For those of you who didn’t read it, with the exception a few deeply disturbed fans, it was the general consensus that “Manos” is not, as one commenter put it, a “bunny slope” episode. Not for newbies, in other words.
Which begs the question: What IS a good episode to use to introduce people to the show?
Before anybody says it, let’s just agree that the winning answer is: “pick almost any short.” The reason: The two-hour length of the show (or 90ish minutes if you’re cutting out or fast-forewarding through the commercials) is one of the things people have to get used to.
My experience is that newbies have a great time with the show for about 45 minutes, their patience starts to wear thin at about 60 and they start to get really antsy at about 70.
To get over that, the movie needs to be visually interesting and yet stupid, the host segments, for the most part, need to be sufficiently wacky and the riffing needs to be strong.
So, let’s not only hear what your favorite introductory short(s) is/are, let’s also hear the full episode you have had the most success with.
As for shorts: I find “Home Economics” and good ol’ Mr. B do well for the Joel era. In the Mike era, I’ve had success with “A Date with Your Family,” and “Last Clear Chance.”
As for full episodes, I noted recently, for a while, it was “Day the Earth Froze.” After the Joel era ended, I had a good deal of success with “Outlaw.” “Girls Town” also has worked well.
As for the Sci-Fi era, I’ve found “Werewolf” and “Puma Man” both do the trick nicely.
What about you?
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I’ve never managed to get anyone really into MST, but I did show “Horrors of Spider Island” to a bunch of friends and they enjoyed it.
What I find least effective is showing them the MST movie. The guy who got me into it showed me that first, and it didn’t really work in my case. The actual show, however, worked much better.
For me, it would have to be “Pod People”. I remember when I was still in high school and just discovering the show. I would be channel surfing and come up on MST3k a few times showing on Comedy Central. I kept trying to figure out what was going on with these guys watching some old movie that nobody remembered. I never really understood what the show was all about until I caught the “Pod People” episode. That’s when I realized what a fresh new idea for a TV show this was. Some of the classic lines I think of off hand:
– “Uh, hello? Rememeber us, the audience? Could we see, please?”
– “Sure. During the cutaway, anything’s possible.”
– “What, you smell her?”
– “Yeah, move her spine around a lot.”
– Bill: “Just a trouble maker.”
Crow: “Yeah, Jehovah Witnesses.”
– “Gimme that! I’ll show you how to use a prop phone.”
– “There’s no way out of this film!”
– “He stepped in some Trumpy dumpy!”
The funny riffs just kept clicking with me, and from that point on, I was hooked! With MST3k, it was the first time I saw that it was OK to publicly trash a film that deserved to be trashed!
I’ve always had good luck introducing people to MST3K when the movie that the guys were riffing on was one that could, in a pinch, be watched without them. “The Giant Gila Monster” is one I’ve had success with, since it’s technically no worse than about a zillion others from that era (you know, the 50’s). Another is “The Deadly Mantis”. As for shorts, you can’t go wrong with “Last Clear Chance”, some of the best riffing they ever did.
These episodes have worked well for me in the past as far as turning newbies into MSTies or amusing the more casual MST3K fan:
Amazing Colossal Man
Cave Dwellers
Rocketship X-M
Robot Monster
Pod People
I also believe Outlaw (of Gor), Teenagers From Outerspace, and Space Mutiny would be good fan recruitment episodes.
Well, if I were to try recruiting fans, I’d probably try to introduce them to the show the same way I got into it: by showing them the Mystery Science Theater Hour. That way, if they want more, there are full episodes to go to, if not, they’re only out an hour of their time.
Shorts to get people hooked: I’d say ‘why study industrial arts?’ is a good one as well as ‘a case of spring fever’ but as for full episodes, i got started on MST3K TM and Cave Dwellers. I think Boggy Creek 2 is a good place to start as is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and Overdrawn @ the Memory Bank. I recently got a friend hooked with The Crawling Hand…which i was watching for the first time as well.
My sister, who had never seen MST3K before, enjoyed “Santa Claus” when I showed it to her last Christmas. And I successfully made a MSTie by showing my (then) ten-year-old brother “Space Mutiny.” He immediately wanted to watch another, so we watched “The Final Sacrifice.” When he wanted to see the last one on the tape, I was initially reluctant, since it was “Girl in Gold Boots,” and as I said, he was ten years old. But he insisted, and he enjoyed that one, too.
Prince of Space
I like it very MUCH !
I think The Movie has a double bonus: not only is it relatively short, but being A Movie, people expect it to take at least an hour and then some. I also agree that This Island Earth does a good job both of being riffable and lasting through the parts that aren’t. After The Movie, Pod People is my next suggestion, followed by Cave Dwellers – both of these have very good riffs which highlight the point of the show.
BUT you really have to consider the audience. I got one friend hooked with Manos, simply because she was already watching cheesy horror movies to make fun of them herself.
Sampo, I must respectfully disagree with you about A Date With Your Family. Introducing a newbie to this or any of the other darker shorts would be about the same as using Manos as an introductory episode. My first pick for an introductory short would be the Juvenile Delinquency one, closely followed by Cheating and Hired.
I too would start off with This Island Earth as it’s a good way to ease newbies into the concept. As for full episodes, I think it’s better to go with goofy bad movies rather than boring bad or painful bad. So my picks would include Cave Dwellers, Screaming Skull, Puma Man, Bride of the Monster, and I Accuse My Parents.
I only ever use seasons 7 – 10 as the first episodes to show people, and even then, only the dark ones. The humor style of the older ones seems pretty dated and tame by now. And I always skip the host segments for them, as most people I know hate them and just want them to get back to the movie.
I’m two for two on making new fans of the show when I start them out with 1007 – Track of the Moon Beast, my personal favorite, and my first episode.
So I guess its 3/3, then.
I first showed my girlfriend Puma Man. She got a kick out of it.
524: A Design For Dreaming (with 12 to the Moon) is an excellent episode for newbies.
Space Mutiny and Merlins Magical Shop of Wonders are really good introduction episodes to new people in my experience.
My first was Santa Claus Vs. the Martians, and I got into it bacause I had seen the movie before and hated it. It was like sweet revenge. Don’t use Red Zone Cuba at any costs to introduce someone, it’s not a bad ep. but people have a hard time following it.
My suggestion for a full episode would be an of the first five episodes during the Sci-Fi era: Revenge Of The Creature, The Leech Woman, The Mole People, The Deadly Mantis, and The Thing That Couldn’t Die. 1) They’re at the beginning of the Sci-Fi storyline for the show, so it’s easier for a newbie to walk into it and not be lost (friends of mine were really confused about why a talking monkey and albino with his brain in a dish hung out with a mad woman in a castle), 2) The riffing is incredibly strong in all five with jokes coming at you a mile a minute, and 3) They’re all 50’s drive-in B movies, which to me is the definitive MST style movie.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: 3 of the 4 Russo-Finnish films are the best introductory episodes. The Day The Earth Froze, The Magic Voyage of Sinbad, and Jack Frost are all great starter episodes. The movies are interesting and fun to look at; they’re more incredibly goofy than painfully bad, and the riffing is hilarious throughout. The only bad thing about Jack Frost is not understanding who Bobo and Brain Guy are. I think that’s a good strategy: stick with the goofier movies first before going into the intense pain. Puma Man, Werewolf, Space Mutiny, The Final Sacrifice, Time Chasers, both Santa Claus features, Pod People, Godzilla VS Megalon, any of the color Made-for-TV shows, and Operation Double 007 should come before Manos, Monster A-Go-Go, any Coleman Francis episode, or even Overdrawn at the Memory Bank.
As far as shorts go, people seem to get a kick out of A Date With Your Family and A Case of Spring Fever no matter their familiarity with the show.
I find The Sword and the Dragon to be a little boring compared to the others, in both quality of riffs and the film itself.
Well, I would have posted on this, but since Sampo’s list is pretty much what I would have picked. I have some other personal favorites, but I’m not sure how a newbie would respond to The Dead Talk Back or The Screaming Skull. Even Horror of Party Beach would lose a lot of new viewers with it’s monotonous background “music” and inky night scenes. I would add Samson Vs. the Vampire Women to the list, though. It’s just so weird, on top of the top-notch riffing, that I can’t imagine who wouldn’t be captivated by it. “Vampires seem to have a very basic agenda with everyone.” “Okay, get ready with the Cher jokes… She looks like Cher!”
Catalina Caper. This was my wife’s first episode and she was hooked. And she is the last person who I’d think would like the show…
Shorts for recruiting new MSTies:
– Mr. B Natural: It’s a 100% win every time. I’ve never shown that bit to anyone who didn’t find it hilarious.
Other good ones:
– Johnny At The Fair
– Circus On Ice
– Snow Thrills
– Catching Trouble
– Junior Rodeo Daredevils
– Posture Pals
– The speech short with “plenty of lip and tongue action”.
I notice that “werewolf is plenty funny in the first fifteen minutes, but it doesn’t really start to distinguish itself until after crow riffs “Ah yes, the concerto in A-minor for cello and werewolf.”
“His condition has gone to bad bad bad bad bad bad.”
Well,My girlfriend tolerated Mst until I played her Horror at Party Beach. that she enjoyed!Then again she’s a classical musician and they are by and large oddballs!
I think Boggy Creek II would be a good choice, too, because everyone enjoys mocking Bigfoot hunters.
Erasmus:
Oh, I love the songs in Horror of Party Beach, just not the “BOING-binkbinkbinkbink” and random horrible noise they play over the monsters stalking, that prompted Crow to ask “Are the monsters playing metal-machine music or something?”
Space Mutany. It’s my absolute fave riffed movie. From the names given to David Ryder (Slab Bulkhead) to the dead girl that’s given a second chance to Spider Skank, this movie is alive with flavor.
Calgon, blow me away (and r.i.p. as well)
Werewolf is a close second… though it’s a tad more “scary”… if you can call a batsuit scary. Course, I call Yuri’s hair scary, but thats different.
As for fave short, Once Upon A Honeymoon is great… two beds for a married couple people… and Century 21 Calling is amazingly brilliant (DRACUL!!!) and vivid (I clutch the invitation tightly to my boo-sum!) it is hilarious.
I second “Catalina Caper!” It’s got a good number of the elements that could have made an entertaining, fun movie but just goes wrong in so so many ways. It’s also a good way to show people who think that MST3K is primarily a sci-fi and horror fanboy thing that the show’s got the whole of showbiz culture in its crosshairs.
The first show from season two, Rocket ship X-M; why because it is the show that introduced Frank to the show and when Servos got his new voice.
Plus it sort of explains the premise a little in the host segments also it is a very well written and produced episode. Then I could be wrong.
I’m not sure if I even remember what my first episode was. Probably Manos…
I dunno. I showed “Pod People” to a newcomer some time ago, and she enjoyed it, though she complained that the movie itself got depressing around the end (which is understandable). Space Mutiny and Puma Man would probably be my picks.
I got my friend from the Netherlands to watch The Final Sacrifice, Rosdower lives in our hearts. I also got my Canadian friend to watch both Final Sacrifice and Zombie Nightmare, once again, Rosdower won him over.
I totally agree with “The Day The Earth Froze” — excellent riffing — or, equally gruesome, would be “Deathstalker, and The Warriors From Hell!”
I think 701 Nigh of the Bloodbeast with short Once Upon A Honeymoon is also a great starting point. 814 Riding With Death is tied with my other two votes.
Shorts:
Hired, PartII
Posture Pals
Movies for newbies:
Space Mutiny
Hamlet (if you were also an English major)
Devil Fish
I agree that picking an episode with a link to the newbie is smart. Since I grew up in Wisconsin, I always recommend “Giant Spider Invasion” to my Wisconsin friends. They love the Midwestern references and especially the slams about us being a bunch of drunked Cheeseheads. (We don’t find these riffs offensive because they’re pretty much true). Now that I go to school at Iowa State, I’ve found much success with “Home Economics” because people recognize the buildings on campus and the short is just hilarious.
Though my boyfriend and I have successfully recruited new MST fans, we both find it almost painful to watch an episode with a group of newbies because we don’t want them to miss anything. I find myself thinking, “shut up and listen because you’re going miss a great riff.” Anybody else feel this way? But I’m learning to chill and let people catch whatever they can. That’s the beauty of MST, people find it funny for a thousand different reasons.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned the “Hercules” films (so far as I can tell). Along with the Russo-Finnish and two Godzilla films I think that these would be the most easily accessible eps for newbies. Also, Deathstalker would probably work too. As for “I Accuse My Parents,” it is my favorite of the Joel era, but, as the only one I’ve shown to a group of newbies, it failed. The short had them in stitches though, so I’ll put “The Truck Farmer” as my vote for short.
Bow down to the almighty TRUCK FARMER! Worship the truck farmer, at the church of your choice! Offer burnt sacrifices!
Like Sampo, I’ve had great success with “Industrial Arts” for the guys and “Day the Earth Froze” for the ladies. I guess women like colorful fairy tales, or something. My wife got hooked with “Space Mutiny”. Maybe I because the very able-bodied hero reminds her of me? :wink:
Mitchell, Outlaw and Cave Dwellers are great intros. Last Clear Chance was the first short that really made an impression on me.
It’s important to try to give a newbie something that is directed towards their tastes as well as the era in which they will recognize the references and riffs.
I wouldn’t give Riding With Death, San Francisco International, or Angels’ Revenge to someone who didn’t experience the 70’s.
I grew up in the 70’s so those 3 are very dear to me. I get every riff but I doubt that someone growing up in the 80’s or 90’s would understand half of them.
I gave Riding With Death to a fellow 70’s newbie and he loved it.
“I sure hope Rhoda & Joe get married” —(Riff from RWD)–
Now thats hilarious to me, having lived the 70’s and remember when that was an actual sentiment among my family. I doubt that anyone who didn’t live through that could garner the laughs it gives me.
As far as shorts go, Days of our Years or Out of this World are good starters. Also: What to do on a Date, Gumby, and Progress Island USA.
Catalina Caper is a good start and follow that up with hercules unchained. As for the sci fi times I always found space mutiny and werewolf with a side of pumaman works wonders.
Best intro is the MST3K Movie. Period.
The MST movie is okay but not great as an introduction to the show, mostly because it isn’t as funny as a typical episode, though it does certainly have it’s moments. The elongated host segments steal the rhythm away from the in theater commentary.
I think I would add Attack Of The Giant Leaches, The Giant Gila Monster, Gunslinger, Prince of Space and the Day The Earth Froze as good intro eps for the uninitiated.
If you hate the person your trying to convert into a Mysty, then show them Being From Another Planet, Hobgoblins, Squirm, Boggy Creek, and anything from Coleman Francis. Not because they’re bad eps, but because it’s the equivalent of MST “tough love”. Brutally tough.
Aside from the obvious and oft-mentioned “Mr. B”, the shorts that have worked for me include: “A Date with your Family,” “Keeping Clean and Neat,” “A Case of Spring Fever” and “Robot Rumpus.”
As for movies, the older b&w movies don’t tend to hold my friends’ interests as much (as an introductory movie, at least), so I’ve used “Hobgoblins” (this one has probably been the most successful), “Pumaman” and “Space Mutiny.” As for the least successful movies, I hate to say it but I’ve tried using “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank” — one of my favorites — and it flopped. Maybe they just couldn’t get over the fact that a good actor like Raul Julia was in such a bad movie!
Great suggestions from everyone!!
Anyone notice we sound like junkies trying to “turn on” other people to our addiction?
Well, at least it’s legal and mostly harmless – might even be healthy given the new research on damaging effects of stress and depression. MST3K is the perfect antidote – funny and mentally stimulating!
My list of good 1st shorts:
Last Clear Chance (!!!)
Progress Island USA
A Date with your Family
Fun introductory movies:
(joel)
Mighty Jack
Day The Earth Froze
Warrior of the Lost World
(mike)
Angels Revenge
Deathstalker
Parts: The Clonus Horror
Space Mutiny
Prince of Space
Puma Man
Werewolf (whar-wuulf)
Very difficult choice, depends on the personal leanings of the “prospect”–I myself love the corny 70s-80s flicks for their absurd fashions and trendy sayings, so I would start with a nice Space Mutiny, Being from Another Planet or Riding with Death–something like that!
Depends on the person. It appears to me that younger people like movies from the 80’s: Space Mutiny, Hobgoblins and Escape 2000. Art film types like the Ed Wood or Coleman Francis films. Those people who are from dyfunctional families seem to take “I Accuse My Parents” as good, clean fun. That’s how my family was introduced.
As far as shorts, I live in Seattle. Newbies here like Century 21 Calling.
My own introduction was “The Amzaing Colossal Man”, a movie I’ve loved since I was a kid. At the time (c.1996), MST3K was the only way I could get TACM on video, so I (reluctantly) bought. I watched, laughed like crazy, and the rest is history.
My own preference is for cheesy expolitation movies from the early ’60’s (e.g., Eegah or Incredibly Strange Creatures WSLABMUZ), just beacuse that’s an era that fascinates me.
I had a friend who liked the show, who showed me the Movie and “Pod People.” But it took “Jack Frost” to get me hooked. I’d recommend that or “Santa Claus” (521) – the latter has, in my opinion, perhaps the highest rate of laughs per minute. And call me crazy, but I think that “Quest of the Delta Knights” appeals; the story is just sensical enough to follow, but stupid enough that it guarantees laughs on its own, even with the strength of the riffing.
As for shorts, my go-to is “A Young Man’s Fancy.” Everyone seems to be able to find something enjoyable about it.