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Weekend Discussion Thread: Your Desert Island Episode

So, you’re off to a desert island. It’s not some Tom-Hanks-hollering-at-a-coconut-head situation here. You’ll have a DVD player and electricity. But out of your complete collection of every MST3K episode (let’s assume you have one), you can only bring one.

What would it be? It would not only have to be a great episode but it would have to be one that would be good on repeat viewings.

Mine may surprise you: It’s episode 610- THE VIOLENT YEARS
(with short: “YOUNG MAN’S FANCY”)

To me, it just has everything an MST3K episode should have. Every single host segment is great (though the “Star is Born” thing Tom does is probably the least funny), the short is weird, the movie was written by Ed Wood and features the classic “lady violating the poor defenseless guy” scene, and the riffing is top-notch throughout. They are just firing on all cylinders.

That’s mine. What’s yours?

This topic is certain to demonstrate the truth of what has come to be known as “Sampo’s Theorem” which states: “For every MSTie who believes a given episode is the worst thing they ever did, there is another who believes it is their finest hour.”

Oh, and I will allow honorable mentions, but only one. Mine would be episode 416- FIRE MAIDENS OF OUTER SPACE.

218 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: Your Desert Island Episode”

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  1. Matty-O says:

    My top dessert island MST3K episode would be It Lives By Night (1010). “Squeeeeeeeeek!” Kills me every time.

    For my honorable mentions have to go with Agent For H.A.R.M. (815), “Are you coming, or staying here?” Crow: “Yes and yes!” … as well as Final Sacrifice (910) “Rowsdower saved us and saved all the world.” Love that one. :grin:

    Can I take all three?

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  2. ARF says:

    This is tough — I’d have to go with The Day the Earth Froze.

    Beginning of the End would probably be my backup. Or maybe The Deadly Mantis.

    Warrior of the Lost World, Space Mutiny, Godzilla vs Megalon, Prince of Space … how can you just pick one, or even two?

    Maybe if I give up taking any food or clothing I can sneak in a copy of Final Sacrifice.

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  3. gruaud_larose says:

    An impossible task, but if I must…

    ‘Mitchell’ just fractures me every time.

    Honorable mention is a tie (ha!):
    ‘Space Mutiny’ and ‘Final Sacrifice’.

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  4. Travis says:

    Probably #701 – Night of the Blood Beast, incredibly funny episode all-around.

    Runner up might be Godzilla vs. Megalon, Manos or some other classic Joel-era episode.

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  5. kid tornado says:

    This list has been great! Just reading the titles of certain episodes was enough to put a smile on my face. My top episode is…

    #519 – Outlaw (of Gor)
    “You know how to party don’t ya?”
    “Yeah, you put your lips together and drink.”

    Honorable mentions – #404 – Teenagers from Outer Space, #507 – I Accuse my Parents, #619 -Red Zone Cuba, #1007 – Track of the Moon Beast.

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  6. Cornjob says:

    Star Force: Fugitive Alien II – To me this is the epitome/valedictory of all the Japanese Sci-Fi giant monster ones. Great song, great riffing, super super cheesy flick. My favorite part is when Ken seems to exclaim “sh*t!” in the middle of a fight and Tom sounds honestly shocked.

    Has there ever been a thread about the “best” movies – the ones that come closest to being decent or even good? My suggestion is Overdrawn at the Memory Bank – I’ve paid to see tons worse films than this one.

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  7. I’d go with “I Accuse my Parents.” It’s just the right mix of everything. Terrible movie, but accessible to all. Great jokes – along with hilarious skits. I’d say it’d be the perfect episode to see again and again.

    Honorable mention? “The Magic Sword.”

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  8. Skiptastic says:

    I will say this: Outlaw would probably be one of the best episodes for when those cold, lonely nights hit. That’s some…consideration…that should probably have come into play during my selection. :P

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  9. Zherene says:

    After a long deliberation

    Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
    easily my favorite all around. and i’d have something to watch at Christmas

    Hon. Mention
    Beginning of the End “all Souza, all the time”

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  10. mobileunit98 says:

    Bending the rules just a tad………
    Here’s one I wouldn’t want to be stranded with.
    “Hamlet” Not even the riffing could save this bore-fest. :???:
    This is one that will probably be watched in Hell over, and over……and over again ! :twisted:

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  11. icyhot says:

    Space Mutiny because “Grandma’s Hot!” and probably “Night of the Blood Beast” for my honorable… “Not everyone’s Steve!”

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  12. Kelsey says:

    I think I have to go with “Giant Spider Invasion” as my all-time favorite. It’s sad to say, but it makes me home-sick for Wisconsin.

    Crow: “Packer funs…the horrible truth.”

    Mike’s little ditty: “I love tick-infested hounds, slaughtering a deer, and beer.”

    Dan, the greasy hick, responding to his booze-hound wife’s request to call the cops: “What if they find all the grass were growing?”
    Tom Servo: “Lawns are illegal in Wisconsin?”

    Runner up would probably have to be “Cave Dwellers” considering my boyfriend and I went as the two main characters for Halloween last year.

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  13. Steve Vil says:

    Voxtz says:

    “March 8th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
    “Squirm”, with short “A Case of Spring Fever” nothing like the most ridiculous short followed by a movie about killer worms.”

    Should I be infinitely embarassed that I own the dvd of this movie and was sort of disappointed that when MST did it they cut the hell out of it?

    Probably. :oops:

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  14. kelly lingo says:

    :roll: my respects to mobilunit98
    .. and I invoke “sampo’s theorem” but the German goodness of -Hamlet- and “fine corinthian leather”
    Shakespeare and the bots’ make a combination that can’t be beat…
    it was the first time I understood the old Bard in 25+ years
    back up? I never get tired of the ” Jet Jaguar ” song

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  15. johnny_fever$ says:

    Red Zone Cuba is in regular rotation for me. “There’s all of Coleman’s malt cups from the previous takes”. The Francis/Cardoza joints seem to be perfectly set up for the riffing treatment. Favorite shorts that I watch repeatedly? Money Talks and Progress Island U.S.A. – hands down the greatest “firing on all cylinders” double riff sequence in history – for me any way. “…what are you doing in there? You’re not talking to the founding fathers again are you?”

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  16. Thrint says:

    I can wath “Boggy Creek II” over an over. The Sci-fi years at its best. Crow-“Geez, do a push-up kid” is fall down funny.
    2nd place would have to be “Santa Clause Conquers the Martians”

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  17. John Meyer says:

    Hands down, “Red Zone Cuba”. It’s one of the highlights of Season Six, complete with an amusing short (‘Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance’).

    Runner up: “Final Justice” in Season Ten.

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  18. gsyme says:

    My desert island episode would have to be Fire Maidens of Outer Space. The long sections with no dialogue and scenes that ended about 10 seconds after they should have gave the guys room to really stretch out with good riffs and banter and even alternate plot threads (as Crow said at the end “They had to pad the film just so they could get to the parts that had more padding.”). They did well in making comments from within the movie rather than at the movie, for instance during the long dance sequences.

    My honorable mention would be War of the Colossal Beast, which was pretty good itself, but of course also contains the short “Mr B Natural.”

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