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Weekend Discussion Thread: That One Good PerformanceSo you’re watching an episode and most of the performances are terrible or at the very least flat and bland. But then one performer comes on the screen with actual screen presence, with actual ability, and suddenly the movie is briefly watchable.
You’ve probably had that experience. Tell us about it. Here’s mine: It’s the rather brief appearance of veteran actor Les Tremayne as Norman “the crazy goat man” Tolliver in “The Slime People.” He arrives and the screen lights up, he departs and it’s just a foggy mess again. And if you can think of a thread topic, be sure to send it in! 111 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: That One Good Performance”Commenting at Satellite News
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All content posted on Satellite News is copyright © 2024 by Chris Cornell and Brian Henry, except where otherwise noted. This Date in MSTory is written and compiled by Steve Finley, Chris Cornell and Brian Henry. Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce This Date in MSTory items in any form without express written permission from the authors. Items of MST3K news may be duplicated or reposted, as long as Satellite News is cited as the source. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Satellite of Love, LLC. No warranty is expressed or implied that the information given herein is completely accurate, and in fact this information can and will change at any time. So there. Mystery Science Theater 3000, its characters and situations are copyrights and trademarks of Satellite of Love, LLC. Banner image created by Larry Lee Moniz. |
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Gene Hackman is good in anything… and he turns in a good performance in Marooned.
Peck in Space Travellers
The turtle aliens from Laserblast.
“Well? Did you?!”
The black cat in the “Atomic Brain.” That cat had more acting talent than anyone else in these schlocky movies. What? What did you want me to say? Joe Don Baker in “Mitchell?” Get outta here kid!
I’m gonna say Captain Deevers in Space Mutiny. For me, he made his cheesy tech dialog less cheesy and I totally believed he was the captain of a starship. Even later in the movie when he offered to go with Lump Beefbroth to battle the Enforcers, I was convinced that he would kick into boot camp mode and kick some butt.
Shifting gears and copping out a bit, I’ll also nominate Raul Julia in Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. That movie stunk, everyone around him stunk, even the PBS-camera stunk, but he was awesome. He single-handedly made the movie watchable.
Also, the snakes we have to watch out for in “Eegah.” They are so good, we never see them!
I have to go with Yvette Vickers of 406-ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES. The screen just crackles when she’s on it in this turkey. She was pretty brave when the Game Warden held a gun to her face while comforting her and was just down right hot, hot, hot!
John Saxon in Mitchell. He plays a very believable slimeball.
Luther Strickland (Lee Amber) in The Touch of Satan. He seemed to like
the people and place where they lived (even put up with the discomfort that
walnut farming entails). He had a good relationship with the deputy and
seemed the one three-dimensional (and generally likeable) character in the film. But go easy on the hard cider if he offers.
Now if someone could just explain the family(?) relationships on the farm (Quick!
Before there are little Jodie and Melissas running around).
The rage-filled grocer from The Brute Man.
Megaweapon’s performance crushing the Paper Chase Guy’s motorcycle is priceless. I also like Susan Gordan’s performance in “Tormented”.
Clu Gulager in San Francisco Int’l rises above the material. (Pernell does not). Clu does mumble a lot but I think that’s just how he speaks.
Joe Don Banker IS Mitchell….just kidding.
Lupita in Santa Claus is genuinely cute if not a great actress.
Beverly Garland in Earth vs. the Spider.
I know this one is kind of funny….but the bread delivery salesman in Out of This World (High School Bigshot). The material is (unintentionally) off the charts hilarious, but, he’s actually kind of believable as a bread enthusiast. It’s not bad acting (except for the scenes when he plays his evil former self with a Brooklyn accent).
I’m tempted to say Raul Julia in Overdrawn Memory Bank but then I remembered both his awful Bogie impression and his hilarious reading of “he looks drunk to me!” Still, his talent shines through in several scenes. He seems to say “fat man!” with conviction.
JK Woodard in Time Chasers. “I’ve got a whole building full of people!” He really, truly did his best.
#11 – how could I forget Megaweapon?!?
Droppo #12 – Yes! The bread guy was great! Yet again, I forget about the shorts! Also, I always thought that Raul’s Bogie wasn’t so much supposed to be Bogart as much as it was supposed to be his character impersonating Bogart since it was his alter-ego. But, yes, “He looks drunk to me” was pretty hilarious.
Kline!!!
the uber cute square head from ‘Jack Frost.’ i don’t know why, she seems to be the only sane one in the bunch.
Sitting Duck #10
while he definitely made a statement, to me the grocer embodies that rare phenomenon where an admittedly non essential character takes a movie, packs it onto their back and run away with it. i think you can look at most of the MST’d movies and find a similar example.
I have to go with Gay Bar in Time of the Apes, for his “I did it, I finally did it, damn me all to Hell” moment when he realizes the truth about his son’s death. As Joel said, that monkey can really emote, at least if you take into account his lack of any facial muscles.
Among English-speaking human characters, Harbor Master Samuel Beckett McCartin in Gorgo was pretty good.
Finally, I’d give a shout out to a couple of actors in Roger Corman’s stable who have turned in some good performances in several episodes: Jonathan Haze (Teenage Cave Man, Swamp Diamonds, Gunslinger, and maybe It Conquered the World. Maybe) and Bruno VeSota (Daddy-O, Giant Leeches, Gunslinger, The Undead, but definitely not Batwoman).
Beverly Garland in all the MSTed movies – she really was a good actress, and displayed far more passion for making a good movie that the director and crew evidently did. And, of course, Allison Hayes, who was just so gosh darn nice to look at!
It’s a smart move on the magazine’s part, really. It gets people talking about their inconsequential list because most people will disagree with their top pick.
James Franciscus in “Marooned,” because I thought he was pretty good in anything. I still wish I could get his TV series, “Longstreet,” on DVD.
Can we mention Rifftrax movies too? Because I thought Kerwin Mathews, the star of “Jack the Giant Killer,” was a perfectly decent (and darn cute, too!) leading man for these kind of Saturday afternoon matinee kiddie movies. He was earnest and swashbuckling without chewing the scenery. And he even managed to look not too ridiculous in those dumb medieval Peter Pan outfits… well, wait, I guess that’s really too much to ask.
I just caught my daughter smoking that crap in her room. I don’t care if she is 18 or if the substance is good or bad. All I know is that if I smoke that at my work or driving I would get fired and a DUI I should kick her out of my house so she can do whatever the hell she wants with her fricking pot head of hers.
Season by season:
KTMA: Superdome: Donna Mills as nymphomaniac/psychopathic Lainie brings lust, murder and double crossing- a prelude to her soapy Abby on Knots Landing.
Season one: Robot Holocost:Angelika Jager as Valaria- so bad, it is good.
Season two: Sidehackers: Michael Pataki as J.C. – perhaps the greatest MST performance of them all. He must have taken Shatner lessons when he was a Klingon.
Season three: Cave Dwellers: Thong, need I say more?
Season four: From the Rocky Jones films: Winky- oh, your little black book haunts me.
Season five: Lassie as Shep- that Cur stole my heart.
Season six: Stanley Adams- the Tribble guy.
Season seven: Ted Nelson!
Season eight: John Agar in both films.
Season nine: The bowler guy.
Season ten: Give that bowl of stew to: Johnny Longbow- his line “PAUL IS NOT PAUL ANYMORE!” is worth the price of admission
I thought Frank Finlay who played the evil beekeeper Manfred in The Deadly Bees turned in a great performance. Manfred stole the movie for me with an understated malevolence that has a great pay-off when he reveals his plan to a stunned Vicki. I thought his fiery death took away some dignity from the character as it was hilarious. Does it count as a railing kill?
Or…
The bowler hat guy from the same movie who wanders in at the end and he gets his own theme music. :cowboy:
Don’t usually like to go there but I have to go to a KTMA episode for this answer.
There’s a scene in “Superdome” where Ken Howard’s wife is admitting to cheating on him. Both of their performances are actually pretty riveting. Even Joel and the Bots stop riffing and watch the entire scene. Well done Mr. Howard and actress whose name I have forgotten. Sorry.
And an honorable mention must go to the actor who portrayed “Cornjob” in the movie “Gamera vs. Guiron”
There are actually more moments than you would expect from MSTied movies but those are the two that immediately sprang to mind.
Mamie Van Doren? Or just her boobs?
The Creature from the Black Lagoon in “Revenge of the Creature”. He demonstrates a wide range of emotions and abilities: passion for protecting his home; tension and worry; the awakening of true love and the brutal pain of rejection and betrayal; anger and the desire for freedom; shock and confusion as the recipient of sadistic behavioral modification experiments; the bliss of being on the nod; a kick-ass fighter who could also do ballet; brave and cunning; and those six-pack abs!
And even though it was brief, Clint Eastwood as the hapless research assistant- and his hair looked great!
Both Ricardo Montalbán and Maximilian Schell in Hamlet, though Schell’s good performance for me does not include the voice acting he did for the English dub.
TOBLERONE! Now there was an actor who knew he was in a bad movie and hammed it up to the point that his character became an unforgettable delight.
One cannot forget Brian Blessed in episode K10 “Cosmic Princess”.
I’ll agree with the posters noting both Raul Julia in “Overdrawn…” and Clu Gulaher in “San Francisco International”. Both deliver good performances amidst rather bland ones from their co-stars.
I’m tempted to say Christopher Lee in “Castle of Fu Manchu”, mainly because he’s always good. Problem is, he doesn’t do all that much. There are better examples for him (like “Satanic Rights of Dracula”, for example).
Another I’d say is Ed Platt in “Rebel Set”. He’s actually good as the intelligent, ego-driven, double-crossing ringleader. Wish the rest of the movie had been better.
The body model in The Brain That Wouldn’t Die – she delivers every line like she’s going for the academy award, which is pretty amusing in the cheesy surroundings. She came to act!
Despite spending the bulk of the film next to Joe Don Baker, his Maltese companion that looked like Elaine Benes did a fair job pulling off her parts in Final Justice.
Also, we must not forget the wonderful job that Vidal Sassoon hair products did for Yuri in Werewolf.
There was something inherently likable about Rowsdower. He just seemed like everyone’s favorite chain-smoking curmudgeonly drunkle.
She’s very raw and she misses just as often as she hits with some unorthodox acting choices, but Travis Brooks Stewart as “Sister Ann” is actually pretty good in her role. At the least it’s an interesting performance. I could see her as a supporting character in a TV crime procedural and am actually minorly bummed she didn’t do more acting.
Also, LOL at the spam in #21 and #23.
Peter Grave’s ‘He forgot almost too late that man is a feeling creature’ speech from ‘It Conquered The World’. He really sold that monolouge. He did it so well that they replayed it 4 times during the end segment.
I have to agree with #35 up here. The scene where she and Fred Burrows talk about her past is actually decently acted and the two of them were clearly playing off each other well. If the filmmakers had taken that scene and started over from there, the results may not have been terrible. Not necessarily good, but still…
And I’ll chip in the African-American scientist guy from The Blood Waters of Dr.Z. He’s not great, but he exudes an air of intelligence and competence that’s lacking in the rest of the film, not to mention that he’s the only character who does anything remotely heroic. I’m still bummed that the helmet-hair doofus with the jumpsuit shows up out of nowhere to hog all of the glory.
Glenn Langan’s had a classic scene in “The Amazing Colossal Man” with his “What kind of sin could a man commit in a single lifetime to bring this upon himself?” line.
The guy with the “Whoa! Switch to decaf!” monologue in The Unearthly. Even J&tB applaud.
Also, the police radio operator in Incredible Melting Man who describes “Some big guy who—who just run in there …” or something after the Melting Man’s “God, I hate this wallpapeeerrr!!!!!!” attack. It’s like the most genuine moment of acting in the film, and the woman’s not even on the screen.
@28 – Ricardo Montalban, like Beverly Garland, Maximilian Schell, Christopher Lee and Raul Julia (I own Street Fighter on Blu-ray, so there!), has the cool gravitas to be good in ANYTHING.
He even had the only funny line in Cannonball Run II. :)
So name check, who played the lovable counselor/therapist/short-order-cook in “I Accuse My Parents”?
In a film that was aiming for the hard B-movie edge of Cheap-Studio Melodrama, he walks into the third act with laid-back style, cooks a hamburger, spouts 40’s “Church of your own denomination” bromides, and walks away with the rest of the movie.
Laserblast has some really bad, hammy performances, but I thought that the lovely Rainbeaux Smith gave a nice, naturalistic performance, though apparently her role was a bit truncated in the MSTie version of the movie.
Joe Don Baker. It didn’t seem like he was acting at all in “Mitchell” or in “Final Justice.” Joe Don being Joe Don.
Raul Julia in “Overdrawn At The Memory Bank.” You could really feel his pain for not being able to watch “cinemas.”
I’ll go with Bela Lugosi in just about anything, but in particular Bride of the Monster. He was in a lot of bad movies, but he himself was never bad.
I liked Jackie Coogan in “Space Children”. As bad as the movie was, Jackie just played it straight.
Beverly Garland. The Corman movies are terrible but she’s good in all of them.
And Susan Gordan in Tormented, she was a very talented little actress. And I like that the MST gang went easy on her.
Also enjoy Peter Breck in the Beatnicks. Serious overacting, but he’s entertaining.
Those are some I can think of right now
As a Lost in Space fan, I would have to go with the appearance of Guy Williams in Teenage Werewolf. He even gets to shoot Michael Landon!
Add me to list of Travis Brooks Stewart admirers. She did a pretty good job in Future War. I wonder if the piss-poor production itself derailed her career, though.
Toblerone! in the movie Escape 2000.
Thom Christopher as Toxartis in Deathstalker III.
Rowsdower is great. I could see as regular, daytime customer at a neighborhood bar.
The two space operations guys in The Crawling Hand, Peter Breck and the old guy. They’re both so cool and make the movie watchable.
Jack Palance, both in Angel’s Revenge and Outlaw.
Re: 44. Yeah, Bela Lugosi was in a lot of drivel and his acting was pretty hammy and even in 1935 a bit dated. But he never just phoned it in. He really sells that “Home… I haf no home…” speech and I can’t not mention when he whips Lobo, turns to the reporter, and gives a “Well, y’know, what are ya gonna do?” shrug.
Others: Kalgon in SPACE MUTINY. He clearly realized this movie was going to be total bilge and had a terrific time turning in the most preposterous, over the top performance imaginable. “Come on, skull! Pop out of my head!”
And I’ve admitted a fondness for Tommy in GAMERA VS GUIRON. You’ve gotta admire someone brave and/or foolhardy enough to try to underact in a Gamera film.
And, of course, how could we forget Lembach! He’s staying!