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Now Available from RiffTrax…

Download it here.

Episode guide: 1304- MUNCHIE

Movie (1992): A daydreaming youngster acquires a mischievous creature who wants to be his friend.

Host: Jonah.

Opening: The Mads are thrilled that Dr. Kabahl’s plan is working. Meanwhile J&tB are knee-deep in the game GPC chose for game night.

Invention exchange: The Mads have created the Deadmill, an exercise machine for zombies. J&tB have the Sustain-A-Band, a rock show products that can survive rock star mayhem.

Segment 1: J&tB pull themselves together. Jonah disobeys Kinga and gets the oxygen turned off.

Segment 2: Jonah plays bootleg Dom Deluise tapes. Meanwhile Kinga orders around Pearl Synthia, and Mega-Synthia, then refuses Pearl’s desire for quality time. After intermission, The Mads hire Growler and M. Waverly.

Segment 3: Kinga hires Dr. St. Phibes to examine Jonah but instead she explains Munchies.

Close: The movie has fried the bots’ logic circuits. Meanwhile, Jonah and Emily hatch a plan.

Thoughts:

• I have to admit this one was a bit of a slog for me. It may be a good current example of what longtime fans have learned over the years: when a movie is an intended comedy, the episode can be difficult. It’s not impossible but there’s an extra degree of diffuculty. And I think we saw that here. There were some really funny riffs but they were a bit sparse.

• The character up there with Ardy is being voiced by the Man Himself, Ivan Askwith.

• This episode debuted on May 27, 2022.

• Gage recites Galadriel’s famous speech. Again, not as obscure as it once was.

• Dr. Donna St. Phibes, a B-movie monster conservationist and biologist (played by Deanna Rooney) first appeared in the live show and returned in season 12. Now she’s back again.

• A plot between Jonah and Emily begins. We’ll all be on needles and pins.

• Stinger: Gage says: “Gotta be Munchie.”

Callbacks: “pretty nice” (Mac and Me)
“Guess I’m off to Deathstalker II.”

Fave riff: “Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, ACK!”

Honorable mention: “Finish him!” “The slide-whistle of imminent doom.” “Parenting: the sometimes job.”

Jerry Springer, RIP

CHICAGO — Jerry Springer, the celebrated talk show host and former Mayor of Cincinnati, died April 27, at his home here, after a “brief illness.” He was 79.

Springer was best known for his 27-year, near-4,000-episode run as the host of the eponymous talkshow, which featured guests who purportedly engaged in controversial behavior. Springer loomed so large in pop culture that he was even the subject of a parody by Weird Al Yankovic.

MSTies may remember that was mentioned in a host segment in episode 905- THE DEADLY BEES.

Thanks to Torgover for the heads up.

Now Available from RiffTrax…

Download it here.

Episode guide: 1303- BEYOND ATLANTIS

Movie (1973): A sketchy gang of fortune hunters join forces to travel to an exotic island in search of a cache of pearls.

Host: Emily.

Opening: Emily’s bots try ASMR but GPC2 is not helping.
Kinga and Max admire the new “Simulator of Love,” built by lonely Gizmonic Institute worker Emily Connor. Then they strand her there.

Invention exchange: The mads have a toothpaste for hideous plants with teeth. Emily has invented mech hands.

Segment 1: Emily pitches the East Eddie SAT Prep Guide, 70s Dirtbag Edition. Later, Jonah checks in on Emily and she has some criticisms of the lack of show host cooperation.

Segment 2: Crow is the emcee for the game show “Milk & Honey.”

Segment 3: Emily and the bots attend EddieCon.

Close: Emily raps “Mother Crabber,” which features the debut appearance of the smaller and more lightweight GPC 2. Max joins the rapping; Kinga gives it a thumbs down.

Thoughts:
• A couple of lines of the theme song are slightly different in Emily eps. Here’s her version:

TOM
In the not-too-distant future
Next Sunday afternoon
The evil Kinga Forrester
Ran her empire from the moon
Her latest plan was the Gizmoplex
A twisted scheme based on stolen specs
Now she’s pulling the strings from the old Moon base
And she’s back to her experiments with prisoners out in space

KINGA
I’ll send them cheesy movies
The worst motion picture wrecks (la la la)
They’ll have to sit and watch them all
And we’ll stream them at the Gizmoplex! (la la la)
Now keep in mind they can’t control
Where the movies begin or end (la la la)
They’ll have to keep their sanity
With the help of their robot friends

Robot Role Call: Cambot!
Cambot: And, action!
GPC! GPC: Which one?
Tom Servo! Tom: That’s me.
Crooooow!

TOM
If you’re wondering how they eat and breathe
And other science facts (la la la)
Then repeat to yourself, “It’s just a show
I should really just relax!”

ALL
For Mystery Science Theater 3000!

• This episode was made available on April 29, 2022 to Kickstarter backers and on May 8, 2022 to Gizmoplex users.

• This marks the debut of a second cast. In addition to Emily, there are new versions of the bots, Crow (Kelsey Ann Brady; the first female in that role), Conor McGiffin as Tom Servo and Yvonne Freese as GPC.

• What do I think? Well, overall, it’s too early to be sure. My first impression is that Emily seems the most natural, both in the theater and in the host segments. Kelsey Ann seems a little nervous but that may fade as we go on. I’m not ready to write the second cast off.  I’d give the episode a B-plus (they get the plus for how wracked with nerves they had to be).

• I used to regularly mention LOTR references when they did them and it’s nice to see they’re still doing it (although LOTR is no longer the boutique reference it once was).

• Stinger: “What happened?” “Some mother crabber set a trap.”

Callbacks: “Can’t we get beyond Atlantis?” (Laserblast)
“BANG!” (Cry Wilderness) “Hikeeba!” “That was a lot of money back now.”

Fave riff: “Early Venmo was sweaty.”

Honorable mention: “I think the horn speaks for all of us.” Also: “Island Tinder” and “Sleazebags, assemble!”