What movies are “canon” as suggested by repeated reference by the Brains? Three that come to mind might be “Road House,” “Mannequin” and “The Goonies.” How important is it to see these movies and why (I have seen some of “Mannequin” but not the others)?
So in other words, what (non-MSTed) movies ought a MSTie be sure to have seen in order to get most of the references? The list is going to be long, my friend.
I’m going to start with “The Wizard of Oz,” riffed on dozens of times over. But I also maintain that this movie is perhaps the last communal experience we as Americans have, so everybody SHOULD have seen it. Two riffs from 303- POD PEOPLE (the most recent episode I saw) come to mind” “I DO believe in spooks! I DO believe in spooks!” and “I can’t come back! I dunno how it works!”
What movies would you put on the list?
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Personally, I think Mitchell is a classic. And Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. 8-)
“It’s a Wonderful Life,” definitely, “Planet of the Apes.” “Star Wars”/”Empire Strikes Back”/”Return of the Jedi.”
2001
Dr. Strangelove
Eraserhead
The most important movie all should see is “Silent Running”. Although not verbally referred to, the basic concept of a lonely astronaut and his robot pals doing what it takes to survive in deep space. A terrific movie and honored by Joel/Mike and the Bots.
I agree with the Wizard of Oz as it seems to be referred to time after time throughout the entire run of the show.
Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels, a wonderful movie, provided the repeated references to Jimmy Carl Black
(the Indian of the group) and Centerville, a real nice place to raise your kids up.
Maybe “The Sound of Music”, which i finally sat down and watched recently! Good call on Wizard of Oz.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the associated movies.
I remember Fassbinder’s work mentioned in episodes and I think the ACEG. Never seen any of the films though.
Good morning. I still cant decide what the best movie ever made is. I know it is either “Mandingo” or “Summer Lovers”. As far as this thread goes, all wanna be myties should watch “Village of the Dammed”. Bargo was right about “Silent Running”, while not the SOL it is close.
I don’t think any film was referenced more often, or with greater affection, than 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. If you don’t know that film, you won’t get the crucial “lip-reading” business in MITCHELL, for example, or the ultimate fate of Dr. Forrester as revealed in LASERBLAST, or the opening sequence of MST3K: THE MOVIE. Or the scores of smaller references throughout the series. I think it was rare for an episode to pass WITHOUT some kind of reference to 2001, at least during the years Trace was on the show.
To those already listed, I would add “Blue Velvet” and “This Is Spinal Tap.” Also, Fart Bargo is right, you really have to see “Silent Running” to realize how strong of a visual and conceptual influence it was on Joel.
Let’s see…you got Dr. Strangeloe (one of my faves, btw.)
1. I think I’d go with anything from Firesign Theater
2. Oklahoma
3. Planet of the Apes (and its sequels)
4. Apocalypse Now
5. Any of the Dirty Harry Movies
I immediately thought of It’s a Wonderful Life too. Casablanca especially before anyone sees Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. For TV shows Sea Hunt. By this time my lungs were aching for air…
I agree with Sitting Duck about Monty Python. I recall that the episode “Jack Frost” had five – count ’em – five references to the show and movies (if anybody wants, I can post those references from memory). “The Wizard of OZ” is a great suggestion, too.
I’d recommend that a newcomer should see movies based on classic literature, which they joke about a lot, especially things like “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” and the occasional Dickens yarn.
Soylent Green
Apocalypse Now
Wizard of Oz
Monty Python & the Holy Grail
Oh, and An Officer and a Gentleman (for that whole “I got nowhere else to go!” bit).
Not a movie, but the TV series, ‘Star Trek’
Not a movie, but I’d suggest a good familiarity with “McCloud” might help, along with a general knowledge of 1970’s TV movies.
I’d also add that “Star Trek” TOS (both the movies & TV series) would be an essential.
Re: tombrasher (#17)
Beat me by about a minute with that one!
2001: A Space Odyssey. Referenced many times.
Planet of the Apes.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Shaft (original).
And, although they’re not movies, it helps to know Firesign Theatre and Bob Newhart. Every time there’s a woman driving, they go into a “Mrs. Webb” routine, which I didn’t understand until I saw this.
Animal Crackers.
And to a lesser extent, A Night at the Opera and Duck Soup.
My wife mentioned only the other night that we need to watch The Goonies, and I think she’s right.
I have, in fact, watched The Wizard of Oz, but I will confess that it creeps me out HUGELY, and I haven’t watched it literally in almost forty years. I get the jokes, though.
Yes, the Marx Brothers.
And Citizen Kane, of course!
BLUE VELVET……
MOMMY, MOMMY, DON’T LOOK AT ME,DON’T YOU EVER LOOK AT ME!
Of course, if you going to watch Wizard of Oz, you have to pull out your copy of Dark Side of the Moon and start it at the second roar of the MGM Lion. That’s a lot of work.
You should probably watch some version of A Christmas Carol as well.
As for TV shows, I remember a few Fawlty Towers references that are indecipherable without having seen the series.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Planet of the Apes
The Wizard of Oz
Though I should point out that the only one of those three that I have seen is The Wizard of Oz and that was when I was six or seven, so about 25 years ago. I don’t remember much about it.
Some movies and tv shows are so iconic that one still knows catch phrases and scenes without having viewed it. Though I had no idea what the ending to season seven was all about, but somebody told me that it was from 2001.
“A Christmas Story” is an essential, along with a general knowledge of Jean Shepherd.
THE MUSIC MAN. I had never seen this musical until my fiance showed it to me recently, and suddenly dozens of references “clicked” for me instantly. There’s almost one MUSIC MAN reference in every episode. And not just in the theater, Dr. Forrester said to Frank once “Don’t dawdle, Amaryllis”. I’d been quoting that for years without knowing what’s it’s from. There’s an invention exchange based on “The thought system” and there are even TWO Music Man songs in the Digger Smolken medly…
Seconding (thirding) the Marx Brothers. So many lines taken from various movies. Swordfish. Make that three hard boiled eggs. Whatever it is, I’m against it. Weirrrd figgaaas.
Don’t forget A Hard Day’s Night. A general familiarity with the Beatles is a must in any case.
Raiders of the Lost Ark supplies a few riffs (“Don’t look at it Marion!” ) So does “Doctor Who” (mostly just mentions of the Tardis, although there are a couple others.)
A second for the Beatles, Dr. Strangelove (“Animals to be bred and slaughtered!!!!!”) and fourth for the Marx Bros. Another film is The Thing From Another World, featuring the late James Arness. “Keep watching the skies!!!”
I’d definitely support the claim of 2001. The references are less likely to be gotten through simple cultural osmosis than the references to, say, Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life and Star Wars. And they’re quite numerous.
I’m going to go on a different track and say Sidehackers. Either the episode or the actual movie, because if I had to guess, that’s the movie-they-did that was most often referenced throughout the show’s history. In fact, there were probably as many if not more Joel episodes referencing it than not. And I can say this from personal experience, The Hellcats episode becomes a great deal more comprehensible if you’re familiar with Sidehackers, comprehension that that episode needs desperately. If you haven’t seen Sidehackers, you just won’t get the “chile peppers burn my gut” references, and man, were those all over the place, not to mention the “That’s pretty good!” and “That’s a number five!” references.
How could I forget? Dark Grandma is right and Soylent Green is people. I know a few id love to turn into cookies.
The entire Ape Cycle. “Just use a pair of locking pliers and a spanner.
Another one is Last of the Mohicans. They use “Stay alive! Whatever may occur, I will find you!” in so many episodes.
How, I can’t believe some people haven’t seen 2001 before. This is a must see, classic film. And don’t be like some guy I met at a party years ago, who when pressed about Kubrick told me “I watched 2001 . . . well, I ffwd’d through a lot of it, but there was no dialogue. I just wanted to get it under my belt.”
One I haven’t seen mentioned yet is David Lynch’s Dune.
“We’ve got moviesign!” comes from “wormsign”, an example being “Usul, we have wormsign the likes of which God has never seen!” Also, early seasons had alot of “I will kill him!” references which was uttered by Sting’s character in the film, although he wasn’t dressed in a leather thong at the time as Crow once mistakenly claimed. The thong scene was earlier.
#7 Good call about Monty Python,
but there is that Benny Hill thing…..
Btw, I object to all this sex on the telly.
I mean, I keep falling off!
Oh, and the Bob Newhart show, so you get it
every time they show a highrise apartment building.
Thanks, NoTrafficAccidents. I had no idea that “movie sign” was a reference to anything!
#20, Hollyhox:
You should try to get old Bob Newhart routines. I’ve got an
old LP with lots of them, including the driving Instructor and
the Cruise of the U.S.S. Codfish (which goes something like)
“Our firing on Miami Beach was ill timed. It happened on what they call in the
news business a slow news day and as a result got a lot more attention then
I think it deserved, it happening in the off season.”
It’s A Wonderful Life is improtant to have seen, as they referenced this film many times in many episodes over the years :-)
suggesting or seconding Kane, Oz, Wonderful, Lucy, Python, Marx, 2001, A&C.
but of course it’s not just movies and TV… there is a musical canon as well.. for instance Frank Zappa and Talking Heads / David Byrne were the source of many many riffs.
I agree with “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “2001.” Also, I think some of the classic episodes such as “Time Enough at Last” from the original “Twilight Zone” series are good background.
Agree, again, with watching *Silent Running*. You practically expect to see Joel there with Crow, Servo and Gypsy instead of Bruce Dern with Huey, Dewey and Louie.
And #38. Thank You. I am ashamed to admit that though I’ve read *Dune* several times and have of course seen the movie, I never made the connection between “wormsign” and “moviesign” – !
I might recommend watching A SELZNICK PRODUCTION or two.
I completely agree with 2001: A Space Odyssey-I get tired of having to explain what’s going on to people who have never watched that movie. Seriously? I don’t know if Gypsy was consciously based on HAL 9000, but she made a great one. Also, a trip down TV Land during a 60’s/70’s marathon might help for references during the Frank Conniff years, Then Came Bronson, Mannix, T.H.E. Cat, The Young Lawyers, Mod Squad, etc..
NoTrafficAccidents, Holy crap, I never realized that one either. Moviesign! God, I thought I was all done being amazed by this TV show, you know?
Being a fan of DUNE, I’ve caught quite a few references to it over the years on MST3K, including lines from the David Lynch movie adaption from 1984 (“Just a little spittle in your eye…”), the Gom Jabbar joke from the Junior Rodeo Daredevils short, and at least a couple “Kwisatz Haderach” mentions…
Okay, that was supposed to be a closed parenthesis, not a smiley face…