MST3K (304)

304 - Gamera vs Barugon - As a follow-up to 303, quite a disappointment. The riffing was sparse in this one. Maybe the guys used too much riffage power in the previous episode and ran out of juice? The only one that got me to laugh out loud would be funny even without the commentary. General Guy: "The monster can destroy everything with its tongue." Crow: "You try saying that without laughing."

Duplicating inventions from KTMA episodes is understandable. Virtually none of the Comedy Central audience had ever seen those. Ripping off an invention from season one just ain't right. Sure, the bubble belt was Joel's invention in 107 and now it's the Mads'. In the context of the storyline, maybe they copied Joel again. Sure, Joel even mentions that it looks familiar. But, to me, this just says that the invention exchange thing was worn out well before Mike put the kibosh on it in season five. I wonder if this segment will ever get back on its feet before then?

The only part of this episode that was above average -- the only thing that makes it better than K04 -- was the "T.G.I.Tokyo" host segment. Sugary model building that restaurant patrons demolish with their appetites was a clever tie-in with the movie. I'm betting Mike gave Joel some pointers on how to be a flair-addled waiter in a cheesy restaurant. The completely inexplicable masks on the bots are awesome. What in the hell does Crow have on his face? A miniature toilet seat attached to a fetish mask? One of the great, bizarre host segments.

"It's Mr. Bubble and boy is he cheesed." (6/10)

film d. Shigeo Tanaka (1966)
mst d. Jim Mallon (22 Jun 1991)

[Woo-hoo! I just finished creating the last MST3K DVD I needed. Now I've got everything that's necessary for this marathon. Someday, I'll start seeking upgrades. For now, the collection is stable, at last. In celebration, here's an ultra-geeky, labeled photo of a shelf chocked-full of MST discs in the tradition of gammer's website]