In discussing this week’s episode, The Beatniks, many have referenced Peter Breck’s exciting portrayal of Moon. In stark contrast to the dull, lifeless work of much of the rest of the cast, Breck virtually explodes in fits of acute over-acting (sometimes referred to as Shatnering). As MST3k fans, we have all been exposed to some truly classic moments of extreme scene-chewing. My personal favorite example would be the death of Kurt, the gnarly-handed assistant from the Brain that Wouldn’t Die. You?
Well, I have to go with John “Mikey” Humphries in “Teenage Strangler.”
Your pick?
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Einstein’s death in 501 – “Warrior of the Lost World”
How about the villain’s 5 minute long death scene in Macheesesteak’s headhunter movie? Where, in the best 5th grade sword fight fashion he clasps the weapon to his armpit and proceeds to stagger and crawl and declaim and act for as long as possible before expiring at the feet of the mummified royalty. That said, Mikey does win chewer of all time.
Guys, Brian Blessed never chewed the scenery – he always ate it whole.
But we must ask the question: What’s more painful, someone doing a “Shatner” or someone doing it badly?
The evil queen from Outlaw of Bore: “YOU DIS-GUSTING WRRRRRRRRRRRRRRM!”
Dropo in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Why do I have the feeling no one was directing him when he put on Santa’s costume (excuse me, custume).
“I’m a Grimald Warrior!!”
And, of course, we put our faith in Blast Hardcheese.
Gah, just beaten on the evil queen from Outlaw!
The Toad Watney from that film also ate everything not nailed down.
Russell Johnson from The Space Children was one from an episode that rarely gets mentioned.
Michael Pataki from It Lives By Night would be a good candidate if that performance didn’t get blown away by his performance as J.C. in Sidehackers.
How about Mister Texas in Rocketship X-M?
Tiny and Ragdoll chewed more than scenery in Ring of Terror, at least the scenery left by Mr. Dobson, our crypt-keeping, cat-stomping cemetery-chewing host.
Crazy guy in The Unearthly was a good one.
Pretty decent portrayal of somebody with serious mental problems, too. Starts kinda upset, builds, blows up, rages, starts to realize whats going on but still needs assistance to calm down.
And man, how can we forget Beery Guy, of the “I KNOOOOOOOW!!” in Devil Fish?
Gaybar from Time of the Apes was a little out there as well.
And Eddie Cochran from Untamed Youth had trouble sitting still. You WERE going to notice him, dammit!
Ok so this might be a stretch, but what about the voice over in “The Beast of Yucca Flats” with the speech at the end (Flag on the moon, and what not). Can a voice over “Shatner”?
Oh wait, a great example:
The guy telling the “joke” in Sidehackers.
Number 9.
Trickymutha – sorry, I totally missed that you called out Michael Pataki so early on. I still have to check him out in Grave of the Vampire. It’s in my Netflix instant watch que, and if he’s half the ham he is in Sidehackers, I think I’m in for a good time!
Satan in Santa Claus.
The “I’M CAAAAAHMIIIIIIIING” guy from “Quest of the Delta Knights.”
Bob Evil in Time Chasers (“It didn’t have to involve YOU”) and to a lesser extent the skydiving grandma/grocery store stalker from the same movie (“You SAY you will come over, but you never do.”)
But yeah, Yuri from Werewolf is the real choice here.
Oh, another really good one we missed… the scarred woman in “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.” “Listen, GALAHAD… I once loved a man… ALL the way!!!”
All of the picks so far are great, but I haven’t seen any votes for John the Baptist from Bloodlust. He chewed up the scenery on a whole bloody island!
@109- No problem. BTW- I am going to watch all 3 Pataki MST movies next weekend.
Thomas K Dye @113: Dangit! You just beat me to it. I’ve always considered her scenery chewing to be right up there at the same level as Kurt’s (notwithstanding his jaw-dropping death scene…Holy Cow, what a glorious thing to behold!). But then, TBTWD seems to have “built-in” opportunities for each character to take their turn at gnawing the furniture. Even “the thing in the closet” gets his chance, although unlike the others, he doesn’t get to emphasize the moment with a horribly pretentious speech.
Likewise, “Deathstalker” seems to be structured the same way. Practically EVERY actor and actress in the film gets their own imdividual moment to make a total ass of themselves…as well as a total mockery of their profession.
Gawd, how I love it!!!
The easy ones are from the embarassing kids movies/comedies (attempts, anyway) that really shouldn’t count: Droppo, Pitch, Daphne from Hobgoblins, Heathcliff from Batwoman.
Chief from “Women of the Prehistoric Planet” (Angel, or Stuart Margolin if you will) had a good turn in his freakout and a wonderfully poetic death scene being eaten by a 12-inch spider. The kid doing his ‘best James Dean’ in Crawling Hand was pretty painful to endure. Breck was kind of amazing in over-using his craft (acting) to create a loathsome character. Also the entire performance of the Fey Dad from Catalina Caper; but again, a comedy… so many good options.
Whoa! Just read the whole list and not ONE vote for John Reynolds in Manos!
No love for the Hunchback Fairy (aka Baba Yaga) from Jack Frost?
Yeah, Steve (118), I thought of Torgo but I’m not sure you can be catatonic and chew scenery at the same time!
Gooch/cooch wasn’t a hammy scene cheer, until… Jaaaaaaayyy-ccccccccc! jaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyy ccccccccccc!
Then JC did kill the John Lenon lookalike. The people rejoiced, and it was good.
Most all of the actors from “Giant Spider Invasion”. Alan Hale Jr. and the Former Della Street take the cake though… Vaaannnce !!!!!!!
I see only one mention of the film film “Quest of the Delta Knights,” but OBSCENELY there is no mention of the SUPREMELY ANNOYING wizard guy (the one who spills fizzy crap on David Warner as Bad Guy). Wow, but is that guy acting in a completely different movie or what?
Come to think of it, nearly every extra in “Quest” appears to be outfitted for a different movie (pirates, vikings, but surprisingly I can’t remember any stereotypically mailed late-medieval period knights).
Now that I’m thinking about this some more what about practically everyone but Tommy Kirk in either Catalina Caper and Village of the Giants. Or is Tommy so dead onscreen that it just makes his costars look like scenery chewing hams? Hmmmm… “Well Tommy if you’re not going to have any of this delicious screentime, mind if I have your helping?” Heck even the giant ducks out acted him! The Kirk Factor seems to be sending the data askew.
“Nobody’s THAT voodoo!”
Thanks, Cabbage Patch Elvis – that’s a fantastic phrase. Now to work it into casual conversation around here.
Schippers, I have to agree about Delta Knights– IIRC actor Richard Kind is the cornball court magician. Still, that doesn’t match up the level of mugging and leering that other sword-n-sorcery movies brought us. Viking Women had those Grimalt warriors, esp. the Prince and his dad, in contrast to the Viking men, who didn’t seem to act at all. And the prancing mustachio (“John Saxon-type guy”) from Cave Dwellers seems determined to steal every scene, even when he’s the only one talking. the Villains from Outlaw of Gor as well, although it’s hard to tell when all the performances are so half-hearted.
Cameron Mitchell was a classic Scenery-Chewer in B-movie fare, but in his MST appearances (Stranded, Space Mutiny) he plays pretty bland characters. too bad.
My favorite MST actor turned popular director Shawn Levy. Love him in Zombie Nightmare. Just so over the top.
Oh, and Bela in Bride of the Monster. Watched it again recently and he really goes for it.
Glenn Langan, “The Amazing Colossal Man” — nobody, but nobody, can laugh maniacally in a diaper like that man!
What?! No love for the Palance Man?
I thought Jack was great in Outlaw (of Gor). He quietly milks every scene he’s in, then lashes out with “You’re ACTING like a B**CH in HEAT and NOT like a QUEEN!!!” near the end. I wonder how anyone kept a straight face shooting that flick.
I also thought that “Emo Phillips in a dress” Indian Guide in Catching Trouble really chewed the scenery……………………..just kidding.
Before this thread falls into obscurity, I thought I’d put in a word for the Zigra chick from Gamera vs. Zigra.
Just wanted to comment I have enjoyed everyone’ choices, comments and observations. Especially agree with Michael Pataki as J.C. in “Sidehackers”, and the psycho guy in “Zombie Nightmare” (“You will have it, and you will love it!”).
Also wanted to nominate Peter Lawford, who did not chew the scenery in “Angels’ Revenge”, but did drink a whole lot of it. Talk about being in it for the money…!
Grrr, 2 hours late too name Palance for Outlaw. His line delivery, Thank you….your….Royal…Highness, just amazing. Clearly he knew he had nothing to work with, or maybe even for, not sure what the budget could have been there. Molly Mkembe in Zombie Nightmare might truly set the standard though, combine over acting with an indecipherable accent, and that’s something special.
#1 Red Green as Mike Pipper in Final Sacrifice.
#2 Tor Johnson as the beast in Beast of Yucca Flats.
#3 The wife in Manos Hands of Fate.
#4 The main character in The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.
#5 Smolken the grave digger in The Undead.
There the best top 5 ever. Ever. 8-)
And we all even myself have failed because no one mentioned The great Verrelli in “Devil Doll” Ham, I love it! Hugo….put…the knife…down.
Bela, if only for his “race of people” monologue in “Bride of the Monster.” Honestly, I think you could nominate just about everybody from “Jack Frost” (my favorite episode) except Nastinka. EVERYONE in that movie except her acts nuttier than all get-out at SOME point (Father Mushroom, Ivan with the bear head, the beggar, the bandits, evil step-mom, hunchback fairy, Tom Petty, the dog, Jack Frost, dad, the pig sleigh, etc.) I’m laughing just thinking about them all.
He’s only in one or two scenes, but I love the old grocer in Brute Man and the inexplicable rage he constantly expresses at his teenage employee. One of my favorite MST moments is when Mike loses it during that scene and almost falls out of his chair laughing.
“Creeper, Creeper, Creeper! You give me the creeps!”
Yeah, see… I have to go with the overly sleazy MC of Club Scum in ‘Hobgoblins’ for milking his brief time on camera. Honorable mention goes to the bouncer “Road Rash” for doing the same but without speaking. :)
I have only one (loud) word for you all…STAY!!!
Ray Dennis Steckler from INCREDIBLY STRANGE…
The janitor from Teenage Strangler when he is shot to death. WHERE THE HELL DID HE PUT THE LYSOL!!!!!
I don’t think anybody said BURGESS MEREDITH in the KTMA entry THE LAST CHASE, which is quite good (for a KTMA ep).
I love Burgess, but, c’mon, he chews everything in sight when allowed to..
:eat:
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