There are an handful we often hold up as being the best…I’m looking for ones that you think are great, but aren’t usually on top five lists.
Personally, within these parameters, I’d offer up:
Escape 2000
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die
IMHO, the best episodes are based on movies whose core concept is so ridiculous that Mike/Joel and the bots could just stop talking and the movie would still be hilarious. Which often happens in Escape 2000.
Agent from H.A.R.M. gets short shrift but is actually pretty good, mostly due to the riffing rather than the film, which is a pretty tepid 60’s spy flick.
I’m surprised I don’t often see this one on “best of” lists, because it’s really good – The Amazing Colossal Man. The movie is actually decent, the riffs are great, and the segment where Mike shows up as Glenn the Giant, standing on earth and chowing down on some plastic cows, is priceless.
My guess at the top Five (subject to change with my whims):
Santa Claus
Mitchell
Final Sacrifice
Space Mutiny
Diabolik
So, going beyond that, I’d say… Deathstalker. The Sword and the Dragon. Jack Frost. The Thing That Couldn’t Die. The Undead. Danger! Death Ray! Pod People. Cave Dwellers. Laserblast. Revenge of the Creature.
Every season has at least one standout episode. Season One was very uneven, but I defy you to not enjoy Robot Holocaust.
Two that Mr. Ko and I just watched that would qualify: **Girl’s Town ** ( with Paul Anka!) and The Horror at Party Beach, which had me falling out of my chair.
I like Track of the Moon Beast. I love Johnny Longbow’s world-weary recitation of the ingredients in his stew. And I honestly, completely non-ironically enjoy the song “California Lady,” performed by The Band That Played California Lady.
I also rather liked The Del-Aires, the band that played several songs in Horror of Party Beach. They actually weren’t too bad.
It’s probably not quite as guaranteed to show up in a top 5 or top 10 list as Manos or Mitchell or Space Mutiny, but it does regularly show up on Best of MST3K lists.