I had an idea for a discussion topic: favorite time the bots or Joel/Mike cracked each other up for real.
In “Monster a Go Go,” I always laugh so hard when Servo sings that song [o/` These two girls they make quite a pair… o/`] during the circus short and keeps going and Joel laughs and tells him to stop. Mike reacts to more stuff in the theater, so there’s more to choose with him, but the infamous mean old shop keeper from “The Brute Man” cracks everybody up. When you can tell the guys are really laughing, it just makes for a funny environment.
Sometimes Servo makes a comment and then follows up with an aside to Mike, which I always wonder if it’s ad libbed because Mike usually reacts naturally and laughs. There’s a good example in “The Incredible Melting Man” during the end credits when they’re all noting what they’ve learned and after Servo says his, he follows up with an emphasized “I did not know that” to which Mike laughs.
My pick is from the KTMA version of “Gamera vs. Zigra.” The spandex-clad henchwoman appears and Crow goggles at her slinky outfit, which cracks Joel up. Love it.
What’s your pick?
) to help our users cope with "trolls" and other commenters whom they find annoying. Go to our
Funny because I just noticed one in Time of the Apes. I haven’t seen it often so forgive my vague description… Joel says about one of the ape characters : “Boy is my face red!” Crow : I bet that’s not the only thing.” Tom: “–that’s red.” and Joel cracks up.
The Two I can think of is:
A) “Monster A Go Go” when they first see the obviously too small space ship that carried Frank Douglas. You can’t help but laugh at this obviously too small prop and they do.
B) When El Santo (Samson) first shows up in “Samson vs. the Vampire Woman.” He looks so goofy they all crack up.
Favorite crack up moment from Mike has to be the old grumpy shopkeeper from The Brute Man. “Creeper creeper creeper. YOU give ME the creeps!” Makes me laugh everytime
While I’m sure there are some things that do strike the riffers as funny when they are filming, we have to remember that all of them have seen these movies *dozens* of times prior to the actual show, so it’s unlikely that anything they see or hear in the movie itself is going to provoke genuine laughter (unless it’s punchdrunk laughter, which I’d argue is rare among seasoned performers such as these).
But the asides they might ad-lib (or lines they might fluff) are definitely part of this game (beyond that chalk it up to their professional ability to make us belief they are seeing this stuff for the first time. They are good at this).
During “Here Comes the Circus”, when the guys see the clowns being…somewhat suggestive on the trapeze, it sounds like Joel is starting to laugh when he goes, “Tell me this isn’t happening!” Am I hearing that correctly?
In the climax of Amazing Colossal Man, they use rear screen projection to make it look like Glenn is holding his girlfriend in his hand. The effect is very unconvincing and gets a big laugh.
I like the scene at the beginning of “The Dead Talk Back” when Krasker is explaining his “radio”. It shows what looks like a rolled up piece of aluminum foil that’s supposed to be a crystal, and all three of them crack up. Later in that same scene when Krasker is showing that annoying casket horn and Mike says “Its hard for him to make friends I think”, Crow and Servo crack up again.
During the dance in The Creeping Terror where that guy is dancing like a spaz and Crow is making those Jerry Lewis type sounds,Mike is laughing…
In the movie Teenagers from Outer Space where the show the back of the car and Servo is making those sounds like someone is inside the trunk,Joel cracks up…
In Attack of the Giant Leeches where the father says “and another thing” and Crow says “I’m Skippy the Chimp” and Joel laughs…
Gotta love the blood beast sequence in “Blood Beast”… that dorky suit with that echoing voice supposedly coming out of it, and all those close ups. Like 90% of what we hear in the theater is laughing and snickering. Cracks my butt up every time. You have to wonder if a long scene like that where they pretty much just laugh through the whole thing with few actual jokes came from them being unable to keep it together in the writing room, so they just used that as a gag. But no matter what the circumstances, it’s hysterical. One of my favorite sequences from the show.
Or the “five pound potty” moment in “The Home Economics Story”.
As I’ve mentioned before, Trace has a bunch of giggle fits throughout Danger!! Death Ray, which probably is one of the goofier movies they’ve done. I especially love when the “Ba-pa-da-pa-da-da” music starts up again right after Bart Fargo’s buddy gets gunned down, and Servo says “This isn’t appropriate right now, his friend is dying over there!” …then adds “But it’s nice.” Mike responds “It is nice, yeah,” and Crow just cracks up.
Another great one, from The Brute Man, when Hal is very slowly ascending the fire escape, Crow makes like a circus ringmaster and says “Ladies and gentlemen! In the center ring, the Creeper will now attempt the high…thing.” I don’t know if this is a reference to something specific or just Trace being a goofball, but all three of them start giggling at it, and it’s hilarious.
When they’re watching Pipper delivering exposition in “Final Sacrifice,” and they’re letting fly with all those Yosemite Sam voices, at one point Servo says, “Ah hates legends.” And,for some reason, Mike and Kevin both start cracking up at this one. You can hear Kevin trying to stifle his laughter, and Mike mutters “alright” as if to say “we’d better knock it off.”
There’s a moment in Tormented when Servo makes Joel laugh and I cannot remember what it is. It’s in the lighthouse, I believe the scene between Tom and the beatnik.
Anyone remember? It sounds like an ad-lib possibly.
In Hercules there is a swimming scene and Tom says ‘May I do a scene from Baywatch?’ Joel says go ahead; ‘Hey you kids, don’t go to the liquor store and hang around under the pier. Oh, no, we went to the liquor store and are trapped under the pier!’ and Joel cracks up.
In The Crawling Hand I think Crow says ‘I will now sing Cathy’s Clown’ and Joel laughs. (I think there is a similar scene in another episode where Tom says ‘I will now sing a medley of Helen Reddy songs’ that also gets a laugh)
In Night of the Bloodbeast Tom starts scatting along with the music during the credits and gets really into it and Joel laughs.
OK, I remember the scene from Tormented. Servo adopts a New England accent and says something like: “Here at Gorton’s, we make fish sticks the old fashioned way.” It sounds like the riff is over. But, then he adds almost after the fact (and it sounds ad-libbed): “We freeze ’em.” That what makes Joel laugh.
Oh, just remembered another one: on Time of the Apes during the credits Crow says something like ‘Let me out of these credits, I want to live!” and Joel cracks up.
I recall some chuckling the first time the monster appears in the Creeping Terror, right around Mike’s line “I was afraid the alien was gonna be goofy.”
It was probably scripted, but the laughter surrounding “The Amazing Rando” during the closing credits of the Motion Picture is quite memorable.
Also, I think it is worth noting that Kevin was probably the most guilty at involuntary laughter for his famous “Servo Chuckle” that he often added after one of his or someone else’s riffs.
I definitely think the “Creeper creeper creeper!” moment is the best, but I still get a kick out of Servo’s rendition of David Bowie’s “Fame” in “Track of the Moon Beast” after the drunk, greasy bowler gets his.
Servo makes farting and wheezing noises whenever the fat man appears in Overdrawn at the Memory Bank and Crow is laughing so hard, he seems to be falling off his chair.
During the opening of “Werewolf”, Servo says “I don’t know, you had ’em last!” Crow gets mad at first and tells Mike about it, but then Mike laughs about it and says it’s a good one.
In Girl In Gold Boots, Servo says “I’m gonna drive in reverse and get some of that gas back” Mike very slowly turns his head toward Servo.
#17 – I don’t know, I think Mike is the most guilty of breaking up (which is always enjoyable).
I also realized from this thread – that one of the most hilarious parts of Kevin’s delivery is his quick asides after a main riff. Like #18’s reference, the part that kills me (and Mike) is not just the “fame, fame, fame, fame” part. It’s the almost tossed in “what’s your name?” at the end. Kevin is the master of pausing after the main joke and throwing in something quick and hilarious afterwards. Never realized that about his delivery until today and I’ve been watching for over 20 years.
Great thread!
In “Monster A Go Go” after the fake phone ring Joel just says “Unbelievable” and Tom burst out laughing.
Also in “Time Chasers” when the Michael Keaton look alike turns to Pink Boy. Mike says “I’m Batman.” Tom starts laughing.
When Crow goes “Thank you, dragon bitch.” in one episode, Joel can’t keep from laughing as he admonishes Crow: “I don’t ever want to hear that again.” Crow innocently goes, “What, dragon?” Classic.
In addition to the gang making each other laugh, I love those moments when they all bust out at something genuinely funny in the movie before anyone’s even thrown out a riff yet. Like when we get our first look at the made-for-TV hippie in ‘San Francisco International.’ Or probably the best example is when Queen Lara delivers the ‘You disgusting wooorm!’ line with such campy passion in ‘Outlaw.’
Circus on Ice, two female skaters are accompanied by music and Tom/Kevin’s made up lyrics that have something to do with Satan and other dark imagery. Joel is laughing and tells Tom to stop being so dark. Top drawer Kevin/Joel exchange.
I think the obvious one is the one in The Brute Man mentioned above. But besides that, Monster-A-Go-Go seems to be loaded with them! I would add the moment in the Johnny Long-Torso bit where Frank is trying so very hard not to crack up during that song. He just barely gets through it and it makes me laugh every time.
My all time favorite is in The Sky Divers. When the guy’s cheeks are flapping in the wind, Mike quips, “At least he’s not skydiving naked” that genuinely cracks servo up. Another favorite is in Samson vs. The Vampire Woman, when “Samson/Santos” makes his first appearance in the film when he walks into the office study they all 3 burst out laughing. Perhaps it was planned and not as spontaneous, but it’s still hilarious.
These are always some of my favorite moments. Mike has an infectious chuckle as does Trace with his silly giggle. Here’s some examples I can think of off the top of my head:
*All three of them briefly cracking up during the pathetic gun fight near the beginning of Beast of Yucca Flats (also Trace laughing at the “Groovy Clothes” sign in the Progress Island short)
*Trace giggling at the end of the “shiny ones” sequence from Alien from L.A. (I think it’s because of actor Roy Deep’s appearance with the excessively long eyelashes and his face all magnified and ship)
*Trace having a good laugh at Mike’s “He looks like Simon Le Bon” riff in Code Name: Diamond Head which gets to Mike a bit as well.
*Bill cracking up after our big, brawny hero in Space Mutiny yells his head off and jumps out of his streetcleaner/enforcer.
*I don’t remember the jokes he was reacting too, but I recall Joel cracking up at least twice in Amazing Colossal Man.
*Plenty of laughter throughout Laserblast from all three of them.
My all time favorite is Mike laughing at the song in Werewolf. “Weird things a-goin’, weird things a-comin’, weird things a-doin’ around here”.
Probably cheating to count the Poopie reels, but I always love watching the “I ain’t fink on no soul brother!” giggle fit.
@17 – It’s hard to tell genuine crackups after the Mike era, since both Crow and Servo started the irritatingly fake “Tee-hee!..Giggle!”–Which Servo tried to start doing in one episode (can’t recall) to fill dead joke space, and Joel leans over with an understandably annoyed “Just…STOP that.”
@24 – I’m having trouble remembering the times Joel was caught unawares with a Servo line, but it’s the Pink Nightmare song, and another episode where there’s a shot of space, and Servo riffs, “Alexander Salkind presents Superboy, the crummiest show ever to run in first-run syndication!” There’s a note of agreement that sounds like a chuckle. (Due to the riff being timely for inescapable TV at the time.)
It doesn’t look like anyone has mentioned my personal favorite.
Yuri, in Werewolf: “Yeah, I’ll talk a walk.” Crow: “…over to Kirk Douglas’ house.”
This joke delights Kevin so much; I think he actually starts laughing before Bill gets his line started. It always makes me laugh too.
The laughter at the titular rug creature in The Creeping Terror springs to my mind.
I always liked Mike’s reaction to Crow bursting into flames (I believe it’s when Servo zaps him with his homemade Death Ray from D!DR). It’s both shock and amusement rolled into one, and it certainly seems like Crow’s sudden flame-up was not part of the original plan.
Of course, any time the ‘Bots blow up or fall apart cracks me up anyway.
I just remembered M&TB reaction to Elaine’s moans of “pain” in The Horror of Party Beach. Servo in particular seemed kind of affected.
My favorite is in ‘Night of the Blood Beast’ when Crow says “Yeah, we had to snap him in two like a frozen dog to get him out.” That gets a good reaction out of the other two!
In Lost Content, Crow shouts,”Hey, who booted over here!” Joel starts chuckling then busts up.
I like the times when they make each other laugh. It adds a bit of realism to the show
Mike genuinely loses it (probably for the 20th time) because of “STAAAAAY!!!!” – 806 The Undead.
Also: Crow: “My brakes are out. Abby’s some gal!” 814 – Riding with Death
Mike giggles a little during the Gumby short when there’s a closeup on Gumby’s face.
Also, I’d like to add that the riffers genuinely laughing is something that I sorely miss in RiffTrax.
I like how Tom cracks up over the guy in the polar bear suit in “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”.
My favorite laughing moment was Crow cracking up during Godzilla’s dropkick in “Godzilla vs. Megalon.” Godzilla is no “Jumping” Jim Brunzell.
I can’t believe we’re already past 40 replies without any mention of the moment when Joel “snaps a twig” in “K21: The ‘Legend of Dinosaurs.'” For those unfamiliar: after seeing the “hero” emptying his diver girlfriend’s air tanks, and then slapping her after she confronts him about it, Joel says “Finish the job, man …“, realizing only afterward that it sounds as if he’s calling for more domestic abuse. He tries to bail himself out by adding “… open the tank … I meant …“, but by then it’s too late and all three of them break down and start laughing. Another great KTMA moment: in “K08: Gamera vs. Guiron”, when the space babes start shaving Akio’s head, Crow’s “Well, you gotta shave ’em!” riff sends Joel into hysterics.
Since the KTMA shows were almost entirely improvised (or, at best, very loosely scripted), that season is the best place to look for spontaneous moments like that; we saw them again only sparingly in the later seasons. One that comes to mind, though, happens during the longish closing segment at the end of “Monster a-Go Go”: Joel has bestowed on Crow the title “Sir Giggles Von Laughs-a-Lot”, but he later flubs his line and calls Crow “Sir Mix-a-Lot”. They recover well and keep on going, but both of them are obviously trying to suppress a laugh.
In Manos, when he makes the bots think everything he does is genius, Joel justifiably finds Crow’s line “You see this butt? Kick this butt.” funny.
I think what makes the grocer scene in The Brute Man so great is that you can actually see Mike doubling over in laughter as well as hear him.
I’m sure this was scripted, but it comes across so well was Dr. F and Frank invention exchange with the William Conrad Fridge alert. They are laughing so uncontrollably that is gets infectious.
I was watching Horror of Party Bach this morning, and i saw a moment that I had not ever noticed before. The scene with the 2 drunk guys, and 1 of them goes “Ssshhh”, Crow riffs “Do farts have lumps?”. It seemed to me I heard Kevin try to stifle a laugh at that.
There’s one in either Crash of the Moons or Manhunt in Space where a rocket “droops” on re-entry and Crow goes “Yeah, I’ve had that happen before” and Joel chortles.
“Sampson Vs. the Vampire Women”. Sampson just casually enters the office in that stupid wrestling costume, Servo/Kevin loses it.
@43 – Forgot about their breakup over Sir Mix-a-Lot, not to mention, in “Magic Voyage of Sinbad”, the Town Council sketch pretty much dissolving into goofiness after the “Skinsnag!” jokes turned out to be funnier.
One more prompted by jaybird3 comments on KTMA episodes;
Forget the movie but the skit was Tom/J Elvis hitting on a blender. Joel walks in and pours himself a drink from the blender and Tom goes ballistic yelling at and physically attacking Joel who openly cracks up at Tom’s very enthusiastic physical attack. “NO ONE DRINKS FROM MY GAL!” I love this one.
Off-topic: the Mads laughing during the Invention Exchange @ the William Conrad Refrigerator Alarm in which Crow yells @ them to get on with it already!!!