Original airdate: Sept 2, 1997.
Watch on Youtube:
I added the ratings thingy.
From the MST3K Wikia:
Introduction: Mike and Crow are awakened in the middle of the night by loud explosions and sound effects. Crow finds Tom Servo in the theater hosting a Summer Blockbuster Review, which he and Crow introduce with a jaunty tune, the “Blockbuster Review Uptown Toodle-oo”.
Act One: Crow and Tom watch, riff, and attempt to sum up the trailer to The Fifth Element. They are wildly confused instead, so they continue on to make fun of an interview with Bruce Willis, some behind-the-scenes info with director Luc Besson, and a clip from the film itself.
Act Two: Mike finds the Bots in the theater just in time to have Tom introduce him as Jonathan Frakes and join them in watching the trailer for The Lost World: Jurassic Park. There follows a montage of Steven Spielberg’s trademark “scenes of people looking” and some riffing on the behind-the-scenes footage.
Act Three: Professor Bobo joins the gang in the theater when Pearl sends him to look for the SOL crew. After he drops all manner of sticky snacks all over the floor, the group watches the trailer for Men in Black, which is constantly disrupted by Bobo’s annoying candy wrappers, questions, and laughter. After making Bobo leave, the crew watches and makes fun of footage of the aliens and special effects from the movie.
Act Four: Observer pops in, joining in the search for the crew. The crew makes fun of the trailer for Contact, only to be interrupted by Pearl herself. Pearl insists on switching to the trailer for Batman & Robin because of the presence of “her fiancé” George Clooney, and when Servo insults George, Pearl tosses him out of the theater and does her own summary of the film. After watching and making fun of a scene from the film and watching the wrongness that is Joel Schumacher, Pearl demands George be put back on. Crow instead shows all of the strange and unappealing men from the other trailers, causing Pearl to chase him and Mike from the theater. A shaken Servo returns to send off the show; Bobo also returns and assaults him with a barrage of movie suggestions. Many of them involve monkeys.
• This hit TV screens about two weeks after the debut of episode 816- PRINCE OF SPACE and a few days before the debut of episode 817- HORROR OF PARTY BEACH.
• This is really the fulfillment of the promise of 1995’s Little Gold Statue special. Everything really clicks.
• They came up with a great little opening song.
• One innovation is the new perspective: In FRONT of the riffers so we can see their faces. It certainly was startling at first!
• And, unlike the Little Gold Statue special, they are actually riffing on the clips this time.
• Even better, Bobo joins them in the theater, then Observer, then Pearl. I’m guessing Patrick ran the puppets and the puppets dialog was dubbed in later. It must have been complicated!
• Kevin as Bobo is great as that really annoying person you hate to sit near in a movie theater.
• “Directed by Rob Lowe” is a somewhat dated riff. I think Lowe has (mostly) been forgiven for some of his personal mis-steps early in his career.
• I will admit I don’t really understand Mike’s horrified reaction to the behind-the-scenes footage with Schumacher and Silverstone. Yes, Schumacher trying to explain “macho” to her is amusing, but I don’t feel his stark horror. Is it simply Schumacher’s presence that is prompting this? Mike’s dialog is still funny, but I don’t quite get what he’s on about. What am I missing?
• Clips shown: “The Fifth Element” (trailer then a clip), “The Lost World (trailer, scenes of people looking, behind the scenes footage), “Men in Black” (trailer, behind the scenes footage), “Contact” (trailer), Batman and Robin (trailer, behind the scenes footage).
• Interviews: Bruce Willis and Luc Besson.
• Fave riff: “And here’s David Cronenberg’s rumpus room…” Honorable mention: “You’re missing Pat Hingle’s towering performance as Commissioner Gordon!”
