Movie: (1981) A band of outlaws fights an evil corporation overseeing a forced evacuation of the Bronx.
First shown: 3/2/96
Opening: Crow’s charity auction
Intro: Crow starts a fire on the SOL, Dr. F. puts his mother in a “home”
Host segment 1: Mike helps Crow try bio-feedback, but a fire starts
Host segment 2: Men’s night on the SOL
Host segment 3: Dr. F. has a plan to boost ratings: Timmy Bobby Rusty
End: Letter, Servo arrives by helicopter, and Toblerone visits Deep 13
Stinger: “PTOO!” “HA, HA, HA!” sez Toblerone
(202 votes, average: 4.49 out of 5)
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• This one is hit and miss for me. Some funny segments, some “meh” ones. Some great stretches of riffing, some quiet sections. And the movie: ugh. Boy, is it stupid but, wow, does it have some wacky characters. But above all, there is Toblerone, Dablone, or whatever his name is.
• This episode is included in Shout! Factory’s “Volume XXXVII.”
• References.
• Mary Jo also provided the commentary for this episode in our season seven episode guide. Did she mention she loves Dablone? Yes. Yes, she did.
• Fans had been getting episodes pretty regular for the past month, but this was the last one we would get until mid-May (about 10 weeks away) and THAT would would the last one we’d get for many months.
• By this time, fans knew the show had been canceled on CC and suddenly, on this brand new thing called World Wide Web, there were already hundreds of “Save MST3K” sites. It would be several more months before Sci-Fi Channel would make the announcement that the show was coming back.
• Between this and the next episode, “MST3K: The Movie” hit theaters. Indeed, by the time the next episode aired, the movie was already fading fast.
• The phrase “Leave the Bronx!” became an immediate catchphrase.
• Is it just me, or does leaving the Bronx for New Mexico seem like a pretty good idea?
• The opening is a cute idea but it kind of gets driven into the ground. But it does feature that “award show” music we’ve heard before.
• The intro, in which Dr. F puts Pearl “in a home” is a very nice reveal. And it’s definitely a return to form for Dr. F.
• And nothing says “We’ve been canceled” having a big fire for no reason.
• The “men’s night” bit is great, with poor Crow completely unfamiliar with Mike’s 700 different slang requests for a brewski. Nice and breezy.
• Sometimes in an MST3k episode, they’re going along, riffing the movie, minding their own business, then all of a sudden a larger-than-life character appears. Torgo is like that, of course. And later there would be Rowsdower. But in season seven, there was Toblerone. Ha-ha-ha!
• One other thought about the movie: the little demolition expert kid is cute and all, well sort of, right up until he calmly murders a guy. Sure, he’s been blowing them up at a distance for a while now, and yes, the guy was about to shoot his dad, but still.
• In 1980, Peter Gabriel wrote and recorded a song called “Jeux Sans Frontières.” Many casual listeners — like Crow — never guessed that the phrase he was singing was French, and instead struggled to find an English phrase that fit the phonemes they were hearing. Crow apparently thinks Peter was singing o/` “She’s so pop-u-lar …” o/` (I will admit that, before I knew better, I thought he was singing “She’s so funky.”)
• The Timmy Bobby Rusty stuff definitely reflects the kind of notes I’m sure they’d been getting from the suits at Comedy Central. The bit is not terribly funny, but it was probably cathartic for them. Segment 3 is also the first reference in a long time to Dr. F “selling the results of his experiments to cable TV” as Joel used to tell us all the time. That’s Paul as TBR, of course.
• Callbacks: “I gotta get to the ‘Zombie Nightmare’ set,” “I’m Cherokee Jack.” (Red Zone Cuba) “No, Lupita!” (Santa Claus).
• With only one episode to go, BBI seems to have created a brand new bumper for this episode, one with the planet Earth in the background and the SOL going by. It’s pretty, and it was used again in the next episode.
• Somebody makes a riff that is premised on the notion of a Kinko’s being on every corner. I’d forgotten that era 15 years ago when when the chain was aggressively expanding. They’ve now been absorbed by FedEx, most of those locations have closed and the brand has largely faded away.
• That’s Mike, of course, as Toblerone, in the closer.
• Cast and crew roundup: Just one name this time: costumer/art director: Massimo Lentini was also art director on “The Cave Dwellers.”
• CreditsWatch: Host segments directed by Jim Mallon.
• Fave riff: “Kill us! … Thank you!” Honorable mention: “All right we’re here in the K-Rock super van with the — AIIIEEEEEE!!!”
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“Here’s a taste of the weather in New Mexico!”
I loved that SOL flyby bumper. They reshot it with better lighting in the Sci-Fi era, but I always preferred the low-tech version seen here. They used it again for 706, too.
“Leave the Bronx!” was a catchphrase for a while back in high school among my friends after this episode first aired. The endless permutations of it are wonderful.
I finally got the “Sex Farm” reference just yesterday when I saw Spinal Tap performing on The Daily Show. It took fifteen years, but it finally clicked for me.
“The parrots will be eliminated?”
LEAVE THE BRONX!
As MattG noted above, it’s a great catchphrase that leaves the uninitiated completely baffled (which is what makes it a great catchphrase– Huzzah!).
Fave riffs:
“Yow, that stangs!”
“You’ve seen me and I’ve had it”
Also love Mike as Toblerone when he rescues Pearl from the “home”.
This is the ONLY movie riffed by MST3K that I actually saw in the theater when it was released, prior to seeing the film as an episode of the show. I remember my brother and I going to see this thing in the theater. For obvious reasons it was utterly forgettable. I couldn’t believe my eyes when it became part of MST3K and immediately called my brother. We watched the episode together over the phone. Great episode for me, if for nothing else than the good times associated with enjoying the film with my brother on two occasions.
When the episode
As MattG noted above, it’s a great catchphrase that leaves the uninitiated completely baffled (which is what makes it a great catchphrase– Huzzah!).
I like this episode a lot. I guess I’m a fan of the badly dubbed Italian productions that try to be set in places other than Italy. Anyone notice that the dubbing for the reporter chick is done by the same lady who dubbed the voice for the horny, unfulfilled chick from Pod People? “Heeey! You’ve got all weekend!”
Actually, it hadn’t been that long since a reference to Dr. F selling the results to TV. In season 6 (I think Angel’s Revenge?) there’s the bit about turning them into the cast of Renegade to boost ratings.
I always thought that was hilarious. “Did I just turn into your wily, Winnebago-driving Native American buddy and then…back again?”
Mike makes another reference to his chronic headaches in segment 1.
I love the press conference riffs. It’s one hit after another.
“President Lincoln, you had a question?”
“Is that true? Do you suck?”
(during a crowd mumble scene) “Investigative sassafrass, reporter peas and carrots.”
“Please keep your ‘rhubarbs’ to a minimum!”
I agree with the assessments here, not a great episode, but any movie with the line “no one will sit on a john…full of dynamite” cannot be completely discounted.
“No sugar! It makes me crazy.”
I miss Henry Silva.
I love the scene when the camera briefly pans over the crowd of reporters, only to pass them by and zoom in on the blood-sucker lady and her photographer- (“But that’s not really our story…”) – only to have them speak about three words to each other before departing. “Heh, another great scene!”
At last, an explantion for Rio Rancho, New Mexico!
I find Dablone’s laugh pretty disturbing, though Mike’s impersonation is a fine take-off. I enjoy the moment when Timmy-Rusty-Bobby speaks to Pearl, who says (from her imprisonment in the playhouse), “Listen, Clay, I gotta be honest, I don’t like kids.” Says everything about Pearl, has some interesting symbolism, points up the shameless tendency to add precocious little tykes to shows for ratings purposes, and is just generally a beautifully odd scene.
“See, this is the danger of expanding rock videos to full-length features.”
This is a great one for me, because even when the riffing is slow, the movie is still ridiculous enough to laugh at.
Movie:
* Has anyone seen the first movie in this series? To quote Crow, “Oh no! This is the sequel to something!” I know Trash (though much younger) is in it.
* I have to admit that the whole joke of Dablone = Toblerone is a bit of a stretch. I never once thought his name sounded like Toblerone when spoken by the cast.
* “I want to be da blonde!” became popular among my friends, especially when a blonde one is with us.
* I love the stretches of when they walk without making any noise. Those prove they used all of their SFX budget on explosions.
* Another great part is when the DAS climbs down into the sewers in the middle of a sidewalk full of pedestrians. The riff of how they didn’t get a permit to film is only half true, they just didn’t have a permit to block off the area to shoot.
* As someone who was born in New Mexico, I’d take it over New York any day.
* Favorite Riffs:
“Here’s a little taste of the weather in New Mexico!” – Mike
“They must have God Mode on. Infinite ammo.” – Crow
“So, now the loving begins… AAAAHHHH!” – Servo
Honorable Mention: “I’m glad we got these noise cancellation shoes!”
Host Segments:
* Paul as Timmy Bobby Rusty is his creepiest performance to date.
* Mike as Dablone is definitely one of his funniest impressions right alongside Bruce from Daddy-O and Morrissey in City Limits.
* Favorite Line: “I’m using this magnifying glass to fry the ant I found while sorting my oily rags.”
“If they see us, we’ve had it!” is a very popular phrase in our apartment, along with countless variants: “I’ve seen you and you’ve had it!”
I know they liked Toblerone, but I thought any scene with the scenery-chewing Henry Silva would have made a good stinger as well. “NO SUGAR! I told you NO SUGAR! It makes me CRAZY!!”
The Mom-in-a-home bit is hilarious. Just something about seeing Pearl in a tiny dollhouse looking out at Clayton makes me giggle. “Where’s the coat rack? We don’t have a coat rack… well, maybe we do, but still, her mind…”
For some reason, I now feel like leaving the Bronx… Strange.
I usually love Mike-era 80’s/90’s films: Alien From LA, Outlaw, Zombie Nightmare to name a few.
So, I remember being excited about Escape 2000 when I read the description and a bit disappointed by it once I watched it.
I didn’t dislike it (again, with the caveat that I strongly dislike Pearl…particularly her Season 7 incarnation)…but, it didn’t have the feel of a classic MST3K episode to me like Deathstalker and Melting Man. Maybe it was partially b/c of that…it did follow two outstanding episodes. And I just didn’t think it was as strong.
2.5 stars from Droppo.
Great episode! Like Sampo said, this episode seems just a bit uneven, what with some quiet spots here and there (especially after the incredible effort put forth for “The Incredible Melting Man). That said, there’s some excellent riffing on display here.
The use of the theme song from “The Andy Griffith Show” towards the end never fails to make me laugh like hell, particularly in light of all the devastation that we see on-screen.
Toblerone stands out as one of the most hilarious and memorably over-the-top characters in a MSTed movie. Mike’s appearance as Toblerone at the end just makes the whole thing more hilarious. While mistaking Dablone’s name with “Toblerone” -might- be something of a stretch, it’s a humorous one, thankfully.
All the variations of “LEAVE THE BRONX!” really made the whole thing entertainingly silly. I can’t help but wonder if that would have been an enduring show catchphrase if MST3K stuck around on Comedy Central.
This episode featured yet another great series of riffing over the movie’s closing credits. “Deathstalker” had the ‘tooty-toot-toot’ riffs on the dopey main theme, “Incredible Melting Man” had the “what I learned” discussion, this episode has the “LEAVE THE BRONX!” song inspired by Journey, and “Laserblast” would have the Leonard Maltin 2-and-a-half star debacle. I highly enjoyed what they did with the closing credits this season.
Also notable is the fact that this is the last episode where Mike & the ‘Bots would read a letter, not including the letter from Doctor Peanut in “The Deadly Mantis.” That’s too bad, since I enjoyed hearing what the fans had to say and seeing all the stuff that they would send in.
The opening host segment with Pearl in the home was awesome, as was the hilarious transition from the SOL crew screaming for help to Doctor Forrester nonchalantly saying, “Thanks for the kind words.”
Some of my favorite riffs:
“When Habitat for Humanity cracks down!”
“I better get over to the Zombie Nightmare set.”
“Those squibs were meant for me!”
“They’re rehearsing a David Mamet play.”
“I’m ready to live the southwest lifestyle!”
“Well, it’s a good thing he doesn’t drive a bus.”
“The Italians really embrace life.”
“His name’s Toblerone?”
“Some of the politest, most informative graffiti I’ve ever seen!”
“Lorenzo Lamas in The Gino Vannelli Story!”
“Geez, he’s got Ricky Ricardo Tourette’s syndrome!”
“Ah, so far, his greatest adversary is a ladder!”
“He’s got a toupee under his nose!”
“Thing, put the Luger down!”
“Oh, watch out, her other jaw’s gonna shoot out!”
“So, the hero of our movie has to hire ANOTHER hero.”
“I’ll catch up on my Marxist dogma while they’re up there.”
“There’s something Richard Dreyfussinian about this guy.”
“This trampoline accident could have been avoided! Never use a trampoline with unstable TNT in your pocket!”
“Hurry! HURRY! We didn’t get a permit to film!”
“Alfred Hitchcock’s ROPE. Not the movie, they just borrowed his rope.”
“If ever a scene cried out for Toblerone…”
“Ah, finally, the ultimate showdown between vaguely evil and somewhat ambiguous.”
I’m with Sampo on this one. Kind of hit or miss, great stretches of riffing followed by long stretches of nothing. The Toblerone character was for me genuinely funny every time he hit the screen, provoking most of the best lines from Mike and the ‘Bots. It especially worked in the final host segment when Toblerone (Mike) dashes in to rescue Pearl from the “home” Dr. F put her in. I didn’t care too much for the Timmy Bobby Rusty bit but I agree with Smoothie that it is Paul’s creepiest performance.
Overall, I give this episode 3 stars out of five. And remember to Leave the Bronx!
Another great Mike ep and one of the best from the spectacular but short season 7.
A hilarious movie with some memorable characters. Toblerone, Trash, Nosferatu, The guy who had to come in and help the main character and his Short Round sidekick, and Henry Silva. Just about everybody was hard to forget in some way. Mostly by being goofy. I don’t know how movies like this get funded and produced, but I’m glad they did to become MST3K fodder.
Also again one of the funny but sad episodes. This is the last normal episode of the Comedy Central era and includes the final fan letter reading of the series. We get one more CC episode but the host segments are anything but normal in it.
A good episode, if perhaps not a great one. Like most of season seven, in my opinion, the host segments are not stellar. This doesn’t bother me too much as I’m more about the movies than the skits. Fortunately there’s enough going on in the film, between Henry Silva, our “pretty” leading lady and the Jon-Mikel-Thor-esque lead to keep a decent momentum.
This film follows the lead of City Limits, and no doubt others, in defaulting to the built-in premise of Big-Corporation = Bad, Smelly-Anarchists = Good. Granted, Escape2000 does a slightly better job demonstrating this premise than City Limits (personally I would welcome a government-sponsored company charged with clearing away the bodies and rats after the apocalypse). But as Mike points out, numerous shots of what is purportedly New York show many non-anarchists enjoying an average shopping day, seemingly happy and non-oppressed. Perhaps our “heroes” should then consider if armed rebellion is worth it to defend a few rat-infested tenements. Maybe the rebels aren’t forthright in their cause, but merely stupid?
One more note: someone really needed to rein in wardrobe departments during the eighties, or at least point out to them the incongruity of sewer-dwelling resistance fighters wearing sparklingly clean sequined leotards, feathered boas and gold hotpants.
This is one of my favorite episodes, partly because of Toblerone, partly because of the ridiculously long shootout in the sewers about three-quarters of the way in. That and the boat chase from ‘Final Justice’ are perhaps the two most drawn-out action sequences I’ve ever seen.
Me and my online MST group watched this one a few months ago, and I remember being inundated with cough syrup during my viewing. That is definitely not the way to watch this one. >_>;
The host segments bust me up, if just for their defiant nature of setting everything on fire; kind of like a flip of the bird to the network…And yes, Timmy Bobby Rusty is Paul’s creepiest character by far. Ugh. That…gives me nightmares…
But above all, what I love most about this episode is not the host segments or the riffing or anything…it’s the fact that it was one of the first Mike episodes our group’s resident twelve-year-old had seen, and now it is her favorite. That is bizarre magic.
i love how trash/trunk pushes up his shoulder muscles as he pulls the trigger on his gun (holding it with two hands mind you).
i’m quite the gun buff (not) but unless someone gorilla glued the trigger in place.. you don’t have to use a whole lot of muscles to fire a sidearm.
unless he’s got spongebob squarepants muscles(inflated balloons), well… let’s just agree that this guy can’t act.
oh… and i have to agree with toblerone…
i too have ‘never hear of a lady in the box’.
Given my namesake, I obviously have a soft spot for this episode. Toblerone, Nosferatu woman, endless silver guys jumping out of trucks…I love it. I also can’t help but notice the voice-over actors in this one are the same who did the dubbing in Pod People, not to mention various other cult movies from the 80s (including some of Lucio Fulci’s films). Yes, I watch way too many movies.
“It’s Evel Knievel’s handicap access.”
“She looks like Shelley Duvall after a drinking binge.”
“Wilford Brimley is 007.”
The funny thing is, this is an Italian movie portraying an America in decline in the year 2000. One gets the feeling that this is how most Europeans imagine America to really be. I gave it five stars but I guess it only deserves 4. Bad habit.
5 stars. Toblerone is great. He is probably the best supporting character in an MSTed movie.
The Brains did a damn good job during the rest of this season when it came Dr. F. and Pearl. Long gone was the brow-beaten Dr. F. from episode 701.
What’s the deal with that gun used by Trash? He blew up a helicopter with the damned thing. :lol:
Fave riff: “This is what happens when you expand rock videos into full length movies.”
Overall good episode that I still enjoy watching. The Vampire hissing still kills me every time.
Overall good riffing, and I love the ‘Mom in a Home’ skit, as well as Timmy Bobby Rusty.
Oh, by the way, does anyone else think that M&TBs should have been screaming in horror when Dr.F. presented “Timmy Bobby Rusty”? :shock:
A hit and miss episode for me as well, although Green Switch already made the point I wanted to make:
If callbacks to the CC era hadn’t been forbidden/discouraged/whatever after the move to Sci-Fi, “LEAVE THE BRONX!” would have been one of their most enduring catchphrases. There were several scenes during the Sci-Fi years with a huge van driving around that just cried out for this.
I too must chime in with ‘Leave The Bronx!’ Toblerone is indeed a wonderfully … I don’t even know how to describe him but he’s a character all right. Movie’s great, lots of fun. Host segments are good but again nothing really pops out at me.
That’s odd that CC was still sending them notes, knowing full well they were cancelling them soon.
Along with “Hamlet”, this is Mike’s worst episode. Absolutely devoid of humor. I honestly don’t get the “Toblerone” thing. It’s just not funny to me. To each his own. There seems to be a lot of fans of this one, but I just don’t get it. Terrible.
One of my all-time favorites, and as far as I’m concerned, a good “starter” episode for new fans… which is kind of ironic, really, given it’s the second-to-last episode before the show may have ended forever. The movie, despite being really drawn out, still keeps the action going and is goofy enough on so many levels to where it’s never boring, which gives them more material to riff with.
I also like the “God mode with unlimited ammo” riff. Much like the DOOM reference in Deathstalker, while it does date the episode a little bit, it at least makes that date more RECENT. One can only reference random 70’s TV/movie stars who haven’t been relevant since then so long before it loses all meaning and just isn’t funny (and that point is called Family Guy).
I do like how Pearl never lost what made her… well, HER, despite being the one not in control this episode. Trapped in a “home”, she was still snarky and hateful, and even got a good grip on her son’s throat when she got the chance. Also… I always liked it when there was an obvious disconnect between whatever the hell was going on aboard SOL and in Deep 13/Widowmaker/Castle Forrester, yet at least one side would go on as if the other was right with them… as illustrated by the aforementioned “Thank you for those kind words”. It really works better when it’s the non-SOL that just goes on, expecting their subjects to be in lockstep with whatever weird scene they have going.
I too have often wondered about the “morality” of the movie. We’re supposed to cheer for the guys who would terrorize, rob and probably murder the average citizen. Hm. Kinda like Diabolik, the Italian answer to Lupin III only without any of the charm or likability. Hey… wasn’t Warrior of the Lost World Italian too?
WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO TELL US?
Not odd at all. 1/4 of the entertainment industry is composed of note-writing lunch-monkeys. One of the few pros of the prospect of Hollywood falling into the ocean.
Tim…
LEAVE THE BRONX!
Weird how the bad guys are announcing to the citizens to “Leave the Bronx!” while at the same time burning them alive while they’re trying to get out. I also love how there are people who actually want to stay in this in this rat infested hellhole.
Stupidest moment in the film came early when the hero blows up a helicopter with a small handgun. Nuclear tipped bullets I’m guessing?
Tome Servo’s sing-a-long at the end amused my family and me for a long time after hearing it. “Leeeeeave Brooooonx! Leeeeeeeeeve Brooonx!”
Trace as Crow as Jerry Lewis as Nosferatu as Rat Woman cracks me up every time.
A solid episode.
The regular title, Escape From the Bronx, makes little sense. The people in the Bronx want to STAY there. The Disinfestation Squad wants people to. “Leave the Bronx.” But, even when they are being killed, the DS guys don’t try to escape from the Bronx.
I wonder if there really was new housing in New Mexico for the people to live in? I guess we are to assume that it’s all a lie, but why go through all of that if just easier to murder people while they are still in the Bronx?
And, what real incentive is there for Trash, Toblerone, and the rest, to stay in the Bronx. It’s suggested that there’s a criminal enterprise of some sort, but there’s little evidence of it.
#Some-day! Love will fiiiiind you!#
Five stars from me (well maybe 4.5 would be better). My favourite of the season, and amongst my own Mike Top Ten.
Things do slow in the last third where it’s basically a ton of guys in silver suits getting blown into the air over and over and over again, but the rest of the flick and sharp riffing keeps things moving nicely. Trash is such an amusingly goofy hero.
Loads to enjoy here. Just to pick one – Tom’s goofy yell for the death of Flying Officer Herb Petersen. “YUH-HOIIIII”
Tim S. Turner, I look forward to reading your comments every week because you always have something new and interesting to say. It’s like poetry. Personally, I’m sad you’ve dropped the “it only gets worse from here” tag on your comments because it gave me hope that your future writings were going to be even better!
:???:
I love this episode. Great riffing and host segments. And the movie is funny and entertaining all by itself.
This movie has one of the greatest characters in MST history. I speak of course of Toblerone. ‘The man has such enthusiasm and zest you want to join up with him even if you don’t know what he’s doing (and I’m not sure he did). And Toblerone leads a rebel army of broadway musical cast-offs.
And what an army it is. Composed entirely of small squads that each have their own motif. And those costumes all look so new and spiffy. Not only do they wage a war for freedom in the sewers of post-apocalyptic New York, but they make time to keep up with the laundry. It’s the little touches that show you really care.
I read some where that there was a huge explosion of post-apocalypse movies made in Italy in the 80’s, and that they all looked like bad knock-offs of The Road Warrior, Escape from New York, and the Warriors. Both Escape 2000 and Warrior of the Lost World took their “gangs with a theme” shtick from the Warriors.
I saw a movie in the 80’s called something like Bronx Warriors 1999 that starred Trash and his hair, but no Toblerone. Despite a title suggesting that the events in it took place a year before Escape 2000, Trash died at the end of Bronx Warriors 1999. So I think Escape 2000 is supposed to happen first, unless Trash is Jesus.
My favorite riff not already mentioned has got to be at the end when Trash is surveying the carnage and thinks, “You know, maybe I will leave the Bronx.”
A shout out to Mike for his best non-Mike appearance except maybe for Torgo.
By coincidence, last night I saw Judas Priest in concert. The opening act was none other than Whitesnake.
4.5 Stars! classic episode, definitely in my top 20!
One of the funniest characters in an mst3k film; TOBLERONE!
Burning an ant on the pile of oily rags … great idea!
Timmy Bobby Rusty!!!! “He’s got red hair!, he’s adorable”
Many memorable riffs in this one
“we gratefully acknowledge the Reynolds Wrap corporation for donating the costumes”
callbacks:
“I’m Cherokee Jack”
Tom – “even though this is Italy, you must leave the Bronx”
“Gary, how do you keep your helmet from fogging up?” (condensation clearly fogging up all the exterminator masks in the scene!)
“I think it was originally conceived as a still photograph”
(no footstep sound during running scene) “I’m glad we got those noise-cancellation shoes”
Mike “So the hero of our movie has to go out and hire another hero?”
.. “and now the hero subcontractor has to subcontract to his kid!”
“if you’re into creeping around corners, this is your movie’
Crow “This trampoline accident could have been avoided .. never use a trampoline with unstable TNT in your pocket”
Love the ending with Tom singing ‘Leave the Bronx’, Steve Perry style, lol!
and of course, Mike’s perfect rendition of Toblerone :)
Cornjob: “By coincidence, last night I saw Judas Priest in concert.”
At the Mid-State Fair? You must live in my neck of the woods. Or at least have been visiting. :)
This was a good one. I love the hissing sound they kept making for the Nosferatu lady. Plus did anyone notice that the “good guys” never missed a shot and had infinite ammo (I know the infinite ammo was mentioned in the riffs, but not the sharpshooting nature of these sewer dwelling thugs).
Boggy Creek:”At the Mid-State Fair? You must live in my neck of the woods. Or at least have been visiting?”
I live around here often. Have for about 25 years (in the North County).
How ’bout that.
one of my top ten episodes. silver suits, explosions and over the top italians what more do you need.
Not quite good. Most of the good stuff comes in the first third of the movie and then it slows down–maybe because the movie slows down too. The start of the movie gives Mike and the ‘bots a lot to work with: LEAVE THE BRONX, the introduction of Henry Silva, Trash taking down a helicopter with a .38, his dad going nuts with a baseball bat or whatever it was, and so on. Then the movie devolves into a lot of wandering through corridors and the crew can’t quite make it interesting. While there are exceptions, generally the quality of an MST3K episode is linked to how entertaining the movie is, so when ESCAPE 2000 picks up toward the end, so does the riffing.
But it’s better than LASERBLAST, anyway.
I think I’ve contributed to that good cause – Really Sad Kids With Hurt Puppies.
I love this episode. It isn’t quite as funny as my first viewing of it, it kind of drags in spots, but – still enjoyable.
Toblerone is a good character, funny on his own, even without the riffing.
Host segments were okay. Mike was great as Toblerone. That and his Torgo are my favorite Mike-as-not-Mike guys. When Servo comes down and goes back up from his “helicopter” you can see the strings!
I, too, noticed that the voices were the same as the ones from Pod People. That man and woman, whoever they are, must have studied under Mel Blanc. (She does the kid, too, just like in Pod People, right?) As I heard Trash talking, I was thinking – “It stinks!”
Towards the beginning when the de-infestation squad is doing their thing, Servo says as one of them, “Hang on, Earl – I gotta read this sign, here – ‘Le-ave t-the Bronxxx.”
I like when Henry Silva’s character and the President of the company are talking and Crow just giggles and says, “You guys didn’t rehearse, did you?”
When they’re talking in the car and they show one character, then the other, but never both together and Servo says, “Are you anywhere in this car?”
Then they’re starting that demolition of “Ye Olde Gothic Castle” – (of the BRONX!)
And Mike says, “Folks, I know you’re all excited about the munitions plant going i…I-I mean the CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL!”
When Henry Silva’s character gets a phone call and says he’ll take it now and Servo says, “Good – since he’s on the phone NOW.”
“Jim Henson’s Chairman Mao babies.” – Crow
“Again, the movie states unflinchingly that there IS a city.” – Crow
(As fey cops get shot at and fly through the air from the force) “The physics of this makes no sense.” – Crow
When Silva’s character is on the phone and talks to that other guy, then back on the phone as soon as the other guy answers him, first Mike then Crow say in irritation, “I’m on the PHO-ONE!” :lol:
“He died as he died – dead.” – Mike
“He made one mistake – he parked.” – Crow
“Hi, Chunk.” – Crow “Hey, Flink.” – Mike
(Towards the end, as a sullen Moon W. Trash shakes his head) “No? No dialogue whatsoever?” – Crow
“Clean-up in bourough 5.” – Mike
Servo’s song at the end always gets a laugh.
“This is Dolby Stereo reminding you to LEAVE THE BRONX.” – Mike
Oh, I forgot – when Trash shoots down that helicopter (yeah, right :roll: ) he keeps looking UP like the thing is just in mid-air :lol: .
Mike says, “Wow. It’s staying up there a long time.”
The whole bit with the allegedly fire retardant suit — both the “Come on, Larry. That’s what this suit’s designed fo — AAAHHHHHH!!” and the subsequent “This flameproof suit SUCKS!!!!!” — gets me every time.