Movie: (1980) After discovering that he has inherited super powers, a mild-mannered young professor must do battle with a villain using a mind-control device.
First shown: 4/4/98
Opening: Tom has short man’s disease
Intro: Tom is better; Pearl’s ball is somewhat under-attended, while Observer has Ortega and some buddies over
Host segment 1: Mike offends Shelli the Nanite, so his dry look does not come out well
Host segment 2: Mike has been chosen to be Coatimundi Man
Host segment 3: Crow and Tom capture the mind of Roger Whitaker
End: Crow resigns briefly; while a guest finally arrives at Pearl’s party
Stinger: Puma Man is defenestrated
(378 votes, average: 4.70 out of 5)
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• This is a beloved episode, so beloved that the last time we did a poll of fans to find out which episode they wanted to see released on DVD, this one was at the top of the list. Me, I’d call this one good, not great. The movie is incredibly stupid and reasonably watchable and the riffing is top-notch, but the host segments range from only mildly funny to not.
• This episode is included in Shout’s “Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Vol XXIX.”
• Paul’s take is here.
• References.
• A lot of people assumed this movie was somehow a ripoff of the TV show “Greatest American Hero.” After all, the story line is remarkably similar and the flying sequences are practically identical. But the TV show hit the air waves a year after this movie came out. Call it parallel development.
• Watch Pearl’s beauty mark. It moves around quite a bit.
• The intro segment marks the first instance of segments that mention how Observer has begun to develop a, um, personal life outside Pearl’s orbit. In this case, instead of buying into the whole “ball” thing Pearl has going on, he simply begs off because a gang of pals is over to watch “Sliders” (remember “Sliders”?). That’s Beez and Patrick as the pals, and of course Paul as Ortega.
• When Servo hits the theater for the first time, he still has his wig on.
• Of course that’s once again Mary Jo as Shelli, the spiteful hairdessing nanite in segment 1.
• Following segment 2, Mike still has coatimundi hat on, prompting Servo to make a little host segment callback: He quietly says “Bold, Mike” (a reference to the famous barbecue sauce sketch in which he wore the same hat, or one very like it).
• Cast and crew roundup: scriptwriter Massimo De Rita was assistant executive director on “Hercules.”
In front of the camera, Donald Pleasence was also in “Warrior of the Lost World,” Miguel Angel Fuentes was also in “Deathstalker III.” Benito Stefanelli was also in “Secret Agent Super Dragon” and Guido Lollobrigida was also “Operation Double 007.”
• CreditsWatch: Directed by Mike. Intern Scott Bowman begins a six-episode stint.
• Fave riff: “It’s S&M day at the Field Museum.” Honorable mention: “Donald’s only use of the word ‘comb’.”
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This episode holds a special place in my heart, simply because it was the first episode aired after bringing home my newborn son from the hospital. My wife actually had me turn the episode off becuase it hurt when she laughed…and she was laughing from the opening moments.
This episode also has a special place in my heart because in the first Mystery Science Theater 3000 fan fiction I ever wrote, in 1996, I included a sketch with one of the bots dressing as a coatimundi. To have something like that happen on the real actual show was one of those moments of outstanding fannish delights that I still haven’t quite got over, even though I really should have by now.
Ah, yes….sweet, dorky, blindingly stupid Pumaman. Who could forget your incessant whining? Who could forget that your sidekick did all the work? Who could forget Jane and her huge toothy smile that made her look like the monster from “Big Trouble in Little China”?
I love you, Pyoomaman!
Everybody sing!
“Puma – man! He flies like a moron!”
“Fat-free yogurt! Not short on flavor!”
“Unit – ed Drug! We’re busting up prices!”
“When you want the flavor of bacon in a dip!”
After a few so-so episodes, the Brains struck gold with this one. Some of my favorite riffs are:
Mike: “Are criminals genetically drawn to construction sites?”
(As Tony is entering a small elevator) Mike: “Hey! He’s dumb, and he’s dressed like a waiter.”
Tony: “Why does he want the mask?”
Tom Servo: “So he can be SSSMOKIN’!”
Mike: “Don’t you EVER say that again!”
Girl: “This is proof of an alien presence on ancient earth.”
Tom Servo: “She said the same thing about waffles.”
Vadinho: “Gaze into the nothingness.”
Tom Servo: “Watch MTV?”
Donald Pleasance: “Find him! Comb the area!”
Crow T Robot: “Donald’s only use for the word ‘comb’.”
Mike: “Help! I’m falling at a 60 degree angle, breaking all the laws of physics!”
Mike: “Wool-Over-His-Eyes Man!”
Crow: “Easily-Bamboozled Man!”
Tom: “Three-Steps-Behind Man!”
Tom: “If this is the best the gods can do, I’m over to the darkside so fast!”
So…I wonder which movie Donald Pleasance did soley for the money, Warrior of the Lost World or this one? Thanks to this movie in particular, he could find a cure for cancer, save a busful of orphans from plunging off a cliff AND deflect a giant asteroid that’s about to destroy the earth in one day and I still wouldn’t be able to take him seriously.
Does anyone else instinctively pronounce the movie as “the Pyoo-may-man” because of the riffs?
I’m surprised Sampo didn’t mention that the way Donald Pleasance pronounces puma is actually the correct pronunciation.
I love how they keep inventing powers for Tony as they become mildly convenient. Also I didn’t notice any mention of it in the “Cut Scenes” thread, but is there any explanation of how the bad guys keep finding Tony? Especially when they seem to drive randomly to a construction site and Tony happens to be there.
All of the host segments work for me, even the head of Roger Whittiker one because it’s nice and silly.
Some favorite riffs (which is difficult because they’re all solid)
As Donald Pleasance looking through the mask
Crow: Peekaboo, PEEKABOO!
Jane: Come any way you’d like, but come.
Crow: Now that’s gotta be a proposition.
Tom: Y’know he’s the kind of guy who’d stick his tongue stuck on a frozen flagpole twice.
(this is part of my regular lexicon for describing stupid people)
Mike: Are puma’s also known for the whining?
PYEWMAHMAN-How come the Donald could not pronounce this correctly while everyone else could? A villian that mocks his foes on the level of a six year old perhaps? Loved Vadinho, ‘I’m an onion’, as lame hero mentor. The musical background, especially the ‘flight or fight’ piece, was about as awful as it can be because you just can’t get it out of your head. BaBum, Babum, babutam, babutam… AGGGH! Lots of fights, loved the Disco Fight especially, some surprisingly good special effects (ripping up cars with bare hands) with the very worst (flying sequences natch). Dumb dialogue ‘I can sense danger’, just about the whiniest hero ever, well heeled villian and numerous henchman, very good riffing by the gang, good host segments I gave this a 4.5.
Anyone have an explanation for the sudden appearances of the paper mache heads on the racks after the Donald used the ancient mask to dominate others?
“Your hands are CLAWS!”
Oh, and by the way, you can fake death for 10 minutes, too. Forgot to mention that. Hope it didn’t inconvenience you none.
What can I say about the Pyoo-MAY-muhn that hasn’t already been said? If anyone still doubts the quality of the scifi years, just show’em this episode.
“BWAHAHAHAHA – I mean, no, you look *great*!” :lol:
Colossus Prime-I see we are at odds relative to pronunciation. My source is Sister Henrietta Irene Theresa of St Clares parish circa 1961. Name your source?
Its funny how, at times, folks are writing about the very same point at the same time, go figure.
Living on the East Coast I’ve always pronounced Puma as Pyu-ma.
But Mike and the bots make quite a thing of ridiculing that
pronunciation. Is that a midwestern thing, or am I out of step
with general rules of pronouncing it? :???:
Btw, I liked the original Sliders, but the cast kept leaving, and I
believe all of them, even Gimli son of Gloin, were gone by the
end of its run.
“Donald Pleasence looks like an old baby.” The theme song is one of the most ludicrous bits ever. I love this episode.
#6: I do. It’s always “THEP-you-MAY-man.” :)
It’s suspected our whiny hero, Walter Alton, is now an attorney in New York after he made an appearance on The Daily Show and the resemblance was uncanny. Chances are he slams the door on anyone who brings up this film.
And I love the Asia references, once again. It’s very odd how they zoom in on “Only Time Will Tell,” which can’t be the most well-known Asia song, if there ever was such a thing.
Favorite riffs: “My moustache makes me fall sideways!”
Graboidz #1 – And that’s how you make little Puma Men!
In one of those Mill Creek Box-o-movies, the girl in this movie is in a movie with Robert Vaughn. Icky.
Also, this episode holds a special place in my heart, because it’s episode 903, and the AWESOME “Werewolf” is just one show away…
Personally, I’m waiting for the Christopher Nolan reboot of the whole Pumaman franchise.
Seriously, though, while this isn’t the worst superhero movie ever made, it’s certainly looms large in the Hall of Shame. I’m still trying to figure out the whole idea behind the puma thing. As noted in the riffing, this movie says pumas can fly and teleport, huh?
And as the brother of a former high school wrestler (now wrestling official), I got a kick out of the “making weight” comment re: Donald’s latex/leather/rubber outfit.
Re: Fart Bargo
I looked it up in a dictionary after the episode first aired because I couldn’t believe that Donald Pleasance could mispronounce a word that horribly. Just looking it up now (Merriam-Webster), both pronunciations are now registered as correct.
And to CK, I’ve lived in Wisconsin my whole life and until this episode aired I’ve always heard it pronounced Pooma. I’m sure the transition of the standard American pronunciation can be traced somehow. Let’s face it, English in general is weird. Wind and wind are two entirely different words but spelled completely the same.
Side note: The same goes for almost every word that starts with a “K” sound followed by the letter “u”. Like culinary.
:)
Anyone think more superheroes should wear Doctor Who scarves?
For me this is the first great episode of Season 9. Lots of laughs and it makes me wish they had done more superhero flicks.
But my question is, was this supposed to be a comedy spoof, or was it supposed to be a semi-serious action adventure. Cause it really fails on both counts.
I lived in California all my life and everyone over here says Pooma. But I’ve heard many a British nature show voice over call them Pyu-ma. For this movie, I’ll stick with Poo-ma, because as it was noted in “Time Chasers” – “He’s like poo alright.”
Check out my full review here:
http://romansreviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/puma-man-mst3k-review.html
I have always really loved this episode. I remember seeing the unMSTied version on a cable movie channel in the early 80s during the GREATEST AMERICAN HERO craze along with SUPER FUZZ. (remember SUPER FUZZ?)
This episode has a high rewatchability factor IMO. The host segment are good and the riffing is GREAT! In the late 70s/early 80s Roger Wittaker was all over UHF stations in the midwest selling his LPs via mail order. This was the only time I’d ever seen or heard of the guy. After the commercials ended running I never heard of him again…until this episode aired. I laughed my butt off! I felt the Brains were channeling my childhood. Aauhh, good times.
THE PUMAMAN is one of those movies that was almost made just for MST3K. A 5 star episode.
PS: I’m from southeast Michigan and we do pronounce it Pooma, like the shoe. :grin:
Mike with a miniatue desert on top of his head will always be one of the funniest visuals in the world for me.
Where do I start. First off in my video tape of this episode contains a dentine ice commercial with a pre-jackass jhonny knoxville. Second off this movie is just goofy. The premise is just dumb and it becomes certain that the hero is the aztec guy. The pumaman is just there for the comedic bits but the aztec guy is the one who gets things done. The villain is laughable at best and how he’s going to get all these people to do what he wants with the mask it just seems like he could do things better without it. Favorite riff “ahh I’m falling at a 45 degree angle breaking all the laws of physics.”
I love this episode. It’s just so dang goofy. And I love it for one reason… Vadinho. The guy carries this movie, really. I sent an idea for a Weekend Discussion Thread a few days ago about Wackiest/Best Sidekick. My vote would go for Vadinho.
The host segments are hit and miss for me. I was not a huge fan of the Nanites, and both segments with Shelly just seem to falter on and on, without really feeling like the payoff is worth it. They’re just a little too DRY for me. (See what I did there?)
That being said, Coatamundi Man always gets a laugh out of me, especially when the beach ball comes swinging on set.
Before I saw this episode, I actually had no clue who Roger Whitaker was. Eventually heard some, and agree… Kevin’s impersonation is incredible.
Favorite riff, when Vadhino, surrounded by bad guys, rolls his eyes back in his head – “Little Orphan Puma!”
This episode is on my must see list. Can’t wait!
Every man is a God!
Oh man, Pumaman.
The first time I saw this one I couldn’t believe how incredibly stupid the movie was. Just… wow. Don’t forget, dinosaurs died out because they couldn’t love each other!
The Pearl segments are dull as usual, but it’s completely worth it for Observer’s line about he and Ortega going up to his room to watch Sliders. For some reason, that line absolutely killed me.
The movie though… what to say.
The harpsichord riff on “If I Were A Rich Man” during the action scene… “What did you say you were – the sandwich man?”
The “if you want the flavor of bacon in a dip” riff is genius too.
Poor Vadinho.
Also sad there were no shout-outs to “Ring of Terror”… pyoomah…. pyoomah…
“I’ll harm you!”
5 stars all the way, and one of my desert island episodes without a doubt. How can a “superhero” like Thepumaman be constantly overshadowed (and smacked around) by his sidekick anyway?
Most excrutiating scene to watch – when Tony wants to die, and Vadhino is trying to save him (why he does, I’m not really sure). Tony says something about “breaking the habit of wanting to live” or something stupid like that, then lets out a nearly orgasmic squeal as Vadhino holds him. So overacted I blush for him. Geez.
It’s also a real shame to see Donald Pleasence meandering around in this turd. A truly great actor who seemed to really have a lot of fun with his craft.
Fave riff: “When you want the flavor of bacon in a dip!”
I’m with Sampo on this one- good but not top of my list. The movie’s nice and goofy and the host segments are mostly good.
If only someone would confess to owning the rights to this movie so we could get it on DVD.
Ah,another of the eps that made it to British Sci-Fi channel & 1 of the best. Everything is so goofy, from the plot to the incredible costumes (I just love it that after we first see the heros ‘costume’ & Crow does the ‘HAHAHAHAHA no you look great’ riff, Mike just laughs to himself and mutters ‘idiot’).
Question – why is the Dutch ambassador a Mr Dobson? Doesn’t sound very Dutch.
Oh and, yes, Py-ooma is the correct British pronunciation so full marks to Donald on that.
‘He has the power to rear project major cities!’
Good God,those “flying” scenes. Silent movies had better special effects.
Every time I watch this I think of the time my brother,my sister and I were watching it and they were doing the Roger Whitaker segment and my mom walks into the living room and hears them talking about him. She looks at the tv and says “Are they talking about him?” and takes a Roger Whitaker cd from the shelf. Pretty creepy.
Another missed reference: Vadinho looks a LOT like Roger Waters ca. the 70s.
I never understood their obsession with DP’s pronunciation of Puma…
For what it’s worth, I’m from the east coast and pronounce it “POO-mah”. On the other hand, I pronounce Tuesday as “TYOUS-day” (as opposed to “TOOS-day”)…
#34 – that’s hilarious. I’d never noticed that before. Sort of a Roger Waters on steroids.
Who am I kidding, I can’t build a cat.
My favorite riff of this ep is when Donald and his goons crash the party (the pic used for the ACEG entry is that exact moment) and Mike says with no inflection and some type of accent, “I am Pleasence, I am funky”. So awesome!
The soundtrack for this movie is so cheesy, it reminds me of the soundtrack from the Amazing Spider-Man TV show from the 70’s. If only MST3K could have gotten the rights to that show!
I forgot that I had something else to post. While I’d agree with Sampo about the host segments in general here, I do have a fondness for Mike as Coatimundi Man. I just really love how they took the thrown together jackassiness of the Puma Man costume and turned it up to 11. The Doctor Who scarf and giant foam cowboy hat are nice touches, but it’s the drunken Calliope theme song that really brings it home for me.
Also, this episode brought me one of my very favorite MSTieisms – “There,there Little Baby Short Man.” It’s amazing how angry those little squirts can get! :grin:
A memorable episode for me, as this was the first ep that my kid got a laugh from (Hey watch me jump. Oww, my ankles!). She’s been a fan since, and we’ve even had a couple of daddy/daughter dates seeing the riff trax live performances. I don’t know why, but the Coatamundi Man segment just slays me. The outfit the bots put on Mike is funny enough, but once that Coatamundi Man theme song starts, I just lose it. Fav riff: Help, I’m falling at a sixty degree angle breaking all the laws of physics!
Great, great episode. Such a terrible film, ripe with unbelievably-riffable material. It has so many awesome riffs(“We’re down-sizing, Steve!” is an all-time fave), but may have one of the best riffs in the entire history of the show:
Tony/Pumaman: says something to the effect of “. . . let our/my primitive instincts take over . . .” to the girl(can’t remember verbatim right now)
Servo: “Wanna go encircle a mammoth later?”
As Aram Fingal would say, “Genius. Pure genius.”
I love M&tB’s lyrics, too, but the one that kills me is Tom crooning, “Now there’s only you in my life…” One I usually add to one of the “bacon in a dip” bits of music when I’m watching is, “When you run out, run out to White Hen. When you run out of anything, run out to White Hen.”
I like how the “Pyumaman” bit builds up to a peak. IIRC, it’s something like:
Kobras: You’re no longer the PYUmaman.
Servo: POOmaman.
Kobras: You’re just an ordinary human being.
Servo: That’s HOOman– oh, wait.
“Sam Elliot as Gregory Peck in ‘The Ted Turner Story’!” (or some combination thereof)
“Now I have to take out a personal ad. ‘Saw you in museum, you took bone, I chased you.'”
I love Kevin’s laugh from that one.
I was never quite as fond of this episode as the masses seem to be, but the scene of Puma Man flyin….errr, moving in a zig-zag fashion with flailing arms and legs as Servo does is Jerry Lewis impression might well be the funniest moment in the history of the show. I remember laughing so hard that I couldn’t breath when I first saw it, and I still do if I see it in the right frame of mind.
pure puce pubescent putative puny puma-man.
A great episode. That’s all that really needs to be said, but I’ll embellish a bit.
The movie itself is very funny, intentionally or not. Its not as if the source material it was ripping off (the 1978 Superman movie) was particularly serious and this movie just made the premise that much goofier. Add in Donald Pleasance and you’ve got a winner of a MST3K candidate on your hands.
For a movie named after the Pumaman, his sidekick Vadinho really is the true superhero of the film. He gets everything done other than finding out where Donald Pleasance is hiding out. Tony/Pumaman may be the most ineffectual hero to ever get his own film. Requiring constant hand-holding by his Aztec sidekick/mentor the entire time.
Best Brains recognized all this as well and took the riffs exactly where they needed to go. Every joke hit its mark again in this one. In fact the movie itself seems to set up the jokes for the crew and they just take what is unsaid to the punchline.
This is probably the most sexually charged episode I’ve seen of MST3K. Multiple sex-based jokes fly in from all directions.
Host segments? Ehhh… The only one that was funny to me was Coatimundi Man, but they’re fine anyway. Tom’s cross-dressing is always a gas too.
Here’s to hoping one day Shout Factory will track down the rights owners of this film and finally get it published to DVD.
Ok you legal minds, tell me if you think this could be done:
Shout! Factory gets a legal international copywrite approved notice sent out requesting the authentication of ownership of any part of Pumaman with a clause that the letter be circulated for a year. After that year Shout! has the right to move forward with negotiating release rights with any and all who have come forward, and everyone else is SOL (and that doesn’t stand for Satellite of Love).
I’m not getting the rating strip. Where is it?
How this could be anyone’s favorite episode is beyond me. It has everything bad about the 80’s. Bad hair, bad clothes, bad acting in a movie that looks like a cheesy made for TV movie even though it isn’t. Donald Pleasance should be ashamed of himself if he wasn’t already dead.
Gotta disagree with you on this one, Sampo. This is one of the best of Season Nine and in my opinion ranks amongst the best ever done in the show’s long history. You’re right about it being an incredibly stupid movie, which makes it a wonderful flick for the Brains to sink their teeth into. The dorky lead actor. His scary-looking wooden-faced trainer. The really dumb female lead. Donald Pleasence as a leather-clad heavy. The insipid plot. What’s not to like about this one? That’s what makes it so hilarious, and Mike and the ‘Bots are in top form. As for the host segments, I only found the one trying to control the mind of Roger Whittaker to be lame, the rest were very good, especially Pearl’s party at the Castle. I give this episode five stars out of five. Another triumph for the Brains!
On a side note, it’s kinda sad to see Donald Pleasence reduced to taking such roles in such bad movies as Pumaman (and Warrior of the Lost World) at this point in his career. He was a wonderful character actor in his prime and led a very interesting life. Did you know he was a POW in World War II when his bomber was shot down over Germany in 1944? The only one in the cast of “The Great Escape” who could make that claim. He also starred in such notable films as “Cul de Sac”, “Night of the Generals”, “Wake of Fright” “THX-1138”, “Escape from New York”, and the first “Halloween” movie. He was also in one of my favorite Columbo episodes (“Any Old Port in a Storm”)and was also a two-time Tony award nominee.
If you want to see Pleasance as a truly believable villain, check out the James Bond 1967 classic “You Only Live Twice” (the inspiration for Mike Myers “Dr Evil” in the Austin Powers movies) or as Henrich Himmler in “The Eagle Has Landed”.