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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Taking a page from the Academy, Here’s a couple of award winners.
Best scene of an overacting male actor in an MST3K role goes to…
“I killed that fat barkeep!” from The Beatniks
Best scene of an overacting female actor in an MST3K role goes to…
“No! Uh-uh! That can’t be Dirk! No! Uh-uh!” from The Sinister Urge
Honourable mention goes to the “I’m an icky elf!” guy from Girl in Gold Boots
Charles Pierce from Boggy Creek 2 did his fair bit of scenery chewing, imho. But I have to go with the Professor from Wild Wild World of BatWoman. He stole the show from a cast that was doing pretty well in the scenery-chewy department themselves.
…Don’t you mean “Teenage Strangler”, Sampo? Unless this is a “imagine an actor in another movie”!
Off the top of my head, Dr. Krupp from Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy and the Countess from The Corpse Vanishes. Possibly come up with more later.
I realize that this won’t probably count, but Tony Cardoza gives SUCH an Incredibly Limp performance in The Skydivers (“I’m gung ho on that idea”) that it becomes a kind of scenery-chewing performance in reverse. He sucks the life out of the scenery (such as it is; let’s face it, there ain’t much scenery in a Coleman Francis film–or rather, it’s all Gray Matter), which strikes me as a kind of achievement.
I’ve come up with a few more:
Cleolanta from Manhunt in Space and Crash of the Moons.
Loukhy from The Day the Earth Froze.
The Chairman from Overdrawn at the Memory Bank.
Yuri from Werewolf.
The saloon toadie in the Gunslinger was pretty over-the-top.
Michael Pataki as JC in Sidehackers stands alone as the single greatest Shatnering in MST history.
John Agar in The Mole People and Revenge of the Creature places and shows respectively.
How about Bob Evil in Time Chasers (even though
I like the movie and the effort the plucky young
cinemotographers made in making it).
Oh, and remember to never wear two different kinds of plaid.
Christy Mattling the extremely religious guy for “The Dead Talk Back”.
Kalgan from “Space Mutiny”, with that trying to be sinister laugh and great lines, delivered with basso profundo aplomb: “I’m being undermined by my own disciples!” and “You’re much more attractive with your mouth shut!” The actor was John Phillip Law, I believe, who also chewed up some scenery (and Eva, too- Marisa Mell, rroowwrr!) in “Diabolik”.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Heathcliff from Wild Wild World of Batwoman is my top choice. I think he should have been hit with something much harder than a newspaper at the end of the movie.
Second place goes to Teenage Crime Wave’s Mike, who seems to get more frenetic as the plot progresses.
And thanks to Mike & the Bots for pointing out the overacting extra in Hobgoblins; it’s always important to take note of the little people who make up a movie!
Everybody but the leads in Hellcats, Torgo in Manos (his sililoquy comes out of nowhere, and is one of the funniest scenes in the movie, for me), the girl with the brain of a cat in The Atomic Brain, Pitch and everyone else but Lupita in Santa Claus, the witch in The Day The Earth Froze, the Tom Petty looking stepsister in Jack Frost, and probably more that I’m not thinking of. If we were including shorts, Mr. B and Nuveena are both shoo-ins.
The first thing that came to my mind was both female “leads” in Girl in Gold Boots (I don’t know the actresses’ names):
“I’m here to be a DANCER!!!” (I’m gonna go into voicework, too!)
and
“I had a pretty MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNND!!!!”
Not to mention, the excruciating dancing is its own kind of scenery-chewing, right?
Pick any cast member but the old guy from Hobgoblins. Ugh, that movie eats holes in my brain.
I agree with Sampo on Kurt from Brain that Would’nt Die.
He should win this category hands down!
John Banner in “Crash of the Moons”. He was just as bad in “The Glen Miller Story”
How about Jim, the pseudo tough leader from Zombie Nightmare?
The evil warlord from Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell.
On the subject of Space Mutiny, doesn’t Punch Rockgroin qualify as a scene chewer (maybe not chewing but rather scene protein shake gulping?)
Liv from The Tormented chewed scenery (couldn’t swallow it because she had no body and all..)
@14 – Emily, I have to agree with the “I had a pretty MIIIIIIND!” sister from Girl in Gold Boots. She always immediately comes to mind when I think of scenery chewers.
The Mean Psychic from Merlin’s Shop always struck me as getting carried away when told to act “serious.”
Agreed: Yuri in Werewolf, Cleolanta, esp. in Crash of the moons – Man, that lady doesn’t think of anything but conquest! And Kalgan, abso-lutely.
The Crawling Hand, like C.H.U.D. also seems to be cursed with multiple over-chewers of scenes; the astronaut, Peter Breck (again) and Paul all have outbursts or screaming fits of repetition (“Push the red – Kill!”, “We lost another one!”, and “Get her OUT of here!”, respectively) are all imprinted on my poor brain.
And how come evil mad scientists are always upper-crust Englishmen, with American daughters that are 500 years younger than them? I’m thinking of Mad Monster but even without the daughters, the overacting really hits a new pitch when you the actor reach for THAT as your evil tone (note the hand-wringingly overly- devious voiceover in Dr. Z – Crow does a great Dr. Z!).
Toblerone, anyone? :-D
I’m also gonna go with the drunk sodee-pop guy from Giant Gila Monster and the Bowery Boy wanna be from The Unearthly.
Gotta agree that J.C. from Sidehackers was the first character to come to my mind. I especially like it when he blows up at his assistant for not knowing how much time it would take Rommel and Luke to fix his bike. I also think Yuri in Werewolf deserves some consideration. He beats the crap out of the Native American guy for no reason, then attacks the writer guy with the werewolf skull, then tries to hit on Natalie at the party – and does these things with three completely different hairdo’s. I don’t know if he ever slept nose to anus, but his performance was absolutely fascinating.
Best scene-eating performance by a male wearing women’s clothing in a MST3K movie –
Thom Christopher, as Troxartus (sp?) in Deathstalker
Best scene-eating performance by a female posing as a man in a MST3K feature –
Betty Luster as Mr. B Natural
I’ll have to go with chicken-faced Krankor in “Prince of Space,” as well as the title character, whose constant bleating of “Your weapons have no effect on me!” was usually followed by scenery-chewing leaping and pirouetting.
Oops! My head was thinking “Strangler” but my fingers typed “Caveman.” Brain fart.
Thor, from Teenagers from Outer Space.
Calgan and Diabolik (I can’t listen to Deep Down without hearing Reverse Raccoon man laugh at the beginning).
That Scientist guy from Robot vs The Aztec Mummy.
Krankor, of course.
The Headhunter Leader in Colossus vs the Headhunters.
Moly Mkembe, from Zombie Nightmare.
I gotta roll with the Pumaman, particularly when Donald is messing with his brain. I think M&TB actually call him out on it, too. :)
Whoever played Gloria Henderson in The Sinister Urge managed to be both hammy and wooden at the same time. It’s fascinating to watch her say in a bizarre monotone, “But I have known, Johnny, yes, I have known,” and then just a few minutes later go into her, “That’s not Johnny, nuh-uh!” routine.
Man, goofy, doofy, Mikey really is the king here, especially since the actor John Humphries actually admitted later that he didn’t know what he was doing and thought he needed to overact as much as did Jo Canterbury, who was playing Betty.
But no love for Bela Lugosi? He’s making a race of atomic supermen vich vill conquer the woooorld!
I wonder if overacting is even possible in a Coleman Francis movie. I wonder if any sort of acting is possible in a Coleman Francis movie. With all due disrespect to Tony Cardoza, he comes across exactly the same as everyone else does in those movies–flat, bored, maybe a little sad. It must have been some experience working with Francis, like spending the day in prison.
#27: CAN YOU HEAR HIM VADINHO CAN YOU HEAR HIM!!! WWWWWAAAAAGGGH!
1 word (or 2), hi-keeba!
Satoris from “The Final Sacrifice”.
“TROY! I KNOW YOU HAWVE THE MAHP!”
The Evil Queen from Outlaw: “Get out of here! You disgusting woooooooooooooooooorm!”
#28 I’M BACK ON THE CATNIP MAN, YOU GOTTA HELP ME
Sid “Monkey boy” Melton in both Lost Continent and Radar Secret Service.
I can’t believe these haven’t been mentioned!
Hercules Unchained. When Steve Reeves proclaims, “Or I’ll believe, I, Hercules, AM ABANDONED BY THE GODS!” (echo echo echo)
And of course, “I’m a GRIMWALD WARRIOR!”
The goofy sinister villan from Final Sacrifice who crosses his eyes and practically looks up his own nose, falling to his knees with that stick in his hand, like he’s going into a trance.
And who can for get The Girl in the Gold Boots. “OH to only have that pretty mind, again!”
Gamera vs. Baragon, Katagiri (or however it’s spelled.) “HEY HARAKA, WE FOUND THE OPAL, EH!!!!!!”
The especially hilarious thing about the Pumaman performance is that it’s so bad, there are moments when the SOL boys can’t riff it; all they can do is giggle uncontrollably.
I forgot to add another gem: John Phillip Law in Space Mutiny and his incessant cackling. That guy probably breaks into an evil chuckle if he cuts himself shaving. The fellow who plays McPherson isn’t too bad either, with his teeth-gritted pissed-off-at-the-world attitude in every scene.
What about Jim Backus in ANGEL’S REVENGE….I do believe that was a black mark on his career.
Many good suggestions, but none can hold a candle to the evil witch lady in “Troll 2” (I know it’s a Rifftrax, not an MST3K). Not only does she have the most over-the-top performance that I’ve ever seen, she also turns people into plants (a type of scenery) and eats (literally chews) them.
From The Unearthly, classic moment of ‘Shatnering’ in the doctor’s office by the guy who was having (apparently) another episode. Table slap, head lolling, big eye roll with mouth agape. Arthur Batanides. RIP.
The guy from ‘Gamera Vs Barugon’ who, after finding the giant ruby egg, laughs and screams like an idiot. Fortunately, hes killed a few seconds later by a scorpion sting.
Everyone was pretty goofy in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians but the guy who played Droppo really went the extra mile.
One from the Joel years, one from the Mike years:
Angelika Jager/Valaria in “Robot Holocaust”–the “yew and yer dauddah are doooomed” line got quite a few callbacks. Her performance overall was so goofy that she’s a standout.
I just finished watching “Agent for HARM,” and Crow (I think) specifically refers to Steffanik’s over-the-top death scene as “scenery chewing,” so I guess that’s worth a mention. Especially since everyone else is so understated in that one. Oh, there are so many others.
Zombie Nightmare has it’s share. You’ve got the fluffy-haired teenage rebel who runs over Jon-Mikel Thor “Nah man, I mean I LIKED IT.” and spits food as his mom. We also have the zombie priestess who just goes overboard during her ceremony. Nobody’s THAT voodoo! Adam West has the subtle, in it for the money thing on the outside, but I know he’s really chewing up the scenery on the inside. And of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my personal favorite, the medical examiner who does his best Walter Matthau impersonation during his scenes. Awesome!
Oh, and I can’t forget Jim Stafford in Riding With Death, and more than likely every other thing he’s ever done…
Although overshadowed by Droppo, Al Nesor’s twitchariffic face chomped mounds of scenery as Stobo in Santa Claus Vs. The Martians.
Ned Glass gave a hamtastic out of place performance in The Rebel Set as Sydney Horner.
However, I’m with Servotron3000. Paul “hikeeba” Gilbert left loads of gnawed, tattered half digested bits of scenery all over the place as Lt. Red Bradly in Women of the Prehistoric Planet. I found him the most annoying.
Billy Barty in The Undead.
Dropo
Pitch
#36 That movie was the first one Jim Backus did after he died.
Actually, Dino Fantini does a pretty good job of munching on some plywood sets himself in “The Sinister Urge.” “ONLY I DON’T DIG THE ANGEL BIT!!” Sure, Jean Fontaine gets the attention for her razor-sharp “broad” voice and her “Dirk! Nuh-uh!” bit, but compared to the insane serial killer of Dirk, she’s almost as wooden as Carl Anthony.
The fundy guy from The Dead Talk Back.
Oh, okay. I’m just going to assume they’ve all been picked, then.
Antonio Sabato in Escape 2000, chewed the scenery until it was pulp, but ended up being the only redeeming thing in the entire movie. Gotta love him.
He’s one person I would love to have about 25 beers with. Just laugh and laugh until your face falls off – awesome.