"Some detectives I don’t think we’ve seen yet"
Re-Watching Mystery Science Theater 3000
OK, I'll be handling this one a little differently than some of the other TV series I've re-watched. I don't own every episode of this, and what I do own isn't in broadcast order, so I'll be watching them as I find them, and updating this initial post as to where they sit in the show's history.
Season One
Show 101: "The Crawling Eye" (11/18/1989)
Show 102: "The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy" (11/25/1989)
Show 103: "The Mad Monster" (12/2/1989)
Show 104: "Women of the Prehistoric Planet" (2/20/1990)
Show 105: "The Corpse Vanishes" (12/9/1989)
Show 106: "The Crawling Hand" (12/16/1989)
Show 107: "Robot Monster" (12/23/1989)
Show 108: "The Slime People" (12/30/1989)
Show 109: "Project Moonbase" (1/6/1990)
Show 110: "Robot Holocaust" (1/13/1990)
Show 111: "Moon Zero Two" (1/20/1990)
Show 112: "Untamed Youth" (1/27/1990)
Show 113: "The Black Scorpion" (2/3/1990)
Season Two
Show 201: "Rocketship X-M" (9/22/1990)
Show 202: "The Sidehackers" (9/29/1990)
Show 203: "Jungle Goddess" (10/6/1990)
Show 204: "Catalina Caper" (10/13/1990)
Show 205: "Rocket Attack U.S.A." (10/27/1990)
Show 206: "Ring of Terror" (11/3/1990)
Show 207: "Wild Rebels" (11/17/1990)
Show 208: "The Lost Continent" (11/24/1990)
Show 209: The Hellcats" (12/8/1990)
Show 210: "King Dinosaur" (12/22/1990)
Show 211: "First Spaceship On Venus" (12/29/1990)
Show 212: "Godzilla vs. Megalon" (1/19/1991)
Show 213: "Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster" (2/2/1991)
Season Three
Show 301: "Cave Dwellers" (6/1/1991)
Show 303: "Pod People" (6/15/1991)
Show 304: "Gamera vs. Barugon" (6/22/1991)
Show 305: "Stranded in Space" (6/29/1991)
Show 306: "Time of the Apes" (7/13/1991)
Show 307: "Daddy-O" (7/20/1991)
Show 308: "Gamera vs. Gaos" (7/27/1991)
Show 309: "The Amazing Colossal Man" (8/3/1991)
Show 310: "Fugitive Alien" (8/17/1991)
Show 311: "It Conquered The World" (8/24/1991)
Show 312: "Gamera vs. Guiron" (9/7/1991)
Show 313: "Earth vs. the Spider" (9/14/1991)
Show 314: "Mighty Jack" (9/21/1991)
Show 315: "Teenage Caveman" (11/9/1991)
Show 316: "Gamera vs. Zigra" (10/19/1991)
Show 317: "The Viking Women and the Sea Serpent" (10/26/1991)
Show 318: "Star Force: Fugitive Alien II" (11/16/1991)
Show 319: "War of the Colossal Beast" (11/30/1991)
Show 320: "The Unearthly" (12/14/1991)
Show 321: "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians" (12/21/1991)
Show 322: "Master Ninja I" (1/11/1992)
Show 323: "The Castle of Fu Manchu" (1/18/1992)
Show 324: "Master Ninja II" (1/25/1992)
Season Four
Show 401: "Space Travelers" (6/6/1992)
Show 402: "The Giant Gila Monster" (6/13/1992)
Show 403: "City Limits" (6/20/1992)
Show 404: "Teenagers From Outer Space" (6/27/1992)
Show 405: "Being From Another Planet" (7/4/1992)
Show 406: "Attack of the Giant Leeches" (7/18/1992)
Show 407: "The Killer Shrews" (7/25/1992)
Show 408: "Hercules Unchained" (8/1/1992)
Show 409: "The Indestructible Man" (8/15/1992)
Show 410: "Hercules Against The Moon Men" (8/22/1992)
Show 411: "The Magic Sword" (8/29/1992)
Show 412: "Hercules and the Captive Women" (9/12/1992)
Show 413: "Manhunt in Space" (9/19/1992)
Show 414: "Tormented" (9/26/1992)
Special: "This is MST3K" (11/14/1992)
Show 415: "The Beatniks" (11/25/1992)
Show 416: "Fire Maidens of Outer Space" (11/26/1992)
Show 417: "Crash of the Moons" (11/28/1992)
Show 418: "Attack of the Eye Creatures" (12/5/1992)
Show 419: "The Rebel Set" (12/12/1992)
Show 420: "The Human Duplicators" (12/26/1992)
Show 421: "Monster-A-Go-Go" (1/9/1993)
Show 422: "The Day The Earth Froze" (1/16/1993)
Show 423: "Bride of the Monster" (1/23/1993)
Show 424: "'Manos': The Hands of Fate" (1/30/1993)
Season Five
Show 501: "Warrior of the Lost World" (7/24/1993)
Show 502: "Hercules" (7/17/1993)
Show 503: "Swamp Diamonds" (7/31/1993)
Show 504: "Secret Agent Super Dragon" (8/7/1993)
Show 505: "The Magic Voyage of Sinbad" (8/14/1993)
Show 507: "I Accuse My Parents" (9/4/1993)
Show 508: "Operation Double 007" (9/11/1993)
Show 509: "The Girl in Lover's Lane" (9/18/1993)
Show 510: "The Painted Hills" (9/26/1993)
Show 511: "Gunslinger" (10/9/1993)
Show 512: "Mitchell" (10/23/1993)
Show 513: "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" (10/30/1993)
Show 514: "Teenage Strangler" (11/7/1993)
Show 515: "The Wild, Wild World of Batwoman" (11/13/1993)
Show 516: "Alien from L.A." (11/20/1993)
Show 517: "Beginning of the End" (11/25/1993)
Show 518: "The Atomic Brain" (12/4/1993)
Show 519: "Outlaw" (12/11/1993)
Show 520: "Radar Secret Service" (12/18/1993)
Show 521: "Santa Claus" (12/24/1993)
Show 522: "Teenage Crime Wave" (1/15/1995)
Show 523: "Village of the Giants" (1/22/1994)
Show 524: "12 To The Moon" (2/5/1994)
Season Six
Show 601: "Girls Town" (7/16/1994)
Show 602:"Invasion USA" (7/23/1994)
Show 603: "The Dead Talk Back" (7/30/1994)
Show 604: "Zombie Nightmare" (11/24/1994)
Show 605: "Colossus and the Headhunters" (8/20/1994)
Show 606: "The Creeping Terror" (9/17/1994)
Show 607: "Bloodlust!" (9/3/1994)
Show 608: "Code Name: Diamond Head" (10/1/1994)
Show 609: "The Skydivers" (8/27/1994)
Show 610: "The Violent Years" (10/8/1994)
Show 611: "Last of the Wild Horses" (10/15/1994)
Show 612: "The Starfighters" (10/29/1994)
Show 613: "The Sinister Urge" (11/5/1994)
Show 614: "San Francisco International" (11/19/1994)
Show 615: "Kitten With A Whip" (11/23/1994)
Show 616: "Racket Girls" (11/26/1994)
Show 617: "The Sword and the Dragon" (12/3/1994)
Show 618: "High School Big Shot" (12/10/1994)
Show 619: "Red Zone Cuba" (12/17/1994)
Show 620: "Danger!! Death Ray" (1/7/1995)
Show 621: "The Beast of Yucca Flats" (1/21/1995)
Show 622: "Angel's Revenge" (3/11/1995)
Show 623: "The Amazing Transparent Man" (3/18/1995)
Show 624: "Samson vs. The Vampire Women" (3/25/1995)
Season Seven
Show 701 (and 701T): "Night of the Blood Beast" (11/23/1995) 701T, ...
Show 702: "The Brute Man" (2/10/1996)
Show 703: "Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell" (2/17/1996)
Show 704 "The Incredible Melting Man" (2/24/1996)
Show 705: "Escape 2000" (3/2/1996)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie - "This Island Earth" (4/19/1996)
Show 706: "Laserblast" (5/18/1996)
Unproduced CD-ROM: "Assignment: Venezuela"
Miscellany:
"MST Poopie!"
"The MST Scrapbook"
Season Eight
Show 801: "Revenge of the Creature" (2/1/1997)
Show 802: "The Leech Woman" (2/8/1997)
Show 803: "The Mole People" (2/15/1997)
Show 804: "The Deadly Mantis" (2/22/1997)
MST3K - The Home Game: "The Day the World Ended" (2/25/1997)
Show 805: "The Thing That Couldn't Die" (3/1/1997)
Show 806 "The Undead" (3/8/1997)
Show 807: "Terror from the Year 5000" (3/15/1997)
Show 808: "The She-Creature" (4/5/1997)
Show 809: "I was a Teenage Werewolf" (4/19/1997)
Show 810: "The Giant Spider Invasion" (5/21/1997)
Show 811: "Parts - The Clonus Horror" (6/7/1997)
Show 812: "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and ...
Show 813: "Jack Frost" (7/12/1997)
Show 814: "Riding With Death" (7/19/1997)
Show 815: "Agent for H.A.R.M." (8/2/1997)
Special: "The Making of Mystery Science Theater 3000" (8/15/1997)
Show 816: "Prince of Space" (8/16/1997)
Special: "First Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review" (9/2/1997)
Show 817: "The Horror of Party Beach" (9/6/1997)
Show 818: "Devil Doll" (10/4/1997)
Show 819: "Invasion of the Neptune Men" (10/11/1997)
Show 820: "Space Mutiny" (11/8/1997)
Show 821: "Time Chasers" (11/22/1997)
Show 822: "Overdrawn At The Memory Bank" (12/6/1997)
Miscellany: "MST Poopie! II"
Season Nine
Show 901: "The Projected Man" (3/14/1998)
Special: "Mystery Science Theater 3000 Academy of Robots' Choice Awards Preview Special" (3/19/1998)
Show 902: "The Phantom Planet" (3/21/1998)
Show 903: "Puma Man" (4/4/1998)
Show 904: "Werewolf" (4/18/1998)
Show 905: "The Deadly Bees" (5/9/1998)
Show 906: "The Space Children" (6/13/1998)
Show 907: "Hobgoblins" (6/27/1998)
Show 908: "The Touch of Satan" (7/11/1998)
Show 910: "The Final Sacrifice" (7/25/1998)
Show 911: "Devil Fish" (8/15/1998)
Show 912: "The Screaming Skull" (8/29/1998)
Special: "Second Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review" (9/4/1998)
Show 913: "Quest of the Delta Knights" (9/26/1998)
Season Ten
Show 1001: "Soultaker" (4/11/1999)
Show 1002: "Girl in Gold Boots" (4/18/1999)
Show 1003: "Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders" (9/12/1999)
Show 1004: "Future War" (4/25/1999)
Show 1005: "The Blood Waters of Dr. Z" (5/2/1999
Show 1006: "Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues" (5/9/1999)
Show 1007: "Track of the Moon Beast" (6/13/1999)
Show 1008: "Final Justice" (6/20/1999)
Show 1009: "Hamlet" (6/27/1999)
Show 1010: "It Lives By Night" (7/18/1999)
Show 1011: "Horrors of Spider Island" (7/25/1999)
Show 1012: "Squirm" (8/1/1999)
Show 1013: "Diabolik" (8/8/1999)
Miscellany: "The Last Dance-RAW"
Season Eleven
Show 1101: "Reptilicus" (4/14/2017)
Show 1102: "Cry Wilderness" (4/14/2017)
Show 1103: "The Time Travelers" (4/14/2017)
Show 1104: "Avalanche" (4/14/2017)
Show 1105: "The Beast of Hollow Mountain" (4/14/2017)
Show 1106: "Starcrash" (4/14/2017)
Show 1107: "The Land That Time Forgot" (4/14/2017)
Show 1108: "The Loves of Hercules", first broadcast 4/14/2017
Show 1109: "Yongary", first broadcast 4/14/2017
Show 1110: "Wizards of the Lost Kingdom", first broadcast 4/14/2017
Show 1111: "Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II", first broadcast 4/14/2017
Show 1112: "Carnival Magic", first broadcast 4/14/2017
Show 1113: "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't", first broadcast 4/1...
Show 1114: "At the Earth's Core", first broadcast 4/14/2017
Season Twelve "The Gauntlet"
Show 1201: "Mac and Me" , first broadcast 11/22/2018
Show 1202: "Atlantic Rim", first broadcast 11/22/2018
Show 1203: "Lords of the Deep", first broadcast 11/22/2018
Show 1204: "The Day Time Ended", first broadcast 11/22/2018
Show 1205: "Killer Fish", first broadcast 11/22/2018
Show 1206: "Ator the Fighting Eagle", first broadcast 11/22/2018
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by The Baron on
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Show 601: "Girls Town", first broadcast 7/16/1994
The Film: From 1959, Mamie Van Doren stars as a girl who is falsely accused of a murder, and gets sent to a convent school. Also features Elinor Donahue as her kid sister. Paul Anka as a young teen idol, Dick Contino, Harold Lloyd Jr., Charles Chaplin Jr. and Mel Torme as the wimpiest villain ever. Also features the Platters. Well-made, but very cheesy.
The Host Segments: The SOL prepares for a big announcement by the Mads. Crow has hired a band called the Power Steves (Paul, Mary Jo and David Sussman). The Mads announce the deployment of the Umbilicus. Servo starts scatting. Mike and Crow contemplate desperate measures to get him to stop. Mike declares an honor system regarding candy distribution. Servo immediately eats all of the candy. Crow and Servo design the woman of the future. Mike decides she'll look like Mamie Van Doren. Mike and the Bots send a pie down the Umbilicus into Dr. F's face.
Favorite Lines:
- "That's Saint Jude, the Patron Saint of Lost Causes." "He was with the Mariners."
- "Uh-oh, Romulans."
- "It's Greco-Roman Catholic wrestling!"
Rating: A pretty good episode. Lots of good riffing in this one.
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Show 419: "The Rebel Set", first broadcast 12/12/1992
The Short: In "Johnny At The Fair" (1947), little Johnny visits the Canadian National Exhibition and encounters an improbable number of celebrities, including Joe Louis, Barbara Ann Scott, Olsen and Johnson, and McKenzie King. One of my favorites of the shorts they did.
The Film: From 1959, this features Edward Platt (The Chief!) leading a gang of losers in a robbery. An OK picture.
The Host Segments: Joel terrifies Crow and Servo with "Life's Little Instruction Book". Frank invents the Quick Primp Kit. Joel and the Bots invent Paint-By-Number Mark Rothko. Crow gets acting lessons on record. Joel and the Bots discuss what they'd do if they had four hours in Chicago. Joel and the Bots have a writer's workshop. (There's an LIRR joke in this!) Servo as Poirot tackles the Great Merritt Stone Mystery. Frank is confused by it all.
Favorite Lines:
- "Oops! Sorry, Dad!"
- "Jiminy, thinks, Johnny, if only I could get a ride in one of those!"
Rating: A good episode. The short is what makes this one.
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Show 101: "The Crawling Eye", first broadcast 11/18/1989
The Film: From 1958, Forrest Tucker stars in the story of an eye creature invading the Swiss Alps. An OK horror story.
The Host Segments: The Mads move into Deep 13. Joel invents the electric bagpipes. The Mad use canine pineal extract to prevent sweating. The Bots ask Joel about heads. Gypsy uncoils herself. Joel and the Bots discuss the scariness of disembodied appendages. Joel asks the Bots to name a good thing and a bad thing about the film.
Rating: An OK episode. they were obviously still finding their way, here.
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Show 409: "The Indestructible Man", first broadcast 8/15/1992
The Short: "Undersea Kingdom" Chapter Two: "Undersea City". Crash and pals have adventures in Atlantis. Cliffhanger: A bunch of guys are chasing a bunch of other guys, I lost track of who or why.
The Film: From 1956, Lon Chaney plays an executed killer who is resurrected and is indestructible right up until the moment he is destroyed. Look for Joe Flynn as a lab assistant. the film is murky and uninteresting.
The Host Segments: Crow and Servo switch voices, as do Gypsy and Magic Voice. The Mads claim to have invented something just for men, but won't say what it is. Joel and the Bots have invented Cereal Novels. Joel and the Bots hold a parade honoring the Undersea KIngdom. Later they discuss what they would do if they were indestructible. Joel tries to do Lon Chaney eyes, but Crow and Servo interfere. Crow and Servo make Joel sign an agreement not to do anymore cop/doughnut jokes. (Apparently, this reflected an actual agreement among the writers.) Two cops (Mike and Kevin) visit Deep 13.
Rating: An OK episode. The Host segments are more amusing than the film itself.
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Show 502: "Hercules", first broadcast 7/17/1993
The Film: From 1958, this is the first Steve Reeves Hercules movie, which they have somehow managed to do last. It's OK if you like this sort of thing, which I don't, especially.
The Host Segments: It's Casual Day on the SOL, and Joel and the Bots decide to wing it. It doesn't go well. Dr.F invents the Cellular Desk. Joel and the Bots invent Instant Karma. Servo names new constellations. The Bots ask Joel about Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. Crow stars in"Give 'em Hell, Blank", a one-man tribute to Gene Rayburn. Two Amazons (Mary Jo and Bridget) visit the SOL. Frank injures Dr. F with the Cellular Desk.
Rating: Another OK episode.
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Show 106: "The Crawling Hand", first broadcast 12/16/1989
The Film: From 1963, a teenage boy is possessed by an astronaut's disembodied hand. A so-so film. Alan Hale plays a sheriff in this.
The Host Segments: Joel introduces the show. Later, he invents the safety saw. The Mads invent the Limb-Lengthener. Crow and Servo ditch Joel. He is unhappy. Joel, Crow and Servo do William Shatner impersonations. Joel and the Bots discuss what a hand could do to you. Joel reads a letter. In Deep 13, Larry is strangling Clayton.
Favorite Line: "Where's the little body, little buddy?"
Rating: An OK episode. One of the better of these early ones.
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Permalink Reply by Luke Blanchard on
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The Baron said:
Show 101: "The Crawling Eye", first broadcast 11/18/1989
The Film: From 1958, Forrest Tucker stars in the story of an eye creature invading the Swiss Alps. An OK horror story.
(1) The movie is an adaptation of a TV series called The Trollenberg Terror (an imitation of the Quatermass series made for Britain's commercial channel ITV) (2) Wikipedia notes the movie was the last one made by Southall Studios (3) my guess is the resolution was the model for the resolution of the Doctor Who story "The Seeds of Doom".
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Luke Blanchard said:The Baron said:
Show 101: "The Crawling Eye", first broadcast 11/18/1989
The Film: From 1958, Forrest Tucker stars in the story of an eye creature invading the Swiss Alps. An OK horror story.
(1) The movie is an adaptation of a TV series called The Trollenberg Terror (an imitation of the Quatermass series made for Britain's commercial channel ITV) (2) Wikipedia notes the movie was the last one made by Southall Studios (3) my guess is the resolution was the model for the resolution of the Doctor Who story "The Seeds of Doom".
Very interesting. I did not know that.
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Hammer's The Abominable Snowman (1957), with Peter Cushing and Forrest Tucker, was a movie version of a BBC TV play called The Creature by Nigel Kneale.
I think the Doctor Who story "The Abominable Snowmen" was a combination of elements from both movies (or their TV sources). The resemblance to The Crawling Idea is the idea of an alien presence on a mountain which heads down towards an isolated community at the climax.
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Show 610: "The Violent Years", first broadcast 10/8/1994
The Short: "Young Man's Fancy" (1952) gives us the story of a girl who attracts a young man by feigning interest in his studies and serving him a good meal. I gather it's all meant to demonstrate the advantages of having an electric kitchen. The 50's were a strange time.
The Film: From 1964, this picture, written by Ed Wood, gives the story of a neglected rich girl who turns to crime and ends up wrecking school desks for world communism. The sad thing is, this is one of Ed's better scripts.
The Host Segments: Servo has given himself a disturbing new head. the Mads sing their new theme song, then encourage Mike and the Bots to make up their own. The Mads have started a radio station called "Frank". Servo is Esther Hoffman Howard, whoever that is. He cries for a long time. Crow forces Mike to star in a one-man show about Keanu Reeves. Mike and Crow re-create the gas station hold-up from the movie. Servo and Gypsy read a letter. The Mads are still hyping their radio station.
Favorite Lines:
- "Communism!"
- "They're shooting back!" "The bastards!"
- "It all seems like such a bad dream!" "Oh, like when you're naked at a hockey game!"
Rating: A pretty good episode, actually. A fun movie, good riffs, and OK host segments.
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Permalink Reply by Jeff of Earth-J on
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I have a non-MST3K version of this on VHS. (I have all of Ed Wood's movies on VHS.) "The Violent Years" was also featured on "It Came From Hollywood", a theatrical precursor to MST3K with a number of hosts. (Have you seen it?) As I recall, Dan Ackroyd hosted the section dealing with "The Violent Years." A female gang leader is shooting at a group of state troopers from a second floor window.
CRIMINAL: "Ha! Look at 'em jump! Just like scared rabbits." [She is then shot herself.]
ACKROYD: "Yeah, and look at 'em shoot. Just like professional marksmen."
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Show 504: "Secret Agent Super Dragon", first broadcast 8/7/1993
The Film: From 1966, a lightweight European film about a CIA agent fighting drug-runners.
The Host Segments: Crow and Servo have built a robot they call "Minsky". All it does is say "I am the atomic-powered robot. Please give my best wishes to everybody" over and over. Frank invents Virtual Comedy. Joel and the Bots invent Micro Golf. Joel, Crow and Servo play the Secret Agent Super Dragon song. Crow writes a script called "The Spy Who Hugged Me". Joel explains Spy School to Crow and Servo. Dr.F holds a super-villain seminar.
Rating: Another so-so episode.
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