First shown: 10/4/97
Opening: It’s Friday at the dorm and M&TB have a window!
Intro: The window is going back, but a drunken Crow smashes it; while Apearlo and Brainguyus liven up a dull Roman party with pants
Host segment 1: Crow expresses interest in Pitch’s line of devil dolls, Mike disapproves
Host segment 2: The bots set up a British pub, with a *very* stout ale on tap
Host segment 3: Pitch helps Crow transfer Servo’s soul, Mike disapproves.
End: Crow dresses Mike up as Hugo, Mike disapproves. Meanwhile Apearlo and Brainguys, attending Lesser God Day at the Colosseum, see a familar face!
Stinger: Hugo takes a licking and keeps on ticking
(106 votes, average: 4.12 out of 5)
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• This movie is so weird, it seems like it needs riffing, but it’s a little dark for MST3K and I think the darkness drags the episode down a bit. Still, the riffing keeps up for the most part. Host segment-wise, it’s a mixed bag. The Roman Times stuff is good for a chuckle, but not many. I do like the bits with reasonable, affable Pitch and intemperate, outraged Mike. Paul and Mike are both terrific. The British pub sketch, however, has one joke and it isn’t funny.
• Paul’s take on this one is here.
• Phys.com is again the sponsor superimposed over the door sequence in a bumper. The bumper says it the show is “brought to you by…” but I didn’t notice any actual commercials from them. Weird.
• That’s Patrick, Beez and Paul as the “Roman day players.”
• I messed up last week, confusing “Bitter Dregs” and “And now to Eden,” but Kevin is defintely singing the latter as the Roman Times segment begins, so I’m right this time!
• A nice callback to season four with “pants” business, but it takes a while to get there. Another callback from the old days: “Does this bug you?”
• Callbacks: The appearance of William Sylvester prompts several “Robert Denby” riffs.
• If I recall correctly, there was some trepidation when the Sci-Fi Channel’s counterpart channel in the U.K. began running the show and this epsode, featuring the observation that England is populated by “chinless, jug-eared stomach eaters” first aired. From what we heard from MSTies in the U.K., they loved it.
• Then current reference: Warren Christopher. The former Secretary of State was an easy target because of his dour persona.
• Also obscure: Somebody in the movie is named Heller, and Servo says “Make sure he wears his pink tights,” a reference to the little-known movie “Heller in Pink Tights.”
• “Papers, Fawlty!” is an evocation of the gruff Colonel from the British comedy series “Fawlty Towers.”
• I always enjoy when some alteration of a character from a host segment continues into the theater, as it does in this episode, where Servo the toaster strudel riffs for an entire segment.
• Fave line: “Look! There’s the proof: There’s no God! Not a single God…”
“Let’s all go to the lobby…”
Great episode.
DEBBIE! Come back to me, baby! I broke a window for you…..
Hey, I love you guys! And I’ll never see you again after graduation.
Btw, have you tried watching this movie while enjoying some assorted luncheon meats?
I loved that Mike completely loses it. Watch after the line “You know, you don’t buy ham, only rent it.” It looks like he doubled over, trying to supress laughter. Or maybe he just dropped his pencil…
Drink the wine
“spoo-de-oo-dee”
Having just discovered that song for myself, I enjoyed quite a chuckle at that one.
And the Debbie bit is among my all-time favorite host segments.
>>>The appearance of William Sylvester prompts several “Robert Denby” riffs.
Yet oddly enough they missed the most obvious opportunity, when Mark refers to “the ELUSIVE Mr. Garrett” (emphasis added). Perhaps its very obviousness was a turnoff.
“You are an ugly, smelly puppet, Mike-O; a puppet who will never have ham! At least unless he gets it himself!”
The random silliness of the Debbie bit, and bits like this that directly reference the movie are part of what made this show so delightful.
And I love the idea of Lesser God Day. As well the fact that Kevin’s Roman guy is called Callipygeas (“beautiful arse” in Latin).
As one of the chinless jug eared stomach eaters, may I say I loved this ep, as Crow says at least we’re not French, so we’ve got that going for us………
The movie was dark but in a goofy sort of way. MST does do ‘dark’ really well. If you want a post-war British movie with a geniunely creepy ventriloquist doll may I suggest DEAD OF NIGHT.
Well, off to flip on Monday Night Cricket now. BTW what the hell was the deal with the stick-on beard?
Bill’s Crow is really perfected by this episode. His puppetry has really come around, and the Crow personality fully developed. He was ‘getting there’ more and more each episode, but it really seems to show, here.
As for the movie. Wow. Horror? Na. Exciting? Anything but!
Oh, let’s go see the most depressing performance ever! Vorelli!!!
So he made a man think he was about to be shot in the head. How lovely! At least with the woman, it was just dancing. Surprised he didn’t have her flash back to some bizarre rape scene.
More! More! We’re not depressed enough yet! I need more!! I don’t quite want to kill myself after seeing your act! More!!!!
And wouldn’t everyone just automatically assume there’s a little man in the Hugo costume, rather than that Vorelli actually possessing some type of powers?
I also like that our ‘hero?’ doesn’t really even question that his girl dumps him for Vorelli.
Really, there’s about a billion holes in this movie’s plot.
Overall, funny, but it’s pretty tough to keep viewers laughing throughout. But Mike and the Bots to a good job. A few times where there’s a little too much movie and not enough comments, but not enough to ruin the experiment.
4 Stars, I say.
There’s a 1936 movie by the same name, with a wholly different plot, starring Lionel Barrymore as a man falsely convicted of bank robbery who uses a combination shrinking potion/zombie powder/mind control thingy to take his revenge while dressing as a widower toymaker. It’s really quite good. Turns up on Turner Classic Movies now and then, and I recommend watching it.
Meanwhile, this movie, I keep coming back to a core motivational question: Reporter Guy won’t stop seeking the elusive secret of how Evil Ventriloquist manages to create such a tension-filled atmosphere between his creepily realistic dummy and himself.
Yet his editor, his co-workers, his girlfriend, even Evil Ventriloquist Guy don’t point out to him what would in the real world be obvious: he’s a *performer*. He’s *supposed* to create stunning illusions. And it’s not a reporter’s job to reveal how an impressive stage performance was one, unless his job is one of spoiling performer’s hard-developed secret techniques. I don’t follow British papers of the Depressing 60s closely; were there regular Spoiling Performers’ Tricks columns back then?
By the way, apart from Edgar Bergen, has there ever been a *non*-evil or at minimum crazy ventriloquist in any movie or TV show?
This movie also is another with the non-surprise surprise ending (see Space Mutiny and Werewolf).
“Come on, dead people know what’s going to happen”
actually, the song from the star trek episode is “headin out to Eden”. just fyi
I should clarify I mean a non-evil ventriloquist character, rather than performer. I know there have been non-evil ventriloquist performers for many movies and TV shows, like … uh … erm … Edgar Bergen, and … uhm …
#13
Shari Lewis! of course, Crow might go for Lambchop on the rebound from Debbie.
No horror movie genre really scares me, but talking evil dolls really creep the hell out of me.
So many great lines so little time:
“Did I just see somebody come in amd paw my puppet?”
“All right everybody thrill as I get my own onion dip.”
“You think he likes ham, wait till you see me like ham.”
Boy I really disliked this episode. I’ve seen it once and once was enough. Sorry to be such a downer but really, I don’t recall laughing much. Yawning, yes. Laughing, no.
I’m a little foggy on Vorelli’s plan here. He’s uncovered this awesome power, the ability to transfer souls, something he’s willing to do to UNwilling victims, and he’ll murder people who inconvenience them and he… puts on a stage show with it? Really, Vorelli? The criminal underworld and sex-change venues didn’t even occur to you, did they?
I’m also wondering about his apparent plan to plunk Vacuous Girl’s soul into an ugly puppet like he did Hugo’s. What is he going to gain there? Wouldn’t he need a living VG to get a hold of her fortune? Was she THAT bad in bed?
One of the things I always loved about MST is their wordplay. Particularly the nonsensical wordplay, like “I’m gonna ____ the HELL out of it!”. “Wait til you see ME like ham!” remains one of my all-time favorites.
And the more subtle jokes underlying… I love how Pitch tells Crow that a soul transfer may take longer depending on the quality of the soul, and BOOM, Servo’s almost instantly in the puppet.
Man, a pretty lukewarm review for what I always thought was a great episode! The movie is dark, sure, but it’s also completely absurd and there’s so much sheer randomness – like ham. Why ham? Why would that be in the act?! Why would any of this happen? Why would anyone go see Vorelli?! And the fake beard reveal halfway through the movie! Why?!
Some of my favorite host segs too – Friday afternoon at the dorm, Debbie (which is one of my all-time faves), Tom as toaster strudel (“caution, my filling may be hot!”), and Mike as Hugo getting mocked with random taunts.
I think when the movies are a little darker it gives them license to be a little harsher in their riffs. Yeah, I love this one.
“Who wants to see my CAN?”
Favorite Devil Doll movie moment? A modest twist!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVntJSy59Cc
Heywood Floyd is back and this time he’s facing a demonic doll. And that makes it sound more exciting than it really is.
“Devil Doll” is another episode I haven’t seen since the 90’s. I remember my brother in law having this episode on tape and watching it while I was over a few times. What I remembered best was the obsession with Hugo eating ham, and the general abuse heaped up on Hugo. So, I was pretty keen to revisit it.
The movie is another slow one, with the obvious twist just taking its time to come around. Half way through, my wife asks, “Didn’t they do this in ‘The Twilight Zone’?” Yeah pretty much. It was also revisted in an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and both of those episodes were better than “Devil Doll”. The drab and dreary photography doesn’t help matters either. The movie as a whole doesn’t scare, or thrill or anything. Sure Hugo is kinda creepy looking, but he’s just not convincing as something scary.
Mike and bots have a lot to work with and there are some great lines in the episode, but the slowness of the film is difficult to overcome. Kinda reminds me of a Corman flick actually. The riffs involving ham and other lunch meats provide a great hook as does the “outfit” Vorelli’s assistant wears. But in the end the movie’s slow pace makes the whole episode drag a bit.
The host segments work a bit better this time around, especially when Pitch shows up. I love that Tom turns into a toaster strudel and his new legs. And the ending with the revelation of Bobo as The Mad Goth was funny as well. So, that gives the episode a boost.
No deal with the devil can help this one completely, but I’d say an above average episode, 3 and a half stars, or four if I’m in the perfect mood for it.
The Word Detective recently (so recently that it’s not yet posted on his web site) explained the origin of the word ventriloquism, and it’s a bit unsettling. I’ll provide a link once he posts it.
“I’m driving with my MIIIIIND!!”
Having seen both this and Projected Man, every time I hear Vorelli say “When the music begins…” I can’t help but add “Press this”.
@#17 & Sampo:
I totally agree with you both on the fact that this episode kind of drags in my book too. Like every episode there are some great riffs and host bits, but over all I’ve given this episode a long break. I believe I’ve seen it twice, maybe three times and for now that’s enough. I’ll wait for it on Shout! when and if they get rights.
For those who didn’t find this funny,much less one of mst’s classic episodes,you are not a fan.There,I said it and I feel a sense of relief.
How a film where a large man puts his hand up a smaller mans rear end and then is successfully plumbed for humor doesn’t endear the viewer is beyond me.
Still, Devil Doll is a pretty good horror film unriffed as well.
I would say Hugo looks more like a Mod than a Rocker.
“You ugly little dummy.” What more can be said. I really like this one a lot. Dark, true, but some really great riffing.
#6 – I know what you mean about William Sylvester calling up the ELUSIVE Mr. Garret. Was that his personal stamp in his movies? I don’t recall that from 2001….
I know it’s a bit childish, but I always lose it when the doctor steps on the creaky floorboard in the hallway, causing Crow to ask “Did he just toot?” I’m giggling just thinking about it.
I love all the petty banter between Hugo and Vorelli at the party. Much like the whole premise of his stage act, is this REALLY entertaining to his audience? “I want some wine give me some wine.” “You’re a dummy, Hugo.” Great stuff.
On a side note, I like to quote this episode during Holiday meals. “You think he likes ham. Wait till you see ME like ham.” Nobody ever gets it, and I never explain it.
My copy of this, I accidentally recorded over a chunk of the third movie segment. So a DVD release would make me quite happy.
Man. Imagine the road show if Vorelli and Carlo Lombardi teamed up. EXCITEMENT AHOY, let me tell you.
Ah, the last episode in both season 8 and in the series’ order that I have not seen. Can’t wait for Neptune Men next week.
The third host segment marks the point at which I realized I loved this show. “Bite me, I’m a toaster strudel!”
The delightful second part of our three-part salute to William Sylvester, and the first of our Bryant Haliday double feature. Fun all around.
It’s good. Admittedly it drags at times but still a good episode. Movie’s fine, I’ve never been one for evil dummies but M&TB do a good job with it. The host segments are good. I especially love Servo as a toaster strudel.
The Fawlty Towers reference Sampo mentioned is the first one I can think of since The Brain that Wouldn’t Die.
Oh, and he wasn’t a colonel, he was a major.
This is hands-down one of my favorite MST3K eps, and one which I wish would come out on DVD already (especially since my tape is wearing out). DEBBIIIIIIIIIE! is a fantastic sketch, and Pitch is always a delight. As for the movie, I love how much mileage they get out of Heywood Floyd’s chain-smoking, and I can’t think of ham anymore without grinning like a silly person.
By the way, Devil Doll is the 8th of 10 Mistied films from England. Still to come: The Projected Man and Gorgo.
>>>He’s uncovered this awesome power, the ability to transfer souls
Well, yeah, but only into PUPPETS. How many people really want to turn into puppets?
Hugo’s the one who managed to switch two souls at once, instead of one soul and the null/void of a puppet, and even then one soul still ended up in a puppet. There’s work to be done yet…
Also, in my most recent watching of this episode, I thought that Kevin was singing a filk of Death of a Salesman, what with “eat the fruit and throw away the rind.” Then I looked up the actual answer and was deeply embarassed.
Re #15 Beth – me too! If I walked into my house when I knew no one was home…and there was a ventriloquist’s dummy sitting in my kitchen or something….I would run screaming out the door at the speed of light. I saw “Magic” when I was about 10 years old and it ruined me. I am now 40 and these things still freak me out.
Having said that…I do like this episode, much more than I thought I would. Hell, i didn’t think I’d be able to get thru it at all due to my phobia. But M&TB are just so freaking funny, they helped me ignore the creepy doll. Still gave me the heebs, though.
And for the record…I freaking HATE “Child’s Play.” I hope Chuckie gets wood-boring worms.
Probably the worst episode of the 8th season and I’m not forgetting The Leech Woman and The She Creature. In fact this is one of the very few MST3K episodes I’ve never watched more than once.
Bryant Haliday deserves a lot of the blame–maybe. I suppose it could be the direction and not his acting that are responsible for his performance. Whatever the reason, Haliday plays the entire movie with the same two facial expressions and the same monochromatic delivery which sounds like every word is separated with a full stop. Whether he’s supposed to be seductive or scared Haliday looks and sounds exactly the same. Maybe he was really a life-sized dummy? I’m with the War of the Colossal MST3K Fan Guide here. Hedonism, the way Vorelli practices it, seems like a depressing chore. So is riffing this mess.
Why would Vorelli’s act get audiences and applause? When he isn’t hypnotizing people into thinking they’re about to be killed he’s spending the bulk of his time heaping insults in a flat monotone on a ventriloquist’s dummy. This doesn’t exactly shout “Entertainment” to me but everyone in the movie is wowed, so much so that it gives the pathetic excuse of a hero some pathetic excuse for a plot.
“Hmm, wonder if Paul and Linda got that pot yet?”
“Well, we took the pipe again,” “Oh, did we take the pipe,” “Here’s the pipe, you take it.” (Does this mean what I think it means?)
“I command you to shake that money-maker!”
In relation to our recent weekend discussion topic, this film features a character, The Great Vorelli, who has a lousy attitude towards women. But the film and film-maker (Lindsay Shonteff) do not. They portray Vorelli as a jerk, while heroine Yvonne Romain (mrrrowr!) repeatedly warns her erstwhile hero/boyfriend William Sylvester that she (to paraphrase Star Wars) “has a bad feeling about this.” Vorelli’s female ass-baring assistant Magda is also sympathetic, witness to her master’s newest conquest with a fear for her own usefulness to him. i used to find this episode dull because of its oppressive atmosphere, but now I enjoy the levity Mike & the Bots add to this dark experience.
Bryant Halliday plays an excellent arrogant douchebag, which he pulled off less well in Season Nine’s opener “The Projected Man”, which is a lesser film anyways. “Devil Doll” actually works as a movie (I’ve seen it unriffed) and is even creepier without the MST3K treatment. And anyone who hasn’t seen Yvonne Romain in Hammer’s “The Curse of the Werewolf” starring Oliver Reed (he of the epic liver) should remedy that right now.
Surveying various MST web-critics ratings of this episode, opinions vary from A- to D+. Sampo’s Theorem in action, I’d say….
“Did I just see someone walk in and paw my puppet?”
After watching this episode again I have concluded that the Great Vorelli is the single most repulsive villain in any MSTed movie. He makes Carlo Lombardi look kind and gentle.
I like the riffing, but this is one of those cases where the movie brings things down for me, like The Beast of Yucca Flats. The goofy host segments help, though. Paul Chaplin, once again, does a great job as Pitch. Bill’s version of Crow really does shine in this episode. I couldn’t Trace’s Crow doing what this Crow does. “A dummy who will never have ham. At least not unless he gets it himself. In fact, you can’t have any luncheon meats. Not bologna or thirrenger. Not even cotto salami.”
The Roman Times segments are okay, but not as good as in the last episode.
I, personally, don’t care for the movie too much. It’s very, very dark. And it falls into the classic movie trap of having a protagonist who doesn’t really do anything. He just kind of stumbles into stuff, and, through sheer luck, comes out ahead, in the end.
Vorelli is actually my favorite part of the movie. Everything that comes out of his mouth is so random, it’s hilarious. And I think he’s supposed to be menacing, but I never got that. Just hilarity.
That being said, the riffing is great. Mike and The Bots work this one over, pretty well. And it’s good times.
But, it’s the host segments that sell it for me. Especially, Crow and DEEEBIIIIEEEE! I especially like Mike’s reaction to it all. “Give me your keys. Wait, what am I saying?”
And then, Crow berating Hugo-Mike at the end is hilarious.
I think I may actually go as far as to say that Crow is the real star of this episode.
Drink the blood of the virgin!!
I love it when they say a line and it looks like that is exactly what the person is thinking. The “paw my puppet” riff is one of those lines and it cracks me up even just thinking about it.
Finnias Jones: I have ‘Curse of the Werewolf’ but haven’t watched it in a long time. I’ll have to watch it again. You want to talk about ham, Oliver Reed was hammier than any sandwich Hugo was ever taunted with.
Two things that happen to me because of this film:
To paraphrase: “Hugo you’re a dummy stuffed with sawdust.” Everytime I’m around any lumber being cut and spy sawdust, this line pops in my head.
Plus: “They’ll be no ham, no luncheon meats…”
When in Meijer (or any grocery store) and I purchase processed Ham (for the cats) this line pops in my head.
It is difficult to explain this- in light of not being to afford therapy at this moment, this post will do to nurse my mstie sickness.
I constantly non-sequitor, “I punched a window in for you, baby,” because of this movie. Seriously, for no reason what so ever, I’ll say it in a drunken slur.
That and the closing host segment of Crow just rambling his insane taunts are hallarious.
The riffing is absolutely top notch transfering from flat out jokes to commenting on just how creepy the movie is.
Favorite Riff:
Tom – “Sold Out”? Must have run out of “Cancelled” stickers.
#34 – Don’t forget the Deadly Bees!
Joseph Nebus, #10, I’m glad you mentioned the Lionel Barry movie of the same name. I was lucky enough to catch it one morning on TCM, and was hooked…far superior to this version of Devil Doll (and, hey: Lionel Barrymore). Also, was going to answer your question about evil ventriloqual figures, but Roman Martel beat me to it w/the Buffy ep and its demon-hunting ventriloquist’s dummy. Everyone is so on the ball today!
Decent ep, not one of my favorites, but watchable for the host segments & some fine riffing.
#5 – Well, yeah, but only into PUPPETS. How many people really want to turn into puppets?
Well, we’ve only seen him do it with *A* puppet. I can’t imagine it’d be much harder to try it with, say, a Foreman Grill, let alone another body. (And how’d Hugo figure that out, anyway?)
And why are we trying to figure this out?
Why are there clouds in space?
Daddy, what’s Vietnam?
I like two things that the ‘bots say to Mike in the theater. One is early into the movie, in reference to puppets turning against their master.
Servo: “It may. Soon.”
The second one is at the end.
Crow: “Why don’t you give us ham?”
Speaking of ends, I think the stinger should have been the shot of Vorelli fixing his false beard. I don’t know why the dummy getting up and walking is supposed to be odd? We already saw him walking. Mike and the ‘bots are genuinely surprised when the see Vorelli lift part of his beard and apply spirit gum to his skin.
“All I want is my fair share! All I want is what’s coming to me!”
For the stinger, I would have used the “professional dancer” twisting with Marianne, or maybe Hugo begging for wine. Ugly little dummy.
#45 – Thanks! Make that 11 British films.
#39, I always thought the pipe referenced in lines like “boy did we take the pipe” meant a gas pipe, i.e. their performance was comparable to killing themselves. Are there other interpretations?
This episode was on a lot during the Saturday morning Scifi run. I like the part where Crow is reciting the marketing description of the window he’s bought, and Mike at one point says, “That’s a nice feature” before he catches himself.
Here are the 11 British films:
K09 – Phase IV
K10 – Cosmic Princess
K18 – The Million Eyes of Su-Maru
101 – The Crawling Eye
111 – Moon Zero Two
323 – The Castle of Fu Manchu
416 – Fire Maidens of Outer Space
818 – Devil Doll
901 – The Projected Man
905 – The Deadly Bees
909 – Gorgo
When Vorelli is first doing his transference practice, on his assistant in the flashback, it was just begging for Mike to say, in his best Vorelli, “Do you think I’m Dale?”
Oh, and for the record, I love the SOL segments of this episode. Bill’s Crow, as the drunken frat-boy, is great, and the whole Debbie bit was hilarious. Mike laughing at Crow, and his bandaged hand, was a nice change. Much better having Tom be upset about the window, and not Mike, as we usually see, when the Bots use his credit card to order expensive items.
Still, how was that window paid for? Hmmm…
It’s double hung!
Clean it from the inside? Well, that’s a nice feature….
#53: _Phase IV_ isn’t British. It takes place in an Arizona desert, for one thing.
(If you didn’t wanna play with the ants, why did you go over to their house?)
As other have said, this is a dark film… eesh. I like the episode, though. Well, I’m still no fan of the Roman Times stuff, but all the other host segs are good.
#57: Phase IV was a British film. It was made by Alced productions which is based in London. The interiors were shot at Pinewood Studios in London, and most of the actors and crew are British. The film takes place in America, and was released by Paramount, but is a British-made film.
Like this episode just because the movie is really dark. And of course the lucheon meats and the not leaving alone of robert denby.
Very dreary British film. Heywood Floyd just can’t prop up a film by himself and Hugo is no replacement for a star baby. Depressed villain Vorelli just can’t seem to come up with any effective evil use of his amazing powers rather than abusing a dummy. Which makes it even sadder.
Riffing was okay. Host segments were okay. Overall an okay episode. Okay?
#54
I would imagine the bots used the Wayback Machine to go from Roman Times to travel forward to muse Mike’s credit cards and order stuff. Brain Guy could whip up some gold bullion to pay off Mike’s everincreasing debt (and they haven’t even gotten to TS’s fetish for PPTV thank you gifts).
Make that use (not muse
) Mike’s credit cards
And, of course, their Wayback Machine is the one used to go to the cheese coop, etc.
I thought “take the pipe” was maybe a British expression meaning essentially the same thing as “we really bombed out there.”
“Modern architecture: efficient and beauty-free!” “How many hours have rotary phones added to movies over the years?” “Thrill as he doesn’t talk and I don’t move my lips!” A great episode. “I’m the god of quit yapping and get on with it!” “The god of Brevity!” Contrary to popular opinion, I loved the Roman Times stuff. Of course, I liked the whole Endless Chase stuff much better than Castle Forrester, but that’s just me…
As I’ve noted before the Brains do their best with “dark” movies but ultimately it drags down their best efforts. Not that there isn’t some good material to work with on this one, I mean, the premise is absurd, but ultimately the plodding plot and dark themes makes it a tough slog.
Just on the point of the story line host segments in general: Over all I liked them and think they helped add a lot of emotion to the characters and in the end made the last episode all the more touching.
#10 Jay Johnson and his little wooden friend on “SOAP” were a little crazy, but otherwise non-evil members of the Campbell family.
Ronn Lucas played a non-evil ventriloquist once or twice on “Night Court”.
On the flip side of the same coin, David Strassman has been mining the “evil soul stealing dummy” stereotype in his stage act for years!
One thought that keeps coming back to me as I think about Devil Doll is just how creepy Bill is as the Great Vorelli. Much like he does later on in Bloodwaters of Dr Z, he brings a real sense of menace to his performance. The way he says the word bologna (ba-lone-ya) is truly chilling.
One of the few episodes that I actively avoided watching again, although I did watch it a couple of days ago and quite enjoyed it(IN THEATER). May bust it out more often.
“I always enjoy when some alteration of a character from a host segment continues into the theater, as it does in this episode, where Servo the toaster strudel riffs for an entire segment.”
I actually cant stand when they do this. I feel like it distracts from the riffing which should be the main focus. Toaster Strudel Servo is very cute, though.
And for anyone wanting this on (non-official)DVD check out DAPCentral. You have to use torrents but it’s totally worth it, until they’re officially released.
I am fairly certain that you will find that ‘Taking the Pipe’ is synonomus ( literally ) with ‘Sucking’. Said ‘pipe’ being well… I won’t draw you a picture, but you can use your imaginaton
After “Dog and Bear”, Crow’s version of Vorelli is Bill’s best Crow moment. “You ugly little dummy. A dummy who will never have ham, because too much of it will make the sawdust in your stomach explode.”
Sampo: Heller in Pink Tights may be a better known film that you think. Though not much admired, it certainly has some pedigree: Goerge Cukor directing Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn, from a novel by Louis L’Amour.
For some reason I’ve ‘always’ known of it’s existence, I seem to remeber it running on TV a lot in the 70′s.
Dark episode but I loved it. Torturing thralls with hypnosis was a very dark twist indeed but it was all made better by the audience’s laughter and applause! Vorelli was definately in need of that show biz agent that Lombardi had. Also, I am Italian and despite the fact that all evil hypnotists have italian names, (Estrella, Lombardi, Vorelli)I do not know of any Italian that is a hypnotist or is in possession of a demon doll (mortal sin).
Roman times segs debate-I see what folks mean when they say the Roman skits are flat in some spots but I think Bridgett saves the day for them. I had hoped that Bridgett was featured more frequently. She and Mary Jo had great chem and hoped that they would write her an ongoing character sort of a “Frank” to her Pearl.
I liked the host segs and thought the riffing was extra sharp, puppet haters comment gives me the stiches. I give this a 4.75.
Puppets? Where are the puppets? I ain’t see no puppets?
What I love about Mike is his display of comedy strength through some of the most low-key deliveries ever. For instance, when Mark phones Marianne, we get to sit through the laborious dialing process plus the even longer wait time for someone to answer. Mark finally inquires, “Hello. May I please speak with Marianne?” (Long pause). Mike as Mark: “Um…Uh are you still thinking about whether I can speak to Marianne?”.
@#50 – Yes! I always liked that riff.
I think one commenter once compared the aesthetic of San Francisco International to an orange-brown sludge all over the print. I would posit Devil Doll, She Creature and a few others suffered the same malady in grayscale.
This print looks so gry and washed out that it’s hard to tell what’s going on at times.
A dreary, ugly little film livened by some great riffing. “Go on, drink the blood of the virgin! Or am I coming off as creepy?” “I have here an expert in modern dance. Would you rather see that?” “Hugo…you’re going to die. ‘Of course, at that point, there were a few hints…’” “We love your cruelty!” And, of course, “You think he likes ham! Wait until you see me like ham!”
As to the sketches…I enjoyed seeing Bridget play an evil character. She always seemed to have the perky, happy roles, so it was nice to see her play against type. (And of course, more specific to this episode, Paul Chaplin _is_ Pitch. Man nails that part every time.)
good god….Barrymore, Barrymore, Barrymore…I want my pretty mind back! Oh, wait, wrong ep…
My favorite riffs:
“I can’t understand why they called this the Wacky Fun Time Review.”
“Ah! Modern architecture. Efficient and beauty free.”
“The puppet haters society approves.”
“The other day I said the word ‘damn’.”
“A man who has never eaten a vegetable in his life.”
“I’ve seen baptists who can dance better than her.”
“I’m driving with my MIIIIIINNNND!”
“If this guy could juggle he’d rule England.”
And of course “Look. Theres no God. No. Not a single solitary god. All goodness and joy in the universe just died.”
An okay episode which, as many have pointed out, drags a bit. The drab greyness of the film starts to take it’s toll on one’s soul. And Vorelli is just plain gross; his sallow visage and rasping voice likens him to some sort of half-decayed, undead ghoul. As #39 argues, and as I’ve mentioned before, it is utterly implausible for an audience to greet Vorelli’s tepid on-stage performance with thunderous applause. No one is that starved for entertainment. Out of a cast of thoroughly gross characters, I guess Marianne is the “best” character.
My favorite riff: “You think you like wine? Wait until you see me like wine.”
I hate to be picky, especially since I don’t like the “Roman Times” stuff either, but Callipygean is from Greek kallipygos, from kalli- + pyg? , meaning “beautiful buttocks”. Not Latin.
I really, really hate this episode. It’s not that the theater riffs weren’t funny, they were. It’s not that the host segments weren’t good, they were.
It’s the scene where Vorelli hypnotizes and rapes the heroine. It’s so prolonged and disgusting and just dripping with oil and filth that even Mike and the Bots can’t save it. I guess I could watch it and fast-forward through that scene, but man, it really brings the whole thing down for me.
You know, that really is an ugly little doll.
Debbie?
#84 I hate to be picky, especially since I don’t like the “Roman Times” stuff either, but Callipygean is from Greek kallipygos, from kalli- + pyg? , meaning “beautiful buttocks”. Not Latin.
You’re absolutely right, although that wouldn’t forbid some transliteration of the word popping up as a “Greek loan word”, to employ a euphemism.
One of the weirdest most bizzare(but funnist) experiments.
I just finished watching “2001″ a little while ago tonight. I can only see Heywood Floyd as the “guy from Devil Doll” now! AAARG!
no ham for you!
PS:
I guess if you get the “original” version of this you get to see “butt ladies” gazongas for about a second (during the “time hiccup”)
segment. Was back when brit film allowed such nonsense for their “certificate X” movies.
This is the kind of episode I feel was tailor-made for Bill’s Crow. I really can’t see Trace’s take on the character slowly twisting into a Satanic soul-transferring ham-taunter, but it works perfectly here.
I hate to be picky, especially since I don’t like the “Roman Times” stuff either, but Callipygean is from Greek kallipygos, from kalli- + pyg? , meaning “beautiful buttocks”. Not Latin.
__________
OK, probably true, but I’m willing to bet the word came into English via Latin ;^)
OH MY GAWD! DEVIL DOLL! This is one of my personal “lost episodes”. Either I didn’t record it at all when I saw it or it’s on VHS somewhere. BTW, follows an account of her life and death:
http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/c/Sadiecorre/sadie.htm
Oh wow, I had never noticed that one Transylvanian was Hugo!
Bill has certain…dark…qualities that manifest now and again that Trace hasn’t imagined. Not that I’m knocking Trace. I LOVE Dr. F and sort-of identify with him a bit.
For anyone who cares, here’s an excerpt from the Word Detective column whioch gives an explanation of the original ventriloquists (which, interestingly enough, involves Ancient Rome):
It was believed by the Ancient Greeks (who called the phenomenon “eggastrimuthos”) and Romans that noises emanating from a person’s belly could be the voices of the spirits of the dead or, in the worst-case scenario, a sign of demonic possession. A “ventriloquist” (later called a “gastromancer”) was a seer or psychic who interpreted the sounds coming from the person’s abdomen and, depending on the supposed source, passed along predictions of the future, messages from great-grandma, or bad news about the spiritual future of the patient.
a four star for me – good but not great.
that said “debbie” is one of my favorite sol bits – “you don’t even know anyone named debbie!”
agree with the assessment of the ’36 barrymore DD – good movie!
I recently got the dvd set with the ’36 Devil Doll on it along with a slew of other great old horror films….at the local thrift store. I don’t know what gets into some people. While I haven’t watched it yet, the set has one of my all-time favorites – Mad Love starring Peter Lorre. He’s supremely creepy as Dr. Gogol.
Too dark? Come on, that’s what makes this ep great! In fact, my fav moments are all pretty dark and include the Hugo “molesting” scene and the climax of the film. There’s something I really like about this gray drab film as well, and the riffing is consistent.
There is also a song by X called
Doll, but it has nothing to do with either of the films. Just thought I’d throw that in here…
Hotchka! I forgot my grade!
A-
This is one of my “addicted to” episodes. I never, ever get tired of it. I don’t know why;
most of my repeat and repeat episodes aren’t the classic favorite ones.
“Butt lady! Butt lady!”
>>>This is the kind of episode I feel was tailor-made for Bill’s Crow.
Well, it’s more of an MST3K SCRIPT tailor-made for Bill’s Crow. If Trace had been one of the scriptwriters, writing it to suit HIS Crow characterization, a different script would’ve resulted.
If things were different, they wouldn’t be the same.
True, but I meant made for Bill in regards to a darker movie, therefore enabling them for darker host segments (where his darker interpretation of Crow could, uh, shine). Trace’s quirkier sensibilities would have never given us soul transferring Crow (nor the DEBBIE! sketch), and that’s why I feel this is the episode where you could really begin to appreciate the difference between the two.
#98
There’s also a Devil Doll song by the Misfits that is loosely inspired by the movie (like a LOT of their songs) and ranks in my top 5 favorite Graves-era songs. It was originally a B side from Famous Monsters but is readily available on the Cuts From the Crypt album.
Very good (not great, but very good) episode. Not a big fan of Roman Times.
Favorite riff: following the hypnosis-execution…”I guess it was a mistake to call this the Wacky Fun-Time Review”
I really like this episode. But I have never known what the deal was with the false beard.
Anyone? What did we miss?
“the false beard”
Everyone has their inexplicable quirks, I guess…
Too bad they didn’t give Hugo any beard jokes.
“You know, Vorelli, I’m still waitin’ for MY beard! I’ve got seniority over Ms. No-Pants there!”
(upon being “introduced” to the female dummy) “Oh, and I suppose SHE gets a beard right away…”
(after trading bodies with Vorelli) “You know, having a beard isn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be.”
My thought about showing that the beard was false was to reinforce the idea that Vorelli is not to be trusted, that he is not what he seems.
Ahhh, ham! I love it!
If I may post again? This movie is indeeed dark and dreary, but still an enjoyable movie. For a really almost intolerable movie, take a look at “Hamlet”. Now you know what I mean.
Fathermushroom @ 105-Hypnotists back in the day copied Svengali who was the most famous/infamous hypnotist at that time. The beard is essentially ‘window dressing’ to sell the mysterious ability of the hypnotist. Also, all the truly evil hypno-practioners in MST movies all have facial hair like Vorelli, Lombardi and Estrella.
I completely forgot to note: In the window party opening, Crow’s wearing an Atlanta Braves hat. GO BRAVES!
Wonder why it wasn’t a Twins hat.
Fart Bargo says:
December 12th, 2009 at 9:09 am
“Fathermushroom @ 105-Hypnotists back in the day copied Svengali who was the most famous/infamous hypnotist at that time. The beard is essentially ‘window dressing’ to sell the mysterious ability of the hypnotist. Also, all the truly evil hypno-practioners in MST movies all have facial hair like Vorelli, Lombardi and Estrella.”
And Neil Connery. Although not evil, probably the only good guy hypnotist in movie history, he was still creepy.
#92 Rich how weird. this is a lost ep for me too. i know i saw and recorded it, but have not been able to locate the copy. i just remember the creepy doll.
One of those episodes like Red Zone Cuba and Blood Waters of Dr. Z that I didnt care for at first, but afterwards and still today I consider one the best riffed episodes of the series.
I can watch this anytime and often yet still laugh all the way through it.
They were firing on all cylinders with this one.
I rate it a 5 and one of my top 25 episodes.
It is dark and dreary, but it stimulates my senses in a way Hamlet did not. It’s the dummy, sometimes cute, sometimes evil, the lady with her rumproast hanging out, the superlative “Debbie” thing.
Through 115 posts, I have not yet noticed the one riff that I remember every week. Being a regular watcher of “This Week”, with George Devildollpolis, (who looks incredibly like Hugo), I am forever brought back to this episode. I’m not sure whether it makes me like it better, or not.
@111 – I forgot the Braves hat too. That made me very happy, tho it was completely random!
Man, I love this ep. I got amused this morning thinking of the long shot of Hugo when Mike is making the “contented dummy sigh” sound.
I’ve seen people before really down on this one, great to see that isn’t so much the case here!
I come back to this one quite a lot! While the grim, ugly nature does make it drag at times, there’s a lot of inspired lunacy here.
And I think it even deserves a little credit…I find some of it quite creepy, mainly due to the Halliday’s bitter, abusive Vorelli and that resonating soundless gong kind of noise used during his stage act. Kind of unsettling.
“Drink the blood of the VIRGIN!”
“Did someone just paw my puppet!”
“Memories…” *thud* *thud* “…from the corners of my mind…” *thud*
And Crow doing that little pissed-off reaction for Hugo during the fight. “C’mere!”