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Weekend Discussion Thread: Best Eps for a Halloween MarathonAlert regular Sue has another good one:
It seems impossible, but I can’t find that you’ve had a “Best/Worst Episodes for a Halloween Marathon” WDT. I won’t chime in with my choices just yet, as I’d like to think about it a little longer. “Worst” would be eps that are supposed to be scary but aren’t, or have other qualities that make them less-than-ideal for Halloween. I’m going to go with “Ring of Terror” and “Zombie Nightmare” as a one-Joel/one-Mike double feature. What’s your pick? Keep those ideas coming! 48 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: Best Eps for a Halloween Marathon”Commenting at Satellite News
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“Manos” and “Touch of Satan” for a devilish theme. Throw in Pitch in “Santa Claus” and you’ve got both a triple feature and a jump on the premature-Christmas season.
Not sure what I’d do for a worst marathon, but “Hobgoblins,” “Werewolf,” and “Soultaker” would make a good slab of late ’80s/early ’90s cheese.
I’d go with “Bride of the Monster”, “Tormented”, “The Dead Talk Back” and “The Touch of Satan” as my marathon.
One of my friends runs a horror movie marathon month in October, and this month, we’re doing Rifftrax/MSTie Mondays.
Not saying this is necessarily the best choice, but this Monday we’ll be doing a special tribute to one of the lesser Estevezes, with back-to-back showings of Werewolf and Soultaker.
And of course, since someone must say it, Manos would be ideal for a Halloween showing.
I’d go with a ‘Giant Creature Feature’ theme and run a marathon of Earth vs The Spider, Gorgo, Beginning of the End, and The Deadly Mantis – topping it all off with Giant Spider Invasion.
I say:
Hobgoblins, for its frightening depiction of sexual perversity
Tormented, for its creepy relationship between a 40 something musician and an elementary schooler
The Dead Talk Back, for truly terrifying levels of narration
Rocket Attack USA, for its ghoulish propaganda
And, to wind it all up, Zombie Nightmare, for its shocking proximity to actual scary movies.
I’m not a horror fan, but I suppose if one wanted to hit the classic horror genres with an MST twist, I would say:
Ghosts: Tormented
Werewolves: Werewolf
Vampires: Samson vs. the Vampire Women
Zombies: Zombie Nightmare
Mad Scientist: Bride of the Monster
Generic Monster: Boggy Creek II
The Dead Talk Back, The Brain that Couldn’t Die, The Thing that couldn’t Die, Attack of the Eye Creatures, Bride of the Monster, Werewolf, Samson vs. the Vampire Women, The Screaming Skull
‘Being from another planet’
‘teenage werewolf’
‘euro american wahrwuhlf’
and uh… ‘Mitchell!’
the crawling hand
mad monster
Godzilla Vs. Megalon
Manos hands of fate
The brain that wouldn’t die
Atomic Brain
Tormented
Sampson Vs. the Vampire Women
Zombie nightmare
The Screaming skull
I was a teenage werewolf
Horror of party beach
devil doll
The touch of Satan
werewolf
it lives by night
I think those are the essentials.
Halloween needs ghosts, so Tormented and Soultaker would be a good pair. The happy ending of Soultaker would balance out the bummer ending of Tormented. Throw in Zombie Nightmare for the finish, because you can’t have too much Adam West or goofy coroners.
If I wanted the truly scary episodes for my Halloween fearfest, I’d go for:
Mitchell
The Beast of Yucca Flats
Red Zone Cuba
Because the doughy guys splayed, sprawled, making out, cuddling bunnies, threatening blind women, or dropping guns down their pant legs are frickin’ terrifying. If I saw all three back to back, I probably wouldn’t sleep for a week.
Son of Peanut,
How can you call Crenshaw a “generic monster”? ;)
@10 I agree with your reasoning and choices except that Soultaker does have that one scene of Mama ogling her adult daughter taking a bath from a crack in the door. That’s creepier than having Joe Estavez doing it!
OK, now that I’ve thought about it (I’m Sue), I’d have to go with Werewolf, Soultaker, Zombie Nightmare, Touch of Satan, and The Deadly Mantis for a good or at least funny marathon. For a should-be-scary-but-is-only-boring marathon: Ring of Terror, The Dead Talk Back, and Monster A-Go-Go. Just thinking about any of those last three puts me to sleep.
The MST3K crew didn’t do many vampire movies, did they? As in, one. Would’ve loved to see them tackle, say, Blacula.
As Bobo loves bags, I love lists! And we’re talkin’ marathons, so I am going to elucidate two marathons, featuring one pick from each season. Now, a long time ago, cable channel AMC used to at least give token acknowledgement to “old” horror/monster movies. I remember seeing stuff like “Earth vs. The Spider”, “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Black Scorpion”, the 1942 Lon Chaney “Wolfman”, etc. Now its all Michael Myers, Freddy Kreuger, Jason Voorhies, Stephen King book-to-movie etc.
I like a mix. So I present two lists, one featuring “older” features, the other “newer” features. Lets peruse, won’t we?
“Older”: Robot Monster; Godzilla vs. Megalon; It Conquered the World; Manos: The Hands of Fate; The Beginning of the End; The Creeping Terror; Night of the Blood Beast; Revenge of the Creature; The Screaming Skull; Horrors of Spider Island.
Note: I realize some of the picks are not the most popular ones among fans, but I chose with a lot of weight given to making me laugh consistently through the whole episode.
“Newer”: Robot Holocaust; Godzilla vs. Megalon (the most recent feature of season 2, I believe, but it’s a great one); Pod People; Being From Another Planet; Alien From L.A.; Zombie Nightmare; Laserblast; Giant Spider Invasion; Werewolf; Soultaker.
Good WDT!
Ring of Terror
Screaming Skull
Incredible Melting Man
MST3k The Movie
Hobgoblins
Werewolf
Squirm
Two movies should be included. I will be watching these many times this month. First Monster A go go (even though there was no monster) and ROWSDOWER! (My rechristened name for Final Sacrifice) I mean nothing scarier than a Magnum TA mustache, mullet and jeans jacket.
Interesting question, since my first dips into MST3K were from looking through a bin of $1 Halloween movies at Wal-Mart and wanting a palatable way to watch some of the movies I saw there. Anyway, here are my picks based on traditional Halloween monster stereotypes:
Samson and the Vampire Women (because vampires)
Werewolf (because warrwilfs)
Zombie Nightmare (zombies)
The Touch of Satan (witches)
The Dead Talk Back (probably the closest MST3K got to anything resembling Frankenstein)
Revenge of the Creature (because it’s an actual Universal classic monster movie, which are the perfect movies for Halloween already)
Ring of Terror is a rough one for me, not so much because of the riffing (which they’ve definitely started to get down) but the movie is just so unappealing. I hate 99% of the cast. I think the only character who doesn’t make me angry is Puma.
I couldn’t tell you why exactly, but Manos has become a Halloween tradition for me the last few years, and now that there are two riffed versions to choose from I can alternate. I haven’t watched the old RiffTrax of John Carpenter’s Halloween in a few years, but that was regular viewing for a while. (Funny how that’s arguably the only slasher film that’s not so inherently goofy that it’s worth riffing. I already guffaw my way through your typical Freddy and Jason flicks.)
Hmm… I’m imagining sticking a big flatscreen in our bay window next to the front door and playing an endless loop of Manos unriffed. That should keep the trick-or-treaters to a minimum.
@dafs:
I believe you mean Pyooma. He was good, but as feline actors go, I think Xerxes from The Atomic Brain had better screen presence. And to think they spelled his name wrong in the credits! :cat:
Werewolf for obvious reasons, including the shocking conclusion!
ALSO OatMB, so everyone can dressup as Bogie, filthy disgusting anteaters, Fingals mum, etc.
The Thing that Couldn’t Die has a nice scary vibe to it, and The Unearthly is great for a claustrophobic Mad Scientist movie.
My personal picks for the best episodes for a Halloween MST3K marathon:
6:00-8:00am: Beast of the Yucca Flats
A good early morning episode. You’re still waking up and a bit groggy so you’ll feel a bit like Tor Johnson.
8:00-10:00am: Being From Another Planet
Another good early morning episode that’s easy to watch. This one is my “Saturday morning” episode.
10:00-12:00pm: Attach of the Giant Leeches
Right around now you’re probably getting hungry for lunch so it’s a good time to view some giant leeches enjoying their own meal. Mmm-mmm.
12:00-2:00pm: The Slime People
A goofy B/W perfect for an after-lunch nap.
2:00-4:00pm: Bride of the Monster
A classic for the afternoon.
4:00-6:00pm: Zombie Nightmare
Hilarious and goofy 80s movie perfect to bridge afternoon and evening.
6:00-8:00pm: Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders
Make sure and have the kids watch this one right before bed. Also remind them to believe in magic or Merlin will kill them.
8:00-10:00pm: The Giant Spider Invasion
Prime time slot for a classic episode.
10:00-12:00am: Werewolf
Halloween isn’t Halloween without a werewolf movie on at some point.
12:00-2:00am: “Manos” the Hands of Fate
After a long day of movie riffing watching, Torgo will visit you in your dreams.
We used to have one — and only one — Halloween episode: MANOS, because in fact watching it on Halloween was the only way we could GET ourselves to watch it. (No, MST3K is not a duty; it’s a pleasure, but as a movie MANOS sucks the joy out of life — rather like the cake lady in CODE NAME: DIAMOND HEAD. [And Torgo WOULD HAVE rubbed the cake in his hair, as well as all over his body, placing what was left in his knees for later use.]) As the years have passed, however, we have created a kind of floating list that probably includes half the show’s run (I exaggerate, of course). For now, though, I’ll limit myself to four:
Werewolf
Samson Versus the Vampire Women
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (which even has a scene involving a Halloween party)
Zombie Nightmare (My wife hates this movie, and Halloween gives me an opportunity to foist it on her. :) )
From Dusk Till Dawn Halloween Nonstop MST3k Marathon:
8pm: Pod People
9:30: Being From Another Planet
11:00: The Attack of the The Eye Creatures
12:30 AM: The Bride of the Monster
2:00: Zombie Nightmare
3:30: Samson vs. The Vampire Women
5:00: The Horror of Party Beach
6:30: Squirm
I’d second Samson vs. the Vampire Women:
“Hi honey, hope your dressup Halloween slumber party went we…OH MY GODDDD!!!”
(And yes, Teenage Werewolf for the iconography, if definitely NOT for the riffing.)
704 Incredible melting man, 607 Bloodlust, & 420 Monster a go-go !!! 912 the screaming skull is good for a laugh or a scare!!!
No, no. I wouldn’t want to rush the Halloween season…
Pod People
Werewolf
Incredibly Strange Creatures…
Hobgoblins
The Touch Of Satan
Bride Of The Monster
The Incredible Melting Man
Which are the ones with the Hallowe’en costumes? I like those.
How has no-one mentioned “The Creeping Terror” yet?
Bride of the Monster
Manos
Hobgoblins
Werewolf
The Unearthly
The Screaming Skull
EEGAH
I Was a Teenage Werewolf
That will fill 12 hours of Halloween
damn, I knew I was forgetting something! see my earlier list and add those 2 episodes to it.
I’d like to give a shout out to Hor-Riff-Ic Productions. They just do slasher/horror movies, and they do them well.
In general, Ocotber for me I’ll watch anything Halloween themed, doesn’t have to be scary. Like Man with 2 Brains or Burbs, old TV shows like Munsters, etc. Of course I’ll throw in stuff that is, like Blair Witch, X-Files, even stuff like Helter Skelter (Manson doc), etc.
Not a whole lot scary with MST3K episode movies. I really can’t think of a one that actually is. Zombie Nightmare, Melting Man, Werewilf, etc are all great choices though.
My own personal marathon with have to have Giant Spider Invasion. The movie and the host segments are perfect for my tastes. But I’d probably start with a Joel, something like Pod People and work my way along with Earth Vs. The Spider, Giant Gila Monster, and get to those Universals in the later season, etc.
Since I watched the show in order and not randomly, I often have trouble in October. Right now I’m on Sidehackers. Sidehackers! I love that one but…dang… :( I reluctantly decided not to watch anymore MST3K until November.
See #15! But yes, I forgot to add TCT to my list, as it’s one of my favorite “Help, I’m being eaten by a mound of walking carpet” movies.
Creeping Terror is another great choice! I saw that on my Shock Theater show back in the late 70s. Freaked my little mind out! All those ladies being sucked up like that… what was i to think? lol
This year’s MST3K theme at my house is “Why Spend Money for a Costume When You Can Make One Just as Good Out of Stuff You Have Around the House? …”
Robot Monster
The Creeping Terror
Blood Waters of Dr. Z
“… And I Made a Costume For My Dog, Too!”
The Killer Shrews
Ah, I forgot about Horror of Party Beach and The Unearthly and I was a teenage Werewolf. And also one of my all-time favorite eps Tormented. And the hep cat blackmailer in Tormented is the same guy who played Lloyd the bartender in The Shining.
Ahh, yeah. Halloween was made for MST3K.
My imaginary MST3K Marathon, beginning at 6pm:
– Samson Vs The Vampire Women
– Attack Of The Giant Leeches
– Bride Of The Monster
– The Unearthly
– Manos, The Hands Of Fate
– The Brain That Wouldn’t Die
– The Screaming Skull
#17 – You deserve an award for referencing MSTied movie AND Magnum TA! I propose Final Sacrifice, the Magnum TA vs. Tully “I Quit” match, followed by Monster-a-Go-Go.
I don’t like rushing the Halloween season but,
1000- The Mad Monster…the oldest movie mst riffed.
1200-Bride of the Monster…because no monster movie marathon is complete without Bela Lugosi.
1400-The Unearthy…or Tor Johnson.
1600-The Thing that Couldn’t Die…my all time fav. Has to be included.
1800-Horror of Party Beach…to me the quintessential 50’s-60’s monster movie.
2000-The Touch of Satan…So…..many……pauses.
2200-Track of the Moon Beast…see my opening line.
Well, I would start with the two eps that has Halloween Costumes in it. So definitely, “Godzilla vs. Megalon,” and “It Conquered the World.”
Then I’d have a marathon of the Giant Monsters so:
Gorgo
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
ALL the Gamera Films
The Deadly Mantis
Earth vs. the Spider
Beginning of the End
And I would be sure to serve “Earth vs. Soup” for the Marathon! :)
Auh, so many good choices!
I guess this marathon would constitute an entire Halloween weekend…
Attack of The (The) Eye Creatures
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Being from Another Planet
Pod People
Bride of the Monster
Manos
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die
Zombie Nightmare
The Creeping Terror
The Incredible Melting Man
The Giant Spider Invasion
The Incredibly Strange Creatures…
Devil Doll
The Touch of Satan
Gorgo
The Final Sacrifice
Soultaker
Blood Waters of Dr. Z (“…ATTACK!”)
…oops, forgot to include Human Duplicators and/or Eegah!
@40, he (Joe Turkel) was also Dr. Tyrell in Blade Runner. Not too shabby.
All great choices. But I have to throw out some love for “Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy”. That one always puts me comfortably to sleep.