Of all the great TV shows that have come and gone throughout the years, none have been as unique in concept, innovative in execution and consistently funny as “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
“Mystery Science Theater 3000” is a sci-fi comedy show set in the “not-too-distant future” that revolves around a guy named Joel and his group of robot friends. While being held captive on the “Satellite of Love,” Joel and his companions are used as part of an experiment by his evil bosses, Dr. Forester and TV’s Frank. The experiment involves subjecting Joel to the worst movies known to mankind to try and control his mind.
As you can probably tell from the plot, the series is pretty cheesy and convoluted, but it is all intentional and part of what makes it such a great show. Most of each episode has the movie play out in full with Joel and two of his robot friends, Tom Servo and Crow, riffing over the film. This ironically and hilariously means that the worse the movie, the better the episode.
“MST3K” is one of my personal favorite TV shows. I can’t help but rewatch it time and time again, so much so that specific episodes have engraved themselves into my memory. The following are five of my absolute favorite episodes, which I would recommend to anyone interested in the show. I guarantee that if these episodes do not make you love the show, then none will.
“Pod People”
A cheap and watered-down “E.T.” ripoff, every second of the movie has something off-putting in it. Cheapness is a recurring theme throughout most of the movies on the show, and Joel and the robots do not pull any punches with “Pod People.” The titular pod person, a childlike alien named “Trumpy,” with his fake-looking appearance and unintentional creepiness, is a pretty potent source of laughs for the guys.
A highlight of the episode comes from one of the short sketches Joel and the robots perform in the middle of the movie. In this sketch, they recreate one of the film’s musical numbers. Instead of singing the actual and barely decipherable lyrics to the song, they sing what they think the lyrics sounded like, turning “Hear the Engines Roar, Now” into “Idiot Control Now.”
“I Accuse My Parents”
A very different film from the usual junk the group is forced to watch, “I Accuse My Parents” is a docudrama regarding juvenile delinquency. The movie is a tragic tale about the path of crime one teenager goes down due to the neglect he received from his parents. Despite its serious subject matter, its phony acting and ham-fisted script grant it no mercy from the gibes of the crew on the Satellite of Love.
The episode includes a short documentary on farming (which is as exciting as it sounds), which the guys also examine. These two films perfectly show how “MST3K” can find humor in anything and everything.
“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”
Yes, you read the title right. And no, this is not a spoof or parody. In probably the greatest holiday special in TV history, Joel and the robots watch what has to be the worst Christmas movie of all time. “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is an incredibly amateurish kids’ film that consists mainly of Santa hanging around and warming the hearts of Martians (not much “conquering” really takes place).
When you read the title, you can probably predict what you are getting into. Thankfully, the guys make the movie as enjoyable as possible by poking fun at everything in sight. From the unfunny humor, idiotic story and cringe-inducing dialogue, this Christmas gift from “MST3K” has no shortage of laughs.
The “Gamera” Series
This may be a cheat since this is a series of episodes, not just one, but each one is such a gem I could not resist. The Gamera films are essentially just Godzilla films but literally everything is worse. Instead of a menacing fire-breathing lizard, they follow the adventures of a fake-looking, friendly “protector of Japan” giant turtle who fights other monsters.
Ironically, because so many of his movies ended up on “MST3K,” Gamera could be considered a recurring character on the show, and the guys treat each of his appearances like a special occasion. With some of the cheapest and most eye-rollingly ridiculous moments coming from the Gamera series, it should come as no surprise that some of the best quips and riffs come from his appearances, making him perhaps the greatest giant flying turtle in all of history.
“Manos: The Hands of Fate”
Ending the list with almost certainly the worst horror movie ever made, let alone viewed on the show, “Manos: The Hands of Fate” has a little bit of everything that makes for a great episode. The movie’s terrible acting, horrible production value, abysmal script and raging incompetence all give the guys a massive amount of material they do not put to waste.
Harold P. Warren, the director and star of “Manos,” went on record stating that the movie was made on a bet that horror movies are easy to make. He won the bet by technicality only because what he created can hardly be considered a movie. The film was made as cheaply as possible with a barely functioning camera and a cast of amateur actors reading off of a script that was written with the primary goal of keeping production costs to a minimum.
Every aspect of the film is mocked to perfection, such as the eight-minute intro of nothing but shots of the road, fight scenes of people getting “massaged to death” and the horrible audio which has all been poorly dubbed. Hilariously, it is so unwatchable that Joel and the robots can hardly make it through it. In between the movie, the robots take a break to cry over how horrible it is, and TV’s Frank apologizes for how unusually bad the movie is. It is an episode I can hardly do justice to by explaining it, and I can only recommend everyone check it out for themselves.
With so many great episodes, it should go without saying that “MST3K” is one of my favorite TV shows ever made. Despite first airing in 1988, the show is still going strong on its website, “Gizmoplex,” and some of the original cast is still recording new movie riffs with their commentary series, “RiffTrax.” I recommend checking out either series because they are the best when it comes to watching the worst.
