Movie: (1968) Super-thief Diabolik performs several daring heists, then sets his sights on a shipment of gold.
First shown: August 8, 1999
Opening: M&tB discover the SOL employee handbook
Intro: Pearl has a new joystick, which leads to re-entry protocol
Host segment 1: Crow and Mike are packed; while Servo disposes of the many extra hims
Host segment 2: In Castle Forrester, everybody is lining up new gigs
Host segment 3: Crow is worried, so Mike sings a reassuring song
End: After the crash, M&tB settle in to their new home with a familiar pastime
Stinger: “Is that stud coming?”
(278 votes, average: 4.47 out of 5)
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• And so we come to the final Sci-Fi Channel episode, and, of course, this is one where the host segments outweigh the movie. Like all the big premise-changing episodes, the host segments are, once again, a marvel of tight, efficient (and funny!) story telling. As for the movie, it’s sort of “Danger Death Ray”/”Double 007” meets “Batman” and, well, yes, it certainly is pretty to look at.
• Last time I called the riffing “steady and workmanlike,” adding that “there’s little that’s memorable.” I’m going to disagree with myself after this viewing. Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I laughed a LOT this time.
• Mary Jo (with an assist from Bill, Patrick and Paul) offers her thoughts.
• References. I noticed a couple they missed: “Okay, I’ll go hang with Nova for a while” is a reference to the fact that the woman looks a bit like the female lead of “Planet of the Apes.” Also “Flaming truck at Brixton, 20 minutes late” is a “Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin” reference.
• While this episode was being made, Jim Mallon stalked the halls with a video camera, documenting the event. The footage was later released on video as “The Last Dance: Raw.” The last time through, I watched it before actually watching this episode, and it is interesting in a couple of respects. First, if it does nothing else, it captures the tedium of TV production. There is a lot of standing around waiting, and this gives us a real sense of that. Second, it gives a brief shot of where I scrawled on the back of the SOL set. Since that object no longer exists, to my knowledge, it’s nice that there’s a record of it. Finally, yes, the MST3K process has been described many times, but there’s nothing like actually seeing people doing it. So, if you haven’t given it a look, it’s worth one. But I doubt you’ll want to watch it again.
• I think a lot of MSTies agree that this was a strange choice for a final movie. We discussed it here.
• But I do have one question for the movie: What is the point of covering your face with a form-fitting mask that doesn’t disguise you at all? As proof of this, I simply have to note that, despite the face coverings, every cop who encounters Diabolik immediately knows who he is.
• There are many, many naughty riffs during the “rolling around in the bed full of money” scene.
• In one scene, the lovely Eva climbs into Diabolik’s car and as she does so we get a very brief glimpse of VERY high (stocking covered) inner thigh. Crow is the only one who reacts, and he does so only very quietly. I wonder if they just couldn’t decide whether to make a big deal out of it or not.
• I assume Esso (now ExxonMobil) paid for the blatant product placement: It feels very phony. Having the service station attendant ask Eva if she wants a tail (Esso stations sold little plush tiger tails that one was supposed to attach to one’s gas intake pipe so that, when the gas cap was in place, it looked as if there was a “tiger in the tank”), and actually say “Tiger’s in the tank, ma’am,” is a little over the top.
• I really like the little explosion sound effect they use in segment 1 as Tom disposes of the extra Toms. It’s a very satisfying little “boom.”
• Callbacks: “Welcome, Dr, Meecham!” (MST3K: The movie) “Ha-ha! I’m useless against your weapons!” (Prince of Space).
• Mike references the “giant fiberglass muskie in Hayward Wisconsin,” a landmark that is also depicted in the movie “Blood Hook,” directed by Jim Mallon.
• Crow’s concern about “traffic accidents” echoes a similar concern by little Akio in the movie in episode 312- GAMERA VS. GUIRON. I wonder who on the staff made that connection.
• During the song, Mike produces Crow’s “mother” from episode 602- INVASION USA. Wonder how much they had to dig in the prop room for that!
• I just want to note that the song in segment 3 is the second time in the series that a song rhymes “Earth” with “Colin Firth.”
• The final bit in Castle Forrester makes a reference to the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” finale, where the cast similarly huddled together and sang “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.” Or maybe there’s a law that any TV show connected to the Twin Cities has to end that way.
• That’s the voice of Peter Rudrud as the TV announcer.
• The final bit, in which Mike and Bots settle in and start riffing on “The Crawling Eye,” the movie Joel and the bots riffed in the first national episode, is cute and kind of satisfying. But a lot of fans noticed a little goof: We can’t see the screen, of course, but based on their riffing, it seems that the first thing they see is opening credits. The problem is that “The Crawling Eye” doesn’t start that way. It starts with a cold opening, showing some characters mountain climbing (and then one of the characters is killed). The credits don’t begin until several minutes into the movie. Kind of ruined it for some people. But the bit is such a lovely bit of closure I can’t fault them.
• Cast and crew roundup: Director-scriptwriter Mario Bava was cinematographer for “Hercules” and “Hercules Unchained.” Assistant director Lamberto Bava directed “Devil Fish.” Makeup guy Otello Fava also worked on “Warrior of the Lost World.” Score composer Ennio Morricone also worked on “Operation Double 007.” In front of the camera, Marisa Mell was also in “Secret Agent Super Dragon.” Adolfo Celi was also in “Operation Double 007.” John Phillip Law was also in “Space Mutiny.”
• CreditsWatch: Directed by Kevin. “To Earth” — music by Mike; lyrics by Kevin (so you can blame him for the Colin Firth rhyme).
• Fave riff: “Member FDIC…” Honorable mention: “I’m driving with my whipper.”
Next week we will move on to season 11.
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Isn’t M&TB’s sweet, garden-level apartment actually the Brains’ writing room? I thought I recognized it in one of those behind-the-scenes clips recently. I don’t watch this episode often, but it’s fun when I do– I love the groovy music, and the bizarre ending in which Diabolik thinks he wins by being trapped in solid gold. “Aagh, I forgot to wear swimming-through-the-sun-proof socks!!”
I think my favorite part isn’t even a riff: the scene in the plane (I think) when Valmont & henchmen discuss catching Diabolik. One of them points out that “no one’s ever seen him and lived”, to which Valmont replies unconvincingly, “so what?” Crow just laughs incredulously, no further riffing needed.
“DIABOLIK..!” “…starring this Muslim woman!”
This one is hard to watch for me. Great movie, love Bava films. Despite being the last, the guys did a great job in making this a fun, upbeat, end of an era effort. Although everyone from the show evolved into CT and RT to continue their fine work, I miss the Bots the most. Crow T Robot, Tom Servo, Gypsy, Cambot (who never did get the proper respect for all the work he/she did), Magic voice and of course the SOL itself. I can’t help but to flash back to the great ending of the movie Silent Running.
I think it would be terrific if Joel, Josh & Trace reprised their roles and do a “missing” episode and Mike, Kevin & Bill do one as well. The sets could be of the different eras;
J,J&T CC S1 – M,K&B SF S8 with apropos opening sequence. I am sure virtually all fans would buy both. Although I love both CT & RT, this would be the perfect phoenix for the Bots and the SOL. If only I could be young at heart again.
>>>What is the point of covering your face with a form-fitting mask that doesn’t disguise you at all?
Well, obviously, he thinks he looks good in it. ;-)
Masked murderous super-criminal protagonists are a big thing in European pop culture. Personally, I don’t get the appeal of a “hero” who steals from whoever he wants to and kills whoever gets in his way, but there it is.
This is one I catagorize as Good but not Great (TM used with implied permission) I found the riffing very, very witty but very little of it actually made me laugh out loud.
I absolutely love the ending in Mike’s effeciency. (I wonder if it will have a silo and feed lot.) As for them settling into watching the showing of Crawling Eye without the cold opening, obviously WTMJ (a real Milwaukee TV station) edited that cold opening for time. Or let me put it a different way. The final joke of MST3K falls into the “It’s just a show, you should really just relax” category.
I love how even though it’s painfully obvious what the result of the grievance policy is Mike still goes through the motions slowly because he doesn’t get it. Everything about the intro is awesome with some of the best dialogue they’ve ever written, all of it starting the emotional rollercoaster that is the last episode of MST3K ever. I love the bots just staring off, taking in the, “last time,” bits.
Tom blowing up his spares is great and of perfect length and the lead in to it is quite cute. Following this my copy has a commercial for Edward the Less, which I have never actually seen. Is it any good? I love Mike’s map to earth and I’m happy to hear that the mads were able to acquire new jobs so quickly even if Brain Guy has to settle. Bobo’s retelling of his interview is a great wrap up to how lovable he is.
I absolutely love, “To Earth.” It’s very emotional in context of the episode. And of course we get to see Crow’s “mom” again.
While the closing is pleasantly funny, Pearl unplugging the connection to the SOL always makes me tear up, and then Crow looking for his sweater brings me right back to laughing.
The movie itself isn’t all that bad, just really silly and strange enough to fit the right criteria for Mike and the bots.
I have to disagree with Sampo here, I find the riffing is incredible and as a whole for the episode they bring their A game and then some to give us an amazing finale to an amazing show. In re-watching the episode it really is amazing how much they put into it. Even the stinger is one of the best ever.
And in closing, this episode easily ranks in my top 3 all time favorite series finales. I think what helped beef up the emotional impact for me was the additional story line stuff. Though the show is primarily about making fun of movies, the space travels and what not all helped give the characters more character and endeared them even more to me.
Favs (too many to list, but here are some. Well, a lot)
Guy: This is the largest single shipment of dollars ever made at 6 o’clock in the morning.
Mike: There was a larger one at 7am once.
Crow: Sophisticated, not gay.
Mike: Reverse Raccoon Man!
Tom: This is just a good Samaritan he met in the tunnel.
Crow: She’s a great Samaritan!
Crow: Then they just go and have quick, lousy sex.
Mike: Well I’m just delaying the moment she finds out I have an undescended testical.
Mike: When they make love in English pound notes their sex is 50% better.
Diabolik: Isn’t the 6th your birthday? What would you like me to give you?
Mike: Hmm… Something non-penis.
Crow: Omaha Beach, June 5th. I was early.
Tom: This is what they apult their cats with.
Crow: Let’s face it; this guy operates on unbelievable luck and coincidence.
‘Crow’s concern about “traffic accidents” echoes a similar concern by the little girl in the movie in episode 312- GAMERA VS. GUIRON. I wonder who on the staff made that connection.’
A minor correction: It was the little girls brother Akio who had the fascination with traffic accidents.
The End
Diablik is just a ‘once is enough’ episode. The movie is very blah for me. I do give them kudos for the segments, especially the ending, watching an afternoon movie on WTMJ in Milwaukee (my hometown) sitting on the couch just like the SOL theater. Brilliant.
Anyone whose experience of this episode was ruined by the opening of the Crawling Eye on the tv needs to either:
a) get into a long and involved chat with Jeff the Comic Book Guy
or
b) get a hobby pronto.
That said, loved the episode and loved the way it closed the series.
Oh how I wished they picked a different movie for the final episode!! If it weren’t for “Hamlet”, this would have been the worst episode of the series. Just a dull film, sub-par riffing….the only bright spots were the host segments.
@9
Or listen to the opening credits of THIS SHOW. ;)
I’m with a few of the others here in that I always liked the riffing here. Of all the spy movies, this was the most entertaining to me outside of MST3K (I own it even). I enjoy the hell out of the riffing and the not that difficult movie helps.
One disappointment I have with the DVD of the movie is that the dubbing is different. Its actually far better (though John Philip Law’s track obviously remains the same), and some of the lines are a bit altered. I don’t remember if “Is that stud… coming” is still in the movie.
Well, riffing wise, I agree, good not great, funny, but very few memorable. This is an odd choice to go out on. a very good director in Bava, a hero we never care about, and a story that never really develops. It isn’t an atrocious movie. But then again, if it had been Manos like, they would have had to deal with that and not the great host segments we got. To Earth is one of their best songs, “Have you seen my other sweater?”, and many more in these wonderful segments. They did a great job ending it.
BTW, is it just me, but in describing the apartment don’t they say one-half bath, not one and a half a bath, implying that there is no tub/shower?
Thankfully, CT and RT came along. Are we ready for a new version of MST3K?
Anybody else notice how WEIRD it was for Crow to say “The Crawling Eye” looks familar when NONE of the guys sitting there are the ones who saw it in the first place? Kevin replaced Josh in season 2, Mike replaced Joel in mid-season 5 and Bill replaced Trace in season 8. I don’t know, I just think it’s funny.
Also, I feel it’s awsome that the final line spoken in the theater was a stooge joke. It just seems proper.
Bad movie choice. Go out with a bang, not a whimper.
Well, we finally made it. Personally, I like this episode a lot. As Sampo said, the host segments just work, they’re short, sweet, and funny. I love the Brain Guy with affected speech patterns in the opening, he sounds like a character in Steven Soderberghs Schizopolis (which isn’t for everyone, but I love it) with all the nonsense double speak. I particularly like the line, “chilly squint” as Brainy Guy stares into the camera.
This movie is my kind of Italian cheese. Doesn’t hurt it’s directed by the great Mario Bava, who coincidently I’ve been been catching up on lately. Just saw The Girl Who Knew Too Much, with John Saxon, and Bay of Blood, which is a must see for gore fans. Good good stuff. Bava’s got great style, and Diabolik sure has lots of style, even if parts don’t make sense. The music is by the great Ennio Morricone, which I find funky and a little irritating. I like the funky guitar riff that makes Crow go, “gonna go to the store. Gonna pick up some bread.”. Funny stuff.
Riffs:
“oh no, is this a Pink Floyd video?”
“Well that was an inappropriate response.”
“Makes the hall to our theater seem efficient.”
of course, “is that stud coming?”, but I love Mike’s subtle “I beg your pardon?”
Overall, I think it’s a great final episode. I find it very satisfying that Mike and the bots end up in the same apartment doing essentially what they’ve always done. It
makes me smile. I love that they fade out on Crow saying, “this movie seems familiar……”. Classic and perfect.
The very last riff ever references the Three Stooges: “This has been a biopic of Larry Fine.” Gotta love it.
Mike’s apartment only has “1/2 bath.” So how’s he gonna take a shower? Still, it looks so cozy and nice, and the bots seem satisfied, so it’s just a perfect little ending.
As for the movie, I love it, and even though it’s not the best movie to end on, it’s got enough wackiness to tickle me. I love how they tear apart the “grooviness” of Diabolik and make what must have seemed cool at the time look even sillier. “This will fool them unless they look at it!”
On the theater rough cut of Diabolik someone but a “Best of” style clip collection on screen. Mike, Kevin and Bill are obviously caught off guard by it but are delighted by among other clips:
Blood Waters of Dr Z: “Sargacious.”
Gumby in Robot Rumpus: “Sure Mother.”
Sorry, Can’t place this one: “Smokey’s going to put you in the pokey”
Final Justice: “Yew think yew kin take me? Go ahead on.”
Mitchell: “I don’t like your mother”
Track of the Moon Beast: “That’s a great stew.”
Merlins Shop of Mystical Wonders: “Rock ‘n’ roll Martian…”
The Giant Spider Invasion: “Your hitting the booze again.”
Werewolf: “Wherewolf?
A delighted and grateful crew applauded at the end.
A sweet recap for a farewell episode, unfortunately it never made it to television. Perhaps we could put this delightful two minutes up for all to enjoy?
Put me down as another fan who wished they had shown a different movie. At least they didn’t finish with “Hamlet”. Could you imagine?
Oh no, is this a Pink Floyd video?
First caught this during the final repeat years on Sci-Fi, one Saturday morning in either April or July 2002 (according to this site’s Broadcast Schedule Archive pages). Already familiar with this movie as a Mario Bava fan, I was mostly pleased to be seeing the film again, albeit cropped/pan & scanned, plus those annoying guys at the bottom of the screen… :)
Daddy-O’s Drive-In lists only some of the previous credits from the quite impressive cast of collaborators who made this project: De Laurentiis, Bava, Morricone, Law, Mell, Piccoli, Celi, Thomas. The movie itself was based on an Italian comic (created by two sisters) celebrating an outlaw anti-hero who by todays’ American standards comes off as a self-centered terrorist.
2 minute clip from DVD bonus feature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dEJNn_7FeM
I have the excellent Ennio Morricone score in my iTunes (Crow, singing: “I only learned one lick. Does this bug you at all?”) and in 2008 Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane covered the theme song “Deep Deep Down” with a live string backup here —
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaUrzMeS4xg.
To really appreciate Danger: Diabolik one has to see the full-length (100min.), widescreen original, available on DVD with a fine commentary by Bava biographer/Video Watchdog publisher Tim Lucas & Kalgon himself, the late John Phillip Law. This was the closest Bava ever got to making a big-budget studio picture for the international market.
Diabolik Documentary “From Fumetti to Film” — the whole thing (20 min.):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4132542787231129368#
Stylistically it’s part of the whole “European film-makers cash-in on the success of James Bond” movement, so I lump this in with the 60’s-Spy Genre, which is apt as it’s most similar to (and shares some cast/crew with) Ep. 508 – “Operation Double 007.” But while this is the better film, the former provided the funnier MST3K episode.
Here, the riffing is slight, like a first draft, as if the guys are just having a good time, but not really giving it their full attention. And I can’t blame them: the show was over. On my last day at work, I doubt I’d give 100% either. The host segments provide the highlights: the eventual, literal “downfall” of the SOL is well done, with resolutions (?) for each character, finding the main trio of riffers still together at the end.
3 stars from me, inflated by my love of the movie (Law & Mell are very sexy), and for my sentimental attachment to the skits which provide (for me) a satisfying end to the series.
Listen—someone’s beating up Doc Severinsen. Hey-oh!
BTW: the DVD English dub of the approaching boat bit from the stinger has Celi say: “Who’s that? Must be Stud.” Tim Lucas claims in his commentary that two different English dubs were made for this film, so the Brains must have had the other one.
The End.
Sort of.
Not as great a series ender as Laserblast was, but good enough. Keeping things more terrestrial and logical was certainly the opposite of what we got in 706.
I don’t know what it is with fans of this series who enjoy the murderous exploits of Diabolik as he kills cops and security guards just doing their jobs all to get necklaces and other riches for his hyper-materialistic girlfriend who condones the slaughter just to get what she wants. The real protagonist was Inspector Ginko and he was made out to be some sort of villain trying to stop Diabolik and his girlfriend’s killing spree. Certainly a divergence from the usual fare in movies however. At least we get to see a young John Philip Law mugging it up for the camera one last time.
Two Bricks: Thanks for remembering that!!
For those who haven’t seen it, it’s at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9oED6w1IAc
Finally I get Sci-fi channel on my cable service and six months later the last new MST3k episode is shown. I’ve been trying to catch up ever since.
Favorite riff: “nana nana nana nana This Guy!”
The final episode! What can I possibly say about how this show changed my life, helped me retain my sanity when confronted with horrible entertainment product, and gave me a glimpse of what TV could be like if done with character and authenticity? It’s all been said.
Whenever I am overwhelmed by how much bigger everything in TV and movies has gotten over the decades – bigger budgets, bigger visual effects, bigger plots, bigger sound, bigger advertising – I find an island of sanity in this show. Just think of all the good things in entertainment that could be made with smaller budgets by people who put real craft and care into what they’re doing, as this show was. I can think of a few examples of online video or some independent musicians who are doing just that. But still, when it comes to Hollywood, we are treated to almost every single movie being a blockbuster, every new TV show being the Next Big Thing. We are pummeled with advertising for product that is full of CGI and noise, and which is created solely to serve the bottom line. And then we are inundated with propaganda about how much profit each new movie or TV show has made, splashy Monday-morning headlines about the metrics of viewership and capitalism, as if this is some valid criteria of worth; as if we who are not in the business of entertainment are supposed to care that Lost attracted this many millions of viewers, or that Toy Story 3 made this much money its opening weekend.
One of the things people always say when praising MST3K is that it not only made fun of movies, it also educated the viewer in how to watch them. This is so very true. MST3K offered something that was a hybrid of genuine criticism with good-natured ribbing, sort of a precursor to the Daily Show except for bad movies instead of politics. I suspect this is why some actual critics like Tom Shales like the show so much. It served as real criticism for the acting, cinematography, directing, writing and editing of these movies as much as it served to make us laugh. This is why I find a lot of the third-party MST clones kind of unbearable, because they often offer up nothing more than cheap jokes. Sure, MST3K did this too, but in-between the cheap little jokes were references to literature, history, philosophy and the art and history of moviemaking itself. MST3K didn’t just make fun of Coleman Francis, it made me interested in who he was.
The thing that stands out for me about this show above everything else I can say about it is its authenticity. We have seen time and again that when we, the lowly consumers, are given something which has authenticity, we flock to it. And yet it is still so rare. Even though the entire premise of MST3K was to make fun of things other people had created, it never had an ego. This alone might be the most remarkable feat this show pulled off, and they pulled off quite a few. So much of what is sold as comedy is so heavily egotistical and brutish. In remaining stoically low-budget and consistently self-effacing, the Brains managed to pull off insult and satire with no hint of brutishness or egotism. They managed to remain authentic in a medium of self-promotion and self-loathing. They managed to provide incredibly high quality entertainment while still retaining their core humanity. This show, and all of its stars and writers, is to Hollywood what Buster Keaton is to Michael Bay.
Anything I can say about the final episode of MST3K is pretty cut and dry – the movie was ho-hum, the host segments were spectacular. I remember at the time that I felt kind of glad that the show wasn’t actually going off the air, that they were going to keep on showing it for a few more years. Unfortunately, as I recall, Sci-Fi showed The Screaming Skull quite a bit more than any other episode in that period, which meant that for the first time since I’d had cable, I finally had to stop watching the show when it was actually on.
I don’t know if the show runners ever read this site anymore, but if I could say anything to them it would mostly be thank you. Thank you for making something fun and clever and authentic and sharing it with all of us. Authentic creativity always inspires other creativity, like Haydn inspiring Mozart or Shakespeare inspiring, well, essentially everybody. Watching MST3K, even after all these years, always makes me want to do something creative myself.
For that inspiration, and for two decades of real entertainment, I am most grateful.
I should point out that Exxon is still known as Esso outside of the US; there’s even Esso stations in Canada.
Of course, one thing that confuses me about the film (and I’m not sure how much of this is due to the editing the Brains did), but it seems like 3 or 4 different comic book plots that weren’t joined together very well. There’s the theft of the Rolls Royce, then the kidnapping of Eva, the theft of the emeralds, and then finally the gold train. One plot ends and they just launch into the next without any sort of transition.
Favorite riff: “Mike’s looking at the stairs, the poor dope.”
Cool, cant wait to read up on the KTMA episodes, seems like they are the hardest ones to find.
I think “Diabolik” was a good choice for the last ep. The movie is OK to watch on its own, but is goofy as all get out, making for good riffing. Better this tan an unwatchable flick. However, I wish they’d been able to use the whole movie; they cut Terry-Thomas’ return and Diabolik’s novel tax cut plan.
The host segements were good, though I wonder about Mike’s facsination with bleached & enriched rice, and “To Earth” was a nice song. The end was great, though if the station had been KTMA it would’ve been perfect.
Oh, and the “flaming truck at Brixton” riff is a callback to “The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin”, not Python.
On to Season 0…
@25
If you are looking to see what the KTMA episodes were like check out my video review series of MST:
http://lazlowthemstguy.blip.tv/
One of the main goals of my show is to show the host segments in their entirety so more fans can see how the show evolved. I just started about a month ago so I only have a few episodes posted, but I am reviewing every episode and started with KTMA 4. I am currently writing KTMA 7 and will hopefully be shooting this weekend.
Nitpick: I think “Flaming truck at Brixton, 20 minutes late” is actually a reference to The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.
I tried watching this one again recently, but I just couldn’t find too much to laugh at. I feel like the movie is just too “boringly wacky” to make for good riffing material. I do however always crack up at: “This will fool them unless they look at it!”
I wonder why Diabolik was chosen. I remember them mentioning it way back in Season 8 in an interview somewhere or something, so they must have been trying for the rights for quite some time. It seems obvious to me that Diabolik was never intended to be the final experiment, it just happened that way.
I am however thankful that MST3K showed me this movie so I knew where all the samples on Fantomas’s first album came from. Also, as was mentioned above, Mike Patton does a pretty killer version of “Deep Deep Down” on his album “Mondo Cane” so he must be a huge fan of this movie.
All in all, the choice of movie doesn’t bother me too much, since in my mind, the final episode of MST3K is Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders, due to it being the final one aired (even if that means it’s out of continuity).
A solid episode, but like many of you I expected a bit more from the finale. There are some great laughs here, but my favorites have to do with Crow singing along or commenting on the Moriconne score. I agree that this feels like a first draft, a little more energy on some of the riffing and this could have been a five star episode easily. This is one of the most colorful and bizarre films they’ve ever done. I find I have to be in the right mood to enjoy this episode.
I also think that the host segments are top notch. I like the song a lot and the finale sequence was perfectly pitched. Just a great way to end the series in that respect. But all in all I can only give it three gold encased super-thieves out of five.
Click my name for my full review.
I like how the ending, with Mike and the bots still riffing away as always, seems like foreshadowing for Rifftrax.
“Anybody else notice how WEIRD it was for Crow to say “The Crawling Eye” looks familar when NONE of the guys sitting there are the ones who saw it in the first place? Kevin replaced Josh in season 2, Mike replaced Joel in mid-season 5 and Bill replaced Trace in season 8. I don’t know, I just think it’s funny.”
It’s not weird at all. Tom and Crow are still the same CHARACTERS who watched “The Crawling Eye” originally, voice changes or not.
This one is hard to watch now because it’s so drenched in end-of-an-era sentimentality that it’s no fun at all. The sketches are funny and the movie riffing never seems to get off the ground. I do like the gangster’s airplane with the trap-door in the floor, though. I want one! Yah, yah! Yah, yah!
My first viewing of this, in prime time, was a happy occasion as I had half a bottle of Percocet and some good Starbuck-type coffee on the table in front of me the whole night. Of course I videotaped the episode, then saw it again (didn’t they show it twice that same night — you see I really can’t recall).
I think WeatherServo9 (#23) says it all quite eloquently; I’ve never been good with eulogies.
A question has occured to me:
For those of you not born and bred in the Milwaukee, WI area, how did the call letters of the channel hit you?
I know that’s a bizarre question, but as a Milwaukee native I recognized the letters right away and smiled with a strange sense of the show suddenly being very grounded in reality and therefore more special.
As for The opening to The Crawling Hand being cut off when M&TB watch it, remember, they’re watching a TV airing of it. maybe the TV station cut off the ending because it was too disturbing (a guy’s head gets torn off, off-camera). You know how skittish local stations can be.
I wasn’t too familiar with Satellite News, and didn’t know there’d be a chatroom after the show aired. Sci Fi channel only promoted it once I think minutes before the show aired, yet I missed that promo. I wish SciFi had announced it during the end credits. But, that probably would have angered viewers who don’t like announcements over credits.
A few riffs I recall that I like:
Eva: “Those emeralds!” (Diabolik doesn’t respond)
Servo: “Typical guy, doesn’t get the hint.”
(a huge feather appears from off-camera)
Mike: ‘Phyllis Diller dropped by.”
Servo: “He picked up a good samaritan.”
Crow: “She’s a GREAT samaritan!”
Servo: “I borrowed Harvey Feinstein’s voice.”
Crow: “Phew, I wish us Europeans believed in showering.” (interestingly enough, both the last episode of MST3K, and the last episode of The Drew Carey Show had a joke regarding Europeans not showering. Hmmm)
Servo: “Diabolik’s only 2 feet down the tower going as fast as he can.”
Crow: “You know, rings can twist and lose their structural integrity? Oh, who am I kidding, it’s not going to happen.”
I find it odd that Crow doesn’t want to go to Earth because of Alannis Morisette. In “The Final Sacrifice”, Crow listed Morisette as one of the reasons he’d ever go to Canada! Crow sure changes his mind about stuff a lot doesn’t he? Initially, Road House was his favorite movie, then later he trashes it…
I don’t like this one much. 2 stars just for the host segments. Yeah, I appreciate Bava but I’ve never gotten the point of Diabolik or Sadistik or any of those other euro anti-heroes. In Europe the anti-hero seems very much born out of the self-loathing and misanthropy of ruined empires. Laughing at them is like laughing at crime-scene photos. In American movies the anti-hero is typically very textured and more interesting a character than the hero. In Diabolik there’s a bunch of store mannequins with nothing vaguely warm or curious about them. And the riffing is, understandably I think, purely quitting time at the factory level.
This was a perfect ending to the series, in my opinion. Perfect riffing, perfect host segments.
The only thing I might have changed is I kind of hoped for more callbacks during the riffing. In the underwater scene for instance, Eva even makes the “OK” sign, which would have been perfect for a “It stinks!” reference. Sure, the folks who started with Sci-Fi might miss the reference, but I would have appreciated it.
Oh yes, and this episode made me aware of “Mojo Nixon,” but just as a name. Years later I find out he actually exists and is a talented musician and my mind is blown just a little.
I loved this episode. I don’t find Diabolik anywhere near as boring a film as some other fans here, but watching MST3k was, for me, never about the films themselves.
Since my cable company never really got its act together until the last 2-3 seasons of the show, I was extremely disappointed that the show was getting cancelled. On the other hand, the DVDs were getting released on a regular basis, and there are other ways to see all the episodes, so I had (and still have) plenty of MST3K shows to watch for the first time.
Not sure about anyone else, but it isn’t the scene in Mike’s apartment that bums me out, knowing that this was the last of the new episodes, but the end theme afterwards. The final chord always left me with a “that’s it” state-of-mind … and then Reefer Madness, Plan 9 From Outer Space, etc etc, The Film Crew & RiffTrax came along, and all is right with the world again!
Actually, I have to admit I don’t remember much about this episode. It’s a terrible movie so it should be ripe for riffing. I just don’t remember it being much fun.
If I have one complaint about this movie, its Diabolik himself. The riff, “This guy gets by on unbelieveable luck and coincidence.” really nails this one. Diabolik is just a walking Deus Ex Machina. I don’t like it when heroes are too damn good at their job. Even at the end when he’s encased in gold (which should have crushed him) it looks like he’s going to eventually escape.
I liked the farewell they gave to the show at the end, coming full circle with the ‘Crawling Eye’ reference. But I would’ve still liked to have seen them do my idea for the final scene. It would play like this:
Halfway through the end credits, the live feed to Castle Forrester cuts back on and we see the castle’s interior. Someone has plugged the power back in. Then, a figure moves into view. ITS DOCTOR LARRY EHRHARDT! He looks disheveled and out of breath. He addresses the camera. “Is this thing on? Oh good! Hey guys, its me! I’m back! Listen. You’re not going to believe where I’ve been for the last 9 years! It all started when…” But before he can continue, someone from off screen clubs him on the head and he falls to floor. As he lies unconscious, unseen hands drag him away. Then the live feed cuts out again, permenantly, and we go back to the end credits.
That would’ve been a great way to end the series if J. Elvis was availiable for it. Plus it would also deepen the mystery of Ehrhardt’s disappearance and give fans something to discuss for years to come.
I was already a longtime MST3k fan when this episode aired, but for a variety of reasons had not been watching the show on SciFi, and therefore I don’t have quite the emotional attachment to the final episode as many others have. (Not that I’m criticizing anyone for that, it’s just the way it is.)
This is an odd episode for me, in that I really enjoy it, and it has a lot of laugh-out-loud theater moments, but I tend to forget them once the movie is over. I do enjoy both the theater and the host segments, although I agree that it wasn’t the best choice for the final ep. Ah well, “c’est la vie” as they say…
I don’t get the hate for this movie. It’s not the best ever, but I enjoyed it; especially the repetitive music (“DaDaDaDaDaDa DeeDeeDeeDeeDeeDee DaDaDaDaDaDa DeeDeeDeeDeeDeeDee DaDaDaDaDaDa DeeDeeDeeDeeDeeDee …” and so on)
I’m firmly in the camp of loving the movie riffing and the segments. Such a fantastic series finale for me, at any rate. The movie’s so goofy that they have plenty to play with.
Also, I personally like to imagine Observer and Bobo’s plans didn’t work out and they ended up sharing an apartment down the hall. Makes the part of me that enjoys sitcoms giggle.
Also, am I the only person who thinks Bill flubbed the Prince of Space callback? He says, “Ha! I’m useless against your weapons!” Which sort of goes with what’s happening on-camera. Diabolik is useless against their weapons. However after Bill says the line he kind of drops the voice and goes, “Err, I mean… um…”. I’ve wondered now if the line really was supposed to be, “You’re weapons are useless against me!”
“Also, am I the only person who thinks Bill flubbed the Prince of Space callback?”
The “err… I mean” bit was to further add to the fact that he didn’t say the line exactly. He said the joke exactly as written but wanted to drive home the joke of mixing up the words.
Also to your comment in #35, Crow’s mentioning of Alanis in the Canada Song was being ironic so his comment about not liking her music in “To Earth” is appropriate.
I agree that this movie was a bad one to end on but for an opposite reason than most: I think it’s way way too good to be MST’d. I recognized that the first time I saw this episode, and eagerly bought the DVD of the film when it was released.
One of the best of the 60s comic book/superhero/antihero movies, it’s gorgeous to look at and our leads are true ANTI-heroes (none of those nuanced tortured American suffering types), just awful awful people who get away with it all because they are just so damned cool. Add a psychedelic Morricone score, John Philip Law and the insanely GORGEOUS Marisa Mell and I’m sorry, this is light-years away from The Creeping Terror. An odd and frustrating choice to go out on.
And of course the bittersweet goodbye to one of the best shows ever on television; it made for an awkward ending.
Mixed emotions watching this one. I think it was time to end it, though. While still very funny, the show was a shell of what it once had been.
I know a lot of people think the Sci-Fi era is better than the CC years, and I think I know why. I did a quick count of pop culture references in a few random season 4 and season 9 episodes, and the earlier episodes had *5* times as many pre-1975 references in them.
The thing is, that’s what made the show really special. Not only were they making fun of the movie, but also reaching back and dragging a reference from the dark recesses of your brain to do it. I think that’s what people like Tom Shales were responding to, and why the show won a Peabody award in the early years.
The fact that younger people who don’t get the references prefer the Sci-Fi years makes me wonder about the legacy of the show. If people only a few years younger eschew the early years of the show, what will happen when even more time has passed? How will the show be remembered in another 30 years?
I know there are a few older people who prefer the later shows, and some younger people who like the earlier shows. I’m pretty sure, though, from several years of reading peoples’ comments, that what I said is generally true.
Anyway, this seemed like a good time to bring up this question. See you die-hard fans next week for Gamera vs. Barugon!
I love this movie if only to ogle John Phillip Law when he was hot. :mrgreen: Before he morphed into oily Kalgon in Space Mutiny.
“Once again they triumph in the name of sex!” And of course, “Is that Stud coming?” Lots of memorable moments in the theater and in the host segments. “And slice your heel upon a broken bottle of Lipton Iced Tea!” is my all time favorite lyric from any of the MST songs. So disappointed they never released this on a Clowns in the Sky cd…