Movie: (1983) A nameless hero and his talking motorcycle fight an evil dictator in a post-apocalyptic world.
First shown: 7/24/93
Opening: Servo attempts a formal welcome but Crow rattles him
Invention exchange: The Mads demonstrate the Square Master, J&tB show Bittersweet Hearts
Host segment 1: Joel retrofits the bots to be slot cars, but Tom still needs some work
Host segment 2: J&tB put on a sketch: The warrior tries to get a driving permit
Host segment 3: J&tB discuss things you could do after the apocalypse
End: J&tB get a phone call from Megaweapon, Joel reads a letter, the Mads enjoy an active lifestyle
Stinger: The Paper Chase Guy checkin’ out Persis
(229 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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• This episode has its moments, I’ll give you that. The movie is all over the place, from the whiny, chipmunk-cheeked hero and his air-headed onboard computer, to the squeaky spiders, to guerrilla leader Jimmy Carter/Ronnie Cox, to hapless Persis Khambata, to perhaps Donald Pleasance’s creepiest performance (and that’s saying something), to the “Road Warrior” rejects, to the raw star power that IS Megaweapon. The riffing is solid for the most part, and the host segments are decent. It doesn’t quite add up to a classic for me, but, yes, it has its moments.
• This episode is in included in Shout!Factory’s “Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Vol. XVI.”
• The stretch between the end of season 4 and the beginning of season 5 was 168 days, the sixth-longest amount of time MSTies had to wait between episodes.
• That said, longtime fans will recall that, although this is episode 501, it is NOT the first episode shown in season 5. That honor went to episode 502- Hercules, which aired a week before this one. Why? They’ve never said, I don’t think, but my guess is that the Comedy Central suits decided the Hercules movie was a more marketable opener. In any case, as we’ve done in the past, we go by episode number.
• I wonder who Dickie Schnable is.
• Joel’s bittersweet hearts invention has since come true. You can now buy little chalky hearts that say all sorts of weird things.
• Joel makes what I always thought was an astute observation: that the afterlife would be a little like Ellis Island. I’d never thought about it like that…
• Callback: “Ator? Tong?” (Cave Dwellers) “Old Time bus driver Billy Slater…” (Junior Rodeo Daredevils) Crow mentions “Hangar 18” “He hit Big Jake” (Sidehackers). “I Accuse My Parents.”
• How are they controlling the robots during the slot car host segment? Are puppeteers crouching under the track?
• Everyone loves that bit during the movie when Joel and Tom Servo get into a little dual-riff that is, I guess, a parody of Robitussin commercial–one I don’t remember ever seeing. Maybe that’s why I don’t find it as hilarious as everybody else seems to…
• It’s nice to see Tom Servo forthrightly admit that they never bothered to write an ending to bit in segment 2–having movie sign happen is a little like when Monty Python “drops the cow.”
• I believe this episode contains the very first reference to then newly elected President Bill Clinton.
• Do you think that the odd, pointless little comments of the onboard computer were the inspiration for the bittersweet hearts invention?
• Persis Khambatta’s character gets called Natasha and Nastasia, depending on who is addressing or referring to her.
• Then-topical: The “woo-woo-woo” thing audiences of the Arsenio Hall Show did.
• Probably my favorite moment of the episode is toward the end when the camera does that long pan of all the revolutionaries celebrating and Tom Servo has a celebrity name for every single one. Amazing and hilarious.
• That’s Mike, it hardly needs saying, providing the voice of Megaweapon. The raport all the actors have with one another at this point in the show is really remarkable.
• Cast & Crew roundup: Cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando also worked on “Devil Fish.” Make up person Otello Fava also worked on “Danger: Diabolik” and production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng also worked on “Devil Fish.” In front of the camera, we’ll see Donald Pleasance again in “The Pumaman.”
• CreditsWatch: The writers list is now: Trace Beaulieu, Paul Chaplin, Frank Conniff, Joel Hodgson, Bridget Jones, Kevin Murphy and Mary Jo Pehl (Michael J. Nelson is still head writer). Contributing writers: Colleen Henjum, Jim Mallon. Host segments directed by: Trace Beaulieu. New credit–Utility Infielder: Patrick Brantseg (which I think means Patrick started getting paid for what he was already doing). Hair and make-up: Andrea J. DuCane (she will do it for all but five episodes this season). New interns: Stephanie Hynes, Peter Keffer, Michael J. Sheehan and E. Jane Shortt.
• Fave riff: “Heeeeyyeee, it’s the crazy Guggenheim museum!” Honorable mention: “They love it when he signals a left turn!”
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This was an okay episode for me, not a classic, but enjoyable.
I have always wondered if this film, and another cheesy 80’s sci-fi flick called “Mega Force” were related?? Maybe it’s becuase the term “MegaWeapon” and the stupid motorcycle remind me of “Mega Force”, but I’m almost sure that the Paper-Chase-Guy was in both?
This was quite a classic episode for me! It was one of only three to have 11+ RPMs and after the stellar final run of season 4, it was great to see MST3K come ROARING back! This was the first movie of it’s kind and it’s a great genre.
The host segment in which they opine what would happen if the hero didn’t have his driver’s license by the time the apocolypse arrived is genius, genius, GENIUS! It even has a nice little Monty Python-esque ending.
Read my full review here.
Sampo – What?! Are you saying that Tom and Crow are puppets?!?! It looks like they control the bots from underneath the slot track. They just have poles that extend below the cars and track that can move to the left and right freely because of the slot in the track.
Who’s Greg Kinnear? Not so red hot anymore apparently.
Some favorite riffs:
I consider this a classic. It’s a tape I’ve pulled out many, many times over the years.
I remember waiting for Joel & the Bots to make a screensaver riff for Einstein’s (the K.I.T.T.-esque computer) starfield display. They finally made the joke near the end of the episode.
I also loved the “That Girl! FOREVER!!” riff” when the Omega army unfurled thier banner with the omega symbol which looks slightly like Marlo Thomas’ head.
I taped this in the fall of ’93. Here’s some 90’s commercials:
Penn Jillette’s open letter to Janet Reno
Mr. Phipps’ ‘Tater Crisps – Thanks to my MST tapes, I’ve had this jingle in my head since the fall of ’93.
MST3k marathon ads featuring Debbie Tobin of Edina, MN. “‘Cause we’re the biggest fans and we love Turkey Day.”
Be still my heart! It’s the Noxema Girl. The ad intimidates you with the line, “Your face belongs to Noxema!”
BK TeeVee! Nightmare Before Christmas wristwatches from Burger King. Read this in the same metre as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas:
“It’s the story of Jack the great Pumpkin King
and four cool new watches at Burger King
To get a watch for a buck ninety-nine
From the everyday value menu, order each time
New lower prices on food that’s delicious
And see Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
Four watches to choose from, isn’t that fine?
Each one is different for one ninety-nine
Watches from Burger King – just one more case
Of everyday values – “I love this place!”
Sitting Duck #4 – (Sorry to be a thread hog, Sampo). Greg is a wonderful independent film actor, but everyone thought he would be the next big Hollywood thing. Kind of like Donald Pleasance having a wonderful role in “The Great Escape” and then showing up in such fare as “Puma Man” and this movie.
Greg Kinnear starred in “Little Miss Sunshine” which is a great movie, and won Best Picture in ’06. Not too shabby for ANY actor.
This episode is solid right up until the point where the Paper Chase Guy fights all the Road Warrior rejects. Then it becomes tedious for a huge stretch. But up until then we have quite a few classic lines, including:
Ginty: All right; you got a deal.
Joel (in the same dull voice): And I’m on fire.
Tom: I hope you’re not afraid of boredom.
There’s a fair bit missing from the MST3K cut. Some decent action (well, at least some decent ‘splosions) as well as a good deal of swearing. Also, the home video version has an entirely different scrolling text intro that’s roughly three times as long [!!].
But what I love most about this movie is the fact that the producers commissioned the poster art first, sold the movie based on that, and THEN told director David Worth “Go to Italy and start shooting something based on this poster. No we don’t have a script yet.” So he shot an chase scene until the script was done, at which point Paper Chase Guy crashes into a wall and then the movie actually begins.
I believe some shots of the motorcycle’s display come from the old Atari 2600 game Starmaster.
”movie sign” is to MST3K what “dropping the cow” is to Monty Python.
Correction:
”movie sign” is to MST3K what “dropping the cow” is to Saturday Night Live.
SNL “dropped the cow” a few times in the early years, as a tribute to the 10 ton weight or knight with the rubber chicken employed by Monty Python.
From Hill & Weingrad’s Saturday Night:
Another stylistic twist Lorne favored became known as “dropping the cow.” The idea, inspired by Monty Python, was that sketches did not have to follow the traditional beginning/middle/end structure that had always been fundamental to sketch comedy. … Saturday Night ended bits by literally dropping a cow – a life-sized stuffed canvas cow that crashed onstage from the rafters … [T]he first … being a merciful termination of host Dick Cavett’s opening monologue in January. (pg. 135)
ANY FRUIT TO DECLARE!?
I love this episode. When Megaweapon crushes the hell out of that bike, we all feel the joy. I also love all the Jimmy Carter riffs. Eat some malaise, sucka!
Ah, the only occasionally brilliant Warrior of the Lost World. It’s rather telling when your mechancial characters (Superbike and Megaweapon) have more personality than the befleshed ones. Pleasence was okay (he can breath life into just about anything) but at the end it turns out he was just an android too. As for the rest of the actors, well, David Ginty (Warrior) seems so dispirited about his casting in this film, it’s hard not to feel sorry for him. The rest of them don’t look all that enthusiastic either.
The consistently quotable commentary rescues this one partway, but the host segments are only intermittently funny. I enjoyed the Prologue Room and the phone call to Megaweapon, but rest seem kind of flat.
HE’S LOST CONTROL OF HIS MUSTACHE!
Clint: Little Miss Sunshine IS a great movie, but it did not win best picture. It was nominated, but Departed won Best Picture that year… Alan Arkin won for best supporting actor for his role in Little Miss Sunshine, though. Greg Kinnear was nominated for Best Supporting actor for “As Good as It Gets” in ’97, but didn’t win. Greg was also the host of the first “Talk Soup” on E! which featured several appearances by Crow, Tom Servo, and Mike.
Warrior of the Lost World,
I have to agree with GizmonicTemp that this is a classic episode. This is in my top ten, and I never tire of this episode. Segment 2 is probably my favorite host segment ever. Joel as the cheeky Paper Chase guy is his best portrayal of a large joweled character (even better than his adaptation of Capt. Joe from Fugitive Alien). I howl with laughter and my neighbors call the police to shut my fat face up when I watch this episode. In my honest and humble opinion, this is one of the greats!
Sampo, I know that everybody likes different episodes, and opinions are always going to vary, but I’m shocked at your seemingly dislike (or indifference) for most episodes. The only one that I’ve seen you really rave on is “The Day The Earth Froze”–which features your namesake. I don’t know… I’m not trying to go all Mitchell on you, but It’s just a bit odd for someone who has dedicated their life to maintaining such a great fan site for so many years. If Mike or Joel or any of the Brains did something to hurt you, then you tell me and I can have my men on it, man. I will break them…
Just an observation.
Favorite riff, as a Talking Heads geek: “It’s no party.” “It’s no disco.”
“Oh! And commercials for [snort] CD-I with [sniff] Phil Hartman”
I know this isn’t what you intended, but I had do do a double-take on this comment to realize that you weren’t, in fact, making a cocaine joke here.
Surprising to me, at least, was that this episode got a callback in the live Rifftrax show of “Over the Top” last year. I assume the joke is also in the recorded version. Have there been any other direct MST references in Rifftrax?
Not a classic episode!? Sampo has finally lost it!!!!!!
*clears throat* Now that my opening remark is done, I wish to move on with my comments.
I had great fun watching this episode. The beginning of the film was simple enough, and the chase scene was entertaining, what with jokes like “Watch out for the squibs!” and Servo’s line of “Oh, is it too early to kill myself?” when he hears the bike talk for the first time.
The best part of that scene was when Paper Chase guy blows up that one motorcycle cop. I just flat-out broke down and started laughing before I made my own riff where I said “WELCOME TO MARIO KART!!!”. I began laughing harder when Paper Chase guy drives right into that cliff with no indication of making any attempt to avoid it. Illusion or not, he should have at least acknowledged it. Then again, the producer who had the director make this film was as incompetant as the idiot who canned MST3K at the end of the series so I shouldn’t be suprised.
On a final note, during the fight scene before the final confrontation in the movie, one of the lawless idiots watching the fight between Paper Chase guy and several of the characters wearing the mismatched costumes looked a lot like Mimi from the Drew Carry Show!
I love the robitussin bit. Every.time.
My friend (whose tape I have of this episode) must of recorded it the same night you did. She has the exact same commercials.
I know it’s off of the main topic and I don’t mean to offend anyone, but …
Am I alone in not caring at all what the commercials were?
You’re right. How could I forget. I was really happy when Marty won.
ANY FRUIT TO DECLARE??
Loved, loved, LOVED this episode.
“Feel some malaise, suckas!”
“Had George Bush been re-elected!” (Ironic, considering how much more 1984-esque his son is)
“He’s lost control of his mustache!”
Obscure line of the episode (for me, anyway): “Edie Sedgewyck goes on the road!”
Am I alone in not caring at all what the commercials were?
Probably not, but I like ’em.
At the risk of asking you to pull up a chair, set a spell, and me gettin’ out my whittlin’ …
You may have been there for it, or not. It doesn’t really matter. But it’s how it was. The mention of the ads reference specific times. Some of us were even able to watch the show – in real-time – as it was cablecast into our homes. Those commercials were part and parcel of the viewing experience. Zeitgeist. Much in the same way that frequent airings of “Giant Gila Monster” (as referenced in its entry) were noted -and somewhat reviled – by the fans in the day. If we taped the show (if we owned, or had access to, a VCR), it was likely we skipped the commercials if we were watching it again, or time-shifting.
Many of these tag-lines tossed out in these ep guides are burned into my cerebrum specifically because of MST, and the tapes I recorded. Dan Cortese, pitchman, and BKTV would be barely a memory to me, if not for MST. For better, or worse. (Or those ©@&§®#¥! Beck’s ads… SAAAAAIIIIIILLLLLL AWAAAAAAAAY!)
CD-I … heh.
Anyway, YMMV. And it apparently does. :smile:
If I compiled a top 20 list of my personal favs this would be in the 10-15 range. My favorite riffing sequences are the battle royal and the second highway chase/Megaweapon encounter, as well as all the Jimmy Carter jokes. Between this and Pumaman, Donald Pleasance established himself as having my favorite perfomances on the show.
For the longest time the whole “Paper Chase Guy” reference was lost on me as I only knew of Paper Chase as a movie and didn’t know about the short-lived TV show thereafter. Once I found out about that though, and the fact Robert Ginty was only in two episodes, I actually wondered why they chose that particular thing to hammer throughout the episode… though it was funny a couple years later in Laserblast when Mike actually refers to him by name (“Robert Ginty was a better kisser”) which was a good subtle joke for those who were paying attention.
re: MST refs in Rifftrax. The only one I can think of off-hand was near the end of Transformers when they go to the dam and Mike breaks out “What sin could a man commit in a single lifetime?”
Am I alone in not caring at all what the commercials were?
For me, viewing the ads from the time period help establish the “state of the culture” so-to-speak of the time these episodes were made and aired.
By and large, I’m here to talk about the episodes, though.
One of my favorites, and a tragic one – the first 20 minutes of my tape were taped over! I am hoping that this and Operation Double 007 (tape snapped) are on the next DVD set.
In response to the first comment, the 1982 film Megaforce doesn’t have the Paper Chase guy but it does have Persis Khambatta.
I have to agree that my favorite part of the episode was Tom attaching a celebrity name to everyone in the bleachers.
You know, I completly forgot about this episode (I don’t have access to MST that hasn’t been released on DVD) until reading Sampos guide. And then the only thing I truely remember is CC making a big deal about how this movie had the bald chick from the Star Trek movie in it.
Weird the things we remember…
Cubby: Thanks for the correction. I knew it had something to do with Monty Python….
SIRHAMHAT: I think if you go back and reread my reviews, you’ll see that I rave about several episodes. Let me just state for the record that in my book ANY MST3K episode is better than just about ANYTHING else you could be watching.. But it’s going to get pretty dull if I say “THIS IS A CLASSIC!” every time. Some eps make me laugh more than others. That’s really my only criterion. If I laugh a lot, it’s a better episode than if I laugh less often.
But remember Sampo’s theorem: “For every MSTie who thinks a given episode is the worst thing they have ever done, there is another MSTie who believes it is their finest hour.” That’s what makes horseraces, my ol’ dad used to say.
Oh, and about the commercials: I’m just basically listing the really annoying ones, because I am annoyed by them and others who watched them may have been annoyed too. It’s a bonding thing. :-)
Okay, first, I agree with GizmonicTemp that the host segment with Joel as the whiny Paper Chase guy who can’t get his license is funny…seriously, deeply funny. I laugh just thinking about it. As for the episode, I really enjoy it, though it’s not one I watch all the time. Joel’s comment, after the title “Warrior of the Lost World” comes up, is “Oh, I don’t know…” and sums it up perfectly. Robert Ginty’s mumbling is every bit as bad as Timothy Van Patten’s, but he seems to lack Tim’s cheery attitude.
One of the movie critics once pointed out that most movies of a certain type will have a mandatory scene in an S&M club – naturally this movie proves the rule.
If there’s ever a weekend discussion of most annoying characters, Einstein will get my vote for one of the top 5 spots.
I like the callback to Mr. B Natural: “Shot your father, I did!”
Fave riffs: “It’s Bicycle Repair Guy!”
“She’s got a Lady Hemingway!”
And it’s always good to have a Doors reference.
I personally love the commercial references. Initially when converting my VHS tapes to DVD, I would do my best to edit the commercials out. Of course after a period of time I got lazy and just copied the entire tape to DVD commercials and all, and looking back now, it’s fun to see ads for upcoming movies from 1996 or hearing that Joe Satriani tune “Summer Song” promoting Sony’s CD players.
Speaking of Commercials and MST3K :
I was always bothered by the fact that the guys couldn’t keep riffing during the commercial breaks, riffing on the commercials themselves ( I know, I know, impossible, of course ). So I was heartbroken by MST The Movie : I was hoping that they would have commercial sign and still be stuck in the theater, watching old commercials and having to riff them as well as the feature. Sigh. Could have been great. Oh well.
I like hearing about the old commercials. Mr. Phipps? Oh yeah!! I remember! Speaking of which…
Clint #5 – You’re a very sick person for typing all of that out.
“young man, you are not going to the lost world.”
Jedzz: hello from a fellow Talking Heads geek. I always enjoy a TH-based riff, and there were plenty in the early seasons (most derived from “Once in a Lifetime”, of course).
On a related note, I like how Crow compared Superbike’s voice to Laurie Anderson’s. I was a huge fan at the time.
And I CARE ABOUT THE COMMERCIALS. It’s good to have someone to grumble with about some of the ads we had to sludge through back in the day. I do get depressed by the spots for the other Comedy Central shows at the time (especially Almost Live!, which I regret not commiting to tape with the fervor I afforded MST3K). It makes me pine for the golden age of CC before they degenerated into a continuous boob and fart joke with occasional political commentary. I haven’t had cable in about five years and I don’t truly miss it.
I’m glad to see many people have enjoyed the “Any fruit to declare” line as much as I have. Cracks me up everytime. Maybe not on a par with lines like “pretty mind” and “this is where the fish lives” but a very memorable one.
Like Sampo, I love the riffs with the crowd scene near the end. They do that in another ep but can’t remember right now. And if I remember correctly Kevin/Servo does the riffing then to. Guess he enjoyed doing that…
But this one overall is too spotty in the laughs for me to rate above a just solid average episode (B+). It has splashes of brilliance–the opening is great and I particulary enjoy the riffs whenever paper-fish-chase-face guy (try saying my newly minted adjective 3000 times fast) is riding his motorcycle and it talks to him. Fun stuff.
B+
P.S. Hercules more commercial? More commercial than a more recent film? I have to say I doubt it, Sampo.
At the risk of being pedantic, the Mads make a mistake during the Squaremaster demo. When Frank is supposedly exercising his Shemp area, he’s clearly doing a Curly impression. Oh, well.
Still, a great episode, and I particularly liked the Steve Allen set-up for the “Warrior rides with his mom” sketch. Tough to pick my favorite riff, but a good candidate would be the callback to “High Plains Drifter” at the start (“Who are you?!”).
One side note: in a newsletter for a “Doctor Who” fan club, they had a brief review of a lousy action movie called “Three Kinds of Heat”, with a pre-“Who” Sylvester McCoy as the villain. And how did the reviewer refer to co-star Robert Ginty? “The ‘Paper Chase’ Guy”!
This is one of my favorite episodes. I feel it is as solid as they get from start to finish.
As for the Robitussen bit, I’ve always felt that is was one of those insanely obscure references that I had the joy of actually getting. Back in the early 90’s there was a device made for the Amega 2000 computer called the video toaster. The bots once referenced it in a host segment (in The Unearthly I believe) so they must have had one. A friend of mine also had one and showed me the demo tape used to advertise it. The voice over on the ad was done by Ken Nordine in what I am told is his signature style. He does two voices, sometimes repeating himself, sometimes answering himself, sometimes just saying “Yeah” or “Ah” (it’s very weird). Anyway I believe that is the joke there. Robitussen and Scope are mentioned just because of the colors of the liquid in the cup.
The Video Toaster ad is on youtube. I think it’s called Revolutions. Check it out for a trip on the way back machine.
This isn’t one of my favorite episodes. It’s just so tedious.
I love the Squaremaster, though.
Sampo, you keep right on telling us about the commercials. I edited them out of my copies many years ago, and it’s fun to hear about them again. Those young whipper-snappers will just have to put up with those of us who were there.
Cubby, I’m delighted to see that someone else has Hill & Weingrad’s Saturday Night book. It’s the definitive history of the early years of the show.
GIZMONIC TEMP:
Yes, I know. I was at work and it was a very slow morning. I work in hospitality AV, and I can let movies run in the background. I brought WOTLW in and was watching it.
GRABOIDZ:
“hearing that Joe Satriani tune “Summer Song” promoting Sony’s CD players.”
With the friendly urban kids break dancing to Summer Song playing on the yellow boombox? I know it well. I have it on about 20 different tapes.
The only MST reference from Rifftrax that jumps immediately to my mind is because I watched it recently: In the X-Files rifftrax, there’s a scene near the beginning in which numerous 18-wheelers pull up, and Mary Jo says, “Riding With Death 2: The Revenge of Robert Denby.” I laughed very hard. He’s so elusive!
Kenneth Morgan: Yes, I noticed that “Shemp area” thing too, but I’m guessing that “working on your Curly area” wouldn’t sound right. :grin:
Thank you, Kirok, for explaining that one! I’m very familiar with Ken Nordine, and that makes perfect sense now.
King of Grief and Jedzz: I never met a Talking Heads song I didn’t like. LOOK AT THESE HANDS!
Am I the only one who comes away thinking that Donald Pleasance is actually… GOOD in this? He’s terrible in Puma Man but in this piece of (Insert your own expletive here) he’s actually the ONLY one trying. The line towards the end about the meek inheriting the Earth is delivered with real villainous gravitas.
Unlike, say, Fred “The Hammered While Filming this” Williamson, or…. anyone else.
Love this episode.
“Warrior of the Lost World” what a great movie, I mean with a cast of that quality how could they go wrong.
Re: MST references in Rifftrax
The best has to be in Revenge of the Sith when Anakin sit nexts to Palpatine in the theater and Bill says something like “So they’re gonna sit down in front and make wisecracks? What jerks!”
Somebody could probably get the real quote, I’m working off of memory
SimonArk #42 – I agree that, for the amount of screentime he had, Donald was very believeable as the evil tyranical dictator. And, being from Kansas City, I have a soft spot for “The Hammer”.
Clint #39 – My boss is gone this week so I brought some of my library in too. Heaven!
Sampo #41 – And you may find yourself, in the theater of a large satellite. Letting the riffs go by, let the movie hold me down. Same as it ever was.
If you ever want to hurt yourself enough to watch the un-riffed version of Warrior of the Lost world, you’ll be treated to an extended hammy death scene by Mr. Pleasance. Lot of blood in it too, so its not for the squeamish.
As for the MST3K version. Its one of my all-time favorites. I love everything about bad 80s flicks and when you add Joel ande the Bots to it you get comedy at its best.
Godspeed, Megaweapon.
I’ve always really liked this episode a lot. Goofy action, name actors and a 24-hour writing job on the script equal silly fun plus the jokes from the MST3K crew are terrific. David Worth’s explanation at the MST3K convention as to how this “film” came about was very entertaining and provided great insight into how such wacky stinkers get made.
This was a 4 star episode. The riffing was very good.
I never have understood the fans fascination with megaweapon, however.
I feel I have to go on record and say megaweapon does nothing for me. Thats right.
Megaweapon = Big F***ing deal!
I like the Match Game riffs, and the SCTV “Harry the guy with the snake on his face” riffs the best.
Count me as another vote for four-stars. The riffing was above average, host segments were fairly entertaining, and the movie itself had enough action to keep me interested. Classic? No. A “minor” classic? Perhaps. In the end, it was far more enjoyable than other episodes.
My fav riff: when the Jimmy Carter-Ronnie Cox guy blows up the Omega helicoptor chasing him and the Paper Chase Guy, you hear Crow say, “Why couldn’t you do that to stagflation?”, a reference to Carter’s not-so-productive years as President.
Sampo: you give a great synopsis to every episode, whether I agree with what you say or not, but I admit that I skip over the part where you discuss what “annoying commercials” were on your copy of any given show. I understand if you didn’t want to take the time to edit them out, but what relevance do they have to this discussion? Advertising is gradually taking over everything; from those annoying “pop-up” self-promotions every channel now runs, to movie tie-ins with products, its coming from all angles at nauseum. Why would I want it included in the one show I find solace from such garbage?
** takes deep breath, sits back at computer after a few paces** Sorry man, I had to get that out!
Mike’s take on Megaweapon was good, but not a comic home run (like his Michael Feinstein, Winky, or Morrissey impersonations.)
I do agree that this would make a great addition to Shout!’s first DVD release. Maybe include David Worth’s appearance at the ’94 Convention as an extra(?).
as one whose memory is spotty the commercial refs are great because those stand out like a beacon to my dottering old brain. i saw them so many times. and you know they actually get referenced by the guys occasionally – ie. The Dr. Pepper guy ref from Merlins Shop