So, part one: Describe how or when Mike won YOU over (assuming he did).
Part two: Share your favorite Mike moments. Here are my top ten, in episode order:
• 205- ROCKET ATTACK USA — as cosmonaut Sorri Andropoli.
• 309- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN/319- WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST — as Glen Manning.
• 310- FUGITIVE ALIEN — as Jack Perkins.
• 608- CODE NAME: DIAMOND HEAD — as Robert DeNiro from “This Boy’s Life”
• 611- LAST OF THE WILD HORSES — as Mirror Mike
• 706- LASERBLAST — as Capt. Janeway
• 809- I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF — as Adam Duritz
• 813- JACK FROST — as the Lord of the Dance!
• 821- TIME CHASERS — as Eddie
• 904- WEREWOLF — as James Lipton
• Honorable mention: 902- THE PHANTOM PLANET — as Andy Rooney
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I’d have to think a bit on part two, but part one is easy.
From as early as “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die”… as the horrible doctor gets the two girls in his car and says “And I promise not to hurt you” as a “joke”… Mike’s cavalier chuckle followed by the equally smooth query “Have you seen Frankenhooker?”
The delivery of the (obscure) riff is priceless. I crack up every time.
From “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die”, when Kurt is lamenting over his disfigured hand and going on about how “people would turn away from me in disgust”, and Mike pipes in with “and then I’d show them my hand. Thank you!”
That’s the moment Mike won me over. :mrgreen:
Other top Mike moments (in no particular order):
Mike as Fabio, Toobular Boobular Joy, and very obviously trying not to crack up during the Buffola Shots Review in “Outlaw”
Mike as Mikey in “Teenage Strangler”
The Girl Group in “Werewolf”
Mike as Torgo in “Manos: The Hands of Fate”
Mike as Urkel in “San Francisco International”
Mike in the gold hot pants in “Parts: The Clonus Horror”
Mike and Crow The Skull in “The Screaming Skull”
Mike getting debriefed in “The Starfighters”
The “Why Don’t They Look?” segment from “Radar Secret Service”
:grin:
I didn’t have cable in my area when the show debuted so I didn’t actually start watching it until the Mike era. I’d see a Joel episode or two in reruns occasionally and be slightly confused but neither host effected my enjoyment of the show.
There was a scene with a fighter pilot wearing a helmet with a lightning bolt on the side amd Mike says “Dan Fouts jet pilot” … Great riff for anyone who watches football as Dan Fouts was a ggreat quaterback on the San Diego Chargers.
Okay, a few moments that always get me…
THE BRUTE MAN – Mike completely losing it over the cranky old shopkeeper. Watching him just shake with laughter always gets me laughing. It’s such a very… human moment. At times, MST runs the risk of feeling too scripted… and it’s moments like this that return to the feel of “just three funny guys watching a movie for the first time”.
ALIEN FROM LA – His really creepy reaction to Tom as Kathy. He’s squeezing that lil accordion a bit too much…
TRACK OF THE MOON BEAST – “SOL’s Legends of Rock”. Hee hee hee.
And as mentioned above, Mike freaking out over skull-Crow in THE SCREAMING SKULL, and his AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH from RADAR SECRET SERVICE’s skit on the road safety short. Why don’t they look, indeed.
TThe first MST3K erpisodes I saw were the Sci-Fi Channel episodes, so you could say Mike won me over from the start.
I thought Mike was very funny as Valeria. Mike’s Janitor song is classic.
I also liked the host segment (forgot which episodes) where Mike gets locked out of the ship, and they show a little Mike doll in the window to simulate Mike floating away.
I never really had a problem making the transition to Mike. He and the bots had this instant chemistry that invited the viewer to join them as they suffer through the next bad movie (something that seems to be missing in CT, by the way).
Favorite Mike moments:
Releasing the Hubble back into the wild…
Holoclowns!…
Nuveena visits…
“Oh, it’s not grease. It’s, ah, chocolate pudding”…
Choosing the right golf club…
The Mst3k movie was what actually did it for me, but my favorite Mike moment has to be when he sang the Gamera song in Gamera vs Guiron as Michael Feinstein, I still can’t get his version out of my head beautiful…haunting…Gamera.
I’ve always liked that Mike seems genuinely average. I really liked his story about the walkathon when he bought ice cream and he wet’em. Sappy, cute and endearing. I also appreciate how he will just snicker when he finds something amusing, without making a comment at all. I think my favorite line Mike ever spoke is during Touch of Satan, when after being asked to visit the walnut ranch, Jody says “Why?”. Mike kind of chortles and very quietly says “Smooth.” I have to back it up and replay that every time.
Doing the Glen character is what won me over as a performer but there was riffing in DANGER! DEATH RAY originally that won me over as host. The show was still very funny to me with Mike but it just wasnt the same to me until that very episode for some reason. I think I came home after drinking and smoking weed that night with some friends. It just seemed to finally click.
Yeah I know… That’s a LONG time after Mike took over. But I missed out on the transition and didnt have CC for a while after Hurricane Andrew. I missed out on the first runs of Mike until somewhere toward the middle or end of season 6.
I liked Mike just as much as Joel from the beginning. Maybe even a little more than Joel just because he wasn’t as mellow. But, one of my favorite Mike moments is at the end of “Alien from L.A.” when he and crow debate over who is more of a Fem by the movies they watch.
I also like when Mike does the “Profesor Guy” from the “Mole People” and it doesn’t go over so well. The bots seem to console him in a way that Joel used to do for them. It’s kind of that fatherly it’s ok to fail kind of a talk.
One of my favorite Mike moments was from “Horror of Party Beach” when Mike freaks out the bots with his tiny bathing suit.
“Maybe it’s the dancing?”
The very first MST3K episode I saw – “Alien From LA” – sealed the deal for me. MTV had a Comedy Central promo or something one weekend several years ago. I heard a lot about the show, but I never saw it until then. Since I was such a fan of bad movies, I always wanted to see MST3K for myself.
I never laughed so hard before in my life. My specific memories of that episode are fuzzy, but I remember having a good laugh at Mike saying something along the lines of “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Kathy Ireland” over a slow-motion shot of her running outside.
Like Invader Pet, Mike won me over from the start.
After “Alien From LA,” I got reacquainted with the show with episodes of “The Mystery Science Theater Hour” and Joel-centric episodes on tape, but when I tracked down the first few Mike episodes on tape (“The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” in addition to “MST3K: The Movie”), I still found Mike to be as funny as hell.
And when the show got picked up by Sci-Fi Channel, Mike was still as hilarious as ever. Long story short, I guess you could say that I’ve always been a big fan of Mike’s.
As for favorite moments? I have a lot of them. Let’s see…
THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN – Mike’s Glen Manning impression is a killer, especially when he casually munches on a cow and breaks into a coughing fit in the midst of his laughter.
MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE – Mike’s Torgo is hilarious. I also love that blooper where Frank and Mike can’t keep straight faces for the skit.
MITCHELL: That first appearance as Mike Nelson. “Can you guys sign my time card?”
THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE: Mike’s first host segment, looking completely exasperated as Servo says: “Compared to today’s experiment, The Beast of Yucca Flats was just a cakewalk!”
THE WILD WILD WORLD OF BATWOMAN: For some reason, Mike’s riff of “I WILL BRING YOU DOWN, JOHNNY!” always make me laugh very hard.
THE ATOMIC BRAIN: The chin puppet from Hell.
VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS: “The Greatest Frank of All,” if only for Mike’s “Knowing that love could be Frank! If only the sun and the moon would collide to be Frank!”
THE CREEPING TERROR: Mike listening to the repetitive dance music with such joy, casually writing on his CDs as he listens to the tune.
RED ZONE CUBA: Mike doing the “Knee Test” during the violent climax of the movie.
ANGELS’ REVENGE: Mike’s goofiness as the Fonz, right before the ‘Bots blast him with a cannon.
THE BRUTE MAN – Like M “Creeper Creeper Creeper… You Give ME The Creeps!” Sipher, I thought it was a riot to see Mike crack up over the mean boss (both in this episode AND in the rough cut of the Diabolik episode featuring the random goofy scene montage).
THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN – There’s an anguished shot of Dr. Ted Nelson reaching his wife on the phone. Mike, keeping up the running gag from earlier, says, “Any crackers YET?” That whole scene in general was gold, thanks to a mumbling Mike: “HeyYouWannaEatOver, YouCan’t, TooBad, I’mSorry…”
ESCAPE 2000 – Mike as an over-the-top Dablone in Deep 13.
THE MOLE PEOPLE: Mike as the Gesture Professor. “Down… down… down…”
THE SHE CREATURE – I always got a big laugh out of Mike struggling with Crow’s Tickle Me Carlo Lombardi doll.
JACK FROST: Mike discusses ape movies with the bad guys on the camping planet.
PRINCE OF SPACE: Mike ending up as that horrible robot.
SPACE MUTINY: Mike trying his hardest to enjoy tea time while the ‘Bots commandeer the escape pods and fight with each other.
WEREWOLF: the whole “Where, O Werewolf” song skit.
THE GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS: Mike’s horrified reaction to Crow in gold boots.
FINAL JUSTICE: Mike falling over and over during the crappy editing skit.
HAMLET: The whole “Alas, Poor WHO?” skit.
SQUIRM: Mike’s experiment on worms fails, but he finds something positive to take away from it.
DIABOLIK: Mike getting a big bowl of rice and watching “The Crawling Eye” with the ‘Bots at the end of the last episode.
Lots of great memories!
When I got into the show, It was the beginning of season six. There was a good balance of Mike and Joel in the rotation of repeats, so I had no real preference. But my favorite Mike moments are:
-623 The Amazing Transparent Man: “You people bring matches for Mikey?”
-813 Jack Frost: Michael J Nelson IS Lord of the Dance!
-516 Alien From LA: All the host segments.
-MST3KTM-Mike kills the Hubble.
-1011 Final Justice: Mike thinks it’s his turn to escape since he had to watch a Joe Don Baker movie. Poor dope.
-1012 Squirm: Mikey the Mike Sprite
-912 Screamin; Skull: Mike fears the “Crow” skull.
-Season 8- Twice (I forget which eps) Mike kinda goes into a daze bitterly remembering his past.
-512 Mitchell- Mike tricks Frank (not too hard really) into giving him the keys.
-611 Last of the Wild Horses-Mirror Mike and “real” Mike went “to Vo-Tech”
I like all the ones mentioned up there! But I also like the part in Prince of Space where Mike’s like ‘Have you met my wife, Krankor?” :lol:
Mike as Toblerone! Mike as Torgo! Mike as…just about anybody in the guest segments. Though I prefer the Joel eps a bit more overall, I always liked Mike, either in guest segments while Joel was still hosting, or as host himself. I like his riffs in the theater, and quite a few of the host segments in the CC eps, though I think the host segments started to go downhill in the later years. Don’t get me started on those Sci-Fi era host segments. The laughs were few for me then. But that wasn’t really about Mike, I think they were just running out of ideas. And they had to make them more like a “series” for the powers that be, which I think, ruined their creativity – though they did the best with what they had to do. Really, though – wasn’t the fact that it was a guy stuck in space with a couple of wise-cracking robots forced to watch bad movies against their will enough of a continuity factor? Did the people at Sci-Fi really think the viewing public was so dense it needed some kind of week to week crap in order to watch it? The show had been successful for years on CC before that with no problem in that area.
Oh, well. Anyway, Mike was good from the start, even though I missed Joel.
I started watching MST3K with Mike, so I’ve always liked him as host. Joel was good too, but I do tend to gravitate towards the Mike Nelson epsiodes of MST3K.
Top Mike Nelson moments:
Alien From L.A.: Mike gets weird during “My Wild Irish Ireland.” He thinks Servo IS Kathy Ireland and, well, I don’t want to know what he was thinking.
Laserblast: Mike as Capt. Janeway. It has Mike in drag and it points out one of the great mysteries of Star Trek, the other people we never see on the ships.
Codename: Diamondhead: This one has two that I like.
1. Mike as DeNiro in the movie “This Boy’s Life.”
2. Mike as The Frugal Gourmet. It’s perfect, and the creepiness is enhanced by the ultimate fate of the real Frugal Gourmet, Jeff Smith.
Turkey Day Segments: Mike as Jack Perkins is good in Robot Holocaust, but even better in these Turkey Day host segments. He’s vulgar, drunk, and sings bawdy tunes.
Manos The Hands of Fate: Mike as Torgo. I think Mike’s Torgo is actually creepier than the movie’s Torgo.
Outlaw: Mike’s Jack Palance voice as they read “Palance on Palance.”
I actually saw the movie first when I was 10 or 11, so Mike had won me over from the start. But, if I had to narrow it down to one line, it would have to be the remark about Cal’s “refreshing mint flavor” when he starts glowing green.
As for some of my favorite Mike moments:
Manos – Torgo’s Pizza
Teenage Strangler – Janitor song
Skydivers – Why Study Industrial Arts?
Radar Secret Service – Last Clear Chance
Prince of Space – Mike and the bots are all out of sync with one another
Neptune Men – Krankor returns!
Space Mutiny – Mike imitates Dave Ryder’s womanly scream
Time Chasers – Mike as Eddie
Phantom Planet – The Andy Rooney-off
Girl in Gold Boots – Mike turns Crow’s petty, childish revenge back on him
Mike as Morrisey in Poopie, where he kisses Dr. F.
I knew I was watching a man who would do anything to make me laugh.
One of my top favorite Mike moments is the face he makes at the end of the Mystos commercial sketch.
Mike won me over simply because he was my first exposure to MST3K, and that was also the movie. When Mike steps off the hamster wheel, and drinks from that upside down water bottle, for some reason I just start to chuckle and it just keeps going from there.
As for my favorite Mike moments:
Mike as Torgo.
Mike as Mikey (both in Teenage Strangler & Amazing Transparent Man).
Mike losing it in Brute Man.
Mike as Hugh Beaumont, “When is it Hugh’s TIME??!”
Mike in Creeping Terror when the monster shambles out of the space ship, “And I was afraid the monster was going to be goofy.”
Mike’s trial in Agent From HARM.
And finally Mike’s brawl with Finnegan and Adrienne Barbeau in Thing That Couldn’t Die.
Mike showed us his chops pretty early on, IMHO, specifically in segment four of “The Sidehackers.” His impersonation of motorpsycho J.C. was pretty much spot on, even when he had to deal with Frank as his sidekick Gooch. The man can act.
I liked Mike in Mitchell as Mike the Temp, I knew he was taking over and was ready to dislike him (I don’t like change, I even fear it). I was used to Joel. Mike won me over in “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” when the doctor grabs the head and he makes the riff about carrying the football I then knew not much would change and I had nothing to fear and then when “Santa Claus” came out I was sold.
Mike as Torgo: “You want your free crazy bread, sir?” (reaches in his pants)
Frank and Dr. F: “No!”
Randy
I can’t claim to have been an MST3K fan since the beginning, even though I am certainly OLD ENOUGH to have been. I saw the Movie on a friend’s recommendation back in the late 90’s, and I was hooked immediately–and so was my wife. Our first actual episode after that was “Horror of Party Beach” (a friend’s tape), so our first exposure to the show was Mike-centred. (Heck, it took me a long time to figure out that there were two Crows.)
I have no preference between Mike or Joel. Both were–and are–great at what they do. It’s simply a matter of STYLE. For example, I was utterly exhausted last night, so I watched a laid-back Joel episode (“Hercules Unchained”).
At any rate, “I don’t like slumber parties now that I’m in my 40’s” might have been the line that truly won me over.
FYI: my first full exposure to MST3K was Manos. Busted my cherry big-time!
Randy
The first Mike episode I saw was “San Francisco International” when they were running fan favorites during the summer on Comedy Central. He totally won me over as Urkel. This whole bit is a great example of MST3K making a funny imitation out of a “bad” imitation. I love it. I like Mike and Joel equally for different reasons. They both made great hosts and they both did a great job in the theater and out.
I’m almost certain that my first exposure to MST3K was the movie. I rented it on a whim from Blockbuster when I was like 12, and I must have watched it 10 times before I had to return it. I’ve always been a much bigger fan of Mike than Joel. Joel has his moments, but something about Mike just does it for me.
I didn’t like Joel at all at first, so Joel was the one that had to win me over. He did when I saw Pod People. “Trumpy, you can do stupid things!” still makes me laugh like an idiot.
Almost forgot about Mike’s agitated take on Hugh Beaumont in “The Human Duplicators.”
“HUGH BEAUMONT?!”
“Don’t ‘Hugh Beaumont’ me, I heard what you were saying about me, you back-stabbing little busybodies…”
Something that no-one has really mentioned yet is how great Mike was in supporting roles for the intros of Dr. Bobo and Brain Guy. He played a great observer and Dr. Peanut was hysterical. “Lift up your hearts and be glad, friends!”
I was raised on the sci fi eps but “It’s the eighties, do alot of coke and vote for ronald regean.” That did it for me.
Although I had seen Joel episodes when I very little, I really remembered the Mike ones best, so I always loved him.
My favorite moments of his:
-When he’s being Morrissey
-The first time Nuveena visits
-When Jack Perkins gets drunk
-As Hugh Beaumont
-laughing hysterically during the scene in The Brute Man with the cranky shopkeep
-“You people bring matches for Mikey?”
-him wearing short shorts and dancing around in Clonus
-The funny, cute look on his face as they introduce the Buffalo shots in ep.519
I sure hope somebody’s alerted Mike to this whole ego-stroking thread.
I can’t remember a specific moment when he won me over, but his impersonations have always impressed me. His Jack Perkins should be patented. Eddie was a brilliant re-invention of himself, so funny (Bill did a great job on that one, too). And although I never warmed to him like I did to Joel, I always loved his mock-innocent way of dealing with Pearl & Co.
Actually, I think the moment I decided Mike was gonna be fine was in reading the ACEG, where he talks about having a big face. I’m not sure what it was…something about that honest vulnerability…it just…snif…gee, whatta guy! :wink:
i think it was the episode prince of space tied with when hes the little kid
Like others, I started with the Sci-Fi years, so it was Mike who had me from the start. They are both great though.
Favorite moments:
Mike as Michael Feinstein was great. “It sneaks up on you; ‘boo’ it says.”
Mike singing like Critter in Girl in Gold Boots.
Mike as Eddie. “What did I say about puns?” Servo- “Shove them up my…” Eddie- “Exactly.”
I feel a little lame because I didn’t get into the show until a few months ago. I watched it as a kid with my family, but you know that only goes so far. [I do remember loving it, even if I didn’t understand all of it.]
That being said, Mike – and the whole show, really – won me over when I was watching the opening theme for The Final Sacrifice. My thought process had been “this is pure crack”, until the Robot Roll Call when he spins the clipboard, looks at the camera, and smiles. I was butter.
Favorite Mike moments…um, well, if nothing else, he did mentally scar me when I first saw the Janeway skit. Mike is and can do many things, but good Lord, he’s too manly to crossdress. However, I do think watching him dance in the silver shorts made up for it. And seeing him as mirror!Mike. And as Feinstein. And in those tiny swim trunks. Okay, fine, he’s totally made it up to my fangirl. >//>
I always thought Mike was hilarious as the visiting characters during the Joel years. Glen Manning, Torgo, Toblerone, Bruce the Gym guy. “Gimme that key, fella!”
As a host, I thought he was fine at first but I was mourning the loss of Joel for quite a while. Mike the host was always better in the theatre riffing for me than in the segments. He got better as time went on but I can’t think of one specific point when he won me over. It got better when they did away with the invention exchange and they let Mike just kind of do his own thing. He had a different relationship with the ‘bots. More like a buddy than a parent. Joel was more like a parent or cool uncle.
Early on I noted Mike Nelson’s name in the credits and even wrote him a fan letter around the beginning of season four. The night “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” aired my dad walked by the TV and said “Is that the new guy on your show? He’s got a loser voice” but I knew from Mike’s many guest appearances he could do a variety of characters and impressions and we would be justnfine.
top ten mike guest roles:
201- Valeria
205- Sorri Andropoli
208/420- Hugh Beaumont
310, etc- Jack Perkins
312- Michael Feinstein
405/406- Holoclown
413- Winky
424, etc- Torgo, of course
801, etc- Dr. Peanut
821- Eddie Nelson
As the “monster” from The Brain That Wouldn’t Die: “Gahh! I’m in another dimension, help!… hello?”
Other than that, one word:
MYSTOS!
Oh, and:
“Yippie-DIE-Aye-ey!”
Did I miss Joel? Yeah, I really regret that Joel left. Although, I’m upset over MST3K going to Shout Factory from Rhino. Kidding, I miss Dinosaur, the commenter who would come in here and primarily say “roar” and “I’d eat him”.
What happened to that commenter?
what talent this show was blessed with! guys that were not only funny but could compose and play music, sing, deliver great characterizations, all in the name of glorious laughter.
favorite Mike moments:
[these are out of episode order]
his Larry Buchanan impersonation- ‘he just didn’t care’- reminds me of every frozen burrito snarfing, Iron Maiden on boom box listening character I encountered on a Greyhound trip to Montana. and no, they just did not care.
as Mikey. instant transformation from solid calm Midwesterner into bubbling mess. he captures the desperate mania of the character perfectly.
as Hugh Beaumont. America’s favorite dad spews invective while holding a highball glass, and Mike makes it work.
Toblerone! I didn’t recognize him for a few moments at first under that fright wig. Mike made even leather pants look good, washing away the memory of the ickiness of this character in the film, and replaced him with pure fun.
as the scary Minnesotan/Wisconsonian [?] Scout Master. very creepy. but funny.
in the Last Clear Chance parody. Tom and Crow are perfect as the out-of-control cop and the old guy, and Mike is hysterical as the rube damaging himself inexplicably with random [usually] harmless items.
he’s so cute as he baby-talks while grooming/tickling Nummy Muffin Coocol Butter.
when he vapor-locks in rage reminiscing about his failed temp jobs. the strange cold gleam in his usually kind blue eyes seems genuine. he snaps out of it and is again his cheerful spaceman self.
as Bruce the scary Gym Guy. captures this creep’s hulking odiousness effortlessly.
moshing gloriously in the ‘Promenade’ sequence.
as himself, working in a cheese factory. his mountain of yellow hair, barely contained by the hairnet, his CHiPs shades, his Viking mustache, his misled optimism about the success of ‘Sex Factory.’ and also as his evil brother Eddie; Eddie is the guy you get a teeny little crush on, despite knowing that he would probably try to borrow all your money and stomp on your heart without thinking twice. and steal your car, and ruin your credit, and make a pass at your sister, and set fire to the garage, and- avoid, at all costs.
as Morrisey-in-Tupperware. wow. just- wow. again, effortlessly nails it.
when he removes Crow’s torturous contact lenses. he’s so sweet to the little ‘Bot.
if there were a series educational DVDs of Mike as the Gesture Professor, I would buy them all, no matter how mundane the topic.
though he doesn’t do much except wear a static grim expression, when with Crow he reenacts the gas station robbery in the Violent Years. it’s just funny.
as evil ‘Mirror/Mirror’ Mike. he makes a great villain.
impersonating the Bread Delivery Guy.
in his sailor suit warbling ‘Anything Goes.’
as the morphing Lorenzo Lamas in Renegade. I love his wig, flapping in the ersatz wind.
when he sneaks a Rick Wakeman impression when the ‘Bots leave.
my favorite Mike-as-Torgo moments are as Torgo the White, and the out-take in Poopie!
waking up in the cage as Hugo. he is so frightening in his demon dummy garb.
practicing non-acting exercises a la Lance Fuller. when he sub-sonically mumbles ‘I could have saved more people,’ he almost causes Kevin to corpse.
as a crazed Teppenyaki chef, dicing and re-dicing everything in arm’s length. his crazed intense expression is great.
his attempt at making ‘BASMATI!’ rice extreme.
when he ‘becomes’ Crow. Mike’s impersonation qualifies as [funny] nightmare fuel.
donning the 70’s mustache in order to flirt with Pearl a la the Hip Ski-Bum Doctor. no wonder her cheeks turned pink!
contracting Grizzled Old Prospector Syndrome. his floppy hair and grumbly voice- and he kissed a surly truck farmer.
the ‘Bots shine here, too, but when Mike goes dangerously Italian.
gadding about as Goosio.
when he loses himself in the moment in Creeping Terror, and is scrawling on a CD with a marker, then remembers to come back into character. his sheepish expression at his momentary slip is very sweet.
and of course giving in helpless laughter during Brute Man. the exponentially cranky grocery store guy just breaks him up, and I love watching him enjoy himself. I rewind to watch his silhouette double over at the ridiculousness of this character, at the fun of it all. it’s a nice moment.
I agree that, Jack Perkins apart, Mike achieved utter brilliance as Michael Feinstein. my mother grew up on Gershwin et al, so we went to see Mr. Feinstein perform. without edging into cruelty, Mike Nelson nailed his characterization. I love his little ‘come hither’ glances from his black-rimmed blue eyes as he plays, and the special syrupy warble he hits as he sings ‘tur-tle— meeeeeat–‘… unctuous, tuneful, perfect.
despite hearing Mr. Nelson speak about his migrane headaches, I just watched ‘Red Zone Cuba’ and I didn’t detect any weakness or malaise in his performance. he has mentioned that he was suffering the effects of not only his headache but some unfortunate medication during the shooting of this episode. it’s a testament to his professionalism and dedication that he riffed in fine form while no doubt feeling lousy.
this is ‘Cheating,’ but when he wears the frozen ‘Robeschesing’ stare at the conclusion of the Film Crew’s Killers From Space. he’s echoing the prolonged, multiple close-ups of the craggy features of the movie’s grey 50’s guys. Mike’s icy expression is frightening. perhaps he is calling upon the legendary stoicism of his ancestors. it’s a frightening combination of righteous accusation, pity, and cold dismissal. phew!
Ahoy! First time commenter, long time MSTie.
I knew of the show from its syndicated abberation, but I was reintroduced to it in my late teens, on (sorry!) the Sci-Fi channel. My friends and I didn’t even recall a guy named Joel; we just knew that Pearl was a very unkind lady.
To answer the question, let me put it this way: “You know, in this movie, people don’t trust other people’s ability to move forward.”
Love the site, keep up the great work!
I watched “The Deadly Bees” last night.
As I viewed it, I realized that Mike has some really golden moments when he’s allowed to cut loose and get really goofy. Although “The Deadly Bees” might not have the best riffs in MST3K’s history, the skits are a lot of fun.
That episode’s opening segment (“Previously on the Satellite of Love”) is hilarious, thanks to Mike’s willingness to go completely over-the-top with so many pop-culture conventions and cliches. The skit where he wears a bee costume and communicates with Servo using only physical movements is a hoot, too.
And as PopcornSonata notes, Mike is hilarious as an Observer. His rivalry with Bill Corbett’s Observer makes for great comedy here.
Changing gears: I can’t forget Mike’s hilarious “PACKERS!!!” riffs from “The Giant Spider Invasion.”
MST3Kelly – good call on the teppanyaki chef skit from “Riding With Death.”
Lord. I can’t believe I forgot this bit…
“BOOOLLLLD?!?! Well hell yes it’s bold!!!”
Mike’s face when he’s screaming that is priceless. That whole sequence (Starfighters, for those who don’t remember) always greatly amuses, but that one closeup of Mike’s face all screwed up in hyperactive contempt for the notion that his sauce might not be bold… fan-damn-tastic.
In that same vein… the close-up of Mike’s reaction to the Hubble’s sudden plummet in MST3K The Movie. Sometimes I’ll watch it over and over. Mike gets some absolutely wonderful expressions with that big meaty face of his.
Beacause I didn’t have Comedy Central on my local cable during the show’s original run, I actually came to the show through the old Rhino video releases, though the first episodes I saw were all Joel episodes.
I was therefore “won over” during the Sci-Fi days:
Mike as The Gesture Professor in “The Mole People.”
Mike in the Andy Rooney-off (“The Phantom Planet”).
And best of all, Mike on trial for his crimes against the universe in “Agent for H.A.R.M.” Truly a tour-de-force…
Addenda:
I should add that my favorite “Mike moments” are too numerous to list in full. However, I would like to cite:
Mike as JC (great supporting performance by Frank Conniff as Gooch or Cooch)
Mike as Mikey (Teenage Strangler)
Mike as Mikey (“You people got matches for Mikey?”)
Mike as Mike-O being taunted by Crow as the Great Vorelli in Devil Doll
Mike as Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies
Mike as Jack Perkins
Mike as John Banner
Mike going EXTREME over rice: I love rice myself (and my name happens to be Mike), so I used to be in the habit of giving out a whiny “AAAHHHHHH! Basmati!” whenever I ate rice. I broke that habit, eventually.
etc., etc., etc.
The first time I remember being impressed by a Mike performance was when he did the voice of the killer A-Bomb in “Women at a Prehistoric Planet” I could tell right then and there that this kid had talent.
However, I was still on the on the wall as regarding him as host until “Diabolik” but unfortunately that also turned out to be the last MST episode, so it goes, I guess.
I liked Mike a lot from his Torgo apperances, but it wasn’t until Outlaw that he won me over as a host. Mike’s first few episodes pretty much confirmed my worst fears about the quality of the show going forward, esp coming off the top-notch episodes that made up the first half of season 5. But Outlaw was a breath of fresh air. The exact moment was probably the Jack Palance biography sketch.