The last time I recommended a Netflix movie, it quickly became unavailable for streaming. This week’s pick should stay significantly longer, if not indefinitely (I really shouldn’t say that). Anyway, this week’s pick is my personal favorite entry in the venerable Mystery Science Theater 3000 series. The incredibly ambitious (and also incredibly funny) Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie!
MST3K can definitely be an acquired taste, but I find the theatrical movie to be the most accessible to newbies by far. Not only is the movie itself rightly considered a classic (This Island Earth, in case you were wondering), but Mike and the Bots absolutely knock it out of the park at every turn with the quips, cracks, and just outright fun you have watching along with them.
The movie has everything (except the theme song), it succinctly explains the premise of the MST concept in the first five minutes, flows really nicely, and has riffs that are don’t require a PhD in film making to get.
"Should we be seeing this?"
This Island Earth is essentially the story of scientist/jet jockey/entry level d-bag Cal Meachum. A mysterious group sends him parts to an incredibly complex machine called an Interociter. After the succsessful completion of said device, he is contacted by said group and recruited to do cool 50’s/60’s sci-fi type stuff with “ATOMIC ENERGY!” As you might expect, Cal discovers the strange secret behind his benefactors (hint: their giant foreheads are a dead giveaway), and takes the fight, such as it is, to them. The final act takes place on the planet Metaluna and features my favorite Universal Monster, the Metaluna Mutant. Will Cal and his compatriots ever get back to Earth, or will they painfully in a fire (special appearance by Russell Johnson aka Gilligan’s Island’s “The Professor”)? You’ll have to watch the movie and find out for yourself!
"The Secret Government Eggo Project!"
If you’re a fan of sci-fi, comedy, or both you would do well to give this film a watch. and be sure to stay until the end! There’s no after the credits scene, but the credits themselves are a treat to watch. I’ll leave you with some of my favorite out of context quotes. After you see the movie, let’s compare favorite lines!
- You’re being killed by the LightFM!
- What’s with this “And the Rest” crap?
- Normal View!!!!!
- Yeah, let’s slip away under cover of afternoon in the biggest car in the county!
- And if your hands were magnetized, that would mean something.
- Oh, no, Tinkerbell’s going down! Pull up! Tink, oh god no!
- Puppet Wranglers? There weren’t any puppets in this movie!