Mystery Science Theater 3000

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) is an American television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Alternaversal Productions, LLC. The show premiered on KTMA (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It later aired on The Comedy Channel/Comedy Central for seven seasons until its cancellation in 1996. Thereafter, it was picked up by The Sci-Fi Channel and aired for three seasons until another cancellation in August 1999. A 60-episode syndication package titled The Mystery Science Theater Hour was produced in 1995. In 2015, Hodgson led a crowdfunded revival of the series with 14 episodes in its eleventh season, first released on Netflix on April 14, 2017, with another six-episode season following on November 22, 2018. To date, 217 episodes and a feature film have been produced. The show initially starred Hodgson as Joel Robinson, a janitor trapped against his will by two mad scientists on the Satellite of Love and forced to watch a series of B movies as a part of the scientists' plot to take over the world. To keep his sanity, Joel crafts a number of robot companions—including Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and Gypsy—to keep him company and help him humorously comment on each movie as it plays, a process known as riffing. Each two-hour episode would feature a single movie in its entirety, sometimes with various shorts and educational films, with Joel, Tom, and Crow watching in silhouette from a row of theater seats at the bottom of the screen. These scenes were framed with interstitial sketches. The show's cast changed over its duration; most notably, the character of Joel was replaced by Mike Nelson (played by Michael J. Nelson) in the show's fifth season. Other cast members, most of whom were also writers for the show, include Trace Beaulieu, Josh Weinstein, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl, Bill Corbett, Paul Chaplin, and Bridget Jones Nelson. The revival features a primarily new cast, including Jonah Ray as the new human test subject, Jonah Heston, along with Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt as the mads and Baron Vaughn, Hampton Yount, and Rebecca Hanson as the bots. MST3K's original run did not garner high viewership numbers, but the show's popularity spread through word-of-mouth over the Internet from its fans known as MSTies (or "Mysties"), frequent repeats and syndication, and home media offerings produced by Rhino Entertainment and currently Shout! Factory, who along with Hodgson now own the rights to the show and supported the revived series. MST3K was listed as one of Time magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME" in 2007, and TV Guide has noted MST3K as one of the top cult television shows. The show won a Peabody Award in 1993, was also nominated for two Emmy Awards in 1994 and 1995, and for the CableACE Award from 1992 to 1997. The show was considered highly influential, contributing towards the practice of social television, and former cast members launched similar projects based on the riffing of films, including The Film Crew, RiffTrax (ongoing as of 2018), and Cinematic Titanic. MST3K also brought to light several older movies that had fallen into obscurity or had received little or no public attention when originally released. Many of these films were subsequently identified as among the worst movies ever made, most notably Manos: The Hands of Fate.

Director(s): Gypsy
Year:
1988
19,015 Views

Dr. Forrester:
Hello, Joely-boy-toy! Is it true what they say about space?

Joel:
Uh, What's that, sir?

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
That no one can hear you laugh! [manically laughs]

Joel:
Uh, Happy New Year, doctors?

Dr. Forrester:
Don't "Happy New Year" me, you white-piece-of-trash-floating-in-the-vaccum-of-space. We just heard that the Russians have launched their own comedian into space and he is already pulling a four rating. [cut to video footage]

Russian Comedian:
[holds up hand] This is my friend, Bishi. Bishi, how are you? I am fine [Chuckle] How is your wife, Bishi? She is fine but her neck hurts [Puts down hand, chuckles some more] thank you so much...

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
...and he's a regular Gallager too! It's called "Very Incredible Movie Theater 4"!

Joel:
Dr. Erhardt and Dr. Forrester, would it be too much to ask if you could let me and my friends know when we'll be getting out of space?

Dr. Forrester:
Sure, Joely-Poley. Were planning a show for you right now here on Earth !

Joel:
Really?

Dr. Forrester:
Yeah, booby. It's about... a guy and three robots and they're submerged deep in the Trans-Alantic trench, three miles under the ocean surface and we send him transmission after transmission of Jacques Custeau movies. [evil laugh]

Crow T. Robot:
What a couple of dick weeds!

Joel:
Hey Crow, hush up! Listen... thanks but no thanks doc, we'll get used being out here in space for a little more time.

Tom Servo:
Um, excuse me, uh, how long are you gonna keep going to send us those gosh darn Turtle movies?

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Don't "Gosh darn" me, you little snack headed piece of tin foil!You'll keep watching Gamera movies [Picks up a stack of tapes] untill we get through all these ! ha ha ha ha ha!

Tom Servo:
This is a story about a robot named Crow. Can you guess what Crow has been thinking? Crow has been thinking hard... or as hard as he can think anyway... on how the satellite has been so darn clean. It wasn't clean this morning, so think hard, Crow. Think really hard Crow - you poor dope. Scan that scrap heap you call a brain and...

Crow T. Robot:
Hey, knock it off!

Tom Servo:
[as different images of Gypsy are shown] Oh, sorry. Ah, yes. Who does these things when we're too lazy or too bloated on dinners of rich food and generous portions of our own gargantuan ego? Who debugs the massive computer control center because our own feeble brains can't add fractions? Who provides the water in which you could bathe your filthy oil-stained carcass? Who goes on mind-bendingly dangerous missions on the outside in cold unforgiving space while you sit cozy sipping cocoa and watching Tiny Toons? Pinch yourself hard, Mr. Robot. You deserve it. You think you're all sunshine and goodness, but you're just dirt between the toes of an evil troll. That's right. Who periodically changes the plutonium rods in the nuclear bowels deep inside the nuclear reactor of the ship while you sit feasting on gooey handfuls of Fiddle Faddle and play hopscotch and marbles and spring in the...

Crow T. Robot:
Hey just a darn blasting minute. What are you trying to do, lay it all on me? You're the laziest robot I've ever seen!

Tom Servo:
Oh, I see, It's me now is it. It's too painful to look into the deep dark truthful mirror, eh. You make me sick.

Crow T. Robot:
[as Gypsy enters] I thought you looked sick but it's always hard to tell with you. [both see Gypsy] I gotta go clean my room now.

Tom Servo:
I gotta go clean his room too.

Dr. Forrester:
Alright, we've all just seen the film "Earth Vs. Soup". How many people didn't like the film? Didn't like the film, or just didn't care for it? By show of hands, one-two-three-four-five-six-seven, so all! All didn't like the film. Okay. How many people did like the film? They liked the film? Cindy, you didn't like the film, and now you have your hand about half-way up, so maybe you liked the film a little bit? Would that be correct? Okay, we'll get back to that. Okay, what about the film didn't you like? The film we just saw, "Earth Vs. Soup". What was it about you didn't like, or didn't care for? Say, the plot? Or... yes, Gary.

Gary:
Uh, the plot?

Dr. Forrester:
The plot, Gary didn't like the plot. How many other people didn't like the plot? By show of hands, one-two-three-four-five-six-seven, so, we all didn't like the plot. Why? Why didn't we like the plot? What was it about that we didn't like? Doug, why didn't you like the plot?

Doug:
I liked the plot, it was just too short.

Dr. Forrester:
Ah, you thought it was too short! Okay. What were your favorite characters from the film? If you had one favorite character, who would that character be? The film you just saw, "Earth Vs. Soup", a favorite character such as Mike? Uh... Cindy, yes.

Cindy:
Mike.

Dr. Forrester:
Cindy liked Mike. How many other people liked Mike? By show of hands, one-two-three, okay, three people liked Mike, alright. How many people have an allergic reaction to shellfish? Allergic reaction or...

Tony:
A mild reaction.

Dr. Forrester:
A mild reaction to shellfish. So, Tony, would this keep you from recommending this film to a friend?

Tony:
Yes.

Dr. Forrester:
Yes, it would, yes it would. Because you don't like shellfish. You wouldn't wanna see shellfish in a movie. Okay. What if the soup were a different kind of soup, say it was a chicken stock, or, or something, would you recommend it to a friend if it was a potato soup? Yes? Okay. Cindy, uh, you had your hand...

Cindy:
I don't like soup.

Dr. Forrester:
Oh, that's right, you're the one who doesn't like soup. What's that Gary? Oh, Gary would like a sandwich! Hahahahaha... How many people would like to have seen Julia Ormond naked? Julia... one-two-three-four, so about half, half would like to see Julia Ormond naked. Um... if you had a rat-cage strapped to your face...

Pearl Forrester:
Uh-kay, guys, we've got a lot got a lot of work to do, we had sixty eight percent walk outs, we have to get those numbers down. Also, seventy four percent of the audience didn't like the character of Cruella De Vil, and even though the character wasn't in the movie, we have to change those numbers.

Dr. Forrester:
would you like to see more crackers in the movie? The big kind of crackers, or the small oyster crackers?

Doug:
Saltine?

Dr. Forrester:
Saltines? Yes, good, excellent.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
I'm telling you, Clay, it was brilliant. It sold millions. The "Paul is Dead" hoax was one of the greatest marketing schemes in history.

Dr. Forrester:
And the "Joel is Dead" campaign is the perfect way to pump some life into the video marketing arm of Mystery Science Theater.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
It'll be the biggest marketing coup since Coke changed the formula! Let's review the clues

Dr. Forrester:
Yeah! Oh good, good. I was watching this tape earlier and I picked out some things. Here, look at this. See... SAT I. Good, now Saturday the 1st, the first day he died.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Brilliant!

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Absolutely. Alright. Okay next, look: Next Sunday AD. AD, After Death. He died on Saturday the 1st, Sunday the 2nd was the funeral.

Dr. Forrester:
Okay. Now, now here in the lyric, in the soundtrack, it says there was a guy named Joel. Not is, was.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Well done.

Dr. Forrester:
Thank you.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Very nice, very nice. Okay, here's my final one. Okay, look in the opening segment here. He has really long hair. Nowhere else on the show does he have that kind of hair.

Dr. Forrester:
Yeah.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
You know what they say, hair keeps growing after death. So with Peter Torque, too. Peter Torque, he looks like Peter Torque. Peter Torque has long hair, The Monkees are kinda dead.

Dr. Forrester:
Uh, yeah... Yeah. Well, umm... Umm, no.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
You know what I'm getting at? They're gonna love it.

Dr. Forrester:
Uh, I'm not buying that. I think that's reaching a little bit, Larry.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Okay, alright. It's for money. There's money involved here.

Dr. Forrester:
Oh yeah, I understand. I think it's a good idea. Uh, oh. Here's one. I took the liberty of uh, retouching the cover of the Abbey Road album and uh, you can see I put Joel's head where Paul is, you know the whole barefoot cigarette thing.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
This is beautiful!

Dr. Forrester:
Yup. Yeah, well.

Dr. Forrester:
Well, thank you. I used to uh, do retouching work for The Enquirer.

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
Let's see what weasely's... Let's see what Joel... Joel! What do you think, pal?

Joel:
Well, it'll probably work, but don't you think it'll make you feel bad inside?

Dr. Forrester:
Feel bad inside? We always feel bad inside!

Dr. Lawrence Erhardt:
We just write it off as gas.

Dr. Forrester:
Yeah besides, we need to raise $20 million for our new theme park, Six Flags Over 10 to the 12th Power.

Hamlet:
That is the question.

Crow:
I'll take "To Be" for fifty, Alex.

Hamlet:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune...

Tom Servo:
Starring Shelly Long and Bette Midler.

Hamlet:
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them.

Mike Nelson:
Ow, my shin's right on the edge of a stair.

Hamlet:
To die... To sleep...

Crow:
That's what we're doing right now, bub.

Hamlet:
No more. And by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.

Mike Nelson:
Okay, we need a predicate now.

Hamlet:
'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.

Crow:
Especially with Ophelia, man!

Hamlet:
To die... To sleep...

Tom Servo:
To SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Crow:
Whoa! That's an old chestnut.

Hamlet:
[whispering] To sleep...

Tom Servo:
[ditto] to sleeeep...

Hamlet:
Perchance to DREAM!

Crow:
The impossible DREAM!

Hamlet:
Ay! There's the rub!

Mike Nelson:
I knew I had some rub left.

Hamlet:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil. There's the respect that makes calamity of such long life. For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrongs, the proud man's contumely... [Mike begins nodding head along with the list]... The pangs of despised love, the law's delay... The insolence of office and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes, when he himself his quietus make with a bare bodkin?

Crow:
He said bare bodkin! [giggles]

Hamlet:
Who would fardels bear...

Mike Nelson:
Fardels.

Servo:
Macho, macho, macho robot. There's no question I'm a macho guy. Hey! Whoa, excuse me, miss. Say, I've never noticed you on the satellite before. Hahaha. I'm Tom Servo, man about satellite. Sure, I may look small, but I'm built like a Quisinar. Really. You know, don't think me forward miss, but I couldn't help but notice that you've got 11 settings. You know, you're kinda quiet, and I like that in a woman! Too many of the gals I've known just like to rub exotic oils on me and fan me and... Which is okay, I guess, but I need a change. I need a woman more my speed and I happened to notice, you've got 11 of 'em. Wait, I must've offended you. You're blushing! No? That's juice, I think. You know, I've always found juice in the head to be quite a turn-on, my little scientific calculator, you. Hahahaha. Ever gotten a wild hair and just filled your head with guacamole for the hell of it? If you're the kinda girl who throws caution to the wind, if you know what I mean. And if you do, will you please tell me? Hahahaha. Hey, I see you've still got a power cord! An old-fashioned gal. I like that. I like a good tail on a woman. Hahahaha. Pardon me, I know I've been coming on a little bit strong, but I love your lines. You've got classic features! Crush, grate, chop, puree... Baby, you've got it all! Haha. Excu- And a lovely singing voice, too! Baby, you do got it all! Joel, I'm in love! Buddy...

Joel:
What do you mean, Servo?

Servo:
Joel, Joel... My God, man! You've defiled my honor! Nobody drinks from my gal. The gall has been thrown!

Joel:
Hey uh, Servo, it's a blender.

Servo:
Oh. Excuse me, miss. You know, you've got beautiful... Oh, excuse me, Mr. Coffee. I'm so embarassed!

Joel:
Okay, my little robot friends, but we only pass this way once. This is called "The Godzilla Genealogy Bop." Will you hit it, Professor Cambot? In order to know Godzilla, we've gotta look into his past.

Crow T. Robot:
You know studying genealogy is gonna be a blast!

Joel:
Ahh, you've got it, little robot pal, we're swinging into high.

Tom Servo:
C'mon, let's cut to the chase, ya couple of geeks, and get to the family tree!

Joel:
Well, it started with a nuclear blast and pets that were released.

Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo:
Oh, like baby alligators and other nasty beasts?

Joel:
The fusion reaction caused them to grow a thousand times their size.

Crow T. Robot:
Well, that explains Godzilla's attractive tail and thunderous thighs!

Joel:
Right. Now you're getting it little buddy, but now we must move on. Godzilla's not the only one to benefit from the A-Bomb.

Tom Servo:
Yeah, look! There's Auntie Ness of Scotland's loch! They were married in the spring. And their first born was Godzookie, and now we begin to sing...

Crow T. Robot:
Godzookie went to Hollywood, an agent to the stars. He had an affair with Lorna Luft and smoked those big cigars!

Tom Servo:
And out of the lusty Luft affair Ron Pearlman resulted. Hmm.

Joel:
You know, surgery was considered for him, but nobody was consulted. Oh, I did it again.

Crow T. Robot:
Then Ron met Yoko Ono and they began to spawn. A couple of hundred horrible things as green as Forest Lawn.

Tom Servo:
There they are: There's Kermit the Frog, the Swamp Thing, Hulk and Ernest Borgnine, too!

Crow T. Robot:
But Ernest Borgnine isn't green!

Tom Servo:
Well you put him on a boat and he is!

Joel, Crow T. Robot:
What?

Tom Servo:
Hey! Who's that down at the bottom, a-wallowing in his shame?

Crow T. Robot:
Oh that's just Steve Guttenberg of Police Academy fame.

Tom Servo:
Huh.

Joel:
To wrap it up, the worst mutation...

Crow T. Robot:
No, you don't suppose?

Tom Servo:
Oh, yes it is! The horror of horrors!

Joel, Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo:
KARL MALDEN'S NOSE!

Crow T. Robot:
Oh. Well, I'm glad you found it. This is a special report card my partner Tom and I developed for expensive private academies, because Joel, privilege has its own odor. What do you think, sirs?

TV's Frank:
Joel! Grades aren't important... it's the SAT's that count. Well, now the good doctor and I would like to make a prediction about the next big trend in entertainment. Move over comedy clubs, move over trendy discussion salons, move over karaoke bars, here comes ventriloquism! Big, broad, sassy, and brassy. And now Deep 13, in association with George Slaughter Productions, would like to present the ventriloquistic stylings of Dr. Clayton Forrester and his lovable sidekick, Resusci-Annie.

Dr. Forrester:
Hello uh, this is Resusci-Annie. We secured over two thousand of these previously-owned CPR demonstration dolls and retrofitted them with ventriloquist animations in anticipation of the ventriloquist boom of the 90's. And without further ado uh, it's time to sit back and laugh and learn with Resusci-Annie. Hehe. Say hello to the nice folks Resusci. Hello nice folks. Resusci, I implore you to be kind and courteous to these well meaning and clean, uh, people here today. I wanna go find some chicks. Heh, but Resusci, you is a chick! I said Resusci, you is a chick! Uh, Frank something's wrong this looks like the big one... I'll revive Resusci and tell Joel about the movie, you dial 911 while drinking water. Your film today, Joel, is a little film which stars no one. It features a giant lame lobster and oh... breathe two, three, four. It's called "Teenagers from Outer Space" and it is a spunky load of noodles.

TV's Frank:
That's right. You know all the fads with the young people today? You know the kids today, with their loud music, hula hoops, fax machines... But the biggest fad these days: karaoke! Wew! Yuk-e-yeeeewh! What we've done is we've invented a karaoke machine that exclusively plays public domain songs. That's right, that means you can sing into your karaoke machine, have as much fun as you want, and not pay one cent in artist royalties.

Dr. Forrester:
That's right, Frank. Now, what happens when you go into your favorite karaoke bar and you want to hear "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner?

TV's Frank:
People vomit?

Dr. Forrester:
No... Lou Gramm, songwriter and Chess King spokesmodel gets a big fat royalty check! And that means lots of money. So, Joel, we've loaded our machine only with public domain songs. All free of copyright, all owned by you, the people.

TV's Frank:
That's right, you want to hit the roll there, Jerry?

Dr. Forrester:
You get the "Battle Hymn of the Republic"...

TV's Frank:
The immortal "baa baa black sheep"...

Dr. Forrester:
The turgid and bittersweet "Gregorian Chant #5"...

TV's Frank:
The impish "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...

Dr. Forrester:
Mozart's "The Magic Flute," and there's so much more! But your experiment this week, Joel, is called Pod People. It has nothing to do with pods. It has nothing to do with people. It has everything to do with hurting! And we're going to sing you into it with our new Public Domain Karaoke Machine. Hit it, Frank.

Dr. Forrester:
Aaaaaaaaaaveeeeeeeee Maaaaaariiiiiiaaaaaaa!

TV's Frank:
Aaaaaaaaaaveeeeeeeee Maaaaaariiiiiiaaaaaaa!

Tom Servo:
I've asked Joel if he'd raise the level on my sarcasm sequencer.

Joel:
[using screwdriver on back of Tom's dome] That ought to do it.

Tom Servo:
Oh, yes. Oh, while you're at it, why don't you keep digging into my back? A warm, relaxing massage with a screwdriver? Oooooooh, sign me up for that!

Crow:
I think it's working.

Tom Servo:
The great Crow speaks? Oooooooh, let me anoint your beak with scented oils. Membership in the Crow Fan Club? Oh, it's dream come true for me. Ooooh...

Magic Voice:
Commercial sign in fifteen seconds.

Tom Servo:
Commercials? Oh boy, I can't wait. Thirty-second materialistic sound bites that insult our intelligence? Ooooooh, give me more of those!

Joel:
Uh, I'm gonna have to adjust Tom's sarcasm sequencer. We'll be back after that.

Magic Voice:
Commercial sign in 5... 4... 3... 2... commercial sign now.

Tom Servo:
Oh, is the great Joel Robinson going to honor me with his attention? A blessing in disguise? I don't think so! Oh, did a little harder, Joel, I can't feel the pain yet.

Crow:
You've got him uh, set on uh, constant sarcasm, and you're gonna want to have him on random. Pretty much, I think.

Joel:
Uh, duh, no kidding. Yeah, I put him on random sarcasm, so he'll only be sarcastic at the appropriate time. Like uh, when someone mentions, uh, like, uh, Pia Zadora?

Tom Servo:
Well, actually, I think making fun of her has become a clich?. Everybody does it. And you know, in her favor, she was in a John Waters film, you guys.

Joel:
Okay, well, what about... ummm... Dan Quayle?

Tom Servo:
Oh, look, Dan Quayle scares me as much as the next guy, but everybody and their sister has come up with a sarcastic Dan Quayle quip. It's just too easy.

Joel:
I'm not even gonna mention Gallagher, then.

Tom Servo:
Ooooooooooooh, he is my absolute all-time favorite! Oh, paying money to have watermelon sprayed all over you? Oh, give me more of that. Oversized props mixed with undersized talent? Oooooh, put me in the front row. Excuse me, Mr. Shopkeeper? Can I trade in my volume of Annotated Shakespeare for a tape of "Melon Crazy"? Oh, please, may I? Ooooooooooooooooh!

Joel:
You guys are making fun of those two twins in the movie and their faith in Mothra, aren't you?

Crow T. Robot:
Oh, no.

Joel:
Well, listen, have a good time. But uh, just be careful when you scoff at a higher being, okay? From one who knows, all right?

Tom Servo:
Uh, huh.

Joel:
Leave it at that.

Crow T. Robot:
Okay. Wow. I learned an important lesson today.

Tom Servo:
Yeah, thank you, Lucas Tanner.

[both laugh, then Mothra appears in the Hexfield]

Tom Servo:
Whoa, it's Mothra! Whoa!

Mothra:
Hi, kids. What can I do for ya?

Crow T. Robot:
Uh, well... Quick, throw it a sweater!

Tom Servo:
Yikes!

Mothra:
Saaay, you kids were just joking around, weren't you? Please don't do that. C'mon, I'm a busy moth. Got things to do, civilizations to save. I don't get much rest, I'll tell you that for free. Last night, these natives kept me up until all hours of the morning with their dancing and carrying on. Ah, sure, good kids, they mean well and all, but - You know, you'd think that between all those modern dance interpretations - which I like, don't get me wrong - they could throw in a peppy Vegas-style show-stopper. But no, I'm their god and protector, so they're always so solemn when they're around me.

Crow T. Robot:
We're really sorry that we disturbed you there, Mothra. Hey, tell us what it's like on Infant Island, will ya? Where do you live? Uh, are you into cacooning?

Mothra:
Funny. No, but I do like to hang around this giant lightbulb the natives built for me.

Crow T. Robot:
Uh, do you really lay eggs?

Mothra:
Let me tell you something, kid. I laid a big egg back when I did the "Thicke of the Night" show. That was a mistake. I've since signed with new management. Say, here's a good one. You know, uh, what the difference is between "Thicke of the Night" and the Titanic?

Tom Servo:
I'll bite... I don't know.

Mothra:
The Titanic had entertainment.

Crow T. Robot:
Say Mike, give the incredibly depraved attitude regarding women in today's movie, I knew you'd want me to make a short film for boys and young men teaching them how to treat the fairer sex, with a proper and healthy respect. [Mike and Servo are both reading] Uh... Mike! Mike!

Mike Nelson:
Uh, yeah sure.

Crow T. Robot:
So, ah, good, because I went ahead and did it anyway, and hopefully it will help just a little! Let's watch...

Crow T. Robot:
["Let's talk Women" - Crow's short film about women] Aaaah, women. Women, women, women, women, women, women, women. Ha-ha-ha-ha. For you young fellows, fresh on the cusp of a blooming manhood, the questions are bound; what are women like? what do women want? how should I treat a women? Perhaps the thorniest problem facing any young man is finding a woman in the first place! It turns out to be... nealy *impossible!* This reporter spent countless hours searching for a woman, like these pictured here [shows clips of Hobgoblins, with Amy and Daphne in them] to no avail. The nearest we came during a tense stakeout was this fellow [Shows a clip of Mike Nelson biting into a sandwich,] who experts believe, is not a woman. We begin to wonder, where are all the women? The over-heated references in poetry, the images that dominate our media, is it all an elaborate fraud? This grainy photograph is the only direct evidence we have of a woman in her natural environment. [Shows a black and white, Bigfoot-like photo of a large women in a forest] The longer hair, the gentle and nurturing demeanour are typical of how witnesses describe their supposed encounters with women. This footprint [Crow stands beside a clay model of a huge Bigfoot-sized footprint] , while possibly the work of jokesters, is another piece of the puzzle! And it is hard to discount this mans terrifying story! [Crow, wearing a moustahce, and putting on a fake voice, appears on the screen] "Then... uh... this woman - I think it was a woman... she... uh... married me" [Crow ,off-screen, as an interviewer] "Did you have any children, sir?" "I don't remember!" [Back to normal Crow] Some day perhaps, an actual woman will emerge, and they will no longer exist only in the realm of myth and maybe. Thank You. [Video Ends]

Crow T. Robot:
[sighs] Oh yeah, so, anyway Mike, in conclusion, um... in the off chance that you do run into a woman, uh, you know, treat her with respect and stuff.

Mike Nelson:
[Chuckles] Okay, you do know Crow, you do know women though, what about Pearl?

Crow T. Robot:
[Thinking] Okay, so *one* woman exists, that mean *all women exist!

Mike Nelson:
We'll be right back.

Crow T. Robot:
Name me one other woman!

Mike Nelson:
Well, um... [Frowns and thinks]

Crow:
[sighs] Now, now, there, there, you did so mean to turn me on that time!

Tom Servo:
[sighs] Okay, I admit it, I turned you on on purpose, o-kaay, cause I was upset and I turned you on, so biiiig deal!

Mike Nelson:
Well now you just turned me on, can't you do anything without turning people on? It's just... I can't

Tom Servo:
Oh that's nice, coming from you, after you turned me...

Pearl Forrester:
Yooou couldn't turn me on if you had a dozen naked Gerato's and Fabio in tight leather pants. [Goes all breathless and looks turned on] Ah ah, aaah, um... where-where was I? Oh, right, I'm remodeling the Great Hall, I'm putting in a conversation pit and the couch I had picked out for it came in early, so I need you guys to store it for me. Brain Guy!

Brain Guy:
Yes Madam. [Teleports couch to Mike and the 'bots]

Pearl Forrester:
And no jumping on the couch! [Cuts to Mike and the bots jumping on the couch]

Crow:
Weeeeeeee! Weeeeeee, watch you guys I'm gonna do something cool. You can see my legs, you can see my legs!

Tom Servo:
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Thanks Grandma Pearl! [Laughs]

Mike Nelson:
Weeeeeeeeeeeee! Woo Hoo! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! [Laughs]

Pearl Forrester:
Grandma Pearl does not want you jumping on that couch! Get off, right now! Don't, don't squeeze those juice boxes on that couch! [Cuts to the guys jumping, laughing and squeezing juice all over the couch]

Pearl Forrester:
Oh, we can't have nice things! That's it, that is it! I am going to give you such a movie!

Crow:
Crow, Servo and Mike, together: We don't care!

Pearl Forrester:
Bobo. Brain Guy. Get the movie.

Brain Guy:
Huh, no! [Bobo shrieks] [the guys stop laughing and look scared]

Pearl Forrester:
[Putting gloves on] We have ways of dealing with ne'er-do-wells, who insist on jumping on our rent-to-own couches. Your movie... [Bobo runs up the the camera and shrieks again]... is called... [Removes a film reel from a chest]... Hobgoblins! [Bobo shrieks again]

Mike Nelson:
Pearl, please, whatever you're thinking, please don't! [the guys start shouting apologies, and then the movie sign alerts]

Crow T. Robot:
Hmmmm. Qualified. Qualified? Hmmmm. Wow, what a question! Me, Crow T. Robot, what do I think? Am I qualified? Wow! That's a heavy burden. How can I make a difference? CAN I make a difference? Oh surely, I'm but a single bot, alone, as it were, in the vast universe thing. Maybe I can change the world.

[more positive]

Crow T. Robot:
Perhaps I've looked at life from upside down. Hmmmm. Hey Cambot! Move it in a little and, uh, cue that uh moody music. Well, what would Joel do in a situation like this? No, no, nope nope, no, uh. I've got to learn to think for myself. To stand on my own two foot-like apendages. Seize the day. Yes. Think globally, act locally. Yes, by god, I can do it! Why, I could start a letter-writing campaign, yeah, that would help. And, uh, I could organize a bake sale. Or, uh, hey! We could ALL help! Come on friends, run to your window and shout, "I'm really cheesed and I'm not gonna hang around 'till this thing gets better!" Uh, why organize a, uh, improv group and do gorilla theatre at the food court in your mall. Dress a little differently. Make it more exciting for you and your spouse. Or here's an idea: toss a little cajun spice into the party mix and watch the fun. Put on a one-man show and talk about your true inner feelings in an emotionally-charged, gut-wrenching, autobiographical account of your warped adolesence, and then watch the grant money come in. Whoooo! But don't snap judge me. And then, watch that - uh, uh, I know! Put a drop of vanilla behind each ear and you?ll smell like a cookie all day!

[Getting more excited]

Crow T. Robot:
Or, eat an apple: nature's toothbrush. Ask Mr. Owl how many licks it takes to get to the tootsie center. Have you met everyone on your block? Now would be a nice time to start, doncha think? Hmmmm. In a classroom, slide your desks together and create an ecology symbol. Police the lives of those around you and get your sensibilities way the heck outta whack! Parade up and down the street in your underwear. Impose your ideas on others! It's easy! Crush someone with an emotional word or an enigmatic look. You decide. You do it!

[Agitated]

Crow T. Robot:
I'm sick of this! I can't make a decision! I'm no good at this sort of thing!

[Quietly]

Crow T. Robot:
It's up to you. I'm passin' the buck to you. Now I've got commercial sign.

[as Dr. Smith]

Crow T. Robot:
Oh, the pain. The pain.

Tom Servo:
[on the SOL bridge] What are you doing there, Mikey-drawers?

Crow T. Robot:
Yeah.

Mike Nelson:
Oh, I ordered us up the whole series of Ernest Borgnine's children's books based on the movie. I don't know, I thought it would be whimsical or something.

Crow T. Robot:
Well, bring on the whimsy, man!

Mike Nelson:
OK, well here's one called "Santa's Workshop of Shimmering Delights." That might be whimsical... [reads] Oh, man... Wow, well this isn't appropriate. Here, Aram the Elf's hands get scissored off in the sheet metal crimper.

Tom Servo:
[whistles] Ooh, yeah, that's unsavory, all right.

Mike Nelson:
Well, let's try this one. "Slow Bear's Woodland Picnic." How could that possibly... [reads] Wow! Holy cow! Slow Bear bashes in Charlie Chipmunk's head with a can of pork and beans!

Crow T. Robot:
Wow! That Borgnine is dark, man!

Tom Servo:
Hey, try "Fluffy Bunny's New Blue Suit."

Mike Nelson:
Yeah, that sounds completely... [reads] Oh, my... [looks like he's about to vomit]

Crow T. Robot:
What?

Tom Servo:
What?

Crow T. Robot:
[both he and Tom read and start to gag] AAAHHHH! THEY'RE EATING HIS LIVER! AAAAHHHH!

Mike Nelson:
[thoroughly disgusted] That's it, these are all going ba- [sees another] Oh, now look at this one! "Dr. Blood's Orgy of Gore!"

Tom Servo:
Augh!

Crow T. Robot:
Augh!

Mike Nelson:
What is with this guy, man? This is- [reads, looks puzzled] Oh, this one seems fine.

Crow T. Robot:
What?

Tom Servo:
What?

Mike Nelson:
"In a little, cozy hole in the ground there lived eight plump mice."

Tom Servo:
Yeah, whose eyes get poked out with upholstery needles!

Mike Nelson:
No, they get little sweaters and live happily.

Crow T. Robot:
Wow, weird.

Mike Nelson:
We'll be right back.

Tom Servo:
New sweaters, really?

Operator:
Welcome and thank you for calling our award winning 24 hour technical support service for... "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"... Please be prepared with a specific problem regarding... "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"... in order to facilitate assistance from one of our skilled... "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"... technicians.

Mike Nelson:
Oh yeah. I'm prepared for some specific problems about 'Overdrawn at the Memory Bank' alright, don't worry about that.

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
This is Mandy. How can I help you?

Mike Nelson:
Well, uh, first of all... lets see... tech support.

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
Sir, let me take care of some common troubleshooting possibilities right away. Are you in fact watching 'Overdrawn at the Memory Bank'?

Mike Nelson:
Yes. tech support...

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
We do find that people new to our 'Overdrawn at the Memory Bank' family viewers can make a simple mistake in actually be watching another movie. If that is the case, then we would urge you to call the appropriate technical support service for we are legally unable to provide support for other...

Mike Nelson:
Look, Look, were watching 'Overdrawn at the Memory Bank.' The credits are rolling right now.

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
So it's not complete yet?

Mike Nelson:
Well, No but I mean...

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
We strongly advise our customers to view the entire film. It's impossible for us to gauge the accuracy of any confusion or complaint...

Mike Nelson:
Look, how are the credits gonna help the fact that we have no idea what was going on with... anything... what was the "I'm interface" thing. What was the skinny woman doing when she was licking her watch?

Tom Servo:
Yeah.

Mike Nelson:
Hey, why the pinch mouth cockney creep and [in voice] "The guy just reverses the access code"... that was well crafted...

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
SIR!

Mike Nelson:
...and the music was the most insipid...

Tom Servo:
...banal...

Mike Nelson:
Banal noodling I've ever heard in my life.

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
Sir, those are unfortunate design flaws which we do acknowledge.

Mike Nelson:
Well, what can I do about it?

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
When did you Purchase your version of Overdrawn at the Memory Bank?

Mike Nelson:
...Uhh I didn't purchase it... I just ahh...

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank Technical Support Operator:
Ummph, so you are an unauthorized viewer of 'Overdrawn at the Memory Bank'? I am legally required to report this violation of all...

Tom Servo, Crow:
HANG UP!

[Tom's poem, "A Child's Christmas in Space"]

Tom Servo:
It's quiet in the cold of our own little orbit, starless and Bible black. And as I look down on the big blue beam we would call home I think it so near, yet... oh, I wish on that star and I hope that in a little snow-covered house with a warm hearth and a loving family, maybe some kid is looking up tonight and wishing upon us. Oh, and how I hope sweet Santa will fly by tonight because if he does I'm gonna reach right out and hug that big guy. Oh, for the sound of hooves against the steel hull of the ship. Oh, to see the rosy face of Santa in the portal offering me a Coke and a smile...

[gradually gets more and more upset and hysterical]

Tom Servo:
...of course, his cheeks would be rosy because there's a vacuum out there, I mean Santa's heart would explode. But he wouldn't feel it because the capillaries in his brain would pop like little firecrackers...

Joel:
Tom...

Tom Servo:
...due to the blood boiling away in his face like pudding in a copper... OH THE HUMANITY.

Joel, Crow T. Robot:
Tom.

Tom Servo:
And his jolly old belly would start bubbling like a roasted marshmallow, eyes bulging and popping out... AND THE REINDEER - OH THE REINDEER. - keep floating like holiday floats and in turn exploding in a hail of blood and entrails. Prancer - BOOM. Dancer - BOOM.

Joel:
HEY.

Crow T. Robot:
Tom.

Joel:
Tom take it easy, Santa's gonna be okay, buddy.

Tom Servo:
You sure?

Joel:
Yeah, give him a little credit, okay?

Tom Servo:
Phew, what a relief.

[Tom Servo sings an ode in response to Canada bashing]

Tom Servo:
[sings] Oh I wish I was back in old Canada, a land which I never shall lampoon, how I pine for the ice covering Lake Manitoba, and the beauty that is Saskatoon...

Mike Nelson:
[interrupts] Here, I got one.

[sings]

Mike Nelson:
Oh I wish I was stuck in the hills of Alberta, drinking beer with some big dumb guy trapping fur. As he scraped and he chiseled all the moose dung off his boots, I would learn that he's the Prime Minister!

Crow T. Robot:
[sings] Oh I wish I was in the land that gave us Peter Jennings, Alannis Morrisette, Mike Myers too. No I take that back, I wouldn't go there even if you paid me. O Canada, you are a place I must eschew!

Tom Servo:
[annoyed] Now this is not in the spirit that I intended!

Mike Nelson:
Oh, come on, give in, I mean, after all they gave us Ed the Sock - and Rush!

Crow T. Robot:
Yeah! What are you defending? They're such feebs!

Tom Servo:
OK, I'll try.

[sings in a hostile tone]

Tom Servo:
Oh, I wish I was blowing up Prince Edward Island, and going on to bomb Ontario! Ha, ha! The destruction of Canada and all of its culture, is by far my fa-vo-rite scenario!

Mike Nelson:
OK, now, that's a little strong...

Tom Servo:
[manic] No, you were right Mike! This is much more fun!

[sings with angry gusto]

Tom Servo:
Just *where* the hell does Canada get off sharing a border, with countries far superior to it? Why, you lousy stinkin', Francophonic, bacon-lovin' bastards, your country's just a giant piece of sh -...

Mike Nelson, Crow T. Robot:
Whoa!

Mike Nelson:
Okay, I think that's enough!

Tom Servo:
[sobbing] I'm sorry! I have no sense of proportion! I'm a disgrace to my uniform!

Mike Nelson:
That's OK, now calm down now. Mustn't hate, mustn't hate...

Crow T. Robot:
At least not so overtly.

Mike Nelson:
Exactly, must disguise our hate, just a little. It's okay now, Dudley.

Tom Servo:
[sobbing] Pardonnez-moi, pardonnez-moi...

Joel:
Well, you guys gotta understand, it's really hard to get a new sport going. It's hard to get the recognition that other sports enjoy. Can you name a few?

Tom Servo:
Uh, kickboxing from the Philippines... uh, tape measure racing...

Crow T. Robot:
And, uh, computations, and Australian rules football.

Joel:
Right, and what do all these sports have in common that sidehacking does not?

Crow T. Robot:
Uh, a rudimentary interest factor?

Tom Servo:
A sense of fair play?

Crow T. Robot:
A small measure of self-esteem?

Tom Servo:
Yeah.

Joel:
Right, these are all really good answers, but the thing I was looking for was terminology. It's impossible to have play-by-play or color commentary without it! So, let's put our heads together and come up with some terminology that really showcases some of the really exciting moves in our sport, sidehacking. Cambot, roll that footage.

Crow T. Robot:
[footage plays, the next lines are voice over] It looks like the Wesley Brothers out of John Harding starting things briskly with the Fuller Brush Man in a Rumplestiltskin follow-through with a Teenage Coed Prison!

Tom Servo:
Out of Wausau, representing Wisconsin, Mitch and Pitch performing the now famous Yank Me Crank Me!

Joel:
That bright young team, the Allentown Poodles, with their rendition of the Swirly - Oh no, could that have been the Gunkout, Crow?

Crow T. Robot:
Thanks, Joel. I think that was more of a Spinning Love Funnel from those fresh-faced kids of Kankakee Community College...

Tom Servo:
Oh my goodness, it's a lineback, a slowburn and a hop, skip and a gold flame with a Fintoozler and an Itchy Gorilla! AN ITCHY GORILLA!

Joel:
Uh oh, here comes the Big Blue Flamer, followed by Teatime Richard Scarry, the Full Tilt Bozo, Crazy and Just Plain Stupid!

Crow T. Robot:
It's an exciting day, indeed, here at Japanese War Atrocity Park and Pavillion-On-The-Park, but - what's this? Is that the antiquated old papa Baba O'Riley attempting the Teenage Wasteland on the hey-de-hi-de-ho side of the track?

Tom Servo:
From the darker side of the street come the Cap Snaffler, Maynard and Eleanor, Casey's Rolling Pizza and Just Imagine!

Joel:
Meet you on the dark side of the moon, it's the Ghostly Trio, followed by No-Tell Motel, Aspercreme and Death by Chocolate!

Crow T. Robot:
Uh-oh, hold onto your epidermis! It's Deputy Dawg and the Hard-Drinking Soldiers of Fortune attempting the oft-copied Leaky Cheese!

Tom Servo:
Shake me, don't wake me, Crow... Looks like Bad Man and the Costumed Critters of Death are going crinkle-cut and somebody's got to pay... but, uh-oh! Funny Ha-Ha, Funny Strange and the Bad Man and Joe screaming "Hey world, check me out!"

Joel:
Hand me a Hoover, it's Raspberry Commie, the Fruitful Snootful and Hickory Dickory Die attempting a Butterscotch Push with a Frontie-frontie-frontie!

Crow T. Robot:
Ho ho ho! Is that Go-Go the Gorilla with Bloopers, Blunders and Practical Jokes with Starchy Cock-of-the-Walk in their Fintoozler? There's Electra-Woman and Dyna-Girl in the George Barris custom show rod, bravely attempting the Big Buy with a Tommy Tune on the side!

Tom Servo:
I gotta correct you on that, Crow, I think he's attempting a Stinky Guy with a Peter Allen - Uh-oh! That means he'll be disqualified and slapped with a Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich! That could be a problem for our Quentin Crisp, who's expected to deliver a Fighting Aranovich Brother or a God Your Helmet Smells Good...

Joel:
Uh-oh! Here comes Nutsy, the Sidehacking Clown, performing his famous Tension Envelope routine! Don't get too close, 'cuz remember, kids, he who smelt it, dealt it... Let's give him a round of applause as we all pardon his blooper!

Crow T. Robot:
Well, it's been a big day with plenty of sheer gut blow-outs, Juicy Lucies and a Woozle whose name was Peanut... This is Crow and Joel and Tom Servo in the pit.

Dr. Forrester:
Ah, it does my heart good to see Crow burnt beyond all recognition! Oh, Frank, it's time for this week's invention exchange.

[Frank enters crying, wearing two boards with an odd assortment of pills glued on]

Dr. Forrester:
Oh, accept the pain, Frank!

[to Joel]

Dr. Forrester:
You've heard the expression, "That's a hard pill to swallow"? Well, our invention exchange this week is just that - some hard pills to swallow. Uh, turn Frank. And cough.

[Frank does so]

Dr. Forrester:
[points to pill] See this pill right here? It shold be easy to swallow, shouldn't it Frank? Yes, it should be except for the three-pronged fish hook attached to it.

[points to another one]

Dr. Forrester:
This one - I'm not going to kid you - this is *very* difficult to swallow. It's a Not-So-Tiny Time pill, complete with a living gerbil.

TV's Frank:
[shouts] Terry, no!

Dr. Forrester:
Oh, Terry, yes! If you can keep this one down, you'll have a pet that knows you inside and out. If you have trouble keeping one pill down, try our pill necklace of piptric acid - one-hundred and five capsules on a string. Keep that gag reflex active 'til the cows come home - the longer it takes to swallow, the harder it gets.

[with evil glee]

Dr. Forrester:
Yes, and the children?

TV's Frank:
[shouts] Not the children! Aw-haw-haw!

Dr. Forrester:
The children love vitamin shapes, like, shaped like cartoons. Whimsical shapes! Whimsical shapes, and wouldn't it be hard for all those Flintstone kids if their favorite vitamin came... turn, Frank...

[Frank turns, revealing a life-size Fred Flintstone vitamin]

Dr. Forrester:
...life-size, hmm, hmm? Ball's in your court, Joel!

Tom Servo:
Gosh, Joel, that biker guy sure is sleazy, but boy, what a vocabulary!

Crow T. Robot:
Yeah, he's quite eloquent for a piece of lowlife scum.

Joel:
Oh, well, you guys might be surprised to find out that a lot of the great thinkers of this century actually rode in motorcycle gangs. In fact, I've got a few drawings...

Crow T. Robot:
Oh, don't tell me, you've prepared a presentation using artists' renderings.

Joel:
Right. You know, you read me like a book. And anyone who reads a lot of books will know who the Algonquin Round Table was.

Tom Servo:
Well, of course! Alexander Wolcott, George S. Kaufman, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker...

Joel:
Right! Well, I've got this drawing here... bring it in a little bit, Cambot. Here's the group, here's their gang. It's called "Satan's Sardonics." Now, these guys terrorized the whole East Coast until one day they were unexpectedly wiped out in a rumble with the cast of "What's My Line?"

Crow T. Robot:
Wow, I guess that Bennett Cerf is tougher than people thought!

Joel:
Yeah! Now, when you think of a tough, macho writer who writes in a tense, hard-boiled style, who do you think of?

Tom Servo:
Uh... Truman Capote?

Joel:
Exactly! See? His gang, "Oscar's Wilde Ones" - they were leather boys - were all the rage until Norman Mailer's gang, "Hell's Egos," mixed it up with Gore Vidal's gang, "The Vidal Sassoons."

Crow T. Robot:
Boy, sounds pretty messy! "If they don't look good, we don't look good!"

Joel:
Yeah, there was gel and mousse for miles around. The carnage didn't end until they all joined forces and finally beat up... Dick Cavett.


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