MST3K 207 - Wild Rebels

The Movie

Synopsis

In this fairly-standard biker film, Rod (Alaimo) is a former stock-car racer who aids the police department. He infiltrates the Satan's Angels motorcycle gang to stop a bank robbery by the malevolent trio of bikers bent on terrorizing South Florida. [1]

Information

• Former boxing champ Willie Pastrano appears as one of the bad boy bikers.[2]
• Fats was played by Jeff Gillen, who also appeared as Santa Claus in A Christmas Story. [3]
• Shot in 15 days.

The Episode

Host Segments

Prologue: Joel shuts down the higher functions of the Satellite of Love so that Gypsy can speak about why she is depressed.

Invention Exchange (Segment One): Gypsy finishes her talk with Joel so he can breathe again, but he's a little out of it, from the lack of oxygen; the Mads demonstrate their Hobby Hogs for children who look up to bikers, and Joel creates 3-D Pizza, based on 3-D chess from Star Trek.

Segment Two: Joel and the Bots talk about the intellectuals who rode motorcycles and started gangs. The Algonquin Round Table was known as Satan's Sardonics.

Segment Three: The SOL crew makes a commercial for Wild Rebels cereal.

Segment Four: Crow and Tom Servo talk about Gypsy's talents, and Joel sings a song to Gypsy in the style of the film...until the other Bots jump him.

Closing (Segment Five): Joel is surprisingly chipper after the movie's dour ending. He cheers the Bots up by helping them make more fun of the movie, resulting in a party. The Mads are confused until Frank figures it out.

Stinger: For some reason, none.

Information

• Tom Servo’s regular head returns. No explanation is given.
• This episode is very Gypsy-centric, partly being Joel wanted to give her character more depth, as she came off as a useless sometimes even buffoonish type. Her being in control if the higher functions of the ship gave her more purpose and also made the series less of "a boy's club".
• Doctor Forrester's motorcycle helmet is topped with the skull from a Masters of the Universe "Battle Bones" toy, still painted orange from when it was previously part of a Demon Dog.
• Joel twice calls the theater the “Mystery Science Theater” – the first and last time he would do that.
• Gypsy’s second appearance in the theater; about ten minutes into the movie when somebody mentions “Voyage to the Bottom of Sea”.
• This episode was ranked #100 among backers of the Bring Back MST3K Kickstarter in the Top 100 Poll.

Callbacks

• “The driver is either missing or he’s gone.” (The Phantom Creeps)
• “How fortunate! Thees will seemplify everything!” (The Phantom Creeps)
• "Are we watching Catalina Caper again?"

Obscure References

• "What's the extra E for?" -Joel, after William Grefe's name comes up in the credits. "The extra E is for extra--" -Crow. "Uh-mm, ixnay!" -Servo.

There was a famous TV ad campaign on New York City cable during the '80s for a phone sex line featuring "watersports". The number was 970-PEEE; their slogan was "The extra 'E' is for extra PEE!"

• "Silly rabbi. Kicks are for Trids!" -Joel

This phrase is the punchline to an old joke. There are a few different versions, all of which lead to a variation of the Trix cereal advertising slogan "Silly rabbit. Trix are for kids!"

• "Why don't you let the shotgun sing a song?"

Paraphrases a lyric from the song "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who.

• "They gotta go past the LaBianca place."

Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in their house by Charles Manson and his "family" on the second night of their infamous killing spree.

• "We're booking you for impersonating Trini Lopez."

Trini Lopez is a singer and guitarist; Rod vaguely resembles him.

• "It's Joe Namath!"

A famous commercial starring Joe Namath starts with a slow pan up his legs.

• "What's this? Zack Norman is Sammy in Chief Zabu?"

A reference to a long-running joke.

• "Very interesting."  "Hogan!"

Mike and Tom are making a call back to two 60s-era shows featuring characters in a Nazi helmet:  Laugh-In and Hogan's Heroes (though Colonel Klink, the character whose catchphrase was "Hogan!", did not wear a helmet).

Video Release

• Released on DVD by Rhino Entertainment in May 2006 as part of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 9, a 4-DVD set with Women of the Prehistoric Planet, The Sinister Urge, and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. The set quickly went out of print within weeks when it was pulled due to right issues.
• Digitally available through Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Vudu, and VHX.