Alert reader George asks:
Which episodes would you propose to be sacred, untouchable, and indispensable–the essential definition of “MST3K”? Pick 10 from the Joel era and 10 from the Mike era. And show your work–provide at least a one-line argument in support of each choice.
Ouch. Only 10 episodes for each era? That eliminates a lot of classics (but of course opens the door to a lot of discussion). But I did it. So can you.
BTW–here’s a quick and easy ep list that might help.
Here’s mine (with the caveat that I might very well pick an entirely different 20 episodes if asked on a different day):
Joel era
107- ROBOT MONSTER with shorts: COMMANDO CODY PTS 4 and 5 (I think by doing this classic bad movie they declared who they were and what they were doing to the national TV audience. Also the Commando Cody segments are golden.)
310- FUGITIVE ALIEN (One of those episodes that “grew in the riffing” to paraphrase Tolkien. It could have been a weird little Japanese throwaway like, oh, I don’t know, “Mighty Jack,” but somehow a weird synergy developed between the movie and the riffing that created something greater.)
311- IT CONQUERED THE WORLD with short: SNOW THRILLS (So much wonderful stuff here, including one of the first real shorts.)
321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS (You can’t escape this one, somehow. Though I have to say I have recently migrated to the Cinematic Titanic version.)
422- THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE with short: HERE COMES THE CIRCUS (perfect movie, perfect short, maybe everything an episode can be. Sampo!)
423- BRIDE OF THE MONSTER with short: HIRED! PT 1 (The quintessential Ed Wood movie, riffed to within an inch of its life, and, quite frankly, the funnier half of the short.)
505- MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD (Another episode that works on several levels simultaneously. So much going on here it could be the basis of an academic paper. And gaspingly funny throughout).
506- EEGAH! (Another absolute gem, where the performers took the strange movie and just built on it.)
507- I ACCUSE MY PARENTS with short: THE TRUCK FARMER (Another near-perfect episode as Joel prepares to take his leave. Everything works.)
512- MITCHELL (THE pivotal episode, THE must see. Not a foot wrong.)
Mike era
515- WILD, WILD WORLD OF BATWOMAN with short: CHEATING (After improving steadily, Mike finds his footing and proves the show is going to be fine.)
519- OUTLAW (OF GOR) (The epitome of the really watchable — and utterly riffable — MST3k movie. The level of riffing reaches and perhaps surpasses Joel.)
521- SANTA CLAUS (Why do the Christmas episodes stand out so much? Brilliance.)
610- THE VIOLENT YEARS with short: YOUNG MAN’S FANCY (My desert island episode. Fires on all cylinders for the entire show.)
706- LASERBLAST (Trace departs with a big giant bang.)
810- THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION (The show is saved, yet again.)
814- RIDING WITH DEATH (Another ep that could have been a middle-of-the-road outing, but that transforms into something more under the riffing.)
816- PRINCE OF SPACE (The bad movie’s weapons are useless against a riffing team that has completely rejunenated.)
904- WEREWOLF (Probably the Sci-Fi Channel era’s finest hour. Everything works.)
1001- SOULTAKER (Again, I cannot be objective.)
What are your picks?
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Joel:
1. 101 – The Crawling Eye. Just because.
2. 201 – Rocketship XM. A new set! Frank! Snappier riffs!
3. 301 – Cave Dwellers.
4. 307 – Daddy O.
5. 309 – Amazing Colossal Man
6. 313 – Earth Vs. Spider. For some reason I just love this ep. Great riffs!
7. 321 – Santa Conquers the Martians. Still gets laughs from me. Better than the CT riff.
8. 418 – Attack of the Eye Creatures. Never have I seen a funnier bad movie.
9. 506 – Eegah! Egadz!
10. 512 – Mitchell. The movie was disgusting, but it was a good way to go. So long Joel!
Mike
1. 513 – The Brain that Wouldn’t Die. First Mike! And he shows us just what he’s capable of! A classic!
2. 519 – Outlaw. Overload of buffalo shots I think they called it, and some of the worst acting ever. An award winner too!
3. 624 – Samson vs Vampire Women. *Sniff* So long Frank!
4. 706 – Laserblast! So Long Dr. F!
5. 810 – The Giant Spider Invasion. Oh the hilarity!
6. 813 – Jack Frost. Russo-Finnish comedy from start to finish.
7. 820 – Space Mutiny. Big McLargeHuge! Nuff said!
8. 903 – Puma Man. He flies like a moron. Indeed!
9. 910 – The Final Sacrifice
10. 1013 – Diabolik. The end. Or is it?
Plenty of runner ups. But these are the tops for me.
Okay, here’s my list. I too reserve the right to change my answers at anytime, however. 10 episodes from each “era” is too few.
101- THE CRAWLING EYE [Gotta have #1]
301- CAVE DWELLERS [For Miles’ too sweet pecs]
303- POD PEOPLE [It Stinks!]
306- TIME OF THE APES [Because my wife would kill me if I didn’t include this one! Also: Human BONES!]
319- WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST with short: MR. B. NATURAL [Because you need to know about MR. B. NATURAL for so many other episodes…]
321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS [If for no other reason than to compare with the CT version]
418- ATTACK OF THE THE EYE CREATURES [They just didn’t care — and that made this movie the perfect target]
422- THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE with short: HERE COMES THE CIRCUS [In my mind, the best of the Russo-Finnish eps.]
424- “MANOS”: THE HANDS OF FATE with short: HIRED! PT 2 [Even though this episode has been over-referenced, it’s still solid. The short alone is worth it]
512- MITCHELL [The transition is actually secondary to the excellent writing in this ep.]
513- THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN’T DIE [Great episode, and Mike’s “debut”]
702- THE BRUTE MAN with short: THE CHICKEN OF TOMORROW [The short is a MUST]
816- PRINCE OF SPACE [Ha..Ha…Ha…]
820- SPACE MUTINY [Blast Hardcheese!]
821- TIME CHASERS [The one movie where they ASKED MST3K to show it…didn’t they know what would happen?]
904- WEREWOLF [One word: Warwilf]
910- THE FINAL SACRIFICE [For the Canadian (or Canada-hater) in all of us]
1001- SOULTAKER [Joel, Frank, and a lesser Estevez!]
1012- SQUIRM with short: A CASE OF SPRING FEVER [Again, the short alone makes it required]
1013- DIABOLIK [Gotta have the finale]
Man, this is a hard topic.
1. 101 – The Crawling Eye. This was a memorable beginning to the series. Not as funny as what would come later, but that’s true for all of season 1 in my opinion.
2. 204 – Catalina Caper. As they said in the ACEG, this was a movie they shouldn’t have done, but they did, and it turned out great. The goofy charm of classic MST3K works really well against the goofy charm of the movie. A memorable episode for me.
3. 212 – Godzilla vs Megalon. As a Godzilla fan, I couldn’t leave this one off. A true classic. (Also, it’s where my nickname derives.)
4. 303 – Pod People. Trumpy! Magic things! Teens in trouble! Hilarity.
5. 311 – It Conquered the World. Roger Cormon + MST3K = a match made in heaven. He learned too late that man is a feeling creature, etc.
6. 319 – War of the Colossal Beast w/ Mr. B Natural. I picked this one purely for the short. The short is just that memorable.
7. 321 – Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Classic. Adorable.
8. 422 – The Day the Earth Froze. This is probably the best Russo-Finnish movie they did, and that’s really saying something. (Okay, maybe that title belongs to Jack Frost, but it’s real close.)
9. 424 – Manos: The Hands of Fate. This movie redefined what a bad movie was. The very worst the film medium has ever created turned into awesomeness by MST3K. Legendary episode. I can’t believe everyone hasn’t included it!
10. 512 – Mitchell. Classic, for reasons already stated.
Perhaps I’ll do Mike later. Mike’s list would be a lot harder for me.
Joel Era
1. The Crawling Eye(good ‘ol 101, plus arguably the only movie the bots have watched twice…)
2. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (seasonal, sentimental)
3. Mitchell (THE defining MST3K)
4. Pod People (syndicated MST3K opened a lot of eyes)
5. Catalina Caper (a branch-out to non monster movies)
6. Warrior of the Lost World (rooting AGAINST the hero)
7. Master Ninja I (they pull off a tv ep combo nicely)
8. Manos (undeniable essential even non-msties are starting to hear of)
9. Godzilla vs…(Joel soliloquies for monsters hit their peak)
10.Hercules vs. Moon Men (a season 4 gem, i think, which is the show’s dynasty era)
Mike Era
1. Time Chasers (best host segment storyline–solid MST3K experience)
2. Prince of Space (a true test–this movie is bad)
3. Hamlet (sure, let’s skewer Shakespeare, and the Germans)
4. Space Mutiny (with or without Mike and bots, you’re laughing at what’s on the screen)
5. Wild Wild World of Batwoman (the sigh of relief after the Joel era ended)
6. Diabolik (the finale)
7. Laserblast (former finale)
8. Deathstalker…(modern film/story taken down nicely)
9. Werewolf (a foreign film, of sorts)
10.Future War (mass confusion, bad production–viewers need the bots)
This is too much work. I love the show, and am a diehard fan, but this discussion thread just seems like homework, and sucks a lot of joy out of it. Sorry folks.
Heres the list…
JOEL:
110: Robot Holocaust- Valeria not only had her entertaining “banana in mouth” accents, she was pretty hot.
202: The SideHackers: Well because you know…violence doesnt pad the film, Crow, only love pads the film!
204: Catalina Caper: :”Creepy Girl” ditty…nuff said.
209: The Hellcats: Am partial to the “60’s/bikers/go go stomping” hepcats.
404: Teenagers from Outer space- Because not including it would sentence me to “TORCHA!”
418: Attack of the the Eye Creatures- Bugged eyed “peter Lorre” riffs steal the episode.
421: Monster a Go Go- Joel’s simple “Unbelievable” at the mouth provided telephone ring sums it all up!
423: Bride of the monster- A huge fan of Edward D Wood Jr.
424: Manos: The Hands of Fate- A film that actually outdoes ed wood in inept film editing gotta have a place on this list.
506- Eegah!- An overall favorite of mine…with the cherry on top being joel’s riff “I am Death and I have visited upon you, hehe” in pimply arch Jr voice.
MIKE:
514: Teenage Strangler: An episode of quite a few jerky performances overshadowed to me by the sudden appearence of “Pepe Le pew!”
515: The Wild World of Batwoman- Again, the standout of the episode that remains with me…is that “subplot involving the horseshoe!”
606: The Creeping Terror- Well, beside the creeping nepotism for this ep. is the bizzare realization the the director actually did have a panty hose fetish.
609: The SkyDivers: Just one sentence…Good thing they weren’t skydiving naked!
619: Red Zone Cuba- As for this one…I always wondered if that WAS the “NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNDO FINE”…
622: Angel’s Revenge: Well, whenever I watch this ep. I almost always do what Crow suggests…I just give in and look at the breasts!
810: The Giant Spider Invasion- This one is so engrained…whenever I see a spider I scream out, “VAAANNNNCCCEE!!”
816: Prince of Space- Well, of course, for the well know proclamation said in the film…”Is that a man? Crow: Yeah, believe it or not kid.” (HAHA got you!)
817: Horror of Party Beach- The otherworldly and almost hypnotic facination I have with Elaine’s dubbed voice throughout the entire film almost puts me in a trance. And the Del Aires actually do rock!
1002: Girl in Gold Boots- Again, another 60s/bikers/gogo dancers flick always grabs me.
Joel
1 Mitchell – no explanation needed
2 Gamera vs Zigra – first episode I taped and watched repeatedly.
3 Fugitive Alien – the episode that was on when I first discovered MST
4 Girl In Lovers Lane – I actually liked this movie, plus Big Stupid cracks me up still
5 Attack of the Giant Leeches – the hillfolk seemed genuine, the riffing on the fat guy was top notch
6 Eegah – To me, this episode represents when the jokes got a little meaner and more personal, and I liked it
7 Attack of the the Eye Creature – greasy gross people under assault by creature creators who just mailed it in
8 Warrior of the Lost World – mumbly mouth doosh trying to be Mad Max and fails miserably, the sound effects on the uzi guns were particularly laughable
9 Master Ninja II – I prefer this to Master Ninja I because they were meaner to Timothy Van Patten and his speech impediment
10 Daddy-O – Want some? Wearing your pants up to your nips is a nice look.
Mike
1 Red Zone Cuba – The single worst movie ever made bar none. The scene where they pull over to put the top up on the convertible, fail, start driving again, why leave that in? Why did the lady at the piano go blind because her husband died in the war? Why did they throw an old man down a well for pouring coffee?
2 Riding With Death – NASCAR jokes, trucker jokes, pastry nickname girlfriend jokes. The 70s movies were ripe for riffing. Awesome ep
3 Brain That Wouldnt Die – Hated this when it first aired, almost stopped watching the show because of the change, then it grew on me
4 Village of the Giants – good Oapie jokes, good Willow jokes
5 Skydiver – Coleman Francis’ very existence offended me and I enjoy the brutal treatment he got from the gang
6 The Brute Man – Acromegaly shouldnt be funny, but they found a way. Also seeing Mike crack up at the curmudgeon store owner is classic
7 The Beast of Yucca Flats – Coleman Francis is like Ed Wood minus the charm
8 Agent for H.A.R.M. – James Bond in a girdle is good fodder
9 The Puma Man – The hero appears to have an atomic wedgie during the flying sequences. Classic
10 Girl In Gold Boots – I actually like the music in this episode. Icky elf suddenly appears at the table. Overlooked and underappreciated episode.
First, a caveat about my list. I’ve caught a lot of the Sci-Fi episodes, but my Comedy Central-era viewing is woefully incomplete. So as much as I love Joel, I don’t think I can fairly judge that era – and the same can be said for a good part of Mike’s time too.
Here’s a Top 5 for Joel, and a complete one for Mike.
Joel:
1) Pod People. Everyone likes the movie, but this is probably my all-around “favorite host segment”episode. Each is absolutely hysterical and classic. “Idiot Control Now,” Crow and Tom’s acting tryouts, and my favorite, the Public Domain Karaoke Machine.
2) Monster-a-Go-Go. Not only a horrible film, but a confusing movie with nothing going on – and yet they were able to provide great riffs.
3) Manos…of course. Bad movie provides excellent riffs and memorable characters.
4) Warrior of the Lost World. Not only a hilarious episode, but I was actually cheering along with Joel and the ‘bots when that awful motorcycle computer (Einstein?) was destroyed. It was crazy to share such a cathartic moment with the gang.
5) Mitchell – Joel’s swan song, and he goes out on a great note.
Now the Mike Era:
1) The Starfighters. Follow me closely here: This might the best episode of the series. Why, you ask? Because they actually create a bunch of hilarious riffs from Absolutely Nothing. At All. Even though it’s only an “Above Average” in my book, I’m astounded by what they could create from a vacuum. This is the episode to watch if you really want to see the Brains’ talent.
2) Red Zone Cuba – Coleman Francis, renegades invading Cuba, great riffing.
3) Laserblast – this and Deathstalker are my favorite season 7 episodes, but I chose this one because of its historical significance. (And because I want to know what The South’s Gonna Do Again.)
4) Prince of Space – ridiculous, hilarious Japanese movie with not as much Deep Hurting as Neptune Men.
5) Space Mutiny – practically flawless movie riffing, with ridiculous characters and plotline, and a great stinger to boot.
6) Puma Man – I’d call this a “happy” episode to watch whenever you need to be cheered up – a cheesy movie with great riffs.
7) Hobgoblins – not only a hilarious episode and great host segments, but they also ruthlessly mocked a horrible, evil movie. And for that, I thank them.
8) Final Sacrifice – classic episode with great riffing. There’s a reason why “Rowsdower!” is one of the more famous characters.
9) Soultaker – funny riffing (though at parts the creepiness of the movie gets to be a bit much), but this episode is really important for the Joel/Frank return.
10) is tough…tempted to say “Squirm” because of the short…but I think I’ll just put Merlin’s Shop for the heck of it. It was the last new episode ever aired, and it went out in a great way – funny movie, terrific riffs.
You’re right, Sampo – this was hard, and much tougher than I expected! :-) And my list may be completely different in 48 hours…
Double ditto to #5 “Cabbage Patch Elvis”.
I must be one of the oldest fans (watching not in years) here.
Most of these are the more “current” episodes.
Only 10 each??!!?? No way. I am leaving some off just because everyone else will mention them (‘eh Mitchell?? Ya think that Brain couldn’t die??)
Joel
111 – Moon Zero Two – An unsung hero of the first season. 60s scif with a twist.
203 – Jungle Goddess – Good Movie, good riffs and the “Binocular matte (“Gobos”) lesson.” We could all b Key Grips after this one.
211 – First Spaceship on Venus – The first riffing of a movie I actually knew, grew up with, and loved. This brought MST3K home.
309 – Amazing Colossal man – Have you seen Glenn?
311 – It conquered the World – Because he found out too late that man was a feeling creature.
321 – Santa Clause Conquers the Martians – Better than CT, a holiday classic in our home, and I actually SAW this one IN the theater when it first came out. And I liked it gosh darn it!!!
(You see!! :x Six and I only up to season 4 :x :x )
(editing for count)
404 – Teenagers from Outer Space – Really OLD teenagers. You try going to Red Lobster after this one.
408 – Hercules Unchained – The best of the Herc movies – I think – After all, you only rent the waters of forgetfulness.
So many classics – soo many classics
422 – Day the Earth Froze – This is what would have happened if Perot had won.
505 – Magic Voyage of Sinbad – I gotts ta go sleep with Luca Brasi. This is the best episode to introduce someone to MST3K.
Mike
517 – Beginning of the End – I feel it is somehow my fault. Somehow??
620 – Danger! Death Ray – Special effects by Mattel. (I had to ditch all the other spy spoofs because of your 10 10 rule :sad: )
706 – Lasrblast – This really got 3 stars????
803 – Mole People – With the light of Ishtar, what could go wrong??
809 – I was a teenage werewolf – And that’s all the foreshadowing we can afford.
814 – Riding with Death – And death never ponies up for gas.
904 – Werewolf – I is really enjoying this film. Am I??
912 – Screaming Skull – Never saw it in the movies but remember the ads on TV for it. Wanted to see it my whole life, then did. Then I felt like Mickey.
1011 – Horrors of Spider Island – What? Were they trying to make a porno and the money ran out? Horror was the only way to finance the rest of the film??? :shock:
1013 – Diabolik – I had to include this one. Just had to. Not the best, and if it were elsewhere in the rotation I would have skipped it too. But it was a good way to end the series. :cry:
I’ve tried to answer the question as purely as possible- i.e. picking ‘defining’ episodes rather than personal favoutites. That said, my Mike choices do reflect my bias towards the Trace/Comedy Central era.
My Joel epidoes:
1) The Crawling Eye- How it all began…
2) Godzilla vs. Megalon- Probabaly teh first really GREAT episode and a nod to the direction of the all-time-best Season 3
3) Pod People- Great riffing, a movie that’s baaaad but watchable and host segments that were arguably never bettered. Would be worthy of inclsuion for ‘Clowns in the Sky’ alone.
4) War of The Colossal Beast- Any definitive list of MST3K would surely have to include ‘Mr B Natural’?
5) Fugitive Alien- “You gotta say- Jack Perkins, he had it coming!”
6) Santa Claus Conquers The Martians- an episode which gave MSTies their own Christams greeting!
7) Bride of the Monster- Ed Wood! Bela Lugosi! ‘Hired! the Musical!’ What’s not to love?!! On a personal note I love the nod to Kevin’s dad in the closing credits.
8) Manos: the Hands of Fate- THE defining episode. It’s by no means my favourite but if any one epsiode can be said to have ‘made’ MST3K, then this must surely be it.
9) The Golden Voyage of Sinbad- A movie which is actually half decent in terms of production but just goofy as hell.
10) Mitchell. Proabably the best ever riff the Brains ever did. So long, Joel…
And so to Mike:
1) The Brain That Wouldn’t Die- a decent start to Mike’s era
2) Starfighters- A great example of MST3K turning a movie where nothing happens into comedy gold- surely the epitome of what MST3K shoule be.
3) Danger! Death Ray! Movies don’t get much cheesier.
4) Red Zone Cuba- an absolutely dreadful movie, so bad that I’ve never managed to make it thru’ the MST3K ep in one sitting. Worthy of inclusion as simply the most joyless movie they ever covered. Who the hell created this film and thought of it as ‘entertainment’?
5) Creeping Terror- Amazingly bad movie.
6) Beast of Yucca Flats- ‘Did I mention Flag on The Moon?’ Again, a real tough sit-through but two great shorts make up for it.
7) Laserblast- Trace’s last hurrah.
8) Space Mutiny- the episode that got me into MST3K. An’everyman’ episdoe that anyone can watch and enjoy even if they’re not necessarily familiar with the format.
9) Puma Man- again, included because the movies shortcomings are so obvious that anyone can enjoy it.
10) Incredibly Strange Creatures…- I take a certain delight in the fact that Mike and co. pissed Ray Dennis Steckler off so much with ths riff.
Drop Mitchell–It’s (technically) not a Joel episode, it doesn’t FEEL like a Joel episode, the humor isn’t Joel humor, and its purpose is to be the first Mike episode. Oh, and it really isn’t even that good. (Unless jokes about JDB’s fat-slobhood is in itself intrinsically hilarious, to the entire exclusion of anything that happens in the movie.)
And while Robot Monster can stand up there to represent all that was good about Season 1, does that mean that Robot Holocaust and the Dagwan are forgotten? (The first time that an episode had officially “arrived” as being able to be recognized as a trademark joke by its audience?)
IAMP, OTOH, just feels…almost there, for some reason.
Fill in the void with
– Hercules Unchained” (the first, and most essential, Hercules riffing if you only had to see one),
and could any list be complete without…
– “Pod People”?? (The definitive host-segments of the Joel era.)
Essential Mike episodes are a little easier to pick–since they represent what M&tB SHOULD have been riffing instead of Canadians, drunks and Joe Don Baker–but fewer to choose from:
– Wild World of Batwoman: Okay, Mike–These are the movies WE grew up on riffing. The ones that have no rational explanation, and must be experienced to be riffed.
Which also applies to
– Invasion USA
– Santa Claus
and
– Merlin’s Shop of Magical Wonders
– Blood Waters of Doctor Z: The first return to movie-related riffs after the fatal off-topic self-indulgence that got Season 9 sh*t-canned by the network, and a reminder of just how funny paying attention to the movie can be (especially in the host segs, for a change)
– Jack Frost
– Sword & the Dragon: There’s enough room on the sparse list of good Mike episodes to put BOTH Russo-Finish fairytales (despite Mike and Kevin’s somewhat geographic confusion of which country to pick on), and even if they were just trying to leech off Joel memories of DtEF, it’s always the well to go to.
– Samson & the Vampire Women: It’s a shame that two of the best three Mexican epics went to the Mike era and all Joel was stuck with was the S1 “Aztec Mummy”…But at least Mike got the strangest two to work with.
– Prince of Space: Even if “Neptune Men” became more of a cheap race-baiting Kevin target, one Starman epic must take the list, and Chickenman wins out.
– Skydivers: A classic exercise in Filling Coleman Francis Static (Starfighters almost made the list for repeated refueling stock-footage), made immortal by Petey Plane.
Hooo boy…..Good question. As noted by predecessors, there are so many great episodes, it’s a shame to leave some off. However, the question demands it. So, if I’m stuck on a desert island with an amazingly powerful generator and a fishing pole (I have to eat, y’know,) here’s what I’m bringing.
J Era:
1. Women of the Prehistoric Planet – If I’m stuck on a desert island, I can chop down the trees for shelter with a mighty “HIKEEBAH!”
2. Robot Holocaust – even though I don’t want me and my dorter to be deumed.
3. Catalina Caper – it is just one big sunny, fun-fllled Bataan death march.
4. Earth Vs. The Spider – I could set up “the Plant” and “The Mattress Company” to boost the island’s economy.
5. Gamera vs. Zigra – I think the best riffing of the Gamera films (they were all great, btw.)
6. War of the Colossal Beast (w/ Mr. B. Natural short) – I can galavant about my island like a happy king.
7. Master Ninja II – Ninja skills might come in handy.
8. Attack of the Giant Leeches – to remind me of my Florida home.
9. Warrior of the Lost World – I’m a strange mark for post-apocalyptic movies.
10. Mitchell – Thanks Joel, you were enjoyed (it gets the nod just above EEGAH.)
M ERA:
1. Beginning of the End – which seems like a strange name to lead off, but once you start something, technically you begin the end. The movie also will help me with any grasshopper problems (it’ll also make me pine for Chicago, a great city.)
2. Village of the Giants – how to rule the island with a powerful (and dorky) iron fist
3. Zombie Nightmare – in case someone runs me over on the island, I’ll know what to do.
4. The Violent Years – How to deal with hordes of roaming, conservatively dressed female felons.
5. Skydivers – In case I get depressed I can look at this dreary dreck and feel really good about things.
6. The Giant Spider Invasion – in case I feel the need to root for the “PACKERS!!”
7. Prince of Space – Krankor could have a home on the island, for, you know, tax purposes.
8. Time chasers – anybody can be a hero -anybody.
9. Space Mutiny – my word is law, if dissention arises, Hack Blowfist will quell it.
10. Werewolf – which is absolutely fascinating.
206 Ring of Terror – Love all the middle-aged college student jokes
213 Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster – Maybe it is because I the previous Godzilla didn’t live up to the lofty expectations I’d had going in. This one had me laughing throughout. Megalon didn’t.
316 Gamera vs. Zigra – My favourite serving of turtle meat.
319 War of the Colossal Beast – Mr B!
404 Teenagers from Outer Space – Managed to get the New Zoo Revue theme song stuck in my head for weeks.
414 Tormented – Since this was the only movie itself that I actually enjoyed.
421 Monster a Go-Go – Great short, and the movie is a perfect example of polishing a turd.
422 The Day the Earth Froze – Would somebody please put me out? I seem to be on fire!
504 Super Agent Secret Dragon – I love the spy genre MSTed.
512 Mitchell – Obviously. I can’t even see Joe Don Baker in anything else thanks to his MSTing treatment.
520 Radar Secret Service – My favourite short!
612 The Starfighters – “It landed on pigpen!
620 Danger! Death Ray! – Pure comfort food for me.
622 Angels Revenge – MY first ever episode.
801 Revenge of the Creature – A tributary to the Upper Amazon! Charlton Heston’s fish finder. So much great stuff in the opening movie segment.
805 The Thing That Couldn’t Die – Another comfort food episode.
814 Riding With Death – Much like Mitchell, this episode causes me to bust a gut every time I see Ben Murphy’s name show up in the credits of anything.
817 Horror of Party Beach – I love the ‘two drunks’ scene. “I thought ‘all nude’ was the dress code”.
910 The Final Sacrifice – Any Canadian who hates this episode should be deported. Or at least forbidden from watching the playoffs,
1009 Hamlet – I’m an English major. How can I leave a unique interpretation of the Bard off the list?
I agree with Cabbage, listing 20 movies is a bit much, so I’ll just list 6.
Joel era
Hercules vs the Moon Men
Teenagers from Outer Space
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Mike era
Time Chasers
The Creeping Terror
Space Mutiny
One more note, I’ve noticed some people are putting The Last Starfighters, Monster A-Go-Go, and Hamlet in the ‘best’ list. How?!?
These threads are mostly about the favorites in this show, and while I’m a big fan, I’d like to see what people put down as the worst episodes (not including season 1). There might be a large contrast in opinions.
Joel ERA:
1) K16:City On Fire – A great “first thought theater” episode with guest stars galore and probably the best of the KTMAs. The film is one of those disaster film/tv movie of the week deals, perfect for this show.
2) 104:Women Of The Prehistoric Planet – Best Season One Episode I think. It’s a great mix of Sci Fi and cheesy effects and an awful twist at the end. Earth?
3) 301:Cave Dwellers – One of those foreign warrior movies that’s slow and boring. One of the defining theme in the films that end up on the show.
4) 303:Pod People – Another sci fi/alien film that ties a group of different people together and must get along to survive.
5) 309:The Amazing Colossal Man – Bias as this is the first episode I saw and in the first few minutes of the movie I was hooked on this show.
6) 317:Viking Women – A Great short followed by a Corman “empowered women” film. The strong woman theme works for this combination Short/Feature.
7) 401:Space Travelers – A heavily edited “cable access version of Marooned”. Even oscar movies are not safe for MST.
8) 408:Hercules Unchained – Finally, the type of movie that has been mocked in different forms by different comedy shows. The Hercules frachise, perfect.
9) 410:Hercules Against The Moon Men – One Hercules movie isn’t enough for this show, but this gives us a comparison of two different visions of the same character.
10) 511:Gunslinger – Finally, a western, it was about time. It also helps that there are some MST favorites here: Corman & Beverly Garland
Mike ERA:
1) 607:Bloodlust – This one has a famous “Brady” and is based on a short story, another genre for MST and great short to boot.
2) 611:Last Of The Wild Horses – For the obvious Star Trek Mirror Mirror homage and the Mads in the theater.
3) 801:Revenge Of The Creature – The beginning of a new era for the show and the movie is the closest to the gang doing a classic American monster film.
4) 1st ANNUAL SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER REVIEW – At least one special edition had to go on here and this one was it. To see them riff, even briefly, on brand new films, basically the precursor to Rifftrax.
5) 821:Time Chasers – We see the defining “Time and Space” deal that Sci Fi puched them into and Mike playing someone else in the theather.
6) 903:Puma Man – A fan favorite and a horrible superhero flick.
7) 913:Quest Of The Delta Knights – Again, a change in the theater (Pearl) and the first episode I saw on Cable. The movie even has the oddest connections (Da Vinci a sexist jerk?)
8) 1001:Soultaker – Come on, it’s a reunion and the infamous Mike and Joel meet ep.
9) 1009:Hamlet – They even take on Shakespeare.
10) 1013:Diabolik – The end of a series, of course it must go on this list.
I’ve only got five Joel episodes for a simple reason: I never got much of a chance to see Joel’s run until later on VHS/DVD and the Digital Archive Project. We didn’t get Comedy Central in my area until after the show had moved to The Sci-Fi Channel. It was the 90s, cable TV was still considered an extraneous expense in many areas.
Joel Episodes (In no particular order)
1. 0303 – Pod People – Two awesome songs, “Idiot Control Now” and “Will There Still Be a Clown in the Sky?”, and a murderous parody of ALF!
2. 0312 – Santa Claus Conquers the Martians – Let’s have a Patrick Swayze Christmas.
3. 0424 – Manos: The Hands of Fate – A necessity.
4. 0512 – Mitchell – A Joe Don Baker movie and Joel’s final episode? How could I not have this one in the list?
5. 0419 – The Rebel Set – Honestly, “Johnny at the Fair” is my primary reason for loving this episode.
Mike Episodes (also, in no particular order)
1. 0521 – Santa Claus – Trippy, frightening, and badly dubbed: Nightmare fuel, children. Nightmare fuel.
2. 0912 – The Screaming Skull – the goofy special effects and the short “Robot Rumpus” make this an all-time favorite.
3. 0816 – Prince of Space – Cram school kids on the loose!
4. 0819 – Invasion of the Neptune Men – Special guest appearance by Krankor.
5. 0619 – Red Zone Cuba – The Three Stooges jokes are great.
6. 0910 – The Final Sacrifice – “Rowsdower” ‘Nuff said.
7. 1001 – SoulTaker – Joe Estevez and Joel!
8. 0907 – Hobgoblins – It’s like Gremlins, but instead of scary and amusing it’s goofy and sad.
9. 1006 – Boggy Creek II: And the Legend Continues. – A personal favorite here. The fact that part of it was filmed on the University of Arkansas campus, where I went to school and worked, and the joke about the “giant Brawn coffee machine” gets me every time.
10. MST3K: The Movie – This Island Earth – I only wish they had kept using that SOL set after the movie.
Joel –
Robot Monster
Robot Holocaust
Time of the Apes
Pod People
Cave Dwellers
Manos: The Hands of Fate
Gamera
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Warrior of the Lost World
Being from Another Planet
Mike –
Outlaw
Teen-Age Crime Wave
Zombie Nightmare
Angels’ Revenge
Samson vs. The Vampire Women
Space Mutiny
Time Chasers
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Hobgoblins
The Final Sacrifice
Joel: The Joel era gave us some good, solid episodes. However, for me, none of the essentials come from the first season, and that is because of J. Elvis doing Servo. It’s my bias and struggle, and to this day I still have trouble watching any season one episodes.
206 The Ring of Terror – “Oh that’s nice, I’m calling Betty White.”
212 Godzilla vs Megalon – Two words: Rex Dart
302 Gamera – Who can forget Tibby? “What’s this about not letting Kenny keep his turtle?”
303 Pod People – Disjointed, annoying, and terribly funny. “Idiot control now.”
310 Fugitive Alien – “He tried tried to kill me with a forklift.”
407 The Killer Shrews – “Quick! Light your martinis!”
414 Tormented – “Nothing like an invigorating swim with a corpse in the morning.”
507 I Accuse My Parents – “I went and liberated France while you were dancing.”
508 Operation Double 007 – “Good god I’m ugly. Scared my own children out of the nursery today.”
512 Mitchell – “The lunatic is on the grass…” This one has to be on there. It’s a very funny, very fitting sendoff for Joel.
Mike: This was tough. Giving a graduation speech in front of thousands of people was easy. Struggling on unemployment in a down economy starting last September through January was easy. But picking only ten Mike essentials? I had to leave out several in favor of what I thought were “the best.” Hamlet was removed for The Touch of Satan. Parts: The Clonus Horror came off for Soultaker. Zombie Nightmare for Puma Man…you get the idea.
810 The Giant Spider Invasion – “Paaaaaackers!” “USA OUT OF NORTH AMERICA!” I hate the Packers.
820 Space Mutiny – “De do do do, de da da da, is all I wanna say to you…” If you don’t laugh at this movie ever time you watch it, you have no soul.
822 Overdrawn at the Memory Bank – “Come/as you are/to my mall/to my atrium yeah yeah.”
903 Puma Man – “I now know that if I ever run into a puma I can just push it the hell over.” I like how Tony Farms is now a bigshot lawyer.
904 Werewolf – “TUSK!” This was spot-on; it’s become my introductory episode for people who lived under a rock and had never heard of MST3K.
908 The Touch of Satan – “What was Anne Heche doing in there?” This episode hits all the high marks; skits, riffs, and a ridiculous movie that never explains itself.
910 The Final Sacrifice – “Ooooooh, I needs an eraser.” Quite possibly my favorite MST3K ever.
1001 Soultaker – “Where does he keep his acorns?” Some people like this because Joel returns; I like it because the riffs are spot-on, the acting is hammy, and Joe Estevez is awesome.
1002 Girl in Gold Boots – “I’m an icky elf.” I used to hate this movie and never put in the DVD, but within the past year that all changed as I realized it was one of the funniest experiments ever.
1008 Final Justice – “None of them are spongeworthy.” The second Joe Don Baker movie, and the only film in history that dares explore the seedy underbelly of Malta.
Okay, so this is a fun exercise. I like Sampo’s list a lot. My 20 selections aren’t necessarily my favorite episodes. Instead, I tried to assemble the 20 episodes that shape the series and allow the different strengths of the writers and performers to shine through.
Joel-Era Essentials
107 – ROBOT MONSTER – Where it all began, sort of. Maybe the strongest Josh-as-Servo episode, and he needs to be represented here. Also a few of the longest-running riffs got started here.
201 – ROCKETSHIP X-M – The first crappy, white-guy-centric ‘50s sci-fi flick (with a few recognizable actors of some reputation) of the second season, which represents the real start of the show as it would be for the rest of its run. This episode sets a certain format that would appear over again, even as late as “The Phantom Planet.”
302 – GAMERA – Not the first season-three episode, and not the first Japanese monster movie, but a good representation of what the show could do with a terrible entry in a well-known genre.
310 – FUGITIVE ALIEN – One of the funniest episodes, but also a great example of riffing a movie made by editing together television shows.
321 – SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS – I like the way the host segments and riffing poke fun at Christmas but also respect its message and pay homage to the holiday as a common experience. We saw the cast was bunch of good guys.
408 – HERCULES UNCHAINED – A sword-and-sandal outing with mythological figures and a nice sense of the randy sensibilities of the show in its prime.
422 – THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE – Is another movie in the canon more bizarre? Did Joel and the Bots show their range any better? I think it’s a classic because the answers are both affirmative.
423 – BRIDE OF THE MONSTER – Ed Wood’s the most famous incompetent director and Bela Lugosi’s the most recognizable actor from the golden age of horror (decades after his prime)—a perfect collaboration for the generation crap. Also, this episode features the first part of what might be the quintessential educational short.
424 – MANOS, THE HANDS OF FATE – “Manos” is well known for two of the best reasons: being a totally incompetent movie and Torgo. Plus, this episode includes the second half of a great short to wrap up loose ends.
512 – MITCHELL – The last episode of the Joel Era is an important entry for two reasons: 1) it gives critical backstory to the show’s past and future, and 2) it’s the best episode of the entire series.
Mike-Era Essentials
515 – THE WILD, WILD WORLD OF BATWOMAN – Mike’s first good episode and also an excellent and blatant representation of female exploitation found in many other flicks (e.g., “Angels Revenge” and “Racket Girls”).
517 – BEGINNING OF THE END – A good representation from Bert I. Gordon of atomic-era-paranoia movies: a recognizable lead, incompetent military brass, a lame choice of insect, garbage science, nonchalant talk of using nuclear weapons, and laughable special effects.
519 – OUTLAW (OF GOR) – Possibly the best-riffed of all the utterly unwatchable movies (e.g., “Monster a Go-Go” and “Invasion of the Neptune Men”).
521 – SANTA CLAUS – Mike and the Bots give it right back to ethnocentrism, racism, and pseudo-religion.
619 – RED ZONE CUBA – An entry from Coleman Francis isn’t optional in a list of essential episodes, and this one might be the director-writer-actor’s least appealing and pointless.
701 – NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST – Just as with Bert and Coleman, a list of essentials has to include one from Roger Corman. As a plus, it’s a bad movie of the aliens-will-conquer Earth variety.
706 – LASERBLAST – Like “Mitchell”, this is an important transition in terms of telling the story of the show. Also, at Leonard Maltin’s expense, this episode helps put the series in a larger context.
810 – THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION – A cheapo movie wallowing in mid-‘70s glory must be part of a survey of essential episodes. Also this is one of the best in terms of riffing from one of the top seasons of the entire series.
820 – SPACE MUTINY – A more contemporary entry is important to prove that some movies will always be rubbish, no matter the decade; plus it’s one of the best-riffed of the strongest stretch of Bill-as-Crow episodes.
1009 – HAMLET – Not necessarily a great episode, but the quality of the underlying subject matter give Mike and the Bots a chance to show everyone they’re also really smart.
This list is subject to change, but on a beuatiful, summer type morning here in Michigan- here are my picks:
Joel:
Robot Holocaust- (The room of questions, worst actor ever who played Valeria?)
Jungle Goddess- (White, white goodness- love host segments)
Wild Rebels- (That square bugs me!)
Time of the Apes- (Johnny doesn’t care)
Fugitive Alien- (Ha, ha- you’re stuck here!)
It Conquered the World- (I’ll see you in hell carrot monster)
The Beatniks-(I killed that fat barkeep!)
Manos- (Do something!)
I Accuse my Parents- (Liar, liar)
Mitchell- (my, my)
Mike:
Outlaw- (you little worm)
Santa Claus- (Ho ho)
High School Big Shot- (depress o vision)
The Brute Man- (creeper you give me the creeps)
The Mole People- (down down)
Riding with Death- (lazy rider)
Time Chasers- (I love Eddie)
The Final Sacrifice- (Rowsdower)
Boggy Creek II- (old man Crenshaw)
Track of the Moon Beast- (California lady, oh…moon rocks)
By next week, it may be a whole new list.
Several pre-posting thoughts:
1) I’ll probably largely agree with Sampo’s Joel era picks
(although I’ve only seen Season 1s on dvd) but I have almost
no agreement on Mike era (NO TIME CHASERS or OatMB! :shock: )
2) When the thread is done could someone compile a weighted preference
score (no. 1s 10 points, no. 2s nine, etc., or some sort of
score)? I’m far too lazy to do so. ;-)
Without seeing every episode yet, here’s my picks…
JOEL:
The Crawling Eye
The Corpse Vanishes
Catalina Caper
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Teenagers from Outer Space
Manos: The Hands of Fate
Warrior of the Lost World
Eegah!
Gunslinger
Mitchell
MIKE:
Teen-Age Strangler
Santa Claus
Zombie Nightmare
Racket Girls
Danger! Death Ray!
Jack Frost
Prince of Space
Werewolf
The Final Sacrifice
The Girl in Gold Boots
I’m with CPE @5 so I’ll do three each, not necessarily top three cause these seem to change dep on my mood;
K10 COSMIC PRINCESS-I picked this one for many reasons. Josh was excellent as Servo and also at unscripted riffing. Landau, Bain, crappy makeup, crappy special effects and this one film proved that the Japenese were NOT the only folks in the world to merge campy special effects, overly dramatic scripts and poor direction series wise.
212 GODZILLA VS. MEGALON-Besides really fun riffing by J&TB, the movie has the worst dubbing, Rex Dart, very annoying kid, a giant lizard, a giant roach, a giant avian of some sort AND a giant robot! For me, this seemed to start a run of very consistant, sharp run where I think the guys had most of the bugs worked out in riff timing, writing, character gelling and Frank was selecting great/bad films.
508 OPERATION DOUBLE 007- To me the last great J&TB episode. Joel’s skit as the bad dude with a boat load of babes was just great!! “I Know.” still cracks me up. An end of an era for me.
I have to take care of kids so I will do M&TBs later.
My list is a blend of personal favorites and episodes that are a good representation of the show at its best. Mind you I haven’t seen every show (My intake of season 3 is appallingly low).
Joel Era:
1. The Crawling Eye-First nationally seen episode and a pretty good template for things to come.
2. Godzilla vs. Megalon-For me, this is when the show really started to come together with excellent riffing throughout and some seriously funny host segments.
3. Cave Dwellers-My favorite episode from the entire series, this is as close to perfect as the show can get.
4. Mighty Jack-Of the episodes featuring thrown together episodes of Japanese TV shows, this is probably my favorite as the riffing is consistently great and the host segments work quite well.
5. Monster A Go-Go/Circus on Ice-I feel the last four episodes of season 4 represent the best the show had to offer with Joel. First off is this one with an agonizingly atrocious movie coupled with a hilarious circus short. If you really want to throw a newcomer to the series into the deep end, show them these four plus a few Mike episodes.
6. The Day the Earth Froze/Here Comes the Circus-Not quite as great as the other three but still a definite keeper with an even funnier short.
7. Bride of the Monster/Hired Part 1-Anytime you can get MST3K and Ed Wood in the same place, it’s good times.
8. Manos/Hired Part 2-This one really goes without saying. If you can sit through this thing without running from the room screaming, you and the show are made for each other.
9. Eegah-Another solid episode with some great moments.
10. Mitchell-A great sendoff with a fantastically great roasting of Joe Don Baker from the start of the film to the end.
Mike Era:
1. Outlaw-Mike is on firm ground, the film is wonderfully cheesy and the episode works great.
2. The Starfighters-Probably the best moment of season 6 as they take nothing and make something out of it. That takes an impressive amount of skill and thankfully it’s readily available for all to see.
3. Red Zone Cuba-Not the best episode ever, but if you really want to not only feel pain from the movie but also the pain of the creative team creating the episode, this is as good a way to experience it as any.
4. Laserblast-A great farewell to Comedy Central with a great movie to riff and some very funny host segments.
5. The Undead-The first Sci-Fi Channel episode to really knock it out of the ballpark. A very solid blend that satisfies as only a good episode of the show can.
6. Space Mutiny-Another close to perfect episode, right up there with Cave Dwellers.
7. Werewolf-See entry #5. This is just sinfully hilarious.
8. The Final Sacrifice-This is a case where the riffing truly makes the episode great as the host segments while good are fairly run of the mill save for Servo’s song. Still, great stuff.
9. Devil Fish-I have a soft spot for the underdog episodes and this one just clicks for me. A hidden gem in the series with great riffing and host segments.
10. Blood Waters of Doctor Z-The best of the final season, this one never fails to make me laugh.
WOW! This one is hard!! I found it harder to pare down the Mike episodes than the Joel episodes, interestingly enough (no reflection on Joel, you understand…)
Joel Era:
202 – THE SIDEHACKERS: Terrific riffing, terrific host segments. “I will. I will. I will do it.”
301 – CAVE DWELLERS: How much Keefe is in this movie? Miles O’Keefe!
303 – POD PEOPLE: Nerdy poachers, nerdy “rock” band, Tommy and Trumpy: “It stinks!”
309 – THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN: My intro to MST3K, and a movie I love anyway
321 – SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS: Annoying children, fey Martian villains, and a very ineffectual Santa Claus
417 – CRASH OF THE MOONS: John Banner! Poopie!
419 – THE REBEL SET: The riffing during the chase scene was some of the Brains’ best work ever
421 – MONSTER A GO GO: Awful train wreck of a movie makes a great episode
506 – EEGAH: Arch Hall Jr. caterwauling, Richard Kiel belching, and an oven in the living room!
507 – I ACCUSE MY PARENTS: Hilarious melodrama with top notch riffing
Mike Era:
519 – TEENAGE STRANGLER: This one has Mikey in it, by Jupiter!
521 – SANTA CLAUS: The funnier of the two Christmas flicks, the scene with Santa accompanying the children of all lands on the organ is a highlight
603 – THE DEAD TALK BACK: Great ensemble of lowlife characters
619 – RED ZONE CUBA: Fascinatingly dreary
621 – ANGELS’ REVENGE: In spite of the many embarrassing cameos, I’m just giving in and looking at the breasts
812 – ISCWSLABMUZ: A movie I love even on its own
813 – JACK FROST: Looks like a Soviet acid trip
814 – RIDING WITH DEATH: Great 70’s TV movie
820 – SPACE MUTINY: Some of their best riffing
1002 – GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS: Great exploitation flick from the late ’60’s.
The ones I left out -The Indestructible Man, Manos: the Hands of Fate, Mitchell, Terror from the Year 5000, The Creeping Terror, parts: the clonus horror – were heart-rending….
The list I’ve come up with is a combination of historically significant episodes, classic episodes and some personal favorites.
Joel
101 The Crawling Eye – Where it all begins.
107 Robot Monster – The first episode where the riffing is spot on.
203 Jungle Goddess – The first episode I ever saw. And as a big fan of the Superman series growing up, it was a real kick to see George Reeves as something other than Superman. This is also the beginning of one of my favorite running gags throughout the series, “Art” Crow.
301 Cave Dwellers – The first classic episode IMHO
321 SCCTM – Let’s have a Patrick Swayze Christmas, need I say more?
404 Teenagers From Outer Space – TORCHA!
416 Fire Maidens of Outer Space – Timmy!
424 Manos: The Hands of Fate – The quintessential MST3K episode
507 I Accuse My Parents – My favorite Joel episode and also features my non de plume.
512 Mitchell – I’m not as big a fan of this episode as most others, but it has to be included on ANY list like this.
Mike
514 Teen-Age Strangler – Any thoughts that I had about the show being adversely affected by the loss of Joel were put to rest with Mike’s 2nd episode.
519 Outlaw – Any episode that wins the Peabody award must be included on the list.
610 The Violent Years – Sampo Johnson is right!!
611 Last of the Wild Horses – Classic host segments, Dr F and Frank in the theater, and this is the only episode that I’ve ever gotten my dad to watch with me. Although not a fan of the show, he did get a kick out of the movie.
624 Samson vs The Vampire Women – Frank’s goes to 2nd Banana Heaven. Also a very funny episode with a completely WTF moment.
706 Laserblast – The end of an era. :cry:
802 The Leech Women – Similar to Teen-Age Strangler in that my reservations about SF eased with this episode.
820 Space Mutiny – The funniest riffed episode of all time IMHO
1001 Soultaker – The return of Joel and Frank. And a great way to start off the final season.
1013 Danger: Diabolik – The end of another era :cry: :cry:
I don’t think it’s possible for this topic to be anything but subjective, no matter how much we think we’re being objective & unbiased. Since I imagine MST appeals to each of us for a variety of personal reasons, we bring our opinions of what the “essential definition” of the show is.
For me, that would translate to episodes that often have a short in addition to an exceptionally cheesy movie, giving the Brains that much more to work with. I would list:
*Bride of the Monster; “Hired!” is a great short, good host segments, and an Ed Wood movie that is almost fun on its own.
*Manos, Hand of Fate; conclusion to “Hired,” excellent host segments, and a mess of a movie that MST made mainstream.
*Skydivers; see above. This one helped make Coleman Francis’s body of work more widely known.
*The Wild Wild World of Batwoman; again, great short, fine segments, horrible train wreck of a movie made bearable by some outstanding riffing.
I find myself agreeing with CPE, #5, and the others who feel it’s a lot of work to list 20 eps; two each from Joel & Mike is plenty for me.
Wow! I can’t believe how many good (re: bad) Mike era ones had to be left
out of a top ten, including The (very slow) Creeping Terror, Space
Mutiny, etc.
619- RED ZONE CUBA (Forget Revenge of the Creature. Think Revenge
of Film Noir :shock: ). Fortunately Cherokee Jack steals the film).
622- ANGELS’ REVENGE Strangely bizarre 70s jiggle vision with stranger
cameos, but the girls just don’t stack up to The Horrors of Spider Island troop).
810- THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION (Della Street and The Skipper together
at last. I love it, Morty. Start production tomorrow.
816- PRINCE OF SPACE Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! So exactly why is PoS shining shoes
instead of making billions selling his space technology to world powers?
821- TIME CHASERS Hey, what can I say. I like the movie premise and attempt
to make it by the plucky young cinematographers.
822- OVERDRAWN AT THE MEMORY BANK (I maintain PBS put a good deal of thought into
this offering. proving that you can sometimes include a good movie in your crappy
movie and make it work- sort of).
1002- THE GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS (just think how popular the strip club?
night club? would have been if they had landed Crow and Brain Guy as
top (?) attractions :shock:
1008- FINAL JUSTICE (You want to argue with this selection. Go ahead on. :x )
1009- HAMLET I hesitated for the longest time on including this but finally
decided it had TO BE included (or not :???: ). Although for some reason when
Max emote here I keep seeing him in The Freshman:
“Larry London: [sings in German] Mein Herz schwebt in Blut! That means ‘My Heart Swims In Blood’.
Clark Kellogg: Yeah.” and “Carmine said one boy, here are two!”
1011- HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND- Has the hottest girls in mst3000 land
(by quanity and quality)
Joel era (not having seen any of K season and many of first year)
101- THE CRAWLING EYE (surprisingly watchable, and riffing is okay)
102- THE ROBOT VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY No one will be let in during the
last ten minutes of this film to witness the titanic, well exciting,
make that adequate, okay “It Stinks!” battle between, oh, you know…
106- THE CRAWLING HAND. Granted, Swedish girls are hot, but I still
have to opt for the Italian HoSI women over the hand fetishist’s girl friend.
Oh,and The Skipper has a new gig here. At least here his sheriff survives.
204- CATALINA CAPER Two words: “Creepy Girl.”
301- CAVE DWELLERS Forget anything else in the movie. Marvel at how
Ator bridges centuries of technology in minutes to construct gliders,
make bombs, tour medieval Germany by air, etc.
303- POD PEOPLE Fortunately, this one was able to displace Sidehackers
from the top ten, even though “It Stnks” in its predictable body count.
321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS A good holiday film. I can imagine
the late Patrick Swayze and family gathering aroung their hearth and home,
breaking out several cases of eggnog AND BEATING THE MOVIE SENSELESS
if anyone in it touches their cars.
404- TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (Anyone objecting to this selection may
be subject to TORTURE!)
407- THE KILLER SHREWS (Given how inept Festus was a shooting in this epic
he obviously never took lessons from Marshall Dillon (or perhaps Mitchell)
Festus to the dogs- I mean, shrews- “You think you can take me? Go ahead on!”
415- THE BEATNIKS Just one question: WHERE WERE THE BEATNIKS!
424- “MANOS”: THE HANDS OF FATE (Here’s a thought. Let’s remake the
movie doing it from Torgo’s perspective. Hmm.)
Hm.
Robot Monster–I agree that it’s the funniest of the first season and, in any case, everyone needs to experience the fear and terror that is Ro-Man!
King Dinosaur–MST3K riffs on an “educational” short for the first time and does it well.
Cave Dwellers–probably the funniest of the sword-and-sandal episodes. Also it demonstrates how the show really hit it stride in the third season.
Gamera–the best of the Japanese monster movies the show did and uniquely entertaining because of psychotic Kenny, Tom Servo’s love song to Tibby the turtle, and Joel’s failed attempt to teach his children the power of positive thinking.
Fugitive Alien and Fugitive Alien II–the best (if such a word can be used) of Sandy Frank’s fake movies based on Japanese TV shows. These two episodes feature some of the best musical riffs in the show’s run, e.g. the forklift song and “Lay down the boogie…”
The Castle of Fu Manchu–Joel and the ‘bots manage to wring entertainment out of nothing. The Mads are especially good here.
Bride of the Monster–Ed Wood’s “best” in the show’s run. Also one of the funniest shorts they ever did, culminating in their brilliant two-minute musical, “Hired!”
Manos, The Hands of Fate–I tend to agree that the second half of “Hired” isn’t as funny as the first but it’s still funny. The movie itself is another that everyone has to see at least once to get some idea of just how bad a bad movie can be.
Operation Double 007–the funniest of the secret agent man movies. Joel’s supervillainous turn is hilarious.
Mitchell–Gypsy gets a rare chance to shine. And, let’s face it, like it or hate it, Mitchell is vital to the evolution of the show.
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die–it’s a strong start for Mike, although it’s a bit hard going at times because the movie is so grey and nasty.
Radar Secret Service–absolutely vital because it starts off with Last Clear Chance, one of the funniest educational shorts of all time.
Invasion U.S.A.–the whole episode is good, but A Date With Your Family sets this one apart.
The Sinister Urge–TV’s Frank is at his best. And it’s an Ed Wood movie.
The Beast of Yucca Flats–probably the best introduction to the dark, muddy, strangely compelling vision of Coleman Francis. It helps that one of the shorts is the goofy Progress Island U.S.A. (a Quinn Martin production!)
Deathstalker and The Warriors from Hell–the funniest of the cheapjack fantasy movies, which there weren’t enough of on the show.
The Prince of Space–nothing gets Mike and the ‘bots rolling like relentless stupidity and they don’t get much stupider than this one.
Space Mutiny–you can’t bash the Eighties enough.
Puma Man–more relentless stupidity. They have almost as much fun with the wretched music as in the Fugitive Alien saga.
The Final Sacrifice–Rowsdower!
My indispensable ten from the Joel and Mike eras.
Joel (in order of season appearance):
1. Godzilla vs Megalon (“Rex Dart, Eskimo Spy”. Besides, it’s a Godzilla movie. What’s not to love?)
2. Cave Dwellers. (The first one that signaled to me the Brains had stepped up their game.)
3. Pod People. (“It stinks”, but the riffing sparkles).
4. Earth vs The Spider (Put simply, this is the best Bert I. Gordon movie they ever riffed).
5. Attack of the Eye Creatures (Greasy good fun!)
7. Monster a Go-go. (The horror that is Bill Rebane beautifully skewered by Joel & the ‘Bots).
6. Bride of the Monster (the best of the Ed Wood trilogy, plus part one of “Hired”)
7. Manos: The Hands of Fate (Do I really need to explain? Plus, the thrilling conclusion to “Hired”.)
8. Eegah! (“Watch out for snakes!” Richard Kiel and Arch Hall Jr. Hilarity ensues!)
9. I Accuse my Parents (This is the one I always use to turn friends on to MST3K. And it works!)
10. Mitchell. (Joe Don Baker at his slimiest. Farewell Joel, hello Mike).
Mike (Again, in order of appearance).
1. The Skydivers (The best of the Coleman Francis trilogy and a silly industrial arts short.)
2. The Sinister Urge (Another Ed Wood flick. Need I say more?)
3. Racket Girls. (It might as well be an Ed Wood film as it has the same goofy vibe).
4. Laserblast (Another transitional episode, as they leave Comedy Central and the last of Dr. F).
5. Leech Woman (The second episode of the Sci-Fi era and one of the early best.)
6. The Giant Spider Invasion (The best of the Sci-Fi era in my opinion. Another Rebane nightmare).
7. Space Mutiny (Really really bad Battlestar Galatica rip-off).
8. Werewolf (Wurh-wilf? A Where-welf? Hilarious stuff when European actors pretend to be Americans).
9. Hobgoblins (This lame knockoff of “Gremlins” gets the skewering it deserves).
10. Girl in Gold Boots (The last, best episode of the Sci Fi years).
Hi everyone,
PREFACE: My take on this list will be the episodes that I believe to be essential from the two era’s. These will not be all my favorites or maybe yours. They will be the 20 episodes one could show an alien in the year 3000, in order, and hope it will “get it”.
JOEL ERA: Gizmonic Employee; wrong place/wrong time
101- THE CRAWLING EYE: Welcome to our cow-town puppet show.
107- ROBOT MONSTER: Great riffing on the serial and movie. My fave of season one. The beginning of things to come.
201- ROCKETSHIP X-M: “We’re different…” Kevin and Frank and the show is off and running.
207- WILD REBELS: They did three biker films in season two. This one’s the best.
303- POD PEOPLE: “It stinks!”
310- FUGITIVE ALIEN: Forklift.
319- WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST: Mr. B.
422- THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE: “SAMPO!”
424- “MANOS” The Hands of Fate: Sorry to say it folks. This probably is always going to be the best known episode of MST3K.
512- MITCHELL: So’long Joel. We hardly knew thee.
MIKE ERA: Gizmonic Temp; Didn’t get time card signed.
514- TEEN-AGE STRANGLER w/ IS THIS LOVE?: When I think iconic characters, I think Mikey. This was when I knew all was gonna be fine.
521- SANTA CLAUS: Nightmare fuel Lupida.
619- RED ZONE CUBA: All must bow down to the power that is the Cole-Man! (Francis)
624- SAMSON vs THE VAMPIRE WOMEN: G’bye Frank ol’ chum. Say hi to Torgo the White for us.
706- LASERBLAST: The last Comedy Central episode and we will miss you Dr. F.
810- THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION: Back on track. Now we’re cookin’ with gas.
820- SPACE MUTINY: An overall fan fave and one of the best of the series.
904- WEREWOLF: “This is absolutely fascinating”
910- THE FINAL SACRIFICE: “Rowsdower…?”
1001-SOULTAKER: Joel and Frank stop by for a visit and the episode is truly a gem.
1003-MERLIN’S SHOP OF MYSTICAL WONDERS: “Rock ‘n’ Roll martian”
1013-DIABOLIK: The curtain drops on the best TV series in history. Raise a glass…
@ck (#23) says:
2) When the thread is done could someone compile a weighted preference
score (no. 1s 10 points, no. 2s nine, etc., or some sort of
score)? I’m far too lazy to do so.
I was already thinking of doing that (numbers fascinate me).. Since some people are going in preference order and some went in order of airing, weighting won’t really work. I’d simply count how many times each episode made a list of any sort. In fact… (to be continued…)
This is a tough question.
Like the other people here, my choices will vary from day-to-day.
———————–
Joel Episodes
101 – The Crawling Eye: it’s the first episode of the Comedy Central years, and it’s fun to watch because of the easy pace and good riffing.
110 – Robot Holocaust: the funniest of the Season 1 episodes, thanks to humor directed at Valeria and her impossible accent, Avocado Guy, and the ragtag group of heroes.
207 – Wild Rebels: perhaps the best of the second season, due to Joel and the ‘Bots really sticking it to the odd, ineffectual hero and the strange bikers (and there’s the Wild Rebels Cereal sketch).
212 – Godzilla Vs. Megalon: the commentary over the fight scene alone is enough to put this film on here, but add great riffing in general and awesome skits and you’ve got a winner.
307 – Daddy-O: terrific short, outstanding movie riffing, and you have the best episode featuring 50’s-style angst.
321 – Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: for personal reasons as well as comedic value and the holiday theme.
423 – Bride of the Monster: it’s an Ed Wood movie and you have to love what they do with his work.
424 – Manos: The Hands of Fate: unavoidable due to the movie’s wretchedness and what the gang pulls out of the unthinkable. Legendary episode, still so very memorable.
506 – Eegah!: it’s the second-best Joel-hosted episode, due to all the technical flaws, the gang’s repulsion at the movie’s abundant ickiness, and the riffs over the musical scenes.
512 – Mitchell: the last Joel-hosted episode and hilarious from start to finish, especially in light of how they ripped Joe Don Baker so hard.
———————-
Mike Episodes
514 – Teen-Age Strangler: the movie humorously comes across as a community theater failure, but the hilarity is escalated even higher when Mikey enters the picture and ends up the target of many excellent riffs.
624 – Samson Vs. the Vampire Women: completely absurd movie, brilliant riffs, the departure of Frank. It all adds up to excellence.
704 – The Incredible Melting Man: messier than the rest, but all the Doctor Ted Nelson jokes and gooey humor help to make this special and the best that the seventh season has to offer (and it was satisfying to see Best Brains give it right back to the studio behind MST3K: The Movie).
813 – Jack Frost: maybe the best of the Sci-Fi Channel episodes due to all the riffs about the wackiness, the weird fights and action sequences, and the bizarre characters.
820 – Space Mutiny: or maybe this could be the best of the Sci-Fi Channel episodes, considering all the hero nicknames, the great jokes about the lame special effects, and hilarious observations about the film’s other shortcomings (including but not limited to the dead woman who comes back to life somehow).
903 – Puma Man: he flies like a moron, but the riffs about the weird hero, the Aztec sidekick, the paunchy Donald Pleasance, and that horrible music is smart comedy.
904 – Werewolf: the movie fails on every conceivable level, yet the gang is able to use the movie’s shortcomings to bring about great comedy.
1001 – Soultaker: the riffs are outstanding, but it’s the appearance of Joel and Frank that makes this an essential.
1003 – Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders: Borgnine’s horrific stories, that easily irritated woman, two jammed together stories, and the overacting of the critic combine for greatness.
1013 – Diabolik: the series finale, so it’s vital (the riffs are hilarious, so that helps).
Since this is about essential episodes, I think I want to change my pick of “The Incredible Melting Man” for “Laserblast” in comment #35.
Since the jokes are wonderful there AND it’s a transitional episode that sees Trace off, it seems like it might be the better choice.
hmmm I would pick my 20 as 2 each from each season. I will try to actually make such a list, but it seems an awful lot like work.
These are my essentials:
Joel
101 – The Crawling Eye – I personally like this movie and Janet Munro played the first creepy girl in a MSTied movie (not counting the KTMA episodes, none of which I have seen). Also, it is the start of the best series TV has ever had to offer.
106 – The Crawling Hand – This is essential in that it is the first episode where the premise of MST is explained to the audience. The riffs are solid and the movie is not so bad.
208 – Lost Continent – The only movie to have a bona fide Latin lover in his pride and glory. Shows what J&TB could do with mind-numbing padding in the rock climbing sequence.
211 – First Spaceship on Venus – This is one movie that we run sometimes un-MSTied. Also, I would have some ‘spainin’ to do if I left it off.
213 – Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster – I include this one because it generated the only discussion thread that I originated. Also, it had a very goofy story premise, and was good fodder for riffing.
303 – Pod People – OK, it stinks. But it would be on the list solely for Joel singing “Clowns in the Sky.” Generally I think that Mike is the better singer, but this song makes Joel a superstar.
316 – Gamera vs. Zigra – This movie shows both how to take down a lofty hotel manager and how to blend in if you are an alien. Just a fun episode all around. And I want a Coke.
317 – Viking Women vs. the Sea Serpent – The short (The Home Economics Story) alone makes this worthwhile. And, boy does that story take a strange twist.
410 – Hercules against the Moon Men – My favorite of the Hercules movies. This episode is great in that it shows the cast’s reaction to “Sand Storm”, which actually does result in “Deep Hurting”.
423 – Bride of the Monster – As an Ed Wood fan, this is absolutely essential. And, Dolores Fuller is not, I repeat is not the world’s worst actress. In spite of what a better known, but less talented actress says. The Short is altogether great, with Hired! the Musical being one of Joel’s great moments.
Cheat – 507 – Operation Double 007 – Have to have. I’ll take eleven, so, if you don’t like it, go head on, it’s your move.
Mike
1007 – Track of the Moon Beast – I list this first, because it is my must have episode. If ever I am on a deserted island, I know that I will need to know how to cook and Johnny Longbow’s recipe is a good start. Plus Mike’s parody on the Band that Played California Lady was an all-time high for the show.
817 – Horror of Party Beach – We have this movie unMSTied. It is just as bad without M&TB. It has good riffing all around, and Mike’s manly beach dance is a thing of beauty.
1005 – Blood Waters of Dr. Z (ZaaT) – A slow-paced movie that gives M&TB lots of great riffing material. As has been said earlier, the worst movies make for the best MSTie experience and this one is right down there.
612 – The Starfighters – This would be included solely for informing us that there is such a thing as corn detasslers, and that they can be so charming. Also, the poopie suit song is so unexpected and sums up the movie perfectly.
614 – Danger! Death Ray! – Don’t go up there, you will become a toy. The best movie that could have been made on a budget of $5.95. And, filmed on location in Billy’s bathtub. Just a lot of fun.
910 – The Final Sacrifice – Summoning up the powers of Brian Adams. A lost civilization, a lost script and a deserting director – How could a more perfect movie be made for riffing. Plus Mike Pipper and Mike kissing a surly truck farmer. Darn fine kisser though. Get out, I have Gutenberg’s people coming.
517 – The Beginning of the End – One of the few monster movies I saw as a child that didn’t give me the heebie-jeebies.
804 – The Giant Mantis – Both of the giant bug movies are great.
802 – The Leech Woman – One of my wife’s favorite episodes. How many riffs can you make about a louse as a husband and a souse as a wife?
1013 – Diabolik – Have to include the first and the last episodes. Although it was a sad day when MST3K ended, they did give it a good sendoff. And, to mention the Crawling Eye again was a nice touch.
Steve K @34:
A weighted list won’t really work, because a number of people have said they haven’t seen many Joel eps, and listed mostly Sci-Fi eps. So, any list would be undeservedly skewed toward that era.
Anyway, my list:
109: Project Moonbase – To my mind, the first ep where the show really hit its stride.
204: Catalina Caper – The exception to the rule. They riffed an intentional comedy, and it worked. Good thing they didn’t try this too often, though (witness parts of Eye Creatures).
317: Viking Women – plodding Corman cheese, and a great short (“The Home Economics Story”)
321: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians – a classic for so many reasons
322: Master Ninja – I’d like to put both Master movies in here, but it’d probably be too much. A terrible series that deserved every minute of its skewering.
402: The Giant Gila Monster – “I sing whenever I sing”, Abbott and Costello theater, a sheriff who’s the only peace officer for however many miles, yet he reports to a “headquarters”
418: Attack of the the Eye Creatures – people who haven’t seen this one think that “Hobgoblins” is the sleaziest movie ever done on the show, but the rest of us know better.
424: Manos – the only episode I don’t revisit very often, because it’s too disturbing
508: Operation Double 007 – the funniest of the spy movies. “Norman, the calla lilies are raining hot lead!”
512: Mitchell – could be ten entries on its own
Exit Joel, Enter Mike
521: Santa Claus – one of the goofiest movies they ever did
523: Village of the Giants – Beau Bridges’ dark secret
610: The Violent Years – a great Ed Wood movie, with one of the best shorts (“Young Man’s Fancy”)
622: Angels’ Revenge – a (unintentionally) hilarious movie in its own right; for the Brains, it’s like shooting fish in a berrel, but more fun.
814: Riding with Death – another piece of cheese from ’70s TV, made moldier by the presence of Jim Stafford.
816: Prince of Space – made great by the dubbed kids and by Krankor
818: Devil Doll – you can’t have any ham
822: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank – “Never show a good movie in the middle of your crappy movie”
903: The Pumaman – The Greatest Italian Hero
910: The Final Sacrifice – I fall over laughing every time at the Yosemite Sam guy
Like some of the other folks, my list probably changes from day to day.
(continued from post #34)
For those interested, here’s how the numbers break down as of the first 33 posts:
(Rules:
Only episodes specifically (complete enough to id the whole episode) mentioned in your post are counted (I.e, no leeching off someone else’s post!)
Each post is counted as a separate voter, so if you posted a split list, you’re counted as two voters. Put this down to my laziness..
No guarantees. I can make mistakes like anyone else.
By the way, do this some time: take a comments thread like this, pop it into a spreadsheet, and then sort the lines alphabetically (or randomly) – it makes for great reading!
)
30 voters (Sampo Included)
529 episodes voted on
17.63 Average episodes per voter
88.17% Percent “complete”
2 KTMA Eps voted for
1 Special voted for
1 Vote for the Movie
Joel-era episodes by Votes:
1-vote Episodes: 102 Robot vs Aztec Mummy, 105 The Corpse Vanishes, 106 Crawling Hand, 111 Moon Zero Two, 209 Hellcats, 210 King Dinosaur, 211 First Spaceship on Venus, 213 Godzilla vs the Sea Monster, 314 Mighty Jack, 317 Viking Women, 322 Master Ninja I, 323 The Castle of Fu Manchu, 401 Space Travelers, 405 Being from Another Planet, 416 Fire Maidens of Outer Space, 417 Crash of the Moons, 504 Super Agent Secret Dragon, 509 Girl In Lovers Lane, K10 Cosmic Princess, K16 City on Fire
2-vote Episodes: 104 Women of the Prehistoric Planet, 202 Sidehackers, 206 Ring of Terror, 207 Wild Rebels, 307 Daddy-O, 324 Master Ninja II, 406 Attack of the Giant Leeches, 407 Killer Shrews, 414 Tormented, 415 The Beatniks, 419 The Rebel Set, 511 Gunslinger
3-vote Episodes: 201 Rocketship X-M, 203 Jungle Goddess, 306 Time of the Apes, 313 Earth vs. the Spider, 316 Gamera vs Zigra, 410 Hercules vs the Moon Men, 505 Magic Voyage of Sinbad, 508 Operation Double 007
4-vote Episodes: 110 Robot Holocaust, 302 Gamera, 309 Amazing Colossal Man, 311 It Conquered the World, 408 Hercules Unchained
5-vote Episode: 418 Attack of the the Eye Creatures
6-vote Episodes: 107 Robot Monster, 204 Catalina Caper, 212 Godzilla vs Megalon, 319 War of the Colossal Beast, 421 Monster A Go-Go, 501 Warrior of the Lost World, 507 I Accuse My Parents
7-vote Episode: 404 Teenagers from Outer Space
8-vote Episodes: 310 Fugitive Alien, 422 The Day The Earth Froze, 423 Bride of the Monster, 506 Eegah
Tied for #5 with 10 votes each: 101 The Crawling Eye and 301 Cave Dwellers
#4 (14 votes): 303 Pod People
#3 (15 votes): 321 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
#2 (18 votes): 424 Manos: The Hands Of Fate
And #1 with 20 votes so far (of course): 512 Mitchell
Mike-era episodes by vote:
1-vote Episodes: 1004 Future War, 1007 Track of the Moon Beast, 1012 Squirm, 522 Teen-Age Crime Wave, 603 The Dead Talk Back, 607 Bloodlust, 610 Violent Years, 617 Sword & the Dragon, 618 High School Big Shot, 701 Night of the Blood Beast, 805 The Thing That Couldn’t Die, 806 The Undead, 809 Teenage Werewolf, 815 Agent for H.A.R.M., 819 Invasion of the Neptune Men, 908 The Touch of Satan, 911 Devil Fish, 913 Quest Of The Delta Knights, MST3K: The Movie
2-vote Episodes: 1005 Blood Waters of Dr. Z, 1006 Boggy Creek II, 1008 Final Justice, 1011 Horrors of Spider Island, 520 Radar Secret Service, 523 Village of the Giants, 602 Invasion USA, 611 Last of the Wild Horses, 613 Sinister Urge, 616 Racket Girls, 703 Deathstalker and The Warriors from Hell, 801 Revenge of the Creature, 802 Leech Woman, 803 Mole People, 812 Incredibly Strange Creatures, 817 Horror of Party Beach, 912 The Screaming Skull
3-vote Episodes: 1003 Merlin’s Shop of Magical Wonders, 517 Beginning of the End, 604 Zombie Nightmare, 606 The Creeping Terror, 621 Beast of Yucca Flats, 702 The Brute Man, 822 Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
4-vote Episodes: 612 The Starfighters, 620 Danger! Death Ray!, 813 Jack Frost, 907 Hobgoblins
5-vote Episodes: 1009 Hamlet, 513 The Brain that Wouldn’t Die, 514 Teenage Strangler, 622 Angels Revenge, 624 Samson & the Vampire Women
6-vote Episodes: 515 Wild World of Batwoman, 814 Riding With Death
7-vote Episodes: 1002 Girl in Gold Boots, 1013 Diabolik, 519 Outlaw, 609 Skydivers, 903 Pumaman
8-vote Episodes: 1001 Soultaker, 521 Santa Claus
#5 with 9 votes: 810 Giant Spider Invasion
Tied for #4 with 10 votes each: 619 Red Zone Cuba, 821 Time Chasers, and 904 Werewolf
Tied for #3 with 11 votes each: 706 Laserblast and 816 Prince of Space
#2 (12 votes): 910 Final Sacrifice
And #1 with 14 votes so far (of course): 820 Space Mutiny
I’ll try to update this once the weekend is over.
Interesting topic and like many here my top 20 varies from week to week or even day to day, schizophrenic as that is. But here goes:
Joel era:
201: Rocketship X-M – The very first episode I ever taped, was so trigger happy with the pause button that I accidentally paused out the Valeria host segment just because my little 11-year old brain didn’t realize it was part of the episode at the time!
207: Wild Rebels – Season 2 will always be the first season I saw the show and will always be remembered fondly and Wild Rebels cereal was a treat
208: Lost Continent – The very first episode I ever saw, granted as a repeat, and I was hooked, still love those Lippert movies.
307: Daddy-O – Pants Up song and Bruno VeSota covered in buttery oils? Sign me up!
311: It Conquered The World – Frank being spellbound by the speech to the point of dropping the food from his fork will always crack me up
324: Master Ninja II – Any and all failed shows crammed together to make a movie will always win me over but George Lazenby and David McCallum are a definite plus.
406: Attack Of The Giant Leeches – Crammed with familiar MSTed faces in a bayou cracker environ? Works for me.
504: Secret Agent Super Dragon – Probably my favorite of the secret super spy flicks they ever did, although Operation Double 007 is dear, this one is the clear winner.
505: Magic Voyage Of Sinbad – If I had to pick my favorite from the Finnish bunch, this’d be it. “I’m Sinbad dammit!”
507: I Accuse My Parents – The short is a gem and the film is always a pleasant surprise when I dig it out to watch.
Mike era:
517: Beginning Of The End – Peter Graves in a big bug flick? I’m there. Mike hits his stride in this one.
608: Codename: Diamond Head – A failed pilot? Quinn Martin? Fantastic! Maybe it would have been a series is they had switched the casting of Thinnes and McShane’s roles?
614: San Francisco International – A star-studded buffet that brings out terrific riffing. Pernell Roberts was a godsend to the episode.
619: Red Zone Cuba – My favorite Coleman Francis movie with the least understandable plot.
622: Angels Revenge – Anytime a conglomeration of out of work TV stars come together in an MST episode, it a great show.
812: The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed-Up Zombies – One of those that I couldn’t believe I was watching. Sadly made me find other Steckler movies to watch.
814: Riding With Death – Same reasons as Master Ninja II, except I think that Van Cleef’s Master could take on Murphy’s Gemini Man without issue.
817: Horror Of Party Beach – A goofy movie that had my wife asking why the female lead was dubbed even before they made a comment about it. “Look Polish”
904: Werewolf – I stopped watching the show around the end of Season 6. In college a friend of mine had taped Werewolf and asked me if I ever had seen any episodes of this show. Mighty veteran that I was said, “Yes, but it wasn’t what it used to be. Ever since Frank and Forrester left and they went to Sci-Fi and blah blah blah…” He had me watch this one and I promptly shut up, realized I was wrong, and thoroughly enjoyed the show again.
1001: Soultaker – Hearing Joel and Frank were going to be back made me sit up and take notice and take a trip down nostalgia lane. And a strong episode to boot riffing-wise.
A P.S. to the above list: I might be alone in this but I think pound for pound the very best and consistent season for rewatchability is Season 7. If I included Season 7 in the above list, it would leave me having to find 4 other Mike eps to fill out the ten. It just seems to be a freer atmosphere with the attitude in those shows and a kind of “eh, we might be cancelled this year, we probably will be, let’s enjoy the ride” feeling about them.
Interesting.
Read over the lists and see what we all consider good.
Then read the lists for personal favorites.
Then read the “comments” of “how could you chose that????”
It shows the wide field of MST3K appeal.
Ross – #11 – It is Magic Voyage of Sinbad. “Golden” was a different movie that should have been riffed but sadly was not.
Speedy – #17 – Was Bloodlust only shown once? I own it and must confess that it sliped my mind. You must be one of the few who remember it.
klisch – #15 – “Monster A-Go-Go” was “outstanding in his field.” That is why it is on so many lists. (I agree with your other choices – BTW)
JimmyBruce – #16 – Different list. Maybe next weekend. Your choices for best 10 & 10??????????
MPSH – # 27 – I had the same problem of pairing down the Mike episodes also. Almost all of season 8 would go on my list if I could.
Dark Grandma of Death – #29 – Of course these are subjective. Its entertainment not rocket science (or, its meteorology, not geology). Still, I think an objective argument can be made of or why some episodes are “good.”
Joel:
Robot Monster- Come on! It’s a guy in a diving helmet and gorilla suit with a bubble machine!
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians- My first full episode is still a fave.
The Giant Gila Monster- Perfect MST fodder.
Manhunt In Space- Dopey 50’s SF.
Attack of the the Eye Creatures- Joel kisses Servo. You know you want to.
Manos- The new Plan 9 From Outer Space. Even the Mads apologized.
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad- Love those jesters!
I Accuse My Parents- The best riffing of the Joel era.
The Girl in Lovers Lane- Excellent riffing, Crow as Jack Elam, plus I think Danny is hot!
Mithcell- You know.
Mike:
Santa Claus- Pick your refridgerator, Lupita. Only Santa Klaws ruins this great episode.
Bloodlust- Great short, creepy, albeit bad, film.
The Violent Years- My favorite short, Servo’s head, Ed Wood.
Revenge of the Creature- They’re back and better than ever.
Giant Spider Invasion- If you didn’t like this one, then you’ve been hitting the booze.
Riding With Death- For some reason, my comfort food episode. Everything works. Rock it, you Turkey.
Time Chasers- Because I love Vermont, plus that storyline. Dude.
Final Sacrifice- Rowsdower.
Touch of Satan- Grandma Servo. He has two, you know.
Squirm: Southern horror plus a classic short.
I first noticed this thread this morning, and yet it has taken me all day to get an idea as to which eps for each host I’d choose. I like different shows for different reasons, but I guess there can only be 10 for each guy. The only common theme would perhaps be the “repeating” joke, where a particular phrase or theme is said over and over, making the line/idea funnier with every mention. So here goes…
Joel-era (in no particular order):
10 – The Lost Continent: rock-climbing has never been so painfully funny (and just plain painful). Love the part where Hugh Beaumont laughs uncontrolably at Sid Melton being hoisted up by the buttocks.
9 – Pod People: “It has nothing to do with pods; it has nothing to do with people; it has everything to do with HURTING!” A gem in what would be MST’s first great season imo.
8 – The Killer Shrews – Like Frank, I too was excited to see James Best of Dukes of Hazzard fame in a film. Don’t ask me why. Made me appreciate what sacrifices players of Dixieland Jazz went through in the day to make it the musical force that it is today.
7 – Girl in Lovers Lane: one of my fave eps to have a recurring joke told over and over, “Big Stupid” and Danny’s bromance makes for great riffing fodder.
6 – I Accuse My Parents: Again an ep with a joke that gets plenty of mileage, Jimmy Wilson is arguably the biggest dupe to ever (dis)grace the screen of any MST movie. Jim’s drunk folks, his job as a shoe salesman, and his “Happy Chef” pal that he almost robs also highly assist with the comedy.
5 – Wild Rebels: probably the most watchable of the biker movies they did during S2, this ep’s high-energy riffing and host segments first showed the potential of what MST3K would soon become.
4 – Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: a sentimental choice, since this was the first ep I watched from start to finish, the goofiness of the film mixed with a somewhat-sweet vibe of the comedy never disappoints around the holidays.
3 – Ring of Terror: yet another repeated gag, this time “some of the oldest college students in film history”, gives this under-appreciated ep extra appeal. Also the only time they did the short AFTER the movie, it ends with Frank’s touching “If Chauffers Ruled the World”.
2 – Manos: The Hands of Fate: I don’t care if some MSTies look their noses down on this one…fact of the matter is, I have converted more people into fans of the show with this ep than any other movie riffed. Why? Because it’s an instantly recognizably bad movie, and the average viewer knows it and hooks onto the brilliant comedy immedeately.
1 – Mitchell: Ask for it by name! Joel’s swan song is a fitting farewell and a perfect set-up for the “new guy”. In the deepest, most fattiest tissue of his heart, even Joe Don Baker must know how bad a movie this is.
Mike-era (again in no significant order):
10 – The Brute Man: I know some fans weren’t crazy about Rondo Hatton being exploited, but he was probably paid better than most people with a similiar affliction at the time. Mike’s breakdown of laughter during the shop-keeper’s rage at his employee is a great in-theater moment.
9 – The Dead Talk Back: one of the more quirky movies riffed, I love the low-budget feel of the movie. Aldo Farnese strikes me as someone who, if he were around today at his age in the film, would be attending every Star Trek and Comic-Con convention possible. Disagree? He lives and works in a basement, doesn’t own a car, doesn’t have a girlfriend, and spouts on and on about all things science.
8 – Laserblast: Even if this ep didn’t have the significance of being the last show done for CC, it still would be on my list due to the great riffing. Plenty of bizarre characters and not-so-threatening aliens to make for an enjoyable watch.
7 – Danger! Death Ray!: I ignored this one for a long time, but once I got around to watching it again I realized how great this ep was. Love the musical jokes (“Watermelon Man”, anyone?) and the ending with the crazy watch-drop editing is so strange its funny on its own.
6 – Santa Claus: Mike’s turn at hosting a Christmas movie is just as good as Joel’s. While the translation from Mexican culture certainly adds some comedy, the riffing is spot-on and again perfect for the holiday season. Plus, who can possibly resist the sweetness that is Lupita?
5 – Outlaw: Jack Palance in goofy hats, buffalo shots aplenty, a hot but sinister queen, and some guy named Cabot with a blisteringly annoying sidekick…yup, this movie was made for MST!
4 – Space Mutiny: A natural choice, the riffing is near-perfect for this pathetic Star Wars/Battlestar Galactica rip-off. “We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese!”
3 – Teenage Strangler: imo Mike’s first gem, this is like The Dead Talk Back with color and involving a serial killer rather than a guy with a grudge against an ex-gf. The riffing really takes off once Mikey comes into play, and the host segment with turning Mike into Mikey when wearing the glasses always leaves me in stitches.
2 – Girl in Gold Boots: another ep that grew on me over time, I love the sheer incompetence of everyone involved with this film. Made me refer to everyone I loathe as “Yak Boy” or “Icky Elf” depending on their size.
1 – Time Chasers: just the fact that the entire state of Vermont is ripped to shreds alone makes me smile. This movie has absolutely great riffing, an awesome story arc involving Crow time-traveling, a special “guest” in Mike’s brother Eddie, and did I mention a healthy dose of Vermont-bashing? The backstory about the people involved with TC not being pleased with MST’s treatment is also perfect…did they think that the folks at Best Brains would go all James Lipton over their film?
So there you go. Considering the restraints of this assignment, I think I covered my faves pretty well. Not bad for 12:30 in the morning….
Joel Era
K20-The Last Chase
Poor KTMA-era doesn’t get any love from others. I think some of those episodes are as good, if not better, as the season one episodes. The Last Chase is the beast of the KTMA-era, although City on Fire has one of my favourite riffs (“Thank you Vampira.”), but The Last Chase is better as a whole.
111-Moon Zero Two Best of Season 1.
Actually, I like the movie so much, that I watched it in it’s uncut form. But the riffing is also quite good.
201-Rocketship X-M
I like it not becouse it’s historic for the cast changes, but becouse of the very solid riffing. It’s interesting, that when I first saw it, I didn’t really like it, but since it has grown on me.
404-Teenagers From Outer Space
I’m not a big fan of Season 4. While there are some great episodes, in most cases the riffing is not good enough for me (like The Day the Earth Froze) or the movie is so tedious it drags down the whole episode (like Manhunt in Space). However this episode really stands out from the rest of the season. The movie is stupid, but watchable, and the riffing is just great.
419-The Rebel Set
Another Season 4 episode I like.
501-Warrior of the Lost World
I think Season 5 was one of the golden eras of MST3K. One great episode after the other, it was really hard to choose from them. Warrior of the Lost World is another of those few movies I liked so much I watched unriffed. But the riffing is also gold here.
505-The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
Again, the movie is great without the riffing, but it provides loads of material for them to riff on. One of the best episodes of the whole series.
507-I Accuse My Parents
I would recommend this episode to anyone who is new to the show as an introduction.
508-Operation Double 007
The first episode I ever saw, so I’m very fond of it, but I also think that it’s a good episode anyway.
512-Mitchell
I think others have already said everything about this.
Mike era
521-Santa Claus
The Mike half of Season 5 is a mixed bunch for me. He really got into form by Alien From L.A., but the episodes before that are pretty weak. Most of the episodes after that are good with a few exceptions (Radar Secret Service, saved by the great short for example). However Santa Claus really stands out. A strange movie and a very good riffing.
612-The Starfighters
“But we didn’t have the poopie suit!” One of my favourite riffs.
621-The Beast of Yucca Flats
Two great shorts, a horrible movie, and great riffing, plus one of the first five episodes I saw.
804-The Deadly Mantis
The first three episodes of the SciFi era are quite unremakable, but this one is a hit. Good movie choice and great riffing.
812-The Incredibly Strange Etc.
It’ a movie that has to be riffed, and they do a great job.
817-Horror of Party Beach
The first Mike episode I saw, so again a subjective schoice.
820-Space Mutiny
“You’ll get a lump of coal.” Another entry in my collection of favourite riffs. And others have already said enough about this undoubtedly great episode.
822-Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
This is full of memorable quotes, the movie is so bad, but the riffing is again great.
1003-Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders
Some of my favourite episodes are from Season 10. It’s really hard to choose from this season, but I think this episode has the most solid riffing in this season.
1009-Hamlet
Interesting choice, becouse although this production of the play is bad, it’s still Hamlet, which is a classic play. Still, they do a very good job and it’s my second favourite episode from season 10.
An idle thought: noticing a number of people citing Santa
Claus (Lupita), wouldn’t this film be even more “interesting”
if you had Futurama’s Santa Claus featured? Seems to match the
child labor angle by Saint Nick to get his toys made (and then
“given” to the children)?
Joel-Era
——–
107 – Robot Monster
Best of the first season. One of the great bad movies. Like Sampo said, this was like a statement of purpose episode.
201 – Rocketship X-M
First episode I ever saw. Not my favorite, but sentimental, plus look at all the changes. The show takes it to the next level.
301 – Cave Dwellers
Once again, the show takes the writing to a new level with a perfect goofy movie. The bit where they catalog the movie’s flaws at the end was a favorite for a long time.
312 – Gamera v Guiron
My favorite movie in the beloved Gamera cycle. It’s a real shame none of these have made it to DVD. It seems like during the show’s run, they were very highly regarded. Lack of availability maybe has faded their legacy a bit.
321 – Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
What everyone else said.
402 – Attack of the Giant Gila Monster
After I moved to a new place that didn’t get Comedy Central, this was the first episode a friend sent to “Keep Circulating the Tapes.” One of my favorites.
411 – The Magic Sword
Another great episode. Sometimes a decent movie can also be good riffing fodder.
424 – Manos: The Hands of Fate
Never one of my favorites, and yet, it’s undeniable the overall importance it has in the show’s history.
510 – The Painted Hills
Love the short and the movie is pretty different from the normal fair, but ends up being perfect for the gang.
512 – Mitchell
What everyone else said.
Mike Era
——–
521 – Santa Claus
They upped their game for the Christmas ones.
523 – Village of the Giants
Iffy call, this could be replaced with Outlaw possibly, but the movie is such goofy, bizarre fun. I’ll take the huge, fake female cleavage of Giants to the huge, very real male cleavage of Outlaw.
604 – Zombie Nightmare
One of the best. Perfect mix of movie and riffing.
706 – Laserblast
Pretty much all of Season Seven could make this list in my book. I’ll take the watershed Trace exit episode.
810 – The Giant Spider Invasion
For awhile, it looked like things were going to be fine. Suddenly, it seemed possible the show could get even better. Perfect episode.
813 – Jack Frost
Not quite a Christmas episode, but for my money, the most enjoyably goofy of the Russo-Finnish movies. Couldn’t have a list like this without at least one of them.
814 – Riding With Death
In retrospect, this genre — the 70s action show spliced together to make a movie — was extremely well-suited to the show. The Master Ninjas were also fantastic and the Rifftrax take on an Incredible Hulk episode is one of my favorite post-MST3K things out there.
820 – Space Mutiny
Amazing.
907 – Hobgoblins
And the Sci-fi era finds its Manos. While the Brains may have tried to make Ortega and “The Incredibly Strange…” heir to the Torgo lineage, it wasn’t nearly as awful as this.
1012 – Squirm
I could’ve gone Soultaker or Diabolik for show significance, but I’m gonna go for the laughs instead.
Joel Era:
I’ve only watched a few KTMA episodes and not all of season 1 yet, but here goes…
1. 418- ATTACK OF THE THE EYE CREATURES: My favorite Joel episode, and one of the worst movies they ever did.
2. 404- TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE: Just watched this one again and loved it. I think this was the first MST3K I ever saw when I was a teenager myself. I didn’t become a Mistie until a few years later.
3. 201- ROCKETSHIP X-M: Frank’s first episode and one of my favorite Joel Eps. Great riffing, and I must profess my love for Frank.
4. 309- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN: Very Funny episode.
5. 423- BRIDE OF THE MONSTER: This is one of my favorite Joel Episodes and Ed Wood has to be on the list somewhere, right?
6. 306- TIME OF THE APES: Great Episode and I love movies with monkees in them.
7. 303- POD PEOPLE: Greatest host segments ever. The “Idiot Control Now” song is hilarious, and I die every time I see Frank in that “I’m a Virgin” t-shirt.
8. 212- GODZILLA VS. MEGALON: The Jet Jaguar song is one of the funniest things ever done on MST3K. Also Rex Dart.
9. 512- MITCHELL: Not one of my favorite episodes but it has to be on the list. Personally, I prefer “Final Justice” to “Mitchell”. Goodbye, Joel.
10. 424- “MANOS”: THE HANDS OF FATE: Again, not one of my favorite episodes but it has to be on the list. Without this Episode, none of us would have Torgo in our lives, and I can’t imagine a world without Torgo.
Mike Era:
God, how can I pare down about 25 episodes into 10?
Where’s “Jack Frost”, “Track of the Moon Beast”, “Touch of Satan”, “Space Mutiny”, “Final Justice”, “The Final Sacrifice”, “Boggy Creek II”, “Angels’ Revenge”, “Werewolf”, or “Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders” on my list you might ask? No room. Here’s my top ten:
1. 604- ZOMBIE NIGHTMARE: This is one of my top 3-4 Episodes ever. Hilarious. Love the riffing, and Love the Columbo-like detective in the movie.
2. 523- VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS: Again, one of my top 3-4 Episodes. Something about this one kills me. I love the Tommy Kirk jokes-god, I can’t believe he wore those shorts. Nerdy Ron Howard riff fodder…guy hanging between giant cleavage for dear life…and as another commenter said-Beau Bridges shame.
3. 821- TIME CHASERS: I love this episode. The dorky hero with a butt on his face…great riffing and great host segments. Top 3-5 ever.
4. 822- OVERDRAWN AT THE MEMORY BANK: Raul Julia’s shame. Hilarious monkey throwing feces scene and great Casablanca stuff.
5. 816- PRINCE OF SPACE: I like it very much.
6. 903- PUMA MAN: Dorkiest hero ever, even worse than in Time Chasers. Love the falling, sideways flying he does…and the fact that Donald Pleasance can’t pronouce Puma man-Puuuuma man.
7. 620- DANGER! DEATH RAY: You can recreate this movie in your bathtub with a toy boat and a toy helicopter. Hilarious.
8. 811- “PARTS”: THE CLONUS HORROR: Love Peter Graves, love the dorky 70’s movie elements, and I love how utterly stupid the main character is. The smoking crotch is one the best sight gags in the series.
9. 814- RIDING WITH DEATH: This is the episode that made me a Mistie. I could watch this one a hundred times and laugh out loud each time. Ben Murphy is a joke. Buffalo Bill is the biggest craker buffoon ever put on film. God I love when MST3K rips on 70’s movies.
10. 810- THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION: Another great 70’s riff. The first GREAT episode of the SCI-FI era. I love to watch “stars” in their shame…sorry, Skipper.
As easy as it would’ve been for me to just go down my ranked list, I didn’t. “Untouchable” to me means shows that have that “something”. While not all of these are at the very top of my right-now list, I assure you they will NEVER go any lower. In numerical order:
210: King Dinosaur – Proved to me that “tape trading” was a very worthwhile task and was the first episode of my MST3K overdose.
211: First Spaceship on Venus – Actually, a pretty good target movie, and Klack!
301: Cave Dwellers – Who doesn’t love a good sword and sandal episode? One of my first eps.
303: Pod People – Another one of my first eps. A “comfort” episode for me.
407: Killer Shrews – Probably not a popular choice, but a perfect target movie what with James Best, and dogs with rugs on them.
422: Day the Earth Froze – Perfect movie, great host segs, cool short, LOTS of riffing! THE perfect ep.
424: Manos: Hands of Fate – If you don’t know why this made the list, you never will.
501: Warrior o/t Lost World – Caused me to fall in love with the post-apocalyptic movie genre.
511: Gunslinger – Rare western, Roger Corman, and his stable of actors.
512: Mitchell – Farewell, Joel. A great episode in its own right, though.
517: Beginning o/t End – Peter Graves HAS to be in here somewhere, and this was the best.
519: Outlaw – Gets better every single time I watch it.
521: Santa Claus – I’m glad that MST3K didn’t just expect us to like this ep because it was a Christmas ep. We like it because the riffing is excellent!
621: Beast of Yucca Flats – I need to have a Coleman Francis ep, and this one comes with two HILARIOUS shorts!
703: Deathstalker and Warriors from Hell – The Ren Fest host segs are great, and the movie is perfect riffing material.
813: Jack Frost – Bill Corbet’s version of Crow had me rolling.
820: Space Mutiny – My first episode after a long hiatus from MST3K. Man, did I pick a good one to come back with!
904: Werewolf – Laughable movie, great riffing.
911: Devil Fish – Another potential unpopular choice, but the riffing was excellent.
1006: Boggy Creek II – One of the last shows of the entire series, yet the Brains managed to give us something we hadn’t seen before.
Is this a favorites list or a classics list (i.e. regardless if you like the episode or not)?
I ask because LASERBLAST is a “classic” because it’s the last CC episode and Trace’s last, but the moving and riffing (I feel) were horrible; but I would include it in a “classic episode list” but not a “favorite episode list”.