810. The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)

As I don my green and gold each Sunday, but one thought screams through my mind:
WOO! PACKERS!!

Honestly, this is my favorite episode. With all the on-point Wisconsin jokes (I’ve actually been to Tommy Bartlett’s Water Show and have ridden a Duck in the Dells), this is my go-to when introducing the show to local friends. It just never gets old for me.
:spider:

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A very low bar. Dan Kester may be one of MST’s most reprehensible personalities. He is so unsympathetic The Master is nicer compared to him. Which isn’t saying much.

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Kester: “Lay off the booze, Ev, and they’ll go away!”
Mike: “In her defense, laying off the booze would mean seeing him sober.”

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I haven’t but I’ll steel myself to check it out. Meanwhile, try this. It’s bad in so many ways.

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Crow: “Ah, the Walmart family.”

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The Giant Spider Invasion was a good episode. The references to Gilligan’s Island with actor Alan Hale Jr. were fun.

Though the bots brought up a good point - how can a movie have a special guest star?!

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Oh man, how does anyone not love this episode? The first 20 minutes or so might be the funniest in Mst history! The Kester’s are pure gold! And when Crow quips “a showered person, thank God”, it ends one of the best stretches of Mst3K ever! I watch this one at least half a dozen times a year! It’s just too good!

Neat fact; my license plate reads MST3K. A new co worker of my mine saw it and his first comment to me was “PACKERS”!

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Any competing stretches in other experiments? The first 20 minutes of Manos (1966)? The beginning of Mitchell (1975)? The final reel of Space Mutiny (1988)? Large sections of Pod People (1983)? Much else come close?

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@CLANG_Potroast How’s this one stack in the scheme of things?

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Barbara Hale AND Doughy Guy AND Gently Used Volkswagen (or Honda) Alien Spider?!

This particular still ticks ALL my boxes!! :heart_eyes_cat:

Anyway…

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Your takeaway on Dan Kester? Man I can’t stand his character.

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lol. More movies should have a scene where the monster eats a redneck with its butt.

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A Bill Rebane reminiscence from 2019…

And an article about the theft of the spider from 2013…

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Seconded.

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I wouldn’t call it a good performance per say, but I do love Alan Hale in this

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He’s fun. His energy is the antidote to Robert Easton’s black hole of a schmuck. They are two extremes in a light goofy picture which flirts with nastiness while putting on a happy face.

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Say what one will, but Dan Kester is a very wise man.

After all, shouldn’t we all “lay off the Boooze!” from time to time!

An inspiration!

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I agree. It’s my favorite episode because of the Wisconsin references.

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I wish his shirt was closed though!

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Doughy Guy reading letter:
Dear chunk-head…now thats not nice!

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