The Special[]
The 2nd Annual Mystery Science Theater Summer Blockbuster Review is a special produced by Best Brains, Inc. for The Sci-Fi Channel. It was first broadcast on September 4, 1998. It is the final special produced during the series' original run, and the final special produced for broadcast television.
Synopsis[]
Tom Servo and Mike Nelson are chilling on the bridge of The Satellite of Love, while Tom lazily sings "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes". Crow T. Robot suddenly bursts onto the bridge to announce that the crew of the SOL must save the world by informing the citizens of the United States of their "compulsory, big, expensive studio movie-watching duties". Mike and Tom aren't that enthusiastic, but nonetheless, join in on the theme song, "End of the Summer" over footage from Armageddon, Saving Private Ryan, The X-Files, Small Soldiers, Deep Impact, Ever After, Halloween H20, The Truman Show and π.
Mike welcomes the viewer to the review and reminds them to see all the movies being previewed to avoid "a great deal of legal trouble". Crow kicks things off with a film based on a television show (which he considers a "ridiculous notion to begin with"), The X-Files: Fight the Future. In a clip, Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) talks with Special Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) about a recent bombing when they are joined by Agent Dana Skully (Gillian Anderson). Mulder and Scully them begin to investigate the situation.
Next, Tom introduces Ever After starring Drew Barrymore. Tom seems to think the film is about Barrymore herself evolving into a "beautifully average looking princess with an intermittent British accent". The clip from this retelling of the Cinderella story shows Danielle (Barrymore) talking about her mother with her stepmother, Rodmilla (Angelica Huston). Jumping ahead, another clip shows King Francis (Timothy West) and Queen Marie (Judy Parfitt) announcing the engagement of their son, Prince Henry (Dougray Scott) to Rodmilla's daughter, Marguerite (Megan Dodds) when Danielle arrives, halting the proceedings. After seeing the clip, Crow proclaims that "existential dread" is the correct response before throwing things to a commercial.
After the break, Crow welcomes the viewers back, reminding them that they are required to see these films, thanks to an amendment "tacked onto last year's highway bill". Mike then introduces the next film, the Jamie Lee Curtis thriller Halloween Water (actually Halloween H20). The first clip sees Laurie Strode (Curtis) canoodling with her boyfriend, school counselor Will Brennan (Adam Arkin), who knows her as "Keri Tate". She tells him of the events of Halloween and Halloween II. In the next clip, Laurie chases after Michael Myers (Chris Durand) with an axe.
Before the next intermission, Mike introduces The Truman Show and shows two highlights from the film: Truman (Jim Carrey) being rained on while sitting on the beach and Truman talking with Lauren/Sylvia (Natascha McElhone).
When they return, Crow announces that the next film, which is optional, was a hit on the arthouse circuit and is entitled Apple Brown Betty. Tom corrects him that the actual name is π, which confuses Crow. In the clip, Maximillian Cohen (Sean Gullette) explains his assumptions about life. Crow thinks it stinks, even as an independent film. Mike suggests this is why you "have to stick with your bid budget, board certified, huge studio movies".
Crow then announces the next film as Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Benjamin starring Goldie Hawn. As Tom points out, it is actually Saving Private Ryan. The clip shows Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) explaining the mission to Corporal Timothy E. Upham (Jeremy Davies). Another clip shows Miller talking to his men, including Upham and Private Richard Reiben (Edward Burns) about the changes the war has made on him. Tom thinks it's a film film, except for the fact that they save Matt Damon.
Next, Mike introduces "another war movie", Small Soldiers. He then shows a scene from the film in which a soldier toy, Chip Hazard (Tommy Lee Jones, voice) awakens his fellow "Commando Elite" action figures. Then we see Gorgonite leader Archer (Frank Langella, voice) confront a real-life cat, who licks him as Alan Abernathy (Gregory Smith), the son of a toy store owner, awakens and meets Archer.
Crow then goes on a tirade concerning the film Godzilla (which is bleeped every time he mentions it) because the studio has refused to allow them to talk about it. He then provides his own film, Goshzilla!, as an insulting replacement. He proudly declares it Matthew Broderick-free and more profitable because Mike gave him a quarter.
The next film is Crow's personal favorite of the summer, De Pimp Act, a historical drama about legislation regulating prostitution. Mike lets him know he has "everything wrong" before introducing Deep Impact, "one of several films" about a comet hitting the Earth. Clips show reporter Jenny Lerner (Téa Leoni) being confronted by President Tom Beck (Morgan Freeman) and his advisor, Morton Entrekin (O'Neal Compton), concerning what she has discovered and the "Beiderman" comet striking the Earth as its namesake Leo Beiderman (Elijah Wood) and his girlfriend, Sarah Hotchner (Leelee Sobieski) ride a motorcycle and Jenny and her father Jason (Maximilian Schell) observe its passage.
Next, it's another film about "a big chunk of rock spreading horror and misery across the globe; Bruce Willis in Armageddon. In a clip, we meet the team tasked with destroying the meteor, driller Harry Stamper (Willis), A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck), Jayotis "Bear" Kurleenbear (Michael Clarke Duncan), Max Lennert (Ken Hudson Campbell), Ben 'Rockhound' Davis (Steve Buscemi), Oscar Choice (Owen Wilson) and Charles "Chick" Chapple (Will Patton). This is followed by what Mike considers the "single most Ben Affleck-est scene in the entire movie"; A.J. having "cookie sex" with his girlfriend (and Stamper's daughter), Grace (Liv Tyler).
Finally, Mike wraps things up with a reminder that the audience has until Wednesday, September 30th to avoid imprisonment. As the credits roll, Servo notes the "very unlikely" chance that an actual comet will ever hit the Earth, rattling off many more likely deadly encounters, unaware that a meteor is on a direct collision course with the SOL.
Obscure References[]
- "Blame Has to be assigned somewhere." "And Richard Jewell is out of town."
- Richard Jewell was a security guard who was wrongly accused by the mainstream media of being behind the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing.
Behind the Scenes[]
Cast[]
Crew[]
- Created by Joel Hodgson
- Produced by Kevin Murphy
- Directed by Michael J. Nelson
- Written by Michael J. Nelson (head writer), Paul Chaplin, Bill Corbett, Bridget Jones, Kevin Murphy, Mary Jo Pehl
- Production Manager - Peter Rudd
- Art Director - Patrick Brantseg
- Director of Photography - Jeff Stonehouse
- Technical Supervisor - Bradley J. Keely
- Set Design - Patrick Brantseg, Blue Thumb Scenic
- Editor - Bradley J. Keely
- Prop Diva - Beez McKeever
- Hair & Make Up - Sue Mentzer
- Grip - Dan Breyer, Mike Parker
- Controller - Tim Johnson
- Info Club Poobah - Barbara Tebben
- Interns - Nick Prueher, Dan Tanz
- Executive Producer - Jim Mallon
Music[]
- "End of the Summer" - Music by Michael J. Nelson, Lyrics by Bill Corbett
Notes[]
Video Release[]
The special was released as part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Presents the 1st and 2nd Annual MST3K Summer Blockbuster Review bonus disc from Shout! Factory. It was a free gift to purchasers of Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXXVI directly from Shout!.