Books by Sampo!

 

 

Support Us

Satellite News is not financially supported by Best Brains or any other entity. It is a labor of love, paid for out of our own pockets. If you value this site, we would be delighted if you showed it by making an occasional donation of any amount. Thanks.

Sampo & Erhardt

Sci-Fi Archives


Visit our archives of the MST3K pages previously hosted by the Sci-Fi Channel's SCIFI.COM.

Social Media


Weekend Discussion Thread: Favorite Trace Moments

Since we’ve gotten started with favorite cast moments, let’s move on to everybody’s favorite mad scientist, Trace Beaulieu.
Here are mine, in episode order:
• 210- KING DINOSAUR–Crow asks “Am I qualified?” A classic bit, with great writing and a great performance. “Crush someone with an emotional word or an enigmatic look.”
• 307- DADDY-O–Trace is great as an increasingly frustrated Dr. F. in the famous “broken button” bit.
• 315- TEENAGE CAVEMAN–Dr. F and Frank battle it out. Great physical comedy.
• 323- THE CASTLE OF FU-MANCHU–Dr. F and Frank try to riff. Trace is great as he goes from supremely confident to dejected in a matter of moments.
• 320- THE UNEARTHLY–Hard pills to swallow. This may be my all-time Trace moment. This is about as mad as it gets.
• 403- CITY LIMITS–“Oh Kim Catrall.” Kim loved it. How can WE argue?
• 411- THE MAGIC SWORD–“Estelle.” The thing I love about when Trace sings is that, well, not to put too fine a point on it, um, he can’t (and I doubt he’d argue with that statement). But he totally commits anyway and that makes it work.
• 503- SWAMP DIAMONDS–The bots are obsessed with the ‘Spock in love’ “Star Trek” episode. A supreme geek moment, beautifully played.
• 609- THE SKY DIVERS–Swing choir competition. Another case where the bit only works if the performer totally commits. He does and it does.
• 624- SAMSON VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMEN– “Who will I kill?” A complicated number, with elaborate lyrics, carefully planned movements and a tune that’s not really in his key. He pulls it all together for a memorable moment.
• 706- LASERBLAST–Dr. F. becomes unstuck in time. The “2001” parody, his last performance on the show, became an immediate classic.

58 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: Favorite Trace Moments”

Commenting at Satellite News

We are determined to encourage thoughtful discussion, so please be respectful to others. We also provide an "Ignore" button () to help our users cope with "trolls" and other commenters whom they find annoying. Go to our Commenting Guidelines page for more details, including how to report offensive and spam commenting.

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

    and echoing #13 above. Just watched Atomic Brain last night… Trace as Crow doing Forrester and Trace as Forrester doing Crow.

    Tour de force.

    Much better than when Chris Lemmon performed it during his one man show at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater.

       0 likes

  2. Timmy says:

    This was a great thread, made me laugh a bunch of times. My 2-pence:

    1: Crow doing Timothy Van Patten doing General Patten.

    2: Fugitive Alien 2: Whenever Captain Joe says, “Rocky” and Trace does his ‘Rocky the Flying Squirrel,’ “Again?” and changes his infliction to match the Captains. Literally made me laugh until I cried.

    3: Repeating “Stop It!!!!” to the annoying repetitive musical note in “Monster a Go-Go.”

    4: Crow doing Trumpy doing the Elephant Man.

    I could go on forever…..but I’ll shut up.

       0 likes

  3. crowschmo says:

    INAMIAP – It is Ba-looooo!

       0 likes

  4. I’m not a medium, I’m a petite says says:

    re #53. sweet :D

       0 likes

  5. Cornjob says:

    I just remembered Crow’s pitch for the Film Anti-Preservation Society from Beast of Yucca Flats. Both his delivery and Mike’s response were classic.

       0 likes

  6. Auntie Maim says:

    Oh, man, how did I miss this thread??? :cry:

    I don’t care if I’m two weeks late and nobody else reads, this, I am so enamored of Trace in the show I still have to put in my 2 cents’ worth.

    Of course, almost all the great moments have already been mentioned, though I’m surprised more folks haven’t focused on the moving “Who Will I Kill?” solo. What makes that perfect in my eyes is the typical Dr. Forrester “googling”: the extra-close, wide-eyed, tilty-headed peering into the camera that heightened his Madness. Every time he did that throughout the show, it made me smile. “Did I tell you Mother’s here?”

    As for Crow, well, it’s really more the opus, if you will, than any particular moment. Though I have to mention his “killer Peck” skit in Space Travelers. Trace’s voice was/is incredibly fluid; he does three different voices in that skit, moving from one to the other seamlessly. Crow was such a well-established character I often forgot he was a puppet.

    Oh god, I think I just crossed a line…I’m gonna go find a therapist now.

       0 likes

  7. shinragod says:

    How he introduces the films always makes me laugh.

    “And now ‘The amazing Colossal Man. Put the hurt on them Frank.”

    “And now a Deep 13 special. Pia Zadora in ‘Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.’ Shield your eyes Frank.”

    “Your experiment is called ‘Pod People’. It has nothing to do with Pods, it has nothing to do with people..it has everything to do with HURTING!!”

    Also in OUTLAW; when Trace dresses as a caveman he looks so stupid and funny because he’s still wearing his black socks and loafers.

       0 likes

  8. jessie says:

    How did i miss this :???:

    I love trace.Its not that i dont like the scifi years,trace was just…

    My fave moment

    Crow-
    I have lain with bloodbeasts,and i am pregant.
    Is it crow who asks to marry servo.or does servo ask to marry crow.hmm
    I also lov eon the poopie tape,when he catches on fire and screams.His screams always make me laugh hystericaly.

    but im partial to Dr.f
    Dr.F-Swing choir al the way”Send in..the clowns*tears stream down his face*
    dont bother.their..Here bohohoh
    I also love the wya he addresses joel.
    Also the turkey day bumpers,where frank has jakc perkins and the mole people over,he cracks me up when he blows up the baloon”Slight the turkey frank,he must die so we can live*

    I also love his hair,when it was long.but not weird ponytail long.and another thing i noticed,is as the seasons progressed,and frank left,he began wearing more and more eyeliner.I think this is related to my theory about young frankenstein,because as each of them get madder and madder,and mor einsane,the eyeliner thickens.

    But trace is definitely in the top 20 of evil scientists

       0 likes

Comments are closed.