…One that has a final(?) host segment involving Joel and the bots staring mutely and open-mouthed at the camera as though shell-shocked, while the Mads apologize for the unusually heinous film they sent.
I thought this was the Manos episode, but checking the host segments on YouTube, that’s not it, and I can’t think of another movie that dire that would have inspired such a reaction (at least, during the Joel years). Any ideas?
The Cave Dwellers perhaps?
I’m guessing it was Manos. In 2 seperate breaks Frank and Dr. F apologize for the movie being so bad.
I’m pretty sure Manos was the only movie the Mads apologized for. The Cave Dwellers closing segment had Joel and the Bots silently fuming at the movie while the Mads say “Come on, it wasn’t that bad!” This leads to the great segment where they point out some of the massive errors in the film.
Anyhow, I suspect the OP is conflating the two.
“The Castle of Fu Manchu” also broke Joel and the bots, although the Mads weren’t in the least apologetic; in fact they gloated about it so much that they were eventually suckered into trying to riff on the movie themselves. Pride goeth before a fall.
There’s also a host segment where Joel shows the bots a biographical presentation on Fu Manchu in a vain attempt to stave off the madness. Among other dubious facts not endorsed by the Sax Rohmer estate, we learn that Fu Manchu briefly ran a clown-themed street sweeping business.
They were pretty traumatized after the Gumby short (YouTube). Could it’ve been that?
Ahh, thank you! “Cave Dwellers” has the moment I’m thinking of! (You can see it here starting at 3:50.)
And I agree with Joel et al. regarding the horror of that movie. “Manos” at least has a discernable plot. “Cave Dwellers” was just…incoherent…like the editing scrap-heap of some other movie.