In 1933, H.G. Wells wrote a book that predicted the future for the next 80 years. It was right about the future from World War II, problems in the Middle East and more. It also discussed how advances in technology could affect the human race and how it can stay human (or if). It lead to an interesting movie three years later....and a terrible one more than forty years after that.
Of course, Mystery Science Theater 3000 had to take on the terrible one. It's The Shape of Things To Come, which was already pummeled by Rifftrax. It was a Canadian attempt to make something that was barely like Star Wars, but a lack of funding, decent acting and real effort made that unlikely.
Despite this, it extended the show's winning streak of ripping lousy movies a new one. Once again, Emily Marsh shows she is the future of MST3K. The Simulator of Love's version of Crow is getting much better, especially verbally, and that version of Tom Servo is still smooth. Their riffs also get off the rails a bit but wind up being more complex than Jonah's crew.
A prime example is when Emily is asked what she'd do if she had 45 seconds to live. She says she'd face it with grace, but later admits she'd burn everything down with a flame thrower (which makes sense to the bots).
So, the plot (?): some budding space dictator named Omos, a role devoured by Jack Palance, wants to take over the Moon after his robots take over Delta 3, the source of a mineral that helps Earthlings live on the Moon (something about ruining the Earth after some robot wars). The only people who can stop him is a Moon Councilman named Caball, his son Jason, his friend Kim and a modified robot named Sparks. They have to steal a spaceship to do it, but that makes it almost like Rogue One, right?
Meanwhile the ex-leader of Delta 3, named Nikki (Carol Lynley), tries to fight Omos off. Sadly, she may have the ideal pant suit but not the weapons.
Caball and his crew stop off at Earth to fix the ship, and find kids who were victims of the robot war. Then they head to Delta 3, but have to get through a magnetic field that inspires drug jokes and a trip to the Friend Zone for Jason.
They challenge Omos but it doesn't turn out well...until the least likely person in the cast saves the day. You figure out who. At least Jack gets a defeat that seems slightly embarrassing.
The host segments were also solid. They have a Friars' Club style roast for Sparks which gets "ruined" by Emily, a podcast devoted to a character from the movie that was seen for five seconds, and an attempt to make the robots able to love. That's risky, because they're worried they'll learn to love the movies. Uh, Roger Corman and Coleman Francis make that impossible.
The final segments were bizarre, yet interesting. First, Emily and Servo meet Crow-mos, who tries to overpower them with his (or her) long pauses.
Meanwhile, Kinga and Max agree they can rule the universe by doing what Omos tried to do but not screw it up.
OK, but where's their robots? Waverly and Growler won't cut it, as they are investigating the hole in the roof of the Kingadome finally. Say, what if they find some who's not supposed to be there....like Kabahl? Now is the time, right?
Oh, and Max says if they succeed, humans would be obsolete. Isn't that bad?
Well, Kinga says she's not human because "I'm a whole other deal".
Meaning what? Even she doesn't know.
If she was made from a cell from Clayton Forrester's medical checkup 40 years ago, that would explain a lot. Now is the time for that, too.
The post-game show discussed the Hobbit, the best puppets, and Jonah wondering if he's was followed to wherever he was broadcasting. Emily also admits she hopes the show will be her ticket to HBO.
Well, Joel went the other way (HBO to this show) and did fine.
Now, riff time. We'll compare the MST and Rifftrax versions:
Overhead shot of a smooth part of the Moon
MST: Moon Pattern Baldness
RT: That place is just littered with golf balls
Omos: You mean, what do I really want, Doctor?
MST: I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
RT: Please don't say a thorough colonoscopy.
Omos' palace
MST: Full Metal Jack and the Beanstalk
RT: Behold the evil of Sauron's down-on-his-luck cousin, Ronron
Omos tries to scare Dr. Caball with a hologram
RT: And yes, I am currently standing on a Roomba
MST: Visit scenic Mount Palance
Nikki tries to fight evil robots
MST: Canadian Public TV presents Seven Brides for Seven Robots
RT: This is me (Kevin) every time I find a spider in the shower
There's also riffs on EMF, Buck Rogers, eHarmony, Mork and Mindy, Believe It or Not (guess why), Texaco, West Side Story, Baby Shark, and Marvel movies in general.
There's also a scene where a robot pushes a button that says "cancel"
Response by Emily: Meanwhile at Netflix... (Bitter? Sure, they're bitter, but "Meanwhile at HBO Max" also works.
A new month means a new theme, namely "horror".
The feature movie is Devil Doll on October 14th preceded by a short on the balance beam. Thankfully, it's not as old as you think.
The main event is the 3D showing of The Mask (pre Jim Carrey) on the 28th. More info at
gizmonic.com
One more thing: this was the intermission from the show. Just this. Five minutes straight.
Eat your heart out, White Dot.
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