• Holoclown in episodes 405- BEING FROM ANOTHER PLANET and 406- ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES — classic MST3k and just about as dark as it comes, and Paul handles the scene beautifully.
• Pitch — He may have gotten chosen for the part because he was the skinniest guy on the staff, but he still carries the part of like he knows the devil personally.
• Sandy the oily guy in 702- THE BRUTE MAN — Poom!
* Observer in several season eight episodes — Paul channels ever snooty professor he ever knew with his interpretation of the Observer concept.
• Ortega in several episodes — A throwaway character in a throwaway movie becomes the new Torgo.
Any other good ones?
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What about his brilliant portrayal of Timmy Bobby Rusty to improve ratings?
All good choices, Sampo – the Holoclown was one of my all-time favorites. I’ll just add Paul’s appearance in The Girl in Gold Boots as the Mad Scientist visiting Pearl, and as Scooter the Space Child in Parts: the Clonus Horror and Incredibly Strange Creatures. Oh, and as “Barnicle” Bob in Blood Waters of Dr Z…a short but sweet appearance!
Always enjoyed seeing Paul.
Paul played snotty and pretentious very well. As one of the Observers, he was easily the most pompous. And coming from the thinnest, most non-imposing guy on the show, it became funny. And he pulled off the same gag as Carl, the guy Pearl tried to rule, so pleased with himself as he sold his soul. And as the mad scientist sent to grade Pearl’s true maddness, he continued to be opressive despite being outmuscled: “You couldn’t even get a guest spot on Beakman’s World.”
Beakman’s World was a cool show, by the way. Much better than Bill Nye.
I gotta go with Scooter the space brat, too. Paul just looks like a “Scooter”.
Also loved his chipper portrayal of Huggy Bear. (Not the Huggy Bear – just a Huggy Bear).
Holoclowns are classic, of course.
And whatever scene that is in the Poopie reel where Frank is singing “There is love…” and Paul is just staring at him in rapt attention – even after the scene falls apart.
Three words: Ned The Nanite
Isn’t he the one yelling “Mom! Mom! Mom!” off-camera to trailer-trash Mary Jo? Love that bit.
#3
as the mad scientist sent to grade Pearl’s true maddness, he continued to be opressive despite being outmuscled: “You couldn’t even get a guest spot on Beakman’s World.”
=================================
Well, hey, he was firm but fair as a mad
scientisty evaluator, at least until he was
won over by Brain Guy’s dance.
(And which is more disturbing, Crow’s strip
tease dance or Brain Guy’s dance?)
Paul does make a good authoritative figure. Not really his stature, but there’s something about his voice. I’d forgotten he was Ned the Nanite. And don’t you just believe everything Ned says? And he was Stan who bought Crow’s soul in Touch of Satan. You hear his voice, and you think, yeah, he’s they kind of wheeler and dealer who would buy souls and sell them in bulk. Am I on to something, or am I way off?
Loved him as Ned the Naite, especially during the segment where they’re fighting Mike’s eyelash mites.
Ned: “The mites know the eyelashes to well! Who called this war?! AHHHHHHHHH!”
*gets attacked by an eyelash mite*
Crow: “Ned! Ned the Nanite!”
Sandy, Pearl’s sleazy date: “Pearl! You’re looking… Aaaaaagh!”
Carl, who Pearl almost gets to rule, until he’s bought out by the Traveler’s Group.
Observer, who tries to get Mike the Bots to fight to the death, but just can’t make himself understood.
Pitch, especially when he “pitches” those Devil Dolls. I love it when he calls Mike “Max von Sydow”
The Power Steves! Paul looks like he’s already died as he plays that standup bass. (And is that Mary Jo Pehl playing the sax and wearing those Isaac Asimov sideburns?)
The off-screen kid who whines as his mom (Mary Jo) tries to get her deadbeat ex to sign some papers.
Etc.
(Anyone else notice that many of Paul’s best appearances are in tandem with Mary Jo?)
Everyone already said pretty much everything. Liked when he did his guest spots.
As the electrician in Devilfish. He is a great foil to Mike, who is exhibiting his puerile side, demeaning his profession. Paul calmly calls the dolphin war ship to keep Mike in line.
He’s so composed and matter-of-fact, and is very natural. He’s a good actor!
I loved him as the snooty Observer. When they introduced the Observers, I had a hunch that one of them would be joining the cast as a regular villain. Although Bill Corbett carries himself well as the show’s resident Brain Guy, it would’ve been hilarious to see Paul as the Observer who would have to contend with Pearl and Bobo (but then, we wouldn’t have had all those other great characters).
My favorite Paul-as-Observer moments would have to be when the Observers administered the intelligence tests (“His answers read, ‘Why… why… WHY?'”) and talked about their special food (“With the simple use of what we call a ‘spoon’…” “Do you understand?”).
Ortega was awesome as well. It looks like they couldn’t have any more Torgo appearances after that whole Torgo-the-White thing from the “Samson Vs. the Vampire Women” episode (which would explain why there’s no obvious appearance by Torgo in “Gorgo”). As such, it was great to have a substitute Torgo, especially when Ortega appeared as one of Pearl’s staffers for Public Pearl TV.
In addition to the other moments listed above, I would like to add his performance as the electrician from “Devil Fish.”
Every time I see the skit with Paul as the Observer who dictates into his tape recorder how much he pities Mike’s condition as a human, I die laughing. I don’t remember which episode it’s in, but I love it!
I also second (third, fourth…) Pitch. Not since Peter Gabriel filming the video for “Sledgehammer” has someone put so much paint on their face for so little screen time.
#14, GizmonicTemp: “Every time I see the skit with Paul as the Observer who dictates into his tape recorder how much he pities Mike’s condition as a human, I die laughing. I don’t remember which episode it’s in, but I love it!”
That’s the episode where the Observers are introduced: “The Thing That Wouldn’t Die.”
i freaking LOVE Ortega!
[I love when Mary Jo asks what his name is and then says “that’s pretty”] lol :lol:
What everyone else said.
Although, I am particularly fond of the Sandy character. The movie that host segment goes with, The Brute Man, is dreadful, but I will always watch that Sandy sketch over again. There’s something authentic about that character. I feel that somewhere there is an aging sleaze-ball like Sandy.
I always loved it when Paul would show up as a character. I agree with all the ones mentioned already, such as Huggy Bear (Paul as a pimp is just hysterical, and you could tell he was having fun with it.) and Pitch.
I always liked his performance as the little Amish boy at Mike’s trial. Particularly as he gets more and more worked up under the accusations.
As a side note, is Paul older than the rest of the Best Brains group? He didn’t look it on the show, but he looks horrifying in the retrospective documentary on the 20th anniversary DVD set.
“As a side note, is Paul older than the rest of the Best Brains group? He didn’t look it on the show, but he looks horrifying in the retrospective documentary on the 20th anniversary DVD set.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I was also rather shocked at his appearance–I guess I always thought he looked younger than most of the on-camera MSTers, but now he looks older.
Can’t add much more to the discussion, other than agreeing with everyone. Scooter is always the first Paul character that comes to my mind, for some reason. I think it’s the hat.
Ortega is no Torgo.
And the mad scientist sent to evaluate Pearl was a pretty funny routine.
I don’t think Paul was given enough “on camera” time. I think he is under rated as a performer/writer. As for the comment as “horrifying” in commentary #19, Perhaps that’s a little too harsh. He has aged a bit in twenty years or so but so has everyone else. Hopefully we’ll all get a chance to age without it being an issue. Paul – what are you doing these days….maybe a guest performer on CT or Rifftraxs?
#22:
I’m assuming that Sampo is saving Frank for the big finish — kinda like how the last person on TV opening credits is one of the biggest stars other than the lead.
I was kind of joking when I said that Frank should have came before Josh Weinstein, but you are putting Paul Chaplin ahead of T.V.’s Frank??? That’s not change we can believe in — that’s change we can Xerox.
When I think Paul Chaplin, I think of episode 805 “The Thing That Couldn’t Die”. As one of the observers, he observes Mike and the bots, insulting them, calling the bots “odd, grim marionettes” and Mike an “ungainly, peach colored creature. Then,after comparing Mike to feces, Mike throws him out the airlock. I just love that skit.
“I always liked his performance as the little Amish boy at Mike’s trial. Particularly as he gets more and more worked up under the accusations.”
I’m pretty sure that wasn’t Paul; Paul was the judge presiding over that scene (albeit with the judge’s voice coming from Bill).
The Little Amish Boy was someone else – can’t recall the name, unfortunately (since it was a great bit and a great performance) – but he was the same person who played the peeved kid in the Bobo Creek Gift Shop in ep. 1006.
Wasn’t it Paul who wrote in the Sci-fi episode guide that that guy could have shined in roles other than “kid,” like “shiv-wielding maniac?”
For the record, I always though Paul resembled Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert.
I think it was brad keeley as the Little Amish Boy.
somehow my post #23 was switched with #22. anyway . . .
I”m partial to whenever he played little kids, for some reason. TimmyBobbyRusty from ‘Escape 2000’ kills me, and I also like his off-screen portrayal of White Trash Lady’s kid: ‘Mommy mommy mommy what’s for dinner?’ That makes me laugh every time. And of course, space child Scooter, sitting there trying not to puke in Pearl’s car… :lol:
Yay, Scooter! You caught Tanta Bobo in the upper thigh! AND you finished your Uncle Josh’es Pork Rinds…
I think the reason Paul looks to have aged more than other cast members is that he’s kept something of a low profile compared to, say, Mike or Kevin. I heard a lot of people say the same thing about Joel when he first came back to do Cinematic Titanic; it’s really just that when you don’t see someone for about ten years, and your mental picture of them is ten years old, you’re more likely to notice changes than if you see them every day during that same timespan. (Go back and look at Mike’s first episode and his appearance on the ComicCon panel side by side, you’ll see that he’s put some years on him, too.)
I’d like to nominate some good Paul moments, but all the ones I’d mention are taken; his turn as a mad scientist, his role as an electrician, his standout performance as Pitch, and of course, who could forget Ortega? So many great memories…
#21: I’d just like to point out that I didn’t call Paul’s appearance “horrifying;” I was quoting the previous commenter.
I suspect the reason he seems to have aged more is because he was always so skinny. I’ve found that those of us with chubby, “baby” faces don’t show wrinkles as easily. Just a hypothesis I use to make myself feel better about my extra chin. :roll:
Paul as a not the Huggy Bear in the Sinister Urge was hilarious.
all good ones on this list but will throw ortega back out there.
Thank you everyone for not mentioning his work on the MST3k.com animated shorts. Crap, I just did. D’oh!
I always wondered why Paul was never added to
the cast of MST- He joined the writing team in season 3 so seniority wise he was ahead of Mary Jo Pehl. Was he considered to replace Frank or Trace, and who said no, him or the other brains? I also thought Paul should have played the Metalunan who keeps zapping Tom Servo in the MST3K movie.
As far as Favorite moments, did anyone mention his work in the MST3K Amazing Colossal Episode Guide? He writes most of the episode entries and finds a new approach for each one. Speaking of that book, my suggestion for a future discussion thread: What was your biggest MST3K-related disappointment?
Re: his horrifying aging- Didn’t his wife/girlfriend go through an illness/sickness? That would age anyone. I also heard that about Jim Mallon though, so maybe I have my facts crossed.
Paul definitely looked the worst at the comiccon while Bridget Jones was HOTTER THAN EVER and Mary Jo & J. Elvis look better than ever too (I know, not saying much).
I like pie.
Paul as Observer: Perhaps we’ll find that it(MIKE)is some form of feces or refuse.” I almost peed myself that time.
I’ve thought a good Rifftrax presents would be Paul, Bill and Trace doing a movie and then one with Josh, Kevin and either Frank or James Moore, so you could get all the incarnations of the bots together.
All of my favorite moments have been listed so I won’t add to the many repeated ones.
On another note, I just got 5 of the DVD sets for $140 so I’m a happy fan. :mrgreen:
paul seems so sweet.and i love him as the little kids.he has a little teensy haton lol
“Right in the tender vittles.”
All the good ones have been mentioned, so I’ll just give some kudos to what I consider the peak of his appearences – yes, Observer insulting Mike in the SOL.
“My God, I pray for his death…”
I actually always enjoyed Paul’s entries the best on the Sci-Fi channel’s episode guide.
I just love the space children sketch, especially when Pearl has her endless bag of repulsive bar fixin’s.
The Space Child in Parts: the Clonus Horror :
The Devil in Santa Claus :lol:
The Space Child in Parts: the Clonus Horror :
The Devil in Satna Claus :lol:
Pitch in “Santa Claus”
Sandy in “The Brute Man”.
One of the Observers during the Sci-Fi years.