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Post by mst3krom on Mar 8, 2008 4:02:36 GMT -5
612 - [glow=blue,5,300][shadow=blue,left,300]The Starfighters[/shadow][/glow]
Thoughts on movie:
..................................... I'm drawing a blank here. This movie is just a big pile of nothingness. Nothing exciting happens, it's just planes taking off and close-up of ugly old guys reading off cue cards. Nothing more, nothing less. Expect a good dose of deep, DEEP, hurting when you tackle this one.
Thoughts on episode:
You would probably expect that with a movie this bad that no amount of riffing, brilliant or otherwise could save it. I did a little scouting before making this review and I found out that this episode isn't that appreciated. So what do I say? Well, one of Servo's lines from 'Santa Claus' describes this episode perfectly for me: "This is funny, I don't care what anybody says."
It came as a big surprise that despite the movie, the gang brings a steady stream of great riffing to the table, and that's no mean feat considering the movie were dealing with. But I was simply amazed that the guys just keep delivering the good stuff and never resort to sobbing or lines like "God, this movie sucks." which I never found particularly funny in any way. In fact this episode reminded me of earlier great efforts like Monster A-Go Go or Manos. Ah, yes ... this episode is the Manos of the Mike era, as far as I'm concern. My favorites were the clever twists at the refueling sequences (look for a hilarious Young Frankenstein reference) and the poopie suits (yeah, you read that right). The riffs on that alone gets this episode 1/2 star.
Even the host segments rise up to the quality of the theater segments. Crow's trouble with logging in on the Internet is a funny recurring gag. Mike's BBQ sauce segment comes out of left field, but gets a few laughs in the end. The refueling spoof is funny, but a bit disturbing. Crow and Servo debriefing Mike reminded me of the Skydivers intro, and it works just as good. Servo's Academy Chorus isn't funny at all, but it's well made and we even get a reference to a Season 1 ep, the Crawling Hand. In the end, Crow finally gets logged in and it was well worth it, sort of, and in Deep 13 Dr.F and Frank try out their cranial ports.
A great episode in my opinion. Some may turn it down because of the painful movie, but this is one I never say no to.
Favorite riff from movie: "So, according to themselves, the Airforce is a bunch of leather-faced, not so bright, heavy drinking, dim-witted, speed freaks who poop in their pants and can't make it with women." - Servo Favorite host segment: It's a draw between the intro and segment 2. Crow's Internet problems are a hoot.
Grade: ****1/2 out of *****
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 8, 2008 11:10:59 GMT -5
619 - [glow=brown,5,300][shadow=brown,left,300]Red Zone Cuba[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=navy,5,300][shadow=navy,left,300]Platform Posture and Appearance[/shadow][/glow]
Thoughts on short:
A speech short that goes on and on and splits ends about how you should look your very best when you give a speech. Seems sort of useful, but I'm not doing the knee test, during the speech or otherwise.
Thoughts on movie:
Coleman is back and brings us another train wreck of a movie. This one is about some guys who go to Cuba, get captured, escape, come back, do some crimes, then get arrested. Then what was the POINT of the whole movie, anyway?
The movie's title hints to the Bay of Pigs invasion, but that quickly goes by after the american force (6-7 guys at most) get captured or shot. Then we're forced to endure close-ups of Coleman (yes, the dope is leading actor as well) and the rest of his cast (I can see why this is called an unappealing movie). And to book-end, the editing is loaded with jump-cuts that come out of nowhere, not to mention the music, which in some parts gets so weird and perky, I start to wonder what the hell was Coleman trying to achieve.
In short, Red Zone Cuba is pure Coleman Francis, so you know it's gonna be bad.
Thoughts on episode:
Another one of Coleman's cinematic trash becomes great comedy in the hands of Mike and the bots. But now that they know what the director looks like and the fact that he plays the leading part, they really let him have it. I especially loved it when they compared him to Curly Howard and did that 'whoop-whoop'. But the rest of the cast doesn't get off that easily, including Anthony Cardoza (who still can't act to save his life), an illiterate pilot named Cherokee Jack, a guy named Justine, a non-realistic Fidel Castro (played by Anthony Cardoza), a skinny guy who gets dropped down the well and, last but not least, John Carradine who has just a cameo at the beginning and gets to sing the title song, 'Night Train to Mundo Fine'.
The short is pretty good as well, as the gang gets to throw a couple of great riffs during the list of bad posture types, not to mention during the knee test. Overall, the short isn't 'Why study Industrial Arts?' excellent, but it's a good way to start the episode.
The host segments are pretty much on the same level. The intro concerning the lotto numbers reading gets the episode started, as for the rest of the host segments, they deal with Dr.F taking the blow for Frank's debt to the Mob and Mike becoming Carol Channing because of the awful movie. In the end, the gang sings a cheering up song and Dr.F strangles Frank (love that Harpo Marx-like face that Frank makes).
All in all, a good episode from Season 6 and a favorite of many, just be sure to understand the awfulness of Coleman Francis before you get this one.
Favorite riff from short: "You must appear and you must have matter." - Mike Favorite riff from movie: "I'm just glad Coleman's not wearing a skirt." - Crow Favorite host segment: Segment 2, Frank and Dr.F get to do the knee test.
Grade: **** out of *****
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 8, 2008 15:23:27 GMT -5
621 - [glow=maroon,5,300][shadow=maroon,left,300]The Beast of Yucca Flats[/shadow][/glow] with shorts: [glow=green,5,300][shadow=green,left,300]Money Talks![/shadow][/glow] [glow=orange,5,300][shadow=orange,left,300]Progress Island U.S.A[/shadow][/glow]
Thoughts on shorts:
The first short is one of those that fits so well with the show's format. A kid is visited by Benjamin Franklin who teaches him how to better manage his money, though I don't how well that will serve since all the kid's done is squeeze more money from his dad. The other short, on the other hand, is pretty boring as a narrator keeps droning on about Puerto Rico and how well U.S.A.'s influence has done there.
Thoughts on movie:
Coleman Francis' first cinematic experience and, if you thought Skydivers and Red Zone Cuba were bad enough, you'll be in for one unpleasant surprise. This movie resembles Creeping Terror to a tee, minus the stupid rag monster. What it does have in turn is Tor Johnson (Unearthly, Bride of the Monster, Plan 9 from Outer Space) in his last movie role, playing a scientist caught in an atomic blast. Fortunately, he doesn't grow in size (don't think he could, anyway), but somehow turns into some kind of monster and starts killing people. In the end, he gets shot down, blah, blah, blah, end of story (also he gets to kiss a rabbit in the end).
Note: Coleman again gets two cameos in the movie: a guy buying a newspaper and the gas attendant sitting in the lawn chair. Also Anthony Cardoza plays one of the agents at the beginning.
Thoughts on episode:
The guys haven't let Coleman off the hook up until now and they certainly don't during this last installment of his terror trilogy. Their added twists to the redundant narration is what keeps the theater segments from getting stale. But that isn't all, as Tor Johnson gets some of the best riffing, as well as a close-up proficient cop who starts shooting people from a plane (watch for a 'North by North-West' rip-off) and a family who just wanders around at the end of the movie.
The first short gets some good riffing as well, M&tB adding punch-lines to the dialog between Benjamin Franklin and William. The other short isn't as great as the first and doesn't provide that many laughs. Thankfully, it doesn't last long so we switch then to the main feature.
The host segments have some classic parts as well. In the intro I got a big laugh out of Gypsy's reaction to the new wallpapers the guys chose. The next segment is the classic proposition Deep 13, which is a fancy way for Dr. Forrester to send Mike a really bad movie. The party and the "11:30, yet?" segments get a few chuckles but zip by fast enough. The following is one of my favorite segment: Crow's Film Anti-Preservation Society for which he nominates the Francis films and Sylvester Stallone's filmography. Boy, I wish we had that in real life! The experiment ends on a great note as Mike, Crow and Servo emerge victorious from the movie and Dr.F starts slapping Frank.
The best of the Coleman Francis Season 6 trilogy. Still don't skip on the other two, as they are all very good episodes.
Favorite riff from short no.1: "That was my darkest vision yet." - Crow Favorite riff from short no.2: "Complete with giant rolls of toilet paper." - Mike Favorite riff from movie: "They should have never let Tor improv." - Servo Favorite host segment: Segment 4, FAPS is a classic skit.
Grade: **** out of *****
Final grade on set: **** out of *****
A good set of good episodes, despite the movies they feature are real train wrecks.
Well, another set down, and more to go. For the next one I've decided to bring a few of my least preferred episodes from Season 5&6, just for a little change of grade, and see how these have held up.
Next set: 518 - The Atomic Brain 602 - Invasion U.S.A. 603 - The Dead Talk Back 607 - Bloodlust 616 - Racket Girls 623 - The Amazing Transparent Man
Don't forget, further comments, questions, agreements, disagreements about the reviewed episodes are welcomed. Don't be shy, I'm not gonna hurt you ........ much!
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 9, 2008 9:43:29 GMT -5
518 - [glow=teal,5,300][shadow=teal,left,300]The Atomic Brain[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=purple,5,300][shadow=purple,left,300]What About Juvenile Delinquency?[/shadow][/glow] Thoughts on short:The short is about a guy named Jamie who quits his gang after they beat up his dad. Together with a jock, a bookworm and a girl they go to the city hall and try to talk the city council out from establishing a curfew on all teenagers. Then it just ends abruptly with a big question mark. Yeah, that was informative I must say. Thoughts on episode:Does this movie look familiar somehow? Should be, since it's almost too familiar to The Brain that Wouldn't Die. But, instead of a sleazy doctor, we got a sleazy old woman who wants to put her brain in the body of one of her 3 new maids. So she enlists the help of a crusty faced doctor and his wolf-man. Boring is the word that pops in mind, when you watch this. Hell, BtWD at least had Jan in the Pan. This one has nothing, nothing but another narrator that keeps talking and talking in the background. There are no redeeming factors for this boring and depressing flick. PASS! Thoughts on episode:Sadly to say, not even the gang's riffing could save this one. The short had some good riffs spread around, especially when Jamie had to chose between informing the city hall or staying with his gang. The main feature on the other hand, doesn't get that good of riffing. A few chuckles here and there, but very few big laughs. I could barely keep my eyes open in some parts. The host segments, thankfully, are on the same level as the short. The intro is kind of weird as Crow and Servo rehearse some kind of play, I think. In the next the guys mock the Mads by doing impressions of them. Servo's weather forecast gets some laughs as well (loved it when Tom screams). Mike's chin puppet is hilarious, not because of the chin puppet itself (that was pretty creepy), but because of the bots' comments. In the next segment Magic Voice talks with the movie's narrator, but he turns out to be too weird for her. At the end the gang reads letters (Tommy Gun Servo would make a great forum name ) and Frank gets a visit from Dr. Fist. Good short, good host segments, but not that good work on the movie. Too bad, since I had high hopes for this one. Favorite riff from short: "I'm too noodley." - Mike as the principal Favorite riff from movie: "You're all from Nebraska, cut it out!" - Mike Favorite host segment: Segment 4, Magic Voice gets a chance to shine in this one. Grade: **1/2 out of *****
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 9, 2008 11:56:27 GMT -5
602 - [glow=red,5,300][shadow=red,left,300]Invasion U.S.A.[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=green,5,300][shadow=green,left,300]A Date with Your Family[/shadow][/glow]
Thoughts on short:
Man, if a '50s short was bad back then, imagine how we will see it now. In this a narrator keeps droning on about how you should behave at a family dinner in an atmosphere of pleasant repression and restraint. I can't believe the people who made this actually did this every night.
Thoughts on movie:
Back in the early '50s, when the red scare was really big in the U.S., it was inevitable for propaganda movies to appear. This one explores what would happen if the U.S.A. would be invaded, obviously. What would happen? A lot of boring stock footage, for starters. Man, this whole movie is filled with army stock footage. And, of course, the filmmakers couldn't get enough stock footage of soviet soldiers, so they arranged so the russian soldiers would be wearing american uniforms. Now, where the hell would the soviets get thousands of U.S. uniforms for their entire army, what, do they sell those things cheap on the eastern european black market?
Also, there something about some characters and, there's this weird guy with a wine glass, and in the end ........ ah, screw it, the whole thing is just a big dream. Talk about a rip-off! Propaganda or not, this is some lousy film-making right here!
Thoughts on episode:
Every fan of the show will tell you that the highlight of this episode is the short. And I agree, this thing is hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing out loud during the dinner sequence. The guys' riffs are some of the best ever done on a short. Easily a classic in my book.
The feature on the other hand, doesn't get that kind of riffing. It's not that bad, it's not that good, but somewhere in the middle for me. After all, you can throw so many shots at dull stock footage before it goes stale.
The host segments are pretty good, between the excellence of the short and the averageness of the feature. In the intro Mike tries to follow up in Joel's path, but it doesn't turn out that great. Next Forrester tries a really weird experiment (what was the point of Frank dressed as a pin cushion anyway, I don't get it). The spoof on the short is as funny as the short itself and Gypsy gets another great closing line. In the next one, taking advantages of the two Lois Lane's that appear in the movie, Mike and Tom make fun of Crow's geekiness ("Hey, you just made me look like a complete idiot!" - Crow / "You're welcome." - Servo/ "Thank you, I ... HEY!" - Crow). The A-bomb segment is, however, the weakest of the bunch. In the end, Tom thinks all is a dream and gets a painful wakeup call, and Frank and Dr.F spoof one of the scenes from the movie.
Decent enough episode, but a must-watch for the short. You won't regret it.
Favorite riff from short: "Perhaps booze will alleviate this situation." - Servo Favorite riff from movie: "World War Three separates the serious drinkers from the amateurs." - Servo Favorite host segment: Segment 2, great punchline.
Grade: *** out of *****
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 10, 2008 6:25:21 GMT -5
603 - [glow=purple,5,300][shadow=purple,left,300]The Dead Talk Back[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=orange,5,300][shadow=orange,left,300]The Selling Wizard[/shadow][/glow]
Thoughts on short:
A narrator keeps droning on and on about refrigerators and a girl in a stupid outfit just sits there and smiles like an idiot. That's all there is, folks.
Thoughts on movie:
This movie never saw the light of the day until MST3K picked it up and I can see why. When your movie starts with a scene that has nothing to do with the movie itself, you know you're in big trouble. But when it follows up with a dorky guy with weird hairdo that claims he can talk to the dead with a radio, then you're in really big trouble.
Nothing interesting happens in this movie, it doesn't even live up to its title (geez, no wonder this one never got released in the theaters). Just think of this entire flick like a poor man's, really lame, murder mystery party.
Thoughts on episode:
The movie may be nothing more than a train wreck, but Mike and the bots tackle what may be the movie's saving grace: its characters. Dr. Krasker, especially, gets some good ribbing in the beginning scene ("It's hard for him to make friends." - Mike). But that's not all, since on the scene there's also a hyped preacher, a german with a really bad accent, two police investigators, one which likes to beat up the interrogated suspects and runs like a girl and many, many more.
The short on the other hand isn't very funny at all. I don't remember laughing at any of the jokes, and even though it's only about 10 minutes long, it feels way much longer. This is my least favorite of the MST3K shorts.
The host segments are average in quality. We get Gyspy doing a fire drill at the beginning, the Mads bring forth Nelson cigarettes, Crow and Servo manage to talk to the dead, the gang does a parody on the Grateful Dead and Crow gets too much into it, the Mads make like investigators, but it's Frank who spills the beans, and, in the end, there's mayhem during letter time and Dr.F practices crossbow shooting on Frank.
Good riffing on the movie, decent host segments, but lousy short. Worth a watch to see if it's right up your alley.
Favorite riff from short: "It's the pizza dominatrix!" - Servo Favorite riff from movie: "Fine, fine. Everyone pick on the Devil." - Mike Favorite host segment: Segment 3, Crow really got carried away.
Grade: ***1/2 out of *****
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 10, 2008 16:23:23 GMT -5
607 - [glow=red,5,300][shadow=red,left,300]Bloodlust![/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=blue,5,300][shadow=blue,left,300]Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm[/shadow][/glow] Thoughts on short:Typical '50s short about what happens on a farm. Just so you city slickers should know how great it is. It's a wonder cities even exist! Thoughts on movie:A group of four teens end up on an island where a fey, over-acting, smoking jacket wearing villain and his crew of sailors hunt them down. Interesting premise, but dull execution. The film becomes quite predictable after a while. Though I must say the end scene was pretty gory for its time. Weird symbolism though... Thoughts on episode: There's some good riffs to be found through-out this one. Mike and the bots giving names to the pirates (Whistling Pete, Salty Ron, Peg Legged Dick), Robert Reed sucking in his gut accompanied by obvious grunts and a mute yelling islander that loves to chew the scenery are the some of the highlights here. The short gets some better riffing than the movie as the gang makes fun of all the fun the kids are having at the farm. I especially loved it when they voice the farm animals ("Equal rights for pigs!"). The host segments are the exact opposite of the short and feature. The intro and the first segment get a few laughs as Servo plays a psychiatrist and Pearl Forrester comes to Deep 13. Loved the part when Mike, Servo, Crow and Gypsy read Clayton's letters. Gypsy even gets to say a naughty word (though I remember Mike saying it also two episodes ago). The rest, well, are just for filler: Crow's vegetable stand, a country dance and a murder mystery party both gone wrong. The last one where Tom and Crow think Mike is hunting is a little better. Also Dr.F hitting the button with the apple was a nice touch. Good work in the theater, but sub-par work outside of it. Still, worth a look. Favorite riff from short: "Let my people go!" - Crow Favorite riff from movie: "If, earlier, he had said, "I'll never be impaled on my own rack", then this would have been ironic." - Mike Favorite host segment: Segment 1, this one gets a few laughs. Grade: ***1/2 out of *****
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 11, 2008 12:15:19 GMT -5
616 - [glow=orange,5,300][shadow=orange,left,300]Racket Girls[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=pink,5,300][shadow=pink,left,300]Are You Ready for Marriage?[/shadow][/glow]
Thoughts on short:
A marriage councilor tries to teach a young couple about marriage with elastic bands, small dolls and Cupid's checklist. Yes, folks, another short tailor-made for the show. How innocent the '50s were, when you see them today.
Thoughts on movie:
Crow describes this movie perfectly when he says that "it was much easier to get turned on back then". And boy, is he right. The movie is about women in their 50s wrestling in skimpy outfits (GAAH! I'M BLIND!). What demonic force possessed the people who made it, that this is attractive, even for that time? Then, all of sudden the flick does a 180 degrees move and turns into a mob movie. The HELL is going on here? I don't know and I don't even care.
Thoughts on episode:
'Are You Ready for Marriage?' is easily the best short ever done on the show. Right from when the title card came up, I knew I was in for quite a ride. The scene in which the couple discusses their future plans with the marriage councilor is one big belly laugh. All I got to say about this one is: ... BOING! Also the 'Alien' fan in me loved it when the girl starts day-dreaming, the guys start making gun-fire noises and Crow lets out a "Marines, we are leaving!". A classic in my book! Don't miss this one for the world.
The feature film gets a few funny stabs as well, but, goddamn it, if the movie wasn't such an unappealing pile of crap, I might have enjoyed it more. Eh, you can't win them all.
The host segments play on the short's subject. In the beginning Deep 13 and SOL have a few intruders: some strange tourists and Lisa Loeb. After-wards Crow and Servo want to get married (gotta love it when Mike imitates the elastic band trick from the short). Before the ceremony, Crow has a bachelor party, but it doesn't go out that well. Neither does the ceremony, as a wrestling match breaks out! In the end the gang reads letters dressed up as wrestlers and Lisa Loeb is back.
Overall decent episode. Worth checking ASAP for the short, but beware of the feature.
Favorite riff from short: "Yeah, I'm sick of sex anyway." - Mike Favorite riff from movie: "You know, when Ed Wood saw this, it was like when Truffaut saw Citizen Kane." - Crow Favorite host segment: Segment 2, Servo bases his love decisions on Curly Joe DeRita?!
Grade: *** out of *****
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Post by quinnmartin on Mar 11, 2008 12:41:19 GMT -5
Man, if Racket Girls gets 3 stars, I'm very curious about which ones you'd consider 1 or 2 star episodes.
You're right though, the short is killer.
Btw, I really like the setup of your reviews. Nice structure, but still room for a good amount of narrative content.
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Post by Diet Kolos on Mar 11, 2008 12:56:12 GMT -5
Man, if Racket Girls gets 3 stars, I'm very curious about which ones you'd consider 1 or 2 star episodes. Exactly. I love your reviews, but MAN. Racket Girls? 3 stars? Are you secretly Leonard Maltin? Me, I won't get to this ep for awhile. But from memory, I'd give this episode a... D. Which would be equivalent to a solid 2 stars out of 5. The movie is just sooooo turgid and bleak and long that my mind starts to shut down while watching it.
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 11, 2008 13:48:27 GMT -5
Man, if Racket Girls gets 3 stars, I'm very curious about which ones you'd consider 1 or 2 star episodes. Exactly. I love your reviews, but MAN. Racket Girls? 3 stars? Are you secretly Leonard Maltin? Me, I won't get to this ep for awhile. But from memory, I'd give this episode a... D. Which would be equivalent to a solid 2 stars out of 5. The movie is just sooooo turgid and bleak and long that my mind starts to shut down while watching it. True, the movie's riffing is pretty stunned and the feature itself is ... BLEAH . But I love the short so much and the host segments that spoof it, that they raise the grade more than it should. On its own, Racket Girls would get a **, maybe **1/2 if I'm in a good mood. EDIT: Also, I'm glad to see that you've enjoyed it so far. Stay tuned, I'm preparing the review on 'Amazing Transparent Man' right now.
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Post by Bix Dugan on Mar 11, 2008 15:44:51 GMT -5
There are parts of Invasion USA that are hard to take, even if you look at it as pure propaganda. Like the sub-plot about the industrialist that is UPSET that the government is MAKING him produce Tanks. I worked at a major defense contractor for a while, and unless the 50s were completely different in procurement policies, it's hard for me to believe anyone would make more money turning out John Deeres. M-60 Ahbrams Main Battle Tank anyone?
But I still like the episode- stock footage and all.
"Cubs? A cub is a baby bear!"
"Shoot him!"
And I thought Racket Girls was going to be so-so, then the way too long opening match finally ended. The rest of the Ep is great, IMO. But that could just be the male chauvanist pig in me. Keep it up, KD!
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 11, 2008 16:25:04 GMT -5
623 - [glow=beige,5,300][shadow=beige,left,300]The Amazing Transparent Man[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=navy,5,300][shadow=navy,left,300]The Days of our Years[/shadow][/glow] Thoughts on short:Wow, this was one dark and depressing short. A reverend recalls several accidents that have ruined lives and the people that suffered because of their carelessness. Could get to you if you're the over-sensitive type. Thoughts on movie:Well, the late 50s got a Incredible Shrinking Man and a Amazing Colossal Man. Hmm..., I wonder what's missing? But of course, an Amazing Transparent Man. So what if it's done before? We put a whole new spin on it and blame our friend, the atom, for this one ..... again. That's pretty much the plot of our feature, as a traitorous general rescues a safe robber from jail and forces a german doctor to turn him invisible, in order to steal more nuclear stuff, I guess, so that the general can create an invisible army. But, in the end, things don't go the way he expected and almost everyone dies, except for the doctor, which throws a question at the audience before the end credits start running. An invisible army or blowing up half of Texas? Hmm.... an invisible army would be pretty hard to maintain, so I'll go with blowing up Texas. Now, if that was an Army of Darkness, well, then, you know.... Thoughts on episode:Despite the nature of the short, our boys' riffs pretty much hit the mark. A guy who had a car accident because he couldn't get to his girlfriend fast enough, a old railroad worker who, despite feeling sick, decided to keep working, causing eventually the death of his best friend and an excited new dad who gets a welding torch right to the eye, because he forgot the safety regulations are the situations the short presents. This isn't probably stuff to make fun of, but M&tB get some great riffs out of this one. On the other hand, I wasn't too impressed with the work on the movie. I don't know how many times I've seen this one, but I've given this feature every chance I could and every time it barely rose up above sub-par level. Although I did get a bit of a chuckle at the movie's cheesy special effects, the security guard getting pummeled by our transparent thief, the general who fights and screams like a girl and a set of view-master binoculars. The host segments are pretty much "m'eh" level as well. Crow as Tom's science project, Mike, Crow and Servo providing some "local" color to Dr.F's Bed and Breakfast and Crow spoofing the welding torch scene from the short get the most laughs (especially the first segment, it's one of those that make you go " THE HELL??!!", but that's exactly what makes it fun). The other ones get a few chuckles as Frank's disappointment for not seeing Squanto comes in loud and clear and we find out that Mike has a few unknown eccentricities. Well, to each his own. Overall, this one is pretty average. Mostly, I'd recommend the short as it is a gas, but stick with the rest, maybe you'll like it more than I did. Oh, and don't forget: ---->GENTLE PRESSURE<----Favorite riff from short: "So the main causes of accidents are joy, sex and old age?" - Mike Favorite riff from movie: "Well, doctor, you and your friends have succeeded in blowing up half the county." "Eh, ... oops?" - Policeman/ Crow Favorite host segment: Segment 1, and I thought petting llamas was weird enough. Grade: *** out of ***** Final grade on set: *** out of ***** Most of the features in this set are close to the 'average' status, but the shorts are some of the best in the show's history (and some of the worst: The Selling Wizard) and therefore a definite must-see. For my next set, I'm going with the teenager motif. Let's see what our generation (or well, the 50s generation) has to say. Next set: 514 - Teenage Strangler 522 - Teenage Crime-wave 601 - Girls Town 610 - The Violent Years 613 - The Sinister Urge 618 - High School Big Shot Don't go away, folks. We'll be right back.
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Post by quinnmartin on Mar 11, 2008 16:42:37 GMT -5
I haven't seen the movie segments in 623 in a LONG time, so I"m not sure exactly what grade I'd give it, but it's hard to overstate just how funny the 'local color' bit is. Pure genius on Mike and Kevin's part.
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Post by mst3krom on Mar 12, 2008 16:57:43 GMT -5
KD is back, baby, and I'm packing heat! Well, maybe I should cut out the vague references and get on with the reviews. 514 - [glow=orange,5,300][shadow=orange,left,300]Teen-Age Strangler[/shadow][/glow] with short: [glow=pink,5,300][shadow=pink,left,300]Is This Love?[/shadow][/glow] Thoughts on short:This one seems oddly familiar to "Are You Ready for Marriage?". Here we've got another couple who want to start their lives together without putting much thought into it. Though the ending resembles more "What About Juvenile Delinquency?" in which there's no conclusion and we're all left bewildered and wondering: Is this love or just rough sex with Michael Douglas? Thoughts on movie:It's movies like this that set the standard for the teen movies of today. Just look at what we have to deal with: the straight leading guy and his girlfriend, a nerdy friend, the guy's even nerdier brother, a bad teen and his gang, a creepy janitor, the strict folks and an ineffectual cop. All we need now is the dog and we've a complete set. That's all good and well, but, man, the hammy acting is over the top on this one! Forget Bruce Campbell, these characters broke the goofy-meter more times than I can count. And of course the main offender here is Mikey. You can't help but snickering whenever the poor dorky guy is on-screen. Plus, his big scene at the jail was so hilarious it was a shame I didn't see more of the guy at the end. Of course there are many more stupid laughable moments, but I'd be sitting here an entire day discussing them all. Oh, and another thing: the director may have had no idea how to direct, but damn it, he screws it up even in other departments. Normally, I expected the music to stink ('White Stripes'? Really square.), but the actual look of the movie looks like hell. The editing in some parts is disastrous (you can hear someone laughing out-loud off-screen in a sequence) and the color grading changes visibly from scene to scene. Just lazy, no excuse here. Prepare yourselves for a great slice of over-acting goofiness for this one. Thoughts on episode:I've found that through-out my latest reviews that the Brains wouldn't always go for the easiest to mock flick, sometimes they went for a real challenge (that would explain Starfighters, Racket Girls and all three Coleman Francis disasters). But nothing gets their creative juices going like a poorly made and downright laughable teen movie. That being said I had a blast with this one. The fact that the flick is so laughable on its own, seeing these guys squeeze even more great laughs out of it, is really the work of genius. An way too friendly mom, a dad who invokes Jupiter, a bad guy named Curly (Three Stooges reference obligatory), bad dancing, over-the-top scene chewing and, of course, dear, sweet Mikey. The guys hit home run with him every time. The short is grand as well. A great companion piece to go with "Marriage". I especially loved the riffs on the girl who looks like a Romulan and on the leading girl's parents. Their expression when she tells them she's getting married inspired big belly laughs from our boys. The host segments are great fun as well. Mike calling on his grandma for rescue was just good fun. In the invention exchange Dr.F brings the very evil Frank-n-Forcer, while Mike and the Bots show their Waiter Baiter. Afterwards, they discuss celebrities love and Crow and Servo act like gang members, but Mike gets too serious. In the next one Mike imitates Mikey (remarkably accurate, i must add) as a result of the Bots' prank. In the end Mike sings the beautiful "Janitor Song" and Frank gets a little (scratch that, make it a LOT) woozy from the song. Great episode this one. I get great laughs from it every time. Highly recommended. Favorite riff from short: "Well, honey, looks like we spawned a demon seed." - Mike Favorite riff from movie: "No, no, no, don't tempt me, I'm a happily married man." - Mike Favorite host segment: Segment 5, love this one, easily in my top 10 MST3K songs. Grade: ****1/2 out of *****
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