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Weekend Discussion Thread: “Personal Riffs”Emailer “Dyne” offered this great idea for a thread, and I’m going with it:
I occasionally manage the latter. One I can remember was in “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” The character in the movie said “Crush him!” and, sitting on the couch, I said “You were adopted!” just as Servo (I think) did. 63 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: “Personal Riffs””Commenting at Satellite News
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This happened to me just once, and my dad was in the room to confirm it- during the first airing of “Giant Spider Invasion” I said ‘Charles Manson: Jeweler’ about a minute before Mike did.
Teenagers from Space:
When anyone sees Thor and calls him by name:
“Thor?”
“Ow! Yeth, very thor.”
Actor Omar Sherif being an avid (and accomplished) bridge player has a small part in “The 13th Warrior”. I can’t help but adding a card suit after the bones are rolled and the warriors are being introduced in sequential order.
Also, going from “Dr. Zhivago” through “Top Scret” to “13th Warrior” to “10,000 BC” can mean he’s losing money at cards.
MST3k reference “invasion USA” where I nailed the riff was at the end “it was just a dream, a terrible dream.” “Dallas” reference.
Not an MST3K film, but in one of the Universal Frankenstein movies, the monster lumbers up behind one of the villagers and puts his hand on the poor schlub’s shoulder. The guy sees this hand and looks terrified. I couldn’t help myself and said in a grunting voice “Uhnnnnnn…Time for prostate check!”
I got some good laughs during “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” when during the flashback where Voldemort kills Harry’s mom, there is a cut to baby Harry. The action goes slow mo for a moment and baby Harry tilts his head slighty and raises his eyes and I said in a deep voice, “Bring it on.”
In second place, I took the obvious but funny road of saying in my best Gerard Butler, during a dramatic entrance in “Phantom of the Opera” – “This is OPERA!!!!!”
I remember during “The Wild World of Batwoman” there’s the scene with the guy leading the demented guy out of the cave on a leash. They’re walking to a sort of cadence and I started singing The Searchers’ “500 Miles” about 2 seconds before Crow did. I was in total WTF? mode after that.
I’ve gotten a few good ones in.
Gremlins: It was shown at my college one evening and during the scene where Mrs. Deagle is carrying the Santa head I remarked “Oh my God, they killed Santa! You bastards!”
Dreamcatcher: Remember the dumb thing the retarded kid does with his arms? Well, at one point the kid’s mother does it and I was moved to say “Uh lady, that doesn’t look cool unless you’re retarded. Sorry.”
The Happening: There is a long close-up of Mark Wahlberg’s character when he’s quietly rambling to himself before he and other survivors split up to run in terror from the wind. I spoke over him, “Note to self: Learn how to look worried and anxious without conorting my face into a mess.”
Battlefield Earth: The female Psychlo shows off her impossibly long CG tongue. I began singing “I… wanna rock and roll all niiight…”
Transformers (2007): The Autobot honcho introuces himself, “I am Optimus Prime.” In character as him, I added, “And my voice alone acts circles around the rest of the cast.”
In ‘Touch of Satan’ Servo sings: “what do you get when you fall from grace? You’ll only get cast into perdition.”
Everytime I hear that I think “and then you get cast in this movie.”
My first experience of riffing (not my own) was in an old Paramount Theater while watching “2001 A Space Odyessy” (yes back in 1969). During the scene where the apes are huddled together at night, someone yelled out “hey, they’re watching TV!”. Maybe that gave someone the idea for the opening of the movie “The Groove Tube”?
I’ve spent many years compiling a list of favorite MST3K riffs. Occasionally I’d throw in a riff I came up with, often surprised that the Brains didn’t do it themselves. I’m soooo glad Dyne suggested this discussion — now I can share them! Almost half of them are in Stingray episode “The Big Gun”, which was part of the MST3K episode Invaders from the Deep, which I, like 99% of MSTies, have never actually seen. But some riffs leaped out when I watched the original show, so for all I know, Joel and the Bots did do some of them.
[0001] Invaders from the Deep(aka Stingray: “The Big Gun” & other episodes)
[The flat-top, green-headed Maritimus continues to report his every movement to base as he arrives.]
MARITIMUS: Maritumus to Solister Control. Disembarking.
JEFF [as Maritimus]: Maritimus to Solister Control. Putting right foot down. Maritimus to Solister Control. Now putting left foot down.
MIGHTY LEADER: Attention, all Solister! I, your Mighty Leader, summon Korda, my advisor.
[Korda stands up and moves toward a door.]
MIGHTY LEADER: Korda, report to your Mighty Leader at once!
JEFF [as Korda]: Yeah, Boss, I heard you the first time.
[Aide Korda, dressed in a violet satin pajama-like uniform, traipses through the door along a sandy path.]
JEFF [as Korda]: I’m off to see the Wizard! The wonderful Wizard of Solister!
>>>>“We’re Off to See the Wizard” reference from The Wizard of Oz[The flat-top, teal-headed, bass-voiced Mighty Leader, wearing a lovely gold lamé gown, gives Maritimus a medal.]
MIGHTY LEADER: For your bravery and devotion to duty…
JEFF [as Mighty Leader]: … you can wear my dress.
CMDR. STONE: That’s the third island to be obliterated in a week!
ATLANTA: We’ve got trouble.
CMDR. STONE: We’ve got trouble, alright.
JEFF [as Stone/Hill]: Right here in River City.
>>>>“Ya Got Trouble” reference, from The Music ManCMDR. STONE: The WASPs’ll have to investigate.
ATLANTA: Stingray’s in the area. Would you have Troy Tempest check it out?
JEFF [as Stone]: Yeah, seeing as how he and his sidekick are our only employees.
[Maritimus, now in a crab-tank vehicle, moves in to attack Marineville, WASP’s headquarters.]
MARITIMUS: Missile now set for full power. Contact for launch in 20 seconds.
[Stingray fires all its missiles at the starfish-shaped undersea city, which appears to be made of raspberries. The city explodes.]
JEFF: Ooh! Raspberry jam everywhere!
CMDR. STONE: Marineville’s early warning system needs improving. Stingray must be prepared to go even deeper than the deepest ocean!
JEFF [as Stone]: Wider than the sky.
>>>>Petula Clark’s “My Love” reference[0011] Humanoid Woman[The captain of the Astra is making an announcement.]
CAPTAIN: The force of gravity having terminated, you may now leave your seats.
CROW: Leave your seats! Sounds painful.
NIYA: [off-camera] Hello.
[The captain and navigator turn to see Niya on the bridge.]
NIYA: My name is Niya.
JEFF [as Niya/Vega]: I live on the second floor.
>>>>Suzanne Vega’s “Luka” reference[0203] Jungle GoddessGRETA: You know, Mike… I think you’re absolutely right. He’s undoubtedly become unbalanced by all that’s happened.
SERVO: Yeah, he’s not as thinking as clearly as when he shot that guy!
GRETA: [unintelligible] We’ll have to watch him very closely.
MIKE: Relax, Goddess. Re-lax.
JEFF [as Mike]: Don’t do it.
>>>>Freddie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” reference[0318] Star Force: Fugitive Alien II[Capt. Joe enters the bridge, where Tammy monitors the team’s progress.]
JOEL [as Tammy]: I took the liberty of changing your jumpsuit, sir.
TAMMY: Captain!
CAPTAIN JOE: Are they in radar range?
JEFF [as Tammy]: Amana Radarange, sir!
>>>>Reference to early brand name for Amana microwave ovens[After Col. Yerulan mows down his fellow Ceysarians, he meets up with the Bacchus 3 crew in the inexplicably empty desert.]
JOEL: Hey, where’ve all the dead guys gone?
JEFF: They’ve gone to graveyards every one.
>>>>Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” reference[0601] Girls TownMOTHER VERONICA: The doctor’s at the infirmary now. I’ll see if Serafina can have visitors.
CROW [as M. Veronica]: Perhaps your visit will push her over the edge.
MOTHER VERONICA: Wait for me here, Silver.
JEFF [as M. Veronica]: Keep Tonto company.
>>>>The Lone Ranger reference[0606] The Creeping TerrorNARRATOR: He was to maintain tight security, and to await the arrival of a Dr. Bradford, who had been on assignment at the Jodrell Bank Radio Observatory in England. Upon arrival, Bradford was to take complete charge of the operation.
JEFF [as Narrator]: British astronomers had declared martial law in Angel County.
[0622] Angels Revenge[In the opening credits: A GREYDON CLARK FILM.]
CROW: Oh, the Great Grey-don Clark! Heh-heh!
SERVO: Is he related to True Don Bleu?
JEFF: Or Joe Don Baker? Or Rae Dawn Chong?
[0802] The Leech Woman[Back in the States, a much-younger June Talbot introduces herself to the gawking Neil Foster.]
JUNE: Mrs. Talbot described you in detail. I’m her niece, Terri Hart.
JEFF [as June]: I’m from Indiana.
>>>>Pun on the city Terre Haute, Indiana, famous home of book and music clubs[0803] The Mole PeopleHIGH PRIEST: This is the world, and we are its people.
JEFF: This is the world where the people all stay.
>>>>Reference to Harry Nilsson’s “Everything’s Got ‘Em”, from The Point![0820] Space Mutiny[Mike Down leans into the camera to talk to Pearl.]
MIKE DOWN: Should I set up my overhead projector now?
PEARL: You pipe down!
JEFF [as Down]: No, I’m Mike Down.
>>>>Surely the Brains thought of that line, but then dropped it because it broke the Abbot-and-Costello flow.[0902] The Phantom PlanetNARRATOR: Is it not possible that atmospheric conditions of relative environments control their shapes and forms? If so, would they be giants, or…
MIKE: … punks.
NARRATOR: … could perhaps the opposite be true?
JEFF [as Narrator]: Well, they might be giants.
>>>>They Might Be Giants reference, of course; the Brains probably considered it and ditched it because of the timing[0910] The Final Sacrifice[Grizzled Mike Pipper waves a shotgun at trespassers Troy McGreggor and Zap Rowsdower.]
PIPPER: Get ’em up! Get ’em up!
JEFF: Get ’em up in the morning, now!
>>>>Chase’s “Get It On” reference