And a truck whose owner went looking for it.
3 Likes
The Amazing Transparent Man.
I KID 
5 Likes
Here’s to the real hero of the movie … the prepubescent who makes time with Out-Of-Your-League Laurie (who forgot her coat).
1 Like
He also invented color movies with those power lines.
3 Likes
You know, it has been many a decade since 1998. And I still don’t have my personal helicopter. Though I would be just as happy with an autogyro. Those are fun.
2 Likes
For some reason I didn’t rewatch this experiment much over time, at least the feature film part, I remember the "beast"s incessant saturated yelling vocal effects making me very uncomfortable. (It just sounds like Don Preston inhaling a microphone, without any of the hilarity or energy.)
But, giving this a rewatch via the Vault Picks, and while I can’t say I enjoy that vocal effect aspect any more now than I did then (which is 0%), I must say this experiment overall is a million-times funnier than my unpleasant vocal effect clouded memory of it was.
This might have some of my favorite hosts/mads segments by far (and of course the one & only be-hipped spectre of Conn marching band instruments, Mr. B!), that, over the dim recesses of time, I completely forgot about them all being in the same experiment. Frank’s bit in the opening segment is one of the best things ever committed to videotape.
6 Likes
So, watching the full movie: it’s …eh. One of those that really doesn’t live up to its title. The fact that it decides right at the very end to switch to color is interesting.
2 Likes
I’ve often wondered what the deal was with Joel’s extended riff on KTLA, and particularly the host segment about future predictions. It feels like a reference to something I’m not familiar with.
3 Likes
I think it’s a reference to Criswell, the eccentric psychic most remembered now for his association with Ed Wood.
4 Likes
I know what you mean, but there’s also a Beetlejuice musical:
I have not seen it, but the few songs I’ve listened to I thought were quite clever and good.
2 Likes
I’ve always found it interesting that Betty Luster (Mr. B) had the same last name as famous Jazz singer June Christy (fka Shirley Luster) did before she became a star. I wondered if it was a Graves-Arness-type situation, but there’s no familial connection that I know of. 
The opening bit about That Border Restaurant is priceless. We end up quoting it just about any time we’re out for Mexican food… or for whatever that stuff is supposed to be. 
A very good episode overall. My main gripe about the story itself is that the good-hearted sheriff gets crushed by Glen’s falling [redacted] but the truck-obsessed blowhard tourist survives. Feh!
3 Likes
Despite the vast popularity of Mr. B, I do feel War has some golden riffs in itself. Love the running gag that “KTLA” is a famous TV personality Glen wants to connect with, or the endless bread jokes. 
4 Likes