MST3K (822)

822 - Overdrawn at the Memory Bank - Exactly like The Matrix, except without anything remotely cool in it. The similarities between the two movies were interesting, especially towards the end. Both have men who feel like there's something more to life than what their dystopic society offers. They both get arrested for hacking. Both have brain implants allowing them to interface with computers. When interfacing, both become minds separated from their bodies in a virtual world. Both learn that "there is no spoon" and discover how to affect the simulated reality in the computer. Both destroy their enemies after maximizing this power over reality. Both escape the simulated world into reality, reuniting with both their bodies and their lovers. I think Dougie Williams might be able to succeed where crazies have failed.

The writers must be in a nostalgic mood lately. Last episode, they referenced Joel for the first time in years. This episode, they peg a movie character as resembling TV's Frank. It's nice to see that the show will never forget its roots.

I like the way the show is dealing with modern movies' extra-long credits lately. In 821, Brain Guy popped up in a split-screen to talk to Mike and the bots. In this one, Mike calls the Overdrawn at the Memory Bank tech support help line (1-800-SUCK). This is much funnier than trying to figure out how to goof on a scrolling list of names. Still, I wonder why they don't just cut the credits out? After all, they cut plenty of scenes in the middle of these films in order to get them to fit inside of an episode. I wonder if it's professional courtesy or some legal reason for not cutting the credits to help save on time?

The show already has one monkey. We didn't really need two. At least Henry Kissinger was relegated to off-screen tossing of junk. Still, the show got really monkey'd out this episode. Married with the stale PBS parody in the rest of the host segments, and this part of the show is back to being not-great again.

Sorry, I'd dopple into an anteater over a baboon any old day of the week. I already know what being a primate is like. Gimme four legs and a long snout.

"This movie just hates anteaters!" (7/10)

film d. Douglas Williams (1983)
mst d. Kevin Murphy (6 Dec 1997)