Short: (1963) A scene from the soap opera “General Hospital.” Nurse Jesse throws the most tense and awkward party ever.
Movie: (1960) Hoodlum and wannabe singer Tony gets his big break, but can’t shake his psycho pseudo-beatnik buddies.
First shown: 11/25/92
Opening: A uncharacteristically mean Joel dominates the bots in a game of rock-paper-scissors
Invention exchange: The Mads have donned troll doll costumes, Joel demonstrates pocket pool
Host segment 1: Joel, Crow and Tom present: Either you are or aren’t a beatnik
Host segment 2: The bots’ slumber party gets a call from Tony Travis!
Host segment 3: Tom Servo stars in a dramatization of the life of a ’50s rock star
End: Crow is in Moon mode, Joel reads a letter, while the Mads are a hot property
Stinger: Moon gets hysterical
(209 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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• There’s so much to love about this episode. The movie is both watchable and eminently stupid, a perfect combination for MST3K. The riffing is solid, and you would expect no less at this stage of season 4. Even the segments are uniformly good. A great episode for newbies and just all-around fun.
• References.
• This episode was included in Shout’s “The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. XVII.”
• This episode debuted on the Turkey Day 1992 marathon, and was the first new episode to air in two months.
• As noted, Joel is uncharacteristically mean in the opening! Anybody who says Joel was always a father figure to the bots should watch this sketch. (Although he reminds me a bit of MY father a little.) Thankfully, GYPSY CRUSHES JOEL! and we have a happy ending.
• That’s Mary Jo as Magic Voice, for the first time.
• Naughty line: “You got a snooker down there!”
• During the short, J&tB do probably their best “commercial” for the Booze Council, featuring the classic line: “Booze takes a dull party and makes it better!”
• Callback: “Rock candy baby you’re mine, yeah!” (Daddy-O). “Brought to you by Ken-L Ration” and “I have a hiatus hernia” (General Hospital).
• You can hear director/scriptwriter Paul Frees (the voice of Boris Badenov) introducing Eddie when he makes his first TV appearance and also as the voice of the police detective in the hospital. Frees also did voices for Inspector Fenwick on “The Dudley Do-Right Show” and the magpies on “The Heckle and Jeckle Show” among many many voice jobs.
• One great thing about this episode is that all Eddie’s songs have these giant gaps after each line of lyrics, allowing J&tB to insert a riff after practically every one.
• Odd moment in the movie: Does Harry really have to ask permission to use the pay phone in Iris’ mom’s diner?
• “I killed that fat barkeep!!” became an immediate MSTie catchphrase.
• Firesign Theatre reference: As segment 2 begins, Tom is singing the “Porgie Tirebiter” theme song.
• That’s Mike, of course, as the voice of Tony Travis. “If you’re a bill collector or if you’re with the military…”
• In segment 3, Crow’s wig falls off. They keep going.
• One of the weirdest things about this movie is the casting of the hatchet-faced Joyce Terry (aka “Donald Sutherland in drag”) as Helen. Her beauty is supposed to tempt Eddie away from the dim-witted, co-dependent Iris, but it’s hard to understand what Eddie could possibly see in her.
• The letter they read at the end is from a kid who got in trouble for calling his mom a “dickweed.” J&tB state that it is NOT a swear word and they’re right … but I think you still shouldn’t call your mom a dickweed (even if she’s being one).
• Cast and crew round up: Editor Harold White also worked on “Daddy-O.” Musical director Stanley Wilson also did the score for “Radar Men from the Moon.” In front of the camera, Karen Kadler was also in “It Conquered the World.” Peter Breck was also in “The Crawling Hand.” Frank Worth, who had a bit part here, wrote the score for “Bride of the Monster.” As for Paul Frees, besides doing the grunts and groans for Glenn Manning in ”War of the Colossal Beast,” he’s the voice of Kalin in “The Sword and the Dragon” and the narrator in “The Deadly Mantis.”
• CreditsWatch: Host segments directed by Joel Hodgson (the first of four eps this season). But the big news is the departure of Alex Carr, causing everybody to move up a rung: Jann Johnson becomes production manager (Alex’s old title) and Ellen (Ellie) McDonough becomes production coordinator (Jann’s old title). Alex’s name comes off and Ellen’s name is added to the “post production coordination” credit along with Jann. Ellie comes off the list under “production assistant.” Clayton James did hair and makeup for all the rest of the episodes this season. “Ammendment” is still spelled wrong.
• Fave riff from short: “This is Pete from props. Don’t eat the cake!” Honorable mention: “There’s a layer of squirrel in here!”
• Fave riff from the movie: “Dish of ice cream! Don’t tempt me!” Honorable mention: o/` “…a tight leather mask…” o/`, “Accessory After The Fact Theater will return after this.”
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Leather coat…..
This movie has 622 riffs over 1:13:22 of movie time for an RPM of 8.478, #123 overall. Chronologically, this was an RPM valley for the show.
The dramatization of a 50’s rock star is great and I love how Joel simulates the cliched “spinning newspaper” effect with posterboards and sticks. Truly a testament to the pleasant home-grown comfort of the show. However, he’s so into it that he takes one of them away too fast and we can’t read it!
Leather barrrrr…
Sampo, nothing is funnier than catching some of those great 90’s commercials on my old tapes! “Now you’re playing with power!”
I have to admit I’m embarrassed
This has never happened before
The new Fall Season is coming…
PREMATURE!!!!
I remember those “New Fall Season in July” spots
with Mo Gaffney lip syncing the words.
Also the BKTV commercials. Also from that era:
Mr. Phipps potato crisps. “Tater crisps are crunch-able, Mr. Phipps made them munch-able… with only half the fat-able, we know that you like that-able…”
Arizona Jeans
AT&T commercials voiced by Tom Selleck “Have you ever attended a meeting in your sandals? You will. And AT&T is the company that will bring it to you.”
What the heck is with that tiny dining table in the General Hospital short? It looks like they’re eating off someone’s nightstand.
I have to admit, I sometimes watch old MST episodes as much for the 90s commercials as for the show itself. You gotta love the asinine Mentos commercials, the obnoxious Zima guy, and (my personal favorite) the Playboy ads that ran during the midnight showings. Yeah, nekkid women and puppets: there’s a classic combination.
Just a hilarious episode, due in large part to Mooney. I KILLED THAT FAT BARKEEP! is now in famous, right? It’s like, up there with Play it, Sam and stuff.
I always crack up when Gypsy crushes Joel.
We also get one of the longest running callbacks from this episode. I don’t know in how many episodes from now on we’ll here, “Shut up, Iris, I tell ya, shut up.”
I’m another one who loves it when the mst3k tapes I get from my friends have old commercials in it.
I swear that Mike and the Bots referenced the BK teevee ads in That Brain that Wouldn’t Die. There was a scene where that camera work got all wonky like those commercials, and Crow exclaims, “I LURVE! this place!” and Servo giggles and I swear me mumbles, “BK…”.
Oh right. Beatniks. I didn’t like the way Tony Travis kept on snapping at Iris. It made me sad.
My roommate still goes around quoting “If these people are beatniks, then my mom’s a beatnik, and she’s NOT!” Just something about the way Joel says that cracks me up.
The Beatniks is one of my favorite “teens gone bad” films, mainly because it’s so far over-the-top. We’ve got “Evil Gilligan” Mooney to thank for that, as “I killed that fat barkeep!” is one of the most memorable lines of this season.
Favorite riff: (Tom) “There are a million stupid stories in the naked city, and this is the stupidest.”
Favorite host segment line: (As Tom dies) “Take… My step aerobics class… Every… Tuesday…”
Also: You’re right about the in-joke with Frank and “Everything you touch, you destroy,” but they don’t explain it in the ACEG until their write-up for Episode 515 The Wild Wild World of Batwoman, where Tom says it to Crow during a host segment.
Love this episode in particular for Servo’s riffs on Tom Waits (very appropriate given that he is the ultimate beatnik, among other things). As I recall, he quotes a couple of lines from “Diamonds On My Windshield” and “Friday Left Me Fumbling with the Blues” (that might not be the title, I forget, but it’s the line that’s quoted). Both are songs from one of his early albums, and one of my favorite overall, The Heart of Saturday Night.
Also, 4TH STREET!!! and I love how Joel quickly begins losing steam on the spinning headlines sound effect and just ends up rushing everything, throwing off Servo’s timing.
This ep is one of my favorites.
There’s something about Tom’s “Love wears a mask. A tight leather mask” that makes me laugh to this day.
By sheer coincidence I watched this one last night (I’m transcribing my aging MST3K tapes to DVD before they turn to jelly). There are times I almost care about the characters, then Moon opens his mouth and I wish them all a horrible death. What I want to know is the name of the idiot savant who decided The Beatniks accurately described the rise to stardom of an average pop singer? Deceptive isn’t strong enough.
Two things: 1. Helen isn’t THAT bad looking. Chisel off three layers of makeup and there’s a fine looking dame under there, somewhere. 2. How can you neglect the BEST line of all, Moon telling the hotel manager “I’m gonna Moon ya, man!” Seems slang for hanging your ass out the side window of a car hadn’t been invented yet.
Randy
One last thing: “Everything he touched, he destroyed”.
If I don’t miss my mark, this is from Season Two’s King Dinosaur.
Randy
When Eddie launches into his first song in the diner and Tom croons “Dish of Ice Cream” in one of the gaps, I laughed so hard I peed a little.
Dish of ice cream? Don’t tempt me!
I remember those BKTV commercials too. I used to do an MST-style riff when they came on: “VTKB…I HATE this place!!”
As for Episode #415 The Beatniks (with the General Hospital short): One of my all-time favorite MST3K episodes ever. The “Booze” bit during the short and the “You’re probably not a beatnik if…” skit are classics.
Watched this last night too, weird.
I still want Moon to die horribly and painfully.
Fav riff: “Meet George Jetson.”
I love the sketch where Tom, Crow and Gypsy are acting like teenage girls and call Tony Travis’ house only to find out he’s a washed up loser that works at “The Taco Hell.” Then they all quickly move on to having a crush on the Moon guy. That was sooo me and my friends at age 13 pouring over our teen magazines with Corey Feldman, Duran Duran and Ralph Macchio! If one of our pin-up idols turned up to be a druggie or a loser, we just moved on! The ’80s didn’t have any beatniks, though.
Definitely one of our favorites. Perhaps our favorite of all time.
Man, I haven’t seen this one in ages.
One thing I noticed, though, is that “The Rebel Set” should be called “The Beatniks” and “The Beatniks” should go by the name “The Rebel Set.”
I wouldn’t expect such collusion, but hey, thought I’d put that out there.
Back in that era mooning somebody didn’t mean hanging your butt out. It meant something completely different, although, I don’t know what.
I KILLED THAT FAT BARKEEP!
Shut up, Iris. I tell ya, shut up!
Re: “the hatchet-faced Joyce Terry”
Oh, come on!
I think she’s lovely.
Sure, she’s got a smile like the Joker.
I still think she’s sweet,
esp. compared to Iris, that scag!
The GH short must feature the most UNAPPETIZING cake in the history of cinema!! :sad:
I agree with the poster above – “I’m gonna Mooon ya, man!” is probably the funniest line in the film. I remember being disappointed that the riff on it wasn’t that good. Hell, if all three of them just started to bust out laughing after it was said it would have been enough.
Joyce Terry’s looks aren’t the problem – she is just in the wrong decade. She is in no way a platinum blonde bombshell, but would be much more at home with multiple piercings and really short jet black hair. Born punker if ever I have seen one.
Beatniks is something of a fan fav, but just so so for me. The just-ok-ness is odd, because there are so many memorable lines of dialogue within the film as pointed out above by those with better memories than me. Moonie, of course, is a scream and provides the best overall moments.
B
This episode is a hoot. I think you have to be in the right frame of mind when you watch certain episodes, and this one requires differing levels of inebria.
Moon’s screeching rant, as if he’s suddenly bursting through his entire era of puberty all at once, is hysterical. The fact that he’s a killer with a knife, but seemingly posseses absolutely no knife fighting ability, rounds out the character nicely. Kinda answers the question of why he never really used a knife on “The Big Valley”.
First off, I’m surprised by all of the discussion about the commercials in between the show; was I the only one who used the “pause” button to eliminate these annoying distractions? :smile:
To me, this was about the time when the show really got rolling, the start of several great episodes in a row. The riffing is top notch, and the movie’s several continuity errors and crazy, over-the-top characters provide plenty of fodder. Mooney, in particular, is right up there as one of the most memorable in MST3K history. Not just the “Fat Barkeep” line, but almost anything coming out of his mouth is funny as hell! Even when he sticks a knife into Harry Bailey, its hilarious because Peter Breck plays the part overdramatically.
The host segments were pretty good, segment four being the best, and the invention exchanges were clever. (My girlfriend at the time loved and collected troll dolls – don’t ask me why – so that bit by the ‘mads is always bittersweet). My fav riff: a patron at the bar turns off the jukebox to hear the TV, to which Joel says, “Eddie Crane, Unplugged!” a reference to the MTV specials which featured popular rock acts of the day playing their songs acoustic.
One more memory: I convinced friends of mine who also watched the show that Tony Travis actually had made a record, and if you looked hard enough it could be found. They spent several of the next months trying to find it in antique stores!
Didn’t mooning mean being all squishy and romantic–as in “mooning” over a girl?
I’m lazy to pick up my dictionary. Maybe I shouldn’t have bought one that’s the size of Torgo’s lumps.
Corey Feldman wants you know that we need “green, green, green.” The actor/director best known for this childhood movie days opposite actor Corey Haim , has just launched a new recording label called Cifi Records. The first album
Oh, yeah, coming after Tormented, this is more like it! Gawd, but this was a lousy movie, and Joel and the ‘Bots were in great form shredding this one!
Loved the riffing, especially the mocking of the lead’s singing, the constant put-downs of Iris, and that wormy psychotic sidekick who “killed that fat barkeep!” Hilarious. Loved the host segment where they do a sendup of the lead’s signing career. Tom singing “leather chaps” was just so funny. That never gets old no matter how many times I see it.
To this day whenever my wife is teasing me about something all I have to say is “Shut up Iris” and we both dissolve into giggles.
I’d just love to know how Peter Breck feels about his so-called “performance” in this piece of crap. I mean…I’ve seen “over-the-top” characterizations before, but SHEEZ-LOUISE! I’ve always wondered who was to blame…the actor or the director?
While it seems that a lot of others delight in each and every one of Moon’s screen appearances, I can’t help but cringe and shudder every time he steps into frame. It’s nauseating, and for me, just damn near UNBEARABLE to watch.
Sampo noted that you can hear the director (and noted voiceover actor) Paul Frees as the TV announcer who introduces Eddie. If I’m not mistaken, that’s also his voice as the detective at the hospital near the end when Eddie goes to visit his agent. I can’t tell if it’s actually Paul Frees in the scene, but it’s pretty clearly his voice overdubbed onto the scene. In addition to being the voice of Boris Badenov, the thing I always associate Frees’ voice with is the haunted house at DisneyWorld (he’s the “Ghost Host” who narrates the ride).
I’m also glad to read that others enjoy the commercials from back when the shows first aired. When transferring my tapes to DVD, I try to trim out most of the commercials but find myself keeping the Comedy Central promos and commercials for video games and movies of the era, plus anything else that strikes a nostaligic chord. Oh, and the Playboy commercials, of course.
RIP two weeks back to Peter Breck.
And here it is: My first episode, so like with so many others, my first holds a special place in my heart. I guess it was only a partial episode for me. I’m sure the story is familiar. I was channel surfing one night with a friend that had cable TV. My family did not have cable or satellite at the time. We ran across the show. The guy I was with was familiar with it on a basic level so I didn’t have to go through the “what on earth is this?” phase. It’s been debated before what makes a good introductory episode of this show. All I can say is Beatniks worked for me.
Oh and it’s kind of cool that this episode would be the first DVD release to get an Easter Egg extra since it was my first experiment all those years ago.
Yes Joel was quite rough during rock paper scissors. But you have to admit the bots have more than had it coming for some time now.
Invention exchange: I’m a guy so I think the troll dolls are stupid, but Frank sells it well by pointing you as a troll doll you’ll get to sit on the nightstand of a good looking college coed and what them at night.
The first General Hospital segment a couple weeks back did nothing for me. This one was the complete opposite. I think it was all the sour faced actors that just set up Joel and the Bots perfectly.
Tom nails it with his first riff. This film has a lot in common with Daddy-O.
That “you’re not a Beatnik” host segment in whole was a riff on Jeff Foxworthy wasn’t it?
The Tom Servo whirlwind singing career host segment is an all time favorite. Again it is part magic of my first episode but it just works on many levels, and it has more Daddy-O callbacks.
My first episode also has my first personal catch phrase. I still to this day use Meet George Jetson whenever I see a walking montage type scene.
Favorite Riffs:
Female character carrying a knife to cut the cake “To tell you the truth I’ve never given an engagement party before and I don’t know whether or not it’s appropriate.” Tom “to stab you.”
Guy watches couple kiss… Tom “wow he really snaked it in there. Look at him go.”
Shot of Iris driving a car: Joel “Ed Wood.”
Crow “Oh is the great Martha Wentworth going to be in this film?” Tom “Oh is the great Crow going to do that riff every film?” [Editors note: Only those films with a blue blood sounding name in the credits.]
Eddie pours his heart out to Helen at dinner. Helen “Eddie I’m not laughing.” Joel “I’m panicking.”
Mr. Bayliss “Helen seemed to think you were in some sort of trouble.” Joel “Are you pregnant Eddie?”
Crow “Meanwhile at the same time.”
“There’s a layer of squirrel in here!”
Directed by Paul Frees (noted more for his voice work than anything else, certainly directing), this cinematic cow-flop has a “Daddy-O’ feel and smell to it. We are treated to the artistic talents of Peter Breck and Karen Kadler. Peter, who just passed away a couple of weeks ago, and overacted in “The Crawling Hand”—will be remembered in this movie with the catchphrase, “Yeah, I killed that fat barkeep”. An interesting little episode note is that Peter was also in General Hospital, but not in the episode featured with The Beatniks. He is probably best remembered as Nick Barkley in The Big Valley (1965-1969). Karen Kadler (1934-1984, born Karen Stefanee) had a small role in “It Conquered the World” as Helen the “scientist” who made coffee, got killed inside the space research lab and was found outside (a bit of a continuity problem). This go around she played Iris, and will forever be remembered as the recipient of the catchphrase, “shut up, Iris”. We are also treated to another scene from the 1963 season of “General Hospital”.
Favorite lines from General Hospital:
[the Cake] Oh no, the plaster’s coming off.
Well, Phil never eats my plaster cake at home.
Another alcohol-free party ends in shame. This little playlet has been brought to you by the booze council, reminding you to always stock up on alcoholic beverages for all your social occasions because booze really satisfies. Booze takes a dull party and makes it better. Booze makes you popular and heals all wounds. B-O-O-Z-E, Booze.
Favorite lines from The Beatniks:
Hey, it’s Daddy-O.
It looks like this scene was shot by a bank camera.
School shopping with Mom.
He’s singing into a refrigerator.
Well, I guess killing is ok when it’s sanctioned by an agent.
[Helen Tracy, Bayliss’ Secretary] She looks like Donald Sutherland in drag.
For a recording studio they have a ton of garbage.
Final thought. Wow, Peter Breck really pulled out all the stops in this one—I’d categorize this as felony overacting. Even Shatner wouldn’t go this over the top.
Simply one of the absolute funniest episodes ever. My brother introduced me to MST3K during the ’92 Turkey Day. This is one of those episodes I save so that I don’t watch it too many times, not unlike Daddy-O. What can I say? I like stupid criminals.
and I think Iris is hot. There I said it.
Ya gotta love that subliminal advertising at the diner. “DISH OF ICE CREAM.” How could anyone resist such aggressive and sophisticated marketing? As in Daddy-O, I find that the lead character is actually likeable and fairly well acted.
I don’t mind Helen and her soft-spoken charm (shut up, Iris) but the part that loses me is the montage where she buys him a new suit. By the time they stop for lunch, Eddie is a completely changed man, fully in love and ready to commit and Helen is on board as well. This is not even a first date, its after a few HOURS shopping together!
I salute Paul Frees for what was seemingly a labor of love, though he’s known for voice work, he wanted to be a jazz musician. or make movies about jazz musicians. or something. As a kid, I thought he was Tishiro Mifune (sp?) because he dubbed his voice in the movie Midway; then I heard the narrator for Disney’s Haunted Mansion, and I thought “Oh, the Japanese guy!”
Fave riff: when Tony/Eddie is recording the song in the studio, every time Joel goes “Poom!” (He also demonstrates that in a host segment in Fire Maidens. Hoo-Ha!)
A fave for me. One of my favorite invention exchanges ever.
“How do you know you’re stripes?” “I just know, okay?”
“I can think of five reasons… bahhh!” (Laughed hard at that one).
Watchable movie. Great host segments. Loved the rise and fall of Tom’s singing career.
I’m not a fan of the General Hospital shorts, but they’re well… short. Not bad enough to take off a star.
Five Stars.
Another great episode, with some of the most irritating and unlikeable characters–on both the short and the movie–ever put on celluloid. As a Who fan, I find it strange that the sociopathic clown here is named “Moon”–although unlike his British counterpart, this Moon doesn’t have jaw-dropping talent or a wicked sense of humour to offset his hotel-wrecking tendencies.
My favourite host segment has got to be the “slumber party” bit–the Bots do teenage girls astonishingly well. Even funnier is Joel’s list of teen idols: David Soul, Brady Girls, Jeremy Gelbwaks (the original littlest Partridge on “The Partridge Family”), the DeFranco Family (what passed for Canadian pop music in the 70s!) and Donny Most–an incredibly odd set of choices for teen heartthrobs if ever there was one. But they’re good company for Tony, who’s just as bland and forgettable as any of the names Joel mentions. It’s a brilliant little detail that’s easy to miss.
At the same time, the list also helps to develop Joel’s character as a typical nice suburban kid who spent his adolescence in the 70s, fuelled with “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Partridge Family” and other clean stuff. With Mike, the Brains developed him as more of a stoner from the same era–like the protagonist in “Laserblast” and the whole cast of “Giant Spider Invasion.” Had Joel Robinson and (character) Mike Nelson gone to the same high school, they probably would have hated each other.
5 stars again, so many great lines that I am still quoting 20 years later and all the host segments are great. Favorite lines/riffs:
-“Don’t play Maureen McGovern!” – For someone who grew up in the ’70s, that line had meaning for me and I would add her to the list of singers to throw off a cliff.
-The Vegas style “Hey!s” and accompaniment to Tony Travis’ 2nd song especially.
-The entire Rise and Fall of Tom Servo skit, the closing line “Everything he touched he destroyed” I loved so much I found ways to work it into college English and short movie-making assignments.
@#8 – I too love the way Joel says the line “If these people are beatniks, then my mom’s a beatnik. And she’s not.”
All in all, another classic episode from the high point of the series. Everyone leave your lights on when watching the next episode, it’s going to get a little scary and altogether evil.
Shut up Iris! (It never gets old!)
I love Frank lamenting the passing of empiricism while Forrester is speeding through the deductive tunnel to the troll invention exchange. How many times has that happened to the average person? Probably quite a lot, I’d guess.
A movie with a title that doesn’t tell you much, really.
The beatnik who gets shot is dressed like an office zombie on casual Friday.
The other male beatnik has so little personality and so little dialogue that he might as well not even be there, except as gang filler.
I used to be unsure which of Eddie’s girlfriends was more hideous. But now I’m pretty clear it’s Salt. Peppah is okay in more angles and lighting conditions than Salt.
“Do you want a double bag?”
My fave riff that cracks me up every time: “He’s gonna sing the whole thing, I mean it!”
while the title of the movie is a Little misleading, te Beatniks and Tormented come the closest to being actually not too bad as far as 50’s/60’s b movies go. sure they have issues such as bad acting and some loopholes in the script, continuity and special effects but take that away and they could be pretty watchable as is. as far as the Helen/ Iris fight for Eddie’s soul, i’m guessing on some level Helen, regardless of her offbeat hillbilly looks, was supposed to represent a new life as a mature, responsible tool as opposed to what he was with Iris. or they couldn’t afford a real hottie. thank you, won’t you?
I remember this Turkey day like it was yesterday. A week after my 10th birthday, some annoying extended family arriving that evening after school. It was the first year that they began premiering new episodes during Turkey Day, which was awesome. Having a new MST episode on a weekday was as cool as having a football game on a weekday. Turkey day ended with the classic “Timmy” episode and some leftover pumpkin pie and turkey sandwiches. A great moment of my childhood.
On another note, troll dolls were certainly a stupid fad.
I definitely liked this one over “Tormented”. Joel and the gang really went to town on the riffing and is shows in the nice spread between the “high brow” and “low brow” references.
It also reminds me of how long it’s been since the gang sunk their teeth into a good ‘youth gone wrong’ movie — it really shows in the number of references they make to “Daddy-O”.
The movie comes with a lot of built-in hilarity too. Eddie’s meteoric rise is so contrived you can’t help but laugh and the soundtrack composer needs to be beaten with a drum mallet for gratuitous use of kettle drums in the score.
Too many good riffs to pick out just one or even a few and good host segments all around.
Also, anyone else notice that Hodgson apparently hurt his hand in the opening bit when he was hitting the bots’ hands when he won at Rock Paper Scissors. A couple of times you can see Joel kind of shake his hand out after delivering the ‘slap’ — like it stung him a little bit.