Hitler's Brain Movies?

[vanhagar3000]

Why did they never do either "Madmen of Mandaros" or "They Saved Hitler's Brain"?

They are both infamously bad as "The Brain the Wouldn't Die", "Robot Monster" or "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (although that wasn't done either but they didn't do it because of Criswell's narration and it is too [in]famously bad)

[TomServo69]

I'm not sure, but, I'm going to say that just the mention of Hitler is pretty offensive to most and that if you had it MST3K'd, it just really couldn't be that funny. Even though both movies are horrible, just the mention of Hitler takes the humor out of it.

Just my thought,
Servo

[Mr. Atari]

just the mention of Hitler takes the humor out of it.

Usually true. Except for Springtime for Hitler and the classic moment in Neptune Men.
"Oh no! They blew up the Hitler building!!"

[mightyjack]

They couldn't always get what they wanted, some wouldn't give them the rights or wanted too much money.

I can't remember what it was, but I recall that for the movie they really wanted to riff on another film. but they took what they could get.

[Poe33]

TomServo69 said:

I'm not sure, but, I'm going to say that just the mention of Hitler is pretty offensive to most and that if you had it MST3K'd, it just really couldn't be that funny. Even though both movies are horrible, just the mention of Hitler takes the humor out of it.

Just my thought,
Servo

I disagree. Satire is a GREAT way to fight the bad aspects of humanity. Some of the funniest MST moments are the Hitler/Nazi jokes. Especially when Crow does his German accent.

[Afgncaap5]

"Once der rockets are up, who caires vhere zey come down? Dat's not my depahtment...."
-Crow, Rocketship X-M
-Tom Lehrer, "Vherner Fon Braun"

[Buddhist Kitten]

Poe33 said:

I disagree. Satire is a GREAT way to fight the bad aspects of humanity. Some of the funniest MST moments are the Hitler/Nazi jokes. Especially when Crow does his German accent.

Oui. South Park and other things have made huge success with jokes about the most damaging people in history. Did anyone not see the South Park episode with Cartman as Bugs bunny and Bin Laden as Elemer Fudd?

[mightyjack]

I dunno, I'm reeeeal uncomfortable with those kind of jokes. They are my least favorite of the MST riffs. (And I didn't care for that South Park episode either).

Hell, I found "Hogans Hero's" to be one of the most offensive sitcoms ever created. So it's a barrier with me, personally, that needs to be tread upon carefully. Images flash into my mind of the uglyness and horrors that were perpetrated by Hitler whenever I hear his name. It's hard to laugh when that happens.

[Phantom Engineer]

MightyJack said:

I dunno, I'm reeeeal uncomfortable with those kind of jokes. They are my least favorite of the MST riffs. (And I didn't care for that South Park episode either).

Hell, I found "Hogans Hero's" to be one of the most offensive sitcoms ever created. So it's a barrier with me, personally, that needs to be tread upon carefully. Images flash into my mind of the uglyness and horrors that were perpetrated by Hitler whenever I hear his name. It's hard to laugh when that happens.

That's true MightyJack, it's a fine line. Have you seen Mel Brooks "The Producers"? If so what did you think of that?

[mightyjack]

Yeah, I thought it was very funny, one of Brooks best.

It is a very fine line. Billy Wilder, one of my favorite directors, was someone who straddled that line a lot, it was his film "Stalag ??" that inspired Hogans Heroes. The difference is that Stalag had an edge, the Nazi's were dangerous and the situations with the POWs had a darkness under the humor.

But the TV version strips all that away. The Nazi's become innocuous schlubs and the prison camp was like a playground. It's as if some TV executive said "We can't do this and make it serious, dumb it down and strip away the danger". (years later, M.A.S.H showed how to balance war time drama and comedy and not lose the poignancy of the situation)

The Producers, could be about any producer: film, stage or TV. Brooks is taking a stab at the buffoons who create garbage like Hogan's Heroes and it's ilk. Mels film turns the tables on the hucksters and pitch men who take a horrifying situation and turn it into pablum and at the public who swallows it whole.

It's a tough thing to do and it takes a talented artist with a deft mind to strike that balance between humor and offense. I don't number the BBI as one of those who have done this well though.

Just saying the name Hitler, tastes like ashes on my tongue. Perhaps I'm too sensitive but I can't disassociate the man from his actions and find humor. And while I think the gang is brilliant, doing Hitler voices for laughs just makes me uncomfortable. There's no social or political satire involved with that kind of riff.

I dunno, I'm tired, worked 8 hours on the busiest day of the year for us. M brains wonkey so I'm not sure if any of that makes any sense.

[hookemhorns]

I actually stayed up late one night in high school (in the 80's, before there was cable and VCR's ... my version of walking uphil in the snow to go to school) to watch They Saved Hitler's Brain.

My memory has faded somewhat, so pardon me if the details are not 100% accurate. However, I do recall that the film was truly bad. It was sort of like Merlin's Shop in that it was filmed in the 1950's or early 1960's, but there were parts filmed in the 1970's that were spliced in for its release. I guess the project ran out of money and was shelved or never finished until someone at the studio decided to make a few quick bucks to capture whatever costs they could that had been spent on the film.

The plot was something to do with a bunch of former Nazis running around a South American or Pacific island. Hitler's brain was kept in an aquarium, much like in The Brain That Wouldn't Die, except that the Hitler head (complete with moustache and slicked black hair)was clearly a puppet. Whenever little Adolf would get mad about something, the head started squirming and bobbing. The 1970's parts involved a man and a woman spy trying to track down the Nazis. The plot was bad enough, but that there was no continuity between the two eras was even worse. The film used in the 1970's was different (grainier and darker) and harder to understand from a sound standpoint, not to mention that the hairstyles and clothes had changed.

Don't think this one is available on tape ... wish I had taped it now.

[Phantom Engineer]

hookemhorns said:

It was sort of like Merlin's Shop in that it was filmed in the 1950's or early 1960's,

Thanks for the information hookemhorns but Merlin is from 1995. Please don't blame that on the 50's or 60's.

[hookemhorns]

Oops .. my post was not that clear and not worded well.

I meant that Hitler's Brain was filmed in the 1950's/early 1960's, and apparently shelved and parts that were filmed in the 1970's were later spliced in. Thus, it was like Merlin's Shop, which was filmed in the 1980's and had 1990's film wrapped around the 1980's pieces.

Sorry, phantomengineer.

[FearlessFreep]

Iv'e seen "Hitler's Brain" a couple of times. Its too stupid to be really offensive.
If you get a chance to watch it, notice the German staff cars with New York State license plates! Best Brains would have a a field day with that.

[Miss Interoceter]

Go to: www.jabootu.com/tshb.htm to read an in depth and acerbic review of They Saved Hitler's Brain. Apparently the 70's stuff was done by a college professor and his film students and tied into the earlier movie which stood (sort of) on it's own without it. Apparently they were trying to lengthen it.

As for the MST crew doing "Hitler jokes" a lot of them actually come from things like this or Dr. Strangelove, etc. In other words, from movies already parodying the Nazi regime although I don't think They Saved... was meant to be a parody. I don't have a problem with them.

I agree, this was probably something that they either couldn't get the rights to or the channel didn't want to do.