Episodes You Won't Watch Because You Can't Sit Through The Movie?

Tastes are certainly an individualistic thing. Two of the most frequently cited movies here - Hamlet and Red Zone Cuba - are among my favorite (re)watches. But then I also love German Expressionism and nihilistic darkness.

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I heard from a good friend that Strange Creatures has several transphobic jokes, and I know I’d be uncomfortable trying to sit through that. It’s the one episode I’ll probably never watch.

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That one does feel more like a Rifftrax episode than MST3K, given the amount of ugly commentary in it. In their defense, it’s a rather ugly and hateful movie as well.

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And hard to understand thanks to the garbled audio track.

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Since we’re confessing…I had a really hard time sitting through Time of the Apes.

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The Creeping Terror remains, for me, the absolute bottom of the barrel as original MST3k fodder goes. I can only watch it broken into chunks over a couple of days. The dreary settings and print, the dildo-head Mr. Snufalufagus lead. The Moebius-strip “story.” After all these years it still hurts. A lot.

Girl In Lovers Lane is another I seldom get through, though the Train Song is tops. Joyce Meadows as Carrie (though looking a bit old for the part) is convincing enough that I feel awful seeing her fate and how the “heroes” are just, “Oh no big deal. Let’s go have dinner with the folks.” BLECCHH!!

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I agree, and it makes me sad. As a licensed Jazz snob for decades, I should be in Heaven with all the related riffs in there. But the relentlessly gaspy, screechy dubbing (not to mention hateful little Johnny in his disturbing shorty-shorts) makes it tough. I need company to get to the finish.

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But why? An entire Japanese series condensed down to an American movie by people who aren’t screenwriters? How could it not be lucid and compelling? :rofl:

That’s a very seldom rewatch for me as well.

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Yeah, I was surprised to hear myself say it, but after a couple three watches, I don’t think I can deal with Critter anymore. It’s super until they get to LA, then it’s just greasy celluloid to me.

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I did have company for that one and we just kept exchanging cringing looks! I tried, I really did try.

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CASTLE is one of my favorites, oddly enough.

HAMLET just doesn’t work for me. I credit them for giving it a shot, but the riffs seem misplaced to me. Same with OVERDRAWN AT THE MEMORY BANK - it feels like picking a fight with a five-year-old. What did it do to hurt us? Where on the doll?

On the other hand, BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z is such a boring yet infuriating movie that hits a high sleeze quota, making it one that took me six tries to get through. Rough stuff.

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I feel like a better print of Castle would make it go down a bit easier for more fans. The RT guys did that with the Sumuru do-over and Lord knows it’s still a terrible movie, but at least you can make out what’s supposed to be happening.

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The Rifftrax of Julie & Jack. Not even the riffing could save how boring of a watch that was.

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Possibly.

Part of the problem is also with the riffing itself, which has a lot of despair-laden riffs along the lines of “this is bad” and “why are we watching this” and so on and so forth.

Which, you know, I get, that’s fine, because this is MST3K, a celebration of terrible movies. But at the same time, I felt like the level of riffs didn’t rise to meet the level of the film’s badness throughout.

There have been worse movies featured on the show, but it felt like they just didn’t know what to do with this one, as if it posed genuine problems in the writing room.

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Maybe. Though for some reason, I giggle more at Our Heroes’ suffering here than I do for Manos . Both episodes have very appealing skits. I can’t explain it.

I feel like nowadays they’d be more comfortable ripping into just what racist trash the whole Phu Phenomenon is to begin with.

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Now, the host segments for The Castle of Fu Manchu, I like!

The Mads are in rare form there, celebrating an undisputed knockout victory over the SOL gang. The bad guys win (until Frank offers up that “the movie wasn’t very good” concession), and it’s something… oddly exhilarating to see?

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It did.

From the Amazing Colossal Episode Guide:

“This movie’s mentioned every time we gather and talk about the worst ones we’ve ever done. It looks okay and the music isn’t too bad, but the plot stinks like crap. We NEVER knew what was going on.”

“The pattern of the host segments, with Joel and the 'Bots continually breaking down while the Mads gloat, is a direct result of how bad the movie is, and how hard it was for us to write. We write the host segments the day after we watch the movie the first time, so we’re filled with whatever pain the movie provides. This time we couldn’t think of host segments related to the movie, and we resented having to think about it. We can get kinda pissy at times like that.”

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A fan I know from another site said, basically, Joel trolled the Mads and emerged victorious. That’s how I think of the denouement now.

:grin:

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Ah, good call!

Yeah, their resentment all throughout is palpable. Joel has a riff near the end about how bad it is, and his voice is so quiet and full of resignation. And you’re like, “Yeah, I feel that.”

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Oh, wow… I rather like that interpretation!

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