Alert reader Ken writes:
Has there been anything done with movie-related host segments? For example, I have come to love the host segment at the end of episode 610- THE VIOLENT YEARS in which Crow holds up Mike. It has such a wonderfully bizarre feel to it (it beautifully captures the inert quality of the movie), and Crow looks hilarious with the bandanna wrapped around his face.
Gotta go with the Town Council meeting called to deal with the Sinbad problem in episode 505- MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD. Just gaspingly funny.
What’s your pick?
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I made it to No. 40 and had a sudden thought. For songs that tie to the movies, you can’t beat the Sidehackers’ song from “The Sidehackers” and the “We’re a Danger to Ourselves and Others” song from “Attack of the Giant Leeches”. And for ridiculousness, there is Gypsy’s Annikin(sp) song from “The Sword and the Dragon” (or was it “The Day the Earth Froze).
Agree with “It Stinks,” and “Hired: The Musical.” Both totally brilliant.
My runner up would be the machine which turned Mike into Mikey from “Teenage Strangler.” The face he makes is simply comedic brilliance.
My winner, though, is crow as General Timothy Van Patton from Master Ninja (2?) The skit probably lasts only about 25 seconds, and still to this day leaves my breathless with laughter. Better still, I’ll have the DVD next week! =)
Nobody ever won a war dibbing for his cubady.
1. “Idiot Control Now!” – Frank’s “I’m a virgin” imitation rules! As a fan of bad 80’s movies this one is close to my heart.
2. “Are You Happy With Your Work” – There is just something very cool about this segment. Very different feel from most of the host segments and always funny to see the slick production completely fall apart by the end.
3. The Mikey Glasses – Mike was somehow able to “out Mikey” the real thing. Love how the goggles even made it back into the theater.
I don’t know if this has been mentioned,but I’ll go with Crow holding up Mike,like the girls did in THE VIOLENT YEARS.
Or how about Crow pretending to be Jack Elam carrying groceries from THE GIRL IN LOVERS LANE?
I agree about the town council from Sinbad. Thats one of my favorite episodes including the movie itself. Crow as Jack Elam from last weeks topic is also one of the best host segments even though the movie isn’t very good.
As ‘Dark Grandma of Death’ voted, I go with ‘Jungle Goddess’, Joel as the goddess, Crow as the ‘husband’, Tom as the trigger happy neighbor who shoots Crows’ boss (Gypsys’ husband, Mr. Mobutu). Also a noteworthy host segment, since it’s the genesis for referring to Crow as ‘Art’, when at the end of the ‘episode’ Joes does a homage to Jackie Gleason and calls out the cast of ‘My White Goddess”, and introduces Crow as “Art Crow” (ala Art Carney).
My very favorite would have to be the “rise and fall of Tom Servo’s music career” from The Beatniks. The references to Daddy-O made it extra fun.
The “Hike Up Your Pants” song from Daddy-O is my second choice, especially with that great ending.
A close third is the “you really are magic, aren’t you, Trumpy?” segment from Pod People. The reactions of the Mads made it jump from hilarious to dangerously hilarious.
HE JOCK IT MADE OF STEEL
My Top Five:
5: IT STINKS! Between Frank’s “I’M A VIRGIN” T-SHIRT, Gypsy’s “lyrics” (TIRE!) and the mysterious woman who materialises out of nowhere, this is a classic.
4: Refueling. Something about it just looks so wrong and yet it’s so funny, particulary when Crow fails to get on The Information Super Highway.
3. “Are you happy in your work?” Honestly, the SOL crew did it better than the actual movie.
2. HIRED! I’d pay to see this. Zero. ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERO! Zero. ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERO!
1. You are magic, Trumpy! By far my favorite movie-related segment, if not my favorite host segment EVER. “I CAN’T BRING EM’ DOWN. I DON’T KNOW HOW IT WORKS!” To this day, I can’t look at anything that REMOTELY looks like Trumpy without the Stupid Things carnvial music playing in my head.
The Fugitive Alien Medley
Horrors of Spider Island!! Mike and the bots ‘auditioning’ Pearl, Bobo and Brain Guy. It will never stop being hysterical!!!
When JC and Kooch (that’s Gooch!) visit Joel and the Bots on the Hexfield View Screen.
J&tBs: We don’t want to be like Rommel…
JC: Then why are you wearing those stupid hats, baby?
Agree with #58 about the rise and fall of Tom Servo – if for nothing else, the clever, lo-fi recreation of the spinning newspaper bit from all those old movies.
Definitely “Idiot Control Now” recording session from “Pod People”. I still bust a gut watching them butcher that horrible song, plus Frank imitating that smarmy lisping studio assistant right down to his ridiculous “I’m a Virgin” t-shirt”, and Joel finishing by giving it the “ok” sign and saying, “it stinks!”. For years that was a catchphrase in my home.:)
The first one that came to my mind was from I Accuse My Parents, when Crow and Tom ‘hold up’ Joel for a hamburger sammich… though I also have to agree about ‘A Danger To Myself and Others’ as mentioned above.
J/P=?
@4, 60 – In addition to “Idiot Control Now”, I’ve had to show newbies Pod People JUST to show them “Trumpy, you can do magic!”
Like “Are You Happy/Work?” it’s a breathless example of how all the Joel era had to do was stare puzzled at a strange scene from the movie and just imitate it.
(The Mike era came closest with “Why don’t they look?”, and “Shoe Polish Of Deceit” from Blood Waters of Dr. Z)
On a similar note, no mention yet of the Mr. B Debate (man or woman?), or of Joel in a cardboard dollhouse from “Amazing Colossal Man” (ohh, I’m huge!)?
From Devil Doll: Mike as Hugo, all caged up wearing a suit and bad haircut, with Crow as The Great Vorelli torturing him with threats like “You won’t get any ham”, in that low terse voice, always crack me up.
Cannot believe no one has mentioned ‘Creepy Girl’ from Catalina Caper. It was so moving.
And I second ‘Where, Oh Werewolf’ from Werewolf.
I wanna see Hired! the Musical on Broadway. They could do it! I know they could!
Pitch trying to sell Crow devil dolls in Devil Doll. Makes it even funnier because it’s Pitch!
The whiney paper-chase guy being taken to the mall for a new pair of slacks.
The Rip Taylor trio in Attack of the Eye Creatures.
The aborted Batman sketch in Zombie Nightmare.
Mike and the ‘Bots do the Grateful Dead in The Dead Talk Back “We‘re the Dead.”
It’s harder to think of movie-related host-segments that are total misfires than which ones are the best.
And I still think it would be keen if someone developed a real Unearthly board game.
I have to go with J&TB’s trying to analyze Jimmy’s problems in I Accuse My Parents. “Look, theres stupid! Real big!” For Mike I’d pick The Screaming Skull as he trys to decide between hitting Crow with driver or 3 wood and he keeps screaming the whole time.
Doh. I forgot to add one of my absolute favorites:
Rex Dart. Eskimo Spy.
Brilliant, nonsensical madness.
Excerpts from the Jack Palance memoir in Outlaw of Gor. “Last night I think I killed a man.”
I agree with BIG16AL @ #9….refueling sequence in starfighters is amazing. Servo’s Academy singers is pretty amazing too, though not movie related.
Just three words…”Idiot Control Now!”
@61 Dan In WI
How could I forget that!! That’s one of my all-time favorites. I also neglected to mention Mike’s first appearance as Torgo in 424. It’s not a direct copy of any one scene, but you can’t ignore Mike’s spot-on impression of Torgo.
The first one that came to mind for me was Joel and the Bots discussing how unthreatening a big-kneed monster was in MANOS and coming up with their own ideas on how they’d be terrifying. “I’d remove my skin, re-stitch it, and wear it as a cardigan!”
Joel: “What was your question, Crow? I’m kidding, of course, yes, there is such a thing as good-natured brawling.”
All: “We’ll be right back.”
Crow: “I want Joe Frazier, I want Joe Frazier!”
Hercules and the Captive Women
The Band Who Performed California Lady documentary is hands down the best movie related host segment.
I don’t believe they’ve been mentioned, so I’ll add the segments from Eegah!, primarily the third one, though Joel becoming Arch Hall, Jr. is funny. The third segment, where they talk about late 50s-early 60s movies/TV with single dads with attractive daughters while Joel attempts to make some Jiffy Pop, shows a warm, relaxing family dynamic within the crew. That honestly makes that segment work even better than it should.
Also, I believe Crow’s “Let’s Talk Women!” from Hobgoblins qualifies because it referenced how awful all the portrayals of the women were in the film. Another classic segment.
I first thought of the dance auditions from “Horrors of Spider Island” but I’ll go with the time traveling crow from “Time Chasers”.
#54: Great minds think alike–that’s what caused me to come up with the idea for the thread! :-))
The Tom dates Gypsy saga from Swamp Diamonds is comedy gold.
The various off shoots of the waters of forgetfulness from Herc Unchained.
Gotta go with Have a Patrick Swayze Christmas with Joel and the bots.
Also the “Air (Is that the right spelling for this meaning?) of the Delta Knights.” Never fails to crack me up!
The one that immediately comes to mind is the segment in “Gamera v. Gaos” when the crew make dioramas about the movie. The “arts and crafts” segments are always cute, but what really gets me is that Trace messes up his line, but they keep it! He says, “everyone runs around with a flat head.” when he meant, “everyone runs around. With a flat head…” and then goes on to describe Gaos. Trace’s and Kevin’s responses are low-key yet hilarious!
Actually, I’m an idiot. The diorama segment was actually in “Gamera v. Zigra”. However, it WAS about a movie, just not the one being shown. Is that still legal?
Joel: The ‘Winter Sports Cavalcade’ segment from the short ‘Snow Thrills’.
MIke: Crow builds his own death ray from ‘Danger! Death Ray!’.
I agree with pretty much everything here – these are all great segments! One I haven’t seen is the improvised jazz number from Secret Agent Super Dragon. I think the ultimate is Time Chasers, where Crow spends a segment warning Mike, and bringing back his evil brother, who then takes over the next movie segment!
I always liked the sketch in Hercules Unchained where Crow and Tom are eating peeled grapes and Gypsy comes out to sing her version of the “Last Night” song from the film. It consisted of her just saying “Last Night” over and over, punctuated with her slamming her head against a giant harp. It always cracks me up. Linky – http://youtu.be/VaqMt58SXVU
My favorite is the one in Manos when the bots break down crying. My fiancee and I regularly bust each other up at the end of a long day by crying “OH DADDY!!!” and weeping openly.
I really like the sketch in Sinbad where Joel has the catfish puppet from the movie and the bots can’t comprehend what it is. Also the reaction to Catching Trouble. That vicious little turd of a short needed some angry cathartic silliness.
Crow dressed as Buzz and Tom dressed as Michelle from “The Girl In Gold Boot.”
“Yeah, Mike, you’re probably wondering why I’m pissed off at you.”
The whole ‘pouring beer all over your most beloved object (as Buzz did in the film), including Crow himself’ bit makes me laugh, no matter how many times I see it.
I totally blew my #74 quote. I’m never quite sure what to do about it when that happens. It should be “I think I-…I think I killed a man, today?…”
Someone should transcript all of the episodes somewhere online. Dialogue and riffs. I think I’ll get on that right now. ;)
Mike and the Screaming Crow from “The Screaming Skull.”
Also the “Free Coffin” bit from the same movie. If you died of fright during the movie then they gave you a free coffin, so Tom called snd says he died.
What ever happened the the band that sang “California Lady” from Track of the Moon Beast. (I actually really like that song.)
The music number, done by Joel and the Bots, from Secret Agent (dat daaaa) Super Dragon (Dat daaa).
Patrick Swazey Christmas of course.
RaptorX8 @ 69 beat me to “Creepy Girl” from Catalina Caper.
“Pants” number from Hercules (can’t remember which one)
The debate on if “Mr. B Natural” is a man or a woman.
Honoable mention goes to the “Claymation” skit after the Gunby short.
I don’t think anyone mentioned Tibby yet
I dunno if this counts, but the x-mas-themed invention exchange before S.C.C.T.M. is way cool. The Paul Henning sound fx contraption that Joel comes up with is pure genius…
Crow using Mike as his puppet in Devil Doll. Servo as the toaster pastry assistant is classic!!!