Oh most definitely. 
I could go either way 
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Hercules Against the Moon Men.
Gets the whole idea of what the experiments/mental battles between the Mads & and the Satellite of Love crew are about down without needing further explanation.
āDeep hurtingā / Sandstorm does a lot of heavy lifting.
Frankās character shines & you get the whole Clay / Frank relationship very quickly.
Itās a movie where the plot can be followed, so you donāt have the distraction of āWTF is happening?ā
Itās even got a musical number!
So: gets all the MST3K tropes in and has goofy fun riffs.
Manos is too intense for new people. Iāve had experienced MSTies fall asleep during it. No fault of the riffing, but itās so dry a film.
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My suggestion would be HOBGOBLINS! HOBGOBLINS! WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THESE HOBGOBLINS?
Suppose you want to introduce someone to MST3K. What do you think is the most accessable episode that would hook them?
I have my favorites but some of them have deep cuts or callbacks that go over a newbieās head. I love āThe Day the Earth Frozeā but it centers on the Sampo which it takes a few views to actually catch what it is.
My first thought is āPod Peopleā which has great host segments with a plot that you can kinda follow. āSanta Conquers the Martiansā is another that pops to mind.
Any others?
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Not Manos, thatās for sure. I know some people go that route to introduce people, but thatās a tough one for the uninitiated.
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This is a question that requires a rather nuanced response.
For example, if your friend is old enough, there are plenty of episodes of the show they might actually remember; āThe Masterā episodes come to mind.
You also need to know which genre of movie your friend enjoys; as there is a large coverage of many types. Horror, Science Fiction, Western, Kaiju, heck, I got a friend who was into Shakespeare watch the Hamlet episode.
I think it really comes down to a quote by Joel in the early years, forgive me if itās not verbatim:
āThe right people will get itā.
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Hmmmmā¦
Gamera vs Guiron - Has a lot of the energy that definitely makes MST3Kā¦ MST3Kā¦ and, the Gamera songā¦
Catalina Caper - Creepy Girlā¦ āNuf said.
Werewolf - Warwilfā¦ where oh where is my warwilf???
Beyond Atlantis - Mothercrabber, itās one of the best mothercrabbin episodes of S13! Also, the Mothercrabber songā¦
Demon Squad - another soon to be classic from S13. It has a lot of the amazing energy that made me fall in love with MST3K in the first place, andā¦ itās a great movie.
But, you said oneā¦
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I would always ask what type of genre theyāre into. If they like sci-fi, Iād go with Space Mutiny. Horror, Werewolf. Drama, The Girl in Lovers Lane. Fantasy, Jack Frost. If theyād rather something recent, Iād work with the Netflix and Gizmoplex seasons, likely something all-purpose like Wizards of the Lost Kingdom.
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Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was my gateway drug, and it works pretty well for most people.
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This Island Earth worked for me.
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My non-MSTie ex said he enjoyed Kitten with a Whip and Wild Rebels, because they āfeel like real movies,ā so maybe a more low-key episode might be a good starting point? Horror of Party Beach was what got me into the show, and Iāve used Space Mutiny as an introduction ep before, but maybe something less silly would be easier for someone on the fence about it?
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Shorts. I always say shorts. Ease them into it with A Date With Your Family, A Case of Spring Fever and Progress Island, U.S.A.
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I agree with you about starting with a short.
My go to has always been āX Marks The Spotā.
(Itās what worked for me!)
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Hercules vs The Moon Men, the Deep Hurting episode. Host segments explain the premise perfectly & introduce the cartoon logic of Joelās life, and the movie is goofy but there is a plot you can follow (itās not the one with the steam cleaned horses).
Also: Pants!
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I Accuse My Parents
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If weāre going shorts, Iād absolutely throw Last Clear Chance at someone. I got a teacher to spit coffee at that short once.
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Yep. Itās a tough watch, and equivalent to starting with dessert too. Iād suggest something like Space Mutiny myself personally.
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Cheating is also a good one. That is densely packed with funny.
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If I was gonna start with shorts, I would do a double bill of The Home Economics Story and Young Manās Fancy.
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