MST3K (204)
204 - Catalina Caper - I think the actual plot of the movie occupied somewhere around 90 seconds of footage during the entire film. The rest of the running time is just shots of Little Richard hopped up on goofballs, teens dancing, teens slapping each other, and Exidor falling into the sea repeatedly. I liked it.
The riffing was consistently funny in this episode. One line had me roaring early on. Girl: "Ever do any diving, Don?" Joel-as-Don (in his "Oh, wow" voice): "Oh, yeah." I don't know if there's a clean way to read that gag, but I read it lewd and found it hilarious. Later on, some dorks atonally sing a song on a boat. Crow: "I think they sent the wrong people to Nam." After listening to their tune, I agree. The recurring riff whenever there was shot of people walking barefoot -- "Ooh, hot, ow, hot" -- was amusing more than once, too.
I know some folks think that it was a mistake for a comedy show to try to riff on another comedy. I disagree. I think it worked just fine. The humor in the movie was so corny that this movie could barely count as a comedy on its own. The riffing just helped it be what it wanted to be all along.
I agree with Servo. I think Creepy Girl was cute. Not cute enough to ignore the fifty other girls on the beach like the characters in the movie did, but cute.
Frank's host segment as weapon-Tupperware salesman was his best spot yet. His classically
Speaking of George Reeves, Lee Sholem also directed Superman and the Mole Men and half of season one of Adventures of Superman fifteen years before this movie. He's not grown as a director.
No Mike appearance on the hexfield this time. Ah well, you can't have everything. (8/10)
film d. Lee Sholem (1967)
mst d. Jim Mallon (13 Oct 1990)
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