Torgo's Review Thread 2.0

[Torgo]

M01-This Island Earth

The Movie

*I HAVE SURVIVED WATCHING THIS MOVIE UNRIFFED*

After a series of strange events, including a glowing airplane and building a some-assembly-required communications device, a group of scientists find themselves invited to take part in a secret project. They are rounded up by aliens from the planet Metaluna, who sneak them back to their planet for no reason other than to stare at them and send them back while a planet explodes and a giant mutated insect attacks for no reason.

One of the most controversial film selections in Mystery Science Theater history, half because it’s somewhat well regarded as a science fiction classic and half because the film had one-fifth of its runtime edited out due to studio insistence. For years I had held off on having an opinion on This Island Earth until I had a chance to watch the film in its uncut glory. Will my various questions be answered? Will we have an explanation as to why Ruth doesn’t remember Cal? Does the third act still render the entirety of the film completely redundant?

The answer to all three is yes. It’s not a terrible movie, but in all honesty it’s really not all that great.

The film is a colorful science fiction film full of ideas, and maybe if it went anywhere it would seem far more worthwhile. We are supposed to dazzle at the amazing technology on display and be intrigued by the mystery behind the aliens’ motivations, and for a while it works. I love the tech and the effects bringing it to life, and the alien plot is easy to get involved in. It’s as soon as the film reveals it’s going nowhere with this that it starts to become tiresome. The third act to this movie is a mess as our human leads are reduced to gawkers, taken to an alien planet for no reason at all other than to see it blow up before the aliens’ plan can be executed (rendering any conflict in the movie completely pointless, I might add), and given a final obstacle in the form of a monster that has nothing to do with anything that just kind of dies after doing nothing. It makes the whole movie in retrospect less interesting.

That said, I do quite enjoy the first two acts of this movie. It’s intriguing science fiction with pleasant eye candy. But in the end the movie collapses because it has nowhere to go.

Movie Rating: 6/10

The “Episode”

Mystery Science Theater 3000 makes a leap to the big screen and for the most part it’s bittersweet. Their creative freedom is gone, causing a lot of riffs to be changed and the film to be heavily edited and altered. In many ways This Island Earth is the biggest victim here, though for the most part the film remains mildly coherent. But this should have been their chance to riff an uncut film in it’s full length glory, and it has been stolen away.

While it’s easy to write this riff off because of how neutered and safe it feels at times, that wouldn’t entirely be giving it enough credit. I admit being worried early on during Cal’s introduction scene, in which a minute or two seems to go by without a “real” riff other than mock laughter, and there are spaces where the film gets talky and the crew can’t get a word in. However when Mike and the Bots get the ball rolling the laughter and amusement reaches peak points. The movie is ripe for playing with, with things like the alien forehead designs, impressions of Cal’s heroically deep voice, and all of the crazy designs all over the place prompting creative commentary. The riff of MST3K: The Movie is just fun, with a colorful but sluggish movie being energized by an enthusiastic group of riffers. It’s hard not to delight at Cal’s crappy plane flying (“Should we be seeing this?”), his wormy sidekick (“Into the Weeniemobile! Weenie-Man away!”), and the lackluster romance (“Shrinky Dink! Remember?”). As the film gets into it’s horridly mizcalculated third act things seem to start settling down as it’s hard to have fun with the film at this point...until we meet the Mutant. This creature revealed out of nowhere to create finale conflict gives the riffing a shot of adrenaline, and it pushes them through to the inane final confrontation where Ruth screams at it for several minutes and it just lays down and dies, leaving the viewer mystified to the point of it all.l and without breath in laughter. The riffing on this scene is solid gold, and they stay pumped up straight until that “The End” text is seen.

“Hey, I’m experiencing a sensation altogether new to me! And quite frankly, I LOVE IT!”

I also quite like the host segments for the most part. Crow breaching the hull in his attempt to “tunnel” his way to Earth gets the film off on the right foot, as it’s deliciously wacky and the final solution is hilarious. Another favorite of mine comes in Mike’s attempt at steering the Satellite of Love only to find up crashing into the Hubble satellite. They aren’t all winners, as Servo’s Interocitor sketch is mediocre and the finale is pretty weak. But the good ones are gold.

I was anticipating saying something similar about MST3K: The Movie as I say about The Simpsons Movie (the film version of my other favorite show) in that in the context of the series it’s just pretty good, though compared to most comedy films I’d dare say it’s outstanding. But upon further review I have to say, even if the production was troubled, this movie is hilarious. It says something that I’ve watched this film as many times as I have and still laugh at to this day. Is it inconsistent? Sure. A little tempered and too mainstream? Just a tad. But when I laugh at something I have to trust that I’m laughing for a reason.

“Episode” Rating: Classic

The DVD and Blu-Ray

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie has been released on home media many times. It’s initial release was an early DVD by Universal with a non-anamorphic widescreen transfer with no special features. I don’t own this one, since it was out of print for the longest time and was being sold for outrageous prices.

Luckily Universal re-released it a few years down the road through their Rogue banner. This disc featured a nice anamorphic transfer and good audio. However, one small irritant is that they edited in the more modern Universal logo at the beginning of the movie, when it should have been the logo from the early 90’s. Edited logos are a pet peeve of mine, and they’re pointless. There were no special features on this disc either.

The definitive way to own this movie is the blu-ray/DVD combo pack from Shout Factory. The video is about as crisp as you would expect it to look in high definition while the audio is as good as it ever was. Unfortunately the logo replacement is still intact.

Special features are loaded, leading off with a vintage behind the scenes preview. Some of the set videos are neat, but if you want the real meat and potatoes of what went on behind the scenes I recommend the extra beneath it, Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie: The Motion Picture Odyssey. This 35-minute documentary interviews Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Trace Beaulieu, and Jim Mallon about the origins and execution of the feature film, as well as the constant battle with the studio over the final edit. If you ever wondered why there wasn’t a sequel, wonder no longer.

Meanwhile we’re also offered another 35-minute documentary called 2 ½ Years in the Making, chronicling the making of This Island Earth and it’s legacy. The documentary is interesting, though it becomes bitter when Mystery Science Theater is brought up, one interviewee even claiming the guys at MST were the ones who edited the film and states the studio should have stopped them, which is about as far from the truth as one can be.

But for those who also wish there was more in this film, the deleted scenes might satisfy you. There is quite a bit of extended theater segments as well as two deleted host segments.

Finally there is a trailer for MST: The Movie.

Next Time: The Six Million Dollar Man vs. The Penguin!

[Torgo]

K20-The Last Chase

The Movie

In a dystopian future where automobiles have been outlawed in the aftermath of oil depletion and a plague has wiped out a percentage of the American populace, a former racecar driver (Lee Majors) dares to race across the country to the free nation of California. The government sends a former jet pilot (Burgess Meredith) to follow and destroy the car, but he soon finds himself sympathizing with the driver.

There’s not a whole lot to say about this cheap dystopian sci-fi film. It’s pretty simple, has some fun moments, but for the most part is pretty crappy. To an extent The Last Chase almost feels like a TV show like The Fugitive or The Incredible Hulk where characters travel across country, occasionally bumping into a regular nemesis, and moving on to the next town. The way it’s shot doesn’t help, as I was almost certain this was a TV movie until I looked it up and was proven wrong.

The movie doesn’t have a lot of plot to support it, as it’s mostly just driving sequences followed by some male bonding moments between Majors and his sidekick. The climax doesn’t even pay off that well with some bloated and prolonged sequence of Meredith making a noble sacrifice, which is undercut by how funny it is in execution. The Last Chase ultimately is a waste of time, but it’s hardly something you’ll be angry at yourself for watching.

Movie Rating: 4/10

The Episode

Joel and the Bots are quipping away at a rapid pace this week. However in trying to keep their comments active they wind up talking over each other quite a bit. All too often you’ll find someone in a middle of a joke only to be cut off, and it doesn’t always feel for the better as I find myself wishing the previous joke was completed. As such there’s a certain desperation to this episode’s improv that just kind of taints it.

That said, there are plenty of belly laughs in the episode. Sometimes there’s a goofy observation, or just the right pun at the right moment (the riff about Burgess Meredith “knowing his old birds” got a huge reaction out of me, because it works on several levels). The movie is watchable garbage that has a slight charm to it, which helps a lot too.

There’s not much to the host segments this week, which devotes three segments to reading letters. I’m pretty sure the movie was running long so they kept it simple, though Dr. Forrester creating cold fusion in Dr. Erhardt’s mouth was a giant slice of WTF. Overall I’m going to be lenient on The Last Chase and give it a solid grade. It constantly amused me.

Episode Rating: Good

Next Time: The corpse may vanish but the season will be complete!

[Torgo]

105-The Corpse Vanishes (With Short: “Radar Men from the Moon: Chapter Three - Bridge of Death”)

The Short

In one of the cooler Commando Cody cliffhanger payoffs, Cody rockets out of the cavern above the molten lava that threatened to trap him. After that it’s business as usual as Cody is threatened by the Moon Men thugs’ ambush, leading up to an exploding bridge.

Three episodes into Commando Cody and probably the best thing that can be said for it is that I’m not sick of it yet. Don’t worry, that’ll change. The repetition is annoying but the pulp flavor isn’t quite worn down yet. This chapter at least has the awesome lava sequence.

Commando Cody will be taking the next episode off, but don’t worry, he’ll be back.

The Movie

Various brides begin dying on their wedding day, and their bodies disappearing on their way to the morgue. A female reporter investigates a mysterious orchid each girl receives just before the ceremony, leading her into the home of a mad scientist (Bela Lugosi). He has been kidnapping the woman and stealing neck fluid to keep his wife young.

This daffy movie is almost a precursor to The Leech Woman, which also told of an aging woman who regained her youth through the magic of neck juice. The poverty row production of The Corpse Vanishes can’t even reach the low bar of that film, which at the very least told the story with imagination. This movie just makes it a basic mad doctor tale, with little else.

The film does try to present the story with the hook of the mystery the reporter is following, though it tends to lose its mystique with early scenes featuring Lugosi performing his experiments. And as we find out what he’s doing the premise doesn’t quite make sense, as he kidnaps women on the most public day of their lives and leaves a clear visible pattern for follow for anyone with half a brain. He is clearly not the brightest, nor the most threatening, villain Lugosi has ever played.

If I might make a suggestion to a Lugosi film with a similar premise, maybe check out Murders in the Rue Morgue, which also sees him kidnapping women and performing dastardly experiments on them. It’s not a great movie either, but it’s stylish and interesting. The Corpse Vanishes is neither.

Movie Rating: 3/10

The Episode

I don’t mean to be a contrarian. It just kind of happens. Most people think the first season doesn’t pick up until about halfway through while I find these earlier episodes more enjoyable than the later episodes of the season (with some exceptions). I theorize it’s because I’m a bit more intrigued by poverty row crap like The Corpse Vanishes than colorful chores like Moon Zero Two and overexposed bad movies like Robot Monster. But is the riffing worse in these earlier episodes? I don’t really think that’s true. I find myself laughing a bit more in Mad Monster or Crawling Eye than I do in others, personally. So it might be the unpopular opinion, but these first four episodes of the national series (not counting the out of order Women of the Prehistoric Planet) tend to hit my rotation more than most others in the first season.

The Corpse Vanishes as an episode doesn’t quite live up to how much I enjoy the previous three episodes, and yet it’s one I like to pop in on a rainy day. The movie is pure inane nonsense, so much so that it makes Servo’s head blow up at the end. The riffing is very patchy, sometimes commenting just to comment while in other moments providing precision comedy. The guys relish having a recognizable star in Bela Lugosi on their screens, and really play with his theatrical presence here. The episode is mostly enjoyable when he is on screen, though it tends to slog when we focus on the reporter characters. The final wedding scene and kidnapping of our female lead is a bit of a highlight, which ends the episode on a strong and funny note. And while they usually struggle with Commando Cody, this week’s isn’t too bad. There’s some solid flow with the line delivery, and the zingers land on target more often than not.

One of the worst things about this episode is their new “solution” to the film/silhouette contrast issue. They abandon the eye-strain shifting color of the last few weeks in favor of turning our riffers green, and while it’s an improvement boy is it ugly. The color burns itself into your retinas and never leaves. And get ready, we’ll have to stare at this for two more episodes.

The host segments feature two remakes from the KTMA season, including one of the all-time greats of this era, the barbershop segment from Cosmic Princess. The segment is still a goodie, parodying small-town small-talk with some wonderfully wacky scenarios being conveyed. There’s also a repeat of the tag segment from Humanoid Woman, which is lightweight but fun. We also have Good Thing/Bad Thing and an invention exchange involving a flaming flower and a recycled gag from the Green Slime pilot, the Chiropractic Helmet.

I’m going to give The Corpse Vanishes a more humble grade than previous episodes, though for the most part I like the episode. I don’t laugh that often during it and it slows down pretty often during some rough patches. I guess the same can be said for most first season episodes, though I tend to watch films like this with the greatest of ease, making me softer of the episode in general.

Episode Rating: Average

The DVD

The Corpse Vanishes sees release on Shout Factory’s Volume XVI set, with great video and audio. The only special feature is a trailer for the film.

Next Time: My 100th episode review ventures back into the relaunch season! Time will be sure not to forget this one!

[Torgo]

Season 1

Episodes:
The Crawling Eye
The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy
The Mad Monster
The Corpse Vanishes
The Crawling Hand
Robot Monster
The Slime People
Project Moon Base
Robot Holocaust
Moon Zero Two
Untamed Youth
The Black Scorpion
Women of the Prehistoric Planet

Featured in DVD sets:
The Crawling Hand
Volume 9
Volume XIV
Volume XV
Volume XVI
Volume XVII
Volume XIX
Volume XX
Volume XXV
Volume XXVII
25th Anniversary Edition
Volume XXIX
Volume XXX

Breaking away from it’s UHF roots, Mystery Science Theater 3000 hits national airwaves through the fairly new Comedy Channel. This first season is a fairly different beast than the KTMA season and even of the seasons that followed. Moving past improvisation and trying to find scripting methods that work for the series, this first season can be a bit cumbersome. Even in comparison to the previous season, which has the innocence and virtue of its simplistic nature on its side. As season one aspires to be more, it trips. But it also picks itself up.

I argue that a lot of enjoyment from these season might come from which films you respond to. A fan favorite is Moon Zero Two, which most claim is a movie that’s pretty decent on its own. I dislike Moon Zero Two as a movie and as an episode it’s possibly my least favorite of the series. I tend to be more interested in crummy black and white, zero-budget movies that try to make its sum more than its whole. As such, I love popping in the “ugly” (as I’ve heard them referred to by fans) films featured early in the series more often than the later ones.

And yet they aren’t quite my favorites of the season. Project Moon Base and Untamed Youth really stick with me and make me laugh a bit more than other first season episodes. If I were to highlight two must see episodes of the season, look no further than those beauties.

Movie selection starts off with some really rough printed black and white films, but even as the prints get cleaner the movies maintain the black and white stature. It’s not until well past the halfway point where we get our first color movie, Robot Holocaust, which in many ways is a much worse film than what we have been seeing. The season finishes off with some minor but decently budgeted films from Warner Brothers.

The first season may not be everyone's cup of tea, as there is too much uncertainty in the air and sometimes the aggressively bad films can give the season a dreary tone. I find myself prefering even the KTMA episodes because of this, and even though I can defend these episodes they might very well make up the worst season of the series.

Top Three Episodes:
1. Project Moon Base
2. Untamed Youth
3. The Crawling Eye

Bottom Three Episodes:
1. Moon Zero Two
2. The Black Scorpion
3. Women of the Prehistoric Planet

[Torgo]

1107-The Land That Time Forgot

The Movie

Doug McClure survives being torpedoed by a German World War I sub, and he and fellow survivors succeed in taking the sub over. They surface near an island inhabited by dinosaurs and primitive Neanderthals, struggle to survive, and must learn to work with their enemy.

Based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot offers some delightful fakey dinosaur thrills for those of us who like our giant thunderlizards to be puppets and nothing but rubber. Land That Time Forgot compensates its somewhat lackluster special effects by having a mildly interesting character dilemma at its core, even though it loses track of what it’s about halfway through. This might be that rare breed of creature feature that can be more interesting when the toothy monsters aren’t on screen providing cheap thrills. And yet, perhaps if there weren’t dinosaurs in this movie there would be nowhere to go?

For the most part I like this movie quite a bit. While some of the dino action can be crudely hilarious some of the scenarios are interesting and there’s some good model work for the submarines. And as hokey as some of the special effects can get, the action is fairly exciting at times. However the biggest weakness is that the film feels dated. After all, the original King Kong had a similar plot structure and was made forty years prior, and this movie isn’t nearly as lively.

The film actually spawned a sequel, The People That Time Forgot, also based on a Burroughs novel (perhaps it is being saved for season 12)? There is also a third novel titled Out of Time’s Abyss, which did not receive a film adaptation. However Asylum remade Land in 2009 (perhaps for season 13?).

Movie Rating: 6/10

The Episode

One of the great things about MSTidom is that each episode is a truly unique experience and we might at times give episodes a second chance to see if maybe it might gel this time and/or wonder if we just weren’t in the mood earlier. This is especially something I wonder with the (admittedly bingewatched the first time around) eleventh season as there are several that I hoped might air out from the rest of the pack over time and improve. The Land That Time Forgot is one I wasn’t impressed with upon it’s initial release. But in retrospect it was in the middle of the season and was pretty out of breath from laughing at above par episodes like Cry Wilderness, Avalanche, and Starcrash (and the final theater segment of Beast from Hollow Mountain too). A lower key episode probably wasn’t going to play with me at this point in time. I’ve been eager to give this episode a second chance broken out of context of the season and am pretty glad I did. Pretty much off the bat the riff “The world’s worst paperboy.” gave me one of the biggest belly laughs I’ve had in awhile.

And yet, maybe while my initial assessment of Land That Time Forgot being one of the weakest of its season might have been overly exaggerated in retrospect, I still find it mostly an uneven experience. There are more laughs in it than I had remembered, though I find they’re spread pretty thinly throughout the episode. It’s not uncommon for long patches of Jonah and the Bots’ trademark lightning-speed-sometimes-riffing-before-the-scene-happens-because-we’re-just-that-good style to breeze by with comments that just sit there, often said just to be said. When something works it almost seems glaring and it hits because some of the material surrounding it has been weak.

The host segments are a rousing bunch, with the Dinosaur BBQ advertisement jingle being a favorite of mine. The segment runs a little long, but the slogans and sales pitches are so clever and constantly funny that I just let it do its thing. Also featured is Crow wondering if he’ll ever turn human and the crew playing submarine. The Invention Exchange includes one of my favorite inventions of the season, the magazine M. Night Shyamalan Living, which makes for some verbal gags. The Mads’ invention of the Elder Pump is mostly just to pay off a running gag that I had noticed and thought was weird through the season, where the Mads’ inventions were based on riffs from the previous episode. The idea of the Mads’ ripping off ideas without giving credit is kind of funny; this segment...not so much. But I’ll give them points for trying.

The Land That Time Forgot proves to be an episode that works better on its own outside of the Netflix trademark binge-style. Maybe one day I’ll grow to love it on it's own. For now it’s a patchy episode, with wonderful brilliance at it’s highs and dryness at its lows. I had initially written this episode off as being one of the worst of the season, but now I’m not so sure. Will the other unimpressive episodes step up as well?

Episode Rating: Average

The DVD and Blu-Ray

Not available in retail yet, The Land That Time Forgot was available exclusively to Kickstarter backers in Shout Factory’s Season 11 (#WeBroughtBackMST3K Collector’s Edition) set. My copy is the blu-ray collection, which has fabulous audio and video. There are no special features, though the episode shares a disc with the following episode, The Loves of Hercules.

Next Time: The birth of the stinger!

[Torgo]

205-Rocket Attack USA (With Short: “The Phantom Creeps: Chapter Two”

The Short

Our heroes manage to escape the sabotaged plane from last week’s installment, though Dr. Zorka’s wife is killed in the crash. Blaming everyone but himself, Zorka returns to his lab to resupply himself with his invisible belt and other sciencey stuff. The good guys show up, leading to a road chase with an invisible man.

There’s already so much more happening in two chapters of The Phantom Creeps than we saw in all eight segments of Commando Cody. I actually wish more serials were like this, because this one is moderately entertaining. There’s still not much to talk about, outside of low budget effects (this invisible man has nothing on the one Universal put in it’s main features). Bela Lugosi continues to be a commanding presence that very few serials have.

The Movie

This cold war propaganda thriller will leave you saying “...help me…” An American spy is sent deep into the Soviet Union to gain intel and/or stop them from launching nuclear missiles at the US. In a Hitchcockian twist, he is gunned down two-thirds into the movie and we watch American residents react to their impending doom for the rest of the movie.

So if you ever want to see helpless infants get nuked, this is your movie!

Rocket Attack USA has a moderately effective idea at its core, as it reminds people that the threat of nuclear retaliation is very real. And for a while it’s even a mildly amusing little spy movie too. I gotta be fair this movie isn’t void of promise. At the very least I liked the way it presented its subject matter more than the comparable Invasion USA.

But Rocket Attack USA is let down by its budget. The movie lumbers like the heavy-handed propaganda piece that it is with little static dialogue playlets that are dull and tiresome. The spy movie could be fun, but it lacks much intrigue as the most heroic thing our main character does is hide in a closet.

Life is much happier for those willing to come out of the closet. THANK YOU! I’LL BE HERE ALL WEEK!

In the finale we’re supposed to identify with little snippets of people going about their daily lives only to be cut short by nuclear holocaust, but unfortunately we don’t care. There’s little to no meat on this film’s bones, and the idea doesn’t really make the film interesting without the execution.

Movie Rating: 3/10

The Episode

“Darn old apocalypse! I just ignore them!”

I’m hesitant about popping episodes based around propaganda pieces like these in for repeat viewing, because I find the movies just don’t seem to invite me back. They’re not that fun to watch, and the riffers need to be on fire to serve such a cold fish to us. As such, Rocket Attack USA is something of a surprise to me. I’ve never given the episode much thought, but forcing myself to have an opinion on it right now I find that it is actually a pretty strong effort. The movie lulls the crew a bit down with it at points, but they always seem to bounce back. I’ve found myself throwing my head back with a huge laugh more than once during this episode, which is always a welcome sign. That’s without taking The Phantom Creeps into the equation, but adding it in I find the episode continuing to maintain consistency (“Stunned? He took six bullets!”). Creeps so far is a far superior serial effort over Commando Cody.

Outside the theater, the first thing we’re greeted to is Tom Servo’s now “haircut,” which is an experiment on giving the bot a skinnier head. The bubble we all know and love will be back in a few episodes, so don’t get too upset (but yeah, it looks horrible). Other than that the host segments maintain a goofy flow, providing a breaking counterbalance to the dour movie. Mike Nelson’s cameo as Joel’s Russian counterpart is hilarious (and prophetic, as Mike would eventually take the reins of this series), while I also quite like the Nuclear themed game show and the Charlie McCarthy Hearings. The Invention Exchange delights with a Water Polo Foosball Table and the Candy Ribbon Adding Machine.

Other than Servo’s new head, Rocket Attack USA is best known today as being the first episode with a “stinger,” that little clip they show at the end of the credits that’s usually just an odd moment from the movie. I’m left leaving this episode thinking it probably should be known for more than that, because it is pretty funny at the best of times. This one is a sleeper surprise for me, and it is now on my radar.

Episode Rating: Good

The DVD

Rocket Attack USA was launched at us in Shout Factory’s Volume XXVII set. Audio and video were swell while the only special feature was Life After MST3K: Trace Beaulieu. This brief featurette features Trace recounting what he’s been up to all these years, including a writing stint on America’s Funniest Home Videos, guest spots on The West Wing and Freaks and Geeks, and the video game Darkstar.

Next Time: And then...there was no review…

[Torgo]

421-Monster A-Go Go (With Short: “Circus on Ice”)

The Short

Why settle for one indignity when you can have two? Circus on Ice is exactly what it sounds like, a circus on ice. Here we have ice skating shenanigans being put on for our entertainment.

There’s not a lot to say about this one, except that some of the show is kind of neat. And some of it...not so much. When we’re reduced to interpretive dance on a deer being shot then that’s when I get up to refill my popcorn.

The Movie

“What you are about to see may not be possible…” warns the narrator at the beginning of this film. Well if you insist, but this movie’s realism is what’s drawing me in.

A space capsule crash lands on Earth. As the government frantically searches for the astronaut, a monster begins attacking anybody who stumbles into its line of sight. Could this monster be the astronaut mutated into some hideous beast? The answer is no...well...maybe...it’s hard to tell in the most infamous ending to a movie in Mystery Science Theater history.

Monster A-Go Go is one of the most inane films ever featured on the show. Originally filmed by the young, ambitious auteur Bill Rebane, who would later make his MST masterpiece Giant Spider Invasion, this film about a rampaging mutant astronaut ran out of funding and was left unfinished (but don’t worry, because Incredible Melting Man will eventually pick up the baton on that). Years later the footage was bought and cheaply edited together into an incoherent ramble of a movie that we know today, all in the name of making a double feature out of some other movie.

It’s a mess. A dull one too. It’s one thing to be schlocky, but to be boring is sin in entertainment. Monster A-Go Go doesn’t have much material in itself to tell a complete narrative, so the film diverges off into different paths. Some are relevant but unnecessary, while others are irrelevant and baffling (...that car repair scene…). And it’s clear that the people assembling the leftovers don’t have much interest in anything other than doing the bare minimum. After all, this is a movie which didn’t care about foley so they had someone offscreen mimicking a telephone ring for sound effect.

And yes, there’s the ending. The footage assembled didn’t have a climax, just a build-up to one. Spoiler alert (as if you care): The monster is tracked underground where the trail goes cold and the monster vanishes. Meanwhile the astronaut is found miles away, safe and sound. The end. No refunds.

Technically we have a movie here. By which I mean we have moving pictures that portray people doing actions of some sort. That counts as a movie. For getting that right Monster A-Go Go has more competency than I probably should give it credit for. But then again it’s a movie with not much monster and not much “a-go-go” either. So maybe I should take that back.

Movie Rating: 1/10

The Episode

Here in Monster A-Go Go we are given something of an impossible task. The movie is about as close to portraying nothing as a film could possibly get (or at least a solid second place to Starfighters). The riffing is usually at its height when it reacts to the film and basking in its oddness. There’s a scene early on in which the space capsule is seen, and the film expects us to believe something so small carried a man to the stars and back. Servo quips what we’re all thinking: “Douglas was pear-shaped, very short, and stood the whole way.” When the movie tends to slog, they really don’t have much ammo for it and quip it like a regular film. The effort is admirable, but the movie anchors them a bit too much in spots while they can soar in others. The short probably put them in a good mood for this film, as that thing was zesty and high on energy. They warmed up with some fast and steady quips for the appetizer, which kept their level respectable for the mean, indigestible main course.

But if they were hurting from the movie, the host segments barely show it (outside of the final segment, which has the bots breaking down and crying). There’s actually a bit of lighthearted spirit being portrayed here as they tend to be more playful than the riffing. I quite like the dissection of “The Pina Colada Song,” which really picks apart everything that always rubbed me the wrong way about that song. I’m also a big fan of the segment where Gypsy “doesn’t get” Crow or Servo, prompting one of my favorite Servo lines “Nobody does. I’m the wind, baby.” The Mads’ invention exchange is also a highlight: Johnny Longtorso, the doll who comes in pieces, which is a product that takes “some assembly required” to a brand new level. I’m not sure if this segment predates the fad where toy companies actually did practice selling portions of a large toy separately (usually with other toys), but if it did kudos on them.

Monster A-Go Go is a movie that hurts, though for practiced fans of the series the riffing is just funny enough to make it worthwhile. Add in quality host segments and a solid short and you have a pretty good one. Newbies best steer clear of this one for the time being, though.

Episode Rating: Good

The DVD

The monster disappeared...then reappeared on Rhino’s Volume 8 collection. Audio and video were good and there were no bonus features.

Next Time:

[Torgo]

Thank you for everyone who stayed with me on this 61 day journey through Schlocktober and Turkey-A-Day November. After a great deal of Rifftrax and MST I feel like I've entered the holiday season with a bang!



I have a special announcement to make tomorrow that affects not just this thread but the entire board. Stay tuned! You're not going to want to miss this!

[Torgo]

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

And Merry Christmas, everyone!

[Torgo]

After three weeks of work all of my reviews have now been ported over to their new home at MST3K, Rifftrax, and Beyond. New reviews will be coming soon, possibly after Christmas. I have a relaunch review in the gauntlet next, followed by my first Rifftrax review. Stay tuned!

[Torgo]

Do you like to party? If you do, check out my review of MST3K's 200th episode The Time Travelers, now up at MST3K, Rifftrax, and Beyond!

Next MST Review: Eeeeeeee-lay-yay-yay-yi-aine! A-what's my baby's name?
BUT FIRST: My first Rifftrax review!

[Torgo]

Get ready for an intense burning sensation, because my first Rifftrax review, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is now up! And don't forget to check out my BONUS SHORT review of The Case of Tommy Tucker!

[Torgo]

MY SKULL! Put on your tiny bathing suit, do the Zombie Stomp, and don't forget to Look Polish, for the latest entry at MST3K, Rifftrax, and Beyond is THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH!

Next Time:

[Torgo]

I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open. But if you're not, check out my new review of Hercules Unchained at MST3K, Rifftrax, and Beyond!

BONUS REVIEWS: Also check out my write-ups for Assignment: Venezuela and Volume 7!

Next Time: A movie that actually has a legit reason to suck.

BUT FIRST: Get ready for some Cinematic Titanic and Film Crew to keep things interesting!

[Torgo]

Okay folks, by popular demand I'm doing Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. You guys wanted the Cinematic Titanic version right? No? Well then...too bad. HOORAY FOR SANTY CLAUS!

Also a bonus Rifftrax short: One Turkey, Two Turkey!