Books by Sampo!

 

 

Support Us

Satellite News is not financially supported by Best Brains or any other entity. It is a labor of love, paid for out of our own pockets. If you value this site, we would be delighted if you showed it by making an occasional donation of any amount. Thanks.

Sampo & Erhardt

Sci-Fi Archives


Visit our archives of the MST3K pages previously hosted by the Sci-Fi Channel's SCIFI.COM.

Social Media


Episode guide: 611- Last of the Wild Horses

Movie: (1948) A cowboy finds himself in the middle of a range war between a powerful rancher and his neighbors.

First shown: 10/15/94
Opening: Mike programs Crow and Tom with regional speech patterns
Intro: Dr. F.. sends a matter transference device to the SOL during an ion storm. It’s “Mirror, Mirror” time!
Host segment 1: The Mirror-Mads sing “Joey the Lemur.” In our universe, Crow and Mike struggle with Mirror-Servo
Host segment 2: Mike and Crow plot strategy, while Mirror-Gypsy and Mirror-Servo do likewise
Host segment 3: Mike and Crow consult The Alternate Universe Manual. In the mirror universe, Mirror-Crow attacks Mirror-Mike while Tom and Gypsy plot strategy
End: M&tB figure out what happened, the Mirror-Mads stop by while a letter is read, the Mads are enjoying their new agony booth
Stinger: Wheelchair Dad laughs
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (197 votes, average: 4.32 out of 5)

Loading...

• Of course, this is one of those episodes where the host segments WAY overpower the movie segments. Internet MSTies went completely insane for about three days after this episode, which parodies the well-remembered “Mirror, Mirror” episode of the original “Star Trek.” It always amazes me when the host segments completely take over (the “Dark Timmy” segments and the “Joel escapes” segments are other good examples). The segments amount to, maybe, 15 minutes of a two-hour time slot. The Brains have to write lean and tight. It’s a tough assignment, but when they pull it off, as I think they did here, it’s an amazing thing to watch. For what it’s worth, the riffing is actually pretty good, but nobody really noticed.
• This episode is included in Shout’s “Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Vol XXIII.”
• The whole “Mirror, Mirror” thing overwhelmed the opening segment, which coincidentally dovetailed with a whole conversation we’d coincidentally been having about “coke/pop/soda” and other regional speech patterns on the RATM newsgroup. But some people did notice and were amused.
• The mirror Mads’ delight in “the eight of Chris Lemmon,” a reference to an invention exchange in episode 517- THE BEGINNING OF THE END. I may have asked this before, but I’ve always wondered happened to cause Chris Lemmon’s career to tank. He just fell off the radar.
• The mirror Mads enter the theater from the left and sit in seats on the left (or sinister) side of the theater.
• The riffing by Dr. F. and Frank was a marvelous change of pace, and I guess you could think of it as a bit of a preview of Cinematic Titanic and, now, The Mads.
• As I have noted more than once, Mary Beth Hughes was hot-hot-HOT!
• And while we’re on the subject, both the female leads in this movie kept reminding me of Jessie the cowgirl from the “Toy Story” movies.
• Of course, the mirror Mads’ fun friend Joey the lemur harkens back to a wacky segment in episode 210- KING DINOSAUR. It’s clearly a good-natured dig at Joel.
• Mirror Tom is in full Shatner mode as he enters the theater, until he looks up and says, “Oh, hey a cowboy movie!” Then he’s back to normal.
• Non-spaghetti ball bumpers: beaker, date book, bulletin board.
• Crow’s line, “He’s Black Crowes lead singer thin,” surprised me. Maybe they didn’t think people would know who Chris Robinson is?
• Nice to see Gypsy all dolled up as mirror Gypsy.
• Callbacks: Old Timer Billy Slater (Junior Rodeo Daredevils); “Shut up, Iris.” (The Beatniks), “the Milling About Festival” (Black Scorpion), “Again?” (Fugitive Alien).
• We get an early “I thought you were Dale,” which would be a running gag in season eight.
• Cast and crew roundup: I won’t do the Lippert litany again. Special effects guy Ray Mercer also worked on “Lost Continent,” “Radar Secret Service,” “I Accuse My Parents,” “The Sinister Urge” and “The Beast of Yucca Flats.” Costume designer Alfred Berke also worked on “Lost Continent.” I’m not going to do the whole Albert Glasser litany again, either. In front of the camera, Mary Beth Hughes was also the star of “I Accuse My Parents.”
• CreditsWatch: Host segments directed by Kevin Murphy. Andrea DuCane is back for a three-episode stint doing hair and makeup.
• Fave riff: “I’m so sick of gingham I could scream!” Honorable mention: “It’s a plot device. It’s very flimsy, so be careful.”

110 Replies to “Episode guide: 611- Last of the Wild Horses”

Commenting at Satellite News

We are determined to encourage thoughtful discussion, so please be respectful to others. We also provide an "Ignore" button () to help our users cope with "trolls" and other commenters whom they find annoying. Go to our Commenting Guidelines page for more details, including how to report offensive and spam commenting.

  1. I'm not a medium, I'm a petite says:

    Klisch ( #50 ) and others: http://www.DAPCentral.org.

    If you’ve got broadband and 700 Meg of hard drive space, you can have this is 24 hours.

    It’s a little techie to start with, but once you’ve got the hang of it, your set.

    And the Brains don’t seem to mind ( or so I’m told ).

       2 likes

  2. Bob says:

    “…Crow’s line, “He’s Black Crowes lead singer thin,” is another example of when they sometimes just don’t bother to look stuff up. His name is Chris Robinson, FYI.”

    Or perhaps the writers thought people would get the joke better by phrasing it this way rather than mentioning a name that may not have been that well known amongst the MST3K fans. Most people watching the show would have heard of the band, but a lot fewer would have known the name of the lead singer.
    ————————–
    “…a lame Gilbert Godfrey impersonation.”
    It’s Gilbert Gottfried.

       4 likes

  3. DrChadFeelgood says:

    Ok – “lame Gilbert GOTTFRIED impersonation.”

    Incorrectly spelled name aside – it was still lame.

       0 likes

  4. Klisch says:

    Thanks Petite, now I don’t have to invite/beg people to bring a copy over to my place for a movie night.

       1 likes

  5. Nick says:

    Yup, as Sampo said, the host segments dominate the episode. As a New Englander, I have a soft spot for the regional dialogue one; Crow saying the word “bubbler” warms my heart.

    Favorite line: “Foot fetishists of the OOOOOOOLD west!”

       1 likes

  6. Earl B says:

    I’m with Bob (#52). I wouldn’t have gotten the joke if they’d used the guy’s name (like a lot of people wouldn’t know Jack Dodson, but if you call him ‘the guy who played Howard Sprague’ everybody’s on the same page.)

       2 likes

  7. crowschmo says:

    I love this episode. Mostly for the host segments, of course. Some good riffs, but the movie is dullsville.

    I thought it was a stupid line in the movie about letting the wild horses be for about a “year”. They’re horses, not rabbits. Don’t think a year would have done it.

    And another movie where the foley guy has gone overboard. Do horses generally “clop” on grass?

    Love the Mirror Mads in the theater.

    Frank: “Aren’t you gonna carry me into the theater?”
    Dr. F: “You’re getting too big for that.”

    When the “hero” is introduced – Dr. F.: “I don’t even know who I am yet.”

    Frank: “I hope it’s not The Three Amigos, ’cause I’d like a comedy.”

    Dr. F: (When “Duke” points a gun at the bad guys) “Oh, yeah, their three guns are probably useless against his one.”

    Frank: “Apparently sarcasm hasn’t hit the Old West yet.”

    (Frank said alot of Joel-like lines).

    Dr. F: “You’re not gonna be in this movie, are you?”

    “Oooh, it’s easy goin’ justice around these here parts.”

    (Another callback: Shut up, Iris).

    Then when we switch back to M&TBs:

    Crow: “Remedy – soon to be known as – Malpractice.”

    “And now Robert Lippert pretends he’s John Ford.”

    “Get the Doomsday Machine.” (!!!!) (Hey!) :mrgreen:

    Servo: “Philandering bastards of the Old West.”

    (When the newspapers show) Mike: “Word ‘exonerated’ is invented.”

    Servo: “Remedy, you’re a national friggin’ treasure.”

    Mike: “Ungodly coincidences of the Old West.”

    Pretty dern good ep.

       3 likes

  8. Sitting Duck says:

    I seem to recall that there were a few callbacks to I Accuse My Parents due to the presence of Mary Beth Hughes.

       1 likes

  9. Zee says:

    I agree on #35: WHERE ARE THE MST3K ACTION FIGURES!?

    Everyone’s pretty much covered how great this episode is. I love all the little details: The scar on Crow’s beak, the Mad’s S.O.L. having the triangle theme, and Frank not being ready yet at the beginning of the episode (brushing his teeth and the like). I like Servo being distracted & amused by the Deep 13 Magic Voice sounding like Torgo and “Good” Frank saying “Aren’t you going to carry me into the theater?” to Dr. F. And Mike saying he took a course on alternate realities in college and Crow incredulously saying “You went to college!?” and Mike answering “Well, it was a Vo-Tech…” I love how much backstory they gave to the “Mike Nelson” character.

    One complaint: Evil Mike carrying Evil Crow to the agony booth, it always bothers me you can tell the exact moment the puppet leaves Trace’s hands and that Evil Crow has no legs. I know, I know it’s just a show and I should really just relax, just as a fan of puppetry (and Trace was/is one of the most proficient puppeteers in the world) I wish they spent a little more time on this…

       4 likes

  10. The Bolem says:

    Still haven’t seen this one, and it’s my fault for not jumping into DAP just because my computer’s been goin’ screwy lately.

    Just checked the likelyhood for DVD release thread, and it is indeed EXTREMELY LIKELY…as is ‘Hercules and the Captive Women’ and ‘Quest of the Delta Knights’…

    Hmm, wouldn’t it be neat if they were all released in a set with, say ‘The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy’ (a LIKELY) as a “Someone else in the theater” theme pack? (A devil-dog does briefly pop into the theater in TRvsTAM, making it the first ep. where someone besides the regular cast does so, right?)

    Ward e does have the list minus every DVD Rhino released, which is nice because we can see just how accurate its compiler was as far as what Shout! gets released, so don’t change it Sampo. If, however, you want to see a slightly more concise list where the original poster just deletes each entry as Shout Factory churns it out, here’s that board:

    http://forrestcrow.proboards47.com/index.cgi?board=mstchat&action=display&thread=6297

       1 likes

  11. MikeK says:

    An excellent episode. The movie may be dull, but I think the whole episode is perfect.

       0 likes

  12. The Toblerone Effect says:

    To Bolem: I would love to see S!F do that with a box set, although I’m not sure whether or not they see that as any special marketing device. We’ll see, supposedly there will an announcement this coming week about Volume XV!

       1 likes

  13. Miqel says:

    The attention to detail is fantastic. Love how the gizmonic gear/heaxagon is replaced by a triangle when the alternate Dr. F & Frank are on the SOL.
    Also happy to see the revival of ‘Joey The Lemur’ – Franks Lemur puppetry is hilariously spastic. I actually saw this the parody of ‘Joey The Lemur’ before i saw the original Joel sketch … and it still cracked me up, even without the context.
    The movie itself isn’t especially bad – typical of a lot of the western flicks that used to be on sunday afternoon TV in the 1970s. Another example of how good of a job they can do riffing films outside the zone of bad sci-fi.
    Solid riffing + outstanding host segments = Definitely in my top 15 favorites.

       2 likes

  14. bartcow says:

    Is it just me, or does the Mary Beth Hughes in this movie look little to nothing like the Mary Beth Hughes in IAMP? Maybe I’m just missing the fabulous ’40s hair underneath that cowboy hat…

       0 likes

  15. Sitting Duck says:

    And possibly the fact that she’s wearing trousers.

       1 likes

  16. 1 adam 12 says:

    Love the episode because of the host segments, but the movie riffing is also excellent. Fave riffs:

    “Ungodly coincidences of the OOOOLD West.”
    “It’s a plot device. It’s very flimsy, so be careful.”

       1 likes

  17. R.A. Roth says:

    I’m watching it for the first time NOW. Very funny and clever episode. But a dreary western makes for a hard riffing slog, indeed.

    Randy

       1 likes

  18. R.A. Roth says:

    Crow’s line, “He’s Black Crowes lead singer thin,” is another example of when they sometimes just don’t bother to look stuff up.

    You misinterpreted how Crow said it. He said, “He’s Black-Crowes-lead-singer thin,” as in he meant all that spiel as an adjective to modify the word thin.

    Randy

       1 likes

  19. Uranium - 235 says:

    [quote]“Ungodly coincidences of the OOOOLD West.”
    “It’s a plot device. It’s very flimsy, so be careful.”[/quote]

    Agreed :) It was just absurd how everyone was running in to each other seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

    I also enjoyed the constant ripping on how dull the town and the townspeople were.

       0 likes

  20. Dan in WI says:

    Four years ago I commented how desperate I was for this to be released so I could see it. Since that time I discovered an Internet dealer and this was among the first episodes I bought. It lived up to all the hype in my opinion and more. Now of course we have a good commercial copy as well.

    Sampo says: “The mirror Mads delight in “the eight of Chris Lemmon,” a reference to one of the lamer Mike-era invention exchanges in episode 517- The Beginning of the End.”
    So a Mike-era invention exchange then. (I say this as a Mike lover. The invention exchange just wasn’t his thing though.)

    Mike really has shown improvement in his Bot programming and maintenance with the regional dialect re-programming. And it is a fun sketch. They really hit so many of the regional connotations that drive me nuts.

    Much has been said about Mike’s performance as Mirror Mike and for very good reason. He really excels at this type of thing. But what gets lost is great work by Trace as Mirror Forrester. I love his take on shouting “we’ve got movie sign.” And Mirror Forrester’s aw shucks demeanor is a hoot.

    At the time hearing Trace and Frank riff a movie was very strange and novel. Now living in the Cinematic Titanic era it’s no big deal. Now it is only the different silhouettes that aren’t quite right.

    Yup. Joey the Lemur is just as incomprehensible when done by Mirror Frank as when originally done by Joel.

    As others have observed as soon as Mirror Tom enters the theater he really ceases to be Mirror Tom and becomes Tom. I can see why. Mixing a mirror characters and regular characters in the theater just doesn’t work. Look at the way Mirror Tom behaves during the host segments. He’s raving mad and looking to kill the regular characters. How could that possibly be maintained in the theater and still have movie riffing?

    So Mirror Gypsy makes a man of Mirror Tom. I like that. Not only does it echo the Star Trek episode but also it makes me think of the host segments where Tom tried and failed to get a relationship going with Gypsy during 503 when they saw the short What To Do On a Date.

    There really is some good riffing going on here. This film needs it. It’s not that this is a bad film. The truth is I have no idea of it is good or bad because of the poor sound. I just don’t know what is going on most of the time. Usually when this happens we get a sub par episode. But this time the riffing rises to the occasion and holds my interest.

    Using Torgo as the voice of the Mirror Deep 13 computer was a pure stroke of genius!

    Clayton may have the line of the season with the Star Wars spoof “it’s as if all my intestines cried out at once and were suddenly silenced.”

    Favorite Riffs:
    Mirror Frank “I hope it’s not the Three Amigos. I’d like a comedy.”

    Upon seeing the Double Cranch for the first time Mirror Forrester aptly describes it “It’s a sprawling studio apartment ranch.”

    Susan serves drinks. Mirror Frank “Hi, I’m Susan. I’ll be your daughter today.”

    Mirror Forrester “This town has a real western theme.”

    Bystanders scatter as a confrontation develops.
    Mike “Sale at Penney’s.”
    Crow “Wow the Amish are really hauling ass.”

    Mirror Tom “This is just like Gamera vs. Zigra… Only with cowboys.”

    Mirror Tom “This is a pretty wimpy old west.”
    Crow “It’s more like the Midwest part of the Old West. Like Des Moines.”

    Remedy runs out of the shot. Mike “ah, my comic relief shift is over.”

    Mike about the wheel chair “I’m a Formula One race car. Vroom.”

    Mirror Tom as a lackey “I definitely kind of understand.”

    Charlie “There’s a law against that you know.”
    Duke “There’s also a law about giving a man a fair trial.”
    Mike “No there’s not.”

    Mike “Don’t use your wheelchair as a crutch.”

    Jane finds Charlie dead. Mike “Thanks a lot dad, now I’m an orphan.”

    Tom “Dear sir, your horse has a potentially series design flaw that could result in explosion and fire.”

       4 likes

  21. robot rump! says:

    This is a winner of an episode and, minus a couple of clunkers, proves they were cruisin’ the highway nice and mellow at this point.
    “Life is so hard when you’re stupid” became a constant statement for me after seeing this episode.
    responding to a couple of questions posed earlier by Sampo.
    The Curse of the eight of Chris Lemmons was the ultimate demise of Chris Lemmon’s career I’m afraid. that or bigfoot.
    Second, while there would have been a number of people who would have recognized Chris Robinson at that time and maybe even now, I’m thinking they themselves weren’t sure and didn’t feel like looking it up or maybe they believed more people than not wouldn’t recognize him. or they just didn’t care…

       0 likes

  22. Sitting Duck says:

    @ #9: As the past couple of years have shown, Shout has constantly defied all those Unlikely and Extremely Unlikely classifications.

    In The Incredible Mr. Lippert, it notes how this film was Lippert’s sole directing credit because he ended up realizing that he was no good at directing, so stuck with being a producer for the rest of his career. If only more hack directors could be like that.

    The riff, “Ungodly coincidences of the Old West,” perfectly sums up the key problem of this film. It relies way too much on coincidences to drive the story.

    Dated/Then Current Riff: Old man, your picante sauce was made in New York City!

    Favorite riffs:

    So even though the movie sucks, they still meant well.

    Actually my scarf is dark navy, and so is my horse.

    “What sort of horse was this fellow riding, Mr. Cooper?”
    It was just a head and a stick. It was weird!

    Hey, the two o’clock shootout’s starting.

    My comic relief shift is over.

    “Do you have a girl?”
    No, I’ve got me a horse.

    Can we do anything, sir? Can we kill puppies?

    Howdy Hitler!

    Dry your tears with this clue I planted.

    Life is so hard when you’re stupid.

    It’s a plot device. It’s very flimsy, so be careful.

       6 likes

  23. Tom Carberry says:

    Grady Harwell Sutton, who played Curly the cook, was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 5, 1906. He arrived in California in 1924. He got his first break in Hollywood from director William A. Seiter who used him as an extra in The Mad Whirl (1925) starring May McAvoy. Grady remained a Hollywood staple for the next 55 years.

    The 6’2” character actor specialized in playing naive, slightly befuddled young men and country bumpkins, adding comedic bits to many films. His most famous association came from appearing in four movies with W.C. Fields: The Pharmacist (1933), Man on the Flying Trapeze (1935), You Can’t Cheat an Honest Man (1939) and The Bank Dick (1940). He can also be seen in such classics as My Man Godfrey (1936), Stage Door (1937), Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938), The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939), Anchors Aweigh (1945), White Christmas (1954) and A Star Is Born (1954). He was also a regular on “The Egg and I” (1951) and “The Phyllis Diller Show” (1966) television series.

    In total, he appeared in over 200 feature films and short subjects spanning 1924 to 1979. His final film appearance was in Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979). In 1994 he moved to the Motion Picture and Television Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California where he died September 17, 1995, of natural causes.

    Favorite lines:

    [Musical Score by Albert Glasser] Oh, Albert Glasser, the man who holds you down and pummels you with music.
    Tourette’s of the Old West.
    Shut Up Iris!
    He’s wearing Chic Jeans, they fit better.
    God love the drunken old fart.
    Wow, the Amish are really hauling ass.
    Remedy, soon to be known as malpractice.
    I still like this movie more than Silverado.
    Middle Management of the Old West.
    And now Robert Lippert pretends he’s John Ford.
    [of Remedy] Has his scalp ever seen a bar of soap?
    [Curly the cook in dress] “Not bad.” I’m sure I can lose the weight before the wedding…I want this scene to go away.
    Drink in the lush photography.
    Please hold your applause until all the testimony has been given.
    Life is so hard when you’re stupid.
    La Cage aux Folles, Western Style.
    The U.S. Post Office, there’s still no cheaper way to deliver a blackmail threat.

    Final Thought: I’m not much of a Western fan. I give this one 3 out of 5 stars.

       2 likes

  24. Mitchell "Rowsdower" Beardsley says:

    Why the heck are so many people wondering where you can watch this and when it’s coming out on DVD? It’s out on DVD already! Sampo even said where.

    Anyway, the episode suffers because the movie’s sound is so muted. It’s a little hard to watch. But seeing Frank and Dr. F. in the theater was awesome. Making fun of Joel seemed a little mean-spirited and unnecessary to me though.

    Still, top 1/2 of Season 6 ep. for me. Pair it with Gunslinger for a nice double feature.

       1 likes

  25. trickymutha says:

    This is a highly entertaining episode- both the host segments and the dreary movie. And, like most men, I think Mary Beth Hughes looks fabulous in a pair of jeans. She was so cute, and hot.

       3 likes

  26. Dan in WI says:

    Mitchell #74> Look at the dates of the comments asking about DVD availability. Those commets were all made four years ago when this episode was last discussed. At that time it was not available.

       5 likes

  27. Ben says:

    The first time I saw this episode, I rewound the very last scene five times in a row just to hear Mike say, “Ram it, clown.” I think this is the most perfectly-placed riff in the history of MST3K. It’s just so abrupt and unabashed.

       6 likes

  28. Cheapskate Crow says:

    I agree with those who say that this movie was so dreary that it needed really good host segments to liven up the episode. The whole Mirror Mirror thing was great and I loved the regional speech patterns bit as me and my wife have had several of those discussions about “coke” and “show.” Hearing Mike do Torgo is always hilarious, that is one of the best impressions of anything ever.
    As for the movie, I loved the Gunslinger western episode but this movie is a hard slog, it was interesting reading #72’s comment that Lippert gave up directing after that, too bad his produced movies could be rather boring too. I hate when I want to punch the supposed good guy character in the face for the whole movie, the “hero” in this movie was really annoying but fortunately you could miss lots of his dialogue with the poor sound. And it’s just too much to see Mary Beth Hughes throwing herself at such a person, although I guess her taste in men in her movies has always been somewhat questionable. I give it 4 stars.

       3 likes

  29. Sitting Duck says:

    @ #78: It should be noted that not all of Lippert’s films are duds. In particular, the ones directed by Sam Fuller (I Shot Jesse James, The Baron of Arizona and The Steel Helmet) are generally considered quality films.

       2 likes

  30. jpb1 says:

    While I agree that the Joel escapes segments overshadowed “Mitchell” on the intial showing (for obvious reasons, what with it being Joel’s last show), upon repeated viewings I find the movie a lot more entertaining than the host segments.

       5 likes

  31. Manos Bride says:

    Evil Mike. Yum!

       2 likes

  32. Watch-out-for-Snakes says:

    I really like the opening of this one, with the regional speech patterns of the Bots. “Are you going to go with?” “With who?” “ME! WITH ME!!” Ahhh, midwesterners…

    The novelty of Dr. F and Frank riffing in the movie is the big selling point of this one, they both do a good job. I wish they did the whole movie. After they leave the whole thing losses steam…

    The Host Segments do outshine the movie, but they really only manage to make me smile, never laugh out loud. Evil Mike is great, as is Good Dr. F, and the crew does a good job committing to the idea and executing it, it’s just that’s it all not that terribly funny. Just clever and neat.

    These westerns they do are terrible. SO boring.

    #80 Sitting Duck is right: Lippert did produce some good films, The Steel Helmet is particularly great. Sam Fuller is a good director..


    RIFFS:

    Dr. F: “Albert Glasser, the man who holds you down and pummels you with music.”

    Frank: “Ewww. Smells like grandma’s purse.”

    Dr. F: “I’m so sick of gingham I could scream!”

    Frank: “The Double Cranch? What’s that all about?”

    Mike: “You scuffed my hair, dink!”

    Crow: “We’re file clerks, what the hell are we doing on horses?!”

    Servo: “Howdy Hitler!”

    Mike: “Strange courting practices of the old west..” —They did at least 6 of these “….of the old west” riffs.

    guy lights up his pipe,
    Servo: “Do a little morning bowl, then get to work. *inhale* *cough*”
    Crow: “Nope. You can’t have any, it’s $80 an ounce!” ————rather reasonable by today’s standards. 8-)
    Mike: “He should put a towel under the door.”

    Servo: “Why’d you fill the canteen with mustard?”

    Mike: “I thought you were Dale?” ———IS THIS THE FIRST DALE RIFF???????



    The Host Segments save it from being a total snooze,

    3/5

       5 likes

  33. The first Dale/hands reference I can think of is in The Crawling Hand, when they’re all being choked. It predates this episode by about 5 years.

       6 likes

  34. This Guy says:

    To this day, I remain unsure just what in the Samuel Langhorne Hell this movie is about. Not because it has a convoluted plot (I assume,) but because it’s nigh-impossible for me to hear, and not especially easy to see. It’s a Western, and that’s about all I’ve gleaned.

    “You’re supposed to keep fresh batteries in your agonizer at all times!” That was a weird part of that episode’s premise–why didn’t officers in the MU just carry around the instruments of punishment to use on underlings themselves? Well, since this isn’t a Star Trek rewatch discussion, I guess I won’t get into it any further.

    “Yippie-DIE-aye-yay!”

       5 likes

  35. Of no account says:

    One of the greatest episodes ever. I’m not really a fan of westerns, but I enjoy seeing them riffed.

    Sometimes I wish the little town I live in had something as exciting to do as watching a wagon wheel being made…

    So are they saying that Mirror Torgo is a highly advanced computer? I figured Mirror Torgo would be a clean-shaven genius scientist with bum elbows… (but with the same speech impediment)

       4 likes

  36. Dan in WI says:

    Of no account #86> I believe they are simply saying that the Mirror Deep 13 computer simply coincidentally has the same voice as Torgo.

       0 likes

  37. snowdog says:

    This one is in the running as my all-time favorite episode. I can watch it again and again. Amazing host segments, hilarious riffing, and I don’t even hate the movie.

    Shout’s DVD menus for this one are a work of art as well. A couple of Evil Mike’s expressions had me laughing and sitting through it more than once.

    5 Stars all the way!

       5 likes

  38. touches no one's life, then leaves says:

    Just think of all the cheap westerns they DIDN’T riff. An MST3K-style show could air DAILY for ten years and not run out of THOSE.

    And imagine the DVD collection…

       3 likes

  39. touches no one's life, then leaves says:

    #85 Carrying it around with you proved that you were with the program, you know, UP FOR being agonizingly punished, I guess.

       1 likes

  40. Kali says:

    Kind of hard for Servo to do a “mirror-Chekov” and try to strangle Mike (“So, you die, and we all move up in rank!”) when you can just throw him to the back of the room.

    Still, I’m almost sorry that the “mirror-Mads” didn’t stay in the theater for the whole show. It just seemed so weird with Servo playing “I’m going to kill you, Captain!” then suddenly slip back into movie-watching mode in the theater (“Oh, a cowboy movie!”). Especially, seeing how good Trace and Frank are directly riffing in Cinematic Titanic.

    And the Mads are really having WAY too much fun with their own agony booth. Some things are just wrong…

    But as for the movie, eh… Gunslinger was actually better — and when have you heard THAT about a Roger Corman film? (Actually – we have. It Conquered the World was ten times better than Zontar The Even Cheaper Pickle From Venus, or whatever that movie was called).

    And Evil Mike was cool. No debate about that. Sometimes, we wish he stuck around longer. Shatner keeps threatening to do a series of novels (someone else writes for him) about Evil Kirk running the Mirror Empire, whom he calls Emperor Tiberius. Somebody stop him, please?

       1 likes

  41. Depressing Aunt says:

    I hate the smug cowboy hero in this movie with an intensity that leaves me breathless, but the host segments are of course a lot of fun. More fun to see Frank and Dr. F in the theater, with their cheerful commentary! Yeah, they sound so zestful and giddy, I would’ve loved to have them there more often. Quite a contrast to their desperate, fumbling riff of the scene from “Fu Manchu.” And ooh, burn! on the Joey the Lemur bit here! Slam outta nowhere!

       0 likes

  42. This Guy says:

    @90: Yeah… just seems fraught with potential problems.

    @91: Those novels have already been written and published. They’re, um, pretty wacky.

       0 likes

  43. Sitting Duck says:

    Kali #91: Gunslinger was actually better — and when have you heard THAT about a Roger Corman film? (Actually – we have. It Conquered the World was ten times better than Zontar The Even Cheaper Pickle From Venus, or whatever that movie was called).

    Just as not all of Lippert’s films were stinkers, the same can be said about Corman. Of particular note, his Poe films are held in fairly high regard (likely because, judging from his interview in Lurker in the Lobby, he’s a genuine fan of Poe).

       2 likes

  44. Smoothie of Great Power says:

    Question: Does anyone know what the actual final line of the movie is? Mike and the bots are talking over it but I’ve been wondering what’s actually being said for a while now.

       1 likes

  45. Strummergas says:

    This was my first time watching this experiment. I liked it just fine. Decent movie and riffing, a clever arch to the host segments, and the return of Joey The Lemur. I love this bit for the exact reasons #35 said he didn’t. I’m also a Gilbert Godfried fan, so there you go.

    I too was hoping for Dr. F and Frank to stay in the theater longer, but the Brains have never really let any variations in the theater last longer than one segment, so I wasn’t surprised when everything reverted back to “normal” in the second movie segment.

    And of course, any mention of Torgo is most welcomed by me. 3 and a half stars!

       4 likes

  46. Kali says:

    RE #93: Hmm, that figures. Well, it still applies: someone please stop Shatner from conning others to write “his” novels?

    RE #94: Of course, the Poe films are Corman’s masterpieces. But Corman does manage to bring some class to most of his films. Lippert’s films seem a little boring to me (well, he did produce The Fly, but I’m not sure that proves a point or not). As for Larry Buchanan, well, we’re not going there… :snicker:

       1 likes

  47. Depressing Aunt says:

    @#95 I just checked this out. I’m almost positive it’s “I wonder how they got her in the mailbox?” (about Remedy’s model, I guess.)

    Whatta side-splitter, eh? :D

       2 likes

  48. daltysmilth says:

    Kevin’s delivery on the “Oh hey! A cowboy movie!” line kills me.

       4 likes

  49. Sitting Duck says:

    Last of the Wild Horses passes the Bechdel Test, but just barely squeaks through. Terry and Jane exchange greetings near the end.

    “Again?” is not a callback per se. It’s merely alluding to how, like in Fugitive Alien, there’s a character named Rocky (he’s one of Cooper’s hirelings).

    I Accuse My Parents callbacks (of a sort) include “I’m opening up a shoe store there,” and “Liar!”

    @ #6: IIRC Frank is originally from New York.

    This Guy #85: why didn’t officers in the MU just carry around the instruments of punishment to use on underlings themselves?

    Must be something along the lines of telling your kid to go get your belt.

    @ #86: Perhaps that’s why the computer has Torgo’s voice.

    Favorite riffs

    So even though the movie sucks, they still meant well.

    I don’t even know who I am yet.

    Please sir, can we have our bullets back?

    Foot fetishists of the Old West.

    Jacksonville! Where church, family, and (hopefully someday industry) come together!

    Go on home and disappoint your husbands.

    Actually, my scarf is dark navy, and so is my horse.

    “What sort of horse was this fellow riding, Mr. Cooper?”
    It was just a head and a stick. It was weird!

    And we’re going to pin the cattle rustling from last year on you too, if you don’t mind.

    “Am I the fellow that Remedy hired, or not?”
    You’re the jerk who smacked my butt.

    Hey, the two o’ clock shootout’s starting!

    You scuffed my hair, you dink!

    This is like Gamera Vs. Zigra, only with cowboys.

    This is a pretty wimpy Old West.
    It’s more like the Midwest part of the Old West, like Des Moines.

    My comic relief shift is over.

    Middle Management of the Old West.

    And now Robert Lippert pretends he’s John Ford.

    “I’ve been accused of everything since I hit this part of the country.”
    Shot Kennedy, according to some folks.

    “Do you have a girl?”
    No, I’ve got me a horse.

    Can we do anything, sir? Can we burn puppies?

    Building code invented and under fire.

    Howdy Hitler.

    Dry your tears with this clue I planted.

    Life is so hard when you’re stupid.

    It’s a plot device. It’s very flimsy, so be careful.

       3 likes

Comments are closed.