Movie: (1964) A couple of slackers stumble across a cult of monsters at a carnival.
First shown: 6/14/97
Opening: It’s walk-a-thon season
Intro: Pearl is taking the space kids home and has Bobo and Observer send the movie
Host segment 1: The bots try to read Mike’s future for 50 cents
Host segment 2: M&tB ask Shelli the Nanite for the “big hair” look
Host segment 3: Crow hires Ortega to cater the break
End: Crow and Tom build a roller coaster; Pearl meets the kids’ parents
Stinger: “What do you think we came here for … to eat?”
(262 votes, average: 4.48 out of 5)
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• Ah, what’s not to like about this episode? Unless, of course, you count the movie itself, which is less a coherent story than a particularly vivid fever dream. Still, the riffing is great, the segments are funny and, if that wasn’t enough, there’s … MADISON!
• Paul’s take is here.
• This episode was released by Rhino on its The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 9 and was more recently re-released as a single disk by Shout!Factory.
• References.
• Daleism: During the first dance number, during a shot of the dancers hands, all sing: “I thought you were Daaaaale…”
• Obviously the idea for the acronym sketch came from the movie’s very long title and accompanying acronym, TISCWSLABMUZ. The part where Tom keeps reciting the very long name of the charity is very reminiscent of the Monty Python sketch about Johann Gambolputty-de-von-Ausfern-schplenden-schlitter-crass-cren-bon-fried-digger-dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker-thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander-knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer-spelter-wasser-kurstlich-himble-eisenbahnwagen-guten-abend-bitte-ein-nürnburger-bratwürstel-gespurten-mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumeraber-schönendanker-kalbsfleisch-mittleraucher-von-Hautkopft of Ulm.
• It’s with this episode that a new occasional character arrives: Ortega, who will occupy a similar spot in sketches that Torgo did in the Comedy Central days.
• Obscure reference: Theatrical director JoAnne Akalaitis.
• This is one of those movies that posits the existence of a burlesque/strip joint in which nobody actually takes any clothes off and which is attended by as many women as men (see “Flashdance”). I maintain that such places never actually existed, especially in the time frame of this movie.
• Call back: “o/` Night train…“
• Mike is still sporting his very high hair in the theater but only for about a minute.
• Tom has a brief freakout during the movie, but who can blame him?
• The Angel’s Flight trolley, also seen in “Indestructible Man,” is briefly visited by a distraught Jerry.
• Some behind-the-scenes stuff about this movie:
–> It was shot on a budget of only $38,000. Can you tell?
–> It ran into trouble with Columbia Studios, which was releasing another long-titled movie: “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.” Apparently there was concern that people would mix up the two long-titled movies. To stave off Columbia’s lawyers, director Ray Dennis Steckler agreed to re-title this movie “The Incredibly Strange Creatures Etc.”
–> It was released in so-called “Hallucinogenic Hypnovision,” which basically meant that just after a turning hypnosis-inducing spiral would appear on the screen, a few people wearing rubber masks of the movie’s characters would run down the aisles and try to scare the audience. I don’t know how many theaters this happened in, but I can’t imagine it was very many.
–> Believe it or not, a soundtrack album was released.
–> Steckler directed and performed in 1962’s “Wild Guitar,” starring Arch Hall Jr., star of “EEGAH!” Steckler also appeared briefly in “Eegah!” (You can see a poster of “Wild Guitar” in this movie: it’s on the wall of the boozing dancer’s dressing room).
• Then-current references: Crow mentions a “C prompt.” I think you have to be of a certain age to know what that is. During the fortune teller scene, Crow invokes Nancy Reagan. Again you would need to be old enough to remember that the former first lady had a personal astrologer.
• Bill and Kevin are the voices of the space kids’ dad and mom, respectively.
• The “space children” story arc ends.
• That’s Paul as the voice of Ned the Nanite and Mary Jo and the voice of Shelli the Nanite.
• Pearl calls Crow Art again.
• Cast and crew roundup: Script writer Robert Silliphant also worked on “The Creeping Terror.” Cinematographer Joseph V. Mascelli also worked on “The Atomic Brain.” Editor Don Schneider also worked on “Eegah.” Assistant director Mike Harrington also worked on “The Skydivers.” Score composer Henry Price also worked on “Eegah”
In front of the camera, Titus Moede a.k.a. Titus Moody was also in “The Skydivers.”
• CreditsWatch: Kevin gets the “Produced and directed by” credit. With this episode a new line in the credits appears: “Audio Post Production: Fred Street, PostAudio, Inc.” It will continue for the rest of season 8.
• Fave riff: “You know what I’m looking at right now? That exit sign.” Honorable mention: “This whole movie has an oily T-zone.”
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Love it, but this is a great stretch of episodes in my opinion so that’s not a big shock. According to the Incredibly Strange Films book (Great book; Awesome interviews), Steckler actually got on the phone with Kubrick himself to hash out the title issues. Also, Eegah! was filmed (illegally) on Harpo Marx’s property.
“Well that scene explained nothing.”
“If this is her date then it’s the first thing I’ve understood about this whole movie.”
“I’ve been asked to explain the Iron and Steel joke” always made me laugh. That nightclub scene goes on so long!
I remember when SciFi did that odd MST3K marathon after they cancelled the show, this was #1 with the most votes (out of whatever they still had the rights to.) The run from around 810-822 is still one of the best in the show’s history.
Has anyone else noticed how much Steckler and Atlas King look like a live-action Beavis and Butthead?
This episode ranks among the show’s best, thanks to a crappy movie that ranks right up there – or should I say down there – with some of the worst they’ve ever faced. This movie is as gawd-awful as Manos, Monster-a-Go-Go, The Skydivers and Bride of the Monster, which of course means a mother lode of riffs from the Brains. :twisted:
I LOVE this film. It’s the perfect bad movie answer to good cinema.
Since the ticket line already been said.
“Good old fashion nightmare fuel.”
Schick outta shape!
LOL,Grognarrd! How could we possibly forget the catchiest song in the film? Schick outta shape! Love it!! :smile:
…..”Perhaps if I had been around during the 60s and 70s with all the head films around, I might have been able to appreciate the movie, but I just don’t.”…..trust me Brandon, I WAS around then and this movie still sucks!
5 stars! I absolutely love this episode! It never gets old.
I mean…what a goofy concept! 10 minutes of supposed “horror” and “suspense” wrapped up in a huge bundle of THE most inept musical performances ever witnessed by mortal man.
WHO on earth picked that horrible song that Carmelita “strips” to?…”IIIIII’m…the pied piiiiiiper…of loooooove”… It’s so cutesy and UN-sexy, and not exactly what you’d expect to be hearing as an accompaniment to public disrobing. Almost as big of a “huh?” as those horrible black and white “referree” dresses in the first group number early on…which brings up one of my favorite riffs…
“Man…the 14 year-old boys who snuck in with fake IDs have to be feeling profoundly ripped-off right now!”
and…53: courteous martian…
SO glad you made the Beavis and Butthead reference! I had always thought the same thing! Only, in this case, it’s more like “Butthead and Butthead”.
One of my favs from the Sci-Fi era – and I always bust out laughing during the folk singer scene when Corbett sings: “my anaconda don’t want none, unless you got buns hon…”
Anybody want to go to Eat and have cocktail?
I met Steckler at his last remaining Las Vegas store three years ago. He was a really nice guy. I had found out that my step-grandfather played Doomed Wino #2 in his “The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher” after first learning about him from Re/Search’s “Incredibly Strange Films” book and then seeing MST3K’s treatment. He said he didn’t care for the Brain’s treatment of Carolyn (the boozy dancer, his ex-wife in real life) and said that he never saw a cent from it being on MST3K. Other than that, he was super cool, and though it is a sad shame that he’s gone, at least I got to meet him before he went.
A classic in my opinion, this is one of my ‘comfort’ episodes I can just pop in the DVD player and watch anytime.
One of my favorites. Unlike so many of the “dreary” films, this one has so much ludicrous, bizarre content that it makes your jaw drop. Definitely not boring. Add in the musical numbers, which leave one gaping at their sheer incompetence, and this is definitely a memorable little film, although for me it would be intolerable without the riffs.
Steckler certainly seems to have adopted one of Coleman Francis’ trademarks, namely the technique of randomly cutting to bizarre, unrelated images for about 1.5 seconds before returning to a scene, eg. the “get your tickets here” monkey. One of my favorite moments in this film is when the camera suddenly flashes to a carnival ride for a split second, randomly showing a roller-coaster car making a sharp 90-degree turn; Crow rapidly spouts out “Make a right!! Good…” His timing is perfect and it’s such a bizarre aside.
My favorite character in this one is an easy pick. While he gets riffed on for being kind of rigid and nerdy, Madison is actually the only character in the film with a life and a future. Everyone else in this film is a stripper, carnie, homeless junkie or drunk. Our supposedly “cool” main characters Jerry and Harold are gross, unemployed burnouts. Jerry’s girlfriend Angie is transparently slumming it with these two just to annoy her straight-laced mother. While these three leech off society and are generally worthless, Madison is a busy college student trying to make something of himself; sure he’s not a “cool” rebel, but at least he doesn’t dress like a gross homeless person. The dancing girl Stella is a close second, as she is the only other person who is halfway clean and attractive. So of course she has to die.
As incredibly bad as it is, I still find “Schick out of shape” somewhat catchy. It’s certainly better than the same singer’s earlier out-of-tune song. Has anyone ever decrypted what she’s really singing? The poor audio makes it nigh impossible for me to figure out. I think instead of “Schick” she’s singing something about a “chick,” which would explain the plumage bird-women.
I love that I saw the imdb poster mirror referenced above. Not to brag but I put that there. Was watching for the 12th time and it just jumped out. Course I figure most of the other people on here prolly noticed it way before I did. This episode is one of my personal favorites. Hell this movie is actually good in a bad kinda way. The whole atmosphere just sets the mood and the inept acting makes it better. There is a pseudo sequel that steckler made before he died and I would love to see how that went. Alas I would have to say that at the moment my favorite riff is Go Cyclon Racer Go!
I think she’s singing “ship out of shape”, referring to the fact that the girl in the song has stayed out too late, and her mother is upset and out of sorts (ie, her emotions are not ship-shape.) But I’ve listened to the song dozens of times, and still don’t know.
And I have listened dozens of times, because this is my favorite episode, full stop. I can (and have) finished watching the DVD, and immediately hit play on it again. It’s just that good. Some of the best riffing ever.
“Oh, I’ll wash the dishes…” “With my hat.”
“And the camera pulls back as if to say…sorry. Sorry, folks, it’s all my fault…”
“Maybe it’s the funk of the hooded sweatshirt he’s been wearing throughout the entire film that’s got him down.”
“During our newsbreak, we changed station format to ‘All Trumpet Fanfare’!”
“Cindy ‘Room-Clearer’ Larson!”
“He won’t sleep if you keep bonking the steadi-cam against his face!”
“And a young Gloria Steinem stalks off!”
…and so many, many more.
Fun fact: On TVTropes.com, the description for the trope of something that is (intentionally or unintentionally) scarring and terrifying to little kids is “Good Old-Fashioned Nightmare Fuel”. This episode is even credited as the source of the description!
I enjoyed this episode, laughed a lot and stuff. Out of all the incredibly strange and mixed-up things going on in this film, the most incredibly strangest, mixed-up moment occurred when Jerry and his friend Latka, or whatever his name was, went to his girlfriend’s house to apologize for staying behind at the carnival. She was lying on a lawn chair and then, for no apparent reason, picks up her umbrella and starts twirling it. Why? I know why the had to do it but what’s the explanation for it?? In a film with an armada of incomprehensible scenes and moments, this is the most egregious, incomprehensible action ever.
MIKE: “Nothing runs like a Bulgarian car…”
Lays me out every time I hear it. It’s just so appropriate for that barge they drive around in.
W.A.L.K.A.T.H.O.K.!
This movie is OUT there, man. A fun episode all around, had me laughing pretty hard in most spots. The riffing – host segments were so-so.
Waaaay too many fave lines to list them all, but:
Ortega Taco Shells are made of PE-EOPLE! – Mike
Want to go to Cafe and get cocktail? – Crow
Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dull. – Servo
Children of all ages will enjoy our exotic dancers. – Servo
We take Visa, MasterCard, and dead rats. – Mike
Somewhere, a purse hits a floor. – Mike
You know, the fourteen-year-olds who snuck in with fake ID’s – they gotta be feeling profoundly ripped off at this point. – Mike
The Felize Navidad Dancers. – Servo
Riverdance! – The strip show! – Servo
So, Ray Dennis Steckler just filmed an open stage night and made it half his movie. – Mike
I dedicate this song to Sylvia Plath. – Crow
Watch as she WALKS AROUND. – Mike
Thrill as he looks for the men’s room! – Crow
Is she talking into a kazoo? – Servo
A dimension not of sight or of sound – but of CRAP. – Crow
Eva Gabor reads Alan Ginsberg. – Mike
So – a shot of a rainy street corner somewhere – thank you, movie. – Crow
Sound – are you getting this? Well, we’ll move on – we’ve got a lot of other lines. – Mike
But first, I’m going to unnaturally twirl my umbrella at you. – Crow
Later – in ROME… – Mike
This was digitally recorded, then erased, then RE-recorded on a dictaphone. – Mike
Western zombie music – a short-lived fad. – Mike
During our newsbreak, we changed station format to All Trumpet Fanfare. – Crow
Get touched by a carnie. – Crow
Shrimp out of shape? Wha…? – Crow
Never let your book club be back-up dancers. – Crow
Gramma always gets drunk and sings at weddings. – Mike
(When Jerry confronts Carmelita and an uexplained noise occurs off camera unedited)
Did he drop his marbles? – Mike :lol:
Does anyone know who this is? – Mike
Hey – a carnival. – Crow, then later Mike in the same bored tone.
What is with the periodic dog bark? – Mike
Madison – the boy who SHOULD be in a plastic bubble. – Crow
Okay, I guess that was a little long.
Oh, well, what’re ya gonna do? It was funny.
:mrgreen:
#71 crowschmo – If you listen carefully, you can hear the girl with the “golden voice” finishing her song in the background when Jerry is backstage with Carmelita. The “dropping his marbles” noise is actually supposed to be applause as she finishes her number. It’s very badly mixed, of course.
So, Columbia Studios thought “TISCTSLABMUZ” would somehow be confused with “Dr Strangelove”?
My favorite lines:
“Get your tickets! Get your tickets here!”
“Did you guys see that or did I imagine it?”
“You will be Nicholas Cage!”
“You all die horrible deaths! 10 bucks!”
“Never get your book club to be your backup dancers.”
“Theres some 14 year olds that snuck in who are feeling profoundly ripped off right now.”
“Hey! This is only 80 proof!”
One last one…
“Gosh, I advise other people to get their Schick out of shape, but my Schick is nowhere NEAR out of shape.”
Seriously, I couldn’t stop laughing for ten minutes at that one, and I don’t know why. I think it’s just because they got so much mileage out of misinterpreting “All Shook Out of Shape” during the song, that the last silly kick in there after the song is over just zinged me when it wasn’t expected.
Just rewatched this one, and got blindsided by Mike quoting Sir Mixalot. Nearly fell outta my chair laughing.
Off-topic, longtime internet friend got me signed Hobgoblins 1+2 and the soundtrack for my birthday, which I recieved in the mail today :D
One thing I’ll always be grateful about with this episode is that it brought my attention to how Hateful, Rich, Overbearing Ugly Guys Hurt Royally Everytime Someone Eats A Radish, Carrot, Hors d’oeuvre, And Never Does Dishes.
I never knew… I just never knew… Probably because I don’t live in Louisiana. I’ve since sworn off radishes, carrots, and hors d’oeuvres. I’ve also stopped doing the dishes. Those Hateful, Rich, Overbearing Ugly Guys have it bad enough as it is.
Thank you MST3K, and thank you H.E.L.P.I.N.G. C.H.I.L.D.R.E.N. T.H.R.O.U.G.H. R.E.S.E.A.R.C.H. A.N.D. D.E.V.E.L.O.P.M.E.N.T. (BTW, I’m glad Victor finally got his lunch).
—
On a more serious note, up until now, I could never figure out that Rent-A-Balki was saying “to eat?” in that dialogue they used for the stinger. I always chalked it up as some foreign gibberish that snuck in. The closest I could decipher it as was “dwee?”
The fact that it wasn’t just makes it more hilarious.
*looks at his last post*
Heh, I guess I want to hurt those Hateful, Rich, Overbearing Ugly Guys a little after all. Serves me right for posting so late at night. :razz:
The “girly show” that Ray Dennis attends kills me–butchers me like a hog–because (1) some of the girls are clearly chewing gum as they come out of the doors, and (2) black and white stripes with red capes? They’re all dressed like Hamburglar!
Maybe I haven’t given this episode enough watches, but the movie just smothers me and I can’t really enjoy it even with some great riffing. The whole thing is just drab, dreary, and depressing.
The Coleman Francis movies are similar in that respect to me. Although I have no such problem with Manos. Probably due to Torgo and the riffing done with him. This movie? Ugh. I’ll rewatch it again and maybe I’ll find the gold I discovered with Manos.
#69: She was lying on a lawn chair and then, for no apparent reason, picks up her umbrella and starts twirling it.
A personal quirk? It’s her yard, she probably handles the umbrella all the time. In real life real people can have way quirkier quirks than that.
Oh, another line that kills me: When the muffled sax (or whatever instrument it is) starts playing and Servo says “Someone’s playing the cow”.
There’s something about this movie that refuses to let my mind pay attention to it. I’ve been watching this episode for years, and it was only well after it was released on DVD that I put together that the dancing girl and the carnie who get murdered were the same couple who were going to go on a date with steaks and dishes. You know how in Hobgoblins (and other films) someone would say “Do we know these people?” at some point where we’ve seen this characters for a long time (the joke being that they’ve failed to make an impression on the audience despite hours of screen time)… That is literally true for me in this film. I have trouble thinking back more than five minutes at any given moment in this film.
I wonder if the opening gag with Bobo and Observer appearing only in photos was to have a poo-flinging joke or because Kevin and Bill didn’t feel like putting on the make-up.
So… the title. The film is about creatures who then become zombies… Er, when does this happen? The zombies are regular people who get hit with acid to then become zombies… Who are the strange creatures?
Cash Flagg!
A lot has been said about the Ray Dennis Steckler / Arch Hall Jr/Sr connection… but I also recommend Wild Guitar.
There’s something that occasionally annoys me about some style of MST3k joke, which is that any woman in a film who is over about 5’4″ or so is referred to as a transvestite. It doesn’t always bother me, but I got tired of these jokes in this one because they seemed very repetitive…
I remember reading an interview of RDS where he complained about MST3k’s treatment being “anti-semitic”. I watched it with that in mind but couldn’t see what he was referring to. The jokes about the blond guy being an Aryan?
I know the story about why they say “I thought you were Dale”… but why are these jokes in every episode of season 8?
This gets back to my first point about finding this film hard to follow… but who is Madison? RDS’s girl’s brother?
I really liked this episode when it first aired, but I missed a lot of the jokes because I couldn’t hear the actual film… So it gets better each time.
Why in the 50s/60s did everyone in a car sit in the front seat?
I looked it up and RDS was only 26 when he made this film; a) the same age as Orson Welles making Citizen Kane, b) he looks about twenty years older.
Dated ref: “I’m getting a C: prompt.”
When we watched this episode for the first time, my friend thought that Mike’s tall hair in the theater was there to block any nudity…
I’m a big fan of the dancing girl who has the date with the carnie… Stella?
Again, I love that Tom sings “Night Train to Mundo Fine” very quietly at one point.
“All-righty then!” Hilarious.
Madison!
There’s a strange Coleman Francis feel to the end. The policeman shoots an unarmed and nonthreatening Jerry for no reason. Is being a zombie a crime punishable by instant death in that town?
I didn’t realize that the space children story-arc only lasted two episodes… Seemed longer at the time…
The King Tut (Steve Martin) riff during the last song cracks me up every time.
“Crackle mourns the death of Pop.”
Oh, and who is “Bill Ward” and why is he appearing as himself?
Speaking of the credits, I never knew until someone mentioned it here that the David Schwimmer, slash and burn shaving victim guy of the opening credits is RDS himself…
69 & 80-See 26 for the actual explanation of the spinning parasol mystery.
One more thing… Am I right about the plot?
The alcoholic dancer goes to get her fortune told… While there, she accidentally sees the zombies, so she has to be killed. The fortune teller hypnotizes Jerry to be her hit man. After doing his work, she makes him a zombie.
Is that it?
Why does she have zombies? How does the skull juice acid turn people into zombies? Isn’t there an easier way to find a hit-man?
Good episode. It’s kind of hard to watch because the movie is SOOOO depressing. I like how Crow mocks Bobo during the intro. Mike,Mike.
“And the director picks an eye booger” tells you all you need to know about the late Ray Dennis Steckler’s movie making prowess. It took me a while to warm up to this episode because the movie was soooo bad. Even worse than the plot was the sound! Apparently, Ray Dennis could afford color film, but he had to share microphones with Hal Warren. And what delusion made him think that a balding, black sweatshirt wearing, jobless schlep was appropriate leading man material? I love the idea that the rich girl from the suburbs thinks that it’s dangerous to date the 60s version of Adam Sandler.
Oh… and the cute dancing girl has to die because she was the one who saw the alcoholic dancer running from the fortune teller’s tent…
But I’m still not sure why…
Ya know, I always thought the line used in the stinger was “What do you think we came here for…the weed?”. But in all honesty, i’m not 100 percent sure I actually understood ANYTHING that guy said. :grin:
Also, for anyone interested, here is the episode of The Incredibly Strange Film Show that features Ray Dennis Steckler. Some really cool insight into the weird world of Steckler.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFbhf9mjPO0&feature=related
My second favorite movie. As a child I often visited the amusement park featured (Long Beach Pike). So it’s always good to see it again in all its glory. For me the dancing numbers ROCK! Something about corny synchronized dancing.
“Lawrence Welk reaches out to the Black audience”. That still kills me. Am I the only one (it doesn’t sound like I am) who thinks they WERE a little hard on Carolyn Brandt?
#72 Nicias: Ah. Got it. Applause. (Sure didn’t sound like it). :???:
And, yes, #92 Pearliemae, they WERE a little hard on Carolyn Brandt. She wasn’t THAT bad.
“Oh I’ll wash the dishes…”
“with my hat…”
Is maybe one of the funniest riffs ever, IMO.
plus MADISON.
This movie doesn’t have the longest official title of any MST3K movie… I thought that went to The Saga of the Viking Women and the Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent? That’s a longer title than this one is. It just wasn’t used by MST3K, officially.
“Let me move my condom outta the way.”
“They’re like the Blue Angels of dancers.”
“Yeah, one wrong move and they all crash!”
I also agree that they were a bit too hard on Carolyn Brandt. She’s not a good dancer, but she doesn’t really look manly like they imply. They encountered a lot stranger-looking women in other films (the sister from Squirm, Babs from Horror of Spider Island, Flo from Girls Town, most of the cast from Racket Girls, etc.). Carolyn Brandt is reasonably attractive; I imagine it was just hard to look good amidst the greasiness of the 1960’s. I recall Mike saying something similar about the 1970’s as well
Well, when you first see her, Carolyn Brandt has such a square jaw, and the makeup is really unflattering, I have to admit. Crow’s opening line when she first appears was also MY first thought when I saw her. However, unfortunately, they had to milk it quite a bit.
She wasn’t really shown off to best advantage in this film at all, and that’s really not her fault.
Now, the jokes about that lame wig on Sharon Walsh’s head… THOSE jokes couldn’t go on long enough for me.
I know it’s off topic, but I had to post when I saw what TCM is showing tonight, October 30th at 2:00 a.m. Believe it or not they are showing ‘Zaat’ better known to us MSTies as ‘The Blood Waters of Dr. Z.’ Somebody call Ripley’s.