# The Ultimate MST3K Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555 "2005-06-02T15:40:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/21 "2005-06-02T21:21:31Z")
MST3K almost killed me. Back around Season 2 or 3, I was watching the show for about the second time ever. They were rerunning **Robot Monster** from Season 1. At one point, the scene switched to a wide shot of an open field of tall grass waving in the wind. Just as I popped a Butter Rum Life Saver into my mouth, Servo said (in a very deadpan mock-documentary voiceover), “Sorghum: nature’s bounty!” I swallowed that damn Life Saver whole, I was laughing so hard. Just about choked to death. I’ve been a fan ever since. One of my favorite episodes, which I rarely see cited by others, was **The Dead Talk Back**. SUCH a horrible movie, SUCH great lines. (“Were you ever in jail before?” “Ja.” “What for?” Bots: “A crossbow killing…but I had nothing to do with this one!”. And the way Mike imitates the band, tiredly going “Tooty toot toot…”) Not to mention the golden “Selling Wizard” short before the movie. Love it love it. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/22 "2005-06-02T21:27:29Z")
OK, that’s it, I have _got_ to get into this. Of the DVD’s available on Amazon, which one is a good one to start with? ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/23 "2005-06-02T21:47:58Z")
Track of the Moon Beast will probably never be included as one of the very best episodes, but it had a couple fantastic interstitials. First, the documentary about The Band That Played California Lady was great (and that was quite a good song), and then there was the bit where Crow and Mike acted out a scene in the movie where the ingenue apologized profusely for scaring the hero, when actually the hero had just kind of looked around. It’s hard to explain, but it was just so dumb, and then when they got back to the SoL Crow pulls the same joke while Mike is eating green beans. I agree that the Sci-Fi eps are sometimes unfairly maligned. I’m certainly more familiar with them, and I do think the humor was different (and much less obscure, as I noted upthread), but they’re funny. “Paaaackerrrrs!” Bobo was great and I loved the conceit of the first Sci-Fi season, where Pearl, Bobo and Brain Guy traveled around the universe and Mike blew up planets. (Also funny, from the first Sci-Fi ep, Peanut and Bobo greet the newly reconstituted Mike & bots, then start in with “Your movie tonight…” Mike is incredulous – the experiment’s been over for 500 years! “But, it’s Ape Law!”) –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/24 "2005-06-02T22:06:45Z")
> [@](#): > > BTW, is that the same Kevin Murphy who is currently producing “Desperate Housewives”? No. The [MST3K Kevin Murphy](http://imdb.com/name/nm0614436/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9b258ZmI9dXxwbj0wfHE9a2V2aW4gbXVycGh5fGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1) apparently hasn’t worked very much lately. The [Desperate Housewives Kevin Murphy](http://imdb.com/name/nm0614441/) wrote and produced [Reefer Madness: The Musical](http://imdb.com/title/tt0404364/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxsbT01MDB8dHQ9b258ZmI9dXxwbj0wfHE9cmVlZmVyIG1hZG5lc3N8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=2;ft=20;fm=1). I thought it was the same guy, as _Reefer Madness: The Musical_ is just the kind of genius I would have expected from an MST3K alum. I give it my highest recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/25 "2005-06-02T22:08:47Z")
> [@vibrotronica](#): > > I thought it was the same guy, as _Reefer Madness: The Musical_ is just the kind of genius I would have expected from an MST3K alum. I give it my highest recommendation. Mike Nelson did the commentary on the recently colorized DVD of the original Reefer Madness. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/26 "2005-06-02T22:23:20Z")
[snarky robot]I’ve seen more dignified threads on _Starsky and Hutch_.[/snarky robot] ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/27 "2005-06-02T22:23:48Z")
You know, I can’t think of an episode I don’t like. Every line and reference you all have posted has me thinking, “Yeah, that was great!” As for which DVDs, I’d say start with the four-episode set volume 5. It has Boggy Creek II: Etc, “Geez, Do a pushup, kid.”, Merlin’s Mystical Shop of Wonders “Rock n’ Roll Martian…”, Time Chasers (With Pink Boy!), and Touch of Satan “This is where the fish lives.” Three great recent episodes and one good one. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/28 "2005-06-02T22:24:49Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Their finest hour, IMHO. (Or their finest two hours, I guess I should say.) > > I find that the Sci-Fi era episodes are often unfairly maligned. I think Kevin Murphy as Professor Bobo was fantastically funny, and Mary Jo’s Pearl was often terrific as well. The writing seemed to get a little more acerbic by then, as though the writers had simply gotten tired of being polite to all these crapfests they were forced to endure, and that suited me just fine. AMEN! I only started watching when it was on Sci-Fi and at first I didn’t even know that there had been other characters before. Mary Jo was so underrated-she just has such a wonderfully expressive face. And I LOVED Brain Guy/Observer. Or the 10th season premiere, when Joel showed up. The 'Bots are all scared, not knowing what’s going on, then the door opens and Joel’s standing there and they’re like, “Oh, it’s just Joel. JOOOOOOOEEEELLLL!!!” (Oh, and btw, did anyone else think that _Bridget Jones’s Diary_ involved Bridget Jones, aka Mrs. Michael J. Nelson, aka Nuveena, aka Mr. B Natural?) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/29 "2005-06-02T22:26:21Z")
D’oh, I just remembered this after pressing submit-don’t you hate it when that happens? Anyone hear the story about them and Joe Don Baker? Word is he was so pissed about _Mitchell_ that he said if he ever saw any of the cast and/or crew, he’d kick the shit out of them. That’s why _Final Justice_ went beyond riffing and go down right nasty. Ever since then, whenever I catch Joe Don in a movie, I just have this uncontrollable urge to yell, “MITCHELL!!!” ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/30 "2005-06-02T22:33:30Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > As for which DVDs, I’d say start with the four-episode set volume 5. It has Boggy Creek II: Etc, “Geez, Do a pushup, kid.”, Merlin’s Mystical Shop of Wonders “Rock n’ Roll Martian…”, Time Chasers (With Pink Boy!), and Touch of Satan “This is where the fish lives.” Of those four, I’ve only seen Merlin. “Believe in magic…or I’ll KILL YOU!” ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/31 "2005-06-02T23:03:14Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Track of the Moon Beast will probably never be included as one of the very best episodes, but it had a couple fantastic interstitials. This is quite a coincidence, but Mr. Legend recently found a source for MST3K episodes, and we saw that one only last night. It was filmed in our home town, which made it extra…er…special. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/32 "2005-06-02T23:21:04Z")
_He TRIIIIEEEED to kill me with a fork lift!_ - also had best use of blonde Barbi wigs on Japanese men. “and that’s when I told them to GET OFF MY LAND!” One of the Gamera eps (Ithink) had a nice little bit with a cockpit shot of a jet fighter pilot looking around with the dark visor down. Tom says, “I can’t see a thing!” The pilot then snaps back the visor, to which Tom replies, “That’s better.” In Norwegine, Ski is prounounced SHEE… Crow: “I think they’re full of skit.” Stock footage of an H-bomb explosion cut into scene of some movie, Crow: “Pretty!” Obviously, I like the Joel era best. Even tho Mike was a co writer at the time, Joel’s delivery and presence were better. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/33 "2005-06-02T23:27:48Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > OK, that’s it, I have _got_ to get into this. Of the DVD’s available on Amazon, which one is a good one to start with? Just about any of them on DVD might be a good way to go… but the Crawling Hand is early stuff, and may be a little unpolished (haven’t seen it yet - that’s #1.06) - and Manos is difficult even with Mike and the Bots. Wild World of Batwoman, though, had me and a friend in stitches on Tuesday - might be a good exemplifying episode. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/34 "2005-06-02T23:27:57Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > I have special affection for _Cave Dwellers_. A scene in that movie had me (thirteen or so) actually on the floor laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe, and my dad laughed so hard he had a bit of an asthma attack. Not that asthma is funny, but that movie sure is. Ah yes, _Cave Dwellers_. Which was originally one of those _Ator_ movies (Conan the Barbarian rip-off type movie), with title _and_ title sequence changed (using one from a different movie). Same thing happened with _Pod People_. I think it was something to do with whatever copyright permissions they had acquired. Anyways, I don’t know if we liked the same scene, but here’s the one that cracked me up from that one. _bad guy pokes Ator in the (bare) chest, while Tom Servo makes a doorbell noise_ **Crow** : Tits all over… I mean, it’s all over for you, Ator! I know we’ve been breast… uh… best friends… ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/35 "2005-06-02T23:31:11Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Obviously, I like the Joel era best. Even tho Mike was a co writer at the time, Joel’s delivery and presence were better. Nah! No! Nein! Nicht! There will be no Mike vs. Joel. No warm, goofy Mike vs. lethargic, phone-it-in Joel. Nope, nosiree. And I thought Mike was the Head Writer pretty much the entire time… ---
**Author:** ![YellowTail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5ac83/32.png) [@YellowTail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowTail)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/36 "2005-06-02T23:33:00Z")
I’m still at work and trying to stifle my laughter remembering all these great lines. 😛 My cow-orkers probably think I’ve finally gone over the edge. A few of my favs that I haven’t seen mentioned are White Goddess, I Accuse My Parents, and Sampson vs. the Vampire Women. “Ah, geez. I didn’t want to spring for the bat-chasing option and now I _need_ it!” Plus the short about Cheating was hilarious. The first time I saw the kid reach out to his friends passing by and Crow(?) says, “Spare some change?” I nearly plotzed! And their lyrics to the Trumpy song were too funny. “Flying over trout. Hideous control now. Idiot control now.” :p:p:p ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/37 "2005-06-02T23:43:06Z")
> [@Monstre](#): > > Ah yes, _Cave Dwellers_. Which was originally one of those _Ator_ movies (Conan the Barbarian rip-off type movie), with title _and_ title sequence changed (using one from a different movie). Same thing happened with _Pod People_. I think it was something to do with whatever copyright permissions they had acquired. > > Anyways, I don’t know if we liked the same scene, but here’s the one that cracked me up from that one. > > _bad guy pokes Ator in the (bare) chest, while Tom Servo makes a doorbell noise_ > **Crow** : Tits all over… I mean, it’s all over for you, Ator! I know we’ve been breast… uh… best friends… I have one of the prequel movies. I picked it up at a truck stop last year. I haven’t worked up the nerve to open it yet. I should. In his own stupid way, Ator’s kinda cool. The scene that almost caused my premature demise was when Ator shows up on that hang glider. The sheer ridiculous impossibility of that was obvious even to me as a kid. Bwahahahaha!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/38 "2005-06-02T23:44:48Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > … but the Crawling Hand is early stuff, and may be a little unpolished …and yet it gives us a great line: Upon seeing the astronaut’s severed arm lying on the beach, Crow says, “Hey, wasn’t he in Def Leppard?” Another gem from Season One: “Robot Holocaust”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/39 "2005-06-02T23:46:34Z")
> [@YellowTail](#): > > And their lyrics to the Trumpy song were too funny. “Flying over trout. Hideous control now. Idiot control now.” :p:p:p “Sack of monkeys in my pocket, my sister’s ready to go!” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555/40 "2005-06-02T23:49:52Z")
> [@YellowTail](#): > > And their lyrics to the Trumpy song were too funny. “Flying over trout. Hideous control now. Idiot control now.” Last time I saw that episode, during that song I turned to my friend and said, “Sounds like a Beck song.” That’s right, I MSTied a host segment of MST3K. Don’t try it at home, it could cause damage to the space-time continuum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ultimate-mst3k-thread/306555.md?page=3)