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Episode guide: 103- The Mad Monster (with short: Radar Men from the Moon, Chapter 2: ‘Molten Terror’)

Short: (1951) Cody and Ted manage to steal the Moon Men’s gun, but are soon cornered.
Movie: (1942) A discredited scientist succeeds in turning his servant into a werewolf, and begins to plot revenge.

First shown: 12/2/89 (unconfirmed)
Opening: None
Invention exchange: Hell-in-a-handbag, acetylene-powered thunder lizard
Host segment 1: Tom hits on a blender
Host segment 2: Crow and Tom have questions about the werewolf in the movie
Host segment 3: Joel switches Crow and Tom’s heads (it’s Servo-Crow-ation!)
End: Good thing/bad thing. The Mads are not happy
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (146 votes, average: 3.62 out of 5)

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• This one, eh. I used to think this felt like a KTMA, but that was before I saw the KTMAs. It’s better than that, at least. The riffing rate is, of course, much higher than most of the KTMAs and the pre-written jokes are more consistently funny. But there are plenty of klunkers and state park jokes. The segments DO feel very KTMA-like — perhaps because one of them IS a re-do of a KTMA sketch — but at least these all have a beginning, middle and end. And I’m not sure whether it’s the cheapness of the movie or the horribleness of the print, or a little of both, but the movie is just barely watchable.
• This appears in Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Vol XIV
• “Mad Monster” is tied with “The Corpse Vanishes” as the oldest MSTed movie. Actually, the oldest film is the serial “Undersea Kingdom,” released in 1936.
References.
• Again, no opening segment.
• Again, no buttons: table slapping.
• Again, no Bots during invention exchange.
• Both inventions were previously shown on KTMA and “hell in a handbag” is from Joel’s standup act.
• Is this the first we get the classic unison line “THANK YOU!” from the Mads? (Last time around, commenters noted that, no, that line was used last week.)
• Great line from the opening bit: “No, that’s when I became a SCIENTIST.”
• As Joel enters the theater, he is grumbling about having to carry Servo, and mutters “I gotta get wheels for you…”
• During the short, when the opening text appears, Joel and Crow duck out of the way so people can read it. Tom doesn’t care.
• The blue screen is still somewhat “thin” making Tom look a bit strange.
• The seats are again dark gray.
• I am going to guess that it was Josh who was the big NASA fan on the writing staff. His mention of Alan Shepard and his golf cart is incredibly space-program-nerdy.
• Host segment 1 is a first-season classic, as Tom Servo puts his best moves on an unsuspecting blender. It’s also an almost word-for-word do-over of a segment from episode K11- Humanoid Woman. Great line: “Nobody drinks from my gal!”
• This movie has a plot we will see again and again on MST3K: The mad scientist determined to prove his detractors wrong–just before he kills them, preferably by way of the very invention at which his detractors scoffed. But there’s an interesting twist to this plot: This guy may be mad, but he’s a patriot! He plans to give the war department his invention to help them build an army of werewolf soldiers to win WWII!
• It’s amazing that this movie came out in 1942. It feels like 1932, especially the sound, which sounds like an early talkie.
• The plot is somewhat similar to the “Phantom Creeps” serial of season 2 and I swear some of the same sets were used. If not they’re pretty similar.
• Movie comment: Does the title refer to the doctor? It can’t refer to poor Petro. And is the monster angry mad or insane mad? Wolf Petro is pretty surly but I don’t think you can call him mad.
• Joel’s hair is never in good order on the show but in segment 2 it’s particularly weird.
• Joel calls Servo “Crow” at one point…they both react with irritation.
• There’s a reference to Doonesbury at one point. Remember when Doonsebury was relevant? (This offhand comment caused some ruffled feathers in the comments section last time, and for that I apologize. I didn’t mean to diss Trudeau, who I think is very talented. I just think there was a period in the previous century, when the comics page was part of a daily ritual for most people — me included — where Doonesbury part of the daily conversation. With the decline of newspapers, that’s not really the case any more. That’s all I meant by it. Again, my apologies to Trudeau fans for the flip remark.)
• Joel turns the bots off at the end of segment three. Something he did not do much.
• There’s a comment about keeping one’s computer plugged in. This is at least a couple of years before people began to buy home computers in any real numbers. These guys were ahead of their time.
• In segment three, they again reference the idea that Tom Servo looks like a fire hydrant. I don’t really see it.
• Naughty line: “You’re very well equipped.” “Thank you, I didn’t think you could tell through the trousers.”
• In a very KTMAesque move, J&TB leave the movie before it is over and we get about 20 seconds of empty theater.
• Gypsy is still barely understood over her squeaking jaw joint, and her light is still off.
• Cast and crew roundup: Producer Sigmund Neufeld also produced “Lost Continent.” He is not to be confused with director Sam Newfield, who also directed “Lost Continent,” “I Accuse My Parents” and “Radar Secret Service.” (Perhaps his most infamous film was made in 1938: “The Terror of the Tiny Town,” a Western featuring an all-little-people cast.) Cinematographer Jack Greenhalgh also worked on “Lost Continent” and “Robot Monster.” Makeup guy Harry Ross also worked on “Lost Continent” and “Viking Women and the Sea Serpent.” Go-to makeup guy Harry Thomas also worked on “Project Moon Base,” “The Unearthly,” “Bride of the Monster,” “Invasion USA,” “Racket Girls,” “High School Big Shot” and “Night of the Blood Beast. Production manger Bert Sternbach also worked on “Lost Continent. Production Designer Fred Preble also worked on “Radar Secret Service.” Nobody in front of the camera was ever seen in another MSTed movie.
• What’s your pick for stinger? Mine is: Petro, sitting in the chair, “gettin’ a whiff of his own overalls.” Or Zucco laughing as he holds up a vial of his serum.
• Fave short riff: How come they got Groucho Marx mustaches on their helmets?
• Fave movie riff: “Now, Bingo is his name-o.” Honorable mention: “Now I’m going to go turn my daughter into a woodchuck.”

86 Replies to “Episode guide: 103- The Mad Monster (with short: Radar Men from the Moon, Chapter 2: ‘Molten Terror’)”

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  1. Jack McRobbie says:

    They’re not dark grey- they’re green! Look at the picture! They were black or charcoal grey last week.

       0 likes

  2. Jack McRobbie says:

    I also think those pre-invention exchange Deep 13 things could be counted as an opening. I like them, they add character development to the mads, and after they are removed they seem a bit flat- the Brains also should have kept a kind of Deep 13 idea after the inventions, which was experimented last week with the security system. I also don’t like the rather flat ending- it’s basically Dr F giving a clipboard to Dr E, them saying their mood with the experiment, and Dr F pushing the button with a different, funny noise!

       0 likes

  3. robot rump! says:

    i could live without this one especially considering the other movies they could have done in it’s place. maybe it’s all the recycled “little reascals”/”laurel and hardy” music or the ” duh, gee miss molly i wouldn’t never hurt ya none” lawncare guy. the famous ‘blender’ segment is good, but the others leave me flat. anyway not one i’d reccommend.

       2 likes

  4. ck says:

    The creepiest bit is the little girl’s ball rolling out,
    her mom screaming, and then narration saying she was
    murdered. (And exactly why?) Doesn’t make the
    Lawnmower Man sympathetic (how about some resistance
    to killing people)?

    It may have been their attempt to get a Frankenstein/Wolfman
    flavor to the movie, but…ugh.

    And where did the mad scientist get money to apparently buy
    mansions, all kinds of science supplies, and mess around for
    years if he lost his job at the university?

    Also, Dr. Forrester and Josh’s sadness at a mad scientist dying was
    a nice touch—but far too brief a skit.

       1 likes

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

    I don’t remember when “Doonesbury” stopped being relevant.

       1 likes

  6. Dan in WI says:

    For my part they really didn’t need to repeat the Tom Servo hits on the blender bit from KTMA. It is mildly amusing for the first little bit but gets old fast. Tom Servo aught to be smart enough to figure out it isn’t answering for a reason.

    Now the second host segment is my kind of host segment. I love these discussions about the experiments.

    This film gets my vote for all time worst soundtrack in an MST presentation.

    Commander Cody lands. Joel: That’s gotta be hard on the arches. I don’t care where you are from.” I always loved Joel’s “I don’t care where you are from” riffs. Then again I always liked the “Jim Henson’s _________ babies” riffs as well.

    I loved when everyone took a turn calling out “line” during an early dead part. It reminds me of my favorite running gag from Rifftrax’s Twilight saga treatment.

       1 likes

  7. I watched this about a year and a half ago as part of my personal mission to see every werewolf movie that isn’t An American Werewolf in Paris. (To be fair, there are others that I’m deliberately avoiding, but that’s the main one.) Keeping in mind that I was reviewing the film more than the MST3K treatment of it, here’s what I had to say about it at the time:

    http://dada.warped.com/movies/0905.html#09157mad

       0 likes

  8. klisch says:

    This is one of those episodes that one viewing is enough. The short was far more interesting, maybe because it was short and things were happening in it. There’s always a few fans that will say this is one of there best shows. Go figure.

       1 likes

  9. robot rump! says:

    i don’t remember when Doonesbury WAS relevent. or enjoyable to read for that matter.

       6 likes

  10. Mr. B(ob) says:

    This movie is pretty dismal even for one of its type. It doesn’t help that by the time this was made this kind of mad scientist story had already been done many times in earlier films and serials. It’s interesting that George Zucco, who was a decent actor, did at least a couple of these cheapie horror films. Glenn Strange did what he was best known for, playing a hulking monster even if it was an unwilling and unwitting one in this film. He also played the Frankenstein Monster in some classic Universal pictures after Karloff moved to roles out of the monster makeup. As usual, the jokes really fly during the Commando Cody serial even better than Commando Cody. I like this episode, but the movie’s slowness makes it a bit less repeatable fun than some of the more lively and actively goofy films in season one.

       2 likes

  11. Smoothie of Great Power says:

    For me this episode is pure, unbridled PAIN. It has to be the only episode I hate more than the dull snoozefests that are The Projected Man and The Deadly Bees in season 9 (though I commented on those in this guide before I saw this). Even with the Season 1 slack, this ranks as the worst, THE WORST MST3K episode I’ve ever seen.

    Like my first time watching Manos as an MST3K greenhorn, not only could I not get through the movie without having to stop for a break, this is the only episode that has ever completely put me to sleep… while multi-tasking at the same time! This is also one of those times where Joel and Josh-Servo’s lack of energy in their deliveries do nothing to help.

       0 likes

  12. Creeping Terror says:

    Whatever your politics, you have to admit the “Doonesbury”‘s star has fallen a bit since the 1980’s. As proof, there was a 1983 Broadway musical based on the strip for which Trudeau took a two-year sabbatical to work on. If he tried to take 2 years off today, he’d be out of a job.

       6 likes

  13. finniasjones says:

    Crow: Does the word “plodding” mean anything to anyone?

    The plot here relies on the familiar trope of the mad scientist with “radical” ideas who is rejected by his peers then seeks revenge on them, one by one (see also: The Blood Waters of Dr. Z). Has this scheme ever worked for a real-life scientist?

    Lovable doofus Petro the Handyman (see also: Micky the Gardener from The Screaming Skull) strongly resembles Benecio del Toro: maybe he should have remade this instead of The Wolfman? Actor Glenn Strange was a veteran of many, many Western films and TV series.

    A very grey print with noisy audio drags this one down, along with the creaky plot. None of it looks to have been shot very well in the first place. The camera-work in The Crawling Eye was Citizen Kane compared to this dull effort. The riffing is fine, but again highlights that the Brains were not yet up to the task of turning this type of slow, B&W dreck into comedy gold. That will come later…

    Josh’s Servo again got the most laughs from me. Highlights:

    Servo: Happy Birthday! (Frosty the Snowman reference)

    Servo: That felt good. Now I’m going to turn my daughter into a woodchuck.

    Servo: Nice caboose on that girl. What am I saying? That’s my daughter. I am mad.

    (dirty riff) Prof. Fitzgerald: You seem to be excellently equipped.
    Servo: Thank you, I didn’t think you could tell through these trousers.

    The Servo-Crow-ation host segment was one I’d forgotten about. Simultaneously disturbing and funny.
    “I just filled your load pan.”

    Rifftrax got to riff on George Zucco years later in Voodoo Man (available on DVD or VOD), which is one of the few RT titles that hearkens back to the early days of MST3K. It also stars Bela Lugosi, John Carradine, and the Jungle Goddess herself, Wanda McKay. Recommended over this snooze-fest, for sure. 2, very generous on my part, stars.

    Joel, Crow, Servo: (in unison) SHUT UP!

       3 likes

  14. “None of it looks to have been shot very well in the first place.”

    Yep, that’s PRC for you. There’s a reason why people call it Poverty Row Cinema.

       1 likes

  15. Brandon says:

    Funny that Doonesbury be brought up since the creator was on The Colbert Report a few nights ago. Anyway, here’s my review from a couple year’s ago.

    103- Mad Monster
    with short: Commando Cody Chapter 2

    Short: (taken from the ACEG) Cody, one of our select operatives on the Moon, attempts to steal the hostile Moon Men’s atomic ray gun.

    Movie: (ditto) Dr. Cameron, using a drug without FDA approval, turns his maintenance man into a slathering beast for the purpose of killing all his peers who labeled him a madman.

    Host Segements:
    Invention Exchange- Joel presents Hell in a Handbag. The Mads show their fire-breathing Thunder Lizard.
    Segment #2- Servo hits on a blender. Joel drinks from it which upsets Servo.
    #3- The robots are confused about the wolfman. Joel tries to explain.
    #4- Joel switches Crow and Tom’s heads just for the fun of it. The bots are not happy.
    #5- Good thing/ Bad thing. The mads are unhappy because of the film’s ending.

    Memorable riff from Short:
    -Crow: “How come they got Groucho Marx moustaches on their helmets?”

    Memorable riffs from movie:
    -Servo (as Dr. Cameron): “Nice caboose on that girl… What am I saying, that’s my daughter! I am Mad”.

    -Servo (singing): “Now let me tell you a story about a man named Jed
    A poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed.
    Then one day he was shootin’ at some food
    and up from the swamp came a big ugly dude!
    Wolfman – Black teeth – Long face
    Next thing you know ol’ Jed’s really scared
    the kin folks said Jed get away from there!
    They said my cabins the place you ought to be
    So he loaded up his drawers and he told his family!”

    -Servo: “You’d think since it’s his imagination he’d at least have them be afraid of him.”

    Stuff I noticed:
    -Um, okay I didn’t really notice this as just about every MSTie that’s seen this episode has mentioned it, but after Servo’s/Josh’s Beverly Hillbillies spoof song, Joel tells him, “Nice song, Crow.” This won’t be the first time that Joel will get his own bots’ names mixed up.

    -Also, common MSTie knowledge, the hell in the handbag, and the Thunder Lizard are all originally from Joel’s standup act.

    -The segment with Servo and the blender was originally done in one of the original KTMA episodes from 1988. Also, an outtake of the blender segment came be found here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YE2bez3WEE

    -Mike Nelson, the show’s head writer has said that the blender segment is actually one of his favorite bits from Season 1.

    -I have a question. Crow’s riff about, “I think I’ll go eat worms”, is that a reference to something? I’ve heard this phrase before, or variations of it on other shows, like Beetlejuice, and others that I don’t recall at the moment. Does anybody know?

    Favorite riff from short:
    -(moon men are shown sleeping) Joel: “It’s not that hard of a job.”

    Favorite riff from the movie:
    -Crow: “Nobody loves me, everyone hates me. I think I’ll go eat worms.”

    Best segment: I agree with Mike. The “blender” segment is indeed one of the funniest moments from Season 1.
    Worst segment: The Crow/Servo head-switching thing isn’t as funny as it could have been.

    Overall: Oh, dear lord. Another VERY rocky and shakey season 1 episode. Let me put it this way…. the first two episodes were better than this one. This episode was tough to get through. It definetly is one of the worst episodes of the whole series.

    Rating: *

       0 likes

  16. Raptorial Talon says:

    @11

    “the dull snoozefests that are The Projected Man and The Deadly Bees”

    Deadly Bees is worlds better than Projected Man . . . a bit slow compared to most of Season 9, but not the kind of bitter slog Projected Man presents.

    Is a guy really a “werewolf” in the conventional sense if he’s just a genetic hybrid that doesn’t convert victims into additional monsters? I mean, literally “werewolf” is just ye old English for “manwolf,” but still . . .

       0 likes

  17. FRANKENFORCER says:

    add my vote to the don’t like it pile. Not much I can say that hasn’t already been said and I try to avoid this one as much as possible.

       0 likes

  18. Fart Bargo says:

    The Commando Cody episodes are pretty fun for me. Outside of the riffing, the ‘science’ and miraculous escapes just slay me. I love the casual strolls on the moon’s surface in cuffed slacks and wing tip shoes, the incredibly vigorous fist fights with no injuries (most times not even losing their hats), the gun fights with hundreds of rounds being fired and no blood even when winged, bone china and serving card on the space ship on and on and on… Lots of action and a very lush music keeps my attention.

    Mad Monster is a dark template for many future bad cinema as noted previously. George Zucco seems to relish this role. I thought the make up for Petro was rather good , especially for its time. Although not up to the standards of later seasons, riffing was relatively good, see naughty riff. In closing, I enjoyed Josh/Servo skit very much.

       3 likes

  19. Laura says:

    @15
    The whole “eat worms” thing might have been referring to a Kids in the Hall sketch. If I am wrong about this, please feel free to tell me so and point out the real reference. That’s the only reference I can think of right now.

       0 likes

  20. Mr. B(ob) says:

    @ 19: I have always assumed that joke was indeed a Kids In The Hall reference. KITH was a great show and it’s initial run and the height of its success coincided nicely with the first few years of MST3K.

       1 likes

  21. eegah says:

    Isn’t terror bad enough without being molten?

       2 likes

  22. Sampo says:

    Before it was a KITH bit, “Nobody Likes Me, etc.” was a classic playground song. This page has a rundown: http://bussongs.com/songs/nobody_likes_me_worms.php

       1 likes

  23. Roddy the Ro-Man says:

    We fell in love with MST3K via mailed copies of the classic KTMA episodes like City On Fire and The Last Chase. We were terribly excited about being able to finally watch it on cable, but unfortunately, this and the IMO equally godawful “The Crawling Hand” were the first new episodes we were able to get our hands on.

    Thank goodness that things improved with our third Com Channel episode, “Robot Monster.”

       1 likes

  24. Kenneth Morgan says:

    Definitely not a particularly good movie, even with a pro like George Zucco. He did try this plot again, more or less, in “The Flying Serpent”, which is pretty much the same movie as “Devil Bat”, except that one starred Bela Lugosi. Actually, this movie might’ve been better with Lugosi, who’d have acted the daylights out of the mad scientist role.

    Personally, I don’t mind the Commando Cody serial. Sure, it’s predictable, but at least it’s never dull.

    And I still get a kick out of “Servo-Crow-ation”.

       0 likes

  25. Cody Himes says:

    The first time the Mads used the “THANK YOU!” line was in 102.

    I’m going to try to watch this episode tonight and post some thoughts after that. But when I went through the entire series earlier this year, I found this one incredibly hard to watch. I hope it holds up better when I watch it again.

       1 likes

  26. ck says:

    But you never got to see the end of Commando Cody.
    Did he prevail, or did the Moon people leave their
    Arizona desert Moon world and conquer the earth???

       0 likes

  27. M "Thanks, ED" Sipher says:

    I always considered this one middle-of-the-road, but it was hard for MST to displease me back then.

    Once again, the Mads shine in their opening bit where they discuss “when you went mad” like it’s their Bar Mitzvah or something. And the inventions… maybe I’m misremembering, but it seems like season 1 had a much higher concentration of use of open flames on-set.

    Actually, speaking of the Invention Exchange… the reason for it was never really set up in the show itself, was it? Yeah, I know Joel-the-performer-and-writer gave us an explanation for it at some point, but it was always kind of just this thing they did for no explainable reason in the show.

    Oh, the movie. How many spurned-scientist-gets-revenge movies have there BEEN, anyway? The idea that he’d sell the secret to the US military is indeed unusual… even though he used it for a multiple-murder spree. Then again, to paraphrase a funny movie, that might make him go UP in their estimation.

    The werewolf discussion is one of many skits following a similar, simple concept throughout season 1… picking apart the “science” of the film in ways that you can’t really get to when riffing, if only for time. It gives the show a nice blend between the “hosting a movie” shows of old and, well, what we have come to know as MST.

    Joel’s flubbing of the bots’ names is so, so weird. Still, it led to a humorous improv exchange, which they kept, which is fine by me.

       1 likes

  28. Laura says:

    Thanks Sampo! I only remembered the KITH bit.

       0 likes

  29. Grognarrrd says:

    “Doonesbury” is only relevant in certain circles. MST3K is universally relevant.

       2 likes

  30. cornbred says:

    @15 “The nobody likes me think I’ll go eat worms” song was, I believe, in a Danger Mouse cartoon, as well as just being a good old gross children’s song. It was actually sung by a bunch of crows on the cartoon. If I’m remembering correctly that is.

       0 likes

  31. H says:

    I personally enjoy this episode. Sure, the movie is something we’ve seen far too often but they do a good job with it. The short is good- I’m a fan of the serials, as I believe I’ve said. The host segments are a lot of fun as well.

       0 likes

  32. MiqelDotCom says:

    This one is another sleeper for me. I think they just hadn’t mastered the flow of riffing at this point, and if the movie is too dull the riffing doesn’t fully balance out the boringness. In the later years they could take any film (except hamlet, lol) and make it fun.
    For me this episode is just bland, bland, bland, in trying to watch it I kept zoning out about every 5 minutes and realizing I wasn’t paying attention. Thankfully their riffing superpowers grew exponentially over the next year and a half!
    1.5 Stars

       0 likes

  33. Roddy the Ro-Man says:

    CK:
    If you want to find out how “Radar Men” ends – or if you want to see any of a large number of other public domain movies which have been riffed on over the years, go here:
    http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=%22radar%20men%22%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies

       0 likes

  34. Brandon says:

    @ #27-

    To me Joel getting the names of his robots mixed up added more of a “parent” side to him. What parent hasn’t accidentally called one of their own children by the name of another of their children?

       0 likes

  35. Alex says:

    Did they do like an effect on the theater seats in later airings of this episode? Because the seats are green and not grey.

    Eh…. whatever. This is an okay episode. The film is definetly terrible I will admit

       0 likes

  36. Brandon says:

    Servo does KIND OF look like a fire hydrant… if you squint hard.

    http://www.winterportmaine.org/images/smith-metropolitan.jpg

       1 likes

  37. Spector says:

    Another middling episode from the first season as they’re once again trying to find their way. The host segments are hit or miss though I enjoyed Servo hitting on a blender. Again, the short (featuring “Pumpkin Boy” Commando Cody)is better than the main feature. Fortunately things were going to pick up in the next several episodes, but this one really doesn’t rate high for me. Two stars out of five.

       0 likes

  38. This Guy says:

    #35: According to the ACEG, some of the suits at the Comedy Channel wanted to make the silhouettes green to draw attention to them, no doubt worrying that if the shadows weren’t that virulent shade of dark puke, viewers would stare around their living rooms in perplexity and terror, trying in vain to determine whence came the snarky comments.

       2 likes

  39. RockyJones says:

    Yeah…I have to agree that this is probably the worst episode of season one. I’m also suprised to hear that the film was made in ’42. I would’ve guessed early 30’s. The hackneyed plot of the film is so predictable, you can see every detail coming from a mile down the road. There’s NOTHING frightening going on throughout the entire movie. I will admit, though, that the part with the child being attacked is a little heavy and creepy…and not really in character, considering the motivation for the other murders Petro carries out. You pretty much spend the entire course of the movie waiting for the inevitable conclusion…which naturally makes the movie seem to drag on twice as slowly.

    The host segments seem to be taking shape at this point, though…3 stars

       0 likes

  40. MightyJack says:

    No, this isn’t a great episode, but I don’t hate it as much as others seem to because it gives me a couple of big laugh out loud moments. The Bev. Hillybilly’s song, the woodchuck line, and -“Nice caboose on that girl… What am I saying, that’s my daughter! I am Mad”- is one of my all time favorite quips. Tom/Josh got off some of the best lines, I liked his observational stuff, ala when the mad Doc is losing an argument with his imagination (the debate with his peers). I enjoyed the skits too.

    All told, not a classic episode, but it does have classic moments. And I enjoy it much better than Aztec Mummy.

       1 likes

  41. fish eye no miko says:

    #40 MightyJack: Yeah, I like this episode too. The blender sketch is awesome; I love Tom freaking out when Joel takes a drink. “NOBODY DRINKS FROM MY GAL!” It will never stop being funny to me. And the end: “Oh, excuse me, Mr. Coffee…”

    I always feel bad for poor Pedro; in fact, there’s a lot of these movies where the monster is some poor sap a mad scientist has decided to screw around with and it’s not their fault, dammit!

    And I agree with Tom: Isn’t “terror” bad enough without being molten?

       3 likes

  42. ck says:

    #14

    “I always feel bad for poor Pedro; in fact, there’s a lot of these movies where the monster is some poor sap a mad scientist has decided to screw around with and it’s not their fault, dammit!”
    =============================================================

    That could be agood weekend topic: Which assistant is treated worse, is nduped into helping
    the Mad Scientist. For example, the assistant in “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” is really
    (and in more then one way) jerked around.

       1 likes

  43. Watch-out-for-Snakes says:

    Sampo, the first time the Mads say “Thank You!” is in experiment #102.

    Also, the title card read THE Mad Monster, so shouldn’t you change the header to this entry?

    As for this episode, I’m going to agree with most of the previous posts. This one is BORING, a snooze fest, which is mainly the fault of the GODAWFUL movie, which is a bad print to boot. Ugh. The Commander Cody short is good, but things fall flat after that. This for me is the worst season 1 experiment yet.

    Weren’t the ‘hell in a handbag’ and the ‘thunder lizard’ inventions both also done during the KTMA season, or am I dreaming that? I distinctly remember the Servo-blender scene from KTMA (I recall he said something about mango juice and oils?) but I can’t place the inventions. Am I just remembering the bits of Joel’s standup act that I’ve seen??

    Also, my copy (from DAP Central) doesn’t have the full end credits (which I am slightly miffed about) but it does have a commercial in the middle of it for MST 3000 SUNDAY, an all day, 24 hour Marathon of MST that ran on a Sunday, apparently. It had the logo for the Comedy Channel in the corner, which was weird to see that and not the Comedy Central earth-ball. Any idea when this all day MST MARATHON (the first MST marathon?) aired originally????

    RIFFS:

    Crow shouts out a trademark, “Kitty!”

    At the end, during the fire,
    Joel and Servo: “Stop, drop, and roll.”

    Crow: “I thought it was duck and cover?”

    *
    During the end segment, Joel and the bots have this existential exchange while arguing over ram chips,
    Joel: “Listen, if you guys keep arguing I’m going to take them all and give them to Gypsy.”

    Crow: “Hey, that’s not fair she wasn’t even in the experiment this week.”

    Joel: “Well that’s why I created a peripheral character, so you could work out your free will. Alright?”

    Crow: “I thought we weren’t going to delve into ontological discourse this week?

    Joel: “Well what would you rather have happen? I could turn Gypsy off? And then you could just live the rest of your lives as pan-dimensional beings, would you like that?”

    Servo: “Oh, thus spoke Zarathustra, you know, who made you uber-man this week?”

    Joel: “Sirs, I think that’s the end of the experiment.”

    . . . . .Further proof that this show is going to make you smarter, even if it is during a sub-par episode.

       5 likes

  44. Gorn Captain says:

    Garry Trudeau was on Colbert this week plugging his new Doonesbury book. So, still kind of relevant?

       1 likes

  45. bad wolf says:

    Usually when politics are mentioned the whole board shuts down. So let’s all just forget about the Doonesbury mention.

       2 likes

  46. Gorn Captain says:

    Sorry, I was thinking relevance as in whether it was a dated riff or not.

       0 likes

  47. M "Looks Like Popeye Got That Operation He's Always Wanted" Sipher says:

    #34: What parent hasn’t accidentally called one of their own children by the name of another of their children?

    Mine?

       0 likes

  48. Warren says:

    This one was sleep-inducing so I don’t remember it in detail.
    #34, #47-my mother sometimes took THREE tries to get my name right, apparently because I have 2 siblings.

       0 likes

  49. lancecorbain says:

    “How do you like my little film so far?” (when the scientist is looking out the window but appears to be looking right at us) was one of my favorite early moments from this show, I remember my friend Kev and I both cracking up over that, and other moments like it, like the lemur kid in Time of The Apes saying “Stick around, we’ll be right back.” The only other memory I have of this one is that since 10+years went by between me watching this on The Comedy Channel and then getting to see it again, I was convinced the scientist was Bela Lugosi. Oh well. Other favorite line in this was “He’s like a big, dumb Andy Griffith”. “A big Andy Griffith.” “Andy Griffith.”

       2 likes

  50. Rachel says:

    This was the first episode I ever saw, so I definitely have a soft spot for it. Years after I saw it, all I remembered from it was Joel telling the Bots about the Shirley Temple lookalike little girl ‘You guys, if she starts tap-dancing, I’m gonna lose it, I swear.’ For some reason I always thought that was hysterical.

       1 likes

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