Three American astronauts are stranded in space when their retros won't fire. Can they be saved before a hurricaine prevents a rescue mission or their oxygen runs out?
The only film riffed on MST3K that has won an academy award (spec fx) and was also nominated for sound and cinematography. I saw this film as a teenager on a flight to Hawaii - Doc. 0402 - The Giant Gila Monster [1959]
A giant lizard terrorizes a rural Texas community and a heroic teenager attempts to destroy the creature.
Includes a very funny segment featuring the necessity of most characters in the film to posture in a raised knee position whenever they're talking to someone else.
0403 - City Limits [1984]
A series of teenage motorcycle gangs struggle against each other in a post-apocalyptic future. Eventually they unite against an evil corporation, as represented by evil CEO Robby Benson who wants to control everything.
At one point, Joel stands up with an umbrella and uses it to block a female actress' nudity. Kim Cattrall, who just happened to catch herself in this film on TV being riffed by MST3K, sent a bouquet of flowers specifically to Crow T. Robot.
0404 - Teenagers from Outer Space [1959]
A young alien and a teenage earthling fall in love, and plot to stop the alien's race from using Earth as a food-breeding ground for giant lobsters from their planet.
Mary Jo Pehl joined the MST3K writing staff with this episode. The alien monster in this film is just a photographed shadow of a normal sized lobster. 0405 - Being from Another Planet [1982]
aka Time Walker
A sealed Egyptian sarcophagus is opened to reveal an ancient mummy and a mold substance which proves to eat the flesh of anyone touching it.
Film Ventures International's title change, from "Time Walker" to "Being from Another Planet" wrecked the film's twist ending. As Bill Paxton would have said, "What the hell were you thinking?". The Admin guy screaming into the camera at the end of the film, as his hand is covered in fungus, is one of the MST3K crew's all-time favorite moments. 0406 - Attack of the Giant Leeches [1959]
A backwoods game warden and a local doctor discover that giant leeches are responsible for disappearances and deaths in a local swamp, but the local police don't believe them.
MST3K writer, Paul Chaplin, loves this movie, and is quoted as saying "It's got an intensity about it that I admire." The short is the oldest material every featured on the show.
This episode also contains the short
Undersea Kingdom [1936],
Part 1. 0407 - The Killer Shrews [1959]
On an isolated island, a small group of people are terrorized by giant voracious shrews in the midst of a hurricane.
Several different breeds of dogs were dressed up to look like killer shrews. Pay close enough attention and you'll note they're quite playful and having a great time.
While negotiating peace between two brothers contesting the throne of Thebes, an amnesiac Hercules is seduced by the evil Queen Omphale.
Jim Mallon's favorite episode. Joel Hodgson also said that this and
I Accuse My Parents
were his favorites. 0409 - Indestructible Man [1956]
Charles "The Butcher" Benton, a brutal death row inmate gets double-crossed by his crooked lawyer. He gets his chance for revenge when, after he's been executed, a bizarre experiment brings him back to life and deadlier than ever.
This may be the only episode in which an actor (in this case, Lon Chaney, Jr.) appears in a prominent role in both the short and the main feature. After the opening scene, Lon Chaney has no more lines throughout the rest of the film.
This episode also contains the short
Undersea Kingdom [1936],
Part 2. 0410 - Hercules Against the Moon Men [1964]
Hercules is summoned to oppose the evil Queen Samara, who has allied herself with aliens and is sacrificing her own people in a bid to awaken a moon goddess.
"Pizza, pizza!" 0411 - The Magic Sword [1962]
The son of a sorceress, armed with weapons, armour and six magically summoned knights, embarks on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard.
Vampira, the famous late-night TV show host, played two roles in this film; The Hag and the sorceress who kidnaps Princess Helene. The MST3K crew acknowledged that "this is actually a pretty good movie." 0412 - Hercules and the Captive Women [1961]
aka Hercules Conquers Atlantis
Strong yet sleepy Hercules discovers that the Queen of Atlantis is plotting to take over the world with superhuman warriors.
Gypsy gets talked into joining them in the theater for the movie. She hangs around for about 5 minutes and manages a couple good riffs. 0413 - Manhunt in Space [1956]
In this compilation of episodes from "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger", Rocky and his co-pilot Winky (Winky??) are sent into space to foil a gang of space pirates who have been preying on cargo ships sent out by the United Worlds, and who have also captured Rocky's girlfriend, Vena (Vena??). I think drugs are involved.
This episode also contains the short
General Hospital [1963],
Part 1 0414 - Tormented [1960]
A man lets a former flame fall to her death rather than let her interfere with his new relationship, but her ghost returns to disrupt his impending nuptials. 0415 - The Beatniks [1960]
Eddie Crane is on the brink of becoming a top recording star ...if he can only break away from his lawless beatnik friends who are his only companions.
This episode also contains the short
General Hospital [1963],
Part 2 0416 - Fire Maidens of Outer Space [1956]
A team of astronauts lands on a moon of Jupiter to find it populated with beautiful young women looking for mates.
The episode introduces Timmy, Crow's evil twin. 0417 - Crash of Moons [1954]
aka Crash of the Moons
In this compilation of episodes from "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger", Rocky must stop his archenemy Cleolanta from destroying the inhabited moon Posita before it crashes into Cleo's moon, Ophecius, while he tries to evacuate Posita.
A previous episode,
Manhunt in Space,
is also comprised of episodes from the same TV Series.
This episode also contains the short
General Hospital [1963],
Part 3 0418 - Attack of the Eye Creatures [1965]
Eye Creatures land on earth and the Air Force spies on some teens making out in the woods while trying to prevent word of the Eye Creatures landing from leaking out.
Note that when the title appears on screen, it's shown as "Attack of the the Eye Creatures". With some minor changes, this movie is a scene-for-scene, line-for-line remake of the far superior movie
Invasion of the Saucer Men 0419 - The Rebel Set [1959]
Three beatniks are brought together to rob an armored car, only to face betrayal from amongst their ranks.
Watch for Mr. T's disguise, which fools everyone even though it consists of only a change of shirt and a priest collar. Charles "Johnny" Pachter, in the short, is now a prominent artist.
An alien is dispatched from a faraway galaxy to take over the Earth by "duplicating" humans and creating a race of zombies resembling animated pottery in this low-budget sci-fi film. 0421 - Monster a Go-Go [1965]
A space capsule crash-lands on Earth, and the astronaut aboard disappears. Is there a connection between the missing man and the monster roaming the area?
This is the first time the team decided to begin writing sketches based on topics that didn't have anything to do with the movie. Main reason being, this movie is basically about nothing which renders it without "topicness". This episode is also considered by the team to be one of the worst films they ever did.
This episode also contains the short
Circus on Ice [1954] 0422 - The Day the Earth Froze [1959]
Based on Finnish mythology, this movie traces the exploits of Lemminkainen as he woos the fair Annikki who is kidnapped by the evil witch Louhi compelling her father to build for her a Sampo; a magical device that creates salt, grain, and gold.
Originally called "Sampo" the film was loosely based on the Kalevala (The Songs of Kaleva), the national epic poem of Finland. It's title was changed for the U.S. audience to fool them thinking it was a sci fi.
Rumours abound about what may go on at a creepy mansion just out of town owned by Dr. Eric Vornoff who is conducting experiments to turn people into super-beings through the use of atomic power.
This Ed Wood film was nominated for a Least Convincing Scientific Explanation Golden Turkey Award. It lost to "The Bride and the Beast" (which Ed Wood co-wrote).
This episode also contains the short
Hired! [1940],
Part 1. 0424 - Manos: The Hands of Fate [1966]
A family gets lost on the road and stumbles upon a hidden, underground, devil-worshiping cult led by the fearsome Master and his servant Torgo.
This film is considered among the worst films ever made. After a failed debut, the film remained in almost complete obscurity until it was featured on MST3K and has since become a bizarre cult favorite.
0401 - Space Travelers [1969]
0402 - The Giant Gila Monster [1959]
0403 - City Limits [1984]
0404 - Teenagers from Outer Space [1959]
0405 - Being from Another Planet [1982]
0406 - Attack of the Giant Leeches [1959]
0407 - The Killer Shrews [1959]
0408 - Hercules Unchained [1959]
0409 - Indestructible Man [1956]
0410 - Hercules Against the Moon Men [1964]
0411 - The Magic Sword [1962]
0412 - Hercules and the Captive Women [1961]
0413 - Manhunt in Space [1956]
0414 - Tormented [1960]
0415 - The Beatniks [1960]
0416 - Fire Maidens of Outer Space [1956]
0417 - Crash of Moons [1954]
0418 - Attack of the Eye Creatures [1965]
0419 - The Rebel Set [1959]
0420 - The Human Duplicators [1965]
0421 - Monster a Go-Go [1965]
0422 - The Day the Earth Froze [1959]
0423 - Bride of the Monster [1955]
0424 - Manos: The Hands of Fate [1966]