Movie: (1973) Godzilla and size-changing robot Jet Jaguar defend Japan from Megalon and alien cyborg Gigan, who have been sent by underground civilization Seatopia.
First shown: 1/19/91
Opening: J&tB are in morning magazine show mode
Invention exchange: Both Joel and the Mads show off their easy-to-make Halloween costumes
Host segment 1: Crow and Tom argue over whose monster is more powerful
Host segment 2: Rex Dart, Eskimo spy!
Host segment 3: Crow and Tom pretend they’re a certain well-known popcorn magnate and his grandson
End: Joel gives Crow and Tom new arms, the Jet Jaguar fight song is translated, the Mads are playing video games
Stinger: Godzilla takes the plunge.
(210 votes, average: 4.56 out of 5)
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• A terrific episode, certainly one of the highlights of season two. Very strong host segments, very witty riffing and a reasonably watchable movie with plenty to riff on. It’s also our first taste of the many Japanese movies to come next season.
• Joel has donned the maroon jumpsuit, which he will stick with until well into season three.
• The rights to the movie in this episode were apparently not properly cleared by Rhino when it released it as part of its Vol. 10 DVD set, and Rhino was forced to withdraw the set. It later re-released the other three titles, along with the addition of episode 402- THE GIANT GILA MONSTER, in what it called “Volume 10.2.”
• References are here, but one they missed is a favorite of mine: “Everyone is to get from street!” a reference to the movie “The Russians are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!”
• The opening bit is hilarious. I always wondered what Wanda Vacale’s Whale of a Tale was all about, and why it would be of special interest to bachelors.
• The “explaining pain to Crow” bit is not new. Joel does the same thing to Gypsy in episode K03- STAR FORCE: FUGITIVE ALIEN 2 while trying to explain what taking drugs is like.
• The invention exchange is fun. Joel’s “easy-to-make Halloween costumes” are straight from his standup act.
• The button on the desk breaks when Movie Sign hits the first time.
Joel says “…before eating — uh, I mean after eating…” They keep going.
• Classic running gag: “These darn stairs…”
• Not really made clear in the host segment 1 is precisely what Tom and Crow are looking at that they don’t want Joel to see. Looks like Polaroids. Hmm… (In the ACEG, Mike says they are “naughty pictures.” )
• Host segment 2 is pretty random, but it’s fun.
• Two KTMA riffs pop up: “That monster does not know the meaning of ‘around’ ” and when somebody mentions evacuating, Joel says “sounds painful,” something Crow said often in the KTMA season.
• Host segment 3 is a brilliant piece of work, but is now somewhat dated with the passing (in 1995) of Orville Redenbacher and consequent end of the TV spots featuring him and his grandson Gary. Interestingly, it appears the sketch was somewhat prescient. With Orville’s death, the younger Redenbacher does indeed seem to have disappeared into the night. (He’s actually an attorney these days.)
• The final half hour of the show, with Tom and Crow as wrestling announcers, is great fun. “He’s got a tree!”
• At the end of the movie, Joel explores the space between Cambot and the seats a bit, for the first time since “the film broke” in season one.
• The end segment features the hilarious “English translation” of “Jet Jaguar Fight Song,” as well as another open flame on set.
• Ever wonder what the lyrics to the song REALLY are? Thanks to Marissa at the MST Discussion board, here they are:
Japanese:
Hito ga tsukutta robotto da kedo,
Jetto Jagaa, Jetto Jagaa,
Yatta, Jetto Jagaa
Yuke, yuke, heiwa o mamoru tame,
Minna mo odoroku yuuki wo miseru
Gojira to Jagaa de panchi, panchi, panchi
Nakuna, bokura mo ganbarou
English:
You’re a robot made by humans, but
Jet Jaguar, Jet Jaguar,
You did it, Jet Jaguar
Go, go to protect peace
We are all surprised at the courage you show
Godzilla and Jaguar punch, punch, punch
Don’t cry, let’s do our best
Don’t touch my bags if you please, Mr. Customs man. (Just kidding.)
• The final bit in Deep 13 demonstrates the passion for video and computer gaming that was growing at BBI.
• Cast and crew roundup: Director/screenplay writer Jun Fukuda also served those roles for “Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.” Tomoyuki Tanaka also produced “Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.” Story and lyric writer Shinichi Sekizawa likewise did the same for that movie and also for “Mighty Jack.” SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano was a special effects assistant director for “Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.” In front of the camera, Robert Dunham is also in “The Green Slime.”
• CreditsWatch: This Week’s Creative Pit Boss: Joel Hodgson. This is the last episode that has the “Creative Pit Boss” credit. “Villians” still misspelled. “Rex Dart Action Theme”: Michael J. Nelson. This was intern Tamara Lewis’ last episode.
• Favorite riff: “He’s got a tree! He’s got a tree! This isn’t the Godzilla we know!” Honorable mention: “I know I’m supposed to be scared and all, but all I can think of is sweaty Japanese guys.” “This watery manifestation of a vengeful, wrathful God couldn’t have come at a worse time.
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Oh, yeah! It took almost two full seasons, but here we got the first 5/5 episode (for me). This is the BEST episode of Season 2 and one of my personal top 5 Joel episodes and probably in my top 10 for the series as a whole. This was the first Season 2 episode that I saw, I taped it off of TV during a marathon or something, back in 95 or somesuch. I love everything about it, great opening invention exchange, 3 great Host Segments, including the dark-to-the-extreme Orville Redenbacher sketch , solid riffing throughout, a great ending, a decent (?) movie that is fairly watchable, this one is 5 stars all the way!
“You’re going to be eating lots of cheese. Government cheese!”
Sadly, I can’t trumpet the fact that I have Volume 10 on DVD, because I don’t. The shame. . .the pain. . . . I had stopped buying the DVD sets after Vol. 4 (except for The Essentials 2 disc-er) because I was a poor, poor college student and couldn’t afford them and thusly, fell behind and have never caught up. I found my fix through DAP Central and now have a copy of all (but 2) episodes from the show, but because I am a collector and a completist, I know that I am going to buy all the MST DVD sets eventually. I just made my first step toward that endeavor and bought the SHOUT! 20th Anniversary Set TIN BOX from there website which is pretty freakin’ sweet, so I got that one marked off the list. Not looking forward to plunking down the $200 for the VOL. 10 set. :-((
With the impending release of the Gamera set, here’s to hoping that SHOUT! can make some magic happen and release the Godzilla movies in a set, and maybe the rest of the Sandy Frank movies. Odds are, or my educated guess really, is that Godzilla v Megalon will get a single re-release disc ala Incredibly Strange Creatures etc, etc, and that the other Sandy Frank films, Time of the Apes, Fugitive Alien 1 and 2, and Mighty Jack, will see release with Godzilla vs. Sea Monster in another 5 disc type set; or possibly just a four disc set of the Sandy Frank films, while GvSM might see release in a giant monster movie set with Gorgo and, I dunno, The Deadly Mantis and Earth vs. The Spider. When I dream, I dream big.
!
RIFFS AND THINGS:
Joel: “If you’re like me, and I know I am..” I love this Joelism, one that I quote often to my non-in-the-know friends.
Servo: “Godzilla’s back, and somebody’s got to pay!”
Joel: “Why not? I’m high.”
Joel: “Try not to get sucked into the vortex of hell, Billy.
Joel: “I’ve just been liberated by the power of Vicks!”
Crow: “I have shamed the family!”
Joel: “I’m Dorf.” —-That guy totally looks like Dorf!
Servo: “I would say that eye protection should be worn in this area.”
Crow: “You ‘reckon’? Hey you’re Japanese, Epsan.”
Joel: “Rex Dart, Eskimo spy.” —leads to the hilariously random and pointless (and short) Host Segment.
Crow: “Gary Busey is back on the bike!”
Upon the arrival of Megalon:
Crow: “That’s right, it’s time for the headliner!”
Servo: “Saturday the 14th? I hate that movie.” —I totally remember that one, and yeah, it sucked.
Using their wrestling announcer voices:
Crow: “He’s got a foreign object.”
Servo: “He IS a foreign object.”
The translation of the Jet Jaguar song still makes me giggle like a 15 year old.
5/5!
During the wrestling match commentary, they ask what Godzilla is doing these days and Joel answers that he started a used car business. I think this is a reference to Greg Gagne whose father, Verne Gagne, started the American Wrestling Association. It was a Minnesota-based pro wrestling organization that enjoyed huge success until the World Wrestling Federation bought all of it’s major talent. Greg Gagne did a lot of wrestling, but as the organization went bankrupt, he moved on to running used car dealerships.
Agree with a top 5 ratings! Also agree with Grandma @14 re Roxann’s voice, yikes! What I can’t figure out is how that pencil necked kid survived the filming with all the head injuries he must have sustained rolling around and thrown from the metal container?
Great riffing throughout and the movie itself was mucho goofy! The rocket launcher at the picnic, the giant hopping roach, tag team titans, Wayne Newton suits, hyienna faced robot, what more could one want?
Netflix has the out of print disc version of this for those interested.
Great episode, the best of the season I think. Rex Dart, Eskimo Spy is a top 5 host segment for me, and the Orville “Popcorn” sketch, well, that’s so mean it’s gotta be funny, right? :P
One of my favorite episodes and the start of what I consider the golden era of MST3K (eps 212-512).
Great movie. Finally a film franchise I know about getting riffed on. I had never seen Godzilla vs. Megalon prior to it being on the MST3K, but I had seen plenty. I did see Godzilla vs. the Sea Serpent prior to it getting riffed.
The movie is like a Saturday morning cartoon. A size-changing robot. A weird underwater society. And of course monsters. The only female actors appear to be extras in the Seatopia civilization which made it even more like a kid’s cartoon. Very much a Godzilla film pandering to kids, but I like it.
The riffing here is great if a bit dark. Constantly calling for the death of Roxanne the kid. A missing child milk carton Halloween costume. And the popcorn sketch. I loved it all. Maybe because I’m as twisted as the people who wrote the jokes.
Mostly great sketches. Especially the Orville Redenbacher sketch which once again had nothing to do with the film. At least it was funny. Very funny.
I wasn’t paying attention when the the volume 10 collection came out and had to buy it off ebay shortly after the set was pulled. Didn’t pay too much, but it was more than retail.
In elementary school, I was convinced that these ‘Godzilla’ movies must be the coolest things in existence. Then I saw one, and it was pretty heartbreaking. Talky, fake-looking, and just disappointing all around. I tried a few more times, but good grief. Busted-ass ‘thriller’ storylines that take up two-thirds of the running time and a bunch of cheap plastic models. Like X-Ray specs or the joy buzzer, they were much better in theory than in practice.
Maybe it’s the residual disappointment of that little life lesson that leaves me less keen on this episode than a lot of other season 2 efforts. On the other hand, the popcorn sketch is flat-out brilliant. I was just sort of stunned the first time I saw that.
And the ‘morning show’ bit is a little sad to watch in retrospect, as that sort of thing has pretty much replaced any pretense of journalism on TV news. (In fact, I was thinking of this bit recently when I saw a particularly dire exchange of folksy patter on a local newscast.)
And I noticed that they mention Moms Mabley in that sketch. At the time, I had never heard of her– though they mention her fairly frequently. I have heard some of her comedy since, and she was pretty damn funny. None of the references on the show are actual comments on her comedy (a la “Oh, Ricky, turns out I was never funny!” ), but I get the feeling they were probably fond of her.
Almost forgot: “If you’re like me– and I know I am.” Like another commenter, I co-opted this one and have been using it for years. Always seems good for at least a chuckle.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Orville Redenbacher promoting his product posthumously on tv in the past couple years.
And I did see the NBC broadcast “hosted” by John Belushi in a Godzilla costume! A shame they couldn’t put those bits on one of the Saturday Night Live DVD sets.
“Close down the exit points…Mrs. H-Wiggins!” always makes me double over with laughter. That guy couldn’t look MORE like “Mr. Tudball” if he tried, and the ridiculous outfit he’s wearing just makes it funnier.
And…I always thought it was “Wanda McHale” too.
#59 Gorn Captain,
Thanks for the reality check. I would mention this moment on TV (Just a few years before VCR’s) and no one believed me. After a while you doubt your own brain.
Sampo’s theorem time: I just wan’t that impressed with this ep (please don’t ostracize me). The host segments are great, but the riffing just didn’t do much for me, or at least as much as the hype had me believe it would. I read so much regarding this ep, that maybe my expectations were just too high. It has been awhile, though, so maybe a revisit is in order soon.
But, as it stands now, of the two ‘Zilla flicks they did, I was wayyy more impressed with Sea Monster; Maybe because my expectations were lower? Sea Monster is actually in my top 5 Joel eps. Go figure.
This is the first really great episode, I think.
I just transferred my direct-from-broadcast VHS recording to DVD, commercials and all. I’m sure there’s a way to pause it during commercials, but I didn’t want to mess it up. I ended up messing it up anyway, as it ran out of room right at the end. (I had put the running time at 2 hours and 15 minutes, sheesh, I should have put down 2 and 1/2 hours or something, it should have had plenty of room).
The broadcast I had was a rerun from April of 1996. They were advertising the Olympics, and the “new” episode coming up of MST3K: “Escape 2000” where Mike was giving Crow some shock treatment. :-)
There was a lame commercial for “Rock This Way”, a CD collection of 80’s songs, and two guys were on there, doing air guitar and dancing like idiots. :silly:
Ah, simpler times.
Anyway, I liked this ep. Liked the popcorn commercial. They go through all this drama, and Joel comes out and says,”It’s a 30 second spot, oh, and, remember to mention the product more.” That cracked me up.
Um. Soooo… Jet Jaguar can PROGRAM himself to become BIGGER? Sure, I can see…HUH?! :giggle:
Who were these guys to Roxanne? What is with movie makers and not wanting to stick some females in there unless they’re window dressing?
I liked the Brains version of the Jet Jaguar song better than the actual one.
I noticed that when my cat looks at me, he kind of has those mean eyes like Godzilla. (Catzilla!!) Just feed me and shut up!
Too many good riffs to mention here.
Joel: “You know, I kind of feel like this opening segment is a metaphor for our souls.”
Servo and Crow: “Heav-y.”
Servo: “Guess a rocket is standard picnicking equipment in Japan.”
Crow: “Well, let’s go on a picnic, let’s see, we got our food, beverages and – fifteen feet of uncoiled rope.” ?:-)
Crow: “This week, Moses stars in, ‘Don’t raise the bridge, lower the river’.”
(When the scene just changes to them driving away, like nothing unusual just happened).
Crow: “The natural disaster behind them, they drove off in a speedy car.”
Crow: “Oh, my God! The humidifier commited suicide!!”
Joel: “Oh, it’s a good thing they cleverly hid that robot.”
Crow: “One problem though – you caught us in the middle of our production of ‘La Cage Aux Folles’.”
Joel: “Say, these Klan meetings have really lightened up – really festive.”
Crow: “Great, they’re going to take over the world with interpretive dance.”
Joel: “You know, in France, this scene would be considered genius.”
Crow: “Phallic symbols at the ready, sir.”
Crow: “You RECKON? Hey, you’re Japanese, EB-SAN.”
And many more.
Oh, that was kind of long. Sorry.
Such a great episode to do. It’s definately a change of pace from the ordinary movie done at the time. It’s so rare that the feel of the jokes was really a very positive tone. In terms of selecting a Godzilla movie to do, you either had this or Godzilla vs. Gigan, the closest equivalent to Godzilla vs. Megalon, and I guess this was easier to make fun of, but it was a good job and all.
I wish they had done more Godzilla movies. This and the following episode were so much fun. (Not to say the Gamera run wasn’t as funny)
Just how did Godzilla go from being star of a serious science fiction movie to a bit player in poorly orchestrated slugfests like Godzilla vs. Megalon? Judging from the two examples that MST3K gives us, there’s something essentially dull about the non-stop action of a Godzilla movie. Stuff happens, people run around to little purpose, monsters pop up seemingly at random to bash aimlessly each other for a while and win or lose–depending not on visible fighting ability but on how much longer the movie has left to run.
I rewatched this episode last week, having seen it only once before without getting much of an impression. I liked it more this time round but I think there’s a kind of shapelessness to the episode and the riffing. The popcorn sketch is pure genius, though, easily one of the best host segments of the whole show. Overall a strong 2nd season episode but I’d rather cue up something from 3rd season if I want to see Joel rip on a crappy Japanese movie.
Great episode…Joel’s hair really grew out
This was the first of his Maroon jumpsuit which lasted until Season 4 I think where some similar suit was used but went as far as Joels knees…
I find it interesting to see Joel’s hair grow as he never cut it during this season, in fact he let it go until Pod People where he trimmed it a little ..and by Daddy-O/ Amazing Colossal Man he chopped it all off
Joel’s hair…
Joel’s knees….
Ok Im going back to therapy !! :alien:
If anybody out there is interested in a very rough actual translation of the ending song, it would go something like this:
He’s a robot made by people
Jet Jaguar x2
You did it Jet Jaguar!
Go go to protect peace
Everyone will be surprised by your courage
Godzilla and Jaguar punch punch punch!
We’ll be fighting too, so don’t cry!
I watched this about a year ago with a few friends who were very casual MSTies and we were shocked how little we laughed. Not so much at the host segments, but the riffing. It was either bad or didn’t live up to my memories. I’d put this second to Hobgoblins as most overrated of the series.
This is one that simply doesn’t click for me. Host segments are good but I’m not doing a whole lot of laughing during the theater bits. Even the famed wrestling riffs don’t wrangle a smile out of me. I’ve tried to like this episode, really wanted it to be the classic others say it is, but it ain’t happening.
I once thought watching it with a group would help… but when they too fell silent and asked – “Eh, you gotta better one we can watch?” I gave up trying. At least I wasn’t alone in my apathy.
5 stars.
I was introduced to my favorite movie icon :-D , Godzilla, as a little kid in late 70s and early 80s during the era of Saturday Creature Double feature and WORs annual Thanksgiving weekend King Kong/Godzilla movie marathon. It seemed that this movie in particular was on almost one saturday a month, so it holds a special place in my heart. Having said that, I realize what an bad movie it is, quite unlike next weeks Sea Monster which is in my top 5 Godzilla movies of all time. I love the treatment J&TB give it, you get the impression they are having a blast and probably have enjoyed a Godzilla movie from time to time. They never really heap disrespect on the FX either, which is nice as well. Speaking of which, other than the big brawl, and Megalon appearing at the dam there was almost NO new effects footage shot for this movie. Stock footage from movies as far back as 1964s Ghidrah, The Three Headed Monster, and as recent as the prior years Godzilla vs Gigan are all used. Most of the older footage used is clearly obvious, as the film quality is deteriorated and the colors seemed washed out. Godzilla jumping into the water is from Sea Monster, which means we see the same scene in next weeks episode. The scenes where Gigan cuts Godzillas shoulder is from the prior years movie, made pretty apparent by how different the Godzilla suits look(a new suit was made for almost every Godzilla movie and all have a distinct look). Fortunately for SFX director Nakano Megalons electric beam is identical to Ghidrahs, so all the shots of tanks and boats and planes getting his with the beam were taken from Ghidrahs first 2 60s movies. Look closely at the shots of Megalon swatting the planes and you can see its actually Gigans claws hitting the planes, stock footage from Godzilla vs Gigan.
The dubbing, unlike the 1960s Godzilla movies, is terrible. The kid(adult/) doing Roku-Chan is really putrid, which makes for some great riffs. Robert Dunham is awesomely hammy as ANTONIO the leader of Seatopia, interestingly he was also the motorcycle rider during the chase scene and did his own stunts. The big ending brawl was actually intended to play out exactly like a tag team wrestling match, wrestling being big in Japan at the time, so its awesome that J&TB pick up on that, the entire sequence is one of the funniest they’ve ever done. When Joel does the “Im a giant” bit and walks toward cambot he misses one of the more embarrasing snafus in any of the Godzilla movies; the cast literally standing there waiting for the director to call ‘action’. Which was left in because the film was so low budget and such a rush job.
Ok, I could keep boring you with mundane trivia from 70s Godzilla movies but…
i remember seeing Godzilla vs Megalon when it aired on NBC in primetime (77-78), with John Belushi doing host segments in a Godzila suit. There was no riffing, just Belushi doing an intro and epilogue as Godzilla, with a few shots of him being knocked down with fake boulder in between……..On MST3K, I’ll go with the majority here in saying that the host segments were a little stronger than the riffs, except for the ‘English lyrics’ to the jet jaguar song at the end….”he look like jack Nicholson …don’t touch my bags if you please, mr. Customs man….Godzilla just isn’t as silly as a giant turtle (tortoise?), so this couldnt eclipse the Gamera series.
If our favorite giant mutant lizard fought an atomicly empowered and enhugened piece of sod would it be called Godzilla vs. Mega-Lawn? And could the dramatic tension equal the courtroom drama of Brown vs. Board of Education or Plessy vs. Fergeson?
dsman71–DOH!! I forgot to mention the jumpsuit!! Thanks for reminding me.
Host segment three is one of my all-time favorites. I enjoy the rest of the episode almost as much. :-)
@ 63–I remember the “Rock this Way” commercial. Those two dudes doing air guitar and drums. I just looked it up to watch again. OMG, hilarious!
My cousin actually bought it. Wonder if she still has it. Would love to have it on my Ipod.
Dark Grandma of Death says: “Roxanne has my vote for the most annoyingly dubbed Japanese child ever.”
Roxanne has my vote for the most annoyingly dubbed anything ever. :P
I’m one of the lucky ones who got the original Vol. 10 that Rhino released, but that’s largely because I somehow knew that Rhino releasing Godzilla vs. Megalon had to be a colossal screwup somehow and that I’d better get the set immediately before any fallout happened. Kind of sad that I was proven right, granted, but at least I got the episode before it started commanding ridiculous prices on ebay.
Anyway, the episode is obviously great. I have a soft spot for Godzilla movies, no matter how lame or ridiculous, so the episode was right up my alley to begin with. Favorite riff that hasn’t been mentioned yet: “Saigon. I can’t believe I’m in a model of Saigon.”
For the Halloween costumes, one of them was the missing kid on the milk carton that Servo wore over his head, right? Pretty sure this was the one. I did that costume for Halloween back in college and got interviewed for the local paper when they saw me on the street. It gave me a chance to plug MST3K for all of Eastern Iowa! Still have the costume, and the article for that matter. This is one of my favorite episodes.
Seatopia was called Seatopia because it was underground and seemed to have a good view of the sky I guess. They liked monsters with useless arms. And the script writer apparently said, “Who needs a love interest or cute girl in their movie when you’ve got a bone scrapingly annoying preschooler on hand.”
I still have the second half to re-watch before I post a review but to Fred Burroughs (and anyone else for that matter):
Do not say “Streisand in a bathtub” again or you will be strapped to a chair, a la Alex DeFarge, and sentenced to a triple feature of The Prince of Tides, The Main Event, and Yentl…and I mean this For Pete’s Sake.
I must have picked up v.10 very quickly because I have the rhino disc. A friend had watched the episode years before and thought it was hilarious, so we rented the movie on tape some time before v.10 was released and that was the first time I saw the movie. That first viewing heightened my expectations of the movie/episode maybe too much but there’s a fair amount of silliness to be seen. It drags at times but the riffing is fairly good. The music for Rex Dart: Eskimo Spy is kind of catchy.
Yeah, I also got V.10, and that’s because by then I was buying MST sets the very first day they were released (still do, found a Movie Stop store near me that sells MST sets). I hadn’t heard that it was fetching 200 or more on Ebay…hmm…nah.
As a fan of pro wrasslin for 25 years, I love the wrestling stuff and I watched AWA when I could as a child. And while I’m not generally a fan of MST host segments, Rex Dart is fun and the Orville Popcorn bit is amazing.
Technically, Joel wears the maroon jumpsuit from here on. The only times he wears anything different is for brief gags (the death “face” in “Mighty Jack”, the fashion photos in “Teenagers from Outer Space”), not whole episodes. Then around “Tormented” he chops the legs off…
#74 hey Sampo – yep this is the debut of the Maroon jumpsuit symbolic of Joel being “Marooned” in space …I know this suit went until the 4th season where another reddish suit was introduced where the pants went down to Joel’s knees…
As for Megalon , this was the 2nd Godzilla film I had ever seen some 30 years ago..
As an adult , I still watch it…but Ive seen it soooo many times…including the MST3K version
This movie has more stock footage than any other Godzilla movie , including Gigan which Megalon also borrowed from…
This episode on DVD is going to be OOP forever and the value will increase. When I met Joel and the rest of the CT I brought it for them to sign since it is staying with me forever..I dont care how broke I get :)
Toho looking to rebound after Megalon created MechaGodzilla for Godzilla’s 20th anniversary.
This has to be my fav MST3K. I was overjoyed to see when this came out on DVD and heartbroke when it was withdrawn.
I dream of a time when this will finally be brought back out for purchase.
Cheapskate Crow #54: Netflix has the out of print disc version of this for those interested.
Not anymore.
Dsman71 I challenge your this Godzilla movie has more stock footage than any other and submit to you “Godzilla’s Revenge”. Which is about a little kid being bullied at school. He somehow channel’s “baby Godzilla” who encourages him to whip the other kid. The whole thng is stock footage of Godzilla fights from his movies to encourage the kid to get revenge on his bully. Wow, what would the whiny PC bunch think of this movie today.
Hmmm… I fall someone in the middle with this one. It’s very good but not great great. There are some slow patches.
My favorite riffs come whenever the Seatopians are in it. It’s really too bad their leader and his chorus line are not in it more. The riffs about Broadway are all really great. I’m going to have to see if this still rings true when I review all the Gameras soon, but I usually find the funniest bits come when the monsters aren’t around. I’m laughing the most at riffs targeting the silly human plotlines and characters.
What makes this one a little extra special are the excellent host segs. I particularly like Rex Dart and the subtitles for Jet Jackass theme. These are my favorite kind of host segs: when they actually use/show a scene from the movie and ad something to it. Wished they’d done this more.
The Seatopians built their own sun, made their own oxygen, but need to send Oscar Wilde to kidnap a goofy robot.
I seem to remember Belushi though I did see this in the movie theatre as a kid during a rerelease.
Godzilla’s Revenge has way more stock footage. At least of monsters fighting.
Godzilla looks so simian in this. Damn it, Jim, I’m a reptile, not a gorilla!
And now LMD’s revenge:
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3494098944/nm0000659
(Michale’s thinking: “They shoot horsefaces, won’t we?”)
Ok, this will be very unpopular but I label this the most overrated MST3K episode of all time. Other than some pretty funny Jet Jaguar stuff I find it pretty much on par with Gamera vs. Gaos (middle of the road Gamera ep for me). But hey, we all have em.
I really enjoy this episode, but I wouldn’t put it on my list of favorites. Most of my favorite episodes come in later seasons. Seasons 3-6 are the high point of the series for me…with my favorite episodes falling in the SciFi years.
The most “huh?” moment of the movie for me was not Godzilla sliding around on his tail (and then finding it so much fun that he just had to do it again). It was the annoying kid and adult trapped in the boxcar which then gets thrown possibly hundreds of feet to the ground…and they’re both fine. Huh???
But I like, with the sliding tail, when Joel comments that it was funny the first time, but then it’s just boring after that. It actually reminds me a little of the Gamera vs. Zigra when Gamera starts playing his theme song on Zigra’s back. Equal levels of the ridiculous there.
I really don’t know why, but Segment 2 always leaves me rolling in the aisles. It’s just so well-executed it never gets old.
My comment from four years ago is incorrect. How embarrassing! It’s actually host segment 2 that is my favorite.
Not much to say about the movie at the moment, so I’ll just babble about the posts.
#6: Also, am I the only one who wonders how they transported that giant porpoise toy to the lake?
I just presumed that they rented it AT the lake.
#11: There’s a rather humongous plot hole in this movie that Joel and the bots don’t seem to pick up on. The Oscar Wilde-looking guy says that after Seatopia sunk into the sea, its inhabitants eventually managed to create their own oxygen supply. And what, if I may ask, were they breathing the whole time they were working on that?
Someone ELSE’s oxygen supply. *duh* ;-)
#14: How did the original Gojira morph into such a goofy monster? If I’d been a part of the target audience (I’m guessing Japanese children 7-10?), I’d have been deeply insulted by such ridiculous plot contrivances
Have a look at some of the ridiculous plot contrivances adults will accept in mindless action films some time…
#15: I always thought it was “Wanda McHale” and her Whale of a Tail
That sounds like it started to be a McHale’s Navy joke but then decided that it wasn’t worth the trouble.
#17: “I reckon they’ll try to kill us!” – Roku-chan. “‘Reckon’? You’re Japanese!”
Well, it’s not as if the actor was saying anything in English to begin with. Blame the dubber.
#23: What kind of a name for a boy is “Roxanne”?
Per the IMDB, his name is Rokuro (a word which has several meanings in Japanese; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rokurokubi ). They’re calling him (as #17 notes) “Roku-chan,” “-chan” being a suffix of endearment in Japanese. As for being picked on in school, I think having a giant robot pal will make that a non-issue.
Then again:
“My giant turtle pal can beat up your giant robot pal!”
“Can not!”
“Can so!”
“Can not!”
“Can so!”
“Can not!”
“Can so!”
#31: The winner of the contest was an elementary school student, who submitted the drawing of a robot called Red Arone, which superficially resembled both Ultraman and “Majingâ Zetto”
One might reasonably presume that the word “arone” actually MEANS something in Japanese, but I have yet to persuade the internet to tell me what. When asked for an image of “Red Arone”, it offered this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/37686716@N03/9735188757/
#63: Who were these guys to Roxanne?
His gay dad and his other gay dad? Or maybe just his dad and his dad’s best friend. Of course, ideally, one’s spouse SHOULD be one’s best friend, so…
#63.2: What is with movie makers and not wanting to stick some females in there unless they’re window dressing?
Japan is a very patriarchal culture, and anyway, we have only to look at “Prince of Space” and “Invasion of the Neptune Men” to see that featuring women in such films doesn’t exactly constitute doing the women a favor. Besides, excluding women removes any possibility of intentional or accidental sexual subtext — well, except as I cite above, I suppose — which is probably considered a plus in a children’s movie. The movie could just as easily have worked (or identically failed to work) with an all-female cast, but prevailing “wisdom” is that girls are more likely to watch/read about boys than boys are to watch/read about girls.
#89: The Seatopians built their own sun, made their own oxygen, but need to send Oscar Wilde to kidnap a goofy robot
Yes, and the Professor on Gilligan’s Island could make nitroglycerine out of copper crystals, papaya seeds, and rocks, but he knew nothing about boat repair. What’s your point? ;-)
Something I didn’t mention at the time: I’ve seen EVERY SINGLE Godzilla movie ever made. That includes the 2 riffed on MST3K, which was way, way, way before I was ever aware of the show. I hope against hope that one day we will see Godzilla vs The Sea Monster on DVD.
Also, I didn’t throw away my “Godzilla vs Megalon” DVD. Suck it Rhino!!! :-D
This also is one of the prime lessons that demonstrates the advantage of owning your DVD titles on disk, rather than digital–
If Rhino/Shout lost their Godzilla licenses after the fact, they could simply make the titles go “poof!” off of the Vudu and Amazon digital servers as if they never existed, simply because they can.
I didn’t throw my Gmmrff vs. Mmrrmmrrffff disk away, either, because it was legit when I bought it. Suck it, Sony and Toho. :)
I cannot be sure, but this may be the first MST ep I ever saw. If not the first, then one of the first.
I wish MST had been able to do Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. That movie has it all – aliens who look like people but are really space monkeys in disguise; “space titanium”; a pipe that the professor has customized just to short out electrical fields (or something); and, of course, the superawesome Mechagodzilla. The movie is very silly, very stupid, but very, very entertaining.
Actually, it might be TOO entertaining to have served as an appropriate film for MST. So never mind, I’m sorry I brought it all up.
Finally, someone else who totally gets it. There is just no substitution for having a physical media in your posession. Do they take up space? You bet and my wife is on me for that. But if something goes wrong be it your own hard drive, an accident at your cloud or even something like this classic Rhino rights goof you have the hard physical back up safely stored away to fall back on. I’ll be among the last humans purchasing CD’s and DVD’s for just these reasons.
Count me in as greatly enjoying the “Oscar Wilde” running gag around the Seatopian spy. Particularly the fight scene: “*PUNCH* _That’s_ for ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’. *SOCK* And _that’s_ for ‘Dorian Gray’!”
Has there been a discussion thread for favorite unexpectedly highbrow humor yet? Seems like there ought to be.
I use digital when I want to rent movies I missed in theaters (yes, I’ve become too lazy to make return trips), but the studios’ welcome-our-new-overlords attempt to “outwit” a new format, say “Digital will replace disk, and the young people will prove it!”, when all it’s doing is replacing Redbox, has all the earmarks of a bubble economy that’s going to come back to bite someone’s hinder in a few years time when the real-world problems kick in. Whenever I see “Bundle sales!” at Vudu or Amazon, trying to squeeze $39 and $49 purchases out of us because they think we’ll go nuts for it, without any real market-theoretical appraisal of why, I feel like I’m watching the Mortgage Derivatives of home theater.
We were the embattled pack-rats who Kept Circulating the Tapes back before Rhino even made the tapes, so MSTies and anime fans are the ones who “get” physical media before someone can take it away again. :)
(And @26,@29, yes, I have memories of Belushi’s SNL Godzilla hosting the NBC movie, although I didn’t watch all of it:
“Yeah, can I send out for a pizza? Half Tokyo and half Kyoto?”)