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Episode guide: 910- The Final Sacrifice

Movie: (1990) Searching for his long-lost father, a teen runs afoul of a devil-worshiping cult, then teams up with a beer-guzzling drifter.

First shown: 7/25/98
Opening: With the power shut down, the bots go looting
Intro: Pearl decides to rule the world…one person at a time
Host segment 1: Servo’s song–a tribute to Canada–goes horribly wrong
Host segment 2: Everybody (but Mike) contracts Hockey Hair
Host segment 3: Mike comes down with a case of Grizzled Old Prospector Syndrome
End: The bots have formed a muffiny cult; Pearl has another victim
Stinger: “Rowsdower…?”
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (360 votes, average: 4.68 out of 5)

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• This is one of the Sci-Fi era’s best. The riffing is rock solid, the movie is mindbogglingly dopey and most of the segments are good fun.
• This episode is included in Shout’s Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Vol. XVII.
• The Shout disk, by the way, has a fascinating interview with the guy who played Zap Rowsdower, in which he reveals that he had not seen this episode! I hope the Shout people gave him one!
• Mary Jo offers her thoughts on this episode here.
• That’s Peter Rudrud, in his only on-camera role, as Todd Gunderson
• Not a big fan of the opening or intro segments. Both ideas sort of peter out.
• Segment 1 became an instant classic. Hard on its heels came South Park’s “Blame Canada,” and there really was a (jokingly) anti-Canada vibe going on for a while there. I recall Canadian fans (who were getting episodes shipped to them by fans in the states, since the show never aired there) desperate for details of the song as discussions began online immediately after the show.
• Speaking of blaming Canada, M&tB found the phrase “Lemon Mine” amusing but it’s a thing, a Canadian thing.
• Segment 2 is another winner, a funny idea mined for just enough laughs, that doesn’t overstay its welcome.
• Crow and Tom still have hockey hair when they return to the theater.
• One of the things I love about this episode is the way the movie just keeps giving them stuff to work with. Just when you think they were running out of Rowsdower jokes, the grizzled old guy arrives. Oooh, it’s comedy gold, consarn it!
• Callback: “A worwilf!”
• Segment 3 extends the premise of segment 2 very nicely. Mike really seems to enjoy that beard.
• Another highlight of the episode: Tom sings the Rowsdower song during the credits, while Crow attempts to pitch “Final Sacrifice: The Series.” Clearly written by somebody who has suffered through meetings like this.
• I actually like the closing bit in the castle, especially Paul as willing — and hungry — thrall Carl. I especially like the way he very comfortably calls Pearl “my liege.”
• Cast and crew roundup: nobody.
• CreditsWatch: Directed by Kevin. Mary Jo returns to the writing room after her trip to the West Coast.
• Fave riff: “Dear Counselor Troi: I waited at Denny’s but you didn’t meet me!” Honorable mention: “I wonder if they have beer on the sun?”

254 Replies to “Episode guide: 910- The Final Sacrifice”

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  1. I noticed something: Troy is dressed like Gilligan throughout the entire movie, but nobody makes a riff out of it.

       2 likes

  2. Big McLargeHuge says:

    #98–Oh come on, that’s a bit unfair. I really like Bill Corbett as Crow, as well as on Rifftrax. I think he’s hilarious! He’s certainly funnier than J Elvis Weinstein (all due respect to one MST3K’s founding fathers).

    This is a great episode. I watched the Bruce Mitchell interview on the DVD, and he seems like a really good guy–and although it isn’t saying much, he really outacts everyone else in the film.

    I always wondered if Satoris’s voice was real or digitally altered somehow. It doesn’t seem dubbed, but then again, that voice just doesn’t sound like it should come from that mouth. It should be Clancy Brown or James Earl Jones.

       1 likes

  3. Shaun says:

    This was the first episode I saw (although I watched MST3k:The Movie on HBO; I knew nothing about the characters or that it was even a series.) Heard about the show online years later and set the VCR for Saturday morning. I watched it 3 times that night and was a fan for life. Very cool that they interviewed Rowsdower for the DVD.

       0 likes

  4. monoceros4 says:

    #95: “Too many Larry Csonka riffs? It’s actually fairly brief, quite funny as it leads to all kinds of Miami Dolphins jokes, and is no more obscure than the many Gene Krupa references from older days. How many people under 80 know who that guy is, lol?”

    There’s some bit from the show “Freaks and Geeks” where the father comes in on his son spazzing out to one of Neil Peart’s drum solos (another Rush reference! hurr) and makes him listen to a recording of Gene Krupa to see where Peart got it. (One of the places he got it, anyway.)

    But, yeah, there are a lot of heavily-repeated riffs in Joel’s episodes too. They got a bit old, maybe, but such a minor annoyance! How many times did Crow say “Again?” when someone addressed Rocky in the Fugitive Alien movies? And that wasn’t Bill “can’t riff to save his life :roll:” Corbett’s Crow either. Man, I guess everyone has to have a pet hatred or two, but jeez.

       5 likes

  5. M "STAAAAYYYY!!" Sipher says:

    #102 monoceros4: Let us not forget “Jim Henson’s ______ Babies”. Or “Oh, is the great ________ going to ________?”

       1 likes

  6. M "By This Time My Lungs Were Aching For Air" Sipher says:

    Oh yeah… I should also point out that the lines were written by a team of people larger than the number of on-screen riffers, and then assigned to the characters semi-randomly. Mr. Corbett didn’t write only his lines, Nelson only his own, and Murphy only his own.

       5 likes

  7. Kevin says:

    SERVO: “I’m sorry, I have no sense of proportion…”

    ~LMFAO :lol:

       2 likes

  8. Mac aka:afriendlychicken says:

    #104: You’re correct. There seems to be a lot of confusion on how the show was actually written. All you have to do is watch the MST3K Scrapbook for the answer. It was written by committee, so everyone was involved. They all sat down, watched the films, threw out lines, and wrote the best ones down. They then assigned Mike, from season two onwards, to decide who spoke what lines. So, if Bill comes off that way, it’s because that’s the way they wanted him, too. He was the new member and his Crow was new, in a sense reborn, so he was ‘learning’ how to interact all over again. I think that’s actually brilliant, and very well thought out, on their part. I missed Trace immensely, but Bill did a perfectly fine job at being Crow.

    There, I’ve come to Bill’s defense. Always will. He’s part of the MST3K family, like Josh!

       7 likes

  9. Kevin says:

    And by the way, I HATES’ that Rabbit!

       2 likes

  10. Slager says:

    Faaaavorite episode of all time. This is the one that got me hooked. That’s all I have to say!

       1 likes

  11. Cabbage Patch Elvis says:

    Have a drink on me, tattoo.

       0 likes

  12. EricJ says:

    #100 – Bill has the occasional easy movie riff, but seems to keep falling back on the same two “defaults”:
    1) Reciting 70’s-song lyrics as facetious dialogue, and 2) Making generic drive-by comments about the movie being bad, largely apropos of nothing. (“Y’know, guys, I finally figured out something that sucks?–This movie.”)
    And let’s not even get into the “Attic-a, attic-a!” joke from “Werewolf”…You get the sense that Bill was so excited about being promoted to what the Other Guys were doing, he’s trying desperately to fill somebody’s shoes with old favorites, without any of his own sense of when to STOP doing them.

       1 likes

  13. mikek says:

    I think Crow just got a lot of the deliberately bad riffs. Those kind of riffs were nothing new to MST3K.

       1 likes

  14. M "By This Time My Lungs Were Aching For Air" Sipher says:

    #112: You’re really, really reaching. Especially since, once again, that is not how MST3K is written.

       11 likes

  15. Mac aka:afriendlychicken says:

    I agree with #114. And that’s coming from someone who likes the CC era, and especially Trace, more. Bill could riff really well. So could Josh; it was his acting, as Dr. Erhardt, that most complain about. Everyone, ever, involved in this show, had talent of some sort. I think what you’re complaining about is the series simply trying to keep Crow’s character consistent, instead of changing it entirely when Bill took over. So, it does ‘seem’ like he’s imitating at times. What else could he have done with a character that already existed?

       6 likes

  16. Garth Arizona says:

    #112. We get it-you hate Bill Corbett. Move on.

       11 likes

  17. One of my favorite eps, bar none. Riffing is 5 stars from start to finish. It was incredible to see how much Mike and the bots abused Troy and Rowsdower.

    “How many geeks does it take to screw in a light bulb?”
    “Sex: Male. See, I AM!”
    “He’s just poured into that sweater.”
    “Some people can really pull off leggings.”
    All of the grunts assigned to Troy.
    “My glee club will come looking for me.”
    “Well, swing choir ain’t gonna rehearse itself…”
    “Wow, nobody *ever* calls me!”

    And some of my faves from Rowsdower’s expense…

    “I used to give plasma, ya might know me from that!”
    “Didn’t Barbara Mandrell have hair like his at one point?”
    “Look into your heart, eh?” <- one of the thugs beating him up.
    "Ah, I knew there was an upside to being an alcoholic!"
    "I wonder if there's beer on the sun."
    "Hey I got 89 cents worth a' cans back der!"
    "Give up your hockey hair!"
    "He got to third base with himself!"

    Oh yeah, and I just have to second the hilarity of one of the most dirty riffs I've seen, "Had a hard time saddlin' up the Mrs." from Pipper.

    The woman in Rowsdower's truck, apparently is Bruce Mitchell's real wife. I don't remember where I saw that interview info, but someone did an interview with Bruce (which is why there's info filled out for him on IMDB too). Don't know where the interview came from but I think it's referenced in comments above.

       3 likes

  18. Pixiesnix says:

    Maybe Bill Corbett killed EricJ’s father and ran over his dog.

       7 likes

  19. Pixiesnix says:

    Something I’ve wondered about in this episode…if Troy’s father is dead and Mrs. Costanza is raising him, where’s his mother?

    Also, the bit about Troy’s schoolmates stringing him up the flag pole and magic-markering his weenie seems like it came from the writers’ real-life experiences.

       0 likes

  20. Chief?McCloud! says:

    “Well, swing choir ain’t gonna rehearse itself”
    “My Hawkwind album cover will help”
    “Wait! I was gonna sing something from Bone Machine”

    Like others mentioned before, the anticipation of a Red Green riff was killing me! Good old Opposum Lodge!

       1 likes

  21. Mac aka:afriendlychicken says:

    #102 How am I being unfair? All I stated was everything after season one was good. So, because I think the majority of the shows run is really good makes it unfair to Bill Corbett? :smile: I never stated Josh was better then Bill, because he wasn’t. Josh was a 17 or 18 year old ‘boy’ at the time he was on the show, so I do give him the benefit of the doubt. Or did you type the wrong number? ;-)

       1 likes

  22. Jose Chung says:

    I think this episode features the first Captain Crunch Treasure Map joke.

    “Let me consult my Captain Crunch treasure map.”

       1 likes

  23. Why is this episode (which is almost universally loved) starting to turn into a “Joel v. Mike” war (albeit with Trace and Bill substituting)? Haven’t we all made peace with that? Can’t we just let it go?

    I think we can all agree that MST3K was great, and that not every show hit everyone the same way. But starting the “bad old days” is just stupid (and, if Sampo is paying attention, will cause these comments to get locked). We all have favorite episodes, and we all have favorite characters, and the nice thing is no one is paying you to watch the stuff you don’t want to watch.

    There might have been a time (“might”) when debating these things made sense — perhaps when the show was on the air and changes were possible a fan base could have had a tiny amount of input — but that time is well past. If you want to complain about something relevant (which could influence how folks spend some money or some such), at least debate Rifftrax versus Cinema Titanic .

       3 likes

  24. And there was supposed to be a smiley face there at the end (shows I should at least preview this comments first. Sigh).

       0 likes

  25. hamilcar says:

    i adore this episode. love the Pipper stuff, but my favorite riff would have to be:

    Rowsdower: “Satoris’ cult ruled this land once.”
    Mike: “They ruled this one acre for about a week… nobody knew.”

       1 likes

  26. Chief?McCloud! says:

    @41: pretty sure the riff is “Pipper digs”. They were archeologists; but, Pippered eggs do sound yummy! :razz: Being helpful, never hurtful. ;-)

    Another gem of a riff, the horse (don’t recall the exact words, so I’ll paraphrase): why couldn’t I have been bought by a seventh grade girl?

       1 likes

  27. GregS says:

    I just crack up every time Mike Pipper shows up; from the “Gordon Lightfoot at home” comment to all of the Yosemite Sam references.

    Priceless!

    And I was shocked to find out that the actor who played Troy was in “Band of Brothers” – although if you blink you’ll miss him!

       3 likes

  28. GregS says:

    …Oh, and the Larry Csonka (?) stuff is hilarious as well.

       1 likes

  29. John Seavey says:

    “That’s an anagram for ‘Direct To Video’.”

    “You brought the face mask…you nut!”

    “You know it’s spring when the executioners start getting in the house.”

    And so many that have already been mentioned. This is one I can always pop in and enjoy.

       2 likes

  30. Mela says:

    The movie is incredibly amusing (for some reason, the “stalking Larry Tzonka” jokes crack me up, especially the rendition of “Possession”), but the “Ode to Canada” host segment is just painful. It’s probably the low point of the Sci-Fi era’s “let’s make fun of the film’s home country” trend and struck me as unnaturally mean-spirited for MST3k (I like rest of the host segments, though, especially the looting one and the hockey hair one). It hurts what should otherwise be in my top five.

    Favorite riff: “Rowsiddy, rowsiddy, Rowsdower… Bibbity bobbity Bowsdower…” I’ve caught myself singing this.

       1 likes

  31. WouldntYouLikeToKnow says:

    Very overrated episode from the overrated era of the show.

       2 likes

  32. Robert Denby says:

    Anyone know what the deal is with the “LEMON MINE” folder? To me it sounds ridiculous, but I’m not sure if it refers to something else entirely?

       0 likes

  33. Fart Bargo says:

    So many great riffs listed, I don’t think there has been as many listed in this blog, at least since I been viewing them. One that always cracked me up that doesn’t seem to be listed was during the opening credits, ‘Mrs Costanza’ is played by Bharaba…-CROW yells out “Bahhhhhh-bar-a, I call illegal use of a consonet!”.

    Re; SciFi vs CC, M vs J, RT vs CT-BASTA!

    I agrees mostly with Mike @123 comments on the extremely juvenile sniping that goes on at times. Respectful disagreements are one thing but some of these posts are middle school level.

    If you must comment on these ‘issues’, please keep it respectful and mature, thanks!

       5 likes

  34. Mela says:

    #133 (Fart Bargo): I agrees mostly with Mike @123 comments on the extremely juvenile sniping that goes on at times. Respectful disagreements are one thing but some of these posts are middle school level.

    If you must comment on these ‘issues’, please keep it respectful and mature, thanks!

    “Respectful and mature” aren’t words that the internet chooses to acknowledge. Still, I’m with you. It would be appreciated.

       5 likes

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

    LEMON MINE UPDATE:

    per Wikipedia, The Lemon Mine is a “lost” mine in Alberta, Canada.

       1 likes

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

    ( as yet unsubstantiated observation : Do episodes-generally-considered-very-good generate more ‘controversy’ on these pages than episodes-generally-considered-kind-of-meh ? I guess that could make some kind of sense, psychologically. )

       0 likes

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

    LEMON MINE UPDATE UPDATE

    wardcameron.com/Writing/Article_01-LostMine.htm

    The Legend of the Lost Lemon Mine
    Skyline Magazine–Winter 1995
    The legend of the Lost Lemon Mine is a tale of discovery, murder and madness. It seems to tap into the adventurer in us all. While many scoff at its promise of untold riches, others have spent their lives trying to unlock the mystery, and the location, of this potential bonanza of gold.

    Like most stories, this tale has grown and changed over the years. The basic tale tells of a group of prospectors who, in 1870, left Tobacco Plains, Montana in search of gold. The plan was to prospect along the North Saskatchewan River, a river which still bears some gold today. Along the way, two prospectors, Blackjack and Lemon, decided to head out on their own.

    Senator Dan Riley was Mayor of the town of High River in 1906. He opened his home to many travelers and frontiersman, and so was privy to endless tales of the wilderness. He was also a close associate of Lafayette French, the man who had originally funded Lemon and Blackjack in their explorations. In 1946, he wrote this account of the legend for the Alberta Folklore Quarterly in 1946:

    “Blackjack and Lemon found likely showings of gold in the river. Following the mountain stream upwards toward the headwaters they discovered rich diggings from grass roots to bedrock. They sank two pits and, while bringing their cayuses in from the picket line, they accidentally discovered the ledge from which the gold came…

    In camp that night the two prospectors got into an argument as to whether they should return in the spring or camp right there. After they had bedded down for the night, Lemon stealthily crawled out of his blankets, seized an axe and split the head of his sleeping partner. Overwhelmed with panic when he realized the enormity of his crime, Lemon built a huge fire and, with his gun beneath his arm, strode to and fro like a caged beast till dawn.”

    Since that time, numerous expeditions have searched for the gold. According to the legend, most of these groups, at least all that came close to finding the gold, met with tragedy. On several occasions, Lemon tried to lead expeditions to the mine, but whenever he approached the area, he got progressively more agitated. In the end, he was never able to rediscover the location of the mine.

    Shortly after Blackjack’s death, which was blamed on renegade Blackfoot Indians, a mountain man named John McDougall was dispatched to bury the unfortunate prospector. This he did, and was later hired to lead a party back to the mine. Unfortunately for the party of miners waiting for McDougall at Crowsnest Lake, he never arrived. On his way to meet them he had stopped at Fort Kipp, Montana and drank himself to death.

    Lafayette French was also determined to find the mine. For many years French searched for the gold and finally it appears that he may have succeeded. He wrote to a friend stating that he had found the mine, but was fatally burned when the cabin in which he was staying burned to the ground. He did not live long enough to share the secret of the mine’s location. The gold had thwarted it’s seekers once again.

    Since then, the story has not died. Throughout the past 125 years, people have been looking for the mine. Traveling through the Crowsnest Pass today, it’s difficult to get locals to talk about the legend. They either scoff at the idea, or refuse to talk about it.

    Many reports have been published trying to re–examine the historical evidence in order to locate the gold. Some reports place it in the Rocky Mountain House area, others along the southern border with Montana. Still others believe that Blackjack and Lemon were little more than hijackers returning from robbing miners in B.C. We don’t even know if the gold actually came from the Alberta side of the divide.

    In the 1930’s, reports of gold in the Livingstone Range, south of Kananaskis Country, caused a small gold rush. An expedition led by George Pocaterra, an experienced trapper and prospector, found the reports to be without foundation. Once again, Lemon’s mine had eluded discovery.

    In general, Alberta is not known for having gold bearing rocks. Gold is more commonly found in “hot rocks”, rocks that were formed by the solidification of molten material. Alberta has very little in the way of volcanic material. British Columbia, on the other hand, has an abundance of these potentially gold bearing rocks.

    Near to Coleman lies a small deposit called the Crowsnest Volcanics. This small outcropping, the only example of lava flows in the area, caused a stir in 1988 when Ron Stewart, a geological technician with the University of Alberta, and later author of the book “Goldrush, The Search for the Lost Lemon Mine”, announced that he had found traces of gold in this formation. Suddenly the newspapers were full of reports that at long last the mystery had been solved.

    The rush was on! Unfortunately, even with some reports as high as .074 ounces of gold per ton of rock, the values were too low to warrant commercial exploitation.

    During the announcements of the ‘discovery’ of the Lost Lemon Mine in 1988, most locals remained skeptical. Mike Czech has prospected in this area since 1949 or 1950. As he put it: “I’ve looked for it, but I’ve never found it, so as far as I’m concerned it’s no story!” Mike plays his cards close to his chest. He doesn’t speak openly about his looking for the mine for so many years, and he doesn’t give interviews. Most prospectors are torn between feeling foolish for following a legend and feeling suspicious about giving away their secrets.

    This year, with the floods, expectations among prospectors were high. I even found a lump of pyrite bearing quartz while I was exploring the area. My hopes were high until Mike Czech deflated me with a quick glance through his ever present magnifying glass—it was only pyrite or Fools Gold.

    Fred Kuhn of Winnipeg, is the most out–going of the prospectors currently exploring the area. He and his wife spend 5 weeks every year looking for the mine. Fred feels that the country north of Coleman is some of the most beautiful country you could ever explore, and anyone prospecting that area is going to “find more gold then two guys can carry…just depends on what you call gold”.

    In the end, Fred concludes: “If I find it, it’s gonna stay lost! I might go up and get the odd nugget or two…but as far as I’m concerned, there’s more appeal in looking for it then probably finding it”.

    I’d have to agree.

       5 likes

  38. Mark D. says:

    .
    .
    .
    “My Rowsdower’s come for me!”
    .
    .
    .

    Thanks for that, “CG”; almost forgot that one !!

    I absolutely LOVE Bill’s joyous/adoring/creepy “delivery” (ala Troy) of that particular riff………GREAT stuff !!! :mrgreen:

       0 likes

  39. Fart Bargo says:

    Mela @134, You’re absolutely correct that the internet does not recognise respectful and maturity. Then again, I realized after I posted my blurb about respect & maturity that the handle I go by is ‘Fart Bargo’ and LMAO! Do as I say, not as I do, cheers!

       1 likes

  40. mikek says:

    I forgot to mention the fun string of “youth group” riffs in this episode regarding Troy.

    “I would love for you to meet the people in my youth group.”

    “This is just like the time I almost missed my ‘Teens Encounter Christ’ bus.”

    “Oh, language camp is far away.”

    “I haven’t been this tense since ‘Mock U.N.'”

    I think there are at least two more, but I’m exactly sure.

       1 likes

  41. This Guy says:

    I never thought the Brains’ hostility toward Canada, Japan, the UK, Italy, etc. was really genuine. Having to watch such movies several times in a short period while having to construct the “filter” of riffing themselves just made them feel angry, I suspect, and they lashed out through comedy. Regarding Canada specifically, I think the closing ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics made it clear that when it comes to the traditional stereotypes, the Canadians are in on the joke.

    #137: So one of Liz Lemon’s ancestors was a 19th-century gold prospector?

       3 likes

  42. JJK says:

    I see from IMDB that this was the only movie that the actor that played Rowsdower ever did. I don’t know if thats surprising or not.

       0 likes

  43. Gummo says:

    Not much to add to what everyone else has said — this was an instant favorite from the first time it aired back in the day, and time has not dimmed its luster.

       3 likes

  44. Mac aka:afriendlychicken says:

    Sorry, guys and gals. :oops: I shouldn’t have responded to some of the snipping. I was just surprised by the vehement ‘hatred’ some have towards the participants of a show they, supposedly, like. I love this show, from KTMA to season 10. That’s why I love the MST3K discussion board. Everyone there is intelligent, funny and kind…most of the time. ;-)

    BTW: I voted 4 stars for this episode. The 3 stars comment is because of Chief? Mcloud?’s post last week on all episodes being at least 3 stars.

    My favorite line is mentioned by #122, “Let me consult my Captain Crunch treasure map.” :smile:

       1 likes

  45. mechagamera says:

    This was one of those episodes that WAS classic when I first viewed it, but after repeated viewings it lost it’s initial charm. The movie is REALLY slow going at first, and Tom nails it on it’s head by saying, “So we’re just watching someone fritter away their afternoon?” The guys can make only so many red sweater, late puberty, Larry Zonka jokes in the first half before it just started to grate on me.

    Once the nutty executioner cult members show up with their spooky voice leader and start beating Rowsdower like a sack of Canadian oatmeal it perks up a bit.

    Actually, I felt that this episode had better host segments than good riffing for the actual movie. I love the Canada song, the bots coming down with hockey hair, even Brain Guy claiming he feels like Guy La Fluer was hilarious.

    Different strokes for different folks I guess. I did think Tom’s weezing for Rowsdower and the cracks about how, “the sides of his heart are blowing out like old tires,” was hysterical.

    Marc

       3 likes

  46. DamonD says:

    Count me in as a huge fan of this one.

    One of the great things is that, for me anyway, The Final Sacrifice is a perfect movie for them to riff on.

    Absurd and wildly over-ambitious beyond its means, yet endearingly goofy and with the sense that everyone was trying their best despite the practically non-existant budget. None of the cold, calculating, slightly bitter feel of some of the other b-movies they riffed on. Plus all the ingrediants you need with mystic cults, secret maps and so on.

    The music, meanwhile, remains infuriatingly catchy. The opening theme, chase music (‘plate-spinning music’, hilarious!) and the whole sequence without dialogue as Satoris burns the map and gives Zap bad dreams (“Vodka!”) are ones that have stayed easily in my memory while other scores for bigger budget films have disappeared without trace.

    Mike finally caving in and giggling as Tom grates “I hates maps!” is a joy, but this one is packed with so many excellent riffs that you’re spoilt for choice.

    A solid gold classic.

       4 likes

  47. I'm Evil says:

    Well, my thoughts are largely a pastiche of the above:

    –Episode is good, probably 4 or 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
    –Upon hearing Pipper, I expected Dr. Teeth an Rolf the Dog riffs…or Red Green. I guess it makes sense that Yosemite Sam had more legs.
    –I’m not opposed to running gags/ repetition of riffs, but Larry Czonka fell flat for me. Should have stopped at the Brian Griese line.
    –I guess Zap Rowsdower sounds like a cool action guy name, if you’re named Tjardus Greidanus.
    –I love the shot of Troy when he’s finds the three baguettes (immediately lost the canteen), someone (I think Servo) makes a heaving/ hissing sound to match Troy’s pinched facial expression, which I always took as a Nosferatu reference. Troy looks like a Ferengi in those shots.

    Continuity errors:
    Troy’s hair changes lengths through various scenes.
    It looks like at least one of the cultists that Zap shot in the hills of Alberta reappears later on at the Garbage House.

    Some less mentioned riffs:

    “You brought the facemask, you nut.” (Something about Mike’s delivery–Actually I think Mike could have done a good Sartoris for host segments.)

    “Can I discipline you?”

    “Mike, is it possible for me to jump into this movie and dump this kid’s books?”

    One last thought: Bruce Mitchell (Zap) said he originally auditioned for the role of Pipper. For whatever reason, they made me think of the actor playing Pipper as Rowsdower, which would have been pretty fab as well.

       3 likes

  48. Chief?McCloud! says:

    ” BTW: I voted 4 stars for this episode. The 3 stars comment is because of Chief? Mcloud?’s post last week on all episodes being at least 3 stars.”

    Referring to my GORGO post last week, what I meant was for all the sour posts GORGO was getting, its AVERAGE would still be higher than 3 stars. Some have interpreted my post as I was rating it 3 stars even when I mentioned I had not seen the episode.

    Always helpful, never hurtful. ;-)

    I also asked if anyone remembered one that averaged less than 3 stars.

    Anyway, back to the count down! :-)

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  49. John A says:

    Definitely a five star rating.
    A very Canadian evergreen of an episode, from the Anne Murray National Forest.
    During our recent record snow storms, I was actually thinking of snow plowing services and I immediately thought of our man Zap and did he have a local franchise? Alas, I struck a deal with my neighbor’s kid, who does in fact vaguely resemble Troy.

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

    “It looks like at least one of the cultists that Zap shot in the hills of Alberta reappears later on at the Garbage House.”

    I think being able to tell one cultist from another means you were officially paying far more attention than anyone involved with the movie ever expected anybody to do. ;-)

       3 likes

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