MST3K (405)
405 - Being from Another Planet - Woo-hoo! This is the closest thing to a Halloween episode MST3K has produced so far. There were the evil Tragic Moments FigurinesTM from the Mads. The movie itself was about a mummy-alien killing people. Most of all, there was the classic "Mad Scientist Laboratory" gag with the peeled grapes for eyes and cauliflower for brains. I dig how Joel gets nutty and chomps onto the brains/cauliflower. Very Return of the Living Dead.
During the end credits, Servo claims that this movie is worse than any of the previous experiments that Crow and Joel rattle off (except that it ties with Fu Manchu). No way. Did Kevin really think so? Judging from his book, he might've, but I think this was just a way to plow through the credits without resorting to making fun of people's names again. To me, this is no where near the bottom. In fact, this is exactly the kind of crap that I enjoy watching on its own. It has the excellent James Karen from The Return of the Living Dead, the criminally under-used Austin Stoker from Assault on Precinct 13, and its music was composed by Richard Band, who created the catchy theme for Re-Animator (among many others).
Also, I think I saw a nipple during the obligatory "girl takes a shower in the middle of a horror movie" scene. Due to the hazy quality of my DVD-R-sourced-from-VHS-sourced-from-fuzzy-cable, it's really hard to be sure. And maybe Servo's head was in the way. But, dammit, I paused and used slow-mo to double-check.
Susie: "I'm sorry, did I startle you?" Crow: "No, that's why I wet myself." Joel & Servo: "Aww-oh..." I was surprised that I got more laughs out of the riffing from this episode than I have from any all season. Maybe it was because I was pleased with the movie selection? Other reviewers are pretty indifferent or downright dislike this ep. I dunno. I thought the bits where Crow and Servo were scared to death of the green boiler room shots were hilarious.
"Smells like mummy meat in here." (8/10)
film d. Tom Kennedy (1982)
mst d. Jim Mallon (4 Jul 1992)
