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in: MST3K Episodes, Season 5, Directed by Kevin Murphy

MST3K 523 - Village of the Giants

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“ You know, as in tune as Bert I. Gordon was with the Fifties, he just didn't get the Sixties. ”
- Tom Servo


The Movie[]

Main article: Village of the Giants (film)

Synopsis[]

A suburban child prodigy develops a substance that makes living things grow to massive size. Some rambunctious youths who are passing through town learn about the discovery and use it on themselves. The giants torment the citizenry until a method of reversing the process is developed.

The Episode[]

Host Segments[]

FrankFired

Frank gets fired

Prologue: Mike and the Bots do their annual workout. As Mike says, "If you can't take 30 minutes out of every year, you don't deserve a hot date!"

Segment One: Mike and the Bots put a wide variety of items into a juicer before contacting the Mads. Dr. Forrester makes the announcement that they're making cutbacks down in Deep 13, and orders TV's Frank to fire... TV's Frank!

Giantshost

Dr. F interviews Torgo

Segment Two: After being fired, Frank lounges around Deep 13 in his underwear, watching TV. Meanwhile, Dr. Forrester interviews then hires Torgo.

Segment Three: Frank's taken up refuge in the storage closet in Deep 13 to keep Dr. F from kicking him out. Mike and the Bots pretend to interview Frank so he’ll be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Segment Four: Frank's got his stuff packed and ready to go, but not before saying goodbye to Mike & the Bots. The SOL crew sings "The Greatest Frank of All" (over a montage of clips of Frank put together by Cambot). The song energizes Frank, who begins his plans to oust Torgo.

Segment Five: As Mike and the Bots go through letters supporting Frank, Frank talks to Torgo and gives him some advice that will "make Dr. Forrester really happy". Frank's underhanded scheme gets Torgo ejected, and Frank gets his job back. Still, Dr. Forrester is going to have to kill him.

Village of the Giants; Frank Zappa Memorial

The SOL crew's tribute to another Frank.

Stinger: A tribute to the late Frank Zappa.

Obscure References[]

  • "...give that chicken fat back to the chicken, and don't be chicken again!" "Go, you chicken fat, go!"
Tom Servo accompanies the SOL's annual workout by singing "Chicken Fat" by Broadway composer Meredith Willson, as made famous by Robert Preston. The song was distributed freely on vinyl records as part of President John F. Kennedy's youth fitness program. The lyrics emphasize a daily exercise regimen, in contrast to "30 minutes out of every year". Gypsy later sings part of the chorus.
  • "Man, I love these BluBlockers."
The opening credits' tint is riffed by a mention of BluBlockers sunglasses.
  • "Oh, Madonna, what are you up to now?"
The pop singer Madonna is known for her controversial works and performances, which were sometimes sexually-explicit (especially in the early 1990s).
  • "This is everything that Laugh-In could've been."
Teenagers wildly dancing in the rain are riffed as belonging in TV sketch-comedy program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
  • "The extra E is for extra Levine!"
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!".
  • "So, guys, what stage of the Wonder Years do you think this is?"
In the 1960s, the Wonder Bread company advertised with the slogan "Make the Most of their 'Wonder Years'", indicating that the bread provided nutrition and energy for children. This later inspired the title of the popular TV sitcom The Wonder Years, which was set in the late '60s.
  • Senator Kennedy, you all right?"
In 1969, the late Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy was involved in an incident in which he drove a car off a bridge. He survived, but the woman riding with him drowned. Kennedy was widely suspected of having been intoxicated, but was not held responsible.
  • "So, I guess Jesus was run down with a Thunderbird."
The cross-shaped telephone pole prompts a reference to the crucifixion of religious figure Jesus Christ.
  • "Oh, this is where Thelma and Louise landed!"
The film Thelma & Louise's climactic scene shows the titular female protagonists driving their car off a cliff.
  • "You could learn a lot from a dummy."
During the 1990s, a series of PSAs promoting the use of seat belts featured the comical misadventures of a pair of living crash test dummies, and used the slogan "You could learn a lot from a dummy".
  • "Here's to good friends, tonight is kind of special..."
Quote from the jingle for Löwenbräu beer during the 1970s and 80s.
  • "If it rains much more it will turn into Sea Hunt."
Sea Hunt is a TV series that starred Lloyd Bridges, father of Beau.
  • "If those pants were any tighter, they'd be behind her."
This is a variation on a line spoken by Groucho Marx - "If I held you any closer, I'd be in back of you.".
  • "Mr. Mojo RISING!"
Character Horsey writhes on the ground, similar to onstage performances by singer Jim Morrison of rock band The Doors, prompting a quote from the song "L.A. Woman".
  • "Unused footage from The Piano."
The Piano is a 1993 film about a mute woman living in 19th-century New Zealand.
  • "I hope that blows up in his face so I don't have to see Willow!"
Willow is a 1988 fantasy movie directed by Ron Howard. A follow-up novel entitled Shadow Moon was published in 1995, and would later be featured on 372 Pages We'll Never Get Back.
  • "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk!"
A quote by the title character in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. It is the last spoken line of the movie.
  • "Hey, Thomasina!"
A reference to the live-action Disney movie The Three Lives of Thomasina.
  • "The Million Dollar Ducks!!"
A reference to the live-action Disney movie The Million Dollar Duck.
  • "Or Jim J. Bullock?"
Actor Jim J. Bullock is best known for playing Monroe Ficus on the 1980s sitcom Too Close for Comfort.
  • "John Vernon's on Acapulco H.E.A.T.!"
John Vernon was an actor known for playing harsh authority figures in films including National Lampoon's Animal House and Dirty Harry. Acapulco H.E.A.T. is an action TV series that aired in first-run syndication during the 1990s. It featured actor/model Fabio Lanzoni, as well as John Vernon as Mr. Smith.
  • "Frank, you haven't moved since Vicki!"
Vicki was a short-lived 1993 daytime talk show hosted by actress Vicki Lawrence.
  • "Lucas McCain, tha-at's his kid..."
Lucas McCain was the hero of the Western TV series The Rifleman. Johnny Crawford played his son on the show.
  • "Howard the Duck, Behind the Green Door!"
Howard the Duck is a Marvel Comics character who became the subject of a notoriously poorly-received movie in 1986. Behind the Green Door was a pornographic film originally released in 1972.
  • "Hmmm, what to do about Clint..."
Ron Howard's brother Clint Howard is a prolific B-movie actor, and occasionally appears in films directed by Ron.
  • "Darkboy!"
Darkman is a 1990 movie about a disfigured scientist who becomes a superhero who fights crime using hyper-realistic masks. When not in disguise, Darkman wears a large black coat and hat.
  • "Charlie, they took my thumbs..."
A quote from the 1984 film The Pope of Greenwich Village.
  • "Back, and to the left."
A quote from Oliver Stone's film JFK about the movement of President John F. Kennedy's head when he was assassinated.
  • "Ziggy Stardust!"
A reference to the David Bowie album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars".
  • "C'mon, surrender the pink!"
Surrender the Pink is a novel written by the late Carrie Fisher.
  • "Tonight, right here on our stage, a really big show, a big big big big show."
Crow mimics popular television variety host Ed Sullivan, who regularly announced to his viewing audience that he had a "really big show" prepared.
  • "We'll probably get drafted by the Cavs."
"Cavs" is the nickname for the professional basketball team the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • "We hate you Conrad, oh yes we do..."
A re-purposing of a line from the Conrad Birdie fan club song in the musical Bye Bye Birdie.
  • "What is happening?" What's Happening!! theme song (sung)
Mike renders a version of the theme from 1970s TV sitcom What's Happening!!.
  • "Hey, Cthulhu!"
Cthulhu is a fictional evil god that originated in the writings of H. P. Lovecraft.
  • "It's going into Charles Bukowski's sink!"
American writer Charles Bukowski had a reputation as a heavy drinker.
  • "Hey, an article by William Safire!"
William Safire was a presidential speechwriter for Richard Nixon, as well as a longtime New York Times columnist.
  • "We'll get us a hostage of our own!" "Terry Anderson!"
Terry A. Anderson was one of several Americans held hostage by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon beginning in 1985.
  • "Giant steps are what you take..."
A line from the song "Walking on the Moon" by rock band The Police.
  • "Oh look, Ed Gein's the driver!"
Ed Gein, was a serial killer arrested in Minnesota in 1957, infamous for making clothing and furniture from his victims' remains.
  • "Eldridge Cleavage!"
A punning reference to former black militant Eldridge Cleaver.
  • "Etc., etc., etc..."
A line uttered by the King of Siam in the musical The King And I.
  • "By this time my son's lungs were aching for air!"
A reference to TV series Sea Hunt, in which Beau Bridges' father Lloyd Bridges was a deep-sea diver.
  • "That's funny... That kid's dusting crops where there ain't no crops!"
A line from the Alfred Hitchcock thriller North by Northwest which precedes an iconic sequence.
  • "The shamed cast of Terror of Tiny Town..."
The Terror of Tiny Town is a 1938 Western movie directed by Sam Newfield with an all-diminutive cast.
  • "Its like waking up, rolling over and seeing Jim Varney!"
Comic actor Jim Varney was best-known for playing the dim-witted character Ernest P. Worrell.
  • "They're dancing near a collapsed star!"
A star shrinks when it collapses, and If its mass is great enough it may become a black hole. As the star approaches any mass the gravitational field intensifies. To an outside observer, time slow as gravity increases. Consequently, dancers would appear to move slower if they were near a collapsed star.
  • "She thinks I'm cute!"
Quote from the animated childrens' holiday short Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
  • "Sounds like Shaft's coming." "Shut your mouth."
The musical score is compared to "Theme from Shaft" from the movie of the same name, followed by a spoken-word quote from that song.
  • "Know our love will not fade away."
The musical score's beat is similar to that of "Not Fade Away" by Buddy Holly and The Crickets. The song is also a staple of Grateful Dead concerts.
  • "Getting strong now..."
Quote from the song "Gonna Fly Now" featured in the movie Rocky as a character ascends the steps at city hall.
  • "Oh you can call me Ray..."
An off-screen voice is compared to the comic routine of Bill Saluga, who played the avuncular but frustratingly long-winded character Ray Jay Johnson.

Callbacks[]

Behind the Scenes[]

MST3K cast[]

Regular cast

Guest cast

Notes[]

  • When Dr. Forrester fires TV's Frank he not only tears off the Deep 13 emblem patch on Frank's shirt, he rips off his spit curl.
  • Dr. F's parting gift for Frank is an action figure from the Coneheads movie.
  • Unusual credits: "The Greatest Frank of All" is played instead of the usual closing theme.


Video releases[]

Giantsdvd

MST3K DVD cover

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