29 October 2006

MST3K (420)

420 - The Human Duplicators - It could be that I wasn't in the proper mood to watch an episode, but I felt like the writing wasn't quite up to snuff for the riffing this time out. This would've been written and filmed right in the middle of the holiday season. I bet they were just mentally on break already. I've sensed that before and this would explain the Mads' invention as well.

Android Professor: "My life is not the dull routine the general public might imagine." Agent Martin: "No, your niece is lovely." Joel: "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Wow, if it's not already in there, this exchange should be quoted in the dictionary entry for non sequitur. It's not even like there's a splice there where something was snipped out in the editing room. It's just a one-shot conversation between two characters that doesn't make any sense.

As soon as Hugh Beaumont appeared in the credits, I knew that we'd be treated to a return visit from the man himself in the hexfield viewscreen. Sure enough, the fourth host segment saw Mike once again dressed as America's favorite TV dad. Though they kept him in the same spaceship -- a flying, middle class suburban house -- everything else was different. Gone was the Evil Hugh, bent on bringing about the apocalypse while simultaneously insisting that people call him "Dad.". Instead, the guys are visited by Grumpy Hugh, who grouchily demands coffee and painkillers from an unseen secretary. I know they were just trying to riff off of the character Hugh plays in the movie, but it just wasn't as funny as the prior appearance.

Cool, a local kid got his letter about 414 read on the show. Hey Joel: it's a common mistake, but it's pronounced "Ip-sil-antee," not "Yip-sil-antee." Let's see, the kid would be about 25 now, which is enough time to go off to college and move back home. Off to check the phone book.... hey, he could be still hanging around. There's a couple people in the area with that name, though it's a really common one.

"Speak to me, fudge wall." (6/10)

film d. Hugo Grimaldi & Arthur C. Pierce [as Hugo Grimaldi] (1964)
mst d. Kevin Murphy (26 Dec 1992)