I remember that the “Amazing Colossal Episode Guide” had a list of things from the movies that really disturbed and stuck with the writers. I think unusually disturbing movie moments or plot content would be a great discussion topic. The thing that I couldn’t get over was the project featured in “Parts: The Clonus Horror.” The concept of clueless people being lobotomized and/or used for live organ harvesting bothers me more than most topics covered in MSTied films.
Oh, I’m going to have to go with the melting man in “The Incredible Melting Man.” Gross.
What’s your pick?
(Keep those topic suggestions coming!)
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Ditto on Melting Man. I don’t have the stomach for gory horror movies and I always wondered how that one made the cut. Blecch.
Having just seen The Castle of Fu Manchu, there’s the “good”
doctor taking the heart out of a healthy victim while displaying
almost nothing in the way of remorse. And not only that but
apparently finding the general situation quite arousing to his
libedo. Oh, and Fu Manchu had less of a conscience then Saruman.
Two that I truly dislike:
The closeups of the worms and such from “Squirm”. I’ve never been able to watch that entire movie. I’d rather sit with my back to the TV.
On a personal level, the characters from “Wild Wild World of Batwoman”. I don’t know if Jerry Warren thought they were funny, but they’re all incomparably sleazy. Especially the monkey doofus.
Ditto for Squirm. A really disgusting movie.
Oh, and the worms are icky too.
Even though they cut it out, the rape and murder of J.C.’s girlfriend in Sidehackers. I can’t take rape in movies or violence against women (which means I don’t watch a lot of horror). We don’t see it but the idea that someone put that in a script gives me the creeps.
That and Droppo. He’s gross.
In “Creeping Terror”, in the scene where the aliens invade the dance house, there is an inexplicable fight between two men over a woman. One of the men grabs her shirt, rips it, and for a fraction of a second there is an exposed breast!!. The exposure isn’t the disturbing part. What’s disturbing is that it had NOTHING to do with the movie, yet they left it in.
Violence towards women? No thanks. When it’s not part of the story line? Heck no!
I agree with #5 on Sidehackers. I will never watch that vile episode again.
Runner up: the Catching Trouble short.
The Atomic Brain, with its old lady who paws the young girls and keeps licking her lips while ogling them, is pretty gross. Add to that that she’s planning to let them be murdered, so that the doctor can experiment further, while selecting one to be the “lucky” replacement body, and it becomes horrifying.
Oh, and Hobgoblins.
Everything about it.
Ick.
Another thing that disturbs me is the fact that Tony Cardoza financed and starred in Coleman Francis’ movies. That is just wrong on so many levels…
I’d have to go with Melting Man as well, particularly the decapitated head floating in the stream; that surprised me.
So far, every Cinematic Titanic movie I’ve seen is just oppressively depressing. Are they choosing these on purpose? There were plenty of MST3K movies that had downer endings, but occasionally there would be one with an upbeat ending (I Accuse My Parents, Riding With Death, even Hobgoblins everyone survives no matter how much I wanted them all to be in the building when it blew up). War Of The Insects has really been stuck in my craw. So did Parts the first time I saw it.
Also some nasty stuff in Devil Fish.
How about Joe Don Baker and the bottle of baby oil?? Ewwwwwww….lol
Am I really going to have to be the first to say the Grandma-Daughter and Big McLargeHuge love story/make out nakie scene in Space Mutiny?! I mean I understand that love knows no age, but shouldn’t it at least know a little shame?
The hillbilly’s back brace worn on Giant Spider Invasion. Most of the movies characters were disturbing altogether.
“The Brain That Wouldn’t Die,” has to be the sleaziest movie ever riffed on MST3k. Welcome aboard Mr. Nelson.
Torgos knees.
“The Brain That Wouldn’t/Couldn’t Die”: The good doctor running through the woods with Jan’s head was pretty disgusting, but then his whole plan of conning a woman and cutting off her head so he could attach Jan’s head to another body…layer upon layer of oozing sleaze and creepiness. Not to mention the argument and fight between the two “dancers”, and then the big reveal of the monster at the end, taking a big chunk out of the doc’s neck. Wow! Like being dipped in oil and rolled in glass (emotionally and mentally).
But I’ve always wondered, what happened to the monster and the beautiful woman after they walked away from the burning house?
And Fonyo beat me to it, as I submit this. Oh well!
I have to go with JACK FROST. Great riffing but the child abuse by both parents was appalling. Additionally, Nastinka(Sp?) seemed to be about 12 years old, max. The drooling bachelor and his mommy made my skin crawl. I still watch it because it is really funny although I should say I still listen to it. M&tB seemed to intentionally ignore these aspects, cudos to them.
“Romance” in Mitchell – must avert eyes!
The weird parts-of-a-face telescope thing in SANTA CLAUS is only trumped by the absolute misery of the child labor force to sing for Santa’s amusment. Violence against women is bad, as others, have said, but tormenting kids really gets me updset.
The thought of Vorelli defiling Marianne (or any woman) in Devil Doll is pretty unsettling.
Surprised no one’s mentioned the most infamous icky moment of Manos: When the Master takes Debbie as one of his wives.
Others include the ear rape/”eating his brain” scene from Angel’s Revenge, the stripping guard from Space Mutiny, the even more non-titillating sex scene in The Touch of Satan, and any time an ugly male lead is wearing shorts and splaying openly.
Finally, one of the reasons I refuse to ever watch Mad Monster again (aside from the fact that it’s THE most boring movie and episode in the series) is the implication that the caged wolf in the mad scientist’s basement gets burned alive at the end.
The worm close-ups in “Squirm” were bad enough, but add the toothy sheriff and woman in the post-coital cot in the jail cell, and you have one vomitous movie, indeed.
Without a doubt for me it’s Jan-in-the-Pan. Yes, I realize that even if you could keep a head alive in a roasting pan, it wouldn’t be able to talk or laugh. But the idea is still pretty horrifying, especially from her point of view.
SQUIRM acctually did make me…well, squirm. SIDEHACKERS was kind of icky in itself….and do not get me started on EEGHA!!!!
The poop story in Boggy Creek II is pretty disturbing. And counterpoint: I really enjoy the melting man effect. Plus Squirm is the only MST3K movie that I had seen before it being on the show and I enjoyed it. In conclusion, you gonna be da worm face.
High School Bigshot is so depressing I have only watched it the one time. The poor kid is being set up by the girl, then his dad bums half his money off him so he can go out drinking? One day when I am in a really good mood I will try and watch it again…
Oh God, Catching Trouble, I agree, that one’s hard to watch, even with J&TB. Those bear cubs screaming is just hurtful and sad.
“Incredibly Strange Creatures”, ought to just be called, “Nightmare Fuel: The Movie”.
Also, Debbie becoming one of The Masters’ wives.
I’ll agree with everyone about “Clonus,” and the music and pretty much everything else about “Monster A Go-Go.” When Crow was yelling “STOP IT!!” during the sitar (or whatever the hell that instrument was) music, I was thinking, “I feel your pain, Crow buddy!” And during the scene at the restaurant, there is no music playing, and what’s-his-face asks Ruth, “do you remember that song?” And I was thinking along with Joel, “What song?” I added my own riff at that point, “Oh my God, they’re playing John Cage’s 4’33”!”
The most disturbing moment I can think of in a MSTed movie is “Manos” The Hands of Fate. The ending when its implied the young daughter Debbie has been forced into being a wife for the Master. Pretty twisted, Harold.
Both my wife and I nominate King Dinosaur for different reasons. My wife for the lizard fight, pitting an inguana (king dinosaur? not on your life!) and an alligator. “Guys, lizards were hurt in the making this movie.” Me for the incessant pushing of the blonde by the lead scientist. Women in the way? A violent push will do it. Lippert should have been charged with something for this movie.
Jack Elam in The Girl in Lover’s Lane just kind of makes my skin crawl. Crow’s Jack Elam, a little less so.
I’ve always been troubled as to what, if anything Coleman Francis did to the blind woman after throwing her father down the well. If Coleman Francis was involved, I’m guessing it wasn’t very appealing.
#19: Blech, you’re so right about that one. It’s especially bad at the end when Dr. Cortner drugs his prospective victim’s drink and then just watches, with this twisted little smile on his face, as she staggers around and finally passes out. Pure sleaze.
Mostly it’s slimy and gooey things that make me turn my eyes away, so that accounts for a number of choices already named, e.g. The Incredible Melting Man and Squirm.
Devil Doll was hard going for me partly because the scenes of the Great Vorelli’s “act” were so vile to the point that it interfered with my suspension of disbelief. People would pay to see that?
Japanese boys in shorts.
The shaving scene in Eegah.
Arch Hall Jr’s Face in Eegah.
The almost emasculation scene in Angels Revenge.
Coily the Spring Sprite in general, that’s one mean imp.
The Human Robot, that thing was made with cardboard and a corpse, right?
I’m going to add my vote to a few people’s responses:
-Debbie as the Master’s wife (“Manos”)
-A Santa Claus that engages in voyeurism and child labor (“Santa Claus”)
A few new ones:
-In “Fire Maidens from Outer Space,” there is one male and dozens of women… and the male is the father of the rest. I shudder when I think of the demographics of a society like that and how incredibly inbred all the women must be. Plus, the men are all sexist pigs in that film (although that’s not so disturbing as it is icky).
-In “Hobgolbins” the straightlace girl wants to subconsciously be a stripper? Really?! Rick Sloane (screenwriter and director) has some pretty disturbing views of women.
-Similarly, the director of “The Creeping Terror” had some sort of fetish with women’s legs, which gets more disturbing as the movie progresses. GizmonicTemp (#6) already mentioned the accidental (from the actress’s perspective) nudity that the director intentionally left in.
-Along the same lines, “Angels Revenge” is disturbing for its pervasive sexism.
-“The Crawling Hand” has… well, a crawling hand.
-“Eegah” has the dad pushing his daughter onto the title character, telling her that she should just give into his ravishes. I’ve only watched that film once because of that.
-“Space Mutiny” has Big McLarge Huge roasting the disabled man in the gas expulsion pump. No trial, no hearing, no right to a defense… apparently the ancestors of the inhabitants of the Southern Sun didn’t take a copy of the Constitution with them.
-Coleman Francis apparently thought that vigilantism was the norm in this country.
-Implied lycanthrope sex in “Werewolf.”
After compiling this list, I realize that a LOT of stuff disturbs me in my favorite TV show. Thanks for the thread!
I’m surprised that stuff like “It Lives By Night” and “Blood Waters of Dr. Z” haven’t been mentioned, but I do wholeheartedly agree about Manos, Clonus, and a number of others. .. Pretty much anything with darkly existential downer themes (or, as others have also noted, grisly violence against women) turns me off to the humor, because for me the humor simply cannot save these. (Exhibit A of why I watch a *lot* more Rifftrax than Cinematic Titanic).
I have adjusted to some, though. I use to have a much harder time watching Leech Woman and Horror of Party Beach, for example, but I’ve coped with these since they’re ultimately a lot tamer than much of the 60’s/70’s filth that got riffed.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned that offal-covered hillbilly “Old Man Crenshaw” from Boggy Creek II. I get the feeling that ALL he’s wearing is the rubber head band and those filthy, ready to fall apart overalls. Ick.
Clonus is even more horrifying considering that they don’t necessarily have to be cloning entire people. They seem able to control genes fairly well so it’s probable that they could just clone individual organs virtually on demand (Vend-A-Gut!), which would be far more cost effective and infinitely less cruel. Instead they set up a business that they have to spend a fortune to keep secret (also making sure to hire the most sociopathic individuals they can find in every level of their obviously substantial operation), not to mention the fortune spent on raising, housing, feeding, “educating”, controlling, torturing and eventually harvesting what amounts to an entire city of young, genetically dumbed-down clones. In the end it seems like they’re wasting vast sums of money just to torment and murder an entire town of mentally challenged people.
And count me in for the disgustingness of Jessie in “Lovers Lane” (I love how a town loaded with prostitution, gang violence, and leering scum like Jessie wandering the streets has the gall to look down on a pair of hobos), though I will say Jack Ealam did a good job of portraying such a monster. And Coleman in all of “Red Zone Cuba”, but especially that cut scene with the blind and deaf daughter.
The fat people kissing on each other in Ring of Terror made a crap episode unbearable. The movie was so insubstantial that I guess they thought a couple of obese people nuzzling and slobbering over each other and an endless procession of snacks would lighten things up. But that’s the most dark depressing thing in the whole movie.
When the guy gets his good arm ripped off in The Brain that wouldn’t Die that was pretty dour. I know I thought so as a kid. It’s often irony that disturbs me the most.
Mom leering at Natalie as she undresses to bathe in Soultaker. Okay, yeah, I know it’s not really her mom but Joe Estevez having shapeshifted (or something) but that is still one icky image. I wonder what Jean Reiner who played the mom thought while she was filming that scene? (“Okay, I need to look lustful, but, um… aren’t I her mom? Dang, how do I do this!”)
Just to cheer things up an iota . . .
“-In “Fire Maidens from Outer Space,” there is one male and dozens of women… and the male is the father of the rest. I shudder when I think of the demographics of a society like that and how incredibly inbred all the women must be.”
I’m pretty sure there’s a line where they basically explain that the king is the symbolic “father” for everyone in the civilization. It’s a social relationship thing, not a genetic relationship thing. This actually does have roots in a number of real-world historical cultures.
So at least there’s that!
I think Sidehackers was pretty bad. Though the Brains cut out the horrible rape scene, the after effects of the incident are everywhere throughout the film. It turns the movie from a corny rebel romp into a bitter revenge movie, and it also affected the way the Brains chose movies.
The gross gland in “The Brain that wouldn’t die”
“Catching Trouble” in general
The guy drinking the worm in “Squirm”
The woman getting her eye dug out by a cat woman in “Atomic Brain”
The whole “Days of our years” – the dark short with the creepy Priest who loves death
The lobotomy in “Clonus”
and the winner….Baby oil.
#37: the thing with Angels Revenge is that it wasn’t written by a guy, Greydon Clark’s wife was the script writer. Self-hating much?
@TrumpyDumpy: You do realize that Reb Brown and Cisse Cameron are married in real life and are actually about the same age, right? Here’s a photo of the two of them together last year.
For me, it was Catching Trouble. Not sure if that counts as a movie, but I’m gonna put it here anyways…
Any movies (short or full-length) involving the mistreatment of animals can be very hard to sit through.
#34, Cabbage Patch Elvis: Coleman did indeed rape the daughter sitting in on chiffarobe after he threw her father down the well. *shudder*
One of things that really grossed me out was the lack of…em… “male modesty” in certain episodes, such as the free-balling Krankorians, and the close-up of Steve’s unit in Blood Beast.
#41: If there’s such a thing as enjoyably disturbing it’s that scene. If only that it leads to one of my favorite riffs (see name): “Is there a slower-mo available?”.
Going to second #46 about the short “Catching Trouble”. I only watched this once and I will never watch it again. The guys do a good job of pointing out what an A-hole the guy catching all the animals is, but it is incredibly disturbing to watch animals being treated in this way. And I am sure they did not have nearly the standards that they do now when it comes to animals on film, so anytime I see a riff no one of these old films and it has animals in it my stomach turns a little for the fate of the animals.