tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50212627277077865562024-03-13T07:28:16.166-04:00Dale Sherman - Writer at LargeDale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-1517432334144948932023-12-25T08:57:00.002-05:002023-12-25T08:57:26.304-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Christmas Day - SANTA CLAUS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh559LxjvI0SdV7YDlS_LkAgbU9xkBdAkzivriS5ilrbE7uWx3MRPcZzX5vFXkh0iLAdY67ugWeXLpEADzHGBbG9GldFp3aQnobx-g8Jz1BogcgUkSgafwW8HvcxMMaA2joyff8_7f58vTGQD8TkXQG9vyC-T4T0f3yhXWYuGDXJHL_sWi8IV7U0a5kXTk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="974" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh559LxjvI0SdV7YDlS_LkAgbU9xkBdAkzivriS5ilrbE7uWx3MRPcZzX5vFXkh0iLAdY67ugWeXLpEADzHGBbG9GldFp3aQnobx-g8Jz1BogcgUkSgafwW8HvcxMMaA2joyff8_7f58vTGQD8TkXQG9vyC-T4T0f3yhXWYuGDXJHL_sWi8IV7U0a5kXTk=w449-h319" width="449" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">What day is it? Why, it’s Christmas
Day! <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar concludes with a
return to the golden days of old of MST3K with <i>Santa Claus!<o:p></o:p></i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Santa Claus </i>(1959)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>Mystery
Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
24, 1993<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6JwL2JD-YyLw0b4G5M64hTyI17djN8x0mCMZED7YAJMe7e3cqnb3H-L4N5Dj5KGAXezSkiKRoI3T_i6mdpwijDLtcXFs-j1QJcjZskkaqKrMQ3JPguqBE-iCB4i8HUwjGEbQIFO3emwTkFY0ZAZgsDxfETaW7oLCzW4uNkH1MzffH0KVN1z5vt8K7EV0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="252" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6JwL2JD-YyLw0b4G5M64hTyI17djN8x0mCMZED7YAJMe7e3cqnb3H-L4N5Dj5KGAXezSkiKRoI3T_i6mdpwijDLtcXFs-j1QJcjZskkaqKrMQ3JPguqBE-iCB4i8HUwjGEbQIFO3emwTkFY0ZAZgsDxfETaW7oLCzW4uNkH1MzffH0KVN1z5vt8K7EV0=w253-h394" width="253" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaxU3BlOOQJMqJPFOhYzrHqvmj9ITWBOidz0NVysvI3qj95TqL2R__gPc4SR_KDtb3fJNf5YzXaqfjzuGDbgnCkbwpx1hHCyqzbcmdpdDNMLIaRZQlc-IfVv9dPh2lEoBWtYR96KnWzqkcYGx0gBMqv7y68tpVUVsebuFbF0ex2MxgYJqc_obLGZYnPII" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaxU3BlOOQJMqJPFOhYzrHqvmj9ITWBOidz0NVysvI3qj95TqL2R__gPc4SR_KDtb3fJNf5YzXaqfjzuGDbgnCkbwpx1hHCyqzbcmdpdDNMLIaRZQlc-IfVv9dPh2lEoBWtYR96KnWzqkcYGx0gBMqv7y68tpVUVsebuFbF0ex2MxgYJqc_obLGZYnPII=w294-h392" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original U.S. poster and the DVD artwork for the MST3K version.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Santa
lives in the clouds and has children slave-labor that he torments with his
organ while mechanical reindeer laugh as a “pentagram” hang on the wall. And
that’s not the weird part. Satan can’t stand Santa for obvious reasons (that
whole “pentagram” thing, for one) and since he can’t take down Jesus, he’s
going to send one of his dancing elves, I mean, devils, to take out Santa. Pitch,
the devil that loves to prance, does this by entering people’s minds and convincing
them to do bad things that cause trouble for Santa. He’s also extremely goofy,
which shows how evil he is. Lupita, a little poor girl who wants a doll for
Christmas, refuses Scratch’s suggestions and wins a doll from God, I mean,
Santa, in the process. There’s also Merlin for some reason, three bratty kids
who get what they deserve, a rich kid who gets to see his parents for a night,
and various shenanigans and going-ons, but you get the idea.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqvpRKVmZV8r8dSZYRvDU2I8wp3fMEW8imfOGobPR3BCWEeP0ZV6e7OdoqFskNNpzlP5jUKoEYDrCXMSRkz-MN_X4gs8LClnOI3_4fyb-1jJOuGm70TEtyR6atgflK3er5k5iWWAldefldhaLKFwgKYgNTDSJTQKF88fqnrvMTVuAXjnnP05IaxmkqcKk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqvpRKVmZV8r8dSZYRvDU2I8wp3fMEW8imfOGobPR3BCWEeP0ZV6e7OdoqFskNNpzlP5jUKoEYDrCXMSRkz-MN_X4gs8LClnOI3_4fyb-1jJOuGm70TEtyR6atgflK3er5k5iWWAldefldhaLKFwgKYgNTDSJTQKF88fqnrvMTVuAXjnnP05IaxmkqcKk=w462-h260" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At some point, this reindeer was intended to make kids laugh instead of hide under their seats and cry.</div><br /><b>Thoughts: </b>It’s
K. Gordon Murray, and he’s at it again. A producer who worked out of Florida,
Murray found a lucrative career taking foreign fantasy and horror films,
redubbing them into English, ed-editing them, then releasing them with ballyhoo
titles in the U.S. Some say that it was shifty work, but thanks to him U.S.
audiences grew up on a number of Mexican films that they may not have seen
otherwise. His first few redubs were German movies, but by 1957 he had scored after
releasing two Aztec Mummy movies (one of which, <i>The Robot vs. the Aztec
Mummy</i>, was one of the first – if not THE first – movie shown on MST3K when
it moved to The Comedy Channel).<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Santa Claus</i>
was an early feature found by Murray, and it managed to get national theatrical
bookings starting in the 1960s up into the 1980s (a rarity amongst movies), as
well as becoming a popular one at Christmas time on various television channels
around the country. The film was such a success that Murray released even more
kiddie movies from Mexico in the U.S., although none had the sustaining power
as <i>Santa Claus</i>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeIe9dnDtMtoKN4LSfzqvgg9ejqdciklWYKQvvV8gfmGVzAEdqEc75we7EB5oAz6TIxA9mDd0p24Fy4n8yw5nv7lqM1SwlDKJzRSqLn-m43TTqFgF8LNBw3P0NgeF9oMc4k6olfNhtZ-jct75M9Qn5sxXoD_cZqgr_xW4j2pXAaRlEPKT2fidqfQBGOfM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="624" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeIe9dnDtMtoKN4LSfzqvgg9ejqdciklWYKQvvV8gfmGVzAEdqEc75we7EB5oAz6TIxA9mDd0p24Fy4n8yw5nv7lqM1SwlDKJzRSqLn-m43TTqFgF8LNBw3P0NgeF9oMc4k6olfNhtZ-jct75M9Qn5sxXoD_cZqgr_xW4j2pXAaRlEPKT2fidqfQBGOfM=w443-h213" width="443" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Devils mocking the damned as they journey to Hell. Merry Christmas, kids!</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Director Rene
Cardona had a long career in Mexican television and movies, while Jose Elias
Moreno as Santa had been working in movies since the late 1930s, but this is
the movie they are best known (and fair’s fair, Jose may be manic in the part,
but he does at least LOOK the part in comparison with other movies). Murray
liked bits of this so much that he used shots of Santa and his castle in the sky
in various other shorts he produced over time. Speaking of which, that’s Murray
narrating the movie in the English-dubbed version, for those curious.<br />
<br />
The plot of the movie is unique, as one usually doesn’t associate Santa having
an ongoing battle with Satan, although the general idea of a devil trying to
stop children from being good isn’t a bad one to play the Santa concept off. The
original cut of the movie is somewhat more sinister, as the opening dance
sequence with the devils takes place with a number of damned souls moving their
way into Hell (you can briefly seen them as robed figures surrounding the
devils at the end of their dance), with the insinuation is that they are
dancing not because they got a NEA grant, but rather to mock the condemns souls
as they head off to be tortured. Wheee! Such fun! That was probably a bit too
much for children and is cut from most prints of the movie since it affects
nothing else in the film and makes Pitch a bit more “fun” in a way, because
that way he doesn’t have the damned hanging around him.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTIjfqcYOMmt0bbGPjaL4Pp-s5txzj1rE83_DlAksOwRJjRJiXrM37h1Tdh9H4vI_lhC1gBGwnNW9ex4e4KWTxTTMTKgcbymkHWrmNqIV8WipDlZWQ7-NuIjl6QIAeqILOa4byfy0XHfnv1877Y-puX6EUdfvOvAuar441Z4GNfspp3zXUVCfUimMGH18" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTIjfqcYOMmt0bbGPjaL4Pp-s5txzj1rE83_DlAksOwRJjRJiXrM37h1Tdh9H4vI_lhC1gBGwnNW9ex4e4KWTxTTMTKgcbymkHWrmNqIV8WipDlZWQ7-NuIjl6QIAeqILOa4byfy0XHfnv1877Y-puX6EUdfvOvAuar441Z4GNfspp3zXUVCfUimMGH18=w456-h257" width="456" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Seriously, the only part of the movie I remember from seeing it as a kid.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Along with <i>Santa
Claus Conquers the Martians</i>, I also saw <i>Santa Claus </i>at the same
hometown theater as a kid. The only clear memory I have of that showing was of
Pitch heating up the doorknob. I’m not sure why that stuck with me, to be
honest, as there’s certainly enough weird stuff going on with crazed happy reindeer,
Merlin in Heaven with Santa, and all the prancing around that Pitch does. Maybe
I was just too bummed out that another “toy for every kid that comes to the
theater” was another broken light-up top? Probably.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>(Reading
a letter to him asking for a baby brother)
Santa: “Oh, ho, ho! Can do!
Can do!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhihTvfviECGYWL1RuzASHlnf5NKzy1x87-aIq3zaDvpFf6Z2NSGTaOEAXBYAGOzXE4OekW2Bjc21_o4TTtyyvVx6_KoiPNmSV-qmF8oNXXR5sMnjkP-pgDVuJEHlOPrirPuqtdxMejPXbZ28lSMWG92G4wFIjHtSLe_tIxSQ0y-58iXwkZb_pCmKcaDYA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="624" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhihTvfviECGYWL1RuzASHlnf5NKzy1x87-aIq3zaDvpFf6Z2NSGTaOEAXBYAGOzXE4OekW2Bjc21_o4TTtyyvVx6_KoiPNmSV-qmF8oNXXR5sMnjkP-pgDVuJEHlOPrirPuqtdxMejPXbZ28lSMWG92G4wFIjHtSLe_tIxSQ0y-58iXwkZb_pCmKcaDYA=w446-h215" width="446" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pitch will later discover that Lupita will grow up to be a lawyer.</div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b><i>Santa
Claus</i> would be the tenth episode in the fifth season of MST3K that Mike
hosted after Joel left midway through the year. By this point, although Mike
worried he “sucked” at the job (see my <i>The Worst We Can Find</i> book for
more details), and the online fanbase was having their little ongoing feud about
Mike vs. Joel, it is clear that the introduction of Mike was slowly changing
the dynamics with the characters on the SOL. Earlier times with Joel would have
see the first sketch with the Christmas carol going wrong thanks to one of the
bots and Joel scolding them. Mike here is obviously different. He not only is
the clumsy cause of the accident that stops the carol, but he is also taken
down with all the bots at the same time, making him just one of them in the
process.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDKe2K32zrkKk2Mq6LjVfdam4tp6oOcfzHCGQ55ZEQlXI5ypQLRnbha7d249-jOzuPdTCqM6suTr1973o6Lqp_SPBBy0wZzTdfkviGrUqqXBbQ1-hepE6bOII8xXla9qdb882YVUVBS3VJkdaCNq-W9lhznWA74-FonAEHVbR8VPzmS9WWM1Vy9_1mo1w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="624" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDKe2K32zrkKk2Mq6LjVfdam4tp6oOcfzHCGQ55ZEQlXI5ypQLRnbha7d249-jOzuPdTCqM6suTr1973o6Lqp_SPBBy0wZzTdfkviGrUqqXBbQ1-hepE6bOII8xXla9qdb882YVUVBS3VJkdaCNq-W9lhznWA74-FonAEHVbR8VPzmS9WWM1Vy9_1mo1w=w449-h215" width="449" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Bond!</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It would be a sign of things to come over the next four
years of the original program, with Mike becoming more of a sibling to the
robots rather than their father as Joel had always appeared to be. With that,
the robots had more freedom to do insane things that never would have worked as
well with Joel there and also helped push the show into a darker twist of humor
than seen before. (Joel would plead with the bots to not get dark, like with
the Circus short mentioned earlier in the Advent Calendar, but Mike tended to
be the first to go there in later years.) It was still clearly MST3K, but there
was an obvious shift that probably explains more the reason people had issue
with Mike or Joel than simply if one guy “sucked” more than the other.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The episode is crammed full of good sketch material, from
the first carol that goes wrong, the O. Henry spin between Frank and Forrester
(ya, we know – Frank’s bond can be turned in for that $25 now), the gift-giving
that has everyone strangely happy with their weird assortment of gifts, and
even two musical number: “Whispering Christmas Warrior” and “Merry Christmas …
If That’s Okay” that play up to Mike’s abilities as a musician and singer. We
also get a lot of additional cast members on-camera, including Paul Chaplin as
Pitch (who will return in later episodes, especially <i>Devil Doll</i>), Mary
Jo Pehl as the wrong Mother Nelson, behind-the-scenes members Timothy Scott and
Patrick Brantseg as other members of the wrong Nelson family, and, finally, Kevin
Murphy as the wrestling Santa.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYQo9c3lfW_J0s0NlSVQ4Bt8lNKF2738COCXyF9mcs0pOE9Vi6REOrIF_vFEAdZwkniD7xcH5toP6zPFQSGlscp5a1o00CthvALryz7LGzk7_nBZxBq9mTVa_cMfjLU_X6nUCyyLMC9zNpGuVaUW90fQhjF2-lw-TD3RBMch4DhC9u7sjVcGJWd4zTcZY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYQo9c3lfW_J0s0NlSVQ4Bt8lNKF2738COCXyF9mcs0pOE9Vi6REOrIF_vFEAdZwkniD7xcH5toP6zPFQSGlscp5a1o00CthvALryz7LGzk7_nBZxBq9mTVa_cMfjLU_X6nUCyyLMC9zNpGuVaUW90fQhjF2-lw-TD3RBMch4DhC9u7sjVcGJWd4zTcZY=w464-h261" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's 'All Outta Candy Cane" Time!</div><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Santa Claus</i> is a classic and has been done in
excellent re-riffed live versions by both RiffTrax and <i>The Mads</i>, while Lupita
remains a classic callback by every riffing team as well over the years in
other movies. There’s a lot going for the movie as a riffable one, but it is thanks
to this first appearance on MST3K back in 1993 that it is remembered so fondly
by fans. Better yet, the episode demonstrates that Joel left behind a
well-oiled machine that was going to go on strong thanks to those who worked
with him to make MST3K the program that it remains today. It proves they were
right with what they did and how they did it, and that success continues today
in all the varied forms still out there with RiffTrax, The Mads, and the
revised MST3K. Santa and<i> Santa Claus</i> keep going strong because there’s magic
there that keeps people going back to what they love. MST3K and all its children
are the same, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-92130894776738426632023-12-24T14:40:00.005-05:002023-12-24T21:54:18.060-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 23 - MST3K REUNION SHOW<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMWhhj_U85phyCdH9wyneIrYj5XwQXpEeUnrKOoZ-Ab2W_oRh51J6tNjs-P032UHzf1D80YmmUI3UjOr1iFcbZbIkkA7nxjORRW9bOC4v41WeTjI284woJ90gb0l5ms-T9q8oCsIc66R7gPl-gPEMkd3i2uNTSUPD-b1ai3d9KlD5L2xtA5VPxXKdyqz4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="981" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMWhhj_U85phyCdH9wyneIrYj5XwQXpEeUnrKOoZ-Ab2W_oRh51J6tNjs-P032UHzf1D80YmmUI3UjOr1iFcbZbIkkA7nxjORRW9bOC4v41WeTjI284woJ90gb0l5ms-T9q8oCsIc66R7gPl-gPEMkd3i2uNTSUPD-b1ai3d9KlD5L2xtA5VPxXKdyqz4=w432-h293" width="432" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">It’s Day 23 of <i>The Worst We Can
Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and Christmas Eve. What’s a better tradition
than bringing the family together to celebrate, which is exactly what we get
with <i>The MST3K Reunion Show!<o:p></o:p></i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>The MST3K
Reunion Show</i> <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>June
28, 2016<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifzSBvladJrgltJuaRKW0yQceeQktB-oeNepayCeReTjaCXl6W-941My9qykiG_4xl7OBnmALXNATCDFcNqTpF0CeHD5dP9hsGI7UNL8klKQguFYCpQQ9szj-fu1qrmuVoPf8QxnMg5IAfJgFF5GnBIkodO6aBc20kGTx0KE9Cr-QIkxRV_5CaNLPvT9Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifzSBvladJrgltJuaRKW0yQceeQktB-oeNepayCeReTjaCXl6W-941My9qykiG_4xl7OBnmALXNATCDFcNqTpF0CeHD5dP9hsGI7UNL8klKQguFYCpQQ9szj-fu1qrmuVoPf8QxnMg5IAfJgFF5GnBIkodO6aBc20kGTx0KE9Cr-QIkxRV_5CaNLPvT9Y=w302-h403" width="302" /></a></div><br /><b>Plot</b>: It’s the
20<sup>th</sup> live show from RiffTrax and its tenth year; going strong with
multiple live shows during the year and their various releases through various
streaming platforms. Frank and Trace were also going strong, touring as <i>The
Mads</i> in live shows around the country. Finally,
Joel was back in the game with the coming return of <i>MST3K</i> on Netflix
starring Jonah Ray. With all that in mind, it was a natural fit to bring
everyone together for one of the RiffTrax live shows.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO1O14w7AqgcaqFqNKpXmSeyXVXZBTEJSPtdVz0wSnbfNNGuEFbLh0Bl-UXMq9LCPUL1RF3TIO_6pH8vYUUWk2HXf2TbNpO4vxp4DpuAsoR0QEMNqF_ifRp7hrfPu6mREGMP2yb25bdBlNuDMTnKdqHbWST932nvwr23T73ZGds3oNNG8N0LEoYkFPSeQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="624" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhO1O14w7AqgcaqFqNKpXmSeyXVXZBTEJSPtdVz0wSnbfNNGuEFbLh0Bl-UXMq9LCPUL1RF3TIO_6pH8vYUUWk2HXf2TbNpO4vxp4DpuAsoR0QEMNqF_ifRp7hrfPu6mREGMP2yb25bdBlNuDMTnKdqHbWST932nvwr23T73ZGds3oNNG8N0LEoYkFPSeQ=w463-h217" width="463" /></a></div><br />The performance was
filmed and sent to theaters around the country as remains custom for
RiffTrax live shows, but this specific event took place at the State Theater in
Minneapolis, Minnesota in a homecoming in the city where it all started. After
a short intro showing brief clips from earlier live shows, and with a portion
of the stage set up with a version of the MST3K logo, the show begins with Bill,
Mike, and Kevin introducing the others that will be appearing that night: Mary
Jo Pehl, Bridget Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Jonah Ray, and Joel
Hodgson. The program features eight shorts done with the various teams of
riffers before the final two are done by all involved.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcHvzZsWOup4c0dj5_4iFWMhzOVFbYtQqTBhFkqQvmq96cG3EGJH8qZBEOjb1YpXJ0dOoSjIOeO50VmDO5OqcPsPe-tch-9zhUcufaqgjN5E83yFrMO-S5POlEcSJyj6Nv0fTxuI8BO9TF4BRALSI_ALzsJ88JjU97iAx3T_EMlgCzq_yGbD14leJRBQE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="624" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcHvzZsWOup4c0dj5_4iFWMhzOVFbYtQqTBhFkqQvmq96cG3EGJH8qZBEOjb1YpXJ0dOoSjIOeO50VmDO5OqcPsPe-tch-9zhUcufaqgjN5E83yFrMO-S5POlEcSJyj6Nv0fTxuI8BO9TF4BRALSI_ALzsJ88JjU97iAx3T_EMlgCzq_yGbD14leJRBQE=w423-h197" width="423" /></a></div><br /><i>The Talking Car</i>
(1969) – Produced by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and Alfred Higgins
Productions, this short stars Brian Forster, who later played Chris Partridge
on <i>The Partridge Family</i> after the first season. The short has Forster as
Jimmy, a boy who missed out on a fishing trip after almost getting hit by a car.
He later dreams of meeting three talking cars who discuss with him traffic
safety. The cars are given cartoon eyes
and mouths, making them disturbing to look at, and with a dog that camera cuts
to in order to growl at times, it’s a perfect starting short for the riffing by
Bill, Mike, and Kevin.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After a brief
congrats to some of the cosplayers coming to see the show, Bridget and Mary Jo
are introduced with a shocker of a story by Mike, and then given the reins to
riff the next short.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM-5YVN9GbDIkIw4sjZPdgTSk_3AADCRPNBJkOlIaeP23Vqb1wuXFj_zvvKTSY6w-yFdWyCqCXmLQ1eYdesJcJNgu6Jddailntx41U-tpHmp-DwUE90q7G46iOEnOXOSfogPBbEKuS8KTZ8XsXhINpYpc0EYc9-4XXFBmTfY346ujaR4_dM2gnb_sD-WY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiM-5YVN9GbDIkIw4sjZPdgTSk_3AADCRPNBJkOlIaeP23Vqb1wuXFj_zvvKTSY6w-yFdWyCqCXmLQ1eYdesJcJNgu6Jddailntx41U-tpHmp-DwUE90q7G46iOEnOXOSfogPBbEKuS8KTZ8XsXhINpYpc0EYc9-4XXFBmTfY346ujaR4_dM2gnb_sD-WY=w434-h244" width="434" /></a></div><br /><i>A Word to the
Wives</i> (1955) – This comedic short sponsored by the Woman’s Home Companion
is directed by Normal Lloyd (a frequent Hitchcock collaborator) and stars
Marsha Hunt and Darren McGavin. With people like that, you’d expect something
better than a standard “look at my electric house!” hard sell, but that’s what
you get here, with McGavin hamming his way in his unique manner that tells you “I’m
only here for the paycheck.”<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A clip of <i>Mothra</i>
is shown next, since it was RiffTrax's next live event, and then Frank and Trace are
brought out. Frank makes the mistake of announcing they’re doing way too many
movies at their next live shows (and a mention of everyone telling Frank that he
needs to work PG13), and then it’s on to their riff, which is one of their most
sinister of shorts from the <i>Night of Shorts</i> collection.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPeLVAmvWCizJnVhdzdXtk-OWk30-tOEblNL02BxbIq4MaXjSSv759gsvXLhxLpI-3fxIY5fD_ltjvvLb54TBMqSmAM2-DBMk-VIglrgums_Nu9zehgVsQOTxKSA1g-kjCWkGWwW7yV_2Q-qDNxk-oc2Kj1zsmzuOhwr3YqJBWok5O4IwXTYdqqIglGVw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="624" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPeLVAmvWCizJnVhdzdXtk-OWk30-tOEblNL02BxbIq4MaXjSSv759gsvXLhxLpI-3fxIY5fD_ltjvvLb54TBMqSmAM2-DBMk-VIglrgums_Nu9zehgVsQOTxKSA1g-kjCWkGWwW7yV_2Q-qDNxk-oc2Kj1zsmzuOhwr3YqJBWok5O4IwXTYdqqIglGVw=w463-h215" width="463" /></a></div><br /><i>More Dates for
Kay </i>(1952) – It’s a Coronet short that is SUPPOSED to show girls how to be
less of a wallflower, but really comes off as teaching young girls how to put
out for any many boys as possible. It’s as horrifying as it sounds, and right
in the wheelhouse for The Mads to riff. It is really the best short of the show
and worth seeing, but creepy and depressing at the same time.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQaj7joGauFVC86Sg3P1gZt4V_qiym67LtuFPs2lsaXpLOJljHm-a11z9jouLE1OK2k9zok7Uxloh10XLxzKA77_v62ZkF4eBewnD896bSKLUWOVVf5pesTcWdNQ0Ty9bNFFo-R9GVfScuXjh4k8Pun8OB8JgWrg33icp_vRSDn6PRrn5VnTb3gWp_7fk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="624" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQaj7joGauFVC86Sg3P1gZt4V_qiym67LtuFPs2lsaXpLOJljHm-a11z9jouLE1OK2k9zok7Uxloh10XLxzKA77_v62ZkF4eBewnD896bSKLUWOVVf5pesTcWdNQ0Ty9bNFFo-R9GVfScuXjh4k8Pun8OB8JgWrg33icp_vRSDn6PRrn5VnTb3gWp_7fk=w405-h184" width="405" /></a></div><br /><i>Shake Hands with
Danger</i> (1980) – An early riff by RiffTrax and a favorite returns for the
live performance with Bill, Mike, and Kevin doing the duties. It’s directed by
Herk Harvey of <i>Carnival of Souls</i> fame and features more than a dozen
hazardous accidents in the workplace, including some gore effects that may not
go over well for the squeamish (which Bill cautions people about before the
short begins). Even with all the head injuries and limb detachments, however,
it’s a good one for the RiffTrax guys to bring back for the special event.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A quick promotion
of the at-the-time newish RiffTrax app to help synch up movies with their
riffing, and then Jonah Ray and Joel Hodgson are brought out for the next short. Joel mentions the start of the show back at KTMA and the
loving only-in-Minnesota responses from fans back in the early days.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMdLXctl1I8wA53u_5aCQ4lsHh-5hyGYxR7YFr4lcL8er72Uw93XLetPXPan10cEDQsfSEPDM2n7qO_HZxLsIMmik8JICxIDDa-1fuoKdPGsYRYr90HZVvNHr7tEJ9zrofRddYlPG5gKFOjd5GrYb65ONqFpdCeFStBkW5rcuXhYf_ID8wXW7VLiScMnk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="624" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMdLXctl1I8wA53u_5aCQ4lsHh-5hyGYxR7YFr4lcL8er72Uw93XLetPXPan10cEDQsfSEPDM2n7qO_HZxLsIMmik8JICxIDDa-1fuoKdPGsYRYr90HZVvNHr7tEJ9zrofRddYlPG5gKFOjd5GrYb65ONqFpdCeFStBkW5rcuXhYf_ID8wXW7VLiScMnk=w418-h194" width="418" /></a></div><br /><i>Americans at
Work: Barbers and Beauticians</i> (1960) – A short from a series made by the AFL-CIO to show
support for various service industry jobs in the country, this one focuses namely
on a couple of people getting their hair done while describing how important
and training-intensive the occupations are. For many MST3K fans, this was a
first look at the “new guy” who would be become the host of MST3K in the Netflix
years and onward, Jonah Ray, and he does a fine job playing off the RiffTrax team
with Joel. Look for the Podium Switch … which ends up with them right back at
the same podiums they started from. Joel is obviously pushing Jonah, but that’s
understandable with the new MST3K just around the corner.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mike introduces two
of the major writers for RiffTrax, Conor Lastowka and Sean Thomason and then
members of the RiffTrax team from behind-the-scenes before a ten-minute montage
of various movie riffs from over the first ten years of RiffTrax is shown, including
clips from movies that are only available as audio commentaries. They then
bring out everyone for the final two shorts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPAskHzXKT93C2eQmPm0QELjoVeumuYO53bhAe-t1gk9gCazwieiNV16Ucic8exN5F3ynn2xjKmqVtJLh6yxAAAySbw4_PiQ1dy6C-4_SMKcACgEdyIc1WhBnYgGqvptfxbTFH-wbNVu7Kr3KIKGAv4wyJhj9VGwv40NdA50RR5ztrnj-ojDcOEykcQBs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="624" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPAskHzXKT93C2eQmPm0QELjoVeumuYO53bhAe-t1gk9gCazwieiNV16Ucic8exN5F3ynn2xjKmqVtJLh6yxAAAySbw4_PiQ1dy6C-4_SMKcACgEdyIc1WhBnYgGqvptfxbTFH-wbNVu7Kr3KIKGAv4wyJhj9VGwv40NdA50RR5ztrnj-ojDcOEykcQBs=w443-h204" width="443" /></a></div><br /><i>Stamp Day for
Superman</i> (1954) – A short featuring the cast from the <i>Superman </i>series
to help promote U.S. Saving Bonds. It’s not too far out of the realms of a
standard episode of the series, except the robber doesn’t want to steal, he’s
broke and needs to learn how to save money; hence the lesson to be learned by buying
Saving Bonds (and, yes, yes, we all know that the $25 bond Forrester gave Frank
can now be cashed in 2023, thank you … it’s a funny reminder, but everyone has
thought of it. Everyone.) It’s about bonds
but seems to be more about doing cool things with a typewriter for half the
running time, to be honest.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>At Your
Fingertips – Grass </i>(1970) – One final short before everyone can scurry away
is another RiffTrax favorite from the ACI production team. It’s supposed to be
showing how kids can build toys and masks with grass and weeds, but really just
becomes a type of <i>Lord of the Flies</i> homage before it’s all over. Still,
is corn grass? (What? Well, yes, everyone says that line too, but it’s not like
the $25 bond thing if I repeat the grass joke. No. But I – If – oh, okay. I
hang my head in shame, and a grass mask would complete that shame.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: (</b>After
introducing Bridget and Mary Jo to the crowd) <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Mike: Now, Bridget
you were telling me a very funny thing backstage, and do you mind if I bring
this out in front of the audience? I understand that you’re married to me!<br />
<br />
Bill: What is this about?!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcUMm-wU0XguBUiMkf_PjN5fRJ6a3QwIMRxRvh94xNMI-sxj5eGFosJv8rH16DaL2GCfJC3_tzBoz0m_-2sx0STdc2pn7gfE-GB_qCp0DTQlnEOF-OEr2CmsOuI68jXnyG7a5ITTXPlTMFOfTanO4vDz9X1xPY8WggBIUFdps3GAr0_hTbmLx6Q0i9rW0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcUMm-wU0XguBUiMkf_PjN5fRJ6a3QwIMRxRvh94xNMI-sxj5eGFosJv8rH16DaL2GCfJC3_tzBoz0m_-2sx0STdc2pn7gfE-GB_qCp0DTQlnEOF-OEr2CmsOuI68jXnyG7a5ITTXPlTMFOfTanO4vDz9X1xPY8WggBIUFdps3GAr0_hTbmLx6Q0i9rW0=w436-h245" width="436" /></a></div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b>This
was a chance to see nearly everyone from the MST3K back together again for the first
time riffing, and the programming is done effectively with everyone giving
a chance to shine. By doing so, The Mads get to promote their touring, and of
course Bridget and Mary Jo get to show off their glowing work, but more
specifically, Joel gets to promote the new version of MST3K. This was important
in some ways as that passing of the torch no doubt felt needed. There were (and
in some cases, still are) sore feelings for some fans about the shift away from
the old cast to a new one with the revived MST3K. Compounded by the mid-western
tendency of the cast to avoid discussion personal issues, and the emphasis of repeatedly asking former cast members – in particular Trace and Frank – about their
involvement in the new show, and it didn’t help to secure the feeling that all was
fine among the old crew.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Yet, the MST3K Reunion show helped show that if there were
issues “the play is the thing” (or “riff is the thing” as it were). The new
show could go on, and it was clear that Jonah had the chops to go the riffing route
with his introduction here. More importantly, besides reminding us as fans
where it all started, it also shown how riffing had flowered into other projects
that were going strong: The Mads continuing to tour with their own live shows, which
continues today in a monthly format at <i><a href="https://dumb-industries.com/themadsareback">The Mads Are Back.</a></i> Mary Jo doing her
own thing at <a href="https://dumb-industries.com/themaryjopehlshow">Dumb Industries</a> and still pairing up with Bridget for RiffTrax, as
well as appearing as Pearl in the new version of MST3K (making Mary Jo the
nexus-point of all realities in the riffing world). And of course, there’s
RiffTrax, going strong at 10 years here and continue to go strong into the future
(with Joel, Frank, and Trace, as well as Jonah, all saluting RiffTrax in a
pre-show clip when they did their live show for <i>The Return of Swamp Thing</i>
in 2022).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The live <a href="https://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax-live-mst3k-reunion">MST3K Reunion</a> is successful as a celebration
of the art of riffing. And, besides, getting together with old friends to bond over old times
and new is one thing we always look forward to during the holidays.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-22333286179832039852023-12-23T21:37:00.003-05:002023-12-23T21:37:28.832-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 22 - BEYOND CHRISTMAS <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRZC7-OD-u0pMd9ZX95unyJdsyzGaJ7OcpIJNPdYIKkbPGkrvu9xMoY8T4urp0vzLSvmV3SnBumVCr343PW8SodOqKgWgzce2RnxBZnbmYxoHrfnjxjXimZxLHTmPz0d6YrA6uCc-86GQBAA69UxaiiBb7oWzSXx9sTklZ99wyHl8PDh1Qo29skoteh6g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="980" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRZC7-OD-u0pMd9ZX95unyJdsyzGaJ7OcpIJNPdYIKkbPGkrvu9xMoY8T4urp0vzLSvmV3SnBumVCr343PW8SodOqKgWgzce2RnxBZnbmYxoHrfnjxjXimZxLHTmPz0d6YrA6uCc-86GQBAA69UxaiiBb7oWzSXx9sTklZ99wyHl8PDh1Qo29skoteh6g=w438-h307" width="438" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">It’s Day 22 of <i>The Worst We Can
Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and it’s time to return to Bridge and Mary
Jo over at RiffTrax with the sweet, forgotten Christmas movie, <i>Beyond
Christmas<o:p></o:p></i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Beyond
Christmas</i> (1940)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
15, 2017<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZLdEfLwz5fmasbxpYvM_bU40Q1riJTwrAOCUUf8AjqCvNc4Z22054jAbTOHrgkHeR4tXi3lK119TJu-dMyBSfIgHUegfb1V9MNj9epK25GggKNIaxCizuL1FdF1T8rrgOdwcv4KkMlS5kGZEyFjG_9t3b_EqtywZv68vMv00ZDi5mI-2azruU80Say0E" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZLdEfLwz5fmasbxpYvM_bU40Q1riJTwrAOCUUf8AjqCvNc4Z22054jAbTOHrgkHeR4tXi3lK119TJu-dMyBSfIgHUegfb1V9MNj9epK25GggKNIaxCizuL1FdF1T8rrgOdwcv4KkMlS5kGZEyFjG_9t3b_EqtywZv68vMv00ZDi5mI-2azruU80Say0E=w227-h347" width="227" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg025DXO1-1ZKArudP49MLPvwd9_D71544wBUUFy9gfZhoV2RdWrQEuCuZVOj9HvOg2G4Qbp7lPjn7uubby9HcxVFkbBdAUswgq_AQECm1hM6kwwW-fQVMPklPGvksLyU1DDquMbgGF6BQ-mUh_5cmx-ZtjdBFfS--S1ZP_NZs298ArWoDcRJqphSLLOgE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg025DXO1-1ZKArudP49MLPvwd9_D71544wBUUFy9gfZhoV2RdWrQEuCuZVOj9HvOg2G4Qbp7lPjn7uubby9HcxVFkbBdAUswgq_AQECm1hM6kwwW-fQVMPklPGvksLyU1DDquMbgGF6BQ-mUh_5cmx-ZtjdBFfS--S1ZP_NZs298ArWoDcRJqphSLLOgE=w261-h347" width="261" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original movie poster (with original title) and the RiffTrax steaming artwork.<br /><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Movie Plot</b>: Three
older, successful businessmen live in the same house in the big city: Michael
(Charles Winniger), who is the most joyous of the three; Allan (C. Aubrey
Smith), who misses his son that died in the Great War; and George (Harry Carey),
who is miserable and anti-social due to his past involvement in legal matters
that has turned many against him. <br />
<br />
It’s Christmas Eve and a planned party looks to derail when the couple that was
to join them declines because George will be there. To cheer everyone up,
Michael stages a game where each throws a new wallet out their window to the
busy sidewalk below. Each wallet contains $10 and their business card, with the
objective to prove that people are ultimately good in nature. George’s wallet
is picked up by Arlene (Helen Vinson), who takes the money and throws away the
wallet. The other two wallets are picked
up people who return them: James (Richard Carlson, of <i>Tormented</i> fame)
and Jean (Jean Parker). They are two young people new to the city and it is
clear to the men that they have an eye for each other.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf9ptUIM6tBd4uV2eYkk5Yui6vr8uDn8UHfHjWDq-zQkf21j6_7LXLnzdAezBFoGhyWPTsZ-p7Nya165OYwz6FTIA2psBBVfRSDVHOszNXB-AEkj6OWugHpOaF9p234Ldlll4dC2MLe2FX1ElUDZNjVyfzXRoHwg--WrP2B6jR_L3oHX0ndJZy_NmxIQI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="616" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf9ptUIM6tBd4uV2eYkk5Yui6vr8uDn8UHfHjWDq-zQkf21j6_7LXLnzdAezBFoGhyWPTsZ-p7Nya165OYwz6FTIA2psBBVfRSDVHOszNXB-AEkj6OWugHpOaF9p234Ldlll4dC2MLe2FX1ElUDZNjVyfzXRoHwg--WrP2B6jR_L3oHX0ndJZy_NmxIQI=w443-h201" width="443" /></a></div><br />
The trio have a great dinner with the pair and begin inviting them to various
functions and outings to try to match them up. Their scheme works, with James
proposing to Jean, and they arrive at the men’s home only to discover that the
trio just died in a plane crash. Michael, in preparation for the two eventually
getting married, left them several bonds and James is asked to stay at the home
by the servant, Madam Tanya (Maria Ouspenskaya, who many of you may recognize
as Bela Lugosi’s mom in <i>The Wolfman</i>).<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Unknown to
everyone, the threesome are soon back at the house as ghosts, with Michael
determined to make sure that James and Jean stay together. James, however, has
finally gotten a big break with his singing career and finds Arlene latching on
to him, knowing he’s on his way up. Michael can clearly see the mechanics
involved in Arlene’s attention and is upset to see James ignoring Jean, but
there’s little he can do.<br />
<br />
And little time left. It is George’s time and is called to Hell, which he does without
reservations, feeling he would be a hypocrite if he tried to reform after
death. Allan leaves soon after as well, but his destination is Heaven, where
his son, wife, and all his friends from the past are ready for him. Michael
finds himself left behind and finally gets the calling, but refuses to leave
James and Jean in their time of need, even after being warned that to stay
means no entrance into Heaven later and he will wander the Earth for eternity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4S1dPjNOUe_R7FOcYStbAD9CMHa9LXh31gq80GTXahVBGMLaDjySODIAKU1AbU1vmL1s6y2nllIhEWrPHEODC7WiHsRZTMK3ojKnECirAkyULN5wvb9WvBdN1hm5MjPTFbnPoB5PE94YO8_LpP9wzthIx8GFaOdygmSXu0p6n-X11tX74Opj6pRaFGnc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="624" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4S1dPjNOUe_R7FOcYStbAD9CMHa9LXh31gq80GTXahVBGMLaDjySODIAKU1AbU1vmL1s6y2nllIhEWrPHEODC7WiHsRZTMK3ojKnECirAkyULN5wvb9WvBdN1hm5MjPTFbnPoB5PE94YO8_LpP9wzthIx8GFaOdygmSXu0p6n-X11tX74Opj6pRaFGnc=w462-h214" width="462" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Arlene convinces
James to join her on a vacation, quite aware that her ex-husband is stalking
her. The Ex-husband arrives at a restaurant and shoots Arlene dead and gravely
wounds James. As Jean waits outside the operating room, it appears James has
died, full of regret over how he treated Jean and wanting to go back. Michael convinces
Heaven to let James live. Michael is then invited into Heaven, along with George,
who saw the light of his friends guiding him out of the darkness. They transcend
to Heaven as the movie ends.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thoughts: </b><i>Beyond
Christmas</i> is commonly remembered as <i>Beyond Tomorrow</i> and only took on
the Christmas title in the past twenty years. Most articles mention that another
alternate title was <i>And So Goodbye</i>, but that appears to have been during
the scripting phase and not when the movie was finally released. While only the introduction of James and Jean
take place at Christmas time, the otherworldly structure of the story leans
towards the film being considered a Christmas movie, so the title change isn’t
too outlandish here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmNHwYQ5fFAFj7katWYUyMdO6FV8o0Rrmmqg8xKt5zmjCBmc17NEPULn4n1P73pf_HPBR3lI1Ptq_oZoEvoVJjnLRf8h_B4bt3vyWHeeZXatNYg9WxzgoGFENSEW4788XhyGesZ7EVMF3f3f2bQz5HMxIU6aTePWv8gSulgP2_2X7Gi37Jzj9n-q9QOxI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="624" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmNHwYQ5fFAFj7katWYUyMdO6FV8o0Rrmmqg8xKt5zmjCBmc17NEPULn4n1P73pf_HPBR3lI1Ptq_oZoEvoVJjnLRf8h_B4bt3vyWHeeZXatNYg9WxzgoGFENSEW4788XhyGesZ7EVMF3f3f2bQz5HMxIU6aTePWv8gSulgP2_2X7Gi37Jzj9n-q9QOxI=w464-h217" width="464" /></a></div><br />If you’re any fan
of black and white Hollywood pictures, you’re bound to at least kinda recognize
everyone in the cast, and certain MST3K fans will recognize Richard Carlson for
obvious reasons (Bridget and Mary Jo even make direct reference to <i>Tormented
</i>late in the riffing). As a movie from RKO that was aimed for second-billing
status, there are times were the production teams can get away with things that
you wouldn’t in A-pictures. The scene where George knowingly goes to Hell because
he believes he should go there is very candid for the time and makes his
redemption at the end a logical closure that would not have worked if somehow
the production had to NOT allow him to go to Hell in the first place. The
killing of Arlene and then the throw-away line that she had no soul to send
onward is a bit shocking as well for the time. It’s moments like these and
others that help make the movie stand out in a way that with a better-known
cast or production may not have been available.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The reviews at the
time called it preposterous and sappy, but the movie is a vastly warm, sweet
little movie that ultimately works and wouldn’t be out of place in a double
feature with Powell’s <i>A Matter of Life and Death</i> (especially with the ending
operation scenes matching up in a way). What Mary Jo and Bridget bring to it is
the chance to laugh at some of the minor inane things and the slower parts, but
even these dedicated riffers congratulate the movie in the end for winning them
over., making it a case of a good movie made even better with the riffing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>(a
bell-ringing “Santa” is out on the streets, ringing for donations) <br />
<br />
Mary Jo: Ha, ho, ho! I need a new
stereo. I mean give to charity!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS_KeWELO-8AQRufKn7Rf9JnDjjgQrdwUM-5GCHf5eJfa90im8L4e-Qvkx-zzYa3u9T-Rk_MVP_5VlvwEnT0x9Oel1UNTBmP3L5POfY4xzYyxaPynSdt5kpf-CdnSyDBVjf1sbv8zrBHiNWZeESXKFmxoVfSdvcyYAO2W5H0nGM2Yrn14VdbXVubxXnTw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="625" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS_KeWELO-8AQRufKn7Rf9JnDjjgQrdwUM-5GCHf5eJfa90im8L4e-Qvkx-zzYa3u9T-Rk_MVP_5VlvwEnT0x9Oel1UNTBmP3L5POfY4xzYyxaPynSdt5kpf-CdnSyDBVjf1sbv8zrBHiNWZeESXKFmxoVfSdvcyYAO2W5H0nGM2Yrn14VdbXVubxXnTw=w444-h208" width="444" /></a></div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b>Mary
Jo and Bridget always team up in the movies and shorts that they do in such a
way that it feels like sitting on the couch with a couple of old friends and
hearing their gossip at times, more than a strict riffing of a movie. That possibly
would not work for everyone, but and perhaps at times they can come across as
being more gentle than necessary with a movie or short, but it makes for at
least a pleasant diversion with every riff they do and nearly always a great
one to watch (and if you haven’t checked out their work before, try one of the
TEEN-AGERS movies they riffed for examples of how skilled they are at their
game).<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIyKp0jOmf73IJib2iYhJLfzJhWYEwyxDxGCpwgKLjJuLcn9lP_2mKZnFCEDjHgkldf66csFxdwGWNipOXhvdcNp_ZRfJ6OKw2Q3wrud7GYLk4-y26KFEunN_46UWlC3BlggwydXZq9Q8rQk7_Ce9VNo9B0Y_Q4ZP7CFVb1gK0ilJgPkTUrFG9vYbm190" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="624" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIyKp0jOmf73IJib2iYhJLfzJhWYEwyxDxGCpwgKLjJuLcn9lP_2mKZnFCEDjHgkldf66csFxdwGWNipOXhvdcNp_ZRfJ6OKw2Q3wrud7GYLk4-y26KFEunN_46UWlC3BlggwydXZq9Q8rQk7_Ce9VNo9B0Y_Q4ZP7CFVb1gK0ilJgPkTUrFG9vYbm190=w446-h205" width="446" /></a></div><br />As mentioned, what makes this work even better here is that the pair at last
give the impression that they gradually begin to like the movie they’re
watching and invested in seeing what happens to the character. When George goes
off to Hell, it would be easy to mock the movie for rather cheap effects, but
they instead see the sadness in what is happening, even if it is a little
confusing. The only real deflating part of the film is when we must sit through
James’ rise in stardom, but Mary Jo and Bridget keep things moving along and we
get over that bump back to the good parts of the plot. It all makes for an
excellent combination and while it may not be the best ever work done at
RiffTrax, it is certainly in the top tier and personally I considered the best
riff done by the pair out of number of strong ones by them over time. <br />
<br />
<i>Beyond Christmas</i><b> </b>is available on Amazon Prime and the RiffTrax
site. Check it out!<o:p></o:p><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-63889714564758084822023-12-22T19:13:00.003-05:002023-12-22T19:13:41.891-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 21 - THE CHRISTMAS DRAGON<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtRnQtpGpSjvUiSjICkDOpj4knaRFWhGYj2M03t-ofJe_dq--kgy_7dCY9yIcruyUxIXlFYxWOfbWPfICtwCE6Kc7OEUSSp9Udwf-FVEr6lJkMiA6img4GYAGTRIdk-vtVYWxv9mwr8n1VhUzaQQX73FWxH71zNP-18nn9R6ENQndfAzzmCS9L2sfVFO4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="971" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtRnQtpGpSjvUiSjICkDOpj4knaRFWhGYj2M03t-ofJe_dq--kgy_7dCY9yIcruyUxIXlFYxWOfbWPfICtwCE6Kc7OEUSSp9Udwf-FVEr6lJkMiA6img4GYAGTRIdk-vtVYWxv9mwr8n1VhUzaQQX73FWxH71zNP-18nn9R6ENQndfAzzmCS9L2sfVFO4=w433-h304" width="433" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">It’s Day 21 of <i>The Worst We Can
Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and we jump forward to the final episode of
the most recent season with <i>The Christmas Dragon</i>.<o:p></o:p></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>The Christmas
Dragon</i> (2014)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>Mystery
Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
16, 2022<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidFm5zRinBVhQuJUICqIAMdSADYZczWFjX4eOgZROuz2_3DQAXQfwl5pGoioqHUNYDe701mKTDc7jsGqExdYGR0eb9056bhqlj3uKe9slQSPDUOdEOXG_XL63MbDd0K0uv7iL3Asf608bgHTl58j5khUGY_sB01-A990iF2VLLceT6xzlXeLjJ4B_v2vQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1115" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidFm5zRinBVhQuJUICqIAMdSADYZczWFjX4eOgZROuz2_3DQAXQfwl5pGoioqHUNYDe701mKTDc7jsGqExdYGR0eb9056bhqlj3uKe9slQSPDUOdEOXG_XL63MbDd0K0uv7iL3Asf608bgHTl58j5khUGY_sB01-A990iF2VLLceT6xzlXeLjJ4B_v2vQ=w241-h346" width="241" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUWbzGYcPd-aEqPyAJdgib9M_bhrmygRz1z9MIf4EPJaaIAGg2LRFiMi7wz3RHhhmVabzsYjLkLL0T5-mSQ4MEehU2LP4fNREwDzTwMiYEjTGaO9uiMCR1j6w4924u6-vaxQS5BNkuGV5NmzerLUUSjM2iv2DtvvLfCZ_D9QtkejHaHKchVwUHl5HQuhg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUWbzGYcPd-aEqPyAJdgib9M_bhrmygRz1z9MIf4EPJaaIAGg2LRFiMi7wz3RHhhmVabzsYjLkLL0T5-mSQ4MEehU2LP4fNREwDzTwMiYEjTGaO9uiMCR1j6w4924u6-vaxQS5BNkuGV5NmzerLUUSjM2iv2DtvvLfCZ_D9QtkejHaHKchVwUHl5HQuhg=w258-h344" width="258" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The movie poster (yes, it did play some theaters) and the MST3K streaming art.<br /><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Movie Plot</b>: Um
… yeah … um … Oh, there’s this girl and it’s like Middle-Earth times and her name
is Ayden, played by Bailee Johnson, who looks like the granddaughter of April
from <i>Angels Revenge</i>. Her mother and father are captured by slave-traders
and killed by a dragon before Ayden can even say “Packers!” <br />
<br />
Years later, she’s in an orphanage with other kids and she gets a rock that
lights up from an elf that dies on her, man. The elf lives long enough to tell
her that the rock will guide her “to the north” to save Christmas, since no one
believes in it anymore. (I know, it seems unlikely in a world with magic,
elves, orcs, and dragons, but bear with us.) She and a bunch of other kids escape
the orphanage and meet up with Airk (Jake Stormoen), who turns out to be the
son of Santa (what a coincidence). Along the way, they save a baby dragon who
becomes protective of Ayden and the group arrive at Santa’s place. <br />
<br />
Santa is in bad shape, but they realize if they deliver presents for Santa, it
will revive him and he’ll be his old self. They do and he does and everyone except
the slave traders and the dead creatures along the way are happy. Way it goes.<br />
<br />
And for the movie named <i>The Christmas Dragon</i>, you sure don’t see much of
the dragon in the movie. Probably to avoid any lawsuits from the <i>How to
Train Your Dragon</i> people.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEit3HkHeHaSLE-4ZFmH9eOHs9HCdf2w3FVS3tJMLmTiKI5tC3l3rN5UEsUZ23-d6PbYDhhJbLgkcdpLelL1OYtlpWrMNGb81I0TR7GdGV-ARcxJRQaeMD0aYJCBLnN28I5wuxt2h0I5xzSw49wvaMIbIcCPpwPoBcj84NylH-YDDxLDd8fjCq25yv329Y8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEit3HkHeHaSLE-4ZFmH9eOHs9HCdf2w3FVS3tJMLmTiKI5tC3l3rN5UEsUZ23-d6PbYDhhJbLgkcdpLelL1OYtlpWrMNGb81I0TR7GdGV-ARcxJRQaeMD0aYJCBLnN28I5wuxt2h0I5xzSw49wvaMIbIcCPpwPoBcj84NylH-YDDxLDd8fjCq25yv329Y8=w481-h252" width="481" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jonah, Emily, and Joel watch as Santa and the kids torture humans on the ground. Merry Christmas!</div><br /><b>Episode Plot: </b>Kinga
still has Jonah on one SOL. She also has Emily on a simulation of the SOL, and –
with help of Dr. Ekhardt – she has recaptured Joel and the original SOL. Over
the course of season thirteen, she has forced each of them to watch a number of
movies with their respective Crow, Tom, and GPC, but now it is time for her new
experiment where all three human subjects will be sent into the theater without
any assistance from the bots.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Joel, Jonah, and
Emily used this moment where they are all together to devise a plan to help
them escape together through the Time Bag (which had been used to get Joel in
an earlier episode). Their plan is told to each other in code, which is done through
rhyming and music that Kinga and Max can’t understand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWqBY2wYTPG3_EcHd2vzLMRuBFQ4tMQEPZkz4nI8zih1AyUM5sYZd5-ALHp_MXW-wH2XgQGGr1Crbn9Wq4BpvorPUTMvSJMskIFeo9mFm9IU-R6rLU7Rxz12rCqwLvT73-1zTvbbYqzGvT9a2i-nfl38r33umPb19QTr7TM--QoNgoE1sZpbvcEdJGPoI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="1000" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWqBY2wYTPG3_EcHd2vzLMRuBFQ4tMQEPZkz4nI8zih1AyUM5sYZd5-ALHp_MXW-wH2XgQGGr1Crbn9Wq4BpvorPUTMvSJMskIFeo9mFm9IU-R6rLU7Rxz12rCqwLvT73-1zTvbbYqzGvT9a2i-nfl38r33umPb19QTr7TM--QoNgoE1sZpbvcEdJGPoI=w437-h243" width="437" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The three get together on Joel's SOL.</div><br />After several
segments where each host is in the theater with their respective bots, the
final segment of the movie plays with the three hosts together in Joel’s SOL,
which he does have limited control over. Using the power of music, which allows
the trio to perform a number of earlier MST3K songs, they finally escape with
the Mike version of the theme song and with the surprising help of Pearl (who
wants to go to a jazz fest from the period) in the Deep Hurting ship through
the Time Bag and back to 1991.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Kinga is in tears
at the failure of her project. Dr. Kabahl, the “mysterious financier from the future,”
withdraws his funding and demands payback for what was already used. Max tries
to cheer Kinga up by mentioning that the bots are still around to be used as
subjects at least, and there’s still the Gizmoplex that she built. The Gizmoplex
is then destroyed by a meteor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thoughts: </b>This
movie was made by Arrowstorm Entertainment and is one in a series of incredibly
small-budgeted movies by the company; many put together through Kickstarter.
Most of their films are fantasy films, with a few science fiction and horror
films amongst the lineup. And it shows, but not quite in a bad enough way to
make you want to hate them for trying. The acting is okay, the makeup is decent
on the orcs, the CGI dragon is okay, and it’s obviously a park they’re filming
in, but they do a decent job in hiding that fact.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The story is a bit
incoherent, however, and it is never quite clear why certain things happen
unless you play along (for example, Ayden’s relationship to the dragon is
hinted as a bounding because she had been attacked when she was younger by one,
but it’s never out-right said). We have this glowing rock to guide her, but it’s
a plot point abandoned midway through and everything else is aligned with this
really cool black orb that Airk obtains for them. But the movie rolls along and
the plot comes to an end that works. Why
the kids would want to be with the old guy who they don’t really know is a
question to ponder, but it makes it seem it is a happy ending. There’s
certainly worse recent fantasy movies being made for kids. I dunno, maybe I’m
just full of the Christmas Sprit.<br />
<br />
What’s that? No, I said full of the Spirit.
Not the word you’re thinking of.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>(after
arriving at Santa’s place pretty easily to see a dark, falling-apart workshop) “Well,
I don’t know, it’s not very climatic.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhieJ6CO7y0wEebWD5d5RAWU_e6k3lJUIUBfou5ITLa7fPlbUS6KqSD_O23H333FOHJxlMkREhT_owDOXEhEaqYBu3tgskjiPs7_MZY2YWNgt-ZqShuJ2YcPksZFgafJhWyne6ei8sdhf30ybv3LpkvBXqVlRZpO2UEOX51FjQnJUUs7-MivOeknfsPmWg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhieJ6CO7y0wEebWD5d5RAWU_e6k3lJUIUBfou5ITLa7fPlbUS6KqSD_O23H333FOHJxlMkREhT_owDOXEhEaqYBu3tgskjiPs7_MZY2YWNgt-ZqShuJ2YcPksZFgafJhWyne6ei8sdhf30ybv3LpkvBXqVlRZpO2UEOX51FjQnJUUs7-MivOeknfsPmWg=w445-h250" width="445" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Emily and Jonah introducing the episodes to air in season thirteen.</div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b>After
a nearly three-year period of the show ending it’s two season run on Netflix,
it was decided to do another fundraiser to create a new streaming platform for
the show, where fans could not only pick up old episodes to watch, but see new
ones created before anyone else. That fundraiser was successful, and we soon
were introduced to the White Dot.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
Oh, and season thirteen, with thirteen episodes starting in March 2022 and
running typically once a month with a new episode and plenty of new shorts
featuring a variety of characters riffing over them, along with live events
through the year, and the first 3-D movie done (<i>The Bubble</i>). As promised
during the fundraiser, when a specific goal was reached, it was agreed that
Joel would come back to riff some of the movies in the series. This is why the
original SOL was seen with Joel, although it doesn’t quite follow the canon of
what happened to the SOL during the Mike years (but I explain more about my own
thoughts on that, perhaps too much so, in <i>The Worst We Can Find</i>).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Emily Connors (Emily Marsh) was also introduced into the
canon of the television series after appearing on the <i>Cheesy</i> live tour as
Emily Crenshaw and then as Emily Connors in the <i>Time Bubble </i>tour and in
some live streaming events during the COVID period of 2020.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">While there had been earlier instances of the human hosts
meeting up in previous episodes, this was the first episode where they riffed a
movie together and one of the rare times none of the bots appeared in the theater
for a segment of a movie. The concept of the ending, with the trio escaping,
was also a way to conclude the season on a type of cliffhanger. As seen in
previous seasons, this didn’t necessarily mean that the show would come back
the following season with a setting in 1991, however. As earlier cliffhangers
have shown (like Jonah being taken away by Reptilicus, and later by trapping
the Mads in a version of the theater), the following season would start with
Jonah once again captured without much explanation. Nor should we worry much
about it. After all, it’s just a show.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzOdbjn2vdvFI4q5RCgRlVim5Tttq0eW7Zs4FBHp8VDEhr0cvwwWFR4cJySSPilr2VI58XspTMqiQuakwfqQPqdkOm41Y4AEnmVJ1lZOWu3Offcg7PAJnIbRJ_sd9AN-9Z0QXWMlsvv6ZdWJpAtHrTmm-qjotnOLrlsI9V8u-ti5BaxPxIEQEpIHsc66g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1755" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzOdbjn2vdvFI4q5RCgRlVim5Tttq0eW7Zs4FBHp8VDEhr0cvwwWFR4cJySSPilr2VI58XspTMqiQuakwfqQPqdkOm41Y4AEnmVJ1lZOWu3Offcg7PAJnIbRJ_sd9AN-9Z0QXWMlsvv6ZdWJpAtHrTmm-qjotnOLrlsI9V8u-ti5BaxPxIEQEpIHsc66g=w462-h307" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The gang goes out the old fashion way - singing!</div><br />The episode as a whole is interesting in trying to tie
everything up, including the hosts attempting vague goodbyes to their bots, the
fate of the Gizmoplex, the “mysterious financier from the future” plot, and how
to set up the cliffhanger. The rhyming element isn’t quite as successful and it
should have been (one could see it played out more like how Forrester and Frank
would have handled it, perhaps with them ignoring things out-right until too
late, or having instrument malfunctions, which Emily and Jonah could have
easily done in character), but there had to be a way to convey the storyline to
viewers, so it does take care of that issue. Having Mike’s theme song be the
means to leave is a nice homage as well. The riffing moves along well and it’s
an adequate movie for a finale since it was Christmas time anyway, but there is
a tinge of sadness about the whole thing because it was the end of the season.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The end of the show? Well, that remains to be seen. MST3K didn’t even exist
except in reruns for many, many years and made a strong comeback through the
help of the fans. I think there’s still life in the old girl to see another
round, or two, or three soon enough. We know enough from the unsuccessful
fundraiser in 2023 that a lot of the cast were ready to come back to bring us
many of the same characters we had seen before. Something is bound to happen.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, there’s still RiffTrax, and The Mads, as well as other riffing
groups around, like Master Pancake, to keep us going until the SOL returns to
the sky. Then, we will see where we are and when we are as more movies get
riffed in the experiments to come.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-77972905176284333072023-12-21T19:38:00.010-05:002023-12-21T19:38:56.694-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 20 - IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDWs8_1w0wqCI-5008pZ4y3twc8WlfFFulz2xEtTd2KaDnVaHtmLzOL57pTSXfEj-nFCFVv0BeAgzL_sqzbAp0gt4CT2xdb861okozPS82K7xoT3F7wvYDeF5qF26eDC2xX3I7O32bW60cIWHyfmkGDkQPuEQqMqFH8Wh4dBR08UKIRQbH2rxLiUGo_JU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="980" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDWs8_1w0wqCI-5008pZ4y3twc8WlfFFulz2xEtTd2KaDnVaHtmLzOL57pTSXfEj-nFCFVv0BeAgzL_sqzbAp0gt4CT2xdb861okozPS82K7xoT3F7wvYDeF5qF26eDC2xX3I7O32bW60cIWHyfmkGDkQPuEQqMqFH8Wh4dBR08UKIRQbH2rxLiUGo_JU=w471-h333" width="471" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154"><i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas
Advent Calendar is getting closer to the end, but there’s still some Christmas
cheer to spread and Day 20 sees RiffTrax daring to go where no one else has
tried – beating up a beloved classic – with <i>It’s a Wonderful Life!<o:p></o:p></i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>It’s a Wonderful
Life</i> (1946)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
18, 2020<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR5lmc_DTmioiQE6H4G7f1njhVdDNG9X1Yu2Xj48jALNABBeXQfOu79Aiet7rMWEF5yqVOVK9SVUhPsHe0cVdc-TceOJjY4IgHVahZKakDh1Y9rC8qp1mcmAsvQ5VOl__ly8ZjsOflOjAKnw_ObqrKeLJHRt7k0EKtF5YpuL7JhpTww79uqJ9zHmAzLH4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1126" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR5lmc_DTmioiQE6H4G7f1njhVdDNG9X1Yu2Xj48jALNABBeXQfOu79Aiet7rMWEF5yqVOVK9SVUhPsHe0cVdc-TceOJjY4IgHVahZKakDh1Y9rC8qp1mcmAsvQ5VOl__ly8ZjsOflOjAKnw_ObqrKeLJHRt7k0EKtF5YpuL7JhpTww79uqJ9zHmAzLH4=w226-h321" width="226" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjudrpp9ChreMSy87odbBpmM2nMFxY2HrlDat2jSslcUdDrlyJwi1ZeaAeQweP1hUHK0seZDxWvaXE-iqiFPViqgiJBHPGDOFRFg-E7xE4XoH8qcnvPwkP9vMtjZ_o72RsVythESpRKgXxTVFeywF7pzUx2EOfoPXGkZC6QBkMUfcT45Uok5ulZtUzfoOQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjudrpp9ChreMSy87odbBpmM2nMFxY2HrlDat2jSslcUdDrlyJwi1ZeaAeQweP1hUHK0seZDxWvaXE-iqiFPViqgiJBHPGDOFRFg-E7xE4XoH8qcnvPwkP9vMtjZ_o72RsVythESpRKgXxTVFeywF7pzUx2EOfoPXGkZC6QBkMUfcT45Uok5ulZtUzfoOQ=w241-h321" width="241" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original movie poster and RiffTrax's artwork for their streaming version.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Someone’s
gotta help George Bailey! We don’t find out why until late in the movie, but
the prayers of family and friends for George reach the celestial realm and Clarence,
an Angel Second-Class who has yet to earn his wings, is giving an overview of
George’s life in a small town called Bedford Falls, before he is sent out on
his mission to save George from giving up on life.<br />
<br />
The majority of the film is one huge flashback as we see George’s life starting
as a 12-year-old and onward to the present of Christmas Eve, 1945. The main
theme of the flashback is that George has repeatedly sacrificed his own dreams
to help others only to find himself now at Christmas in a precarious situation
where $8,000 had been stolen from his business by his nemesis who has also sworn
out a warrant for his arrest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thinking everyone
would be better off without him, Clarence arranges to show George how things
would have been if he had never been born. The results make George realize how precious
life is to himself and others and prays to have his life back. Returning to his house, George finds that all
his friends are there to help him get the money together so there can be no
arrest. Realizing how rich he is with family and friends, George is informed
that Clarence has gotten his wings as everyone happily joins in song.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVBkKFjAVeSHaH5X2SyqmwCJOdSSCoAIViQOZW2fXtwnNX0sJLuBK3SvplK_oNSwBSG7_mgEW5-vWI64TdDgZDhdVjT2XXtd9a0jUjFV8X_vOkyqnNVrr-NvBDuo57AuifAgH96tj792WYLblpxGfbV3hbIuoIcySrcCzrTs3gTdr89n3_of-sGgtVgqk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="623" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVBkKFjAVeSHaH5X2SyqmwCJOdSSCoAIViQOZW2fXtwnNX0sJLuBK3SvplK_oNSwBSG7_mgEW5-vWI64TdDgZDhdVjT2XXtd9a0jUjFV8X_vOkyqnNVrr-NvBDuo57AuifAgH96tj792WYLblpxGfbV3hbIuoIcySrcCzrTs3gTdr89n3_of-sGgtVgqk=w535-h239" width="535" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Why you shouldn't put quotation marks around a title as it sounds sarcastic, as per Bill.</div><br /><b>Thoughts: </b>Based
on a self-published short story called “The Greatest Gift” by Philip Van Doren
Stern, RKO originally bought the rights to the story in 1944 for Cary Grant to
star in a film adaptation. Frank Capra, “the most Capre-esque director of all”
as explained in the riffs (with films like <i>It Happened One Night, Lost
Horizon, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</i> and <i>Meet John Doe </i>to his
credit), was putting together an independent production company at the time
called Liberty Films and bought the rights to the story to make it a movie.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
Capra happily worked with Jimmy Stewart in the past and Stewart had just
returned from fighting in World War II and was looking to get back to work. The
film really is the beginning of a period where Stewart began expanding beyond
the “juvenile lead” comedic roles (although you can see that as early as <i>Mr.
Smith Goes to Washington</i>); his George has humorous beats to him early on,
but the character’s anger and his struggle at the bar where he is pleading to
God have a dramatic tense that would benefit Stewart later in his Hitchcock
appearances and movies like <i>Winchester ’73</i>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhab1GkJUZ86GNmaRcILi9qeU4DdJE74PXJNpZwkn_YkRA3XbtYQfd11JMKxt6WGie9sBMo3Fy-uaJi1cCa2MXCxFH2Mrttd3rPBNBp8S1N86khuo1nJEf1CSrWJrW1TL0q4YppWNtPiQzkNq-kXRR8inydMnx8eRqGfJPjERL5mVc3fxBnFGwWCUR19Io" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="624" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhab1GkJUZ86GNmaRcILi9qeU4DdJE74PXJNpZwkn_YkRA3XbtYQfd11JMKxt6WGie9sBMo3Fy-uaJi1cCa2MXCxFH2Mrttd3rPBNBp8S1N86khuo1nJEf1CSrWJrW1TL0q4YppWNtPiQzkNq-kXRR8inydMnx8eRqGfJPjERL5mVc3fxBnFGwWCUR19Io=w491-h226" width="491" /></a></div><br />Lionel Barrymore,
who used a wheelchair for a number of his later roles due to injuries he
received in a traffic accident, was originally to play FDR in a movie called <i>The
Beginning or The End</i> but was pushed out of the role when the Roosevelt
family found out. Barrymore, known for his opposition to Roosevelt when he was
alive and happily campaigning against him in his last two elections, didn’t set
well with the family and the role was denied him even after a screen test.
Instead, he moved on to play Potter, which is probably his more remembered role
of his career besides his appearances as Dr. Gillespie in the <i>Doctor Kildare</i>
series (and, yes, that explains the one joke in <i>Blazing Saddle</i> for those
who may not have been aware). In an odd coincidence, <i>The Beginning or the
End</i> was brought to MGM as a project through Donna Reed, who had to turn
down working on that picture because she was busy with <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i>.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Interesting side
notes: according to Bobbie Anderson, who played the young George Bailey, H.B.
Warner really did slap him hard upside the head, causing the bleeding from the
ear that we see in the movie, and it is not just an effect. A more familiar and
whimsical tale is that the crash heard after Uncle Billy leaves the party was
unintentional on-set, but actor Thomas Mitchell improvised a response that
worked well for the scene and it was left in (and you can see a uncharacteristic
smile play on Stewart’s face after it occurs).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgErNXgc6cIPtlkfvdnjLlAhwnLQDMC6Hrql9-en8k7NQR_T2gHOZaIf3fRvEArKaRQnl5FLWIQhtDdlF5K-_Ku7X_R2s2uOnTpzA4WfJN0SEgfkSYpWmz9YG7vP-URIrzs_KtwytCPBjgAffh52k5jxBDJCatyHqWWacL7SR88uKuAX9u0EAqzrFpGHdw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="624" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgErNXgc6cIPtlkfvdnjLlAhwnLQDMC6Hrql9-en8k7NQR_T2gHOZaIf3fRvEArKaRQnl5FLWIQhtDdlF5K-_Ku7X_R2s2uOnTpzA4WfJN0SEgfkSYpWmz9YG7vP-URIrzs_KtwytCPBjgAffh52k5jxBDJCatyHqWWacL7SR88uKuAX9u0EAqzrFpGHdw=w470-h222" width="470" /></a></div><br />The movie received mixed
reviews from critics, with many feeling the movie was overly sweet. The box
office was weak and the movie lost money for Capra’s production company, which
it never recovered from. The weak critical response also damaged Capra’s career
and both Stewart and Reed struggled to find work after the release of the movie
(Reed would later state that Stewart actively avoided being seen with her at events
and parties because of the association). What saved the movie was a mistake in
the 1970s when the copyright for the movie lapsed. Because of this, the movie
because very inexpensive for television stations to use and air, leading to the
movie being seen by a large number of people around the country. When
video-cassette recording of movies were becoming popular in the 1980s, <i>It’s
a Wonderful Life</i> also made a huge mark in that industry for the same
reason, hence even more people seeing it over and over. This led to various
parodies of the original work to pop up and at one point Comedy Central had a
contest where films were sent in by the public in order to retell the story (much
like the fan-made <i>Star Wars Uncut</i> done in 2009). Many of those takes
were done in a humorous fashion, including redubbing and riffing of material
from the movie. (Eventually copyrights were reestablished in the 1990s.)<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The movie now is
considered a holiday classic and while its running time of 131 minutes usually makes
people tepid in trying it out, most come away as fans who will return to it repeatedly
over the years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>(George,
beaten down with thoughts of going to jail, realizes that his violent tantrum
has his family staring at him in stunned silence)<br />
Mary: George, why must you torture the children? Why don’t you - ?<br />
George: (despondent) Mary.<br />
Mike: Well, good job, Mary. You went and ruined Christmas for everybody!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVhrOJX85PC50934imajTa2kJtf1hkzDGIkOn5ZXwakcBzoYwoxlYiNnqnsgzHU07-9IbrNKspb4DC0FSh39fEjlyxTovrjJLwVEgvLFoYCb-_TJb9wWoIIGTek7AnX1omPxDl1GZM3DJ7ZXExbyKgt6KWZv_orBbA-eEKbjltluDZm2vHC7lpSt2vkqE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="624" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVhrOJX85PC50934imajTa2kJtf1hkzDGIkOn5ZXwakcBzoYwoxlYiNnqnsgzHU07-9IbrNKspb4DC0FSh39fEjlyxTovrjJLwVEgvLFoYCb-_TJb9wWoIIGTek7AnX1omPxDl1GZM3DJ7ZXExbyKgt6KWZv_orBbA-eEKbjltluDZm2vHC7lpSt2vkqE=w468-h215" width="468" /></a></div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b>MST3K
shied away from bigger movies for the most part. First, because they simply
couldn’t afford them, and secondly because Joel felt the emphasis of the program
would be to show movies unfamiliar to most viewers (this was one reason <i>Plan
9 from Outer Space</i> had not be used in the original series, as it was considered
too well-known and already mocked enough at the time). At the time of <i>Cinematic
Titanic</i>, Hodgson was asked about a team-up between that group and RiffTrax
and he didn’t see the idea working very well, as RiffTrax was willing to dive
into more recent and recognizable films, which he felt didn’t work for what he
wanted to present. There is, of course, <i>This Island Earth</i> for <i>Mystery
Science Theater 3000: the Movie</i>, but that was the exception that proved the
rule – there was enough heat for using a “classic” movie that it seemed better
to stick with what had worked up to that point.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But RiffTrax was a different beast in that regard. Starting early
on with riffing commentaries that could be played over blockbuster movies,
there was less fear of mocking the classic. Thus, while it took years for the
team to get there, riffing a beloved classic like <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i>
was not completely unusual.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitJlo4sIaL95MGUeKiITituVRxhM4QhitCUDXCBJG2n8m8tUknxyNBItKUX3vBo5sJAD9xBiURK5bhfjWTX9c6lMwMWH3Lsp2XiYVn7VU3R-4qfFQigCbG7wxmFbxnZabOZEPgcdzvCeMrzEWMePojlLXQXPK6B0W8IoeSISmMyYjoO6rByQmDxW7Sgts" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="624" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitJlo4sIaL95MGUeKiITituVRxhM4QhitCUDXCBJG2n8m8tUknxyNBItKUX3vBo5sJAD9xBiURK5bhfjWTX9c6lMwMWH3Lsp2XiYVn7VU3R-4qfFQigCbG7wxmFbxnZabOZEPgcdzvCeMrzEWMePojlLXQXPK6B0W8IoeSISmMyYjoO6rByQmDxW7Sgts=w499-h229" width="499" /></a></div><br />Even so, it did mean that the movie would have to have some
type of alteration in order to be of fair-use. To do this, the movie was edited
here and there, while still leaving most of the story intact. MOST of the story intact. In fact, one of the
funniest things to happen in the RiffTrax version is that the entire “alternate
universe” George witnesses that convinces him to live is gone! Wiped out of the
movie with a fast wipe between George in the hut by the bridge drying off and
then happily running home to Mary and the kids. How they resolved the change in
George is one of the better gags of the movie as well, so I won’t spoil it here,
as it is well worth finding out on your own.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Released as the COVID crisis of 2020 was just starting to
die down a little, the RiffTrax version of <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i> is a
successful attempt to riff a classic movie that is beloved by a good number of
people. It may sting a little here and there with some of the riffs for us that
keep going back to the movie every year, but it is also a refreshing reminder
that sometimes we can kid the things we love. Even something as wholesome as <i>It’s
a Wonderful Life. </i>The riffed version can be found on Amazon Prime and the
RiffTrax site.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-44761989968699521102023-12-20T18:27:00.006-05:002023-12-20T20:56:30.430-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 19 - The Mads Are Back with NIGHT OF SHORTS 4<p>It’s Day 19 of <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas Advent
Calendar, and it’s about time we returned to <i>The Mads Are Back</i> for a
look at one of their great shorts collections, <i>A Night of Shorts 4</i>. It
may not have Christmas stuff in it, but it has toys, cartoons, a party or two,
and a Scrooge-like boss. Check it out!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOI_3xCllRM2m3Wqr4CZDdXzTVIYWLeBP04HcSZT_trS_ZF__cA5ikUFj4QZ4t4sNVrABXKq4lgHUBtfG0ut47-fheUX1NwAE-z7yzx3WscezCvFdLMpAvxMNSESqs_4rJfFqUjoYufnZFZhfpMDyK6uUBEuSuBUpMIayRMbXEzoQwupmEhthwTs-QPXc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="984" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOI_3xCllRM2m3Wqr4CZDdXzTVIYWLeBP04HcSZT_trS_ZF__cA5ikUFj4QZ4t4sNVrABXKq4lgHUBtfG0ut47-fheUX1NwAE-z7yzx3WscezCvFdLMpAvxMNSESqs_4rJfFqUjoYufnZFZhfpMDyK6uUBEuSuBUpMIayRMbXEzoQwupmEhthwTs-QPXc=w437-h306" width="437" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>A Night of Shorts 4 </i> <br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>The Mads Are Back<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>July 13, 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQHlhRVRj_1c_AlglGksbcf3njTK2UURoHB8SHDK2BTucpjBPIzYdmSwHzYHNdn3Zd3bxRmN8F53ZP3AjH8RikA9JeF7KT9s2XmnEHvqzx-UsL_akKVoJ7OSD2xwFvixhIpwt1TXcy0Sbv3YO_p9lILVrsh4hcIixkz0DjF-KMmNyYpTzf1zjn7h7zV9g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="750" height="453" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQHlhRVRj_1c_AlglGksbcf3njTK2UURoHB8SHDK2BTucpjBPIzYdmSwHzYHNdn3Zd3bxRmN8F53ZP3AjH8RikA9JeF7KT9s2XmnEHvqzx-UsL_akKVoJ7OSD2xwFvixhIpwt1TXcy0Sbv3YO_p9lILVrsh4hcIixkz0DjF-KMmNyYpTzf1zjn7h7zV9g=w302-h453" width="302" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kay naturally has shorts on her mind, and <i>A Night of Shorts 4</i> can be found in this collection from The Mads or by itself.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Trace and Frank riff four shorts between bits
of Episode 81 of <i>Space Angel</i>. Here’s the line-up.<br />
<br />
<i>Cindy Goes to a Party </i>(1955) Directed by Herk Harvey, who also directed
two riffing favorites: <i>Carnival of Souls</i> and <i>Shake Hands with Danger</i>.
This Centron short made for the classroom has Cindy thinking she hadn’t been
invited to a party because … well, we’re not sure, but a fairy godmother eventually
appears in her sleep to tell her she needs to get hip to good manners at a
party or she’s screwed. Cindy goes to the party with her fairy godmother seen
only by her and one other kid and they learn how to behave themselves with as
little graffiti as possible. Cindy is so good at learning that she doesn’t need
her fairy godmother, who leaves before the kegs and strippers arrive. Cindy
then wakes up to find that the friend’s older sister – who looks remarkably
like the fairy godmother, (although as pointed out by the Mads, that makes no
sense) – arrives with an invitation and apology for not inviting Cindy earlier.
Cindy will make her pay some day. Oh,
yes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4qD5GtsGFX2TK4Q6DwNMtQSuqRd2vNUVUbHQz1sgAD_KJhw_vByVbPnYkIyp0hjehOytapITprpRzkFy5uVnWJUNj9jnjJVamvJzjqMLL73942YZH2QSiuroWhnCg1EyHwBTWe2GhxZFVhCeAIWUTdyPtDftoM-Kx3yMiqz_P2fDhOEovp7g3r35qDO0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4qD5GtsGFX2TK4Q6DwNMtQSuqRd2vNUVUbHQz1sgAD_KJhw_vByVbPnYkIyp0hjehOytapITprpRzkFy5uVnWJUNj9jnjJVamvJzjqMLL73942YZH2QSiuroWhnCg1EyHwBTWe2GhxZFVhCeAIWUTdyPtDftoM-Kx3yMiqz_P2fDhOEovp7g3r35qDO0=w450-h253" width="450" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The fairy godmother has her agenda.</div><br /><i>Space Angel </i>(1962) This is episode 81, “Dragon Fire,”
in the Syncho-Vox animated series. Most people remember <i>Clutch Cargo</i>
done by the same studio, Cambria Productions (if you’ve seen <i>Pulp Fiction</i>,
it’s the cartoon young Butch is watching right before being given his father’s
watch; and was a frequent cartoon shown on <i>The Higgins Boys and Gruber</i>
program in the early days of the Comedy Channel). <i>Space Angel</i> was an
action series set in space, with Scott McCloud (no, not that Scott McCloud)
fighting bad guys, and we see Scott investigating trouble in the portions of
the episode peppered through the <i>Night of Shorts</i> here. The animation was so limited that it really
could not be called even limited animation. Movement was done by pulling things
across the screen as the image stayed stationary, or a fast back and forth of
two pieces of artwork to show in-frame movement. More startingly was the way
mouth movement was done, which had human lips (typically heavily made-up to
give everyone ruby-red lips) superimposed over the mouths of characters to
allow natural movement of the lips instead of drawing the lips to synch with
the voice actors. It’s rather unnerving
to watch and still is here.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT5xY1CPG-usZzeCyJw_AxsGyMQSFIyyfeqz55JXyU2Y0gCr_Ajo_OLivHbmZTQt3n6OlvojKg8GIKM5KDsb0qgQUXgR82Us58vuRXXNY76fNuKiKabYPFcE6vTQYUQz-pTySA7w65B5su-FVb8KzI1Axb_hn-oBFwRVTUekq-K5WCWUwC7EcBcP2qDnM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT5xY1CPG-usZzeCyJw_AxsGyMQSFIyyfeqz55JXyU2Y0gCr_Ajo_OLivHbmZTQt3n6OlvojKg8GIKM5KDsb0qgQUXgR82Us58vuRXXNY76fNuKiKabYPFcE6vTQYUQz-pTySA7w65B5su-FVb8KzI1Axb_hn-oBFwRVTUekq-K5WCWUwC7EcBcP2qDnM=w460-h259" width="460" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Space Angel and his oh-so-kissable lips.</div><br /><i>Coffee Break </i>(1958) Calvin Company produced this
short directed by Gene Carr. Owen Bush, an actor who has appeared in secondary
roles in a good number of television shows over several decades, is a business
manager who is tasked with figuring out how to resolve a made-up crisis by the
boss – people taking too long on their coffee breaks. Cigarettes flow freely
through the short, as well as coffee, and we get the traditional 1950s worries
about WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE! The manager is left to resolve the issue of how
to get people to not waste time on break as the short comes to the close, no
doubt to then have managers watching the film break up into groups and waste
more time trying to find answers to a phony problem when they could be in their
offices doing their jobs.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAypmSAouFQsFFnVL4kfAyUJ0ABcq_S8UiqYq9nYxCqZF6_pys7Vnzy0uoOtDAE6zjg0z6g991QUNIu9cuOJTLziwv4a00tigpC5hDkGSlf0AEhKQENXH16cVwY0fW29yPVKPEgp6HM2-ONZEoQV51-i4RCZRPF7rsi119Ja2mB81suPFTXKjl9hrQBZA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAypmSAouFQsFFnVL4kfAyUJ0ABcq_S8UiqYq9nYxCqZF6_pys7Vnzy0uoOtDAE6zjg0z6g991QUNIu9cuOJTLziwv4a00tigpC5hDkGSlf0AEhKQENXH16cVwY0fW29yPVKPEgp6HM2-ONZEoQV51-i4RCZRPF7rsi119Ja2mB81suPFTXKjl9hrQBZA=w424-h239" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The manager is surprised by the gift given to him.</div><br /><i>Space Angel </i>(1962) Even more of Episode 81.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Gilbert Toys 1963</i> (1962) Preview of new toys from the
educational toy company that may have died in the late 1960s, but it was easy
to find remnants of their toys at hobby shops for years to come. They
introduced everyone to the Erector Set (and bad jokes as kids about the very
name) and had plenty of scientific chemistry sets that you could build cool
things out of that were very hazardous, including one that included radioactive
samples. Coooooool. They also made trains,
racetracks, and other toys generally based around some type of mechanical
aspect that demonstrated to children as to how things worked (even the mixer
for girls seen in the short at least tries to teach how mixtures work together
to create other things). The short here was shown to businessmen at toy conventions
looking to supply their department stores for the coming year, so it’s all serious
and somewhat dreary, making it perfect for the Mads.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-KB2rcTZXj8_JtfQD6kKVhhjuBYFBz_Z15gVE57d6A3dY3s64UoOXRMiH9uWyAuF8urWY-rRtqBepCZpGrh96KqP3q1TJIJqiIJMkIXaAF79aFJU4DFbDtgkDbJ9esAyNDSgL6boA7O0Tp5qoWUuanzacICRDdL4tWxK9H16wVAOikMGohQoWdTYB3v8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-KB2rcTZXj8_JtfQD6kKVhhjuBYFBz_Z15gVE57d6A3dY3s64UoOXRMiH9uWyAuF8urWY-rRtqBepCZpGrh96KqP3q1TJIJqiIJMkIXaAF79aFJU4DFbDtgkDbJ9esAyNDSgL6boA7O0Tp5qoWUuanzacICRDdL4tWxK9H16wVAOikMGohQoWdTYB3v8=w451-h253" width="451" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Just set it on the ground and go home. It's loads of fun!"</div><br /><i>Space Angel </i>(1962) One final bit of Episode 81 for
those playing at home.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>How to Say No</i> <i>(Moral Maturity)</i> (1951) – This Coronet short focuses on peer pressure and how to say no if you’re not comfortable with
what others want to do. Marty goes to a diner where all his friends order beers
but he doesn’t want to; Nora won’t smoke with her friends at a pajama party;
Lucy can’t get the boys to stop trying to pressure her into some serious
necking (with Nora suggesting that maybe the girls are to blame); and then
there’s Howie, who’s an ass. All offer up suggestions to avoid awkward
instances of having to say “no,” which aren’t really that bad, but then again
avoid conflict in such a way that they don’t really resolve anything either.
The lean into “girls can come off as easy” is a bit hard to stomach these days
either, but it was the 1950s. Honestly, any talk suggesting that girls may not
be wanting to mess about on a date and guys are jerks for not taking no as an
answer is quite radical for the time. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc5j_F_F9LWnkaBr3fnZU_1_TZQdRQ9ykhvRICX84Yzsw0cyE1NZ-HfUtovjhveYarNfHPVRYd27LVAclGnwXG-SebYfwP8ZSWCDKQ5_7WaGnUhLQY9lU04mIETOvKsxUkulkmUa9qP8j3bq0bQ5J30oOLFbxVMVaqGCYFmI36tskGgAZ96NeF8u1tmQM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgc5j_F_F9LWnkaBr3fnZU_1_TZQdRQ9ykhvRICX84Yzsw0cyE1NZ-HfUtovjhveYarNfHPVRYd27LVAclGnwXG-SebYfwP8ZSWCDKQ5_7WaGnUhLQY9lU04mIETOvKsxUkulkmUa9qP8j3bq0bQ5J30oOLFbxVMVaqGCYFmI36tskGgAZ96NeF8u1tmQM=w510-h287" width="510" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But what's behind the curtain?</div><br /><b>Favorite Riff:</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Business manager breaking the fourth wall to explain his
predicament in <i>Coffee Break</i>: “I like coffee. In fact, I’d be out on a
break right now if …”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Mads: “… it wasn’t because of you assholes.”<br />
<br />
<b>The Riffing: </b>We’ve already featured <i>The Mads Are Back </i>in Day 4 of
the Advent Calendar with The Mads’ riffing of <i>Glen or Glenda</i> (check it
out right <a href="https://dalesherman.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-worst-we-can-find-christmas-advent.html">here</a>),
and they certainly deserve a return visit here. While the pair have done at
least one Christmas show (the Mexican <i>Santa Claus</i> movie), I wanted to
cover one of their frequent subjects – um … short subjects. The pair; who do
all of their own writing for the show, making them unique amongst the riffers
we’ve been discussing (RiffTrax comes close, but they do usually bring in a couple
of contributors to help); have alternated with an evening of shorts in their monthly
shows between full-length films, of which this is an early entry.</p><p class="MsoNormal">As mentioned before here in the blog, some of the best
riffing done by any of the riffing groups is when a short is used, and both
Trace and Frank use it quite well to their advantage here, playing off some
older educational shorts and the obscure <i>Space Angel</i> to make for an
excellent hour. As mentioned before, being more independent than the other
groups also make The Mads more willing to push the envelope at times, so older
fans who only remembers the days of Forrester and TV’s Frank should be prepared
for some naughty words popping up here and there and occasional political jokes
that probably would not fly on the other shows (case in point, when The Mads
appeared live with the RiffTrax gang, there are some humorous comments as to
them asking Frank to “tone down” some of his material for the show to keep it “friendly”).<br />
<br />
There’s a good mix of shorts here as well, with the Gilbert Toys advertisement
being fascinating just for the toys being introduced of the slowly fading
company in the emerging changes of the 1960s, with the riffs being a cherry on
top. <i>Cathy Goes to a Party</i> and <i>Coffee Break</i> are both more
traditional shorts and The Mads handle them effortlessly as should be expected,
while <i>How To Say No</i> is an interesting short just by itself and even
reviewed on IMDB as being one of the better shorts done by Centron. Last, and
certainly least, is that of <i>Space Angel</i>, which needs the support of
people like Trace and Frank to make it watchable.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
<i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Mads Are Back </span></i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">may not get quite the coverage as RiffTrax or
MST3K, but it’s certainly worth checking out. The Gilbert Toys 1963 short is
available to see for free on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGc89_JV52k">The Mads’ YouTube site</a>,
but you can currently order many of the short collections at half-price on
<a href="https://dumb-industries.com/dumb-video-all/anightofshorts4">their website</a> up through December 25. Give them a shot with this one or any of their other
offerings, as they are well worth the time to see!<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-67258662631564866162023-12-19T18:10:00.006-05:002023-12-19T18:10:45.889-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 18 - MAC AND ME<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZy13umFaHQjPImyISvg7vk0NZ_AnPEJP_QZI4ZgcX4hxh57MOP7E7E01pPHirOlqYg9jdOZnueItIO0yAuY8I3FOKRq05XxLmFxtchSubQQ2h_3j6m7S4cKt3O9PBieJW1NcBpizJ4jsdyjviMgHU_S2cAEMisSnI7d804g7lC5qZvrCTFcMNOFhlaXQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="978" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZy13umFaHQjPImyISvg7vk0NZ_AnPEJP_QZI4ZgcX4hxh57MOP7E7E01pPHirOlqYg9jdOZnueItIO0yAuY8I3FOKRq05XxLmFxtchSubQQ2h_3j6m7S4cKt3O9PBieJW1NcBpizJ4jsdyjviMgHU_S2cAEMisSnI7d804g7lC5qZvrCTFcMNOFhlaXQ=w470-h333" width="470" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">Back to MST3K with the first episode
of The Gauntlet. It’s the story of how Ronald McDonald brought the world
together in a Sears with Coke products, entitled <i>Ant-Man</i>.<b><o:p></o:p></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Mac and Me </i>(August
1988)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>November
22, 2018<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr0rGTEOLB_td1VJsVZV3kaqoeOb6NupAc5Qs3oj_vKWPe3Hn4aUNvtHZhs66xxpIKi9jAE2BUHDhKrvNT8V06j9RWalUw6gwAgiM4tPfFaxxDrn092sjyE2x1V1PnxWsZpLWW4yqy-upYvcrryp7nMrh40Gw5AMuu_iRkzXszofKpiukpmJh9Nz6IDX4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1567" data-original-width="1000" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr0rGTEOLB_td1VJsVZV3kaqoeOb6NupAc5Qs3oj_vKWPe3Hn4aUNvtHZhs66xxpIKi9jAE2BUHDhKrvNT8V06j9RWalUw6gwAgiM4tPfFaxxDrn092sjyE2x1V1PnxWsZpLWW4yqy-upYvcrryp7nMrh40Gw5AMuu_iRkzXszofKpiukpmJh9Nz6IDX4=w201-h315" width="201" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI5Psxp2paSDd0hOKVV757Of1v8fYh_yo7d8rNX9tGKNtdNc8NjSVVreQFUG3Up0aJ2f2n6BZ3lznLMB1URCg7m4wYTw0W-4K9BjHNFUG_fI6Mly7wRnmllkoL7GpsrUNQxlu0ExAqnFM_fqM1qDbIeV_XlQEPSYSJVL-9H_fU_riw-Pn0lJyF4YjDtu4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2231" data-original-width="1602" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiI5Psxp2paSDd0hOKVV757Of1v8fYh_yo7d8rNX9tGKNtdNc8NjSVVreQFUG3Up0aJ2f2n6BZ3lznLMB1URCg7m4wYTw0W-4K9BjHNFUG_fI6Mly7wRnmllkoL7GpsrUNQxlu0ExAqnFM_fqM1qDbIeV_XlQEPSYSJVL-9H_fU_riw-Pn0lJyF4YjDtu4=w225-h314" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original movie poster and the MST3K streaming artwork. Note how they made Mac look much more appealing here than in the movie.<br /><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Plot</b>:
Mac is a young “Mysterious Alien Creature” and if that doesn’t make you quietly
pick up your popcorn and head over to the other theater to see <i>A Fish Called
Wanda</i>, then you get what you deserve.<br />
<br />
Mac and his family of naked aliens are sucked up by a space-probe from a planet
they are on. Imagine if the writer had taken too many drugs during the alien landscape
scene in <i>The Man Who Fell to Earth</i> and you’ll get the idea. The probe
arrives back on Earth and Mac, his sister and his parents are vomited back up
by the probe. They are dead after having been stuck in a space-probe for
months, if not years, without food, water, or air. Just kidding, they’re alive
and the negligent parents of Mac instantly run amok, destroying plenty of
things and probably killing a good number of people, while Mac heads to the
road and causes an accident that should have killed at least a young boy and
his father, but somehow doesn’t. </p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBXkGkM_JwTDOzsGCINdIqn_pAvHyfQupC8lU2qQnur9xH3EydU_xp4UZW4UM0Q0Vo1BcMkHn9pD8yw3YMVYV21RRv1XNDkwP5PxX-jUjvdsTrFFULoSadH2lHU9pzHl9ErPQ6_GM_59GvVlpiTWTrwOMhtaFkWzQMnti0_zVDwoZ_AIGIAbRozC1K5MA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBXkGkM_JwTDOzsGCINdIqn_pAvHyfQupC8lU2qQnur9xH3EydU_xp4UZW4UM0Q0Vo1BcMkHn9pD8yw3YMVYV21RRv1XNDkwP5PxX-jUjvdsTrFFULoSadH2lHU9pzHl9ErPQ6_GM_59GvVlpiTWTrwOMhtaFkWzQMnti0_zVDwoZ_AIGIAbRozC1K5MA" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">William H. Macy in a role that will surprise you.</div><br />The traumatized Mac sneaks into a car with Eric (Jade Calegory), a boy in a
wheelchair, his brother Michael (Jonathan Ward), and their mother, Janet
(Christine Ebersole). They are in the process of moving into a new house, which
Mac quickly begins destroying because he’s an alien being from a desolate world
and obviously the last of their kind due to their dangerous ways. Eric
eventually catches on that there’s an alien in the house and with the help of
Michael and a neighbor girl they capture Mac and try to understand what he
wants after Mac has large binges of Coke (reminder to self: insert “Hollywood
producers with large binges of coke” joke here later). They figure out that Mac
is wanting his family who we see dying out in the desert. And what a joyous
scene for kids in the audience. It is too.<span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyIoPpgAh9P65kyKaTkJ-hkcF_VWuZKnKqTzS-tu-SKdTUhrSknyfjg8tamUEKWwhzvhkbbk1YictMOiIOTkroMr2RBfEa2IO0UvC_hh70BXeTICGj2VbgS65dAbkwKaSpm99jqIWXZQNR-2_fVB8aQIo9lT-In2maSvEx2WQ7LbSdvWs3V933Ahk3LVw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyIoPpgAh9P65kyKaTkJ-hkcF_VWuZKnKqTzS-tu-SKdTUhrSknyfjg8tamUEKWwhzvhkbbk1YictMOiIOTkroMr2RBfEa2IO0UvC_hh70BXeTICGj2VbgS65dAbkwKaSpm99jqIWXZQNR-2_fVB8aQIo9lT-In2maSvEx2WQ7LbSdvWs3V933Ahk3LVw=w408-h229" width="408" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mac steals some poor kid's toy and wrecks it, while letting loose a bunch of neighborhood dogs, because that's the kind of bad news Mac is.</div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">The …
um … guys in suits who may be working for the government, begin investigating
and Eric tries to sneak Mac out in disguise at a McDonald’s, where there
appears to be a gas leak, as everyone is tripping inside, including Ronald
McDonald. The government-looking guys appear and give chase through a Sears,
but eventually lose Eric when Michael and others manage to lift them into a van
and drive away.<br />
<br />
They find Mac’s family and gives them life-sustaining Coke products. At a gas station, the teenagers go to a liquor
store to buy Coke, while the aliens break out of the van and go into the
supermarket. (Leave it to teenagers to think going to the liquor store is a
better idea for drinks.) The police arrive and blow up the market as well as shoot
Eric (you’re not supposed to know that, as it was edited out of the U.S.
version of the movie, so just assume he got caught in the explosion). Mac and
family bring the kid back to life, the government gives them all citizenship
and a car, and the film ends with the alien family driving down the road and warning
us that they will be back. <br />
<br />
They won’t.<br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Favorite
Riff: </b>(mother finding Eric has died outside of a fiery store caused by cops
randomly shooting at aliens) “I can’t believe that my son and my husband died
in the exact same way, in the exact same spot!”</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Thoughts: </b>You know you’re in trouble when the
people behind the movie promote it in interviews as being not at ALL like <i>E.T.</i>,
and their alien is totally different because he “wants to get back to his
family” and “has powers.” Right.<br />
<br />
Of course, it’s an obvious rip-off of <i>E.T.</i>, down to the family unit the
child alien finds and even the escape from the government on wheels. And just
like <i>E.T. </i>having product placement, <i>Mac and Me</i> does the same,
only by the truckload. We have Coke instead of Reese’s Pieces, a birthday party
at McDonald’s instead of Halloween to disguise the alien, a trip through Sears,
and a cop just straight-out shooting the kid instead of a type of bonding seen
in <i>E.T.</i> causing the boy to die. Tied into that are aliens with
non-emotive faces who seem to just being wanting to cause destruction instead
of trying to understand things, and it’s just pretty repulsive all the way
through. (As least E.T. is innocently causing problems at one point in that
movie, and no doubt from drinking alcohol; Mac seems to be a bad kid looking to
watch the world burn.)<br />
<br />
Something positive for a ram chip? Well, the kids are actually pretty good
actors, and Jade Calegory, who really did have to use a wheelchair due to spina
bifida, is very good for someone who probably did not have a lot of screen
experience. And it will live forever in the hearts and minds of anyone who saw
Paul Rudd on the old Conan O’Brien show. There is a final riff in the movie
that references Christmas, so it works for this Advent Calendar. Oh, and they
never did the promised sequel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS7qLiHLeGaxWycB_MBqp9oHS_jwNZWnCk2YJyac0-K-rdCqikBjdbnBTCkVt_SNyCnZVL767LaAGdbZ8UqyplV5acz972ytGa-Kf69ha-kvo827MUmb4We9eT3eI1n2xXDYRuLXwnd0OD8oWNUEGHRP-7JDAHiuSpbr68mFfNUGwKZPO1B12hxZwjeOc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgS7qLiHLeGaxWycB_MBqp9oHS_jwNZWnCk2YJyac0-K-rdCqikBjdbnBTCkVt_SNyCnZVL767LaAGdbZ8UqyplV5acz972ytGa-Kf69ha-kvo827MUmb4We9eT3eI1n2xXDYRuLXwnd0OD8oWNUEGHRP-7JDAHiuSpbr68mFfNUGwKZPO1B12hxZwjeOc=w434-h290" width="434" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Still not as disturbing as what we saw in the movie.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Riffing: </b><b> </b>The was the first episode of the Netflix second
season, which was done in a manner where viewers were supposed to indulge in a
traditional “Turkey Day” marathon of episodes like MST3K fans had done many
times in the past. The only difference was that it was six new movies instead of
a dozen or more of the older ones. Returning to the program where all the
regulars, although the set for the mads were stripped down to just a small
background and featured only Kinga, Max, Synthia, and a handful of the
boneheads on the Moon 13 set, unlike the larger crew seen in the first season.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">As a fan, it’s a shame they didn’t do much more with the
theme of Kinga marrying Jonah, as that could have worked into the entire season
(imagine a storyline with Kinga’s idea of a honeymoon was simply to continue
the experiment of Jonah and the bots but in “honeymoon locations” and then a
quickie annulment when Jonah refuses to go mad at the end of the marathon). At
least the program took note of the cliffhanger and tried to resolve it somewhat
(although why Jonah would return to the bots after escaping Repitilicus is one
for the fanfic writers out there). Interesting to note the “Travel Cambot” looks
like Kinga stole some designs for her later cambots in the 13<sup>th</sup>
season. Also nice to see the sketches between bits of the movie tie into the
film (especially the McDonald’s parody), and the ending that finds Jonah and the
bots being brought down to Moon 13 to build on to the movie vault helps sets up
things to come, which is a nice twist in the setup of the show.<br />
<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCpu4i1prwlKEh9E3GzxF8Hm78hsFR30S7J5XGtq_ua9uewc4S4_TIRrOgYlBkWZAwcfrMN10ZotEXjOg92uVQdROXMkh6j4Bk4QrMB5MxVXDcWig-R1n3734fPS86mdcvXR5-Sp95_WobrL9Vd0nHcWIccx9-To7NxfCFwLVdvVb5ULYp2aZmqbpJOCU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCpu4i1prwlKEh9E3GzxF8Hm78hsFR30S7J5XGtq_ua9uewc4S4_TIRrOgYlBkWZAwcfrMN10ZotEXjOg92uVQdROXMkh6j4Bk4QrMB5MxVXDcWig-R1n3734fPS86mdcvXR5-Sp95_WobrL9Vd0nHcWIccx9-To7NxfCFwLVdvVb5ULYp2aZmqbpJOCU=w431-h242" width="431" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Everyone meets once again, as the Gauntlet sets up the storyline to come.</div><br /><i>Mac and Me</i> makes for an excellent first episode of the second season,
and is a recommended one for fans of the original show who want to see an
episode or two of the new one to see if it’s to their taste. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest it’s
one of the better MST3K episodes done over the entire 30 year run of the
series. It’s still available on Netflix to see, so if you have access and haven’t
had a taste of the bitterness that is <i>Mac and Me</i>, check it out!<o:p></o:p><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-83403367723083577532023-12-18T19:14:00.002-05:002023-12-18T19:14:28.040-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 17 - THE RIFFTRAX YULE LOG<p>Gotta make it a quick one tonight, but it's two hours of sweet riffing by the RiffTrax gang as Kevin tends the fire and Mike provides the feast in <i>The RiffTrax Yule Log</i>!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnBCx2tksuCYegcjhFI-5wXi8VXLzRKr15-4NVtvhZ1mr0Ykk8uzBqrgkLuhSPkkqAQrFnUKRpKFsRrUuRF9wIGuHXtsfVW0R0A2DwnIqBexLXjuftBoXBHZiGsY6C5XWGIRZjk5w92BwxdeWu5qEE0rbJCJ0Neweo-1H0O-AJLQTSA81Yuyn8DBiRRbo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="976" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnBCx2tksuCYegcjhFI-5wXi8VXLzRKr15-4NVtvhZ1mr0Ykk8uzBqrgkLuhSPkkqAQrFnUKRpKFsRrUuRF9wIGuHXtsfVW0R0A2DwnIqBexLXjuftBoXBHZiGsY6C5XWGIRZjk5w92BwxdeWu5qEE0rbJCJ0Neweo-1H0O-AJLQTSA81Yuyn8DBiRRbo=w430-h301" width="430" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154"><b><i>The RiffTrax Yule Log</i> <br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Air-Date: </b>November
20, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0C3ke6o53ehLfS1zuce25HOkS5vx_mUNSqcoAcbB3MBfMXJ5HqvZAHJiQYRHXrj8OSJKqZ9IP-S5CRMyzWc4bPmcdMHE_GGfzWpGV__9kXRW1c4gif1daf-nOC8UxG65p2Gvw_F-bKGPK7KyORtGPqQN6Mnx8xxX1fccS0OdTP9HO8oqphoKeYHddq4s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="624" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0C3ke6o53ehLfS1zuce25HOkS5vx_mUNSqcoAcbB3MBfMXJ5HqvZAHJiQYRHXrj8OSJKqZ9IP-S5CRMyzWc4bPmcdMHE_GGfzWpGV__9kXRW1c4gif1daf-nOC8UxG65p2Gvw_F-bKGPK7KyORtGPqQN6Mnx8xxX1fccS0OdTP9HO8oqphoKeYHddq4s=w434-h194" width="434" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That television IS probably too close to that fire.</div><br /><b>Plot: </b>It’s
Christmas at Kevin’s place and we get a traditional “Christmas Fireplace” video
as Kevin putters around the household (you can sometimes see his reflection in
the little television set as well as a good tight shot of the seat of his pants
every so often as he tends the fire; fortunately, he decided to not go with just
the speedos this Christmas).<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">A small television
is to the right and a radio to the left. These are there for a cornucopia of
RiffTrax clips from over the years, namely those of movies and shorts that are
Christmas-themed. It all starts off with a very nice acapella rendition of “Deck
the Halls” and ends with a nice version of “Joy to the World” by the guys. In-between
is a mix of songs, clips from previous RiffTrax movies and shorts (mostly
Christmas-based) and long moments of the fire crackling (or even longer when
Kevin is busy fussing with the fire).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtVlCGP1sVaQOmPAzIs-29DMElqtiNRacVVuNgBDn4z23VOnvQMLfWFEd3yflCVr6sv0GDe_3gYnYxC2Bo_OfMERlrAgPpdSCQDQVqgWaJmnH64RCGdxdvldihVbJMBQVtrNABS9b0_cAUYvQ3hsvC5fCiYI8l0rD8dyH2OcOzdP0n-Fsy3ooMDEdTczI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="624" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtVlCGP1sVaQOmPAzIs-29DMElqtiNRacVVuNgBDn4z23VOnvQMLfWFEd3yflCVr6sv0GDe_3gYnYxC2Bo_OfMERlrAgPpdSCQDQVqgWaJmnH64RCGdxdvldihVbJMBQVtrNABS9b0_cAUYvQ3hsvC5fCiYI8l0rD8dyH2OcOzdP0n-Fsy3ooMDEdTczI=w434-h198" width="434" /></a></div><br />In the final half-hour,
we listen in as more and more of the RiffTrax gang turn up at Kevin’s place. Mike
arrives in THE WORST BLIZZARD OF ANY CENTURY with an amourous moose he had
killed with his bare teeth, Mary Jo and Bridgit arrive after hitting Mike’s car,
while Bill arrives covered in moss and looking for shelter. They all join in dressing
the moose and the program ends as they raises glasses of moose blood as a toast
to the season.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>Far
too many to mention; this really is an extended “best of” collection.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV2iWYYttLpf0LJoPwTxP5ceq1R5yUzqd8n0HPBrCUKYGhAIUFVAw5nQgqW9kd4qrPR3FCIJndeg5jPdG0mfe4Y4qfQlG4mpofPSs6AeJCAdTIWIQ1LsW9lA1aDVf6hGqy7xiDcYt1jSuvooz_EIW30zdpVhuGd54PEgpVoYygjojqPQpd4saS2K0arKA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="624" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV2iWYYttLpf0LJoPwTxP5ceq1R5yUzqd8n0HPBrCUKYGhAIUFVAw5nQgqW9kd4qrPR3FCIJndeg5jPdG0mfe4Y4qfQlG4mpofPSs6AeJCAdTIWIQ1LsW9lA1aDVf6hGqy7xiDcYt1jSuvooz_EIW30zdpVhuGd54PEgpVoYygjojqPQpd4saS2K0arKA=w441-h201" width="441" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And you're seeing some of the riffs right here anyway.</div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b><b> </b>Not a whole lot of background to give
here. Of course, the concept is to be
much like the traditional yule-log videos most people have gotten at one time
or another, where you just let the fire play on the television set as you trim
the tree, wrap gifts, or eat moose. Because of this, the breaks between clips
where only the fire is heard crackling for long stretches and then suddenly the
next clip begins blaring may be a bit too disruptive for some listeners if they
were busy concentrating on other things. On the flipside, the television set in
the corner is small enough that some viewers may feel they can’t really follow
what is happening on the screen (and watching on your phone is probably a no-go
if you really plan on watching and not just listening). But those are the only
two very minor quibbles for fans who’ll enjoy seeing many of the best moments
from the various Christmas riffs done over the first few years of RiffTrax.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAopTTgmFU_7wRPVccuGdQIhluTFPZB2QahAb3x5_dvY26J2w9tuK8jezogluJ0I9FSCUwHNwlJEacEZ2rYW0WGKmQaEAjUmT8A0ZSg0v1fHtzexlPAsYh6Lp9TwFlCWNZzO4henQ-iTF5tygjV-kpEBLCoOHZeuFqFyLZNvJEf4VIZG72Q7jtC2_mGOI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAopTTgmFU_7wRPVccuGdQIhluTFPZB2QahAb3x5_dvY26J2w9tuK8jezogluJ0I9FSCUwHNwlJEacEZ2rYW0WGKmQaEAjUmT8A0ZSg0v1fHtzexlPAsYh6Lp9TwFlCWNZzO4henQ-iTF5tygjV-kpEBLCoOHZeuFqFyLZNvJEf4VIZG72Q7jtC2_mGOI=w421-h237" width="421" /></a></div><br />On a personal note, this was one of the first RiffTrax
features that I ever bought, as it gave me an opportunity to see clips with closed
captioning of a few movies that RiffTrax had riffed over the years but could
not release due to licensing. That means, besides
the clips you expect to see, like <i>Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny, </i>Whizzo,
<i>Rudolph</i>, and others, there are also clips from major films the gang has
riffed over time, like <i>Harry Potter, Die Hard, Charlie Brown Christmas, </i>and
<i>Reindeer Games. </i>It is also a good way to introduce those curious who
have never tried out RiffTrax, with the main downside is that you’ll be wanting
to see more.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9VgDAsPxHqmqlKCHWpxk5J-976WGeRaPtm6ZpgXQtdz1E_nZvpJmtzWoI-UoUS7n-aNVhqOcbN8wU6H20ckFXf3BEtGT3j5Xnuj1M6r5vSBLv3B8gBLkoeAAY5SOX8_786jZM7SUQ08psh3aTdjaFQ_I0YKP97sFBPrzaGgbCKjJ5h3HWrNc_bfzE_ZI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="624" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9VgDAsPxHqmqlKCHWpxk5J-976WGeRaPtm6ZpgXQtdz1E_nZvpJmtzWoI-UoUS7n-aNVhqOcbN8wU6H20ckFXf3BEtGT3j5Xnuj1M6r5vSBLv3B8gBLkoeAAY5SOX8_786jZM7SUQ08psh3aTdjaFQ_I0YKP97sFBPrzaGgbCKjJ5h3HWrNc_bfzE_ZI=w446-h202" width="446" /></a></div><br />Perhaps the best part for the regular fans is the last 25
minutes of the program, which features the regulars all appearing at Kevin’s
house for the holidays. There’s an improvisational air in that last portion that sounds like the
team having some fun. The dark, comic turn towards dressing a moose in the
house felt like a warm glow to an old Scrooge like me, as it reminds me a bit
of the olden days of lore when I would spend hours listening to Firesign
Theatre albums. There may be a dead moose on the table, but there’s a lot of
good cheer here and it’s worth checking out if you can. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-82649116461899802832023-12-17T21:53:00.006-05:002023-12-17T21:53:33.718-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 16 - SANTA AND THE ICE CREAM BUNNY<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh80CCYI5XAtnf5LDwOKcn3U6MET3CCF-YMuRdDMK9VTGBW52eKL-2ZaaRCYGOosTRuWfGvotjlTgs-DehreCiIAXxtHBHXbRyemO519_57m3ZL7qbxb4Cc-bDRqbFVga8nSo-N24OiJDQeVXxiuHZnaV5dr_AB-rlMxubAfkEDARrIY1QwhtaZk2jFcZA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="972" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh80CCYI5XAtnf5LDwOKcn3U6MET3CCF-YMuRdDMK9VTGBW52eKL-2ZaaRCYGOosTRuWfGvotjlTgs-DehreCiIAXxtHBHXbRyemO519_57m3ZL7qbxb4Cc-bDRqbFVga8nSo-N24OiJDQeVXxiuHZnaV5dr_AB-rlMxubAfkEDARrIY1QwhtaZk2jFcZA=w420-h299" width="420" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Day 16 of <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and we're back to another live RiffTrax event, this time with the deadly <i>Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny!</i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154"><b><i>Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny</i>
(1970/1972)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>Live
broadcast, December 3, 2015; released on video, March 2016.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0FU6tuoOGaO2SmzI70kpOfySWWNbtOy6yc4qEJziOpmD0uBFTd0hPXI7ahItDKBIDIUg387VEXqSdGu9v-tostUSMkgsFK0SH068FLlOhNASCIrbkUHAxcUfBmtIVC2VMJO7_wiY7IfJ73JmpLFHQiXOXlwifKsKAq0HT8bfMlHLpY024itCwUYjmbqI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="7537" data-original-width="3420" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0FU6tuoOGaO2SmzI70kpOfySWWNbtOy6yc4qEJziOpmD0uBFTd0hPXI7ahItDKBIDIUg387VEXqSdGu9v-tostUSMkgsFK0SH068FLlOhNASCIrbkUHAxcUfBmtIVC2VMJO7_wiY7IfJ73JmpLFHQiXOXlwifKsKAq0HT8bfMlHLpY024itCwUYjmbqI=w219-h482" width="219" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRmV6XZBp4Rkwf_mExHv25fZlusRNtotnldeRcSx3_vLrLh-zFQV7n6fz8j7FIXGMfyEdYSllBohD9r5aRRlyFcmjwYmdv1ucgA94eyyx5juHTlPsJWnq63PrqnUqx8YCFx015X3YF0KD7xQglxbQZSKwFCyupk_D5wPVEP4hpNUjJM2GQVbveURj8qCU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRmV6XZBp4Rkwf_mExHv25fZlusRNtotnldeRcSx3_vLrLh-zFQV7n6fz8j7FIXGMfyEdYSllBohD9r5aRRlyFcmjwYmdv1ucgA94eyyx5juHTlPsJWnq63PrqnUqx8YCFx015X3YF0KD7xQglxbQZSKwFCyupk_D5wPVEP4hpNUjJM2GQVbveURj8qCU=w361-h481" width="361" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Original newspaper ad for the movie (it's creepier that way) and the RiffTrax artwork for the live version.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plots and
Thoughts</b>: It’s another live presentation of <i>RiffTrax </i>at the Belcourt
Theatre in Nashville, which was broadcast in theaters around the country. This
includes three Christmas-themed shorts and a version of <i>Santa and the Ice
Cream Bunny </i>that is different from the earlier 2010 VOD RiffTrax release,
as the middle story, <i>Thumbelina</i>, has been replaced by <i>Jack in the
Beanstalk</i>. Both by the same director and both hard to watch.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After some tomfoolery
from Bill, Mike, and Kevin, with Bill passing out some Christmas paraphrenia to
the others, the shorts begin.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsXLLQA3MCfobZqzI-B3HvdskNDQvb6cv_OdDOU2ZQDMsipbFjkml6Fcw3GfEnDaLyIgAvEnDb6QiAJf__qCjB949_a7VXS1JhgfMoxWKIOVDRNQ5E8Wln_wdloP2IB0Mk03RWBDNwOidI_wA_8eRyj54_vihYkYHrEfc9lvQYjDpLTLEzE6Z4jyoRGt8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsXLLQA3MCfobZqzI-B3HvdskNDQvb6cv_OdDOU2ZQDMsipbFjkml6Fcw3GfEnDaLyIgAvEnDb6QiAJf__qCjB949_a7VXS1JhgfMoxWKIOVDRNQ5E8Wln_wdloP2IB0Mk03RWBDNwOidI_wA_8eRyj54_vihYkYHrEfc9lvQYjDpLTLEzE6Z4jyoRGt8=w460-h259" width="460" /></a></div><br /><i>Santa Claus Story </i>(1945) It’s another Castle Films short, which means we
have a wraparound story and filler in-between that may or may not have anything
to do with the wraparound. In this case, it’s strictly nonsensical, as Santa
talks to two children about monkeys for half the running time, while stock
footage of chimps and monkeys fill the screen. He then recites most of the “Yes,
Virginia” editorial covered in Day 8’s calendar blog. So it’s Santa talking
about how he will live for ten thousand years, and it all sounds rather egotistical
of him. Still, as some reviewers have pointed out, the editorial would not become
part of our collective memory of Christmas until well into the 1960s, so to see
it here is interesting. The short ends with the kids back asleep (begging the
question why they would both be dreaming about Santa telling them stories about
monkeys), and Santa as a phantom lording over all and laughing. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpNmdLBQwSVRkti8m0Qit0nlyXZkD3dMVesz6MZ6bi-VkVLRZdZvP0Na-7gQyau3QoKVJCyGtUgFMroOnBAScNbxqdV434saqeUBFWLXveOHaMxkGSmIDL1kT0-D32Ewa4P2sO9KJjJEVdmZ7ORt3FF1nNfcEV-bywFtzDx7r7BAIKBLiA4jQO2HBL0Bg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpNmdLBQwSVRkti8m0Qit0nlyXZkD3dMVesz6MZ6bi-VkVLRZdZvP0Na-7gQyau3QoKVJCyGtUgFMroOnBAScNbxqdV434saqeUBFWLXveOHaMxkGSmIDL1kT0-D32Ewa4P2sO9KJjJEVdmZ7ORt3FF1nNfcEV-bywFtzDx7r7BAIKBLiA4jQO2HBL0Bg=w423-h238" width="423" /></a></div><br /><i>The Tale of
Custard the Dragon </i>(1965) This short is from Weston Woods Studios, which
commonly made short films using famous children’s stories to be shown in
classrooms. This one is based on a poem by Ogden Nash and could have been
somewhat fun if it wasn’t so set in having everything look like a class
presentation at Christmas. The camera work is a bit muddled, and the
mistreatment of Custard would have worked better if we saw something different
than a bunch of kids picking on another kid. Still, of all the films shown
here, it’s probably the most professional.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrDYtJpo8yplVSfVXRC8CahvC5lhC70rx8bQnQ6j-exdpAriz7C1dmQG2QdsliNe8cxy8hd2gHgt5z8BTMhs_Hoe5wEHAZ8yCM90qvi90Gd-2Evkan9itcDsbOhYZf4T_RZ5eM6n4NDDwOYjrDnx6CMHeODuzBia97ft-cdyCIWR5VZatwfoSXroW8Xgo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrDYtJpo8yplVSfVXRC8CahvC5lhC70rx8bQnQ6j-exdpAriz7C1dmQG2QdsliNe8cxy8hd2gHgt5z8BTMhs_Hoe5wEHAZ8yCM90qvi90Gd-2Evkan9itcDsbOhYZf4T_RZ5eM6n4NDDwOYjrDnx6CMHeODuzBia97ft-cdyCIWR5VZatwfoSXroW8Xgo=w461-h259" width="461" /></a></div><br /><i>Santa’s
Enchanted Village </i>(1964) Coming from K. Gordon Murray, the producer who
brought up many films from Mexico, especially children movies such as the
beloved <i>Santa Claus</i>, you go in knowing what to expect – a lot of overdubbed
incomprehensible oddness and bad editing. Stinky Skunk and the Big Bad Wolf had
been part of a series of children films back in Mexico in the early 1960s directed
by Roberto Rodriguez, who also directed a movie featuring Puss in Boots, all of
which were released in the U.S. in dubbed versions by Murray. Hence, seeing the
costumes pop up here with Santa isn’t much of a stretch. Heck, Murray even uses
some shots from <i>Santa Claus</i> to bulk up the short (oh, yeah, Merlin was
VERY necessary to the plot, Mr. Murray, thanks for adding him). The footage was
shot at the Santa’s Village amusement park in Dundee, Illinois. The story has
the three working for Santa, but Stinky and some of the elves take off to watch
a puppet show. The Big Bad Wolf scares them all back to work, only to get sucked
into the show and is still watching when he gets busted by Santa for not doing
his job. Well, okay, Santa just laughs, but you know he’s going to dock the
Wolf’s pay for being off the clock like that when the camera isn’t on him.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5VFNTaqPCyPbSnwF8QqxUsKclBsRKnJLVzN1u_onX2t7LraYb-6txbCsnREvNhX6W5rtCf1ny4SeZWQLpeOzYk8zFllOjmZlA32e51_pm3FTA7zhw4hqBXXNg88lY2s4btKD31A2yfqDZUm2vHFDwfL5FnkGJCZ7-2YcI1BB0e7_BCXIngi4GrpxiSXM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5VFNTaqPCyPbSnwF8QqxUsKclBsRKnJLVzN1u_onX2t7LraYb-6txbCsnREvNhX6W5rtCf1ny4SeZWQLpeOzYk8zFllOjmZlA32e51_pm3FTA7zhw4hqBXXNg88lY2s4btKD31A2yfqDZUm2vHFDwfL5FnkGJCZ7-2YcI1BB0e7_BCXIngi4GrpxiSXM=w458-h258" width="458" /></a></div><br /><i>Santa and the
Ice Cream Bunny</i> (1970/1972) – Speaking of filming in parks, <i>Santa and
the Ice Cream Bunny</i> was shot at Pirate’s World in Dania, Florida (south of
Fort Lauderdale and near the ocean). The park was created in 1965 and featured several
traditional amusement park rides along with special programming for kids and adults,
including many rock concerts that played there between 1969 and 1973. And we’re
not talking about rock and rollers playing nostalgia tours; this was a place
that featured Led Zepplin, Black Sabbath, the Steve Miller Band, David Bowie,
and Alice Cooper, amongst others. It was also notorious for having rough crowds
at those shows and police having to be called in to control the audience at
times.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was also a place
where performances were done of traditional fairy tale stories for families and
that’s exactly what piqued writer-director-producer Barry Mahon’s interest in
the late 1960s. Mahon has been involved with movies for some time (including <i>Rocket
Attack U.S.A.</i>, which MST3K covered, as well as a number of nudie movies up
in New York). In Florida, he commonly filmed children’s movies for Childhood
Productions, including <i>The Wonderful Land of Oz</i>, which was also covered
by RiffTrax. Pirate’s World had two productions that Mahon saw could easily be
put on film and released to theaters within a minimum of effort in costumes,
sets and designs (since Pirate’s World already had these available).</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjymSizjyz1G0zTOynC1ijah78jSZIboLbzIIAnZ2o7fOBXA37OG_K0O3KCaKc5Pg8ICKurGjbyUD5xidoTzPoAU0TXQG0olpIX9cWVpOMrYvLi5m35N4ANhys9h7hDpWAn3BxF61BEzvYy8XVmPpLyFMMKT9W65kG4w-i3lNjsZ2Eo6OJSA4jyW3fe9I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="7405" data-original-width="5889" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjymSizjyz1G0zTOynC1ijah78jSZIboLbzIIAnZ2o7fOBXA37OG_K0O3KCaKc5Pg8ICKurGjbyUD5xidoTzPoAU0TXQG0olpIX9cWVpOMrYvLi5m35N4ANhys9h7hDpWAn3BxF61BEzvYy8XVmPpLyFMMKT9W65kG4w-i3lNjsZ2Eo6OJSA4jyW3fe9I=w333-h418" width="333" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Newspaper ad for a January 1972 showing of the two Mahon movies together.</div><br />Filming was done and completed on two productions in this manner in 1970: <i>Thumbelina
</i>and <i>Jack and the Beanstalk</i>. Both were then released together to
theaters that year and, like most children films done by smaller production
companies, pretty much ran its course and disappeared quickly, only to
occasionally pop up again when theaters needed quick matinee material to run on
weekends. With <i>Thumbelina</i> there is at least a wraparound setup to the
main story, showing a girl seeing a diorama at Pirate’s World for the story and
then becoming part of the story itself before coming back to reality and then
leaving the park. <i>Jack</i> doesn’t have that, getting right to the story
until it ends. Both run around an hour long each, so the pairing made sense.
Both are also rather traditional retellings of their respective fairy tale
stories, with occasional songs, although there’s a darker edge to <i>Thumbelina</i>
thanks to the various animals wanting to marry her. <i>Jack</i> is weighed down
by a cast who seem disinterested in the story, especially the actor playing the
giant, and wardrobe that really screams 1970. Backed up by more murky photography
and audio that makes everything seems just above stag-film level, and there’s a
depressing air around the two films that is hard to escape.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Later, Richard
Winer would decide to make a movie about Santa meeting the Easter Bunny at the
same park, with Mahon’s films used as filler to beef up the running time. Winer’s
story has Santa stuck in the sands near the park and unable to leave. Why he is there, how he got stuck there, why
he didn’t just walk to a phone or use magic to get out, is anyone’s guess.
Stranded and oh so hot, he telepathically calls out to a bunch of nearby kids
to help him find a solution. After numerous attempts to use various animals to
pull the sleigh including an ape (or rather, a guy in an ape costume), which
makes little since if his team of magical reindeer couldn’t do it, Santa gives
up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWBt5j1k3KE3PWd6tHeWvPuUKpQ-1dAaK6NkWo47ZtHB68bZnC4IWVmpYukg1vPW6Swx09skkSiW7jF177krhX7376zvD-bNH8YzF2zeNAVKLHYEA-HlElScATq4ClYaNaA2AcVrp_2v1rIJvdQ-yFzH-Um5ZPJu6pF43k5U2ZJR1MQoWyStOn9MQEpog" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWBt5j1k3KE3PWd6tHeWvPuUKpQ-1dAaK6NkWo47ZtHB68bZnC4IWVmpYukg1vPW6Swx09skkSiW7jF177krhX7376zvD-bNH8YzF2zeNAVKLHYEA-HlElScATq4ClYaNaA2AcVrp_2v1rIJvdQ-yFzH-Um5ZPJu6pF43k5U2ZJR1MQoWyStOn9MQEpog=w420-h236" width="420" /></a></div><br />Well, kinda. Instead,
he decides to tell the children a story. In the more well-known version of the
movie, he tells the story of Thumbelina, which cuts to the entire <i>Thumbelina</i>
movie, including opening and closing credits and the girls trip to the diorama
in the park (leading to an excellent series of riffs by Mike in the original
VOD version of the RiffTrax version reminding viewers that this is supposedly a
story being TOLD by Santa to the children, including credits and the walk
through the park, etc.).<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In the live
RiffTrax version, a variant of the film was found with the <i>Jack and the Beanstalk</i>
movie replacing <i>Thumbelina</i> (Mike makes use of the same gag about Santa
telling the story, but it is to lesser effect than with <i>Thumbelina</i>).
When the story is over, his message about the story is that the kids need to
stay strong, like Jack, and something will happen. The kids then leave, only to
return with a firetruck being driven by Santa’s old friend, the Ice Cream
Bunny.<br />
<br />
Now, who is the Ice Cream Bunny? Well, one would think perhaps the character
was a local television personality in costume (like how Whizzo is old friends
with Santa), but that doesn’t appear to be the case. Instead, it seems the
original idea may have been to have the Easter Bunny appear in the film with
Santa, but then nixed for some reason. Instead, it is a bunny that is the color
of vanilla ice cream, therefore the Ice Cream Bunny. So … yay, I guess.<br />
<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuJRLYLbRwcTRBy_bd4ssveP0hUN9PjjJPIoFaMmsNAizoEOZw41u-6GnguOdX-QyXxTw3iUac9HqAzB_kePqSd6FkTm9L5yI7P6KZw7eVqi_rpWKKlyb_5t9Cemv58mdZ0Ie6Rb6xgpmMF7tO3VR4YdLIOCHHrUgFwH03w4IOLjvGpM3uoz0AokKTAfM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2227" data-original-width="4070" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuJRLYLbRwcTRBy_bd4ssveP0hUN9PjjJPIoFaMmsNAizoEOZw41u-6GnguOdX-QyXxTw3iUac9HqAzB_kePqSd6FkTm9L5yI7P6KZw7eVqi_rpWKKlyb_5t9Cemv58mdZ0Ie6Rb6xgpmMF7tO3VR4YdLIOCHHrUgFwH03w4IOLjvGpM3uoz0AokKTAfM=w429-h235" width="429" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Newspaper ad from 1983 in Atlanta. Which would you dare to see?!</div><br />The Ice Cream Bunny drive the firetruck quite hazardously with a bunch of kids
barely holding on (you can see at least one fall off the truck at one point and
climb back on), and nearly hitting a dog twice, before arriving at Santa in the
sands. Santa leaves with the Ice Cream Bunny, on the firetruck, waving goodbye
to the kids. His sleigh then magically disappears and the movie ends. Santa
then gets back to the North Pole and must explain how he got his ass stuck in Florida
while “on business.” “Honest, honey, I HAD to go to Florida. There was a convention
for us holiday workers at the park. While we were there, we were to a party
with the Grateful Dead, and I was asked to lick some stamps for them, and the
next thing I know I’m on the beach in the sled!”<br />
<br />
Now THERE’S a movie for you. Garcia even had the beard; he could have easily
helped save Christmas for Santa in that situation. What a missed opportunity!<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>(In
<i>Santa Claus’ Story, </i>Santa is telling children a story about monkeys for
some reason) Bill: And then, city of
Bethlehem, born unto us the Savior, Yada, yada. You kids know the rest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijS-s2tiXy9WWbvfJhXgpuAptsBsab7tOBVnYyNDNAS1X_Val0qH4xZIffMS62JNKF_xVSf7dtrF0sK0DJredkbtyVYm8Mi3g8tXmNKDZACX7dM8-iuxhO-mbNBkzAWm_xxV66xxQiw_0i2zx66t9r0iB-lTOivKYy_9gaqxRjrh9cSatYpIMHm8qennA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijS-s2tiXy9WWbvfJhXgpuAptsBsab7tOBVnYyNDNAS1X_Val0qH4xZIffMS62JNKF_xVSf7dtrF0sK0DJredkbtyVYm8Mi3g8tXmNKDZACX7dM8-iuxhO-mbNBkzAWm_xxV66xxQiw_0i2zx66t9r0iB-lTOivKYy_9gaqxRjrh9cSatYpIMHm8qennA=w468-h263" width="468" /></a></div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b><b> </b>By 2015, doing live RiffTrax shows at the
Belcourt Theatre has become a tradition for the gang, and there had already
been three other live shows that year (<i>The Room, Sharknado 2, </i>and<i>
Miami Connection</i>), so things were running like a well-oiled machine for the
trio on stage and even the audience knew the drill on what to expect and how to
behave. There were no special guests for the show like in the early days,
unless you accept two Ice Cream Bunnies in the crowd (one jokingly referred to
as the stunt Ice Cream Bunny and the other a very authentic-looking variation
of the one used in the movie.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s clear the material makes little sense, but because the
movie was already familiar to the fans who knew the earlier VOD, but at least
it did have a good hour’s worth of new material thanks to the <i>Jack and the
Beanstalk</i> variation, and the shorts. As a fan, I would even suggest that If
you wish to watch one or the other version of <i>Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny</i>
available from RiffTrax on their website, Amazon, and other locations, I
strongly suggest the live version, as I think the gags in <i>Jack</i> are more
consistent than in the dreary <i>Thumbelina</i> (and you can always go back to
the earlier version later to catch up on the other story anyway). Definitely
worth a look either way you go, as you would expect for any release from the
RiffTrax team.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-68185073060195177592023-12-16T22:53:00.001-05:002023-12-16T22:53:21.691-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 15 - THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi7FBfA3mV3BVHwLlf5ZDS_SbaTA3EODbr0zWmpJjtEAcZZiJoeDJZ9-RoQYmKiIdqUr71Ec2ulipPhGnzMy1BTY1ogo4VemuX9rUeFK9uGt2uTiEtBfZaOPiYxFDd9wjGmiZp0CtOm2dEbK1Ct7k5VylP24e4uj03Un-2WGTxdFYk4NJZQVt9X-W2dUM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="985" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi7FBfA3mV3BVHwLlf5ZDS_SbaTA3EODbr0zWmpJjtEAcZZiJoeDJZ9-RoQYmKiIdqUr71Ec2ulipPhGnzMy1BTY1ogo4VemuX9rUeFK9uGt2uTiEtBfZaOPiYxFDd9wjGmiZp0CtOm2dEbK1Ct7k5VylP24e4uj03Un-2WGTxdFYk4NJZQVt9X-W2dUM=w543-h382" width="543" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">Day 15 of <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas
Advent Calendar and we’re digging into a dubbed Christmas movie from the
Netflix version of MST3K. It’s <i>The Christmas
That Almost Wasn’t!</i> <b><o:p></o:p></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>The Christmas
That Almost Wasn’t </i>(November 1966)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>Mystery
Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>April
14, 2017<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYYcJkZwZLcB-L_w5S42cbbNMhngiJ6CdF6PQuX53TtQfNESVYp97SVF5CYQI9oIug-a91tpOUqRdkqj0OVyWsumCgHdBTfcFyh6fIz1lATxIVpparcQv_5DG2xxjRqUDhRIROegdHoJl0O34RlxF0aF8DQY1b0c5V0ZaAELwKRFL1vNUZBdm8weqztlE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="480" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYYcJkZwZLcB-L_w5S42cbbNMhngiJ6CdF6PQuX53TtQfNESVYp97SVF5CYQI9oIug-a91tpOUqRdkqj0OVyWsumCgHdBTfcFyh6fIz1lATxIVpparcQv_5DG2xxjRqUDhRIROegdHoJl0O34RlxF0aF8DQY1b0c5V0ZaAELwKRFL1vNUZBdm8weqztlE=w222-h340" width="222" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuuA9BzDje_ZISO2SFLNqs8j3Jjq6JxRxdu0U3Kk7lxYYbVg9J4FHx9pseN_J0lyFu16GpViiEngRsMfNByLXD8nHPsSQxg7LMMVykhFaGGLInz-O2-74MsIkYrKskP_KdJFnM5P26vridosI6GZlqKQ5JodaT9G-IkRiHOHawmSPwqJtWMXlm7UcR9yU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2231" data-original-width="1602" height="343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuuA9BzDje_ZISO2SFLNqs8j3Jjq6JxRxdu0U3Kk7lxYYbVg9J4FHx9pseN_J0lyFu16GpViiEngRsMfNByLXD8nHPsSQxg7LMMVykhFaGGLInz-O2-74MsIkYrKskP_KdJFnM5P26vridosI6GZlqKQ5JodaT9G-IkRiHOHawmSPwqJtWMXlm7UcR9yU=w246-h343" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Original U.S. movie poster and the MST3K streaming art.<br /><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Plot</b>:
Santa Claus (Alberto Rabagliati) is being run out of his workshop at the North
Pole by a landlord by the name of Phineas T. Prune (Rossano Brazzi) as part of
a scheme to stop Santa from giving toys to children. Sam Whipple (Paul Tripp)
tries to help Santa out by getting him a job at a department store, but Prune buys
out the store and charges them for toys he and his butler broke. The children
of the town find out about the rent due and collect money to give Santa. Santa has
discovered a new racket and become a powerful overlord of the country, crushing
his enemies with his power over the youth of the nation. <br />
<br />
Actually, he pays the rent with the kids’ money and everyone is seemingly happy
that the kids essentially bought their own toys that year. Santa then gives a
present to Prune; a toy boat he asked for when he was a child. Prune is filled
with the joy of Christmas and becomes a happy man. This story was later ripped
off for an episode of <i>Night Court</i>.
Honest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiagrDyjS-LOaKqPccO8SrDWKspVgIFeCjst2K9DWDjNar5oHsQkV6McA4fvZIH_vnzDQwprrBD0pTE8xcynSku4dV741EZkwkDZGfsbrLExTGdNHvkUKGaN1R8nsmwkg3mT7eSe16_XWQRdAtwy1TSsZmVwpLJtBEMlR8iCKtkLX-pGmIzUPToGdeQBsQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3121" data-original-width="3943" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiagrDyjS-LOaKqPccO8SrDWKspVgIFeCjst2K9DWDjNar5oHsQkV6McA4fvZIH_vnzDQwprrBD0pTE8xcynSku4dV741EZkwkDZGfsbrLExTGdNHvkUKGaN1R8nsmwkg3mT7eSe16_XWQRdAtwy1TSsZmVwpLJtBEMlR8iCKtkLX-pGmIzUPToGdeQBsQ=w395-h313" width="395" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Favorite
Riff: </b>“And could you possibly sync up my dialogue with my lips, please?”
(Sam when asking Santa for help with decorations)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;">Thoughts: </b><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Also known by its Italian title, </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Il
Natale CheQuasi Non Fu</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">, which makes sense since it was made in Italy using Italian
talent. Italy was well-known for filming movies without sound, since so many of
their features were released dubbed in other languages anyway; thus, explaining
the general sync issue in the movie. Rossano Brazzi, the star of </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">South
Pacific</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">, came into the project as not only a means to get away from playing
the “hot foreign lead” in movies, but also because he wanted to direct. He’s
also known to </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Cinematic Titanic</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> fans for his starring role in </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Frankenstein’s
Castle of Freaks</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">. Brazzi’s real-life wife, Lydia Brazzi, played Mrs. Claus
in the movie.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<br />
Paul Tripp, who played Whipple in the movie, was an American songwriter,
scriptwriter, and actor, who hosted children shows and is probably best remembered
for creating the musical piece “Tubby the Tuba” for children. Besides co-starring
in the movie, he wrote the book on which the movie was based as well as the
final script. Sonny Fox, who played the owner of the department store, was
another American in the film and he hosted the series <i>Wonderama</i> for
years. There was also the familiar face of Micha Auer, Jonathan the Elf in the
film, who had played Carlo in <i>My Man Godfrey </i>(1936).</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXqHszXRc6lJAx_DJG0ql66XtF1ZGOlUcaDffB-b9nXcU8gZ27kT55WyFDurHnp9Yg9rX7Dsq9CSgRLzkHYDwcgCg6l-ZWGT_GYqvwFwdZpYeKNofsQ_8teTAOaXIHBEfA7PDZGpZza028ROHcPEBFOJ0XryZ-JjBY37MzEycxlfesJGs0mmNgaVmP-Nw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXqHszXRc6lJAx_DJG0ql66XtF1ZGOlUcaDffB-b9nXcU8gZ27kT55WyFDurHnp9Yg9rX7Dsq9CSgRLzkHYDwcgCg6l-ZWGT_GYqvwFwdZpYeKNofsQ_8teTAOaXIHBEfA7PDZGpZza028ROHcPEBFOJ0XryZ-JjBY37MzEycxlfesJGs0mmNgaVmP-Nw=w441-h294" width="441" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Prune being a dingus. What a jerk, man.</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>The
Christmas That Almost Wasn’t</i> is in no way, shape, or form related to the
popular Ogden Nash story of the same name published in the 1950s, dealing with
a miser nephew of a King who cancels Christmas, nor an earlier school play of
the same name from the 1930s where toys in a household go on strike because the
children are refusing to play with their older ones. Tripp’s story is rather pedestrian
in comparison and dealing solely with Claus finding money to pay the rent by
taking one job and then … well, giving up, really. It’s only thanks to a child
offering to throw money at him that his crisis is over.<br />
<br />
For some, it’s a beloved movie for people of a certain age who grew up watching
it every year on HBO in the early 1980s and onward, but if you’re not of the
right age group, you are left wondering where the magic is in this thing. The effects
are pretty bad, the sets are drab, the directing is functional but uninspired,
and thanks to the dubbing there’s no emotional feel to the characters. As
mentioned, Santa’s dilemma is resolved out of the blue by the children without
any effort on his part, while Prune’s villainy is based solely on a clinical
error (making his story a rather sad one, having wasted decades of his life
being denied happiness because Jonathan lost his postcard to Santa and he was
deemed unlovable … yeesh). Even the music, which is never set up as it should
be for a musical, comes out of nowhere and – seemingly embarrassed – ends just
as rapidly. One can see why MST3K went after this.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">The
film was released in November 1966 in the New York area and spread out over the
country the following six weeks, playing theaters and even drive-ins for
half-a-week to a full week here and there. There was a soundtrack album
released for the movie released, but the film never really built up steam in
the U.S. and it was only after HBO began playing it yearly that it gained a
following.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq4I2Bn6YmzHkKId1AITHbszYCEoyG19-J5UGeI4cpGHp61RDCSxkFQQBbAVozN5u_q9BkjZzsN1d2Ibvr3HKdkmHH82lZbl24oPhpe35r_EfwJf4vPdfa1R1GL_M3Jn7WE13Pqk6i_2zI7Uwu9aOxPhThKaI0Lvc6awKH_DWKDxPhTEfSY5VinzaORL4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq4I2Bn6YmzHkKId1AITHbszYCEoyG19-J5UGeI4cpGHp61RDCSxkFQQBbAVozN5u_q9BkjZzsN1d2Ibvr3HKdkmHH82lZbl24oPhpe35r_EfwJf4vPdfa1R1GL_M3Jn7WE13Pqk6i_2zI7Uwu9aOxPhThKaI0Lvc6awKH_DWKDxPhTEfSY5VinzaORL4=w467-h263" width="467" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jonah and the bots discussing the lameness of the toys always seen in Santa movies.</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>The
Riffing: </b><b> </b>This was late
in the first Netflix season of 2017, and a bonus episode created when the crowdfunding
for the season found the group with enough additional funds to create a holiday
episode. It would be the third Christmas
episode in the entire series, after <i>Santa Claus Conquers the Martians</i>
and <i>Santa Claus</i>, and the first for the revival of the series. One can
even hear a callback to the “Patrick Swayze Christmas” song at one point during
the commercial breaks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">By this point the writing had settled down from
the frantic nature of the early handful of episodes and beyond a couple of
points where so many jokes are pouring in that it somewhat gets in the way of
the movie, the episode is a solid entry into the season. Joel, already
appearing as Ardy at the beginning of the episode, also pops up as Santa (along
with series writer-director Elliott Kalan as Mr. Whipple) for a few minutes
during one of the host segments. Speaking of those segments, we see continuity
here as Kinga prepares to wed Jonah in the upcoming final episode (a storyline
that was immediately abandoned in the subsequent Gauntlet season), and the
other segments play off the theme of the movie well, especially the final
segment where they reproduce the “photo still” climax of the movie.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Everything appears to be moving smoothly for the series at Netflix, with one
more episode to go before the first season of the revived series ends. Little
would anyone realize that shifting sentiment at Netflix was on the horizon. For
those interested in watching, you can still find it on Netflix if you have the
service, while it is also available for sale on the Gizmoplex and online
sources like Amazon and Hulu.</span></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-9282472912456442362023-12-15T22:49:00.010-05:002023-12-15T23:17:09.133-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 14 - MITCHELL<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP1GGLYHXjzYPUrylNHbebMmfeR7PUdJCxnJPap9mrsEHp_l7J7ZGtisLjMi1skgZw_6Rlx1k9_N-vtiDbH5NCE9sFcdN6tofWnFarWfH1n5pB1MIXQbF3r6LNQL35_5ZykZ9JAmS750dny2dWkd_4p5D56frSk5yyXdLT6uvFAK77F4wzRG1Np4LugMg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="685" data-original-width="973" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhP1GGLYHXjzYPUrylNHbebMmfeR7PUdJCxnJPap9mrsEHp_l7J7ZGtisLjMi1skgZw_6Rlx1k9_N-vtiDbH5NCE9sFcdN6tofWnFarWfH1n5pB1MIXQbF3r6LNQL35_5ZykZ9JAmS750dny2dWkd_4p5D56frSk5yyXdLT6uvFAK77F4wzRG1Np4LugMg=w445-h313" width="445" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">Day 14 of <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas
Advent Calendar brings us a jolly fat man who breaks into houses and yes, Greta,
there IS a Christmas Tree. Of course, we’re talking about <i>Mitchell!</i> <b><o:p></o:p></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Mitchell </i>(September
1975)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>Mystery
Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>October
23, 1993<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieHXU0HynmUaQ-DT4HyKOkLE-84Oid1izcw8aXv7JGrNli8F6jXdIxPirGfk7aUh38LO5bPWBZl4BJKtH8mDy7eKZQH_kRja0qRCyuJ2lvAXvmedKVzp0wwlIiCbtLO9s0HBSkuvSRaekSsQqpyQhV4Xom3sAkSM2602q-BxcWsQFY5pVEJgjPMKAzA3A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="480" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieHXU0HynmUaQ-DT4HyKOkLE-84Oid1izcw8aXv7JGrNli8F6jXdIxPirGfk7aUh38LO5bPWBZl4BJKtH8mDy7eKZQH_kRja0qRCyuJ2lvAXvmedKVzp0wwlIiCbtLO9s0HBSkuvSRaekSsQqpyQhV4Xom3sAkSM2602q-BxcWsQFY5pVEJgjPMKAzA3A=w222-h333" width="222" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg54w4bnsozIerHQ3pZWwyqDVtkAdHfw8h6CiaAunZeB3BHAYiKiilNR2vndcTtbUz9-sA_kVrHaXnU-C6jkOSzrypI725DuyCon_INhx27U4R8pKEUQktyfRM-EuSdkzg27HS0jo-4dK6upyKwbBRc-hEf7dGHKEPgooRvq0-f70iURDgEks5UyByHxiA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2228" data-original-width="1232" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg54w4bnsozIerHQ3pZWwyqDVtkAdHfw8h6CiaAunZeB3BHAYiKiilNR2vndcTtbUz9-sA_kVrHaXnU-C6jkOSzrypI725DuyCon_INhx27U4R8pKEUQktyfRM-EuSdkzg27HS0jo-4dK6upyKwbBRc-hEf7dGHKEPgooRvq0-f70iURDgEks5UyByHxiA=w186-h335" width="186" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original movie poster and the VHS cover for the MST3K version.</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Plot</b>:
Yeah, we’ve got a plot for you. Right here, buddy.<br />
<br />
Really, in the paragraphs below. Sorry if that sounded aggressive.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">Walter
Deaney (John Saxon) is a trade union lawyer who takes the opportunity of a
burglary-in-progress at his home to shoot the perpetrator. The cops aren’t very
interested in the case, but Detective Mitchell (Joe Don Baker) is, which has
Deaney calling in favors to get Mitchell off his back. As the FBI is trailing
Deany, they want Mitchell to back off as well.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">To
facilitate, the chief of police moves Mitchell to stakeout James Cummins
(Martin Balsam), who is on the crest of seeing his empire of stolen imports and
exports being stripped away from him because a cousin of the mob don is having
a shipment of heroin brought in through Cummins’ company while the police are
breathing down his neck. Mitchell is determined to bring both Cummins and Deany
to justice (perhaps a final justice?).</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3gFvSqPQzX1X95jBKd7lAEJ_kvYaiNOEkVghidJNEx5Q_gZoiFVujGyN7kQC25J56RePzuIuC2ZASZp4XsXFpfTt280G1NGNZju1T4Lb3cQAqHYHvopWlFvBoCr_yomoAyjrxA7DzFSjN8jsN9o1AtFbIGILussr81NTBB0l_yqlESkjFNiih1DSkxY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6741" data-original-width="3527" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-3gFvSqPQzX1X95jBKd7lAEJ_kvYaiNOEkVghidJNEx5Q_gZoiFVujGyN7kQC25J56RePzuIuC2ZASZp4XsXFpfTt280G1NGNZju1T4Lb3cQAqHYHvopWlFvBoCr_yomoAyjrxA7DzFSjN8jsN9o1AtFbIGILussr81NTBB0l_yqlESkjFNiih1DSkxY=w253-h482" width="253" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Newspaper ad from June 21, 1975 for the Texas premiere.</div><br />
<br />
Deany at first tries to buy Mitchell off with a high-priced Prostitute (Linda
Evans), but she eventually falls for the big lug, even after he sends her to
jail for having pot. (Edited from the MST3K version is an earlier discovering
of a bag of mary-jane in her purse, which he ignores; it’s only after she
taunts him to arrest her that he does so, making his character actually more
forgivable in the original cut of the movie.) He believes Cummins is behind the
prostitute scheme, but after Cummins jeers him for thinking so, Mitchell visits
Deany (who has a Christmas Tree in his house, thus making this a Christmas
movie), who offers Mitchell a money-scheme to pay him off. It’s no dice, and he
becomes such a nuisance to the two criminals that they decide to eliminate him.
Permanently. Bwaaa-haa-haaa.<p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-ky0UVgig1mabXCSfqAkgNEiS9GkWpXp6SibnhyldyjWIcTME0CdHBodVU5mLep_fASZ5_-rWX178ZoVhl_IRu4nmfs4iNXx48QBGLQe2JcXFowU48vA5m9baxCNOdQGz598nS1-_8LdwF0D2BKX2NoAhHuACvZi_HzdIieFEYpnARIuBghMpCNYOWp0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-ky0UVgig1mabXCSfqAkgNEiS9GkWpXp6SibnhyldyjWIcTME0CdHBodVU5mLep_fASZ5_-rWX178ZoVhl_IRu4nmfs4iNXx48QBGLQe2JcXFowU48vA5m9baxCNOdQGz598nS1-_8LdwF0D2BKX2NoAhHuACvZi_HzdIieFEYpnARIuBghMpCNYOWp0=w440-h247" width="440" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This leads
to a scene cut from the MST3K version where Cummins forces Mitchell into a trap
where he is defenseless against Deany and a henchman trying to kill him with
dune buggies. Mitchell outfoxes them (and uses a rock as seen in the opening title
sequence) and Deany gets killed when his vehicle flips over and explodes (as dune
buggies rarely do).<p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglkif5eR2w9p2uch_cHlM9MUcAisZPVyQEJ43iNCxPu7LHw4G44p5QxfLGebp0kOoZXfWnmZoqwSgVzYHyPaGVgA-ZX-EGO5yKDwHw7eixzlZom0FdNRU_OaFFRi71QD31hBMSD14OJH0pBRGHPuFnwlVpcNz9Jr-SVmoZZxhFeRMwCG-RhQAPd1lVGi4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglkif5eR2w9p2uch_cHlM9MUcAisZPVyQEJ43iNCxPu7LHw4G44p5QxfLGebp0kOoZXfWnmZoqwSgVzYHyPaGVgA-ZX-EGO5yKDwHw7eixzlZom0FdNRU_OaFFRi71QD31hBMSD14OJH0pBRGHPuFnwlVpcNz9Jr-SVmoZZxhFeRMwCG-RhQAPd1lVGi4=w444-h250" width="444" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Why would anyone do this with Mitchell? Because he's a giving, sensual lover. And has beer.</div><br />
With Deany dead, Cummins decides to double-cross everyone by giving Mitchell
information to shut down the heroin coming in, telling the mob don’s cousin
about Mitchell arriving to confiscate the heroin, and secretly replacing the
heroin with chalk. Mitchell, however, is way ahead of everyone and, no doubt
having seen <i>Key Largo</i>, ends up killing Cummins and saving the day.<p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">Then
scenes from next week’s episode of <i>Mitchell</i>!</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Favorite
Riff: </b>“Baby oil!” “Nooooo!” (vomiting sounds) “My, my, my, MY GOD! No!”</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Thoughts: </b>Honestly, if you were around in 1973-1975,
you would have thought Joe Don Baker was the bee’s knees. He was everywhere and
it was all thanks to <i>Walking Tall</i>, based on the career of sheriff Buford
Pusser, which became a sleeper hit and led to two sequels (with Bo Svenson
taking over the role). Later in 1973, when the Walter Matthau-starring <i>Charley
Varrick</i> was released, the ad campaign quickly was revamped to highlight
Baker’s minor role in the movie over Matthau, displaying how much star-power he
had at the time. He wound that back a bit and would make a good solid career out
of playing secondary character roles in many movies (including an effective run
in three James Bond movies; once as the villain and twice as a good guy). There
would be occasional attempts for bigger roles in the crime series <i>Eischied</i>
(1979), where his character played against stereotypes by being well-educated
AND southern, and movies like <i>The Pack</i> (1977), but co-starring roles in
movies and television suited him just fine.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">Director
Andrew McLaglen had a career making movies with John Wayne and James Stewart
throughout the 1960s before bouncing around a bit with action movies for both
television and theaters in the 1970s and 1980s. Ian Kennedy Martin, meanwhile, created
<i>The Sweeney</i> (a police series that <i>Life on Mars</i> pays tribute to),
so even if it’s across the waters for him here, you would think he would know
his stuff. The cast is rounded out with a lot of familiar faces from television;
all competent. And, in all honesty, Joe Don Baker is fun to watch and good in
anything. There I said it. Whadaya gonna do about it? Seriously, he’s in fine
form here and there is a good connection between him and Merlin Olsen, with
some comedic reactions between the pair through the movie that plays well.<br />
<br />
And yet, everything all piles up into a mishmash of action pieces that, while not
confusing, doesn’t really feel like it’s amounts to anything. There’s little tension and certainly no build
up over the course of 90 minutes. Shame, Mitchell as a character could have
worked in a vague Columbo type of way, with a slob cop who actually is a relentless
pursuer of criminals and unbribable. Heck, I could easily see it as a series
from the 1970s. But the sloppiness on display isn’t very charming here and a
story that really could have ramped up into something big (that FBI subplot
just fizzled out the moment it was mentioned, for example), sits there in a bad
<i>Hawaii Five-0</i> way; ending with Mitchell killing off a kingpin’s relative
and ruining his drug shipment, but with no ramifications. <br />
<br />
People get upset with the movie for not being good; I get frustrated with it
for not attempting to be something more than the filler than it is.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqxwQSA7GODQhCVpnanwkA3g7yModU4zPNIKrPASMLMmmxDmWEnxYCAmFuWUgHiR-qKHFuRfCxFiaVXaEnWBOt6l61cQuwOw8eFZ1kMuiErwS_mT4p1maujDgRCKRZZW4rcVeLU7DDlMMe3onvKgyGxeC0ipHnogqh46f6NOA5H9vcCAibHX-eLKatao0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqxwQSA7GODQhCVpnanwkA3g7yModU4zPNIKrPASMLMmmxDmWEnxYCAmFuWUgHiR-qKHFuRfCxFiaVXaEnWBOt6l61cQuwOw8eFZ1kMuiErwS_mT4p1maujDgRCKRZZW4rcVeLU7DDlMMe3onvKgyGxeC0ipHnogqh46f6NOA5H9vcCAibHX-eLKatao0=w450-h253" width="450" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The temp is causing problems early on in the episode. Bah!</div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>The
Riffing: </b><b> </b>This, of
course, ranks highly with MST3K fans not only because there’s plenty of good
riffing in the theater, but also because it is the end of Joel’s run and the
beginning of Mike’s in the series. Most of that is covered in my <i>The Worst We
Can Find</i> book, but it all came down to Joel deciding the best thing for him
and the series was to leave. This was of no surprise to everyone on the show,
as they figured he would be leaving at some point anyway.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">There were many people who were up to replace
Joel in the program, but the cast quickly rallied behind Mike Nelson. This was
understandable: he was head writer, he wrote most of the music used on the
program, and he was already playing parts on the show, so they knew he could
act. Best of all, he was already one of them, so it meant not having to bring
someone they didn’t know in from the outside. Joel would go on to work on other
outside projects, while MST3K continued strong for another four and a half
seasons, but Joel’s departure was the writing on the wall for both Frank and
Trace, who would see their way out the door over the next two seasons.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDPUQ6_L7s3l0M0I1vK-vBUdJD_oZndiXjRykYYdFD0eRuS8Nw-ZOjG64kMC6jkqFB5kfU6i0VF1fc-OFFfIfYzbn5zwbQ7109DzFdTCr9CEitZH5DVyZoY7MfAZxhbPUbzdC3gfLkrH8U1jaaw1fJoi8RxP1WLfezuQyksmElaZM6dHqVRtJRsStTnsI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDPUQ6_L7s3l0M0I1vK-vBUdJD_oZndiXjRykYYdFD0eRuS8Nw-ZOjG64kMC6jkqFB5kfU6i0VF1fc-OFFfIfYzbn5zwbQ7109DzFdTCr9CEitZH5DVyZoY7MfAZxhbPUbzdC3gfLkrH8U1jaaw1fJoi8RxP1WLfezuQyksmElaZM6dHqVRtJRsStTnsI=w464-h261" width="464" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If nothing else, it gives everyone a good look at Joel's knees.</div><br /><span style="text-indent: 0in;">The times were definitely changing. One consequence
of the switchover to Mike is that the show began to quickly evolve from being
each episode as a stand-alone to a form of continuing storyline (in the first
four and a half seasons, beyond the Turkey Day Marathon inserts that brought
back certain characters, Torgo from </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Manos</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> is one of the rare cases where
a character from one week returned to pay off a gag in a subsequent week of show;
and ironically enough, he was played by Mike Nelson). New characters began to
return in subsequent episodes and callback became more frequent. For example, Pearl
Forrester would be introduced and become a regular cast member in season seven,
while The Umbilicus that attached Deep 13 and the SOL together in the first episode
of season six and was referred to and seen many times after that. Such concepts
would eventually make the multi-episode storyline of season eight not that far-fetch
and you begin to see the acorn in it as early as midway through season five.</span><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA-taGVLV6l1SNJujO-bUPj4P5-gybGpzg4n1b9qH6s2j-FvVH9zxgTq5Bjn6iPQrqsF5C0dVZ6s9Gh9Y-O_bVtOAlb_PvNbB0gvXROuJJfSFatlNbPgqxOVMdbL5ZBV4HUuNgB2sqMSCAhYgNycKgdg_hatH-mahkUbp9qxPEiYJ0yYq4qw8L7Zoj4iU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA-taGVLV6l1SNJujO-bUPj4P5-gybGpzg4n1b9qH6s2j-FvVH9zxgTq5Bjn6iPQrqsF5C0dVZ6s9Gh9Y-O_bVtOAlb_PvNbB0gvXROuJJfSFatlNbPgqxOVMdbL5ZBV4HUuNgB2sqMSCAhYgNycKgdg_hatH-mahkUbp9qxPEiYJ0yYq4qw8L7Zoj4iU=w480-h270" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Come to think of it, Forrester never did sign that time-card.</div><br /><span style="text-indent: 0in;">While many movies used in the early days of the
program needed no editing (at 60-75 minutes in length, there rarely was any
reason to cut material from movies that were G-rated to begin with), those that
did get trimmed rarely showed their rough edges. That was not the case with </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Mitchell</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">,
however, with the first bedroom encounter with Linda Evans edited out (perhaps thankfully),
while John Saxon goes missing because his character’s death scene is completely
gone. And while they acknowledge the missing John Saxon in the riffs (and there
is a brief mention of his death on the car radio), it means the riff is based
on a false premise, as the movie DID give us Deany’s demise, but we’re left to
think they fouled that up and didn’t deliver.</span><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">And as for Joe Don Baker’s response to this?
Again, check out <i>The Worst We Can Find</i> for further details, but namely
there’s little evidence he really cared what they thought about him or his
movies. Nevertheless, it makes for good gags by the MST3K guys, which is all
that matters.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-7872434611265499342023-12-14T20:19:00.001-05:002023-12-14T20:19:13.825-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 13 - A Christmas Carol<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhazFMiWt6oneQycm4CE-rCvDIsLbNqJllMANowq_988_DdNVRmJDRHnIr8K6nJLbuz-sFjeiqabaTZB9bI6O5xYvgIln2PxTv00gD79Y6ALA8_FNnFRQgKD1oHN3ehjWhNbRO_q3Blid4MG--3-Mf2MzYvcq3AoOm4JdWEoNTRIuIvtTJo8TMv_Rvmab0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="984" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhazFMiWt6oneQycm4CE-rCvDIsLbNqJllMANowq_988_DdNVRmJDRHnIr8K6nJLbuz-sFjeiqabaTZB9bI6O5xYvgIln2PxTv00gD79Y6ALA8_FNnFRQgKD1oHN3ehjWhNbRO_q3Blid4MG--3-Mf2MzYvcq3AoOm4JdWEoNTRIuIvtTJo8TMv_Rvmab0=w460-h323" width="460" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">Over the hump and into the final
dozen in <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar. Today it’s
another RiffTrax excursion into the season with their take on <i>A Christmas
Carol</i>!<b><o:p></o:p></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>A Christmas Carol
</i>(December 1969)<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Program: </b><i>RiffTrax
<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
2018<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_vT8Yi_vXkRP6pexd5rUf_hfNblqiXTKjTMCNuk5_sMAS8rpAPfrGX07cEHda3kYaot3hnBpXHJf4Ylv5Rl_KS-fHSu_IbVbYi_LPErDBNb9OaVsncXXWqH3KzBbno5vYJhYkSpyb-igds83H-sBfeifvKcJKN4n066hMfbkhzpR4nctbJH28Vu6BZi0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="514" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_vT8Yi_vXkRP6pexd5rUf_hfNblqiXTKjTMCNuk5_sMAS8rpAPfrGX07cEHda3kYaot3hnBpXHJf4Ylv5Rl_KS-fHSu_IbVbYi_LPErDBNb9OaVsncXXWqH3KzBbno5vYJhYkSpyb-igds83H-sBfeifvKcJKN4n066hMfbkhzpR4nctbJH28Vu6BZi0=w210-h384" width="210" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGinOLFkWj4CqnHZjs-nm-vyGPGGk_mnmPYZYA4yqqRK3r5sA0uEcLJw_hlfj_ORgv82KaYzBcDok0HRE2k9FPoyy74BEmVA3aWVcPQKYBerEXVaflatfzvVh3IzRgaDfFOSNLb-LhPLMeT6ls4fL_MmvteA7HmBX-CApMgWswp5Y3APggwOofLjedVAI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGinOLFkWj4CqnHZjs-nm-vyGPGGk_mnmPYZYA4yqqRK3r5sA0uEcLJw_hlfj_ORgv82KaYzBcDok0HRE2k9FPoyy74BEmVA3aWVcPQKYBerEXVaflatfzvVh3IzRgaDfFOSNLb-LhPLMeT6ls4fL_MmvteA7HmBX-CApMgWswp5Y3APggwOofLjedVAI=w286-h381" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A horrible VHS cover from a release in 1993 and the artwork for the RiffTrax streaming version.<br /><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Plot</b>:
Imagine if the aliens from the <i>Star Trek</i> episode “Spectre of the Gun” decided
to scare Captain Basil Rathbone with their production of <i>A Christmas Carol</i>
within 25 minutes and you’ve got the plot. Fredric March narrates and tries like
heck to make it interesting. <br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Favorite
Riff: <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">Scrooge: Spirit? Tell me if Tiny Tim will live.<br /><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Ghost of Christmas Past: (pause) I see an empty chair in the chimney corner.<br /></span>Mike as Scrooge: Oh, so he not only
lives, he walks?!<br />Bill as Christmas Present: No!!<br />Mike: It’s a Christmas Miracle!<br />Bill: Not what I meant!<br />Mike: Fantastic news!<br />Bill: No, please. Why do I bother?</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIGJbxlkcEmYvGH3J6vntYtlhteIe7Zsp0en1RpIY-SkOLx6Jtgd-3vgAAQuxeoYf986mUJAc92XTPaF8dHWS1-uwNTOL2FihosQ1uNqpMWMqXq3DD07vyByUX4KwbRPo1WtVO0Et6cH8ZB2k6xFsUG8c3M2QEBZXk05LDkcrNgsRcF8bnq_tEJUuN-rs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="461" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIGJbxlkcEmYvGH3J6vntYtlhteIe7Zsp0en1RpIY-SkOLx6Jtgd-3vgAAQuxeoYf986mUJAc92XTPaF8dHWS1-uwNTOL2FihosQ1uNqpMWMqXq3DD07vyByUX4KwbRPo1WtVO0Et6cH8ZB2k6xFsUG8c3M2QEBZXk05LDkcrNgsRcF8bnq_tEJUuN-rs=w403-h275" width="403" /></a></div><br /><b style="text-indent: 0in;">Thoughts: </b><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Anthology series were all the rage in the
1950s on television, before slowly fading out as a common theme in the 1960s.
Typically, such shows were set up with a famous actor who needed a quick cash
grab to narrate, and in some cases occasionally act in the stories being
presented (such as Boris Karloff once in a while popping up as a character in
the series </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Thriller</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">, which he also hosted). This explains the news in
early 1959 that Fredric March was to host a new series called </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Tales from
Dickens</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> for the ABC production company (not the ABC network in the U.S.,
but the Associated British Corporation in the U.K. that would become best known
for the television series </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">The Avengers</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">).</span><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">The
series would last 13 episodes and be incredibly condensed retelling of famous Charles
Dickens stories. The same holds true with the </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Christmas Carol</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> episode, which
plays like a K-Tel “Top Twenty Hits of the ‘70s” version of the story: all the hooks
are there, but there’s no lyrical transition between them to feel like a full
story is being told. The main problem with most re-tellings of </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">A Christmas Carol</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">
is that it’s a novella that is usually fleshed out with far too much extra
baggage to fill out the length of a movie (one reason it can so easily be
turned into a musical; in this case, the television time-slot is so short that
there’s no chance for emotional depths to the story or characters as there is
simply no time for such things. When Jacob Marley appears, Scrooge acts like
the butler had walked in on him; Scrooge’s sister was a warm, wonderful person
because we’re told so; the party at Scrooge’s employer is so rushed it looks
like the “Summer Once Again” episode of </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">The Goes Wrong Show, </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">and so on.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCde9WBEXK359fquS3E77yXJLXWv_pra04zkqGc-OSFI3dsNKnAjWmrBa0ULEr9lAYqKZw5VlDFfzlTBcY0Lmel5XjpJd8a0FRP8tC-yjweTDcoIF3-rfI3bisahiZSAQBhSusjjnlmyPb_PgpZNdgH0atM9SSdeV7Kn6sjNXTBX0YGaFN3mFfXWzXhmY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="615" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCde9WBEXK359fquS3E77yXJLXWv_pra04zkqGc-OSFI3dsNKnAjWmrBa0ULEr9lAYqKZw5VlDFfzlTBcY0Lmel5XjpJd8a0FRP8tC-yjweTDcoIF3-rfI3bisahiZSAQBhSusjjnlmyPb_PgpZNdgH0atM9SSdeV7Kn6sjNXTBX0YGaFN3mFfXWzXhmY=w455-h213" width="455" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-indent: 0in;">The
makeup for Scrooge isn’t helpful either. What’s the point of having a famous
actor like Basil Rathbone in your show if you’re going to cover him up in so
much makeup that he’s not only unrecognizable, but can barely move his face to
emote? (The RiffTrax guys are right to make fun of it.) And the minimal stage
settings, while obviously done to get such a small production moving along,
makes the show look very cheap.</span><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">Looking at it and knowing it was just one in a series of episodes for a series,
it is easy to see why it only last 13 episodes before ending. So, let me check
my notes here … oh, yes, bah, humbug!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEierI6P43lC0281dOhZrEmAQV_IMeJoAh9Imnka2Mt6we-Cv0O-bWOASPneqm-7Kb5AYnEiSQKXRqyvdXDihNSjDNVdg8ozk4Q3L_1SgW2yDm4DOTSU8J98KVuoSYSgl--PLK578tN5jvJsbQttEUmUGxyfcte-ZHymnnrFimjaYCCo4B25WB1YAK_DULQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="463" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEierI6P43lC0281dOhZrEmAQV_IMeJoAh9Imnka2Mt6we-Cv0O-bWOASPneqm-7Kb5AYnEiSQKXRqyvdXDihNSjDNVdg8ozk4Q3L_1SgW2yDm4DOTSU8J98KVuoSYSgl--PLK578tN5jvJsbQttEUmUGxyfcte-ZHymnnrFimjaYCCo4B25WB1YAK_DULQ=w415-h287" width="415" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Riffing: </b><b> </b>As mentioned previously in the blog, some
of the best work done by the riffers either with RiffTrax or MST3K or The Mads
has been when doing shorts. This episode of the series is only 25 minutes long
and that’s enough time for Mike, Bill, and Kevin to snap out riffs and never have
the energy sag. We also get one Golden Corral gag, several attempts at miscues
in the story by the trio (ex. “What day is today?” during the Christmas Future
segment), attempts to rewrite the story to make it happier, and a handful of
inappropriate sex jokes – everything you would want in a RiffTrax show.<br />
<br />
For those curious, the episode is currently streaming for free on YouTube,
although it can also be found online at the RiffTrax app and Tubi. It may not
be the best short version of <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (if you’re serious about
seeing a good short version of the story, check out Richard Williams’ 1971
animated version, featuring Alastair Sim), but the RiffTrax guys make it a fun
time, which is what it is all about.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-19975577027351140562023-12-13T21:42:00.006-05:002023-12-13T21:43:01.299-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 12 - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMYgYO_sOsTu4CyM_J2eMmmeUVax59w7cix3FgLPIPHfRxoAiQXGiOLlDqVJXvw1t5JyPp-rNCmC64uNLS3STDWia8wmqPcRmU4saX_q_pNLeHHyE-AvFsPfv-r4rXsUpN8UbmpHOv2ILfokWuNtkoaJLWbWkQqR3wxoEZhPW-ZQp4KGdDydFMHnGceLs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="993" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMYgYO_sOsTu4CyM_J2eMmmeUVax59w7cix3FgLPIPHfRxoAiQXGiOLlDqVJXvw1t5JyPp-rNCmC64uNLS3STDWia8wmqPcRmU4saX_q_pNLeHHyE-AvFsPfv-r4rXsUpN8UbmpHOv2ILfokWuNtkoaJLWbWkQqR3wxoEZhPW-ZQp4KGdDydFMHnGceLs=w393-h273" width="393" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">It’s Day 12 of <i>The Worst We Can
Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and we’re half-way to Christmas Day itself.
To celebrate, let’s get back to one of the big movies of the Christmas season
for riffing fans, <i>Santa Claus Conquers the Martians</i>! But maybe not the
version you’re thinking about.<b><o:p></o:p></b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154"></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieUsUT5wezb_yiDCmhB8sh4CP_GWvnDKLbN9vE7XiAwyz5Mrzsa8tYFJQ7yP6FldRHE3gB9amqfpOVoC6AE-WROA217KuTd4xzoQLKU8xG6uqqLyAg5afNiBDUndI7DOKcsekF1HwfI-ejKgh7Dg0nbw6838iMP3o7dQF1tpvE0Qja8aVMon2vT9s6yhw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1594" data-original-width="1077" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieUsUT5wezb_yiDCmhB8sh4CP_GWvnDKLbN9vE7XiAwyz5Mrzsa8tYFJQ7yP6FldRHE3gB9amqfpOVoC6AE-WROA217KuTd4xzoQLKU8xG6uqqLyAg5afNiBDUndI7DOKcsekF1HwfI-ejKgh7Dg0nbw6838iMP3o7dQF1tpvE0Qja8aVMon2vT9s6yhw=w251-h372" width="251" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhS9WT2h5mkNfHOFuOqVqoLYBMRxuS-F8QUmG-jcxfSFyfEU-V07nJM_Obd2-IOgSk_TmTTvBtXSO867PSlVbDTAPn_1IauKcKd1s-c_N4vPOBZ47EQk3pSbXT1WtBOsN_VPGUDACDlDPvTJf4whQukYfoPX2-l97OtTgRA5TxZi4DnvrdOGyXU2UJf4c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhS9WT2h5mkNfHOFuOqVqoLYBMRxuS-F8QUmG-jcxfSFyfEU-V07nJM_Obd2-IOgSk_TmTTvBtXSO867PSlVbDTAPn_1IauKcKd1s-c_N4vPOBZ47EQk3pSbXT1WtBOsN_VPGUDACDlDPvTJf4whQukYfoPX2-l97OtTgRA5TxZi4DnvrdOGyXU2UJf4c=w279-h372" width="279" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original movie poster and the streaming artwork for the <i>Cinematic Titanic</i> version.<br /><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b><i>Santa Claus
Conquers the Martians </i>(November 1964)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>Cinematic Titanic <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Air-Date: </b>November
2008<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Plot</b>:
Billy (Victor Stiles) and Betty Foster (Donna Conforti) are kidnapped by
Martians, led by leader Kimar (Leonard Hicks), the sinister Voldar (Vincent
Beck) and the idiot Dropo (Bill McCutcheon). The Martians demand to be told
where Santa (John Call) is so they can take him back to Mars to entertain the
Martian children like the trained monkey that he is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">They
locate him at the North Pole, naturally, freeze some elves and Mrs. Claus, and
take Santa, Billy, and Betty back to Mars with them.</span><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: 0in;">(We assume the freeze ray used on the occupants
of Santa’s workshop wears off, or Santa is going to have a lot of cleaning up
to do in his workshop when he gets back.) There, Santa rolls up his sleeves and
gets to work, bringing war toys and consumerism to all the boys and girls of
Mars. However, Billy and Betty want to go home, a</span>nd Santa misses sweet lovin’ from Mrs. Clause, but it appears the Martians may force them to stay. Meanwhile, Voldar makes many attempts to kill or kidnap Santa to stop his rampage on the planet.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; text-indent: 0in;">Dropo, the laziest man on Mars, helps save the day. Good for him.<span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglfshB8yyI2y_9u-J_owVLitcNDzVM7ueQ-rYRZVrbi6CvjyYWCwiiEzpgDCihERBCO9SNvhuDJ7ISKFUHE7WUWbNSXG8sTa9NmGCivXEDFaKkOM9lqCY0QxMFsQ9c9KxbcoSbc85CY8t_OU3MlZyiZ3DjKcxAqltWzCRt0LMsGU0XQwv5NG2wNzRR8dA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="379" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglfshB8yyI2y_9u-J_owVLitcNDzVM7ueQ-rYRZVrbi6CvjyYWCwiiEzpgDCihERBCO9SNvhuDJ7ISKFUHE7WUWbNSXG8sTa9NmGCivXEDFaKkOM9lqCY0QxMFsQ9c9KxbcoSbc85CY8t_OU3MlZyiZ3DjKcxAqltWzCRt0LMsGU0XQwv5NG2wNzRR8dA=w421-h304" width="421" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The gang watches as Santa wonders why he's being goosed by a robot.</div><br /><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;">Favorite
Riff:</b></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Todd: We have a gem of a Christmas movie. It is called <i>Santa Claus Conquers
the Martians</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Trace:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whaa? A-ho-ho, no, no, no, no, nooooo. Waaaaaahhhhhhhh!
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">(Trace tries
to run off, but is soon captured and returned to the group to watch the movie)</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk5wFdeLuYR8EV-r4cg7HcMVcXeeM0A1ilv0MwYNXruKtziEzXfynFfWRxom0xW_zBGwwNRllEI5RbeEtYkKp1pVM1AOSYsEsqozR-YjpdF99czx__Rz-Tq5Asg9A3XxOqLCMj5HnMG3QxNvjGR89lhnIP003PQi10b8mNmsoCJCnHSUE-CbucYHXiaLs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="601" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgk5wFdeLuYR8EV-r4cg7HcMVcXeeM0A1ilv0MwYNXruKtziEzXfynFfWRxom0xW_zBGwwNRllEI5RbeEtYkKp1pVM1AOSYsEsqozR-YjpdF99czx__Rz-Tq5Asg9A3XxOqLCMj5HnMG3QxNvjGR89lhnIP003PQi10b8mNmsoCJCnHSUE-CbucYHXiaLs=w352-h352" width="352" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A book and record version of the story. But do we really want to know why they want Santa?</div><br /><b style="text-indent: 0in;">Thoughts: </b><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Paul Jacobson had started a production
company in the early 1960s in hopes of producing movies. To get things rolling,
he threw together an idea about Santa fighting Martians in hopes of pushing out
a cheap family film that would pay back enough money to do more serious work. A
script was thrown together and two months and ten days of filming later he had
a completed movie.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">The
film was shot at Michael Myerburg Studios in Long Island, with directing by documentary
filmmaker Nicholas Webster (who also did a screen adaptation of </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Purile
Victorious</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> starring Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and Alan Alda in 1963). Webster
told </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Newsday </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">during filming that he enjoyed taking a break from making
serious documentaries to do the movie. The film was shot in one-to-four takes
and shows it. Still, for a cheap, rushed gimmick of a film, the acting actually
isn’t that bad, which is understandable as nearly everyone in the cast were
out-of-work New York actors. Of course, the biggest name in the cast is Pia
Zadora, who would go on to be fun to watch in the original </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Hairspray</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">. Her
film career got derailed with </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Butterfly</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> in 1982 after controversy that
her husband helped buy a Golden Globe Aware for her, but she seems to have
settled down to performing showtunes in Vegas. Vincent Beck, Voldar, appeared
often on television and in movies in various roles, typically as a bad guy.
Also playing to what works was Bill McCutcheon, Dropo, who appeared in various
movies in goofy, meek roles, including </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Steel Magnolias</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> (1989). While Call,
Stiles, and Conforti were all from the Broadway stage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGGh9UflXT3HoYVU8lMoGWu4gcG1VuohC6wCJgZywNfRBbKHWtNO7E3rhBnfJ7QATPRXirWStwn4lYrVqWC5bpbpjDLmyTR4ODnA5X8rSbpoTMdi7f5SqO6YvhYtyavaAcHg-UPzyykPwr_CqyclydTcFJ7Eva6tHLnCHAZ4TR1V0jwrUr62NcMUuwuu0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGGh9UflXT3HoYVU8lMoGWu4gcG1VuohC6wCJgZywNfRBbKHWtNO7E3rhBnfJ7QATPRXirWStwn4lYrVqWC5bpbpjDLmyTR4ODnA5X8rSbpoTMdi7f5SqO6YvhYtyavaAcHg-UPzyykPwr_CqyclydTcFJ7Eva6tHLnCHAZ4TR1V0jwrUr62NcMUuwuu0=w453-h255" width="453" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dropo saves the day. And he makes everyone laugh. You won't, but everyone else will.</div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Any
hopes of making money off the movie were soon dashed. Embassy Picture did pick
up the movie for release in 1964, but only in regional areas and it was not
until the 1970s in some areas of the country that the movie was seen on the big
screen, and typically as a one-off matinee during the Christmas season. (I
myself saw it as a seven-year-old with my brother in my hometown theater while
my parents went shopping for Christmas presents. The main thing I remember was all
the kids getting a toy at the theater that was a very cheap light-up top, which
broke the moment I got it home. It was still more entertaining than the movie.)
Nevertheless, the movie got a lot of airplay in the 1970s and 1980s on television
channels around the holidays, leading to it being recognized as a movie in the
same category as <i>Plan Nine from Outer Space</i> (especially after a write-up
about it in the Medveds’ <i>Golden Turkey Awards </i>book). Thus, perfect for a
show like MST3K</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLvICWZrb3LklVXMqavVMNmN-W60muQ1D5HWjRLrivDPlgnm14F9TAEmWuMNDjw8YlPZ4Jam4iD9ny8aZJ_q42scxZhxMZAeNviUHWKArIuqmq05KZfIxysgNNnXKL0KQ6wmscWIjqOAp5xq4K7D5OPbf1n0GDeOstq8Wr9k97xuuvJ2Uw1gnHAP31oiw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5281" data-original-width="4490" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLvICWZrb3LklVXMqavVMNmN-W60muQ1D5HWjRLrivDPlgnm14F9TAEmWuMNDjw8YlPZ4Jam4iD9ny8aZJ_q42scxZhxMZAeNviUHWKArIuqmq05KZfIxysgNNnXKL0KQ6wmscWIjqOAp5xq4K7D5OPbf1n0GDeOstq8Wr9k97xuuvJ2Uw1gnHAP31oiw=w334-h393" width="334" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The ad for the showing of the movie I saw in 1971. Yeah, I'm still a bit miffed about that "Free Christmas Gift" handed out.</div><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>The Riffing: </b></span>Perfect
for MST3k, and usually seen as one of the best episodes of the series. RiffTrax
has also returned to the well to cover the movie in one of their excellent live
events that later was released on DVD and is on their Streaming channel.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But this gives us a chance to talk about <i>Cinematic
Titanic</i>, the seldom seen collaboration of nearly everyone BESIDES the
RiffTrax guys in riffing more movies after the original MST3K finished. Born
out of talks with Jim Mallon to bring the show back with the original cast that
eventually fell apart, Joel, Josh, Trace, Frank, and Mary Jo got together to do
a new show that would continue the silhouette concept from MST3K, but in a manner
more down-to-earth (no pun … okay, pun intended; I’m sorry; I blame my
childhood and I am weak). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Written by the cast, the show was structured with the five members
standing (Joel, Josh, and Trace) or sitting (Mary Jo and Frank) on podiums to
the left and right with the movie playing in the center, as if it was being
projected on a large movie screen in front of them. As mentioned in the
previous blog about <i>The Film Crew</i>, it was felt that a storyline was
needed to explain why these people were stuck commenting on the movie being
shown. Thus, it would be explained in early episodes that the five had been
forcibly sent to a type of quasi-military bunker to review movies and have them
saved on “nanotated disc” to be placed in the Time Tube at the end of each
movie (this was a tube that dropped from the ceiling for Joel to insert the
disc into at the end of every episode).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibjh3nbMsG4SJdpZDIZyYVb5H6uHX2jewLtv_bQmg3Ba5vMoVD1jAo9ZPRIWtkAypHl-Wew1m3Fv5zGFcohZUg6LoEI_9CU1ex9vK3Nv6UVMes2Ri7ggQ5HS_9rp-gUJhiY1yRP1DEQlVMYQswJRSVmOfcY_X2rPjSz26CzOl9rHx-bzbQyCPMI_7rDN8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3438" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibjh3nbMsG4SJdpZDIZyYVb5H6uHX2jewLtv_bQmg3Ba5vMoVD1jAo9ZPRIWtkAypHl-Wew1m3Fv5zGFcohZUg6LoEI_9CU1ex9vK3Nv6UVMes2Ri7ggQ5HS_9rp-gUJhiY1yRP1DEQlVMYQswJRSVmOfcY_X2rPjSz26CzOl9rHx-bzbQyCPMI_7rDN8=w469-h317" width="469" /></a></div><br />At various times in the movie, one member of the cast would ask
for the movie to be stopped in order to present information or even guests related
in some way to the film. These segments were almost always staged so that silhouettes
would appear to look like various objects, allowing for a cheap illusion similar
in some ways to the effects work done by Joel in other projects like <i>The TV
Wheel.</i> It became such a common
device that by the time of <i>Santa Claus Conquers the Martians</i> it would be
used a punchline to the gag, with Joel bringing out various “gifts” for each
member, only to warn them away from actually grabbing them for various reasons.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first <i>Cinematic Titanic</i> episode, <i>The Oozing
Skull </i>(renamed version of <i>Brain of Blood</i>), was done in December
2007, following a live appearance for the Industrial Light & Magic employees
earlier that month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DVD and downloads of
the episode became available and soon followed by four more episodes in 2008, including
<i>Santa Claus Conquers the Martians</i>. After two more episodes like this in
2009, it was decided to abandon the storyline of the bunker and instead begin
releasing selected live performances of the team riffing movies; performances
that usually were opened by members of the cast doing portions of their
stand-up material (although these segments were never shown on the DVDs or
streaming versions of the shows).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The riffing style for <i>Cinematic Titanic</i> is naturally
different from MST3K, as the cast is playing versions of themselves and not
funneling the jokes through Servo, Crow, and the human host. Thus, more jokes were
made directed at each other in the cast and about everyday issues and even
politics than permitted in the original series, a humorous aspect that was picked
up by the RiffTrax team around the same time. There are also some references to
the old show, such as the opening with Trace trying to escape and Josh
mentioning he never had to sit through the movie before. The riffs themselves
are pretty good, although longtime fans who had seen the MST3K version too many
times may struggle with shaking the old riffs out of their heads for the new
ones (in relations to that, good on the gang to come up with so much more based
on the same material after having gone through it once already).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCnKoocrQMv5N828113GqNo4sFTHj2iUCf_CXdZQfmlI7AevAFfxJwY-Q_iYAc8TA-EJK9S7Yi1p2gShQz5U_iSG9sirwqDmP7kNQM8FUQH2Cqj9qhmoNdC0C6HPu4wKCjQCjSUXPwUeB6hvkLgNA6wywB8PnqPNojU6QpS9c-AMtFYEkSjZjE9kLY3f4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCnKoocrQMv5N828113GqNo4sFTHj2iUCf_CXdZQfmlI7AevAFfxJwY-Q_iYAc8TA-EJK9S7Yi1p2gShQz5U_iSG9sirwqDmP7kNQM8FUQH2Cqj9qhmoNdC0C6HPu4wKCjQCjSUXPwUeB6hvkLgNA6wywB8PnqPNojU6QpS9c-AMtFYEkSjZjE9kLY3f4=w481-h271" width="481" /></a></div><br />Live performances and DVDs would continue until the end of
2013 when it was decided to disband the group as it was getting harder to bring
the five together to record together and set up schedules for touring. At least
there is the evidence of these live shows for fans to return to in the years to
come, many of which are still available to watch via YouTube, Amazon, and Tubi,
amongst others.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">With the project stopping at the end of 2013, everyone was moving onward to
other things. Even so, there was still an acorn of an idea of bringing back
MST3K floating around, which continued to grow over the next two years until a
deal with made with Mallon over the show and Joel began working in 2015 with
Shout! Factory to bring the program back with new episodes. All of that and
more of which is covered in my book, <i><a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781493063918/The-Worst-We-Can-Find-MST3K-RiffTrax-and-the-History-of-Heckling-at-the-Movies">The Worst We Can Find!</a></i><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-70440792715544654762023-12-12T22:44:00.005-05:002023-12-12T22:44:42.867-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 11 - Hollywood After Dark<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzGFGB-IyPyTHugDW0ldJ-ODv-tpL35VCLJ-qddid2qLHrwUMux3DE_b1pkDdF5kf0HYrtOdqYJHZfLD0PriXT_vmngHRI_6gkCELVKiol2bv1fvV1_rH8wc075_9ZBYr7GyeptkKFZCUhbDNFPNotVchwPIMxEHtJgYgnCvJpv-9LYOpxx4lJfpRGCE/s982/Day%2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="982" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzGFGB-IyPyTHugDW0ldJ-ODv-tpL35VCLJ-qddid2qLHrwUMux3DE_b1pkDdF5kf0HYrtOdqYJHZfLD0PriXT_vmngHRI_6gkCELVKiol2bv1fvV1_rH8wc075_9ZBYr7GyeptkKFZCUhbDNFPNotVchwPIMxEHtJgYgnCvJpv-9LYOpxx4lJfpRGCE/w451-h314/Day%2011.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">The season is a time of reflection;
to look back at events from the past and consider how they shaped the future.
Case in point for THE WORST WE CAN FIND Christmas Advent Calendar, it’s the
FILM CREW and HOLLYWOOD AFTER DARK. It’s not jolly and it has no good cheer, but
every Advent Calendar with chocolate in it usually has at least one weird piece
that you wonder how it got there. <o:p></o:p></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Hollywood
After Dark </i>(1960)</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Program: </b><i>The Film Crew <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Air-Date: </b>July
7, 2007<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfefSibH4sqjL35NHREdL1cFLerMmp_q6XaW_VhOhyphenhyphenviZ4LVlEmLadAcjdq5vrF9N-XJHNDOSoZ_OC2MKUnVP02E87e10OzrB0sphIITPcfusK-PkyepcvEvVmZ1TCnuF7zeQc-lb9XmD2FicZY5z_PcP4FJnSaNnY9t50eDSFTgW1pYPCfOCWtfCM2g/s667/Hollywood-After-Dark_Poster.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfefSibH4sqjL35NHREdL1cFLerMmp_q6XaW_VhOhyphenhyphenviZ4LVlEmLadAcjdq5vrF9N-XJHNDOSoZ_OC2MKUnVP02E87e10OzrB0sphIITPcfusK-PkyepcvEvVmZ1TCnuF7zeQc-lb9XmD2FicZY5z_PcP4FJnSaNnY9t50eDSFTgW1pYPCfOCWtfCM2g/w286-h381/Hollywood-After-Dark_Poster.webp" width="286" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The DVD cover for the first <i>Film Crew</i> release.</div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Plot</b>:
Tony (Anthony Vorno) runs a junkyard and is approached by Nick (Paul Bruce) and
his pal Tom (John Barrick) about helping with a heist. Tony turns him down, but
after only making $3 off a water-pump, he decides to join in and turns up at a
burlesque club where Nick is the owner, or manager, or guy who has an office
there (hard to say).<br />
<br />
At the club, Tony beats Sandy (Rue McCalanahan; yes, that one). She’s a
stripper who wants to be an actress. They have the worst meet-cute possible and
decide to go to the beach, where they attempt to have a good time while being
rather miserable about it (The killing couple in <i>The Sky Divers</i> were more
fun to hang around). On the beach, Tony’s shaved back is so conspicuous
(especially his partially shaved arms) that it’s hard to turn away. And anyone
that grew up with Rue as a Golden Girl or even Maude is just going to find it
hard to think of her as sexy as the film wants her to be.<br />
<br />
After falling in tolerance with each other, Sandy heads to a writer’s apartment
to read over a script, but he drugs and forces himself on her. Tony waits
outside until after she leaves to beat the guy up.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHkNIibTLDh5aD_GGrwUi7UXF1DHW8lvP77KPwISlZJDYafZkGXkMFEN4rNjIZEeUxVA2U2hGG43ZT7Oypo8zShYqHbvmYkYr4Am-qKkMKiNQisO31SV7J-J0gfWpOKafZOd3J-JSmO6TDXqxDf0eRprTEpJ-psyqtqOph_K5w4Ta3ozjaoQUuF3jU78/s483/HAD%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="483" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHkNIibTLDh5aD_GGrwUi7UXF1DHW8lvP77KPwISlZJDYafZkGXkMFEN4rNjIZEeUxVA2U2hGG43ZT7Oypo8zShYqHbvmYkYr4Am-qKkMKiNQisO31SV7J-J0gfWpOKafZOd3J-JSmO6TDXqxDf0eRprTEpJ-psyqtqOph_K5w4Ta3ozjaoQUuF3jU78/w413-h227/HAD%201.jpg" width="413" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Hollywood After Dark</i>, or <i>Hollywood After Dork</i>. It's hard to tell.</div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">The heist
occurs where Nick and Tom rob a place above the shoreline and then drop the
loot to Tony in the water. As mentioned by the Film Crew, it turns out that
Tony’s part in the heist was unnecessary (there should have been at least a
scene where Nick and Tom get pulled over by the cops and shown to not have the
money and making Tony’s part in the scheme more logically, but it’s not here).
Tony has the money and tries to convince Sandy to held off with him, but she
refuses.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfmOvDlIMwNXcW2ARxGceqhMn81saxAbRMcE2BY-h0H774cM23DrvhaokZZN3X7x6EQhpa7aSQXDnc30B3_HvX-FDaO3zGwN5gFEPPGA005nY9G1f3PWRBrcNcm8IITfnlCeibX_SaZxb4rh6gq8iG_CifD9iHgGVCTa_rZuyA2Pwsl4KFxeiwf_4QDE/s465/HAD%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="465" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfmOvDlIMwNXcW2ARxGceqhMn81saxAbRMcE2BY-h0H774cM23DrvhaokZZN3X7x6EQhpa7aSQXDnc30B3_HvX-FDaO3zGwN5gFEPPGA005nY9G1f3PWRBrcNcm8IITfnlCeibX_SaZxb4rh6gq8iG_CifD9iHgGVCTa_rZuyA2Pwsl4KFxeiwf_4QDE/w403-h269/HAD%202.jpg" width="403" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Your cast of unique faces in <i>Hollywood After Dark.</i></div><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">After a
walk along the beach, Tony decides to hand over the money and walk out of the
deal, only for Tom to have killed Nick and knifes Tony so he can keep all the
money to himself. Tony smashes Tom in the face with a lamp and stumbles off,
dying in Sandy’s apartment. Tom, bleeding from the face, tries to get away from
the cop and dies in a crash.</span><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">That’s the
movie. Not more to see here, folks. Move along. Move along.</span></p>
<br /><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Favorite
Riff: </b>“Hey, Pal, wait!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both share
the common goal of debasing Rue McClanahan!”</span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Thoughts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><i>The Daily Ardmoreite</i> in Ardmore,
Oklahoma ran a short article in their September 14, 1960 edition raving about
native Rue McClanahan, an “Ardmore High School and Tulsa University graduate,”
being the lead in a new movie called <i>Walk the Angry Beach</i>. The article
goes on to say that the film had filmed earlier that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although a producer of the film would later
state that the $5,000 production never got released because they were sold bad
film stock, the movie did play out in the California area in 1961 for a time with
the better-known title <i>Hollywood After Dark. </i>The movie was evidently
also titled <i>The Unholy Choice</i> at some point, but the only records of it
being shown is on the first two titles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Writer-director-producer
John Hayes started his career with a half-hour-long short film called <i>The Kiss</i>
that was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 1958
(and is available to see on YouTube; it’s actually a sweet little film with a cinematic
twist at the very end). Hayes would go on to writer and/or direct several
exploitation films, including RiffTrax favorite <i>End of the World</i> (with
Christopher Lee), but is probably best known for his quirky horror film <i>Grave
of the Vampire</i>.<br />
<br />
Rue, of course, went on to fame namely in television. Several of the other
actors did work here and there, but Hayes and McClanahan are the best
remembered of the group.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;">As mentioned
above, the movie was filmed in 1960, released to a small number of theaters in
California in 1961 and then finally released to other theaters in 1968 with a
new copyright notice, hence why it is usually reported as being from 1968 although
everything looks much order than that in the film. As mentioned in the
commentary by the Film Crew, the stripping by various women goes on far too
long and probably hurt the film’s chances in finding a larger audience. A
review in </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Variety</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> in March 1961 gave good marks to McClanahan, Vorno,
and most of the cast, and felt that Hayes “glum, acid, point-of-view” had
merit, it was also felt that the film was too arthouse for the grindhouses, too
offbeat for mainstream theaters, and too risqué for “the Puritan pressure barrier.”
Except for those curious to see McClanahan in such a role early in her career,
it wasn’t until the Film Crew riffed the movie that more people found out about
it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>The Riffing: </b></span>As
I mention in my book <i>The Worst We Can Find</i>, television shows, shorts,
and movies that took other media and retooled them into comedies with redubbed
dialogue or riffing usually had one thing in common: they all were introduced
with a set-up as to WHY the redubbing was needed. <i>What’s Up, Tiger Lily?</i>
has an introduction by Woody Allen to explain the premise; <i>Dynaman</i> had
an introduction each week to explain what was going on as well. Same with <i>Mad
Movies with the L.A. Connection</i> and even <i>It Came from Hollywood.</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Hercules Returns</i> builds an entire plot
around the riffing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MST3K certainly did
with the whole “experiment,” with the off-shot, <i>Cinematic Titanic</i> began
with a storyline to explain why people were talking over the movies.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgVdx6N9il6Ua1vW9F27XV3OXh8ykoHRgJ44MLVml00frG0ypXGuGC_M4_SuHpNd8EozsRr5RzJZO4_TtHQRHvNsR5nMRyrdQLsw-CDA2mOk0hJsftzSu7yjr7sPApR6Tq7Dl3mh4YpukgD-b4DEzZWFH0KyIvkwFfMQFK1vpjcjrYHLUhmNXeqf4bKk/s470/HAD%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="470" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgVdx6N9il6Ua1vW9F27XV3OXh8ykoHRgJ44MLVml00frG0ypXGuGC_M4_SuHpNd8EozsRr5RzJZO4_TtHQRHvNsR5nMRyrdQLsw-CDA2mOk0hJsftzSu7yjr7sPApR6Tq7Dl3mh4YpukgD-b4DEzZWFH0KyIvkwFfMQFK1vpjcjrYHLUhmNXeqf4bKk/w450-h256/HAD%203.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Bill discovers that lunchtime meetings are hardly the place for brainstorming. Or eating.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And <i>The Film Crew</i> was no different. The first episode
of the series (and subsequent episodes) would begin with Mike, Kevin, and Bill explaining
that they had been hired to do commentaries for films that did not have them
yet. It would only be later as Mike
begins doing the commentaries with Legend Films that did not need set-up to
explain why the funny talking was going on would RiffTrax begin to come into
focus.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Film Crew</i> had been started by the threesome after
leaving MST3K, where they would make appearances on NPR to do comedic reviews
of movies on <i>All Things </i>Considered. This would branch out to providing
introductions for movies on AMC and Starz/Encore in 2005 as well as some
material for a Three Stooges collection for Legend. The ball would continue to
roll into 2006 when it was announced that the Film Crew would be making a
series for Rhino Home Video. Four episodes were produced before Rhino pulled
the plug. While rumors surrounded this as being the work of Jim Mallon supposedly
threatening to pull out of a deal with Rhino releasing MST3K on video, Kevin in
2007 said that it rather had to do with Rhino not thinking the riffing was as “complimentary
as we did.” <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The series was eventually picked up by Shout! Factory, a
splinter video company that came out of Rhino, who released the four episodes
in 2007. Some minor dubbing was done due to the switch, with all mentions of
Rhino now becoming Shout! Factory, and the boss character, Mr. Rhino to Mr.
Honcho. While some fans would wonder if there would be more episodes, Mike was
already working to build up RiffTrax and the others had move on to other projects
as well. Nor was Shout! Factory breaking down the door demanding new episodes
anyway.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAid4irOY9PDsFWNc7WizPgPUJ9NvVSIlx7KILTCsZUNhpDPJ8Pq1RDbf2wd18_b1j44iRvwKCqQZsoeO8r9GOTH6elc9QYzr_ryckYJci8ta89s-YlbMFbcIWQghuKnC7ZaA0wzhIYF_7Pau4x3KTTX9VKnqcScAEZIiBkrsYEzbw6X9wSVSUiXYraZ0/s464/HAD%204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="464" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAid4irOY9PDsFWNc7WizPgPUJ9NvVSIlx7KILTCsZUNhpDPJ8Pq1RDbf2wd18_b1j44iRvwKCqQZsoeO8r9GOTH6elc9QYzr_ryckYJci8ta89s-YlbMFbcIWQghuKnC7ZaA0wzhIYF_7Pau4x3KTTX9VKnqcScAEZIiBkrsYEzbw6X9wSVSUiXYraZ0/w431-h249/HAD%204.jpg" width="431" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A little razzmatazz from the Film Crew at the end of <i>Hollywood After Dark.</i></div><p class="MsoNormal">The series is very much a similar set-up as seen with
RiffTrax for the three, with the three sometimes playing off each other as much
as the movie itself. The three, who also wrote each episode, would do a short
intro on-camera with Mr. Honcho phoning in, then a “Lunch Break” at a midpoint
in the film (oddly enough, <i>Cinematic Titanic</i> would also take a similar
mid-film break for a short comedy sketch). The Lunch Break usually involved
some time of shenanigans that leads to someone – usually Kevin – not getting a
chance to eat. After the film, the three would return for a final sketch to
wrap things up (with some DVDs including additional sketches unrelated to the
movies as extras).</p><p class="MsoNormal">Rhino may have had a point about the commentary being a bit “uncomplimentary”
and you can hear it here with <i>Hollywood After Dark.</i> Some of the material
would certainly have never made it on MST3K and perhaps not even the more PG-13
humor of the later RiffTrax. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile checking out for
the evolution of RiffTrax in the making, as well as four solid riffs. All four
are available to watch on Amazon, RiffTrax, YouTube and Tubi and should be
checked out. Just don’t be surprised if you feel you may need to scoot the
younger fans out of the room after hitting play.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-60275805013181167072023-12-11T22:24:00.007-05:002023-12-17T19:51:29.832-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 10 - Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwgFfJLUulj1f-jTGGScfHu7rxnxMnD8TlvIZI9fX3zz5SvYvHsVa0cL11nJparcfebPY2SSxQe_TzRX62PkPE9I_XXY7ojiWz0AN4VQHWvYVUM2uCOV1LB_stF-0edKgyvTHRcmopOx_DMGtXyESsMrl6bbLU7lnkYMUlGkMflfCge1yzS0BD8rxcQkQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="981" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwgFfJLUulj1f-jTGGScfHu7rxnxMnD8TlvIZI9fX3zz5SvYvHsVa0cL11nJparcfebPY2SSxQe_TzRX62PkPE9I_XXY7ojiWz0AN4VQHWvYVUM2uCOV1LB_stF-0edKgyvTHRcmopOx_DMGtXyESsMrl6bbLU7lnkYMUlGkMflfCge1yzS0BD8rxcQkQ=w438-h308" width="438" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">Heading back to the Christmas
Spirit, in a way, with a return to RiffTrax, but this time to their second-ever
live event. From 2009, it’s Mike, Bill, Kevin, and special Guest Weird Al
Yankovic in <i>Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza</i>!</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Christmas
Shorts-Stravaganza </i><br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>RiffTrax <o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
16, 2009 (later released on DVD in March 2010)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>Plot</b>:
Various shorts are introduced by Mike, Bill, and Kevin in San Diego, California. (Most other live presentations have been done at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2_pzx_ku9tsTXX_W78d_UUYCjnUFxJLek83ZT_u4BxJDF6eaQyiGtZbj7lmFiD5yU009P9of6BfVbLE3BpyD-x8r7EtclZHPBhRXU9u5AgVhiqg64DAM-_J-bPwkAn_zfwADJgCbSnC_-dQsfTUmg06YBL-glQPTYtsKWMGBNNkh5qoUBMkHZ8GGaJs8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="413" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2_pzx_ku9tsTXX_W78d_UUYCjnUFxJLek83ZT_u4BxJDF6eaQyiGtZbj7lmFiD5yU009P9of6BfVbLE3BpyD-x8r7EtclZHPBhRXU9u5AgVhiqg64DAM-_J-bPwkAn_zfwADJgCbSnC_-dQsfTUmg06YBL-glQPTYtsKWMGBNNkh5qoUBMkHZ8GGaJs8=w250-h357" width="250" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">RiffTrax Cover art for the special live performance of Christmas shorts.</div><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Christmas
Toy Shop </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">(1945) – Live action with clumsy, idiot dad (I can say that,
because I am one) trying not to wake up the kids on Christmas Eve, leading to
the kids dreaming Santa is telling them a story. The story is excerpts from a
Terrytoon cartoon (originally entitled “Ye Olde Toy Shop” from 1935) about a
bad spider kidnapping a Miss Muffet doll and the other toys retaliating with
force and DDT. The children wake up from their nightmare for Christmas and find
Dad in a Santa outfit. They are not amused. Neither are we. As mentioned in
some reviews for this short, the cartoon has nothing to do with Christmas,
making Santa telling the story even more bizarre.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmuDf3SgKI-dBXlV8qD2BzXfqcOlAhuooRg6ZT-AOyTHrx8NSK0sTpidDYtkLLeBojFYOTTSDEDVBvprLYsfLGqOYCqwESCaBJ9dqXXRN4GsIFXuXD5eE2-DdYNeQPfNpyY-cECkTJs2BKkQIB8-66sBA_MvOlvWcE7Fv3dzYhW_i6xicsxH20QX4uxKM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="623" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmuDf3SgKI-dBXlV8qD2BzXfqcOlAhuooRg6ZT-AOyTHrx8NSK0sTpidDYtkLLeBojFYOTTSDEDVBvprLYsfLGqOYCqwESCaBJ9dqXXRN4GsIFXuXD5eE2-DdYNeQPfNpyY-cECkTJs2BKkQIB8-66sBA_MvOlvWcE7Fv3dzYhW_i6xicsxH20QX4uxKM=w442-h215" width="442" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>A
Visit to Santa</i> (1963) – Live Action once again, this time with two
mumble-mouthed children going to sleep and dreaming they get to visit
Santa. Santa appears to live in a
split-level ranch house and his workshop appears to be a downtown department
store, with storefront puppets much like the ones seen in the Whizzo special.
An online article by Jason Togyer (<a href="http://www.tubecityonline.com/almanac/entry_1150.php">http://www.tubecityonline.com/almanac/entry_1150.php</a>) places this as being shot around downtown
McKeesport, a suburb of Pittsburgh, where Clem Williams Films was located. Clem
Williams’ specialty was highlight films of various sport teams, although they
ventured into other types of shorts as this proves.</p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio1ts49qWwU4QGsqiHJnHj_ZFzjg8m3vacpD_bVhokF5l-SQ8mjqiAIfAxm9HsYOVR4d5pcVi0ina1YSdRA6EZVfjAooETOJyYS75oibaKcJUpRSpa6spRH5uYiwsavMJJaUErXhoHxDd4GLxrhNc4oW0Yqk3eiBAP7Mx2-J8YjxA9n_vBlXYzqrWnLS8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="461" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEio1ts49qWwU4QGsqiHJnHj_ZFzjg8m3vacpD_bVhokF5l-SQ8mjqiAIfAxm9HsYOVR4d5pcVi0ina1YSdRA6EZVfjAooETOJyYS75oibaKcJUpRSpa6spRH5uYiwsavMJJaUErXhoHxDd4GLxrhNc4oW0Yqk3eiBAP7Mx2-J8YjxA9n_vBlXYzqrWnLS8=w396-h269" width="396" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i>Christmas
Rhapsody</i> – (1948) – Produced by Encyclopedia Britannica. The Forrester’s
kids find a small tree in the forest who constantly whines as being
insignificant. They chop it down and taunt it by glamming it up with tinsel and
bulbs. Damn kids.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Three
Magic Words </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">(1939) – A Wilding Production starring The Jesters, a singing
trio who popped in in a handful of westerns of the period. It’s a musical short
with the Jesters showing a young housewife how to buy, cook, and eat pork by
following the mantra of “quality, freshness, and flavor.” It was done for the
Arlington Brand Meats company from out of Boston. "Weird Al" Yankovic, who is
vegan, is a good sport in participating in the short’s riffing.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Gaylord
the Dog toy commercial – shown as a gift for Kevin.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> '</o:p><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Twas
the Night Before Christmas</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> (1946) – Live action retelling of the classic
poem. Santa is sometimes a cartoon, sometimes not. By sheer coincidence, some
moments in this short appear in Weird Al’s music video for his song, “Christmas
at Ground Zero.”</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnUyz0jwInERsQcAVe6tg3vznQa2aBvDLEn6uLADwVAEk13sVPx8Y-Mm7p2SPf3DKYkO1aTKbf2A1UujcbFuuZjAdE74-cS49o9I7ufk54jOY3JajL-DMurQXXF62uE4LwLCXujCx2NdkAOf86X2iBBMzua7INcqcmO178Q-VJihmTpfwDoavnqAdybN0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="615" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnUyz0jwInERsQcAVe6tg3vznQa2aBvDLEn6uLADwVAEk13sVPx8Y-Mm7p2SPf3DKYkO1aTKbf2A1UujcbFuuZjAdE74-cS49o9I7ufk54jOY3JajL-DMurQXXF62uE4LwLCXujCx2NdkAOf86X2iBBMzua7INcqcmO178Q-VJihmTpfwDoavnqAdybN0=w419-h211" width="419" /></a></div><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Jimmy
Jet toy commercial – shown as a gift for Bill. Or would have if they had
realized to go to the FOOD store.</span><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Christmas
Dream</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;"> (1945) – A film from Czechoslovakia with added footage of Santa for
American audiences. Stop-motion animation has a little girl gives up her old
doll for new ones and in her dreams the doll comes to life and makes a mess of
the room, which makes her love it even more. This film won the Grand Prix
International at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival for “best short fiction film.”</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Sports: Parade of Aquatic Champions </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">(1945) </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">– </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">Color
footage of various swimmers competing and showing off skills at the Beverly
Hills Hotel pool. Including are famous swimming stars from the screen: Esther
Williams, Buster Crabbe, and Johnny Weissmuller.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;">Ding-a-Lings toy commercial – shown as a gift for Mike.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEOho1-3vIheNqeld5i5FksVaQAYglnPuLRg7olizJ355oCXDT2qdSe0JF7onBDqKXUEa25oy2MuBITWDbLpzaOFtEimDoPhmgMPASjpZftN05vv4O70tSkNsNdDZDo9wrf2ZVmlP-K8kC4W1UsBxZAgEB16Nlwd2LYxqDofccTmX83Y4pise4Nj37NuE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="620" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEOho1-3vIheNqeld5i5FksVaQAYglnPuLRg7olizJ355oCXDT2qdSe0JF7onBDqKXUEa25oy2MuBITWDbLpzaOFtEimDoPhmgMPASjpZftN05vv4O70tSkNsNdDZDo9wrf2ZVmlP-K8kC4W1UsBxZAgEB16Nlwd2LYxqDofccTmX83Y4pise4Nj37NuE=w421-h209" width="421" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wasn't kidding about the Rudolph toys there, guys.</div><br />
<i>Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer</i> (1948)– Animated short from Max Fleischer
based on the famous poem. The short was originally down for Montgomery Ward,
and advertised the department store, but was later edited to remove the
advertising and add in a version of the 1949 song that Gene Autry would make
famous. By the way, as Santa starts his
journey, there are Rudolph toys in Santa’s sleigh. Why would he be
commercializing off of Rudolph before even asking for his help?<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: 0in;">The
special ends with the guys at the office exchanging gifts and vomit.</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b style="text-indent: 0in;">Favorite
Riff: </b><span style="text-indent: 0in;">(as the spider picks up a gun and starts shooting at the soldiers in </span><i style="text-indent: 0in;">Christmas
Toy Shop</i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">)</span><i style="text-indent: 0in;"> </i><span style="text-indent: 0in;">“I don’t feel like it’s Christmas unless there’s a good
killing spree.”</span></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; text-indent: 0in;"><b>The Riffing: </b>Live
shows were no strangers to MST3K or those who left the program to go their own
way with riffing movies. MST3K, of course, have done a few since the days of
the original program and even toured a few times as the rebooted version of the
program was on its way. Emily Marsh, who would becoming a regular in the 13<sup>th</sup>
season as Emily Connors, was first introduced to us fans back during the <i>Great
Cheesy Movie Circus</i> tour, where she appeared on stage as Emily Crenshaw and
did mic-work out in the audience for a short Q&A with Joel done before the
main feature.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Live shows were also an important part of the <i>Cinematic
Titanic</i> dynamic, and <i>The Mads are Back</i> toured before COVID around
the country with their own riffing show. But it was RiffTrax that would take
that ball and go the distance by doing many live shows since 2007. After
riffing live of such films as <i>Daredevil </i>and public domain film in
one-off shows in the California area, RiffTrax worked with NCM Fathom Events to
begin transmitting one-off live riffing of movies; most of them from the
Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee; to be shown around the country, and
often time more than one movie in a year’s time. This would eventually led to a
series of Kickstarter campaigns over the years to help Rifftrax purchase the
licensing for more successful movies to be used for the live shows, of course
many (although not all, as <i>Doctor Who</i> fans sadly have to deal with
thanks to a lack of their <i>“Five Doctors” </i>riff from a few years ago) have
later been released by RiffTrax on their streaming app and on DVD and Blu-Ray.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The <i>Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza</i> was the second
Fathom event, which explains the lack of a stage set to frame the movie screen
as would be the norm for many of their later offerings. It also was certified
to be a good one as RiffTrax up to that point had done some of their best work
on various educational shorts and cartoons and would become very versatile in
finding humor in Christmas-oriented movies and shorts over the years. The <i>Rudolph</i>
cartoon is a classic from the group and as noted in the live event, caused so
much laughter at one point that the trio ended up having to discard three riffs
due to the laughter not dying out in time. If you watch, it is clearly the
early days for the concept and not as smooth as later productions for Fathom
have been, but the riffing in on-target, making it one of the better
collections of shorts done by the RiffTrax team over the years.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Oddly enough, the DVD version of the show excludes the final
sketch shown during the end credits where Bill, Kevin, and Mike exchange
terrible gifts, and Kevin provokes illness with his entrance into Mike’s
office. So, if you want to catch up on
all that, make sure to check out the streaming version on the RiffTrax app.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-15064328505831976822023-12-10T22:15:00.004-05:002023-12-10T22:15:49.470-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 9 - Catalina Caper<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggyrTr5N_vIlIcMQQHfjb_QSQ_EVaSc8JHqIsb2-kjs1t4OHyjYH1ZBiov5_ptXjNJxQemZcNpqlPdMiJsiHJHI8sjjVdo6SsV19Hm6Tm0vXBRFQK5smXisgFEHQo0Tn1NIWC0mKrZx3UQInGU58bu3lHl9hp10j5XpReaWjFuQvJOhzLfxJgwiCsrcE8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="990" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggyrTr5N_vIlIcMQQHfjb_QSQ_EVaSc8JHqIsb2-kjs1t4OHyjYH1ZBiov5_ptXjNJxQemZcNpqlPdMiJsiHJHI8sjjVdo6SsV19Hm6Tm0vXBRFQK5smXisgFEHQo0Tn1NIWC0mKrZx3UQInGU58bu3lHl9hp10j5XpReaWjFuQvJOhzLfxJgwiCsrcE8=w431-h302" width="431" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154">It’s Day 9 of <i>The Worst We Can
Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and by this point in December, we’re all
sort of longing for summer and the beach, so why not a dip in the water with
the dips of <i>Catalina Caper</i>?<o:p></o:p></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Catalina
Caper </i>(1967)</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>
Program: </b><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>November
29, 1991<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Well,
it’s like this. The Allan Sherman guy steals a placemat off the wall of a
building. He gives it to the Louis Nye guy and his wife. They plan to recreate
the art, sell it to a Greek guy, and then have the original artwork returned to
the “museum.” The Greek guy is on to them and plans to steal the real artwork,
using his henchmen. One of the thugs (played by Lyle Waggoner), is possessive about
the girl from <i>Flipper.</i><br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Tommy Kirk.<br />
<br />
There’s your story. Have at it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-PvhHENpa81Jym79PUXBLMS0hDU-RLaApKQmwyeCbl0P6zRUMziAU2XZss2weksyV1UXUmeZMFgvN5POdT0b1fZ_N9tucqv7kJXP-GvJbBiZEXftshg-1eZdhW7G13U0KYlgsC-89VAgh_ai_VWuXszmzOlERQ8ZijjkNfoXCiS3iRqdUW0jPeEiUdcM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-PvhHENpa81Jym79PUXBLMS0hDU-RLaApKQmwyeCbl0P6zRUMziAU2XZss2weksyV1UXUmeZMFgvN5POdT0b1fZ_N9tucqv7kJXP-GvJbBiZEXftshg-1eZdhW7G13U0KYlgsC-89VAgh_ai_VWuXszmzOlERQ8ZijjkNfoXCiS3iRqdUW0jPeEiUdcM=w244-h325" width="244" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsthepRKpU0G8oKAStV-1-Oo9CUL4yQsCiXPolYCHdgwJ4NdxShL32t7HaiOKvxWn_3uBW_YfNj0CVtJKFpY8RYKiAnXztnjlt-LrW8gyVLFcoktSG9rHb0TWJymbsPmlYX9khC6itgmiah4s9Orw6IRy2d20SXIdNP_r6qiXIdCFSuAyOhGxUkg63tzU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2235" data-original-width="1230" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsthepRKpU0G8oKAStV-1-Oo9CUL4yQsCiXPolYCHdgwJ4NdxShL32t7HaiOKvxWn_3uBW_YfNj0CVtJKFpY8RYKiAnXztnjlt-LrW8gyVLFcoktSG9rHb0TWJymbsPmlYX9khC6itgmiah4s9Orw6IRy2d20SXIdNP_r6qiXIdCFSuAyOhGxUkg63tzU=w178-h323" width="178" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The rarely seen movie poster for the movie and the VHS box art for the MST3K version.<br /><br /></div><br /><b>Thoughts: </b>The Beach Party movies were an ever-morphing
genre that took the musical-comedy format of the 1940s and 1950s, dropped in modern
music of the time instead of show-tunes, and featured young adults in romantic entanglements.
American International Pictures, an independent studio that worked cheap, but
knew what kids at the drive-ins liked, was at the forefront of cashing in on
crazes of the day starting with <i>Beach Party</i> in 1963, featuring a
23-year-old Frankie Avalon and 21-year-old (and former Mouseketeer) Annette
Funicello, along with several familiar faces and pop-rock performances. When
the movie became a hit, AIP continued and many other studios jumped in with
their own variations of the theme.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And, as with any
movie genre, it saturated the market so quickly that by 1965, it was becoming
clear that it was time to move on. AIP tried to mixed up the concept with a
military comedy, <i>Sergeant Deadhead</i>, and horror-themed versions like <i>Ghost
in the Invisible Bikini</i> (starring Tommy Kirk) but by 1966 the audience had
moved on. Bikers movies were to become the next big thing, while horror movies hung
on by being grislier and “more adult.” Beach party movies were considered for
kids, as the kids who liked them were now nearly college and ready to move on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That didn’t Crown
International, the studio you went to when AIP was too fancy and expensive for
you, from releasing one of their own beach party movies in 1967, <i>Catalina
Caper</i>. The movie stars Tommy Kirk, a former Disney actor that had a popular
career going for him when he got busted for drugs and faced scandal for having
a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy. Disney managed to get a lot of it
swept under the rug, but Kirk was on the outs with Disney and moved to AIP to
work on such pictures as <i>Village of the Giants</i> (also seen on MST3K),
which eventually led to Crown International. Kirk would continue for a time,
but he would eventually leave the business, get off the drugs, and began a
carpet-cleaning business that kept him going. He passed away in 2021.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioooEQgaaatforT0qzJVVNvizlk7fuSuvXCvJNDHDEm9gTTh8vI-qrQ6vFTY0jYFUaxFV-rcZ_Lwfmp4JzKsTJm4ecZnJj16NaG4FucsGaBw5Ujns9I5pUJ3EED0V0hkLQV6PPVeaRCI187wc0qeHuP829FHaq7JhLPt-lW6gUBCqVlDNBh2j3XKz2Ep4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4540" data-original-width="4770" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioooEQgaaatforT0qzJVVNvizlk7fuSuvXCvJNDHDEm9gTTh8vI-qrQ6vFTY0jYFUaxFV-rcZ_Lwfmp4JzKsTJm4ecZnJj16NaG4FucsGaBw5Ujns9I5pUJ3EED0V0hkLQV6PPVeaRCI187wc0qeHuP829FHaq7JhLPt-lW6gUBCqVlDNBh2j3XKz2Ep4=w313-h298" width="313" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An ad from Buffalo, New York, September 1967, with the film showing not only with <i>Wild Rebels</i>, but another big MST3K film, <i>Skydivers</i>!</div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The movie evidently
was filmed in 1965 during the last gasps of the beach party era, but didn’t get
released until 1967 as a second-billed movie at the drive-ins, typically for <i>Wild
Rebels</i>, another MST3K classic riff. As with other beach party movies, the film
features faces familiar, along you may not quite place them. Del Moore, who
plays the conman trying to pass off the fake art, who best remembered for
co-starring in a number of Jerry Lewis movies. Peter Duryea popped up in “The
Cage<i>” </i>pilot of <i>Star Trek. </i>Ulla Stromstedt, aka Creepy Girl, was
on several episodes of <i>Flipper</i>. Robert Donner appeared in a lot of movies
but is probably best remembered as Exidor on <i>Mork & Mindy</i>. Venita
Wolf, who plays Charlie’s sister, also popped up on <i>Star Trek,</i> this time
in “The Squire of Gothos.” Lyle Waggoner of course eventually moved to <i>The
Carol Burnett Show</i> and then <i>Wonder Woman</i> (and, for those too young
to remember, was involved with an informercial in 1993 for penile implants, hence
the riff in the movie). Michael Blodgett probably has some of the biggest
cult-following credentials as he would later appear in <i>Beyond the Valley of
the Dolls</i>, with his character beheaded by Z-Man (John LaZar).</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipz2C_4UFmVtHnZEBjHsQpfi2-1CwVzHgyXvfjVoVt3fQaldOAmWvx49efAzIFh_DZ9Awf6FHrrHki_DTrJo64ZRVVieIA_u_1VewDVAHZ6UNntXRLCqe4T2U-QMLDpeyxM8TxtSO5Wz5xKqDEyftmeYZ-G0lcJWZe4XvY0p_sRQWoAmDJarr-GQ_XVDY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="550" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipz2C_4UFmVtHnZEBjHsQpfi2-1CwVzHgyXvfjVoVt3fQaldOAmWvx49efAzIFh_DZ9Awf6FHrrHki_DTrJo64ZRVVieIA_u_1VewDVAHZ6UNntXRLCqe4T2U-QMLDpeyxM8TxtSO5Wz5xKqDEyftmeYZ-G0lcJWZe4XvY0p_sRQWoAmDJarr-GQ_XVDY=w407-h296" width="407" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A moment NOT from the Informercial.</div><br />As for the musical talent on display, there’s no need to introduce Little
Richard, and by golly he does appear to be squinting a bit more than needed to
because of the sun. Carol Connors had sung lead on the Teddy Bear’s big hit “To
Know Him is To Love Him” and co-wrote “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme song from <i>Rocky.</i>
The Cascades had a hit in 1962 with “Rhythm of the Rain.” As you can guess, none
of these artists had a hit from <i>Catalina Caper</i> (although the songs aren’t
that bad for one of these movies, really).<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0OoV3V6Wb_wQZkGSVR5xK5nNdeS58-rcPors5JRr1AMpxvMtBUV4lN5t-THaxVTFM0q0FV1xI-MDR3mosQMTb4oZklmZDt5l7m_Ky0NkqgEs-ycLNDqLZJtCXLi_4DMjylggS_tMFGlAU6cNKLeCaMwMHDtNyAc4Q2-0EhH0sL22lnryMgLDSjA0RSkk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0OoV3V6Wb_wQZkGSVR5xK5nNdeS58-rcPors5JRr1AMpxvMtBUV4lN5t-THaxVTFM0q0FV1xI-MDR3mosQMTb4oZklmZDt5l7m_Ky0NkqgEs-ycLNDqLZJtCXLi_4DMjylggS_tMFGlAU6cNKLeCaMwMHDtNyAc4Q2-0EhH0sL22lnryMgLDSjA0RSkk=w412-h232" width="412" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Poor guy is having trouble seeing with all the whiteness around him.</div><br />As to the plot of
the movie? Well, you’re namely there to see girls in bikinis and perhaps to see
some comedy from Tommy Kirk and the gang, but most of the comedy is ancient and
the back-and-forth nature of the art-steal is so dull that it’s easy to lose
interest. It’s a rare case when MST3K went after a comedy, as it isn’t easy to
make fun of intentional comedy. But
Crown International showed them an exception to the rule.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Favorite Riff: </b>“Hey,
what gives? He’s the one with the implant.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Riffing: </b>This
was early in the second season of the Comedy Central era (and the first season
where it actually was Comedy Central), early in the era of Tom Servo being
voiced by Kevin Murphy, and of course early in Frank Conniff’s years on the
show. Two clips from the invention exchange would make their way into the
opening credits (the tank-tops and the tickling bazooka), while we have a song
by Servo fondly remembered by fans, “Creepy Girl.” It’ll be another season
before he gets to sing another love song, only to a turtle.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joel has the bots do their nightly prayers even if they don’t
want to pray for certain individuals, such as Frank and Forrester. Although
Joel gets a rare chance to lose it in the hysterical “memories of the 1960s”
segment, the prayer sketch, and the later attempt to teach the ending segment
explaining the movie will be typical of the parental role that we would see
Joel be to the robots through his time on the show. This of course would change
with Mike, who took on a more sibling/frat brother role to the bots in his
years.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqvFowOJF_bAHw2mYsee3QjeUcDHWocf8l_mCh46OF70re37_YGKGnUVEovbuxhWliR7mJ5PSqxOvLxP936PV7x-stFRNaWMfvF9724SOV5eqaRGmviTt9Ov5L0I-JejTzkP-siZ2oIQUVcDOsGBUGERYLXK0ezO8prvybZOcmN1bHjp3ranDq4exTB7w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqvFowOJF_bAHw2mYsee3QjeUcDHWocf8l_mCh46OF70re37_YGKGnUVEovbuxhWliR7mJ5PSqxOvLxP936PV7x-stFRNaWMfvF9724SOV5eqaRGmviTt9Ov5L0I-JejTzkP-siZ2oIQUVcDOsGBUGERYLXK0ezO8prvybZOcmN1bHjp3ranDq4exTB7w=w438-h246" width="438" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tommy has a crush and needs to sing about it.</div><br />From time to time over the years, MST3K has fallen into a
situation where movies riffed had to be pulled from repeats on Comedy Central
due to licensing ending. MST3K eventually worked out those issues and it is
available to watch on various streaming services, but it was a first for the
program and not a last, keeping some episodes still unavailable to watch in a
conventional manner.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a personal note, this was the episode that got me
interested in becoming a fan. I had seen bits and pieces of earlier episodes,
but had trouble following the riffing and the dialogue at the same time and
didn’t concentrate on what I saw long enough to really “tune in.” Then it all
clicked into place with this episode, as I felt the movie deserved everything
they were giving to it. Thus, while it
may not exactly be fitting for Christmas, it’s a special memory for me and
couldn’t not help to include it here. Hopefully you feel the same.<o:p></o:p></p><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-29494744698887618402023-12-09T23:29:00.001-05:002023-12-09T23:29:25.465-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 8 - A VERY MERRY RIFF-MAS with Bridget and Mary Jo<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmiGeAycZ-ceeQCNwOmD2eYXpiIJMZsnjgmzOuXJPeCHrm0y_KcwwC_3NkxUveN_oyG5AM_9cHUbH7CbI89yRkYV6F-IWfJw_rCfweSIyYC2tJYeMT7iRlaP1yrEhiFBiFYbhyHmLFEjbJdvp-h_3tDVuzScK-1pMhNApakYq_IoDewln_pi2XrKbSNHY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="984" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmiGeAycZ-ceeQCNwOmD2eYXpiIJMZsnjgmzOuXJPeCHrm0y_KcwwC_3NkxUveN_oyG5AM_9cHUbH7CbI89yRkYV6F-IWfJw_rCfweSIyYC2tJYeMT7iRlaP1yrEhiFBiFYbhyHmLFEjbJdvp-h_3tDVuzScK-1pMhNApakYq_IoDewln_pi2XrKbSNHY=w419-h294" width="419" /></a></div><br />A return to RiffTrax for Day 8 of <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar and the first of two riffs done by the team of Bridget Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl!<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_Hlk152504154"><b><i>A Very Merry Riff-mas (with
Bridget and Mary Jo) </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(1971)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Air-Date: </b>December
20, 2019<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b>Plot</b>: Bridget
and Mary Jo riff three Christmas stories:<br />
<br />
<i>Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus </i>(1974) follows the familiar story of
eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon writing a letter to <i>The Sun</i>, a newspaper
in New York (and not the sun, a ball of hot plasma at the center of our solar
system, as it has no mailing address), about the existence of Santa. The half-hour-long
animated special namely follows Virginia as she asks multiple people if they
believe Santa is real, then the creation of the editorial written by Francis Church
for the newspaper that became world-famous. The editorial is read to Virginia’s
school classmates and they are happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oh, and Jimmy Osmond sings, so you've got to watch for that, surely.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><i>Frosty the
Snowman </i>(1950) is a short animated movie from UPA featuring a jazzy version
of the song, as we see children bring Frosty to life, following him around
town, and then seeing him off as he skips town having stolen a top hat and broom. The thief.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><i>Christmas on
Grandfather’s Farm 1890’s </i>(1958) is the final film in the special and
features a family preparing for Christmas at the farm on Christmas Eve, and
then exchanging gifts and sitting down to Christmas dinner the next day. Well, there's only so much excitement offered in 1890.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Bridget and Mary Jo
then wrap things up by exchanging presents, although Mary Jo’s present to
Bridget is cooler and more tangible than Bridget’s gift to Mary Jo.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvtCs1lDq-z-g72LFgkxeiVJ4NMLs7ZdAMd3vyw_f31eJySm-v-hAicPV08kzQMj4cR__QoO2oKBBiuOX1X9dcTKwwhUuHKNEhRqQyqFQNQxVOOd3OPjOwjXM4uN7ylQJxph9dmbFEd3kjEZ6FpnHzkt7ZZeAlDkN_4Y0Thnq9f_3XQ3_MZQ39z2cLCmM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="622" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvtCs1lDq-z-g72LFgkxeiVJ4NMLs7ZdAMd3vyw_f31eJySm-v-hAicPV08kzQMj4cR__QoO2oKBBiuOX1X9dcTKwwhUuHKNEhRqQyqFQNQxVOOd3OPjOwjXM4uN7ylQJxph9dmbFEd3kjEZ6FpnHzkt7ZZeAlDkN_4Y0Thnq9f_3XQ3_MZQ39z2cLCmM" width="145" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFGoMpDvrHjVSYM1A_GAOig4KPttDx82fSLfird6VyJgHrbPKoTSmwB8F8C4NXNFWtAF7nckJlblUiXO4wzzgt8C8powa5H2D0huCMEOdh-GqQOICW8Rqw6WFX4bAlK99nihRCGWcDfewhEd67VniQGzEuKF8gJauWLQi6FNlrsV86y9ZY45s8UxlRFiA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFGoMpDvrHjVSYM1A_GAOig4KPttDx82fSLfird6VyJgHrbPKoTSmwB8F8C4NXNFWtAF7nckJlblUiXO4wzzgt8C8powa5H2D0huCMEOdh-GqQOICW8Rqw6WFX4bAlK99nihRCGWcDfewhEd67VniQGzEuKF8gJauWLQi6FNlrsV86y9ZY45s8UxlRFiA" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video-cassette cover for the <i>Yes Virginia </i>special and the RiffTrax collection featuring it. </div><br /><b>Thoughts: </b><i>Yes, Virginia</i>
was directed by Bill Melendez, an animator that had worked his way up through many
of the major animation studios and probably best known for his work guiding the
various Charlie Brown specials since the very first, <i>A Charlie Brown
Christmas</i> in 1965. The animation gives that away, as many of the children
take on the <i>Peanuts</i> style at times. In connection, it is
interesting to note that the <i>Charlie Brown</i> specials rarely showed
adults, and – as in the case here – although the men tend to look fine, the
women tend to look at if drawn by youngsters, which is just odd. And although it was nice to see a
mixed group of kids represented in the story, the Lee Fong material plays
straight into Asian stereotypes still acceptable of the time. The 1970s were progressive, but we still had
a long way to go.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">
<br />
And, yes, Virginia, that is Jimmy Osmond of the Osmond Brothers, a very popular act of
the era (although Jimmy usually was pushed out as a solo performer in much the
same manner as Donny Osmond before him). Jim Backus (<i>Angels’ Revenge</i>)
narrates, while Jack Lemmon’s daughter Courtney, is the voice of Virginia. Virginia’s
story for the most part is fictional, but really, what is there to tell than of this girl writing to the paper and an – albeit it beautiful – editorial in reply?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then again, that didn’t stop there being
another animated version of the story in 2009 and a full-length 1991 television
movie starring Charles Bronson (as a death-dealing Santa, now who doesn’t
believe! Okay, actually as Francis Church), which is actually quite good and
worth searching out. So is this 1974 version, even if Bridget and Mary Jo
appear to not be fans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirWXDjlfJGFJJBveyK-tjdYpUFhxTVOZFYr1k17Vl-ur2-2y7Lm_gmkICmv7IH4z40gN0ma1ROSJPQT526Fp9yrlXQl4a3KAzpveeO9g75_fMVibYX3U8zU4rrBYwFnZLZ-TXujh4fkwb0ZBON2zcHy6qMv51Il-5bAu8Uqhgw5MXAa20mU2OLZW0BMr0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="576" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirWXDjlfJGFJJBveyK-tjdYpUFhxTVOZFYr1k17Vl-ur2-2y7Lm_gmkICmv7IH4z40gN0ma1ROSJPQT526Fp9yrlXQl4a3KAzpveeO9g75_fMVibYX3U8zU4rrBYwFnZLZ-TXujh4fkwb0ZBON2zcHy6qMv51Il-5bAu8Uqhgw5MXAa20mU2OLZW0BMr0=w231-h332" width="231" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>TV Guide</i> ad and "Close Up" for the <i>Yes Virginia</i> special ( thanks to dougsplotation for the image). Virginia looks like the Red-Headed Girl Charlie Brown has a crush on; the teacher looks ... just odd.</div><br />The <i>Frosty the
Snowman </i>short was directed by Robert Cannon, and just as with the previous
special mentioned here, the art-style is clearly that of the director, in this
case who had worked at UPA to create animated shorts for characters such as Mr.
Magoo (voiced by Jim Backus) and Gerald McBoing-Boing. He also was a key
animator in the greatest Merrie Melodies cartoon for Warner, <i>The Dover Boys
at Pimento University</i> (1942). The Frosty cartoon had a regular Christmas
airing on WGN since the 1950s.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDpwGhPYZBKF-d_84vC_GGIpXS5JzJ2vHwWxBqiPab4mXNSEG1JNcSM3WQ4MlVnLCHNLUhRzHFx2zwJJipa6AWFsZfcs0Yh-uW-I8PDhIa_RxebvoxC9dXOzpiuH1jstVFPmiXF3rZby8jaF7MXhcUQlezK7cdh6xxiS3jpBHwgRXgFwDhT42TdbbbGsc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="576" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDpwGhPYZBKF-d_84vC_GGIpXS5JzJ2vHwWxBqiPab4mXNSEG1JNcSM3WQ4MlVnLCHNLUhRzHFx2zwJJipa6AWFsZfcs0Yh-uW-I8PDhIa_RxebvoxC9dXOzpiuH1jstVFPmiXF3rZby8jaF7MXhcUQlezK7cdh6xxiS3jpBHwgRXgFwDhT42TdbbbGsc=w400-h215" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Follow the bouncing ball and sing along!</div><br />The final short is <i>Christmas
on Grandfather’s Farm 1890’s</i>, which is also known as <i>An Old Fashioned
American Christmas</i>, and <i>Christmas at Bradford Farm</i>. The Coronet film
was for classroom use (obviously for Algebra classes; okay, that’s a lie) and
was filmed at the Octagon House in Watertown, WI, which is the hold of the
Watertown History Society. The exterior of the house was actually that of the Paul
Hibbard home in Watertown, however. In case you were curious, none of the
actors were related, but rather part of the local community theater, as you
could probably gather from the semi-professional acting of some of them, even
if Dave forgets his cue at the Christmas tree.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFBGkigxq0VdU5a8ueTzP0Og6-UyrmJjR4tpB0Xx-su2OGhujll7lbCfCeNxrX-tcYCZ4Iku-ASkbiJorvvqNkafK1RtEzcNkK3jVtxIBPK3uuozWQLBSBiRXwbPgmxk9KUk5uFXr6WxnnZYcfxqjckCfaEgRbnroJFaTw5LjeHo0jGJM7gO2TVbFNJB4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="469" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFBGkigxq0VdU5a8ueTzP0Og6-UyrmJjR4tpB0Xx-su2OGhujll7lbCfCeNxrX-tcYCZ4Iku-ASkbiJorvvqNkafK1RtEzcNkK3jVtxIBPK3uuozWQLBSBiRXwbPgmxk9KUk5uFXr6WxnnZYcfxqjckCfaEgRbnroJFaTw5LjeHo0jGJM7gO2TVbFNJB4=w368-h240" width="368" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Follow the bouncing ball and ... oh, no, there's nothing to bounce here. Sorry.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">
<b>Favorite Riff: </b>(after Virginia asks a policeman if there is a Santa
Claus)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Mary Jo:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bridget, what did you do when your kids asked
you the same question over and over again?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;">Bridget:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, I just turn up the TV.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk152504154;"><br />
<b>The Riffing: </b></span>Boy, Bridget and Mary Jo didn’t seem to like that <i>Yes,
Virginia</i> special from the get-go, did they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, they’re there to have some fun, so it was bound to be that way,
but it really isn’t that bad. Perhaps I feel somewhat defensive as this was a
traditional Christmas special growing up? I wouldn’t fight you on that. There’s
so many other things to fight over, anyway, like when was the last time you
washed the dishes?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As always, it’s fun when the RiffTrax gang get a mixture of
things to riff, especially shorts and television ads (such as in the <i>Star
Wars Holiday Special</i> mentioned a few days ago here). The riffing especially
picks up in the final short, which is more of a traditional educational short
that the MST3K, RiffTrax, and The Mads all excel at.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But what really makes this RiffTrax collection special is
listening to Bridget and Mary Jo talking for the duration. Unlike most of the
other riffers in any of the other shows, the two women write their material
with a layer of obviously being two old friends sitting in a room and having fun
(and you’ll see more of that in the days ahead when I review one more of their
features). There’s a cozy feeling to it that reminds one of sitting on the couch
will friends and cutting in to discuss related topics (such as wanting an Easy
Bake Oven as a kid) that aren’t so much jokes as comments. Heck, most of their
commentary during the Frosty short is them singing along with the song and we
don’t mind at all. A sweet change of pace that feels right for the season. <o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-65326559535177025872023-12-08T22:31:00.005-05:002023-12-08T22:31:24.015-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 7 - SPACE MUTINY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis5LoQhMXbgBou40buj8jeIM3KduYC4oqBJce5inrPHV6RNbKc8Y-DWVXZSMIZajOTgysZCtE_IrmpkXSpNY9Kdtq-VY5fyY8qMpzoOwrOo4ie34WHpYgzzQyWdFl1drXrjJsou7Ed7iIAjhB4F32LZOT0EGUZeuy4P36l8t-UQ9L93C-dnI5yHD5OkVM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="976" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEis5LoQhMXbgBou40buj8jeIM3KduYC4oqBJce5inrPHV6RNbKc8Y-DWVXZSMIZajOTgysZCtE_IrmpkXSpNY9Kdtq-VY5fyY8qMpzoOwrOo4ie34WHpYgzzQyWdFl1drXrjJsou7Ed7iIAjhB4F32LZOT0EGUZeuy4P36l8t-UQ9L93C-dnI5yHD5OkVM=w437-h309" width="437" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We’re at Day 7 of <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas
Advent Calendar and taking a look at Cameron Mitchell, Reb Brown, John Phillip
Law, and Cisse Cameron in the movie <i>Space Mutiny</i>. It features some good
special effects from <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>, some iffy staging in what
appears to be a factory substituting for the inners of the main ship, plenty of
rail-kills, speeds of three, and Commander Santa! <b><i><br />
<br />
Space Mutiny</i> (1988)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>November 7, 1997<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhkFnQpW7D4AfWMiLFpQgldNBqNKvJKmBqiMAtd3NbU0Ou67zOTaJUvknPMd6xjKQ8d2e5a5dhtJknP04F1o9qrMqipSEmntomhMiDlXRZajhgCUfHXinmfU-o1C871K-5O8ndQ242AphHz1mogSCBPFz8JhuEsonXeiYWgjisTuUsR86f_9UlHC5h0lg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="620" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhkFnQpW7D4AfWMiLFpQgldNBqNKvJKmBqiMAtd3NbU0Ou67zOTaJUvknPMd6xjKQ8d2e5a5dhtJknP04F1o9qrMqipSEmntomhMiDlXRZajhgCUfHXinmfU-o1C871K-5O8ndQ242AphHz1mogSCBPFz8JhuEsonXeiYWgjisTuUsR86f_9UlHC5h0lg=w142-h228" width="142" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ4M6zIaVMWlp_Owxb2LjP6qzdfqxmAidedrnBM39v96fMVcOByzXcWkVXk8a67Ashd6N3CLw_JUi-uAQIGq57fCkkGC2ONVWaU2fc-dVZ6hA9D07GHJlTYNyop2PmhrB_6w4g2akU533OOYxZFlsj1bWaEdn8n1M0hXFSK8a4LQXEafpyYNu35wDPALM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ4M6zIaVMWlp_Owxb2LjP6qzdfqxmAidedrnBM39v96fMVcOByzXcWkVXk8a67Ashd6N3CLw_JUi-uAQIGq57fCkkGC2ONVWaU2fc-dVZ6hA9D07GHJlTYNyop2PmhrB_6w4g2akU533OOYxZFlsj1bWaEdn8n1M0hXFSK8a4LQXEafpyYNu35wDPALM=w168-h223" width="168" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBiHubF6zns5QOzMG4oJJJN2TCgZQ-DYloYfERj3Z7bVXEDuqecMoWjXpTZgrpf_LYewhsWMsh7rOgIR4vidoo7U6rOOvg-ZQxE_DpwQYsZCA7C9iNAUc12350iLPG0fV6VJP95K3AGBOim-pNE_GhgIb2mgJoQuCrQPT8UeyedPjb4FgiTdJC66_yFZ0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="800" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBiHubF6zns5QOzMG4oJJJN2TCgZQ-DYloYfERj3Z7bVXEDuqecMoWjXpTZgrpf_LYewhsWMsh7rOgIR4vidoo7U6rOOvg-ZQxE_DpwQYsZCA7C9iNAUc12350iLPG0fV6VJP95K3AGBOim-pNE_GhgIb2mgJoQuCrQPT8UeyedPjb4FgiTdJC66_yFZ0=w169-h222" width="169" /></a><br /><br />Artwork for the original movie, the MSTK release and the RiffTrax Live! version<br /><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: It’s a <i>Battlestar Galactica </i>rip-off,
only with all the fun of the original gutted out of it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay, okay, the Southern Sun is a ship sent from an
overpopulated world in hopes of finding a new world thirteen generations
before. This would suggest that they are alone in space, since they are many
years into their travel, but somehow there’s pirates out there causing trouble.
Are they so slow that people from their planet have passed them by in space-travel?
Did some people branch out years ago in their space dune-buggies and become
roving gangs of space delinquents, following them around for fun? Are these
aliens hooligans? And, if so, why hasn’t anyone asked them where a nice planet
to go to would be?</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwig1JwJqEQPl9QWZxpB1Sm7SlWOxZxepX_u9eNwpruNojUqRAi28KmUUu8PfhZc1pyXPxc43yNbJgf0Ikg5ekny8BmnNbrtdFrkKtU4UL-1P-MF5ktsHsCRNCtdUQENbNaabjW8jpKCEKKGP8XhTJU8S6INuv5GQnFUQOMHhXp3DjlmZQwsOJRoJslPc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="516" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwig1JwJqEQPl9QWZxpB1Sm7SlWOxZxepX_u9eNwpruNojUqRAi28KmUUu8PfhZc1pyXPxc43yNbJgf0Ikg5ekny8BmnNbrtdFrkKtU4UL-1P-MF5ktsHsCRNCtdUQENbNaabjW8jpKCEKKGP8XhTJU8S6INuv5GQnFUQOMHhXp3DjlmZQwsOJRoJslPc=w382-h276" width="382" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's True - Love Your Work and You'll Never Work a Day in Your Life!</div><br />But no matter, there are pirates nearby and a conspiracy within the ship headed
by Elijah Kalgan (John Phillip Law, <i>Diabolik</i> himself) to lead the ship to
the pirates and find a little planet they can stretch their legs on after being
cooped up in the ship for so long. To help in his endeavor, Kalgan begin sabotaging
this ship, with the assistance of the engineer, MacPhearson (James Ryan of <i>Kill
or Be Killed </i>and <i>Kill and Kill Again</i>, both of which have been
covered by RiffTrax). This leads to the destruction of an incoming shuttle
carrying a professor friendly with Commander Jansen (Cameron Mitchell, <i>The
Stranger</i> from MST3K and <i>Supersonic Man</i> from RiffTrax) and his
daughter, Dr. Lea Jansen (Cisse Cameron). <br />
<br />
The pilot of the shuttle is teleported from the crashing ship, but the
professor dies and Dr. Jansen blames the pilot, Slab Bulkhead, okay, actually
Dave Ryder (Reb Brown of the 1970s <i>Captain America </i>movies). Their angry
meet-cute leads to them discovering the conspiracy and stopping Kalgan and
regaining control of the ship while slowly whizzing around the factory, I mean,
ship in scooters. Very slow scooters.<br />
<br />
Oh, and there’s a subplot about a group of women called Bellerians, who dance
around in Stevie Nick scarves and Jane Fonda workout-swimsuits. Are they
aliens? Where did they come from if it appears the Southern Sun is the only
ship around? None of that matters, for they are there namely to eat up the
running time when the production realized the movie was too short, and are of
no consequence to the main plot beyond giving Commander Santa some jollies. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thoughts: </b>Filmed
in what was Transkei (now part of the Eastern Cape province in South Africa) in
1988, the film production and others, including David Winter’s film <i>Rage to
Kill</i>, was under a microscope for making movies in Apartheid-era South
Africa. Producer Hope Holiday recognized in an article with <i>The San
Francisco Examiner </i>in October 1988, “We know there are a few problems
politically,” which was quite the understatement. Her take to the press was
that making the film there would help the local community, but producer/director
David Winters admitted in his autobiography that the tax-breaks offered made financing
attractive.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE7jeCrFpdRJhAYEJV8kZ38wfmPb1Yxmk0usGNhmGYl2HxwA1ew4uw7r-3quBjTFFiIS1U_51qL31JXUVqsWhuebMQgO-yX9CP6jJ-Z4uUZ0I1egDBVegjNs77JJ-olMFt1pT1qHq_F7ifBnukM_t3D1f4YK49AcZZaD9wXgCj7WNwRlJdko2qCrUjMEU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="516" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE7jeCrFpdRJhAYEJV8kZ38wfmPb1Yxmk0usGNhmGYl2HxwA1ew4uw7r-3quBjTFFiIS1U_51qL31JXUVqsWhuebMQgO-yX9CP6jJ-Z4uUZ0I1egDBVegjNs77JJ-olMFt1pT1qHq_F7ifBnukM_t3D1f4YK49AcZZaD9wXgCj7WNwRlJdko2qCrUjMEU=w360-h251" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Commander Santa and Sting interrogate Blast Hardcheese early in the movie. </div><br />David Winters will forever be remembered as A-rab in <i>West Side Story</i>,
but he was also a well-known choreographer, director, and producer who would
make a number of movies and choreograph both <i>Kitten with a Whip</i> (featured
on MST3K) and the infamous <i>The Star Wars Holiday Special</i>. In his
autobiography he mentions that he had prepared the production but had to step
away on Day One of shooting due to the death of his father. Instead, the movie
was completed by his assistant Neal Sundstrom. Winters would explain that he
never set foot on the set during filming, but due to issues with the
financiers, they had to keep his name attached to the film. This led to the bad
reviews sent his way over the years when he felt he had no control over the movie.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Reb Brown has had a fairly successful acting career, appearing
in such movies as <i>Uncommon Valor</i> and <i>Hardcore</i> (a popular
reference on MST3K) as well as starting in another RiffTrax favorite, <i>Yor,
the Hunter from the Future</i>. He is remembered by some Marvel fans as
starting as Steve Rogers in two Captain America movies form the late 1970s, and
he received critical acclaim playing Eddie Leonski, a real-life serial killer,
in Philippe Mora’s 1986 movie, <i>Death of a Soldier</i> (it was this movie
that Winters saw when looking for an actor to play Dave Ryder in <i>Space
Mutiny</i>).<br />
<br />
Once Reb was picked to be in <i>Space Mutiny</i>, it was an easy casting chore
to locate the lead female role, as Cisse Cameron was (and remains) Brown’s
spouse and had done a good deal of television and films beforehand. Several
other cast members, including Ryan and Mtichell, had just worked with Winters
on another film, so they were already in South Africa anyway, while John
Phillip Law was added to the cast to play the main villain. Law had been in several
movies by that point, including <i>Barbarella, Von Richthofen and Brown </i>(a
great Roger Corman movie), <i>The Golden Voyage of Sinbad</i>, and of course, <i>Danger:
Diabolik.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The movie is notorious for killing off a major character
early in the film, Lt. Lamont, only for her to reappear in the very next scene
at her desk on the bridge of the ship as if nothing happened. This leads to one
of the few times where Mike and the bots fall straight out of riffing to point
out the obvious (a statement that the show usually avoided because it conveyed a
fact everyone can see on-screen and not a really a joke). Bad continuity also
appears with the Bellerians, who really serve no purpose in the plot and are
there to simply dance around for the boys watching at home. It’s clearly an
afterthought with them, as none of their scenes require cast members from any
other part of the movie appear with the dancers, with the exception of Mitchell.<br />
<br />
Ironically, for a film that blatantly incorporates <i>Battlestar Galactica </i>footage
in the most awkward and blatant ways, the movie has become a somewhat fond
step-child for fans of the series, including a later audio recreation of the
story with several members of the original cast many years later.<br />
<br />
<b>Favorite Riff: </b>(Devers as he passes by a living Lt. Lamont, even though
she died in the previous scene) “'Okay, look alive, everybod— oh ... sorry,
Susan.”</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhatfYobwRTU5FVx2tZcyU7pL8HljSEUqNCHruG9-IDrTVAXJgrA2v-bwGjftokl9Wio_jsDHiCs-kHc-p5cB-rND95O8SqLnVO37mucPPc38yOepBMPgmQmSNlRF1w_7zafY8KK3wrnOUegX2XzPnA7J6fEyZpxLXLDs6hWgrwy8kW9WpIUyuesJmgUz4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="504" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhatfYobwRTU5FVx2tZcyU7pL8HljSEUqNCHruG9-IDrTVAXJgrA2v-bwGjftokl9Wio_jsDHiCs-kHc-p5cB-rND95O8SqLnVO37mucPPc38yOepBMPgmQmSNlRF1w_7zafY8KK3wrnOUegX2XzPnA7J6fEyZpxLXLDs6hWgrwy8kW9WpIUyuesJmgUz4=w400-h230" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Father and "daughter" of the Southern Sun.</div><br /><b>The Riffing: </b>The episode occurred in the first season of the series
after the move to the Sci-Fi Channel. As mentioned in my book, <i>The Worst We
Can Find</i>, executives at the channel suggested that the series begin an
on-going storyline for the characters of MST3K. This concept was not greeted
with praise by the MST3K crew, but they reluctantly went along, only for the
Sci-Fi Channel to then show the episodes out of order, making the concept a
waste of time. Saying that, it did give us a chance to see the characters
participating in stories that have them interacting with other characters, not
to mention giving us strong introductions to Pearl’s two new henchmen, Dr. Bobo
(Kevin Murphy) and Brain-Guy (Bill Corbett).
As seen in the episode, it also allows Mike to physically interact with
Pearl and the others, albeit briefly near the end of the episode (and once
again team up Mike with his real-life wife Bridget in the show).<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">With the mess that was <i>Space Mutiny</i>, it has been remembered
by the writers as being a fun one to riff, especially considering Lt. Lamont’s
death and resurrection, the overacting of several members of the cast, and the
oddball nature of the action sequences. Mitchell doesn’t really have much to do
in the film besides wear a bad beard and lend his name to the production, but
it did give us Commander Santa, for which there are plenty of jokes (and
eventually led to Kevin Murphy appearing in-character when RiffTrax later did a
live riffing of the film for RiffTrax). It also gave birth to the fan-favorite
of the many, many names for Reb Brown’s character that Mike and the bots come
up with during the movie (Blast Hardcheese, Brick Hardmeat, Slab Squatthrust,
etc.), which had occurred in smaller dosages during earlier movies for certain
characters, but never for the length of time and number of names as seen here.
The riffters also lay it on thick when covering all the “rail-kills” (on-screen
deaths where people fall over railings) seen in the film, which would be
another favorite of fans to discuss over the years.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0E6_OTYjRf6IGMCoYJ-u9QYJMJdBkgXCCH-tw8ULIGxY-HiO0y_98Nt-5hokSOjlacUyRDoeKVHzNxpdjEj1ooI1VmMDcIVz4BzEjrb-VcMZFgvZREDA9jlpPqha62U4Mwrd4WCfRAPiUTCZsS5Ovf7Xh-iz-RT9L9nChOKlICmrDLsQqxorNUpkOGoM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="502" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0E6_OTYjRf6IGMCoYJ-u9QYJMJdBkgXCCH-tw8ULIGxY-HiO0y_98Nt-5hokSOjlacUyRDoeKVHzNxpdjEj1ooI1VmMDcIVz4BzEjrb-VcMZFgvZREDA9jlpPqha62U4Mwrd4WCfRAPiUTCZsS5Ovf7Xh-iz-RT9L9nChOKlICmrDLsQqxorNUpkOGoM=w428-h314" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A rare opportunity to see all of the main cast together in one spot.</div>
<br />
While Reb Brown has been very accepting of the riffing about him, an running-gag
about the age of Dr. Jansen did upset Cisse Cameron. Although many years
younger than Reb Brown and only in her early thirties at the time of filming, Cameron’s
makeup and the lighting make her look older and it led to merciless riffing on
that fact within the MST3K episode itself. When the live RiffTrax event
happened many years later, Mike, Bill, and Kevin made clear that they avoid
such comments in their riffing , since it was deemed a cheap shot (and briefly
censored one shot in the movie where accidental nudity occurred).<o:p></o:p><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Typically considered one of the best episodes of the
Mike-era, <i>Space Mutiny</i> not only has solid riffs, but a great storyline
for the MST3K characters on the side as well.
It’s also one of the easiest MST3K episodes to locate online, via
Amazon, Tubi, YouTube, and of course the Gizmoplex. And if you have the time,
check out the updated riffing of the RiffTrax version available on disc and on
the RiffTrax site and app. And maybe someone can finally tell me the background on the hissing sounds whenever Lt. Lamont appears. (Is it a V reference? I have to admit I never quite got that one.)<br /><o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-55141297456105973492023-12-07T22:00:00.002-05:002023-12-07T22:00:24.447-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 6 - THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0dNs7sbcagEPrYhRv8Y6TQDeWBDhhx9BhsR53_QQrqumKcAm2_Y84bgJlqxGekC-jg3kffRgwfB1JYWPqbyp1vQTdr0sMkXBUeI7XdhwN8t56S81GaxaFL0YP0NSABEdJVYT1Rm4N3-uynG1zYnmlrRIMfzpaLUqsgihwtKgb-1jGtpUeQ_1XBtKjGLI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="985" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0dNs7sbcagEPrYhRv8Y6TQDeWBDhhx9BhsR53_QQrqumKcAm2_Y84bgJlqxGekC-jg3kffRgwfB1JYWPqbyp1vQTdr0sMkXBUeI7XdhwN8t56S81GaxaFL0YP0NSABEdJVYT1Rm4N3-uynG1zYnmlrRIMfzpaLUqsgihwtKgb-1jGtpUeQ_1XBtKjGLI=w456-h319" width="456" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>
<br /></b></i><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Day
6 of the WORST WE CAN FIND Christmas Advent Calendar takes us back to the Joel
years of MST3K, and since we just looked at a movie with a clown and snow, we’re
doing the same today with an episode from season 4, <i>The Day the Earth Froze</i>,
along with the short, <i>Here Comes the Circus</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b>The Day the Earth Froze</b></i><b> (1959; released in the U.S. July 1963) and <i>Here
Comes the Circus</i> (1946)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>January 16, 1993<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeYH_cZSbirWlT7aJuurs7-peUtux-9mm3oepSY0ZsKVjHBEpas_vsd0EOxSmMUos_T2C6NZ7DUWefBGyT1X4rP2RBXnwd3D0JiZ2dNFntJVkjBudf_MkkEZxvx22vbI8RBU4HkJK-6JisMN52UyiVkMWEVfNdDzk49odV24Zq8QEeBzGu0rKoFgh2Pas" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="640" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeYH_cZSbirWlT7aJuurs7-peUtux-9mm3oepSY0ZsKVjHBEpas_vsd0EOxSmMUos_T2C6NZ7DUWefBGyT1X4rP2RBXnwd3D0JiZ2dNFntJVkjBudf_MkkEZxvx22vbI8RBU4HkJK-6JisMN52UyiVkMWEVfNdDzk49odV24Zq8QEeBzGu0rKoFgh2Pas=w188-h279" width="188" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsfbYtTIQjDuEOq7A0olHI3T3Q1a2KP1Iy37vo0BOPlgxxfR6Kk1uw80FrQbRiRTs5589qeFfKlrJJBtdFglc0FcluHXsC4lvuhVheR7ZEh1BPCH0vJvlazaqihjLnf-xHxCnO1jFwL5ImGZUYlfBZUxqImUeVxmx2VicQk1vOKo0XsmecEiiFhZkRqcQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="563" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsfbYtTIQjDuEOq7A0olHI3T3Q1a2KP1Iy37vo0BOPlgxxfR6Kk1uw80FrQbRiRTs5589qeFfKlrJJBtdFglc0FcluHXsC4lvuhVheR7ZEh1BPCH0vJvlazaqihjLnf-xHxCnO1jFwL5ImGZUYlfBZUxqImUeVxmx2VicQk1vOKo0XsmecEiiFhZkRqcQ=w182-h280" width="182" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPULU1eKhu6hvP46KsrftHxsFp2dIB3AMgWThr3fyJCMjkwS_G4-uP4Lt8B5YcIv-BMdEOYhF66i_kQ6MQMcNQhfukSZCSFmbFgVAtLEnHjcdPouGRstT5ddl4z8q12mroQ0XRWRskVjcP_upzacfbaXxGSEMEAkEc_MHgbTrrb_4Bnd0kF-vdTBRjnkM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="419" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPULU1eKhu6hvP46KsrftHxsFp2dIB3AMgWThr3fyJCMjkwS_G4-uP4Lt8B5YcIv-BMdEOYhF66i_kQ6MQMcNQhfukSZCSFmbFgVAtLEnHjcdPouGRstT5ddl4z8q12mroQ0XRWRskVjcP_upzacfbaXxGSEMEAkEc_MHgbTrrb_4Bnd0kF-vdTBRjnkM=w183-h274" width="183" /></a><br /><br />Three posters for <i>The Day the Earth Froze - </i>including the AIP poster and the one used for MST3K<br /><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: <i>Here Comes the Circus</i> focuses on a
performance by what appears to be the Cole Bros-Clyde Beatty Circus, which
would push the footage back to probably 1940 or 1941, as we see both Clyde
Beatty and Emmett Kelly at the same circus and by 1942 Kelly had moved on to
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. The focus is namely on the clowns, the
acrobats, and a handful of the animal acts.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjr-Cv29spnm8q6FZvePBtBzP9aGLDAxGDCUvqFyBa7Pbus6LmgDbI8BRFZklDxE0WBxCoZRQRiXU505OhnD2eAEd5RlXb6vn0in1dJhABQSWNgGLbBZmXblQiHNhm7t6P9TjBw2XXKWip_XdBm9L-nWrs3jw0Ap6rqRxbkMbdmiUW4B9ndcjA6oaYggoI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjr-Cv29spnm8q6FZvePBtBzP9aGLDAxGDCUvqFyBa7Pbus6LmgDbI8BRFZklDxE0WBxCoZRQRiXU505OhnD2eAEd5RlXb6vn0in1dJhABQSWNgGLbBZmXblQiHNhm7t6P9TjBw2XXKWip_XdBm9L-nWrs3jw0Ap6rqRxbkMbdmiUW4B9ndcjA6oaYggoI" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yikes</div><br />Meanwhile, in another part of the world for <i>The Day the
Earth Froze, </i>Lemminkainen, who is just the start of names my spellcheck is
going to strangle on and is played by Andris Osins (listed as Jon Powers in the
U.S. credits) appears to be a lumberjack of sorts in the land of Kalevala. He
is smitten with Annikki (Eve Kivi/Nina Anderson), who has magical powers over
nature and can make plants grow where she walks (hence the later scene where Louhi
is glad to be rid of her because of the flowers growing on his land). Annikki
is the sister of a blacksmith named Ilmarinen (Ivan Voronov/Peter Sorenson),
who also has magical abilities, as he can forge pretty much anything.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Ilmarinen’s abilities attracts the attention of Louhi (Anna Orochko), a witch
who lives in Pohjola. She decides to kidnap Louhi with the objective of forcing
Ilmarinen to retrieve her, whereupon she would make him build her a sampo. A
sampo confuses the MST3K gang, but it’s pretty much exactly as seen in the
movie: a magical mill that creates money, salt, and flour in abundance, thus
making rich and happy those that have one. After a few tasks by Louhi, which
sees the blacksmith forge a living horse and a steel boat, Ilmarinen is
instructed to make the sampo, which he does. Annikiki is released to Ilmarinen,
but Lemminkainen is determined to retrieve the sampo for their village. The
edit of the movie makes it vague, but he managed to gain the sampo, only to be
killed by Louhi on his way back to Kalevala.<br />
<br />
Lemminkainen’s mother discovers his death and asks the road, the trees, and the
sun to help her. The MST3K cut simply has them whining to her, but the full-edit
of the movie has them coming together to and answer her prayers by reviving
Lemminkainen. He awakens on the beach, but the sampo is destroyed.
Nevertheless, even a piece of it is seen as a good sign by the people of
Kalevala, and Ilmarinen agrees for Lemminkainen and Annkiki to marry. There is
a festival in honor of their marriage, but it ends when Louhi swings by and
steals the sun. Darkness and a blizzard descends on the land, leaving to a
group of men going to Pohjola and steal back the sun. They do this with lutes
to lull Louhi’s trolls to sleep. Louhi backs away in fear without her trolls to
save her and is turned into stone as she reaches the cave where the sun is
being held. Lemminkainen uses his powerful sword to break open the door, killing
Louhi in the process, and setting the sun free.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thoughts: </b>As
annoying as the MST3K guys found it to see Emmett Kelly only eating the entire
time he was on-camera, the eating bit was part of his act (just as sweeping the
spotlights would later become) and had been part of the act that got him
noticed when appearing on Broadway back in 1939. Thus, it wasn’t just Kelly phoning it in. I
suspect some of the clown makeup seen would not have looked quite as nightmare-inducing
if we saw them in color, but that’s just my opinion. Joel is right, the horses
should come AFTER the band in a march, for obvious reasons. Clyde Beatty was exactly
as seen here – a famous lion-tamer and would become best known for his own circus,
which lasted for many years. And, finally, the acrobatic clown bit is very odd
and rightly ridiculed.<b><br />
<br />
</b>This movie was produced as a Russian-Finnish co-production based on a well-known
poetic study of two mystical lands, their creation, and feuds, which is called <i>Kalevala</i>.
A portion of the poem, collected by Elias Lonnrot, is where much of the
plotting for the movie was used to create the script. The movie, better known in other parts of the
world as <i>Sampo</i>, was directed by <a name="_Hlk152877503">Aleksandr
Ptushko</a>, who is remembered for his fantasy film work, including films that
we know better as <i>The Magic Voyage of Sinbad</i> and <i>The Sword and the
Dragon</i>. While all three films were riffed on MST3K, both Paul Chapman and
Kevin Murphy are on record as saying they really liked the films. Consider the
amazing effects work in each it is easy to see why.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU5NdVleGUB3LxoGCBmH675rDYTQ41_OC-1ViHux0vg9XXOcQgzgZwPfhpYy7mF-EGyvqgsn146BTuQSEOdh5BouCDM2xCvrMpch7dpUCBpuCwltnaNmF49jJ5qk6pMnEr3_nDKjGK_GZslWva6pmeC6vKMLuGuDicffgFgR5DOZ4HSVjE2IyUBW_NvaE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1000" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU5NdVleGUB3LxoGCBmH675rDYTQ41_OC-1ViHux0vg9XXOcQgzgZwPfhpYy7mF-EGyvqgsn146BTuQSEOdh5BouCDM2xCvrMpch7dpUCBpuCwltnaNmF49jJ5qk6pMnEr3_nDKjGK_GZslWva6pmeC6vKMLuGuDicffgFgR5DOZ4HSVjE2IyUBW_NvaE=w407-h237" width="407" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our heroes with the horse created from the fires to deal with the snakes.</div><br />
As a co-production, the movie was shot in both a Russian and Finnish version,
as well as shot using different camera ratios, which results in varying
versions of the film. There is a good comparison
of the thee best known cuts (Finnish, Russian, and AIP) to be found on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=CJWiKIdDYrs ">YouTube</a>. The MST3K cut is based on one done by American International
Pictures for release in 1963, which used the Russian version of the film and
then edited it down nearly 25 minutes to make the film little more than 60
minutes long. Trimmed was much of the storyline involving the death of Lemminkainen,
his mother’s search for him, and his being brought back to life. The AIP
version is also very hazy about Annkiki affiliation with nature, making Louhi’s
anger over all the flowers appearing while Annkiki seem out of nowhere, and the
sadness Annkiki has over the bird’s death near the end of the picture not as
poignant as it should have come across.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Keep in mind, it was 1963 and a good time to avoid names that sounded too
Russian, so most of the cast got an Americanized name in the credits, with
Marvin Miller (Michael Anthony of <i>The Millionaire</i> and not the Michael
Anthony of Van Halen). To MST3K fans, he also narrated <i>King Dinosaur, The
Deadly Mantis, </i>and <i>The Phantom Planet.</i> The movie was immediately at the bottom of
the bill when it began playing around the country; usually with Disney movies;
but that opened up into 1965 and onward, where it would pop up playing with
just about anything, whether the pairing made sense or not.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8P8KORbc_LlbmMxz-B7OsVNeiaVovnkJWxEvt6KYt560B_hitAy8z3BrkAOwGoN2jrAfEOyCSylA5Kk8m-xhjnxl54I_HlHQUsJ_NpN2A7ilAy_014QZu1q92XD5O8EkYgrcn_b_LYciPByzgyPUGEIgVpL-7Dp2vHKnJRAVYdKPgmgiCdmEujMC85IU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6237" data-original-width="4941" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8P8KORbc_LlbmMxz-B7OsVNeiaVovnkJWxEvt6KYt560B_hitAy8z3BrkAOwGoN2jrAfEOyCSylA5Kk8m-xhjnxl54I_HlHQUsJ_NpN2A7ilAy_014QZu1q92XD5O8EkYgrcn_b_LYciPByzgyPUGEIgVpL-7Dp2vHKnJRAVYdKPgmgiCdmEujMC85IU" width="190" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgT284wi0jWvG0ODntheOtPFDkAGsBDiygzuL6v97KOXw7SGJk1h78Sf-hmiVec4Mix8_CC7moBNIKVrH1coLrKiJDV4Tf6W0twbG2ptINocbr5i3Xc4L445Y4adAr_KUh2fDd0Lf5fOSWAVAGCaSsZ3WyCmwlcabjYgRp-PQeUxnHwgGlVYPqk3migMk4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6297" data-original-width="4603" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgT284wi0jWvG0ODntheOtPFDkAGsBDiygzuL6v97KOXw7SGJk1h78Sf-hmiVec4Mix8_CC7moBNIKVrH1coLrKiJDV4Tf6W0twbG2ptINocbr5i3Xc4L445Y4adAr_KUh2fDd0Lf5fOSWAVAGCaSsZ3WyCmwlcabjYgRp-PQeUxnHwgGlVYPqk3migMk4" width="175" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Two ads from 1964 showing that <i>The Day the Earth Froze</i> was showing up pretty much with anything. I'm sure the audience wanting to see the STD-driven drama <i>Damaged Goods</i> were thrilled with the Finnish fantasy world of <i>The Day the Earth Froze</i>.<br /><br /></div><b>Favorite Riff: </b>“Are you with the bride or the failure?”<br />
<br />
<b>The Riffing: </b>The movie were becoming more diverse in nature during
season four after the previous three seasons, moving away from the monster
movies of the 1950s and 1960s and various Japanese giant monsters to showcase
more mainstream recent movies (<i>Space Travelers</i>, aka <i>Marooned</i>, <i>City
Limits, Being from Another Planet</i>), Hercules movies, and darker films like <i>Manos,
Monster a Go-Go, Attack of the Giant Leeches, </i>and <i>Tormented</i>. With a
series of AIP pictures at their fingertips, it was understandable that this
movie would pop up for them to look at for the show. The effects are incredible,
but the action seems a bit odd when viewed from the perspective of an audience
that doesn’t know the material it is based on. The editing, whether in the
original cut, handled by AIP, or by the MST3K gang, works against the movie as
well. For example, the version we see here suggests that Lemminkainen has
gotten lost at seas, but not killed as we know was in the original cut and a
major subplot to the film. Why does Louhi turn into stone in the end? What is
the purpose of a sampo and why didn’t the blacksmith build one for his land
before Louhi forced him to build one? (In the original edit, he swore he would
only build one once Annkiki had found true happiness and married.) Why is everyone happy that Lemminkainen came
back with a broken sampo? (Hence all the happy “failure” gags.) Why play music to
the trolls? (Well, of course, we find out why eventually, but could they have
explained it better beforehand?) Mix in
a bad, muddy print of the film and the blandness of our heroes, and you have a
good recipe for confusion and boredom at times.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaSybviMXQtlU7ZglytdOxo5seTnaRJbBV2iIlLBxwIJYQQXl-_S11uzVkXzmWNKDa39T1jeyCt0pBShrOdDlxRy74RFGUIB6lWfR7A-nr5gcTl9dxn08kZPQ-brHbk9r8Q-NdhmA2SAHSm84vPTatiW73PLzogQ0EjBSlKC_eXm-2BVQvwmeTL1oo-hs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1016" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaSybviMXQtlU7ZglytdOxo5seTnaRJbBV2iIlLBxwIJYQQXl-_S11uzVkXzmWNKDa39T1jeyCt0pBShrOdDlxRy74RFGUIB6lWfR7A-nr5gcTl9dxn08kZPQ-brHbk9r8Q-NdhmA2SAHSm84vPTatiW73PLzogQ0EjBSlKC_eXm-2BVQvwmeTL1oo-hs=w396-h267" width="396" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Gang wanting your insight into the mystery of the sampo.</div><br />Which is what you want in a movie for MST3K. This was considered a golden era
for the show, not just for the cast and writers at the time, but
behind-the-scenes as well as the program was in the middle of a multi-year
contract with Comedy Central that saw 24 episodes a year being produced. The
show starts well with a traditional Joel trying to be a “father to the robots”
gag (taking a family photo) and moves directly into a good Invention Exchange
where Dr. Forrester shows off his “Unhappy Meals” and Frank gets a rare change
to be rightfully angry about losing his 401K money. Best of all, is the
one-woman show, written by Mary Jo Pehl, that makes up a break late in the
show, giving us a rare chance to see Gypsy be a bit more “on the ball” and part
of the show than typically available. Understandably, some fans of the film
were upset over this and the other movies Aleksandr Ptushko directed appearing
on MST3K, but at times there are even comments made to suggest the effects are nothing
to sniff at and it allowed viewers who never would have given these films a
chance the opportunity to see amazing work from another part of the world.<br />
<br />
And a circus short with grown-men going at it “clown-style.”<o:p></o:p><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-90761659856669685202023-12-06T17:05:00.001-05:002023-12-06T17:05:24.803-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 5 - SANTA'S CHRISTMAS CIRCUS with Whizzo the Clown<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX3LRksoaOpz4HgDAv3r9U1h3ANs5ScMiLY6ujO4K2zt19fsegiFTk5NL4gGKg5SrzPOUrg_L-bAuUv2ZCy09VUHCH_GY7Fqsa6XE_TuAHyNhV3L1fkhR4tGFI_eUu6uL3GahAFgqK6e6_d-DBsxWu8EDlipHT2gVi8bhQl1PUla6WYjPs8rTeipEOS7I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="692" data-original-width="989" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX3LRksoaOpz4HgDAv3r9U1h3ANs5ScMiLY6ujO4K2zt19fsegiFTk5NL4gGKg5SrzPOUrg_L-bAuUv2ZCy09VUHCH_GY7Fqsa6XE_TuAHyNhV3L1fkhR4tGFI_eUu6uL3GahAFgqK6e6_d-DBsxWu8EDlipHT2gVi8bhQl1PUla6WYjPs8rTeipEOS7I=w527-h369" width="527" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s Day 5 of the <i>The Worst We Can Find</i> Christmas Advent
Calendar, and we’re back with RiffTrax and Whizzo the Clown presenting to us a film version of his regional television show, with Santa, a kid with a scary cough,
and much, much padding. Oh, and a short before that with Christmas Trees that
will live in your nightmares.<b><i><br />
<br />
Santa’s Christmas Circus</i> (November 1966) & <i>The Christmas Tree</i>
(1975)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>December 22, 2016<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimRm51UcA8xpsQriySOyETLDpisYsn5MLNb6Abmo9ztXPOyiM0oZmdakoo5cevzyBNa5bIVLlniFTPrZJT25An-6PKBEhyQyIYoxSOI0C5Ckn5JbPQEWOFtRt47RIvYTZ-zUry3XgmiDi1AMsIY7dXg9oJv46BQk-mwsTO8xj_YmPXQGUiB-WsWeyVV2A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5664" data-original-width="4878" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimRm51UcA8xpsQriySOyETLDpisYsn5MLNb6Abmo9ztXPOyiM0oZmdakoo5cevzyBNa5bIVLlniFTPrZJT25An-6PKBEhyQyIYoxSOI0C5Ckn5JbPQEWOFtRt47RIvYTZ-zUry3XgmiDi1AMsIY7dXg9oJv46BQk-mwsTO8xj_YmPXQGUiB-WsWeyVV2A=w268-h311" width="268" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh4fY5Ge4DzeIu9wXa5zJT0pvYf5LBJZt8UwQRKOELyEoBLvLsf8fzqeoJDUZNObkb5j7plokX0CeANc-gthU6JkeSlWyvCffBmFOUmjQpjezrNP7UQX_2M_rtpo2H_VCcxnEBgpfJNRUzcKGPI_3lna0GKPmNdIf9rywXrfJDWoyp_RarYFjkQmy7GGI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh4fY5Ge4DzeIu9wXa5zJT0pvYf5LBJZt8UwQRKOELyEoBLvLsf8fzqeoJDUZNObkb5j7plokX0CeANc-gthU6JkeSlWyvCffBmFOUmjQpjezrNP7UQX_2M_rtpo2H_VCcxnEBgpfJNRUzcKGPI_3lna0GKPmNdIf9rywXrfJDWoyp_RarYFjkQmy7GGI=w232-h309" width="232" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Original 1966 newspaper ad for the film and the artwork from the RiffTrax version.<br /><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Mike, Bill, and Kevin welcome everyone on-camera
and introduce <i>The Christmas Tree</i>, a short film about three Christmas
Trees and their journey. The trees are played by mimes dressed up as fir trees
with only their faces showing, and it’s not easy to get used to seeing. The trees are cut
down and meet other trees, where sexual tension occurs that is even more disturbing.
They then arrive at homes, get trimmed, and one child draws a picture on a wall
that is weird and disturbing. It all ends with the trees being tossed out after
Christmas like garbage, but their “spirits” rise after death and become stars
in the sky. Seriously.<br />
<br />
After another interlude with the RiffTrax guys, the main feature starts as Whizzo
the Clown arrives at his “Wonderland” with presents and goofs around while
rambling non-stop. Soon several children arrive, and they perform a “circus”
after having their clothes magically transform. One of the girls is sad, and Whizzo
tries to cheer her up before showing the children footage of various shop displays
featuring Christmas decorations via his Atomic Time Machine. Eventually the
crew are whisked off to visit Santa, who cheers up the one girl during their
brief visit. Whizzo and the kids then all return to his “wonderland,” where
they are returned to their normal clothes and leave. Whizzo is left alone and wishes
everyone a merry Christmas before going to sleep in a chair. Welcome to Wonderland, Whizzo!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTlJOoWgFu7tqzwsvvqhCR5vmWCmvuIqdazbxEs5cKP5DJ4gw-Vc73_UJ6LCiwcJ1s5wcXFyUq12QYKHpNycXLBJQqeCsF7EZt4wWR3c4wm1Od6ea9nm84z04mkUGgt5KLtancoiiHjhooEFdyg-0dOEBpI567en0_3ueZI8iN7qPaMZt0cf4SlwwiJXY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="725" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTlJOoWgFu7tqzwsvvqhCR5vmWCmvuIqdazbxEs5cKP5DJ4gw-Vc73_UJ6LCiwcJ1s5wcXFyUq12QYKHpNycXLBJQqeCsF7EZt4wWR3c4wm1Od6ea9nm84z04mkUGgt5KLtancoiiHjhooEFdyg-0dOEBpI567en0_3ueZI8iN7qPaMZt0cf4SlwwiJXY=w398-h229" width="398" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From the movie trailer.</div><br /><b>Thoughts</b><b>: </b>There
was a time when regional television invented regional superstars. The days
where television signals only travelled so far, every major city had their own
cluster of local stations that brought with them actors of all ages performing
as hosts of talk-shows, movie programs, and children shows. Many would move on
to other areas or even Hollywood to bigger things, but some remained in their
local area for years, even decades, and became small-time famous in their
cities.<p></p>
<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiwXz9gkx7bdECYb5KLPmmHcwil-2I88soVmVR2Gy9d1-AdAGUdELMbqdMOsmL_ns2eoWDG9g4XtbWntiqPu_G2Ncu5lTYQIgmeVJN57YE_sWanM-ySx2ryQs7kXYegNuSkVZB0UD3ieWCmnPYI1RmzCJizNNi2oycafn4OIxULGbukY1kCxmT4fm9fQc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6832" data-original-width="5778" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiwXz9gkx7bdECYb5KLPmmHcwil-2I88soVmVR2Gy9d1-AdAGUdELMbqdMOsmL_ns2eoWDG9g4XtbWntiqPu_G2Ncu5lTYQIgmeVJN57YE_sWanM-ySx2ryQs7kXYegNuSkVZB0UD3ieWCmnPYI1RmzCJizNNi2oycafn4OIxULGbukY1kCxmT4fm9fQc=w281-h332" width="281" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4n_l0b-mwm7ZHFkDQmkEPVtEU5kaDlPQJGbO1mzmVB0wwmzaGzVE40IXC11GjTnvIx5kvjmVZHow1QXafHgI5JpfgwiedjGHlwvha8kpepkvewuI5e1_mmypk2Pge5YxBonpIjr8ce1kjT_HgfmPVL0UvTe3mFBPPcsvL3-Ulm7IvPXQNTTZMMn7Sli4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="7235" data-original-width="4346" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4n_l0b-mwm7ZHFkDQmkEPVtEU5kaDlPQJGbO1mzmVB0wwmzaGzVE40IXC11GjTnvIx5kvjmVZHow1QXafHgI5JpfgwiedjGHlwvha8kpepkvewuI5e1_mmypk2Pge5YxBonpIjr8ce1kjT_HgfmPVL0UvTe3mFBPPcsvL3-Ulm7IvPXQNTTZMMn7Sli4=w199-h331" width="199" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whizzo with his trombone. There's an odd moment where he mentions playing one, and as this photo makes clear, it was actually part of his act and not some weird improvised comment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>
Such was the case with Whizzo the Clown, who was played by Frank Wiziarde
(1916-1987). Wiziarde had grown up in a novelty act called the Wiziarde Novelty
Circus before arriving in Kansas City in 1953 just as the popularity of local
children programming with a funny host, such as with Bozo, became the norm
around the country. Wiziarde would begin doing his Whizzo the Clown character
for KMBC and continue in that role through television and personal appearances
straight up until the year of his death. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One thing as well about growing up with regional television:
when you’re a kid you laughed and ran home to watch these local shows, and
begged your parents to take you to the mall to see the performers live and get
an autograph. Many of us have no way to relive such memories, as these were
shot live or the stations eventually discarded any footage they did have of
such shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, in some rare cases, there
will an episode or two found and we, remembering our childhood, gladly obtain
such footage to watch again. <br />
<br />
And a majority of the time, it’s all rather disappointing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzaB_ccqCyj-KWq62K8NWTJzel2oJbPTOuscXlW-L1tcrwEVD6rmMJB5uoPxtPvstX-YN3JrWPNXKQQSbYgRmFmTOgU2DuGihM5U-6clmFWbcE1IdY2jqN8ZW7o0KjhvC7gA9fsLQYMT2LnTCHCfnsQwh5xYlnJVRq3gyge6EmLRXNzMNTtgrYd3JEncg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6062" data-original-width="5585" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzaB_ccqCyj-KWq62K8NWTJzel2oJbPTOuscXlW-L1tcrwEVD6rmMJB5uoPxtPvstX-YN3JrWPNXKQQSbYgRmFmTOgU2DuGihM5U-6clmFWbcE1IdY2jqN8ZW7o0KjhvC7gA9fsLQYMT2LnTCHCfnsQwh5xYlnJVRq3gyge6EmLRXNzMNTtgrYd3JEncg=w325-h353" width="325" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Santa looks to be in much better shape here than seen in the actual movie.</div> <br />It's not the fault of the performer or those working on the show. They were
just doing as they always did in programming that was commonly live, with no
money available, and no time for a script. And the performers actually were
good enough that they could eat up that time and put on a show that kids loved,
but as adults are painful to watch. Case in point here with Whizzo. The man was
loved and he had a long history on television, but – man – it’s hard to take
for over an hour as in the case of <i>Santa’s Christmas Circus</i>. Whizzo spends
so much time talking and moving about it’s like watching Bane being juiced with
the essence of Howie Mandel. You just want him to calm down. It’s also both
dull and in disarray at the same time because we’re not familiar with the
format as most kids seeing this movie in Kansas City at the time would have
been. There’s a dog puppet seen briefly that was probably a bigger part of the
regular show, but just seems to be there for no reason. It’s clear the crew is in
on the gag with the way they throw stuff to Whizzo from off-stage, and fans
would know it’s a staple of his show, but it looks miscued and sloppy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And hearing Whizzo saying his catchphrase, “Well,
now I’ve got that to worry about!” over and over again to the enjoyment of no
one gets on the nerves pretty quickly.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The kids at least seem to be trying for the most part, even
if they are confused half the time. The one miserable little girl’s increasing cough
through the show (noted by the RiffTrax guys) is worrisome as well. Add in the
padding of storefront windows to eat up time really slow down the show and a
tired Santa (whose beard is threadbare) and you can sense flopsweat from Whizzo
during most of the hour. It just feels uncomfortable, and we get to see it in
color fifty years on.<br />
<br />
As to the short beforehand, it is mildly amusing once you get used to the human
faces on the tree, although it’s not really clear who the intended audience was.
It seems like the type of short you’d find playing between movies during the
early days of HBO or on a PBS station back in the days. Besides, what is up
with that family and their kids’ drawing on the walls (especially that last
one)?</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7NUMAWw4Tx9SCmf_90aOqwxybvo4922YkhqH6uIyqXhysXQvYGiSjWSLrDo_qkD1PFX4Wa0v4NaKJsfQEDwBouGugvrwcYE5XfB0W9vBKFNYDCmXMzS-bDDGRIgE7rH_TNnHOCUCqY5CFlyU8cgnpo4r2uQbffi-1zO_L1XFrkv2DLKRhifEurXyoCtc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="729" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7NUMAWw4Tx9SCmf_90aOqwxybvo4922YkhqH6uIyqXhysXQvYGiSjWSLrDo_qkD1PFX4Wa0v4NaKJsfQEDwBouGugvrwcYE5XfB0W9vBKFNYDCmXMzS-bDDGRIgE7rH_TNnHOCUCqY5CFlyU8cgnpo4r2uQbffi-1zO_L1XFrkv2DLKRhifEurXyoCtc=w418-h239" width="418" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whizzo trying the best he can in his Wonderland. Aren't we all?</div><br /><b>Favorite Riff: </b>(After one of Santa’s elves accidentally slams a door
into the face of her fellow elf) “That’s for upstaging me, Janet, you slag!”<br />
<br />
<b>The Riffing:</b> By this point RiffTrax had been around for quite a bit of
time, with Mike, Bill, and Kevin appearing on-camera more often than not at the
beginning of a number of features as we see here, which is always welcomed (with
the members now living in various areas of the country, they no doubt don’t get
the opportunity to do this as much as they used to). Many good observations
made during the program, lots of laugh-out-loud riffs, and, unlike a few of the
others Christmas movies used by RiffTrax, the hour-long format of <i>Santa’s
Christmas Circus</i> allows for the show to be over before it begins to drag.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs3eaG4xmgU">Santa’s Christmas Circus</a></i> is also available for free on RiffTrax’s
YouTube channel,
so you can check it out there and decide for yourself if it really fills you
with Christmas spirit or dread.<br />
<br />
Oh, and Santa never gets a circus in the movie. Just a bunch of nosey kids
playing with his racist toys.<o:p></o:p><p></p><br /><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-48550047848687705942023-12-05T22:48:00.001-05:002023-12-05T22:49:09.408-05:00THE WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar: Day 4 - GLEN OR GLENDA<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh04lvEVfZs8G6AKJiwYQ8nAvifLZyArYhNHHfRW8iRaapOzxTQUU5BEuUvBwKfSapMbrCh5N3ZS3d0gPZVRc8OizqAVNxHFMz8cx5Pt5VhpDpjTiEQvBuVy0QWcEj-KsYzB8uKVBloTOTc-MoFiharj_MqdhCXsHseNRgCSZ1WxcIcD5iqJSgfdGBzXR4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="978" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh04lvEVfZs8G6AKJiwYQ8nAvifLZyArYhNHHfRW8iRaapOzxTQUU5BEuUvBwKfSapMbrCh5N3ZS3d0gPZVRc8OizqAVNxHFMz8cx5Pt5VhpDpjTiEQvBuVy0QWcEj-KsYzB8uKVBloTOTc-MoFiharj_MqdhCXsHseNRgCSZ1WxcIcD5iqJSgfdGBzXR4=w515-h351" width="515" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div>Day 4 of the <i>The Worst We Can Find </i>Christmas Advent Calendar see
the first streaming example of <i>The Mads are Back</i>! It’s not holiday-oriented. Heck, it’s not
even festive. But there’s a guy dressed as Satan, and Satan is mentioned in the
same book as God and Jesus, and Jesus fits into the season, so that’s one-degree
of separation and we’ll go with that.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Glen or Glenda</i> (April 13, 1954)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>The Mads Are Back<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>July 21, 2020<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoMRcgeeH8v54L23_Wc6gAyAgANn_xPbJdwPGCR_KubDl8R7Y7q-OlXN034_qrAqTud4GPV-3bTDHMm-d9OQe66JwbYF1FRQCuePQO2CJL77fADubk0rn08vATqFFilBSB_bbFp8jxxojfd90QDGR-lqYuHp2UeJWZyBDVv1PoBXVoxot1-iUcFcCd4x0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="6353" data-original-width="8210" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoMRcgeeH8v54L23_Wc6gAyAgANn_xPbJdwPGCR_KubDl8R7Y7q-OlXN034_qrAqTud4GPV-3bTDHMm-d9OQe66JwbYF1FRQCuePQO2CJL77fADubk0rn08vATqFFilBSB_bbFp8jxxojfd90QDGR-lqYuHp2UeJWZyBDVv1PoBXVoxot1-iUcFcCd4x0" width="310" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYJzRsrU-4jrpMtkiTUPgqO8krwhfP63fsupYTdZL-ImZ_s1bzmCwOCqiRr4KZeAvn09IyKH4vWg8CFQfjENIxADK4LPbS5rfr4AwrHxp2ry5lWzy3vlLdaYfdZRjgtxQkaTD49PWrDQ73VA_FMLLotTZQ4oFLLtGZ9zl7oOfkAVPNxvszN2To6Yf9jAY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYJzRsrU-4jrpMtkiTUPgqO8krwhfP63fsupYTdZL-ImZ_s1bzmCwOCqiRr4KZeAvn09IyKH4vWg8CFQfjENIxADK4LPbS5rfr4AwrHxp2ry5lWzy3vlLdaYfdZRjgtxQkaTD49PWrDQ73VA_FMLLotTZQ4oFLLtGZ9zl7oOfkAVPNxvszN2To6Yf9jAY" width="157" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Original newspaper ad from November 1954 (Lubbock, Texas) and <i>The Mads</i>' initial artwork. </div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Bela Lugosi narrates the opening and pops up briefly
near the end; alternating between sitting in a chair and fooling around in a
makeshift lab. The objective is to be operatic or possibly poetic, with Bela describing
the designated roles of man, but it comes off as ideas rattling around inside
Ed Wood’s head and spilling on to a script page. If you’ve seen a few of his
movies, you know he was good at that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Bela steps out for a smoke and misses out on the story being told, which next
moves to the suicide of a man dressed in woman’s clothing. The incident leads a
police investigator (Lyle Talbot from <i>Mesa of Lost Women </i>and <i>Plan 9</i>)
to a doctor (Timothy Farrell of <i>Pin Down Girls</i> and <i>The Violent Years </i>fame)
to try to understand. The doctor narrates most of the remaining film, starting first
with a discussion of crossdressing.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This quickly turns to the main thrust of the story: Glen
(played by Ed Wood under the name of Daniel Davis) wants to marry Barbara
(Dolores Fuller) but is worried she will not accept his cross-dressing. This
climax (well, it does) with a dream-sequence – long if you see the producer’s
cut which includes six tedious minutes of striptease and bondage footage; or
just bewildering if you see the director’s cut, which excises all that and only
sticks with Glen dreaming about Barbara and others ridiculing him with the help
of Satan. His tormentors are cast aside as Glen emerges as his alter-ego,
Glenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glen then tells all to Barbara,
who ultimately agrees to stick by Glen.<br />
<br />
Coming back from the flashback, the doctor then realizes the movie is too short
and goes into a quick narrative about Alan (“Tommy” Haynes), who undergoes an operation
much like Jorgensen and thus squaring the deal for theater patrons (even if
several were upset that they didn’t get to “see” anything in the operation). After
Alan’s transformation into Ann (with a little bit of Bela’s magic), the doctor
discusses speaking with Glen and Barbara and essentially telling Glen to knock
it off with being Glenda. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glen marries Barbara
and is happy in his little love-shack with her, but the inspector is left to wonder
about all the others still looking for their happy ending. And why he is
breaking the fourth wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mostly
about their happy endings.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZbmRLF6uZACRELWaBJQt7F9e2vGEn_t69-sNhhHoWwoQ1mm8g8KsaRHqbDSpJAyU4XlwZLT45p3OwSIdxE7u2olp8mRwOczLEETfROfODJmaaV3GcLhl5T5kVC0fjyJufU8eyvUOis6YpJ0ctR4A1fgCrAQXVCq3Cq9Tr4bWtGCFEdjlqneKDeMMdUD4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1793" data-original-width="5397" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZbmRLF6uZACRELWaBJQt7F9e2vGEn_t69-sNhhHoWwoQ1mm8g8KsaRHqbDSpJAyU4XlwZLT45p3OwSIdxE7u2olp8mRwOczLEETfROfODJmaaV3GcLhl5T5kVC0fjyJufU8eyvUOis6YpJ0ctR4A1fgCrAQXVCq3Cq9Tr4bWtGCFEdjlqneKDeMMdUD4" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An example of the typical movie <i>Glen or Glenda </i> got paired.</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thoughts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>I
doubt anyone reading this needs to be told who Ed Wood Jr. is. If nothing else
there’s the Tim Burton movie, <i>Ed Wood</i> with Johnny Depp that gives you a
lot of background on Wood’s early career, even if it is in Disney-fied form (Burton
was right to end it happily for the movie; to describes Wood’s later descent
into alcoholism, poverty, and porn is hardly uplifting).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wood had already been struggling to get noticed within the
film and television business when he got the opportunity to do the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the news of Christine Jorgensen’s
emergence in the newspapers as transgender in late 1952, Wood was working with
Screen Classic producer George Weiss to make a movie called <i>I Changed My Sex</i>.
That’s the title it was released with in April 1954, although it would also
play some parts of the country as <i>Glen or Glenda</i> and then again starting
in 1955 under the title, <i>I Led Two Lives. </i>The movie was a frequent
second-feature up through the late 1960s, usually playing with tease or nudie
films at drive-ins. With the developing “worst movie” cult of the late 1970s (cumulating
to <i>The Golden Turkey Awards</i> in 1980), the movie got a second lease on
life and continued to play with other features at theaters (typically drug-danger
films like <i>She Shoulda Said No!, </i>covered by The Mads, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and <i>Reefer Madness</i>, done by RiffTrax).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wood attempted to claim the movie was a
documentary, with research involving “hundreds of people and psychiatrists. We
had doctors supervising the operation scene.” Weiss, who those on the set later
claimed did most of the heavy lifting to make sure Wood got usable footage, put
his foot down by flatly stating, “We do exploitation pictures.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Weiss would work with Wood again for a
proposed movie called <i>Rock and Roll Hell</i> (featuring Wood crossdressing
once again), but after money ran out, the footage was abandoned except for one
fight scene that Wood would later use in <i>The Sinister Urge</i> (later on
MST3K).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In an article with Aline Mosby from February 1953, both
Weiss and Wood would make sure that everyone knew it was NOT about Jorgensen.
Wood would claim that Bela’s character was “an all-powerful science-god figure.
This is almost science fiction.” So that explains who Bela was supposed to be,
I guess. Interesting side-note in the article is that “Tommy” Haines from the
movie was actually a woman playing Alan/Ann.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNrnwxrmxZhjZ9okLg1X6C7aF3UMARXQhAEW-ZIKay2qiJCP-CAIRw7unJ78-wGzhOm_h7LUyH4PqrPJltxFnpWIoMiXj3SsUr17UuxB6uECVLPrSAHyDmxmKg6GznlgfbVoSeGnVg7WhvXIKcDJP0VJIhq8JHQuH18ZAnamYZVh9wVT-g1OiTZfBDdk8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="7097" data-original-width="2589" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNrnwxrmxZhjZ9okLg1X6C7aF3UMARXQhAEW-ZIKay2qiJCP-CAIRw7unJ78-wGzhOm_h7LUyH4PqrPJltxFnpWIoMiXj3SsUr17UuxB6uECVLPrSAHyDmxmKg6GznlgfbVoSeGnVg7WhvXIKcDJP0VJIhq8JHQuH18ZAnamYZVh9wVT-g1OiTZfBDdk8=w182-h496" width="182" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Promotional still used to advertise the film after its release (Ohh! <i>Chained for Life</i>!)</div><br />The acting is all over the place, with no one really looking good, and there’s
plenty of laughable dialogue in the film. However, it’s not too hard to look back
at the movie as a rare moment of treating transgender in a sympathetic light
for the era, even if misguided in a lot of ways. But that’s Wood for you – you laugh,
you shake your head in disbelief, and then there’ll be one moment in most of
his movies where everything comes together to make for some good filmmaking
either by accident or design and you wonder what would have become of Wood if
he had gotten the break he always wanted. That quickly passes and it’s all
funny again, but for a moment there a brief glimpse of what could have been. <br />
<br />
<b>Favorite Riff: </b>“Ironically, Glen’s car is a convertible.”<br />
<br />
<b>The Riffing: </b>Once again, a lot of the details about how these things
came about are covered in my book, <i>The Worst We Can Find</i>, but what it
comes down to is after retiring from movie riffing, Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff
had been brought back into the fold when they begin working with Joel Hodgson, Mary
Jo Pehl and J. Elvis Weinstein riffing movies in a group called <i>Cinematic
Titanic</i> (and we’ll be coming back to them in the days ahead, so don’t
worry). That would continue through live performances and a series of video
productions that brought back the silhouettes of MST3K, but in a different form.
The series of performances would continue through the end of 2013.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE0yDwzZWCVJC0JppH6ZvgXd65LQzPIAeroL_CNyRJkIqVLu4AAI0J9lh4aT3d1ani7BS7JqcEsVyy68aWKNbCaHk04jp62hnH4J4RlhRmq_SNHH5SZikT_z32i7e3X9MAzFmTD8BsqX9RViAW7rKyC-bznK20qK5VS9RHJYJRoWN68LhmTFem2qmwgjU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="415" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE0yDwzZWCVJC0JppH6ZvgXd65LQzPIAeroL_CNyRJkIqVLu4AAI0J9lh4aT3d1ani7BS7JqcEsVyy68aWKNbCaHk04jp62hnH4J4RlhRmq_SNHH5SZikT_z32i7e3X9MAzFmTD8BsqX9RViAW7rKyC-bznK20qK5VS9RHJYJRoWN68LhmTFem2qmwgjU" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">An example of a nice callback early in <i>The Mads</i>' riffing!</div><br />By 2015, Joel was working on restarting MST3K, while Trace and Frank decided to
continue with live riffing in a series of performances around the country as <i>The
Mads Are Back</i>, which was done when time permitted from other projects they
were working on. These live shows featured the two riffing to a “surprise”
movie (and sometimes a second feature if there was a second performance later
in the evening). The series of performances were doing well until 2019 when
Frank needed to step away for a time to recover from heart surgery. They would
tour a bit more after Frank’s recovery, but COVID-19 in 2020 further shut out
the idea of doing live stage shows. <br />
<br />
Instead, the two regrouped with producer Chris Gersbeck to do a live stream of
their show via Zoom of <i>Glen or Glenda</i>, a film the pair had previously done
in their live performances. The program featured the three introducing the show
along with a short Q&A session afterwards. The broadcast was successful
enough that the pair would continue on a monthly basis with a movie or a series
of short subjects that can be purchased namely through Vimeo and of which some
can be seen on Twitch and YouTube, and it would lead to development of the
production company, Dumb Industries, which showcases even more programming for
participants like Mary Jo Pehl (<i>The Mary Jo Pehl Show </i>and<i> Movie Jo
Night</i>) and others.<br />
<br />
No doubt some viewers would wonder how different The Mads are to RiffTrax or
MST3K. As a fan, I would suggest it is much like as how you prefer your toast.
MST3K is like light, buttery toast with its humor that tends to be
non-offensive; RiffTrax is a darker piece of toast that hits better with coffee
and flavored for a more adult taste. And then there’s The Mads, whose humor is like
finding the toaster on fire. No, I kid – but their flavor of toast is probably
the darkest of the three, with The Mads ready to drop the F-bomb when needed (the
film pretty much starts with Bela looking in the camera as The Mads say in Bela’s
voice, “What the F--- to you want?”) and not worried about political gags “offending
someone.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may not make it everyone’s
cup of riffing tea, but it’s funny for those who are prepared, and to see them
present to us one of their early efforts in this form during COVID was a
special treat, and still feels that way upon returning to it now. The movie is
available free on YouTube through their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnkHXOyKiFg">official channel</a>,
so treat yourself by checking it out. <o:p></o:p><p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-49339503531911738192023-12-04T21:54:00.000-05:002023-12-04T21:54:09.524-05:00WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 3: Avalanche<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx9xiRquLoxKcP4FOV-OoYYFmJdnSkmL6fW6J_TCBBkFGaFICIMJAUwS-9pCqoD6LrollenxlTPy460C6P1vLlA64pXy_UWQS0UxT_-u__gp1vdafKONJfYrtZjA3EUoO9LwG7JwNzLONd64OhExuLxc7MrhTF1B9rk9UvvPIWZGMWZyQUttEV5EZ8TEw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="983" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhx9xiRquLoxKcP4FOV-OoYYFmJdnSkmL6fW6J_TCBBkFGaFICIMJAUwS-9pCqoD6LrollenxlTPy460C6P1vLlA64pXy_UWQS0UxT_-u__gp1vdafKONJfYrtZjA3EUoO9LwG7JwNzLONd64OhExuLxc7MrhTF1B9rk9UvvPIWZGMWZyQUttEV5EZ8TEw=w518-h355" width="518" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><p class="MsoNormal">We’re at Day Three into the Advent Calendar, and as we
started off with early works in Day 1 and 2, let’s continue that theme with one
from the return of the series in 2017. It’s not really about the holidays, but
it does have snow, one Santa joke, and an elf … okay, Mia Farrow, actually.<b><i><br />
<br />
Avalanche</i> (July 28, 1978)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>April 14, 2017<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Rock
Hudson plays David Shelby. No, not David
Selby, who was Quentin on <i>Dark Shadows</i>. Shelby is a businessman who has developed
a ski resort on a mountain in a location that has a history of avalanches.
Surprisingly, no one will go in on the financing of the resort for this reason,
leaving David at great risk. Not surprisingly, since it is a movie, everyone
wants to be there for the grand opening. Among the activities are two rather
vague tournaments – a skiing one featuring an obnoxious creep, Bruce Scott
(Rick Moses), and a skating one that appears to have only two competitors. There
are also other competitions seen in the full cut of the film, but many portions
were edited out to streamline the movie for MST3K.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the ski resort is David’s mother, played by Jeanette
Nolan (Roger Corman was hoping to get Ann Southern), a bookkeeper named McDade
(played by Steve Franken, who had appeared in the previous MST3K experiment <i>The
Time Travelers</i>), and associated others whose storylines are also trimmed
for the MST3K version of the film. David’s ex-wife, Caroline (Mia Farrow) also
comes to visit, while Nick (Robert Forster) is hanging around as a
photographer/busybody who thinks David is setting up the resort to get hit with
an avalanche.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And, boy, is Rock’s face red when it happens. Actually, both he and Mia both seem to be
suffering from sunburns (early reports from the set mentioned wanting Rock at
least to have a “snow tan” and it seems it didn’t quite work out). Worse, it is
due to David’s actions that the disaster occurs, although he faces little
consequence due to it (probably the most realistic thing in the entire more). By
the end of the movie, nothing is really resolved beyond a bunch of minor
characters dying. But feast your eyes on those Baked Alaskas!<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5IMYb4xTHtWVMZ_5TUAnoVep7JAwZApkfKIyeQl1YfR-6-cDEPl0S0lq3haJfDjNI3pTgtWEgAK4G5q4Xy_2DEeTEyYqCPVGDeKCuOivEFCdVrOt7twuNqYo4JAyzA-Y7H6iqjqG83oyPdjuvYtcj1Qa4XiWlyFERrte-PbqBr51GbjUe6EybpEX6xIg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="247" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5IMYb4xTHtWVMZ_5TUAnoVep7JAwZApkfKIyeQl1YfR-6-cDEPl0S0lq3haJfDjNI3pTgtWEgAK4G5q4Xy_2DEeTEyYqCPVGDeKCuOivEFCdVrOt7twuNqYo4JAyzA-Y7H6iqjqG83oyPdjuvYtcj1Qa4XiWlyFERrte-PbqBr51GbjUe6EybpEX6xIg=w188-h292" width="188" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1q86c8J_G9UcED5Vvp4WGoCiuPKVOBsU6xAATrNKDmr1D9ggNWtqXCGvTUXpyq94-vQwYt7Vf7HJvI9hbpRfH5Ej1JtCh2IstXQbC4FOCDBrO6qGwShjR1rptggKPWsWotYDsBEA7bbmPwTI70TfXV_fJDZERhHeTUupez-MQ9rnw0LWTZLzNpqirHT8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2231" data-original-width="1602" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1q86c8J_G9UcED5Vvp4WGoCiuPKVOBsU6xAATrNKDmr1D9ggNWtqXCGvTUXpyq94-vQwYt7Vf7HJvI9hbpRfH5Ej1JtCh2IstXQbC4FOCDBrO6qGwShjR1rptggKPWsWotYDsBEA7bbmPwTI70TfXV_fJDZERhHeTUupez-MQ9rnw0LWTZLzNpqirHT8=w198-h278" width="198" /></a><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The original movie poster and the MST3K artwork for the streaming release. </div><br /><br />
<b>Favorite Riff: </b>“Okay, hot chocolate beer, work your magic!”<br />
<br /><b>Thought: </b>The movie was producer Roger Corman (yes, the Cor-Man) and
his New World Pictures at a point where he was trying to expand the studio’s
output by getting bigger stars and hitting genres that were outside of the norm
of the drive-ins he usually catered. Rock Hudson was just finishing up his time
on his television series <i>McMillan & Wife</i>, only to find his career
starting to stall (and word around the set was that he hardly saw <i>Avalanche</i>
as a step in the right direction). Mia Farrow had been drifting a bit in her
career as well, with her television outing as Peter Pan in 1976 being the last
thing many remembered of her at the time (it would really be her teaming with
Woody Allen that helped turn her career around in the 1980s … and that’s not
said as a joke). Robert Forster was a workhorse actor who appeared in just
about anything that came his way and always a welcomed sight in many offbeat
movies of the period (and before; this was the guy who started in things like <i>Reflection
in a Golden Eye</i> and <i>Medium Cool</i>, after all).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrgzc6qq0U0oJfxkYiS07mJhBnsTUkOwLoOPWlpBGjKX55wpCZbo8hz5VPVlxUiVKohSKij37KjR09F9vSAgDOErLqNErkYQgpw9KUQzG06hQthSKc8GkT7FeB2aCihPlZqr_9vkqTyfJsdMwEmN_-Vc3Xk0TddeQR0xJoMclRQ_lnlgLXBZEviGyAGdg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="329" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrgzc6qq0U0oJfxkYiS07mJhBnsTUkOwLoOPWlpBGjKX55wpCZbo8hz5VPVlxUiVKohSKij37KjR09F9vSAgDOErLqNErkYQgpw9KUQzG06hQthSKc8GkT7FeB2aCihPlZqr_9vkqTyfJsdMwEmN_-Vc3Xk0TddeQR0xJoMclRQ_lnlgLXBZEviGyAGdg=w373-h288" width="373" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lobby Card for the film, showing Hudson in nothing that resembles anything he does in the actual film.</div><br /> <br />
As pointed out in the MST3K version, Farrow has a remarkable ability to show absolutely
no chemistry with anyone in the cast. What makes that somewhat interesting is Hudson
balances this by over-acting whenever he is around Farrow, while Forster under-acts.
Neither approach really works, however, and any attempt to create the expected
love-triangle drifts out the door once the avalanche takes over. There’s more
emotional depth between David and Nick than with Caroline.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The script was heavily rewritten as filming began due to
restraints Corman made on the production to get it done under budget and ahead
of schedule. Doing so eliminated some elements from the film, such as a back-story
dealing with rain ruining the early parts of the snow season for David (you can
see an element of this in one early scene with Caroline in David’s office,
where it is clearly raining outside), and a secondary story dealing with the
television announcer and his wife eventually cast aside when their characters
were killed by circumstances pertaining to the avalanche. (On the upside,
everyone was happy to see the skier get his just-deserts. Even more so if you
had seen the full version of the movie and not just the MST3K edit.) The
effects were pretty iffy as well, with obvious fake snow appearing throughout
much of the last third of the picture, and cartoon sparks flying from
electrical equipment at another point. We do get the obligatory pot of boiling
liquid being spilled on a cook that was expected by audiences (see <i>Earthquake</i>
for another example). And what the heck
was wrong with all the police, EMTs, and firemen in the last quarter of the
movie? The roads are clearly dry, but if
they were hazardous, you would think they’d know not to drive in a manner that
causes more destruction. It looks like demented Keystone Cops.<br />
<br />
Oh, and yeah, the kitchen cheerleader is clearly part of the wait-staff. But
her appearance out of the blue in the kitchen does make one wonder why she is
there in that specific outfit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzjm4zJCdwDik782Tp5tDOFfEpOkQjKmlkmCD6K2xz2S5KDFTfv1eSOYFplxJ6DyLBChc9HeV9iaQUb2wXN3UPAaxWBuuX_-9qKguBKb2-njEbxc-blhWjK6ISBYwgE5igUH4PgEPHH6loPzhmXFQ-oP_rRQelU20iVEnSzC-qKyI23weEoAbdMceMqKs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1619" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzjm4zJCdwDik782Tp5tDOFfEpOkQjKmlkmCD6K2xz2S5KDFTfv1eSOYFplxJ6DyLBChc9HeV9iaQUb2wXN3UPAaxWBuuX_-9qKguBKb2-njEbxc-blhWjK6ISBYwgE5igUH4PgEPHH6loPzhmXFQ-oP_rRQelU20iVEnSzC-qKyI23weEoAbdMceMqKs" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And let's not forget the Baked Alaska, which is enough to feed ten people, but David has two delivered to his table.</div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Corman had gotten this film done and another called <i>Piranha</i>
in the same year and had put his resources in what he saw as his “A-picture.”
As it turns out, Joe Dante’s <i>Piranha</i> was the one that performed (Corman would
say it had much to do with Dante making a better movie of the two). <i>Avalanche</i>
was released in a major spread of cities around the country and bombed. To be fair,
by this point, the disaster genre was reaching the end of the road, with only a
handful left to come in the years ahead. Corman had for once misjudged what
genres were hot. Not that he didn’t have
enough other work ready to do to make up for it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Riffing: </b>This was the return of MST3K after several years on Netflix.
The ins and outs of that season and the next (aka <i>The Gauntlet</i>) are
covered in <i>The Worst We Can Find</i> book, but <i>Avalanche</i> was early in
the first season, with the premise of new host, Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray) being
stuck on a new Satellite of Love with Crow, Servo, and Gypsy, while under the
eye of Kinga Forrester (Felicia Day) and Max (Patton Oswalt). Earlier episodes seemed at times to try too
hard, with the riffers talking so quickly in empty spaces that it was hard to follow
the gags, but by this fourth episode (and even the one before, <i>The Time
Travelers</i>) things were settling into place.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgO923my6B2jnf299a3eLbWnFJ9AFAA1ODr2ywvLmBz7CVJTOXnbmQb9Rxerc4IEaBGFFkA5p3sim_19H2iuEP6nRzTMwfDm5aW0W_RAufNuXuSprjgLsS9b3k2f1SOvd6Q6XO6lC2YpavuN95dihYEcLeXLMdNqxWrcCyv_WG7jNKrvg0jrjRAxsQku6c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1978" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgO923my6B2jnf299a3eLbWnFJ9AFAA1ODr2ywvLmBz7CVJTOXnbmQb9Rxerc4IEaBGFFkA5p3sim_19H2iuEP6nRzTMwfDm5aW0W_RAufNuXuSprjgLsS9b3k2f1SOvd6Q6XO6lC2YpavuN95dihYEcLeXLMdNqxWrcCyv_WG7jNKrvg0jrjRAxsQku6c" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">More importantly, the sketches were on-target,
starting with a quickie based on the series </span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">Mad Men</i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">, the movie-titles sketch
that played off the popular “dangerous animal”/”dangerous natural event” movies
that became very popular in the 2000s, and especially the musical number by Day
and special guest Neil Patrick Harris (both from </span><i style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along
Blog</i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 11pt;">). Even the “Imitate Hudson” sketch, which could have gone off the
rail, works. The new version of the show
was working well even early on, as could be seen here.</span><p></p><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzEE36sGD65GI86-MNwFzP8ZKABXA96_4R04YUnRV82xBtiw9jQHQFQdWKSNkcyNiA-6bEJ0d1B6pkIKcgTjTdF-mcaA9TEE5KCPU5G9PpmuoG5Dy1JwdRg5LxqBvGvx9daXHH5wwoaKmCA7ijYHZkYEtafUD2N2Am04gpy52-b35eyXqpgUuvw4tfHpA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2044" data-original-width="1256" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzEE36sGD65GI86-MNwFzP8ZKABXA96_4R04YUnRV82xBtiw9jQHQFQdWKSNkcyNiA-6bEJ0d1B6pkIKcgTjTdF-mcaA9TEE5KCPU5G9PpmuoG5Dy1JwdRg5LxqBvGvx9daXHH5wwoaKmCA7ijYHZkYEtafUD2N2Am04gpy52-b35eyXqpgUuvw4tfHpA" width="147" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Don't forget to pick up the novelization at your local newstand!</div></span></span><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The movie runs roughly 93 minutes and was heavily edited for use on MST3K. Most
of these cuts were little snippets here and there, such as missing opening and
ending credits, and additional footage of snowmobile racing and skiing competitors
other than Bruce in early parts of the film. The biggest edit is the storyline
involving Mark, the announcer, and his wife, Tina (she’s the woman at the bar
that David warns to take it easy on the booze). Perhaps this is just as well,
as the storyline is rather depressing: Tina has left Mark to shack up with
Bruce, the skier, and is mentally unstable. Mark tries to win her back, but she
instead walks in on Bruce in bed with one of the skaters (there’s a reason you
hear both saying they’re going to bed early during the “Baked Alaska” party)
and loses it. She confronts Bruce, only to have him become physically abusive,
so she is about to commit suicide in her room when the avalanche comes along
and kills her instead.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that’s entertainment, folks! </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As you can see, there’s a good reason to excise that bit from a comedy show. The
lesson of <i>The Sidehackers</i> from decades before comes back to haunt the
program once again.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></div>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-55584761307271639772023-12-03T16:22:00.004-05:002023-12-04T09:37:49.962-05:00WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 2: The Star Wars Holiday Special<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1tqogy6TrZY_sShSm-OZs4tk-V4MnCqE3wpDQXFIIPbil03oLWXOw27QieRfhjESnsXCQCrCEfNdKkUJN7LSXK0JJ0jqqX2gBZUO674nayKOXIZP8cP5mCOTpujafpLW4bEGs-dG3Bc83AcBqlEMSGVlWS3bJOc6wopBU98aSOFgYY7HqJxWysCaoOoE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="981" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1tqogy6TrZY_sShSm-OZs4tk-V4MnCqE3wpDQXFIIPbil03oLWXOw27QieRfhjESnsXCQCrCEfNdKkUJN7LSXK0JJ0jqqX2gBZUO674nayKOXIZP8cP5mCOTpujafpLW4bEGs-dG3Bc83AcBqlEMSGVlWS3bJOc6wopBU98aSOFgYY7HqJxWysCaoOoE=w537-h346" width="537" /></a></div><br />Continuing with our Advent Calendar in celebrating of my book about MST3K, RiffTrax, The Mads and others!<br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>The Star Wars Holiday Special</i> (November 17, 1978)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>RiffTrax<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>2007 (some listings have this as being
released in April 2007, but that was when a riff of <i>Attack of the Clones</i>
came out and December 2007 appears to be more accurate)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Chewbacca must get home for Life Day. He does. Some other stuff happens, but –
really – you don’t want to know. You DON’T
want to know.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOVeEh1UA3rjRNWGkQyQUSBQ1Zrp5aEQO8mE3YEzAzV_h_dwx3oYI3GGvuwB3zpKyWH6-Fx0_wUKCvxVQqqLW6yMEMhxp8_1esJZxID-jg9ovk0eJ0maDLFv4jMo_ATI7t03PgS3F4CYOa7VzVhzyZz7zCFTSv8W7fiQQwUoQ1XJHwPqdyic8_hqmgGYY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="613" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOVeEh1UA3rjRNWGkQyQUSBQ1Zrp5aEQO8mE3YEzAzV_h_dwx3oYI3GGvuwB3zpKyWH6-Fx0_wUKCvxVQqqLW6yMEMhxp8_1esJZxID-jg9ovk0eJ0maDLFv4jMo_ATI7t03PgS3F4CYOa7VzVhzyZz7zCFTSv8W7fiQQwUoQ1XJHwPqdyic8_hqmgGYY" width="172" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAE7wV7_Ni7OMgHRhqlSOZO0z_uvTyUIod7hYa4tSFdGc5IT0uanJjbBG-2kQz7nVLA7OyqrvouC4eDLsml2IyEKevTnGOtM0DRjDV_yqjhDhIMnBQRqx8I6i6A1AchyzT_yk7bOVuU4g60fuMfV6CcdwxBPL37dK-RAlCaOee-pC8eA0grRuCOwkn8Mk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAE7wV7_Ni7OMgHRhqlSOZO0z_uvTyUIod7hYa4tSFdGc5IT0uanJjbBG-2kQz7nVLA7OyqrvouC4eDLsml2IyEKevTnGOtM0DRjDV_yqjhDhIMnBQRqx8I6i6A1AchyzT_yk7bOVuU4g60fuMfV6CcdwxBPL37dK-RAlCaOee-pC8eA0grRuCOwkn8Mk" width="180" /></a><br /><br />The original <i>TV Guide</i> ad for the special along with the featured artwork for the RiffTrax version<br /><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thoughts: </b>Just
as we as kids asked, “Daddy, what’s Vietnam?” our children and grandchildren
will turn to us elders and ask, “Gramps, did you lose your pants again?” They’ll also ask, “What was <i>The Star Wars
Holiday Special?” </i>And we shudder
against the harsh reality. Namely because we’re pants-less, but also because we
grew up running to the television set that November 17, 1978, warning off our
elder siblings who wanted to watch <i>The Love Boat</i> on ABC, and swearing to
your parents how absolutely brilliant this <i>Star Wars</i> special was going
to be. This was then followed the hollow, sickening sound of your siblings’
laughter while the shield of innocence crumble before your eyes as you watched Luke’s
glassy-eyed stance, heard Leia’s singing, and experience Itchy’s porn
obsession.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdn-F7-4pweBl95jVzl-J5f-z69Er5N8Y2QNYmHlO4cXPBDO_jNe61JJ254xbbgyP1N82w1Afj2JW94tzLZRTo6yAfNZQKNeIDciHHSo8OxkS3w49V4iQya07GrZDmw_CTZ8VgDHSn45T0hHPHTydnFCuNtMq6IMrVQPGJtAuk27iNbUYD3z76T3zY0qc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="646" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdn-F7-4pweBl95jVzl-J5f-z69Er5N8Y2QNYmHlO4cXPBDO_jNe61JJ254xbbgyP1N82w1Afj2JW94tzLZRTo6yAfNZQKNeIDciHHSo8OxkS3w49V4iQya07GrZDmw_CTZ8VgDHSn45T0hHPHTydnFCuNtMq6IMrVQPGJtAuk27iNbUYD3z76T3zY0qc" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Art really selling the "Wow!" to Itchy. Itchy needs no sales-pitch, however. Eww.</div><br />
Really, what more can be said about this special that hasn’t been covered by
numerous sites over the years? We know everyone who performed played along as
best they could, and that George Lucas had so little involvement that at one
point stated he’d like to destroy every last copy of the special, but times
have mellowed a bit. The videos out there can be seen readily in a variety of
places, and the actors have joked repeatedly over time about what a mess it is.
Most of us have seen it, talked about, and read about it. When even a <a href="https://www.wrestlecrap.com/inductions/star-wars-holiday-special/">wrestling website</a> features an article about it,
you know reviews of the special is oversaturated.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ4DnA8UBg7azwxRpdMWk6MpAOZuFxToZ984pVcbW-vMXtL06cmH7KICLCE7Z7ifQuYrPXtwKbsG6i6Wxx1Q8W61XHS672qYFHagTQqgsnMl42zpawbF-hJBtn88GWbeFlYqP3ltTdkdM-jkQ8RMsulfB4CdcfMHNztx_PQsYvx6NgUr1MNajnU_7yV2w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="9308" data-original-width="5359" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQ4DnA8UBg7azwxRpdMWk6MpAOZuFxToZ984pVcbW-vMXtL06cmH7KICLCE7Z7ifQuYrPXtwKbsG6i6Wxx1Q8W61XHS672qYFHagTQqgsnMl42zpawbF-hJBtn88GWbeFlYqP3ltTdkdM-jkQ8RMsulfB4CdcfMHNztx_PQsYvx6NgUr1MNajnU_7yV2w" width="138" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chewy looking like he's being featured at the end of an episode of <i>Dragnet</i>.</div>
<br />
A dive into newspaper articles from the time namely focused on trying to get
cast members to discuss <i>Battlestar Galatica</i>, which had just come out at
the time, and little on the show itself. Fisher tried to steer conversation to
how she had sung most of her life, so obviously she wanted to present the idea
that she was comfortable with Leia singing (even if you can’t be sure about
that from watching the special). Hamill seemed to take it all in stride, while
Ford had more to say about <i>Galatica</i> in interviews than the show he was
working on. Speaking of which, while watching you at least feel everyone gave 100%,
and Ford comes off best of the group (he’s given the least dopey dialogue, so
that helps). This is understandable - the three mains were all veterans of
network television, so no matter how “big” the producers tried to make the show sound great (“We make the Wookies into something like the Waltons,” said
producer Mitzie Welch at the time, while also stating, “I think variety shows,
as we know them, are dead. There has to be a new form invented and maybe this
is it.”), this wasn’t it and they knew it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUk_5ZA8NmlRDQMBv_ENtnGFvrtfO3yPmabNd0_RW8BfcydlK0Ti9FoC7f9rKhC8z-nu-6O1J-q9I9WuNFpQSPKLFiRKknlDYwrgSx2nDwT0YNdft4Z7_NTFJQ4lHtNRfigWRHuvTZby77oPJAhQabYKlHedc8vCn55_GypUlYUaFZ_yEt-nu_1-hoZIc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="651" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUk_5ZA8NmlRDQMBv_ENtnGFvrtfO3yPmabNd0_RW8BfcydlK0Ti9FoC7f9rKhC8z-nu-6O1J-q9I9WuNFpQSPKLFiRKknlDYwrgSx2nDwT0YNdft4Z7_NTFJQ4lHtNRfigWRHuvTZby77oPJAhQabYKlHedc8vCn55_GypUlYUaFZ_yEt-nu_1-hoZIc" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The look you really don't want to have when being pulled over by the cops.</div><br />
Most interesting sidenote I can make that isn’t regularly covered is an article
from Peter Brown of the Gannett News Service back in November 1978 stating that
there was a closed set when filming Jefferson Starship with their “Light the
Sky on Fire” number as they wanted to make sure Grace Slick did not try to
interfere with filming. Costumer Bob Mackie had an outfit all set for her, but
the band had pushed her out of the band that summer after a series of drunken
incidents while the band was on town that year (specifically an incident for
German television with Slick channeling Basil Fawlty). It is that weird harsh
spirit that seems to prevail over the program; like everyone is looking over
their shoulders at the reality heading their way.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEmUQDONI-9Oj-b5oWCFcQcCKVt6V1i2nQ4S8qdk-bjOnQHuCgo3mhSrxYssEdxpvc6c5fxqmIyavj2bNo2AzvpYFSk26W5_muPZfvZQxN4v5F8jApius11y1hphtQUM1GpUmRCrv-EwuB2dd7PHf_CsIJtt4PaWr5qc4o6aVf1iRiH99SKMgJTw0XezY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5025" data-original-width="3319" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEmUQDONI-9Oj-b5oWCFcQcCKVt6V1i2nQ4S8qdk-bjOnQHuCgo3mhSrxYssEdxpvc6c5fxqmIyavj2bNo2AzvpYFSk26W5_muPZfvZQxN4v5F8jApius11y1hphtQUM1GpUmRCrv-EwuB2dd7PHf_CsIJtt4PaWr5qc4o6aVf1iRiH99SKMgJTw0XezY=w210-h317" width="210" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb3vKWlrueywaQQGglGvasbDDIi9HiWH2rDsGfRLWcYgUa-a2KU9laYkxcPOMncKFT-wJBZMMhQ7dpQYiY1n4oPLj6C3AaNngVnbBMdPB7Cpf8KwQgO-y6d512B5tW-zsh3zArR-ZhK1CZnkRF_pL7SVjfA3h1FHwksD1w7Xq-mQuEZIrgPmAz6d72Rxs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5064" data-original-width="2986" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb3vKWlrueywaQQGglGvasbDDIi9HiWH2rDsGfRLWcYgUa-a2KU9laYkxcPOMncKFT-wJBZMMhQ7dpQYiY1n4oPLj6C3AaNngVnbBMdPB7Cpf8KwQgO-y6d512B5tW-zsh3zArR-ZhK1CZnkRF_pL7SVjfA3h1FHwksD1w7Xq-mQuEZIrgPmAz6d72Rxs=w185-h313" width="185" /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Some images sent to newspapers to promote the special in 1978.</div><br />It should be pointed out that many fans actually begrudgingly admit that they
have a soft-spot for Bea Arthur’s song midway through the show (even if Korman
pouring a drink down his head is about the “stupidest thing” ever seen on
television). And of course, there’s the premiere of Boba Fett in the animation
portion of the show, which most fans took away as a positive. But, you know, you take the good with the bad,
that’s the force of Life … Day. (Ha,
see, force instead of facts and … life instead of … I … anyway ….)<br />
<br />
<b>Favorite Riff: </b>(after narrator introduces Chewbacca’s family) “And many
a scream-yourself-awake nightmares!”<br />
<br />
<b>The Riffing: </b>As I discuss in <i>The Worst We Can Find</i> book, Mike
Nelson was working here and there with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy on
various projects since leaving MST3K, including that of the commentary-filled
riffing done for <i>The Film Crew</i> that looks now to be a mid-metamorphosis between
their work in MST3K and what would come with RiffTrax in 2006. <o:p></o:p><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Many of the early RiffTrax offerings were done as downloadable
commentaries that could be played alongside the movies already purchased by
viewers, and thus avoiding any copyright issues. This was how the original
version of the commentary with Nelson, Corbett, and Murphy was released in 2007,
which was then lined up with a version of the special someone had recorded on
video back in 1978 and had been lurking around in the gray-market of fandom for
some time. Eventually, RiffTrax was able
to release a version for patrons of their website that includes the video as
well, and this can still be found there, while edited portions of the special are
available on YouTube. <br />
<br />
But perhaps best to see here is that, although the earlier RiffTrax productions
are a bit a work-in-progress, by the time they get to <i>The Star Wars Holiday
Special, </i>the trio are in a solid form of sync, playing out as characters
doing commentary more-so than simply saying riffs into a microphone. Just as with the early days of MST3K, there would
still be some bumps in the road ahead, but by this time fans would be assured
to see (or hear at least) a very funny show. To have it all
come together on such a weird memory from our youth, and with the emphasis on a
major holiday setting and a number of ads related to the approaching Christmas
season, the special is well-worth the time to seek out and enjoy. But you may
want to fast-forward over Ichy’s “wow” session. Seriously.<o:p></o:p></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-52399230845580351302023-12-02T23:08:00.001-05:002023-12-02T23:08:24.312-05:00WORST WE CAN FIND - Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 1: Gamera Vs. Zigra<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5zDnv1vdKpPs9p5cmzQdTkGZdNzUMA8SC8BTN1PE2X7sHeAKM-LR_MZ-KmwaP6huq3Zh2Mq7b_L0EP37O-oJcrBHWFXiRcAhqlgQ59MlhtPYkMZioUU_S9kSbP14cUJX_XWiYgV068HCg6WIQ82MwJ_EDaU4sU0afQgBxuufhSN9Lazs-5RRPEsGdD28" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="968" height="539" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5zDnv1vdKpPs9p5cmzQdTkGZdNzUMA8SC8BTN1PE2X7sHeAKM-LR_MZ-KmwaP6huq3Zh2Mq7b_L0EP37O-oJcrBHWFXiRcAhqlgQ59MlhtPYkMZioUU_S9kSbP14cUJX_XWiYgV068HCg6WIQ82MwJ_EDaU4sU0afQgBxuufhSN9Lazs-5RRPEsGdD28=w355-h539" width="355" /></a></div><br />As some of you know, Applause Books released my book, <i>The
Worst We Can Find</i>: <i>MST3K, RiffTrax, and the History of Heckling at the
Movies,</i> earlier this year. The book covers the history of riffing movies
since the early days of Cinema, the development of MST3K, and the current state
of riffing.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In telling that story in the book, it left me with a lot of thoughts about the
movies being riffed that didn’t make its way into the book. <br />
<br />
Thus, with the holiday season upon us, I thought it would be a perfect chance
to tells some additional details about these movies and the shows wrapped around
them in the form of a Christmas Advent calendar, with one movie covered each
day up through Christmas Day.<br />
<br />
The main thing is that I hope you’ll enjoy these in the spirit of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, and don’t forget that <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781493063918/The-Worst-We-Can-Find-MST3K-RiffTrax-and-the-History-of-Heckling-at-the-Movies"><i>The Worst We Can
Find</i> </a>is available in bookstores and online in both physical form and
e-book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check it out if you can, and
have a great holiday, no matter how you celebrate!</p><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>GAMERA VS. ZIGRA</i> (1971)<br />
<br />
Program: </b><i>Mystery Science Theater 3000<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Air-Date: </b>January 1, 1989<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Plot</b>: Gamera gets to sit out most of this movie. Come
to think of it, he usually does in most of his movies. What a racket! Instead,
most of the film is about Zigra, who is a spaceship/giant monster/alien that comes
to conquer Earth. He first attacks a moonbase, triplicating a moon-buggy and
capturing a women onboard who becomes his rather ineffectual minion on Earth. With
the help of Zigra, she captures two men and their annoying toddlers to helps
persuade the world of the powers of Zigra. The little pixies outsmart Zigra,
however, even as rapidly clothes-changing woman chases them endlessly around Sea
World and elsewhere; not the best look for a world-conqueror.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p>Oh, and then there Gamera. He loses an early battle to Zigra,
who transform from a ship into Kaiju form (because … yeah) to fight the giant
turtle. Thus, Gamera spends most of the movie sitting under the dock of the
bay, watching Zigra destroy away. In true deus ex machina form, Gamera finally
pops up again near the end of the film after being struck by lightning for
another big fight with Zigra and wins, destroying Zigra in the process. Then
everyone goes home and has a Coke, but in a safe ecological way.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPMyBPXztO62FQwKz5l9buWu81bfKF3YlDHqnJ4_D30EUCusU8J2AqPAdpqDgs6KfQjz2BmOSu4N2dcEclxMI1UKJXTZimKsxS4ojsLeU-m95LW6hpGs2y-zSF15s28VO7mZYjMSgvSAiPPU-QEi-oXOC3z6XmwWEsyZZYR9U90ElTtgwlxfjTyD6fwhk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1425" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPMyBPXztO62FQwKz5l9buWu81bfKF3YlDHqnJ4_D30EUCusU8J2AqPAdpqDgs6KfQjz2BmOSu4N2dcEclxMI1UKJXTZimKsxS4ojsLeU-m95LW6hpGs2y-zSF15s28VO7mZYjMSgvSAiPPU-QEi-oXOC3z6XmwWEsyZZYR9U90ElTtgwlxfjTyD6fwhk" width="168" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhklYRjimCFKJzops30e8XivDjSOT7JWpfCqKhXV5XKDXCQ1gxCtm8crquGcEh1B8GSOxvq3CMpu--T3E602vdfza9QCzvpQd9Se2QkOtLLrHLyeNBaoiLAHDA3TVqE1J0F64qz_CkUvfznUaJCp5RAGKkEe1ajsWsWxWgAGYPWT8178he90vjGnOmoP7A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img alt="" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhklYRjimCFKJzops30e8XivDjSOT7JWpfCqKhXV5XKDXCQ1gxCtm8crquGcEh1B8GSOxvq3CMpu--T3E602vdfza9QCzvpQd9Se2QkOtLLrHLyeNBaoiLAHDA3TVqE1J0F64qz_CkUvfznUaJCp5RAGKkEe1ajsWsWxWgAGYPWT8178he90vjGnOmoP7A" width="168" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Gamera Vs. Zigra</i> - The Movie Poster and the MST3K DVD artwork.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Thoughts: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Say what you will about the Gamera movies, and it’s obvious the series started as a second-rate Godzilla series, but at least the tone in the early films was adult in nature. Sure, we had the turtle-obsessed Kenny in the first movie, but he’s a secondary character namely there to get in the way, unlike the ten-year-old, short-pants sages that we remember from most of these movies. Yet, after the kid-free <i>Gamera vs. Barugon</i> (1966), the series rapidly became not so much geared towards children, but rather childish, with Boy Scouts running amok in <i>Gamera vs. Viras</i> and the boys from <i>Gamera vs. Guiron</i> lucking into saving the world. By 1971 and <i>Gamera vs. Zigra, </i>you can see the films have become mostly travelogues and the age-group for the movie’s protagonists has rolled back even further. The one child that would be Kenny’s age spends much of her screen-time mopping around; perhaps wondering how her film career has led to this no doubt; while two unsupervised four-year-olds outsmart everyone. It's no wonder that Bridget and Mike would eventually turn up in a sketch during the third season Comedy Central showing of the movie to parody the weird relationship Gamera appears to have with these brats (“Gamera is my boyfriend,” Bridget as the little girl flying on Gamera out in space is badly overdubbed in saying). The advancing focus on kids happily in danger really does come off as irritating and creepy.</div><div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnFtw16QgOOsuo_rz8XBwUbJrL4c2Io-2x4zGVz3uPkny3iEzvmrDkC22c1utmw8QwIWW2-bKoWVablC9PEZvnWwrMcdmUIHqBtUyMyITFVqOMPkqh9PdxAVcn4R8NAEgBLVTXXISuLPyGBybYkiBJumcwexUSy1iTWtAb7aEwp474wZpGxTdtDlmWss8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnFtw16QgOOsuo_rz8XBwUbJrL4c2Io-2x4zGVz3uPkny3iEzvmrDkC22c1utmw8QwIWW2-bKoWVablC9PEZvnWwrMcdmUIHqBtUyMyITFVqOMPkqh9PdxAVcn4R8NAEgBLVTXXISuLPyGBybYkiBJumcwexUSy1iTWtAb7aEwp474wZpGxTdtDlmWss8" width="180" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTpSyLEgx7JlHH6ctDY4bkfVWvtL55nPW1V6RoJ1ppFq40jcWqVJoU-ep-aotOIKRC1S2qiOQLTIMVKwSS4Hv0ncZMC2N7neUSj3BlQ0EZUWu7tYJWaj8ED4h_vBlsU40aAvPJG27VLNGwBW65CmwJNw7-hnycUvz7UuJbDN4hH60dohDy40xkHMxf0IU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTpSyLEgx7JlHH6ctDY4bkfVWvtL55nPW1V6RoJ1ppFq40jcWqVJoU-ep-aotOIKRC1S2qiOQLTIMVKwSS4Hv0ncZMC2N7neUSj3BlQ0EZUWu7tYJWaj8ED4h_vBlsU40aAvPJG27VLNGwBW65CmwJNw7-hnycUvz7UuJbDN4hH60dohDy40xkHMxf0IU" width="180" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Joel and the bots may have had their own thoughts on the guts of Gamera, but so did Japanese advertising for the movie, as seen above.<br /><br /></div><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Daiei, the studio that makes the very best, was staring
at bankruptcy by 1971 and Gamera as a series was at a dead-end (Gamera would
return in later films, first in a weird mish-mash of old clips and new
superhero escapades in <i>Gamera: Super Monster</i> (1980), and then a trio of
movies in the late 1990s, before another update in 2006). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Director Noriaki Yuasa, who had directed all
the previous Gamera movies did this one as well, and it is nice to see a new
Kaiju suit in the form of Zigra that is more effective than the one in the previous
film with Jiger. Still, it’s all a bit silly when the monsters do fight (xylophone
beating, anyone?) and then dangerously dull throughout the rest of the film.
But if you love Sea World, congrats! – you’ll get to see a lot of that in the
movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really, really a lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otherwise, the lack of characters, sets, and
effects (due to a lack of money) work against the film. There’s a good reason
in the KTMA showing of the film that Joel and the bots spend a lot of time
complaining about how boring the movie is, even just ten minutes into it, and you'll see every moment of that in the KTMA version.<br />
<br />
One does have to give them points for trying to discuss the ecology, which was
a big subject at the time in the 1970s, and a major focus of the same-year’s
Godzilla movie, <i>Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster </i>(also featured on MST3K …
and hidden out there in the ether). That movie had more threatening consequences
to the issues facing Mankind, with pollution causing the creation of Hedorah,
the Smog Monster, while the Gamera movie simply talks about the subject in a
very ham-fisted way, but at least the attempt is there (and fortunately, no
mention of traffic accidents). Credit also must go to the brief scene with the
restauranter and the Sea World employee arguing over who should receive a
shipment of fish, patrons of the restaurant or the fish and mammals, allowing
us to ask who should be giving food under dire circumstances (yes, it’s abandoned
as quickly as it is brought up, but at least you can momentarily see the writer
thinking beyond setting up monster duels in the script).</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxiCV_ZjSX7IBzQgA3wJkY37Gn7pSZ1Detpc_spcizT-GgaTFedUpuhSOYI7pnbnhJiCpFDEnG7qoUK4Irz-BnHHOkvYo2D2PgvS_IKD6KBjkdIWmvGTllmvm87Yn3xArmFbGrWJzmbtae0-Zzx3NGOGY4M69xloILu6ESkoYTZH3pQOh-e1C6g5HTXw0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="5716" data-original-width="5541" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxiCV_ZjSX7IBzQgA3wJkY37Gn7pSZ1Detpc_spcizT-GgaTFedUpuhSOYI7pnbnhJiCpFDEnG7qoUK4Irz-BnHHOkvYo2D2PgvS_IKD6KBjkdIWmvGTllmvm87Yn3xArmFbGrWJzmbtae0-Zzx3NGOGY4M69xloILu6ESkoYTZH3pQOh-e1C6g5HTXw0" width="233" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Theater ad from <i>The Honolulu Advertiser</i>, September 23, 1971.</div></div>
<br />
The film was released to theaters in Japan, and contrary to what is listed on
Wikipedia, the movie did see a brief release in Honolulu during 1971 (albeit as
part of the normal exchange of Japanese movies that played in many Hawaiian
theaters).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movie was shown as a double-feature
in both Japan and Hawaii with <i>The Three-Eyed Birdman</i> (also known as <i>Suzunosuke
Akado: The Birdman with Three Eyes</i>). That movie is not as weird as it
sounds, being one in a series of “traveling swordman” movies (and the seventh
in a series), with our hero facing colorful villains each film, and in this case
one who wears a headpiece made to look like a bird. Saying all this, with the
limited release in Hawaii, America at large really did not get a look at <i>Gamera
vs. Zigra</i> until 1987 when it first appeared on the USA Network (right
before an episode of <i>Night Flight</i>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<b>Favorite Riff: </b>(group of concerned men looking at a dead dolphin on a
table) “Meanwhile, over at the dolphin buffet ….”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOimanLL8U02-3WidkYB3Bu9ik7VNTl4_gcTSIFUKS2af45auxQBTBix30WpHB6ZwJsDEEGCUCaV1rN37BF5o7QOtZjnQ3Cd7HdV60NxYEfDTCyKgskKU269Tx2FVNfsiKkw6fsOYPtMWinNDMl0_NGLBx3pYXlre3wpw6inYghPyWM5fJVNSCsOYqCyI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="613" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOimanLL8U02-3WidkYB3Bu9ik7VNTl4_gcTSIFUKS2af45auxQBTBix30WpHB6ZwJsDEEGCUCaV1rN37BF5o7QOtZjnQ3Cd7HdV60NxYEfDTCyKgskKU269Tx2FVNfsiKkw6fsOYPtMWinNDMl0_NGLBx3pYXlre3wpw6inYghPyWM5fJVNSCsOYqCyI=w504-h344" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Crow is about to ask for an oil can in the early moments of KTMA Episode Seven.</div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Riffing: </b>Of course, the movie was re-riffed by MST3K in Season Three
of the CC version of the program (“I knowwwwww.”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a solid episode with some good riffs,
but I picked the KTMA version that is out there in places YOU can TUBE as my
Day One treat in the Advent Calendar for a couple of reasons.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First, it’s always good to start off the treats hidden
within a calendar with something interesting and a surprise, but not
necessarily the best thing to be found within. Save that for the end of the calendar
and instead build up to that point. More importantly, this episode is a great
way to see how the show was quickly evolving during its first year and it is
set during the holiday season, as it aired as part of the New Year’s
celebration on KTMA at Midnight January 1, 1989.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before this episode, which was the seventh episode shown on
KTMA, the show was still finding its legs when it came to the riffing and with
the characters seen in-between segments of the movie, especially that of Servo
and Crow. Trace Beaulieu as Crow and Josh Weinstein as Servo both came into the
series doing voices for their respective characters that were cute at first,
but hard on the throat and repetitive in their manner, making them difficult
for the improvisational riffing in the theater used at the time and a barrier
in timing for comedy during the sketches in-between. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The change in Servo was handled in the previous episode
featuring <i>Gamera Vs. Gaos</i>, with a sketch showing Joel finetuning Servo’s
voice into a new “Mighty Voice” during one of the segments. It was there that
Weinstein added “Tom” to the character’s name, sensing that “Tom Servo” was a good
name for a radio announcer, which he felt the new voice was similar. Crow, on
the other hand, took a wider curve in development thanks to Trace needing a break from the series.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Keep in mind for KTMA that the guys were getting paid the
equivalent of “gas money” for their efforts, besides things being much looser than in subsequent seasons, thus if there was another gig to take,
you took it and no one would bat an eye (such an attitude would change swiftly once the series moved to The Comedy Channel the following year). This explains Servo disappearing midway through episode eighteen, <i>The
Million Eyes of Sumuru</i>, to bake brownies for the Pinewood Derby, as
Weinstein had to leave early, while Joel is left out in space in his BVD for
the duration of episode seventeen (<i>Time of the Apes</i>) as Hodgson needed
to go to L.A. to film a part in a pilot with Louie Anderson. The same held true
for Trace, and as his needing to be gone coincided with the week before and
of Christmas, MST3K produced a storyline in episode five (<i>Gamera</i>)<i> </i>where
Crow is cryogenically frozen so he can be turned into a Christmas tree for the holiday season. When
Trace returns for <i>Gamera vs. Zigra</i>, Crow was then thawed out and with that emergence from the deep freeze, his
personality appears to have been altered, becoming more of the wisecracking
slightly clueless robot more commonly associated with the show. <br />
<br />
Elsewhere, this episode is also the first with Trace and Josh as Dr.
Forrester and Dr. Erhardt appearing within the program and interacting with
Joel and the bots, allowing us to get some insight into what is going on, although
it is never quite clear as to why seen in later seasons. As this fleshing out
of characters within the show occurs, the riffing also begins to tighten more from the original concept of a program featuring Joel and the bots occasionally commenting
on the movies in both serious and humorous fashion into much more to the continuous riffing off the movie. This will advance through the following
episodes, with episode 14 (<i>Mighty Jack</i>) establishing a full watch of each movie and the construction of gags ahead of time before filming the episodes to
make for a funnier program.<br />
<br />
<i>Gamera vs. Zigra</i> from the KTMA era shows the pieces starting to fall
into place. Add in the Christmas theme and the countdown into the new year (with
Crow’s resolution being to get his own apartment) and it may not be the best
Gamera movie done by the guys or even the best episode of the KTMA seasons, but
it is clear that Best Brains were on their way to greatness.<o:p></o:p></p></div>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5021262727707786556.post-39773746744619589582023-09-14T16:13:00.001-04:002023-09-14T16:13:06.880-04:00FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD Interview for FOUR SCORES AND SEVEN REELS AGO<p>The Podcast, FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD just did an interview with me about my book, FOUR SCORES AND SEVEN REELS AGO. Check it out here!<br /><br /><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forgotten-hollywood/id1554877313?i=1000627867320">Dale Sherman Interview FORGOTTEN HOLLYWOOD</a><br /></p>Dale Shermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03491829440466499203noreply@blogger.com0