Ideal for those who’ve never seen the program. Exceptionally strong and the riffs burn like steaks on the Fourth of July. Peter Lawford, Jack Palance, Jim Backus, Alan Hale Jr, Pat Buttrum, Arthur Godfrey. The familiar faces lace this with nostalgia as Charlie’s A-Team takes a bite out of crime. Rollie Fingers and Tug McGraw, Chocolate Jones and the Temple of Funk, Mike as The Fonz. “Kelly LeBrock’s Heroes!”, “Fox Force Five!”, “The Mommies: An action-packed adventure.” Season Six Greatness or overrated?
It is an episode I have only seen 2 or 3 times, as I did not own it until I got it in the Deluxe Collection with this kickstarter. Definitely a solid episode. The movie is easy to watch, despite being a blatant, and not very good, ripoff of Charlie’s Angels. They did, however, manage to capture the spirit of Charlie’s Angels (watching hot chicks run around in tight jumpsuits). The host segments are top notch, Renegade’s Lorenzo Lamas, reworking Earth v. Soup into a blaxploitation script (who knew it would be that easy?), and the Fonz!? Sign me up.
Speaking of blaxploitation films, I would love to see one riffed by MST3k. I am sure they can find one that could be edited down so as to be family friendly. East v Watts is my hands down favorite Cinematic Titanic episode, and The Guy From Harlem definitely is at the top of the list when it comes to my favorite Rifftrax movies. I could even see MST3k doing EvW, though they would have to edit out one of the best parts of the riff (the spit-take from Frank).
Edit: I forgot to mention, I hate the trope (is that the right word?) they used for this film. The one where they show you the end of the movie, and then rewind back to the beginning. It is even worse when they do it on a TV show, following the opening scene with “X hours earlier”. It is extremely lazy writing used to give the viewer a false sense of ratcheted up conflict. Just show us the events in order, why don’t you? Oh, then it would just be another ho-hum boring episode? Well, maybe this series has gone on a bit too long then. Ok, that was a big edit, I probably should have saved that rant for another thread…
I goota say. This has one of my favourite opening skits of all time. Crow mistaking Amnesia for the band Ambrosia was gold, but hearing Trace singing their different hits while giggling at Mike and Tom was a special kind of silly.
This is one of my favorite episodes. The general badness, the not at all subtle fanservice (“Hey, you’re giving away the plot!”), the appearance of so many past-their-prime actors, and the disturbingly bloodthirsty teenage sidekick. It’s so entertainingly bad and perfect MST-fuel.
AR is less of a “bad” movie and more of a “comedically ridiculous” movie. All in all the movie has all the correct components, but the tone that was chosen with the cartoon noises, the silly sequences, and melodramatic overacting gives is an aura of goofiness that drops the movie into a zone where it really seems more like it’s aimed at small children. However, the topic of drug use, busty cheesecake, gunfights, torture scenes, and other adult topics are in conflict with that childish aura and so the movie struggles less from being ‘bad’ and more from simply having inconsistent tone.
The riffing for this one is super solid of course and so the episode is a solid 7 out of 10.
It is also the earliest Greydon Clark joint to have been featured on MST3K so far.
I’ve always assumed this was a made-for-TV movie/series pilot, but apparently it was an actual theatrically released motion picture.
Why, none other than Greydon Clark himself may be able to help there. Has any one seen either The Bad Bunch (1973) or Black Shampoo (1976)? Do they hold up to Mr. Clark’s usual standards of quality film making?
I dig me some “Loudly, Shamelessly 70s” movies and this one does not disappoint! Always giving them something to work with, this one is a bright, upbeat laugh riot!
The scene where the ladies buy the van from the guy who did tons of cartoons is a pretty good copy of a scene in both the original and remake of Ocean’s 11. Peter Lawford was in the original Ocean’s 11.
Honestly, they could always do The Guy from Harlem. Sure Rifftrax has already done it, but I’m not against multiple takes on a riff. So much to make fun of, too. And the guy who played the lead didn’t seem to have an issue with Rifftrax’s treatment of the film, so he may end up being ok with MST3K’s angle, too.
lol. I remember seeing the trailer for that when we first got Showtime in 1978 or so. I think I was already at the, “Yeah, fine I guess everyone has to make a living” phase of understanding showbiz. At the ripe old age of 12 or 13.
