke, they could still enjoy the delivery (Crow: It's Liza! Tom: I went to school wit yer brudder! Crow as Bullwinkle: Could someone put me out? I seem to be on fire!). Seems like it would make a good family viewing ep. Well, unless you truly believe clowns to be psychologically damaging, or if you have a real problem with your kids playing with their food, especially if that extends to their use of food items as weapons.
I rather like the Snaction invention. Joel: Everybody doesn't like something, but nobody doesn't like Bruce Lee! While Joel tells the Mads about Snaction, Tom and Crow play ninja. Right at the end of the sketch, Crow knocks Tom's head off and says, "Uh oh . . . I broke him." I like to think that this was an accident that they just worked into the whole thing. I mean Uh oh, I broke him sounds like it's right off of the Poopie tape. But then, when they cut back to the SOL after the Mads show off the Unhappy Meals, Joel's reassembling Tom like it's no big deal. Well done, I say.
Hey, this is the first of the Russo-Finnish movies for MST3K. This is such a good ep, you can count me among those who are disappointed at each time it's not announced for release. The movie itself is good, too. What makes it a good movie for a mysting is the funny dub job (not as bad as the Sandy Frank stuff, but still, it can be quite comical: Crow: Hey, you're the road, aren't you?) and the plot points that are a little unexpected and odd (at least to me, one unschooled in Scandinavian folklore). But it is a well-made movie. It's interesting and well-paced and not terribly cheaply made for its vintage (as far as I can tell).
I like that they put the two circus-type shorts in two consecutive episodes. You get a nice circussy freakout in a little pocket here near the end of the season. Tom: Huh-huh! Let the nightmare begin! *Ding!* Hey, the narrator sounds like Billy West! Lately I've been watching The Weird Al Show on which West did some narration; also I'm a casual Ren & Stimpy fan. And his Al Show narration sounds uncannily similar to the circus narrator. I suppose it's possible that West was going for a ringmaster type of voice in the first place. Anyway, the short is great. Joel pulls the "don't be too dark" thing again and then breaks his own rule again. I love that Emmett Kelly's act, apparently, is simply eating! Joel: And Emmett Kelly's still eating! Tom: And it's still funny!
Crow: It's good, I admit that, but maybe we gotta work more butt into the act!
I love the extended riff on the feature title. Screen: The Day the Earth Froze Crow: Oh, cripes, I remember that day . . . Joel: Oh yeah, you gotta dress for it. Tom: Oh, ya-hey, the temperature of that got down about 14 below zero, dere. And so on. At the end of it Crow calls it The Scandinovian Sketch? The Scandinubian Sketch? I dunno, but it doesn't sound like Scandinavian.
If you listen closely to the narrator while Joel sings Dueling Banjos and while Crow gets distracted by the goats, you can hear him explaining what a sampo is. But if we and the SOL crew know what a sampo is, it's not as fun later when we get the opportunity to guess, write it down on a piece of paper, throw it away and try not to think about it!
The North Wind sounds like a Gumby! I always want to shout, "My brain hurts!" during that part 'cause Joel says, "Put your teeth in, I can't understand you!" which is a very good riff, but I wish they'd have acknowledged the uncanny gumbiness of the North Wind.
Ooh, I spotted a continuity error! When Lemminkainen is log riding in the river, he's on a clean, cylindrical log, then later, when he's leaving Annikki, the log has a root ball! Ooh, maybe it's not such a good movie after all!
Anybody know what "Mark seven!" is about? Crow is saying this as Ilmarinen is pounding one of the many things he pounds with that big hammer. I can't figure out what that means. I'll post it in esoteric.
I can't figure out what Ilmarinen uses the feather for when he's forging the sampo. He says, "With this wool will I clothe you" and such, but one of the guys is talking over the line when he says what with the feather he will do. Anybody know? Anybody have the movie uncut?
Here are a couple more fun riffs . . .
Witchipoo: GAAAHNNNN?! *pause* Crow: Ma'am?
Joel: Something's coming in on the urinescope, sir!
I think Pheasant Plucker would make a great board user name! Or maybe a post-count rank name.
Okay, to sum up: this episode is great! Good host segments, very good invention exchange in particular, a short that's lots of fun, a movie that's not tough to get through (a good contrast to Monster A-Go Go!), and lots and lots of funny riffs. I think this one's an essential.
Ciao!
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Aug 31, 2007 14:29:35 GMT -5
Okay, thanks to CBG, I know what the Mark 7 thing is. It's from the Mark VII Limited logo which was pounded onto the screen with a hammer before a bunch of old detective shows. I didn't think to do any searching with Roman numerals. Thanks Change!
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Post by Donna SadCat Lady on Sept 1, 2007 0:31:21 GMT -5
I love this one too. It's one of those experiments that are really not bad movies, just goofy (especially to non-Scandinavian sensibilities). Another reason this is a favorite of mine is the call-backs they would do to this movie in later episodes. I don't know why, but I always got a kick out of Joel or Crow saying, "Sampo!"
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Sept 4, 2007 2:13:05 GMT -5
Oh yeah, thanks dnaldy for the welcome back and the welcoming to the world of cat cohabitation. It's good to be doing reviews more frequently again! I got a new laptop a couple weeks ago and it has enhanced my ability to watch and review episodes and I believe that is why I've been more active with it just recently. Now I can actually watch my eps on the computer and go to any point in any episode at the tap of a touchpad. I can also watch the episodes anywhere I can take the laptop! Yay! All this has made it possible for me to watch and review eps in the small bits of spare time like before going to sleep and to start right where I left off in viewing or reviewing. It's nice. I also like the cat still! We have a strong suspicion that she is pregnant. With how much she seems to be showing, we're pretty sure that she was pregnant when she came to us. Of course we're concerned about finding good homes for the kittens, but it's also a bit exciting! Anyway, I promise not to turn this thread into a cat blog. But here's a picture of Memphis! This is from the week she showed up. Okay, there were a couple things I forgot to put into my review of 422. During the photo shoot intro skit, look at the backdrop that Joel sets up. It's a blurry-looking, airbrushed representation of exactly what's behind it! Ha! The other thing I forgot to mention is that part of my fondness for this episode is linked to the fact that I remember seeing it back when it was on TV. I remember a mental picture of the witch and of the sampo when it's freshly forged. And, for a time, my brother and I enjoyed randomly saying, “Sampo!” to each other. Okay. Onward! 423 – Bride of the Monster with Hired! Part 1 Ooh! It's an Ed Wood movie! I'm kind of an Edward D. Wood Jr. fan. Perhaps only a casual fan, but nonetheless, I dig his bad, bad work. But you know, I was a little underwhelmed by this experiment. It isn't a bad episode, but i was hoping they'd really get going on one of Eddie's flicks. Perhaps this one just isn't really bad enough. Sure BotM is bad, but it doesn't have enough that's laughably bad. There is the ending which is quite good-bad with all the confusovision, funny faces from Bela, a great big roley-poley boulder, and that classic line, “He tampered in God's domain” (which ranks right up there with "He learned too late that man is a feeling creature" in the mystory of grand, thematic movie-ending lines). But overall, this movie's just kind of half-baked. It is mediocre in its badness. As movies go, it is bad; as bad movies go, it is only mostly bad. I want to say I wish they'd started with a different Ed Wood movie, but really, I think it's that I wish they'd done a better job on this one and then topped it later on with Plan 9 from Outer Space. I know the Brains have stated how they felt about using Plan 9 on the show. But, dangit, I still think it would've been dynamite! I just watched Plan 9 with Mike Nelson's commentary while washing dishes to help me form my theory on this point. There are two basic arguments against the use of Plan 9 on MST3K that have been put forth: that there's too much narration and talking, and that the movie is so badly made it's already funny on its own and everyone's already made fun of that. The first argument is the weakest; didn't Monster A-Go Go feature plenty of narration? Criswell's commentary is actually not prevalent at all; there's loads of room for riffidge. The latter argument is a decent point, but the Brains could've done it better than anyone and could have had a classic that people would have talked about. People like to talk about Plan 9 and wouldn't you have felt cool saying, “Hey, have you ever seen the MST3K version?” And I'd say Mike Nelson's pretty decent commentary track is evidence that Plan 9 is both riffable and worthy of riffing. I wonder if Mike initially had issues with riffing it, but got talked into it by Legend Films. Or was he “Content Director” at that time? Well, anyway, I'm pleased that Mike did his Legend Films riff on Plan 9, but I'll always feel a little disappointment that Plan 9 was never on MST3K. I think it would've been real special. Okay, I hope that wasn't too far a stretch for on-topickiness . . . I reiterate, Bride of the Monster was a decent episode. It doesn't pack the punch the previous two did, though. I just wish they'd been as into this one as they seemed to have been into The Day the Earth Froze. Well, let's talk about some details! The short is the best part of the episode. It's definitely good stuff. It seems pretty obvious that this short was originally just one piece and the Brains themselves split it in two so they could use it on the show. Some fun riffs: During a montage, Jimmy puts an LP onto a turntable . . . Tom: Cop Killer. Hm, this sounds fun . . . Crow: *turntable noises* Sales boss complains to Jimmy about his prospects or lack of sales or something . . . Jimmy: I see your side of it. Crow: I suppose if I sat on my butt all day, I'd see things that way too. I appreciate this riff quite well. I've a boss that apparently sits in his office and looks at "the numbers" all day. Thanks, boss!Boss looks over Jimmy's file . . . Crow: A.K.A The Pantsless Salesman? Or The Piddling Peddler?! Boss looks over the salesman ranking board . . . Joel: Well, I guess no one wins the Mathis album. The best host segment is the one linked to the short. The SOL Community Theater's reconception of Hired as a musical is creative and fun. I particularly like the placard at the opening that credits Mort Cambot and His Orchestra as the musical accompaniment. The other host segs are either okay or not real hot. The inventions are okay, and the appearance of Willy the Waffle is sort of interesting but baffling in a way. I've seen the Spring Fever short of course, but imagine the Willy the Waffle stuff without knowing about Coily. It's odd, but not entirely entertaining. The re-editing of the final scene could've been funnier. Pretty much they just decreased the number of edits and replaced Bela with themselves. How about some riff highlights from the feature . . . Credits roll. Harvey B. Dunn is credited as a co-star. Joel: Harvey B. Dunn, that's the sequel to Johnny B. Goode. The film alternates between a guy flailing in water and an octopus minding its own business under water . . . Tom: Folks, try to link these to shots together, here. . . . Crow: Embrace death, Roy! Tom: Ease into it. Two reporter ladies talk . . . Joel: Big face theater! Two police guys talk, but a shot of some brush interrupts them . . . Tom: Uh, Marty, you're dollying again. Detective guy is stuck in quicksand man, was that quicksand and is approached by a crocodile and begins shooting . . . Crow: He's shooting at a different movie! . . . he continues to shoot . . . Crow: How many shots does he have?! Eight!Y'know, Tom asks "So what do you suppose a crocodile was doing in Florida?" But I'm pretty sure all those shots were of alligators. Maybe they knew that but wanted to make the retirement joke anyway.Reporter lady is lashed to a bed with Dr. Bela at her side . . . Lady: You're insane! Crow as Bela in a serene voice: Yeah. And a missed riff from the credits: Screen: Rolling M Productions presents . . . Me: The hell? You can't roll an M! Just as Joel and the Bots are leaving the theater for host segment #1 (Hired! the Musical), check out the shot on screen as Cambot pulls back. The guy on Dr. Bela's table looks kinda like Terry Gilliam with the way he scrunches his face up. I'm thinking particularly of the Flying Circus bit where's wearing the horned viking hat. I wonder why they didn't express recognition of Harvey B. Dunn who was Grandpa in Teenagers from Outer Space. Tom does sing, "It's the New Zoo Revue . . . " late in the movie. But I always want one of them to say, "Hey, it's Scranpa" just kinda quiet-like when he comes on screen the first time. Whenever the characters are walking across the screen through the "swamp", I always want to tell them, "You know, if you stepped to your right just a bit, you wouldn't be walking in all that brush." Perfect example: detective guy right before he steps into a day shot and falls into the pit. Y'know, there's no brush between you and the camera, why are making it so hard on yourself? This is the first episode that I've noticed with a personal dedication (not including the special thanks to the authors of the 1st amendment, us Mysties, the teachers of America, et al). The dedication reads: This episode is dedicated to the spirit of William A. Murphy Thanks, Dad. I dunno if it's inappropriate to point out grammar mistakes in personal dedications, but the comma in the bottom line tells us that Dad is the person doing the thanking, as opposed to Dad being thanked. Of course, I'm making the assumption that the dedication was intended to thank Dad, and I could be wrong. Okay, that was probably offensive. Sorry. But it is true. Alright, I think I'm about done here. This is a good episode, mind you. I was just hoping for something on par with or better than the previous two eps, especially 'cause it's an Edward D. movie. Okay thanks, y'all! Ciao.
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Post by Truck Farmer on Sept 4, 2007 22:13:52 GMT -5
Just read your review for Bride of the Monster and I think you nailed it. It's an ok episode, but I expected a little more out of it as well. Although I must mention a riff that really cracked me up.
Crow(as Harvey B reading the newspaper): "Ed Wood caught in a dress . . . again?"
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Sept 5, 2007 2:27:23 GMT -5
And y'know, that riff you mention makes me think that something I really would've liked to have seen in this ep would've been a host segment devoted to the strange world of Ed Wood. Dr. F. calls Ed something like "everybody's favorite cross-dressing director" but that's about as close as it gets. That comment from Dr. F. probably does more to set up a few riffs about cross-dressing and angora than it does to open a window into the life E.D. Wood. This ep came out not that long before Tim Burton's biopic. At the time I was more interested in my Weird Al tapes than in B-movies, so I'm not sure how much the population knew about Ed before Burton's picture about him. Maybe a host segment about Ed wouldn't have felt like a rockin' idea at a time when no one could really relate. But then, such a segment could have been pretty revelatory (and preemptively so) for the uninitiated. I dunno, I just had a beer and I may not be making good sense. In any case, please don't inform me that there is an Ed Wood devoted host segment to come if there is one. Don't inform me of there being one or of there not being one.
Perhaps they didn't go for an Ed-themed segment 'cause Joel doesn't do cross-dressing. At this moment I can't think of any times I've seen Joel in drag . . . the bots sure, but not Joely Poley. Maybe the other writers even suggested such a segment but abandoned the idea 'cause Joel wouldn't wear ladies' underthings and an angora sweater. I dunno. G'night now! Time for go to bed!
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Sept 14, 2007 2:33:59 GMT -5
424 - “Manos” The Hands of Fate with Hired! Part 2
Tom: You know, there are certain flaws in this film.
This episode is good and I really like it!
Just want to make that clear from the onset 'cause I'm about to say things that could make some Mysties mad. It's quite probable that I'm not the only one who feels the way I do and I'm probably not the first to express it, but it's not something I've encountered any Mysties saying . . . So, here it goes.
I don't get it. What's the big deal about Manos? Why the phenomenon? What is it about this movie that makes people obsess about it? I just don't get it.
Yeah, it's a bad movie. But is it really that bad? Sure, it's got loads of flaws, but you know, it's not that tough to comprehend. The plot is actually pretty easily discernible. There's not a lot to it, but it's not a confusing movie.
In the ACEG, Mary Jo calls Manos “the most loathsome, repulsive, unpleasantest, vilest, ickyest, blechiest film” that they'd yet experienced. But I just don't understand what makes anybody feel so strongly about it. If you ask me, Manos is just Touch of Satan or any other '60s-'70s cult of Satan type movie with overdubbed dialogue and 75% more padding.
Let's see, I can say that I understand calling Manos one of the worst movies of all time. The flaws (overdubs, padding, poor framing, moths, big knees, bad dialogue, etcetera, etcetera) definitely amount to enough to call it extremely poorly made. In fact they kind of snowball ya.
But I never find Manos disturbing. Manos doesn't get me riled up. One might point to the shot of Debbie in the diaphanous gown near the end as something repulsive, even the most repulsive bit of the flick. But that doesn't get to me. I think it's meant to be an unsettling part of the film, and I think it succeeds to a degree, but I don't find it offensive. That moment not only has context, but the film sets you up for it. It's not a terribly surprising surprise ending. Debbie is part of the cult now and when she becomes a woman she will serve Manos as a wife. It's evil! What did you expect?
I'm not so much into defending the movie as much as I just don't think it really deserves all the hubbub. Like I say, I just don't get it.
So, about the episode, as opposed to the movie, this one's quite good and stands up to repeated viewings. One thing I always love is when a movie has flaws that MST3K can call out in fun and creative ways. And boy does Manos have flaws. One of my favorite bits is near the end of the film when the two young ladies in the convertible have shown up and it's being established that they are driving down the road. Tom yammers on for sixty seconds straight while the ladies stay totally silent. Similarly, at the beginning of the movie, it is being established that the family is driving down the road, when one of them suddenly speaks! Joel: Hey, dialogue.
I have this movie unmsted, and I think what makes the movie hard to sit through for me are all the moments when there's no dialogue and nothing at all important happening. Manos has a severe problem with pacing and padding (a terribly sleep-inducing combination). But the Brains do a great job of pulling up the slack by just never quitting. Oftentimes, I'll be enjoying whatever riffs J&tBs are laying out and I'll realize that little to nothing is happening on screen. The riffidge in this episode is practically nonstop and without that, this ep would be a super snore. If they waited for things to happen so they could riff on them, Manos would be a bomb. The Brains must've worked really hard on this one to come up with enough stuff to make up for all the stuff Manos naturally lacks.
Let's talk about the short now. It's also very good. I wish Hired! Part 1 had been included as a bonus feature on the Manos DVD. It'd just make a lot of sense. Also, I think it'd be cool if there was an option for watching both shorts back to back. I've never been able to watch Hired! as a unit on its own without switching DVDs, and I've often wished I could. Maybe if they ever release Bride of the Monster they could include Part 2 as a bonus. Both parts have already been Rhinocized, but I'd really appreciate having them in one place for once. Hey, I wonder if they've ever thought of putting out a shorts disc that included all of the parts of a given serial.
They've put six or seven shorts on each of the shorts discs. So, they could put the three parts of Phantom Creeps and the three parts of General Hospital on one disc. They could put the first seven Commando Codys on another, and the last two Codys, the two Undersea Kingdom parts, and Hired! Parts 1 and 2 onto another. But then again the serials have never really been big fan favorites. And can you imagine sitting through all the Commando Cody shorts in one go? Yeah, not for me. Scratch that idea.
Okay, back to the short. You know how in both parts of the short, Joel says or sings “Jam Handy to the rescue.” That's in reference to an old hit by LaVern Baker. The original is “Jim Dandy”. I've got a 45 of that one.
A missed riff: Dad puts the hankie on his head and says . . . Dad: How 'bout this Jimmy? Me: Looks ridiculous. And don't call me Jimmy!
Here're a couple bits I like: Boss guy: Say, maybe that's the reason I haven't had much luck with Jimmy! Crow: I'm gonna dance! I just love how Crow pokes fun at the guy's enthusiasm by adding his own.
Joel as lady at door: Now listen, I said no to you two yesterday. Tom as salesman: But ma'am, do you know that Chevrolet has a wonderful plan for your life?
The short was very good! I didn't really think about whether Part 1 or Part 2 was better than the other. They were both good. I'll leave it at that.
Let's talk about host segments. My favorite line from the opening: Crow: You see this butt? Kick this butt. Joel starts to crack up after that line. Wonder if it was ad lib. I dunno, probably just funny.
My favorite line from the invention exchange: Crow: It's only crime was being born delicious! *bawl*
A great line as the first movie sign goes off: Joel, Tom and Crow in unison: Ziggy had Garfield neutered? Now that's funny!
In the “Motor Tour” sketch, Joel, Tom and Crow are facing the wrong way. The image on the screen makes it look as though they are motor touring in reverse.
This is of course the one episode in which both Frank and Dr. Forrester apologize for how bad the movie is. Actually Dr. F. doesn't so much apologize as much as attempt to encourage the guys to continue.
There've been some good “just talking” host segments recently. There was the “What's a Sampo?” segment, and here we have the “Is Torgo a monster?” segment and there have probably been others that I'm not thinking of. There are no props or costumes or songs; it's just Joel, Tom and Crow conversing. And I like it!
And of course, the Torgo's Pizza bit is a lot of fun.
Some Manos bits I liked: A VW Beetle drives past . . . Joel: Slug Bug! *punches Crow* Crow: Ow! That's exactly what I would've done had I been watching this with someone! I like Volkswagens.
The Law and Mike talk about a taillight . . . Joel: This is just one guy talking . . . Joel: Just one guy . . . Joel: Just one guy . . .
Manos takes us on a road tour past field after field and as one piece of film dissolves into the next . . . Crow in a low voice: Sure, they dissolve to the same scene . . . This is probably 'cause the camera Hal used could only record for thirty seconds at a time. I just learned that from Wikipedia.
Joel: Boy, this is a taut thriller, huh?
Joel: “Manos” the Hands of Fate was filmed on location in a vacant lot.
Mike stalls outside the Master's place . . . Crow: Boy, I'm torn: Torgo, my wife . . . hmm . . .
Debbie lies on the couch . . . Crow as Maggie: Well, I don't know what she got into but she's been out cold for hours-- oh . . .
Mike wants Torgo to put the luggage back in the 'vert . . . Mike: Right now! Fast, dammit, fast! Joel as Torgo: Yeah here I go: vroom! This is possibly my favorite riff from the movie segments. I just dig it.
The cameras goes in tight on . . . Hal's area? Oh, and a pair of clasped hands . . . Crow: What is that? Joel: A symbol for their love? Crow: Well it's not framed very well.
Mike and Maggie stand around with a flashlight . . . Crow as Mike: Honey when you look for someone, what do you do?
The ladies in white get ready to brawl . . . Tom:And now the Manos Women's Guild will reenact the battle of Pearl Harbor. This is a reference to a series of sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus in which seemingly demure ladies “reenact” historical battles by simply brawling in a muddy spot.
Torgo lies on the floor in a corner . . . Tom as The Master: Torgo, you're the laziest man on Mars. Hey, a reference to the other episode in the Essentials set!
The Master just sort of looks at Torgo. Torgo just sort of looks at The Master . . . Joel: Do something! Jeez!
Okay, a few more notes and then I'll close . . .
So, at the beginning of one of the bits with the makey-outey couple, you can see the clapperboard in the shot. But none of the guys mention it. Guess there was enough to make fun of apart from that . . .
So, the makey-outey couple. I read that some people think they have no function in the movie whatsoever. To me, it's obvious! The family drives past the makey-outey couple and the guy says, “Like man, there ain't nothin' up that road.” This is to show us that there's no one who knows about the secret cult out there in the sticks, not even the local makey-outey couple. Then the couple keeps going up the road and the police follow. This gets the cops out there so that they can hear the shots. But when they decide not to investigate since there's nothing out there, we feel the dreadful hopelessness of the family. There will be no rescue, and truly, there is no way out of there. It'll be dark soon.
I was thinking about Torgo impressions. I wanted to decide whether the impressions of Torgo's speech were gross exaggerations or not. So I listened carefully to Torgos speech and to Joel and the Bots' impressions of it. I decided that the impressions are a little exaggerated; Torgo usually isn't quite as jerky as they make him out to be, but when it comes down to it, they aren't exaggerating by much. Torgo definitely talks funny. Oh, and Joel's Torgo impression is not as good as Tom's or Crow's. I think Tom's may be the best.
When I watch the scenes of the Manos cult having their discussions, I can't help thinking that, had this episode been made a few years later, it would have been hard to avoid making reality show riffs. If you get in the frame of mind, it really starts to resemble the reality show format. Next time you watch it, imagine that you're watching the “Manos” The Hands of Fate Reality Show in which wives or servants of Manos get voted out of the cult and are therefore killed or have their hands amputated by fire. Wow! Now that's humilitainment!
The thing that drives me nuts the most in Manos is the score. The vocal songs aren't so bad, they're fun in their badness, but the score pieces, such as Torgo's theme, are quite irritating. Each piece is built around a single phrase which is played quickly and repeated ad nauseam. I've been watching the episode repeatedly for this review and have been getting those phrases stuck in my head, where they repeat and repeat and repeat . . . Other flaws in the movie I can find entertaining, but the score drives me batty.
I don't get Maggie. Near the end of the movie, she's pleading with Mike to let them all just leave, but the next moment she trips once and gives up on the whole idea. Well what is it that you want? Jeez.
Okay, I think I'm done here.
My final word is this: the episode is quite good, but I just don't feel it ought to be so legendary. And, to clarify, though the movie has become legendary, I wouldn't say the treatment of it in this episode is really legendary. It's good, fer sure. It's even above average, but it's not like this is the best episode ever. At least not if you ask me.
Anyway, obsess over Manos if you like! I don't mind. I have my own things I like to obsess over.
Wow, season four is all done! I'll be back soon to write up my reflections and top five for the season.
Ciao for now!
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Sept 14, 2007 14:28:11 GMT -5
Wow, there were a lot of good episodes this season. I was rarely disappointed. I didn't count them up, but I think there were more good and above average eps in this season than in season three. I had quite a tough time trying to pick this top five. There are so many good episodes and there's a significant variety to try to represent.
So here is my non-Rhinocized Top Five for season four: 411 - The Magic Sword The only fantasy (as opposed to sci-fi) movie of the season. It has a sort “comfort food” quality for me. 415 - Beatniks with General Hospital 2 One of those beat eps. It's also just fun and funny. 416 - Fire Maidens of Outer Space Sleazy space adventurers, good riffidge, Timmy. 418 - Attack of the Eye Creatures A truly bad alien movie with riffidge that's just plain hilarious. This is one of my all time favorites. 422 - The Day the Earth Froze with Here Comes the Circus Another of my all time favs. It's super funny and fun. It's also the first of the Russo-Finnish eps. Momentous!
So let me tell a little about how I decided on the above five eps. I wanted to recommend Giant Gila Monster, but in the face of funnier eps I didn't. The movie itself is a quintessential cheap, '50s monster movie. But in the MST3K cannon it's mostly just significant for “I sing whenever I sing”.
I wanted to represent the '80s in my top five, but City Limits and Being from Another Planet just didn't quite earn it.
I wanted to represent the Hercmeister in my top five 'cause I'm digging the Hercules eps now, but Hercules and the Captive Women is the only one that's not on Rhino (not counting 502 - Hercules), and Hercules Unchained is by far the best of them, so it seems that if you're a Rhino collector, the Herc is already well represented. So I used that spot to represent something else.
I had kind of a toss up between Manhunt in Space and Fire Maidens of Outer Space. They have a similar feel: they're black and white and about space adventurers and feel like they were made for ten year old boys. They both make quite funny episodes too. I wanted to include the first General Hospital short in my top five 'cause it was the best, but Beatniks reps GH with part two which is pretty good too, and then Fire Maidens has Timmy. Timmy was the kicker. He's a classic bit of fun.
Alright, season four was great! I'm really looking forward to season five 'cause you can tell that BBI is hitting their stride at this point. There's also one of the biggest events in MST3K history coming up in the middle of this season. For the first time, I'll be watching and reviewing one of those rough cut/writer's review type versions, so that'll be special. I'm excited! I hope you'll join me.
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Post by Donna SadCat Lady on Sept 14, 2007 14:28:27 GMT -5
Another nice review, AZ. A few comments: Okay, back to the short. You know how in both parts of the short, Joel says or sings “Jam Handy to the rescue.” That's in reference to an old hit by LaVern Baker. The original is “Jim Dandy”. I've got a 45 of that one. Say, I didn't know that! That's cool. Heh! To me, the handkerchief makes Dad look like one of Monty Python's Gumbies. Apparently he does that to keep bugs off his head. What I want to know is, does that even work? My husband commented to me once that it's a reference to a similar line in This Is Spinal Tap. Yeah, this is probably my favorite too. Joel so seldom does the sarcastic type of riff that it's doubly funny. Another favorite of mine. The exasperated outburst is another type of riff that Joel seldom did. A good episode of really an amazingly badly made movie. The plot is more or less comprehensible, as you say. But everything else was completely wretched.
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Post by braindeadzombie on Sept 15, 2007 8:21:40 GMT -5
Congrats on making your way through season 4 and to "Manos: the hands of fate".
I have to say that you're being a bit unfair to Manos as it really is as awful and disgusting as BB portrays it. The house isn't a set and they're not actors.
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Post by Arizona Warwilf on Sept 15, 2007 19:53:13 GMT -5
Like I said, it's a very badly made movie. It's possibly one of the worst productions ever (ah, but have you ever seen Axe 'Em?). But I am still unmoved by claims that the movie is disgusting or revolting. It's poorly made, but it's hardly sickening.
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Post by jjb3k on Sept 17, 2007 11:54:32 GMT -5
I think the legendary status of "Manos" comes from the fact that, at the time, it was the most amateurly-made movie the show had ever done. Every previous movie had been a legitimate production from a legitimate studio, but "Manos" was made by some blue-collar schmuck from El Paso with a cheap camera and a hankering to prove that "anyone can make a movie". It barely even got released, and basically fell into complete obscurity until MST3K found it and revived it. And it truly is the most incompetently made film to appear in the show's first four network seasons. For that reason, I think it really sticks out in the fans' minds as one of the most memorable episodes - the guys took an absolute mess and turned it into gold.
Plus, Torgo is hilarious, whether he's being played by John Reynolds or Mike Nelson ("LARge...sausage and...mushROOM...THIn crust..."). I myself actually have my own homemade Torgo costume that I wear every Halloween to great trick-or-treaters at the door, with the Haunting Torgo Theme playing endlessly in the background. I do the voice and the walk and everything.
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