The Round 5 showdown roars into action with the dawn of Mega Monster Month for July’s Vault Picks at the Gizmoplex!
Behemoth beasts are at the center of these six featured movies, ranging from a pair of dueling kaiju battling to decide Earth’s fate, a grandiose lizard stalking a rural Texas community, a larger-than-life caveman tearing around Palm Springs, an enormous arachnid (and its smaller counterparts) invading Wisconsin, a colossal amphibious monster laying waste to London, and a ravenous giant Frankenfish demonstrating a taste for humans.
These episodes offer big monstrosities and even bigger laughs, but only one episode can claim top honors. How will you decide which episode stands tall as your favorite? Which installment has the most massive merriment? Whose cuisine will reign supreme?!
Favorite of the Gizmoplex Vault Picks: Round 5 - July 2022 (Mega Monster Month)
While The Giant Gila Monster’s my favorite episode for this month’s Vault Picks, I think I would choose… Gorgo.
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Take a good guess on why I chose the episode just for the Selects segments.
OK. First things first the list is missing one key player so I’ll start there…
Godzilla vs. Megalon. One of the best riffing movies to date with many good host segments, great riffs, and a hilariously bad but still watchable movie. I know Toho will never approve its return, but this is the best Mega Monster movie in the MST lexicon, bar none, full-stop. 8.5 out of 10.
Giant Gila Monster. Ironically the replacement for the ‘lost’ Godzilla vs. Megalon DVD, this comes in the number 2 spot for being a solid riffing platform and overall an enjoyable watch every time. Good riffs, a silly premise with some great lizard impressions. Only negative is the male lead’s “singing” talents making for eye-rolling disbelief. 7 out of 10.
Eegah (TIE WITH GHM). A movie done with MST at its arguable zenith, Eegah has great riffing all the way through and solid host segments. Arch Hall Jr. makes a great target along with the silly father, his creepily affectionate ‘daughter’, and of course Richard Kiel always brings it. Extra points for Super Sherriff. 7 out of 10.
Gamera vs. Zigra. A good riff, but not as memorable as the other Gameras. Nothing wrong with this outing, but just not quite as great as its counterparts. 6.5 out of 10.
Gorgo. Gorgo comes from what I call the “in neutral” era of MST riffs. It’s decent. It’s not bad at all. But it just doesn’t seem to have the energy and oomph of earlier episodes. The movie is more plodding as well, and the host segments are OK but nothing particularly memorable. It’s good MST … which makes it better than most media out there … but as MST eps go its 6 out of 10.
The Giant Spider Invasion. All in all this is one of those bleak 70s movies that I find tough to watch even with decent riffs. Its just not a pleasant film. It tries. The riffs are OK but the movie is so bad that it drags things down. I give it an average score of 5 out of 10.
Devil Fish (TIE WITH GSI). Another movie that’s tough to watch. Honestly every time I watch this episode I forget what happened in mere seconds. There’s nothing particularly memorable about it, and no riffs stick out or grip me. It’s not BAD. I can watch it. I just don’t look FORWARD to watching it like I do with Danger Death Ray, or other good MSTs. 5 out of 10.
When I posted this topic, I didn’t find the new Vault Picks on the usual dedicated Vault Picks page, but in the Gizmoplex Member Pass section where all the new episodes, shorts, and event replays are.
If that fails, try entering “Vault” in the Search function. I’m using my laptop instead of a Roku or iOS, but this worked for me on both the VHX site and in the Screening Bunker of the Gizmoplex Virtual Theater.
I did the same thing, then found this under the description for the [OLD] Gizmoplex Vault Picks—looks like June was the last month they were under their own purchase and will be in Member Pass from now on.
I’d like to give a shoutout to Gorgo while I’m here. I’ve always digged the trio of British Cinema featured in Season 9 and the idea they wanted to try their very own Godzilla variant amuses me.
Gorgo aired for only one day before it was taken out of Sci-Fi Channel’s broadcast rotation. If you saw it and taped it that day, you were lucky. If you didn’t, well, you hoped for some of those circulated tapes.
They’ve been working a ridiculous amount of miracles.
Never thought we’d see Quest of the Delta Knights get a streaming release.
And some of those unreleased episodes (at least the ones that aren’t being held up by Susan Hart, Toho, and Wade Williams) aren’t COMPLETELY out of the realm of possibility where an official release is concerned.
