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{{quote|Why don't they look?}}
 
 
{{Ep infobox
 
{{Ep infobox
 
| name =623 - The Amazing Transparent Man
 
| name =623 - The Amazing Transparent Man
Line 5: Line 4:
 
| image_size =200px
 
| image_size =200px
 
| airdate =[[March 18]], [[1995]]
 
| airdate =[[March 18]], [[1995]]
| mstdirector =
+
| mstdirector =[[Kevin Murphy]]
 
| runtime =
 
| runtime =
 
| turkey =
 
| turkey =
Line 13: Line 12:
 
| movyear =[[1960]]
 
| movyear =[[1960]]
 
| cast =[[Douglas Kennedy]], [[Marguerite Chapman]]
 
| cast =[[Douglas Kennedy]], [[Marguerite Chapman]]
| short1 =
+
| short1 =The Days of Our Years
| s1director =
+
| s1director =Allen H. Miner
| s1year =
+
| s1year =1955
 
| s1cast =
 
| s1cast =
| Short2 =
 
 
| s2director =
 
| s2director =
 
| s2year =
 
| s2year =
| preceded_by =622 - [[Angels Revenge]]
+
| preceded_by =622 - [[MST3K 622 - Angels Revenge|Angels Revenge]]
| followed_by =624 - [[Samson vs. the Vampire Women]]
+
| followed_by =624 - [[MST3K 624 - Samson vs. the Vampire Women|Samson vs. the Vampire Women]]}}
  +
}}
 
  +
{{quote|So the main causes of accidents are joy, sex, and old age? |Mike}}
  +
{{Quote|He's amazing and amusing,
  +
he's delicious and nutritious,
  +
  +
two for breakfast, one for...|Servo (singing along to the music)}}
  +
 
==The Short==
 
==The Short==
 
'''''The Days of Our Years'''''
 
'''''The Days of Our Years'''''
 
===Synopsis===
 
===Synopsis===
  +
[[File:623s.jpg|left|thumb|230x230px]]
Another Union Pacific short, this time a preacher talking about avoiding work accidents and providing three examples. As Mike points out, the main causes of workplace accidents are, apparently, joy, sex, and old age.
+
Another [[Wikipedia:Union Pacific|Union Pacific]] [[short]], this time a preacher talking about avoiding work accidents and providing three examples. As Mike points out, the main causes of workplace accidents are, apparently, joy, sex, and old age.
   
 
===Information===
 
===Information===
 
*Interesting to note that all three accidents were the fault of the workers, not due to machinery or management.
 
*Interesting to note that all three accidents were the fault of the workers, not due to machinery or management.
*This short was included on ''Shorts Vol 2'', released by [[Rhino Entertainment]] on VHS in October 1999, and on DVD as part of ''The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 3'', a 4-DVD set with ''[[The Sidehackers]]'', ''[[The Unearthly]]'' and ''[[The Atomic Brain]]''.
+
*This short was included on ''[[Shorts, Volume 2]]'', released by [[Rhino Entertainment]] on VHS in October 1999, and on DVD as part of ''The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 3'', a 4-DVD set with ''[[MST3K 202 - The Side Hackers|The Side Hackers]]'', ''[[The Unearthly]]'' and ''[[The Atomic Brain]]''.
   
 
==The Movie==
 
==The Movie==
   
 
===Synopsis===
 
===Synopsis===
  +
[[File:Transparent.PNG|thumb|249x249px|'''The Amazing Transparent Man''']]
Paul Krenner ([[James Griffith]]), an ex-major with delusions of grandeur, forces scientist Peter Ulof ([[Ivan Triesault]]) to develop a radiation-based technique to turn men invisible, with which process he plans to create an invisible army to sell to the highest bidder. He busts safecracker Joey Faust ([[Douglas Kennedy|Kennedy]]) out of prison and forces him to undergo the invisibility treatment so he can steal more radium to further the experimentation. Plans go awry when Faust discovers there is a side effect to the invisibility treatments. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053593/plotsummary]
 
  +
Former U. S. Army major, Paul Krenner (James Griffith), plans to conquer the world with an army of invisible soldiers and will do anything to achieve that goal. With the help of his hired muscle, Julian (Red Morgan), Krenner forces Dr. Peter Ulof (Ivan Trisault) to perfect the invisibility machine Ulof invented. He keeps Ulof’s daughter, Maria (Carmel Daniel) imprisoned to keep Ulof in line.
  +
  +
The nuclear materials Ulof needs to better his invisibility machine are extremely rare and kept under guard in government facilities. Krenner arranges the prison break of notorious safecracker, Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy), to steal the materials he needs. Of course Faust will do the jobs while invisible. Krenner offers Faust money for the jobs and Faust expresses his grievances against working for him. Faust tells him that he’ll sing like a canary if he’s returned to prison. Krenner tells Faust that he’s wanted alive or dead. Faust reluctantly complies. However, when he meets Faust’s woman, Laura Matson (Marguerite Chapman), he slowly charms her into a double cross.
  +
[[File:TransparentMan.jpg|left|thumb|255x255px|'''"Hayley Mills in ''The Amazing Trans-PARENT Trap''!"''']]
  +
Faust continues attempting to escape and tries to get one over on Krenner. It looks like he may have the edge on Krenner when Faust attacks Krenner while invisible. However, Dr. Ulof’s guinea pig dies and, during the second time he’s invisible, Faust uncontrollably reverts from invisible to visible and back again. Despite these drawbacks Faust forges ahead intent on breaking free from Krenner’s control. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053593/plotsummary]
  +
  +
=== Information ===
  +
* This was shot back-to-back with ''Beyond the Time Barrier'' (1960). The combined shooting schedule was only two weeks. They became Edgar G. Ulmer's last American films.
  +
* Final film of Marguerite Chapman.
  +
* An Illinois punk rock group called The Amazing Transparent Man recorded on the Springman Records label from 1997 to 2004.
  +
* MCP gave the film an abbreviated release before it was picked up by AIP in 1960.
  +
* '''Cast and crew roundup''':
  +
** Special effects artist Roger George also worked on ''[[The Human Duplicators]]''.
  +
** Special effects artist Howard A. Anderson also worked in ''[[Women of the Prehistoric Planet (film)|Women of the Prehistoric Planet]]'', ''[[MST3K 210 - King Dinosaur|King Dinosaur]]'', ''[[12 to the Moon]]'' and ''[[It Lives by Night|It Lives By Night]]''.
  +
** Make-up artist Jack Pierce also worked on ''[[The Brute Man]]''.
  +
** Assistant director Leonard Shapiro also worked on ''[[Project Moon Base]]'' and ''[[Bloodlust]]''.
  +
** Set designer Louise Caldwell also worked on ''[[The Giant Gila Monster]]'' and ''[[The Killer Shrews]]''.
  +
** Sound technician Earl Snyder also worked on ''Giant Gila Monster'', ''Killer Shrews'' and ''[[The Crawling Hand]]''.
  +
** In front of the camera: James Griffith was also in ''[[Manhunt in Space]]''. Edward Erwin was also in ''[[MST3K 206 - Ring of Terror|Ring of Terror]]''. Jonathan Ledford was also in ''[[Attack of the the Eye Creatures]]''.
   
 
==The Episode==
 
==The Episode==
   
 
===Host Segments===
 
===Host Segments===
  +
[[File:Auntiefrank.PNG|thumb|279x279px|'''Auntie [[TV's Frank|McFrank]]’s Tangleberry Inn''']]
 
'''Prologue:''' [[Tom Servo|Tom]]’s science project is a [[Crow T. Robot|Crowtus Robotus Horribilus]], trapped in a giant bottle.
 
'''Prologue:''' [[Tom Servo|Tom]]’s science project is a [[Crow T. Robot|Crowtus Robotus Horribilus]], trapped in a giant bottle.
   
'''Segment One:''' Crow gets mounted among the other insects of Servo's collection. [[Deep 13]] has been transformed into Auntie [[TV's Frank|McFrank]]’s Tangleberry Inn, a colorful bed and breakfast. After being served a meal of cold lo mein, [[Mike Nelson|Mike]] and the Bots provide some "local color" for the guests by presenting a llama. "Don't you give no matches to Mikey!"
+
'''Segment One:''' Crow gets mounted among the other insects of Servo's collection. [[Deep 13]] has been transformed into Auntie [[TV's Frank|McFrank]]’s Tangleberry Inn, a colorful bed and breakfast. After being served a meal of cold lo mein, [[Mike Nelson|Mike]] and the Bots provide some "local color" for the guests by presenting a llama. "Don't you give no matches to Mikey!" The guests can't pack fast enough, and Dr. F is peeved.
   
'''Segment Two:''' Based on the tragic short, Crow learns the hard way about "gentle pressure".
+
'''Segment Two:''' Based on the tragic short, Crow learns the hard way about "gentle pressure".[[File:Mikey.jpg|thumb|271x271px|'''"You people bring matches for Mikey?"''']]
   
'''Segment Three:''' Frank ''finally'' gets a day off and buys a ticket from a scalper for ''[[wikipedia:Squanto: A Warrior's Tale|Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale]]''. [[Dr. Clayton Forrester|Dr. F]] tactlessly lets Frank know it's already left theatres.
+
'''Segment Three:''' Frank ''finally'' gets a day off and buys a ticket from a scalper for ''[[wikipedia:Squanto: A Warrior's Tale|Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale]]''. [[Dr. Clayton Forrester|Dr. F]] tactlessly lets Frank know it's already left theaters.
   
'''Segment Four:''' After failing to impress the Bots with his new electric organ, Mike gets caught pretending to be [[wikipedia:Rick Wakeman|Rick Wakeman]] when he tries to perform ''[[wikipedia:The Six Wives of Henry VIII (album)|The Six Wives of Henry VIII]]''.
+
'''Segment Four:''' After failing to impress the Bots with his new electric organ, Mike gets caught pretending to be [[wikipedia:Rick Wakeman|Rick Wakeman]] when he tries to perform ''[[wikipedia:The Six Wives of Henry VIII (album)|The Six Wives of Henry VIII]]''.[[File:AMAZING TRANSPARENT.jpg|thumb|268x268px|'''Mike's new organ''']]
   
 
'''Segment Five:''' Mike and the Bots try to answer the film’s dilemma of either having an invisible army or blowing up a county in [[wikipedia:Texas|Texas]]. They read an amazing transparent letter. Back in Deep 13, it's teatime, though Frank still mourns for ''Squanto''.
 
'''Segment Five:''' Mike and the Bots try to answer the film’s dilemma of either having an invisible army or blowing up a county in [[wikipedia:Texas|Texas]]. They read an amazing transparent letter. Back in Deep 13, it's teatime, though Frank still mourns for ''Squanto''.
Line 57: Line 82:
 
'''Guest Stars'''
 
'''Guest Stars'''
   
*''Ted'': [[Kevin Murphy]]
+
*''[[Ted]]'': [[Kevin Murphy]]
*''Barb'': [[Mary Jo Pehl]]
+
*''[[Barb]]'': [[Mary Jo Pehl]]
   
===Obscure References===
+
=== Callbacks ===
  +
* ''"Flag on the moon."'' ([[MST3K 621 - The Beast of Yucca Flats|The Beast of Yucca Flats]])
  +
  +
== Obscure References ==
 
*''"They should have had a train scene here!"''
 
*''"They should have had a train scene here!"''
​Crow is suggesting that some Freudian imagery would have rounded out the montage.
+
Crow is suggesting that some Freudian imagery would have rounded out the montage.
*''"Flag on the moon..."''
 
A callback to the disjointed, apparently random narration in the movie ''[[The Beast of Yucca Flats]]''.
 
 
*''"...when he was good friends with Dean Rusk."''
 
*''"...when he was good friends with Dean Rusk."''
 
[[Wikipedia:Dean Rusk|Dean Rusk]] was the U.S. Secretary of State under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
 
[[Wikipedia:Dean Rusk|Dean Rusk]] was the U.S. Secretary of State under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
  +
*''"The doctor's wife had died. He paused to smell a rose..." "Plan 5 from Outer Space!"''
  +
All references to Ed Wood's cinematic opus ''[[Plan 9 from Outer Space]]''. Though the SOL crew tackled Ed Wood's other films like ''[[Bride of the Monster]]'' and ''[[The Sinister Urge]]''; Mike wouldn't tackle ''Plan 9'' until the founding of [[RiffTrax]].
 
*''"Oh, no- cops!"''
 
*''"Oh, no- cops!"''
 
Mike is imitating the ''[[Wikipedia:The Simpsons|Simpsons]]'' character [[Wikipedia:Snake Jailbird|Snake]].
 
Mike is imitating the ''[[Wikipedia:The Simpsons|Simpsons]]'' character [[Wikipedia:Snake Jailbird|Snake]].
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''[[Wikipedia:Shadowlands (film)|Shadowlands]]'' was a 1993 film about C.S. Lewis' relationship with poet [[Wikipedia:Joy Davidman|Joy Davidman]].
 
''[[Wikipedia:Shadowlands (film)|Shadowlands]]'' was a 1993 film about C.S. Lewis' relationship with poet [[Wikipedia:Joy Davidman|Joy Davidman]].
 
*''"Is your knob turned to Bob?"''
 
*''"Is your knob turned to Bob?"''
A reference to "Turn your knob to Bob", a former slogan for the Minneapolis radio station [[Wikipedia:KTLK-FM|KTLK-FM]].
+
A reference to "Turn your knob to Bob", a former slogan for the Minneapolis radio station [[Wikipedia:KTLK-FM|KTLK-FM]]. The slogan had inspired the "Turn Your crank to Frank" sketch in Experiment #610 ''[[The Violent Years]]''.
 
*''"Burgess Meredith is in there reading..."''
 
*''"Burgess Meredith is in there reading..."''
A reference to the "Twilight Zone" epsiode ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Enough_at_Last Time Enough at Last]'', in which actor Burgess Meredith played a bank teller who typically reads in the bank's vault during his lunch break.
+
A reference to the "Twilight Zone" epsiode ''[[Wikipedia:Time Enough at Last|Time Enough at Last]]'', in which actor Burgess Meredith played a bank teller who typically reads in the bank's vault during his lunch break.
 
*''"I'm not a telephone junkie... There's no action..."''
 
*''"I'm not a telephone junkie... There's no action..."''
[[File:Jayne-mansfield-1957-everett.jpg|thumb|218px|Jayne Mansfield]]These are lines from the Elvis Costello song ''[http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/No_Action No Action]''.
+
These are lines from the Elvis Costello song ''[http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/index.php/No_Action No Action]''.
  +
* ''"Keep your eyyyyeeee on the guinea pig!"''
  +
A reference to "[[Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow]]", the theme song from the TV series ''Baretta''.
 
*''"It's kind of an abstract sculpture of Jayne Mansfield."''
 
*''"It's kind of an abstract sculpture of Jayne Mansfield."''
Jayne Mansfield was a blonde movie actress during the 1950s and 60s, known for her voluptuous figure. Unlike her fellow blonde bombshell [[Mamie Van Doren]], none of Jayne's films were ever used on MST3K.
+
[[Jayne Mansfield]] was a blonde movie actress during the 1950s and 60s, known for her voluptuous figure. None of Jayne's films were used on MST3K until Season 11's [[MST3K 1108 - The Loves of Hercules|''The Loves of Hercules'']].
 
*''"Ben, some people will turn you away..."''
 
*''"Ben, some people will turn you away..."''
Mike is singing the [[Wikipedia:Ben (song)|theme song]] from the 1972 movie ''[[Wikipedia:Ben (film)|Ben]]'', which was performed by a young Michael Jackson.
+
Mike is singing the [[Wikipedia:Ben (song)|theme song]] from the 1972 horror movie ''[[Wikipedia:Ben (film)|Ben]]'', which was about a socially awkward young man and his friendship with a rat. The song was performed by a young Michael Jackson.
 
*''"It's just me and the latest issue of Sassy!"''
 
*''"It's just me and the latest issue of Sassy!"''
 
[[Wikipedia:Sassy Magazine|Sassy]] was a magazine for teenage girls published during the 1990s.
 
[[Wikipedia:Sassy Magazine|Sassy]] was a magazine for teenage girls published during the 1990s.
Line 89: Line 119:
 
*''"Spies Like Us!"''
 
*''"Spies Like Us!"''
 
''[[Wikipedia:Spies Like Us|Spies Like Us]]'' was a 1985 movie starring Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, with a theme song by Paul McCartney.
 
''[[Wikipedia:Spies Like Us|Spies Like Us]]'' was a 1985 movie starring Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, with a theme song by Paul McCartney.
  +
* ''"Thanks a lot, Bill W...."''
  +
Bill W. is the name of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
  +
* "Mr. Keesterman's mailbox!"
  +
Mr. Keesterman is a character in the daily newspaper comic strip "Crankshaft". A recurring joke is that Keesterman's curbside mailbox is frequently damaged by the titular character's careless driving of a school bus.
  +
* ''"Tonight on '21', Charles Van Doren vs. Leopold Stokowski..."''
  +
"21" was a popular TV game show in the 1950s. The contestants were asked general knowledge questions, which were purported to be held in a sealed vault until the show was recorded. It was eventually revealed that the producers were giving the answers to contestants that they favored, such a Mr. Van Doren. The scandal was dramatized in the 1994 feature film ''[[Wikipedia:Quiz Show (film)|Quiz Show]]''. It was implied that the producers' selection of who would win was partially inspired by anti-Semitism or a disdain for ethnic minorities, hence Tom's reference to Leopold Stokowski, the orchestra conductor of Polish-Irish heritage.
  +
* ''"Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison!"''
  +
Jim Garrison was a New Orleans District Attorney who popularized the theory that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was the result of a larger conspiracy. Garrison was played by actor Kevin Costner in Oliver Stone's 1991 feature film ''[[Wikipedia:JFK (film)|JFK]]''.
  +
* ''"Donald Nixon!"''
  +
Francis Donald Nixon was a younger brother of United States President Richard Nixon. Faust resembles him slightly.
 
*''"I just know I'm gonna show up in News of the Weird now!"''
 
*''"I just know I'm gonna show up in News of the Weird now!"''
 
''[[Wikipedia:News of the Weird|News of the Weird]]'' is a syndicated newspaper column by Chuck Shepherd.
 
''[[Wikipedia:News of the Weird|News of the Weird]]'' is a syndicated newspaper column by Chuck Shepherd.
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*''"It's a Frank Gehry building!"''
 
*''"It's a Frank Gehry building!"''
 
[[Wikipedia:Frank Gehry|Frank Gehry]] is an architect known for designing asymmetrical, ultramodern structures.
 
[[Wikipedia:Frank Gehry|Frank Gehry]] is an architect known for designing asymmetrical, ultramodern structures.
  +
* ''"David McCallum is booked for midnight."''
  +
[[Wikipedia:David McCallum|David McCallum]] played the titular role of ''[[Wikipedia:The Invisible Man (1975 TV series)|The Invisible Man]]'' in a 1975 NBC TV Series. (McCallum's series was canceled and replaced with the cheaper invisible man series called ''[[Wikipedia:Gemini Man|Gemini Man]]'', episodes of which were later re-purposed and released as ''[[Riding with Death (film)|Riding with Death]]''.)
  +
  +
== Goofs ==
  +
* At the end of the movie, shortly after the question 'What would you do?' is asked, Mike's microphone is briefly visible.
  +
  +
==Video releases==
  +
*Commercially released on DVD by [[Shout! Factory]] in November 2017 as part of [[Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XXXIX|Volume XXXIX]], a 4-disc set along with ''[[MST3K 601 - Girls Town|Girls Town]]'', ''[[MST3K 1013 - Diabolik|Diabolik]]'', and ''[[Satellite Dishes]]''.
  +
**The DVD includes the [[Ballyhoo Motion Pictures]] feature ''Beyond Transparency'' and a theatrical trailer.
   
 
{{Season6}}
 
{{Season6}}
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[[Category:Season 6]]
 
[[Category:Season 6]]
 
[[Category:Episodes with shorts]]
 
[[Category:Episodes with shorts]]
[[Category:Unreleased Episodes]]
 
 
[[Category:Stubs]]
 
[[Category:Stubs]]
 
[[Category:Unrated movies]]
 
[[Category:Unrated movies]]
 
[[Category:Episodes directed by Kevin Murphy]]
 
[[Category:Episodes directed by Kevin Murphy]]
 
[[Category:Crime movies]]
  +
[[Category:Atomic films]]

Revision as of 16:43, 16 October 2019


So the main causes of accidents are joy, sex, and old age?
- Mike


He's amazing and amusing,

he's delicious and nutritious,

two for breakfast, one for...

- Servo (singing along to the music)


The Short

The Days of Our Years

Synopsis

File:623s.jpg

Another Union Pacific short, this time a preacher talking about avoiding work accidents and providing three examples. As Mike points out, the main causes of workplace accidents are, apparently, joy, sex, and old age.

Information

The Movie

Synopsis

Transparent

The Amazing Transparent Man

Former U. S. Army major, Paul Krenner (James Griffith), plans to conquer the world with an army of invisible soldiers and will do anything to achieve that goal. With the help of his hired muscle, Julian (Red Morgan), Krenner forces Dr. Peter Ulof (Ivan Trisault) to perfect the invisibility machine Ulof invented. He keeps Ulof’s daughter, Maria (Carmel Daniel) imprisoned to keep Ulof in line.

The nuclear materials Ulof needs to better his invisibility machine are extremely rare and kept under guard in government facilities. Krenner arranges the prison break of notorious safecracker, Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy), to steal the materials he needs. Of course Faust will do the jobs while invisible. Krenner offers Faust money for the jobs and Faust expresses his grievances against working for him. Faust tells him that he’ll sing like a canary if he’s returned to prison. Krenner tells Faust that he’s wanted alive or dead. Faust reluctantly complies. However, when he meets Faust’s woman, Laura Matson (Marguerite Chapman), he slowly charms her into a double cross.

File:TransparentMan.jpg

"Hayley Mills in The Amazing Trans-PARENT Trap!"

Faust continues attempting to escape and tries to get one over on Krenner. It looks like he may have the edge on Krenner when Faust attacks Krenner while invisible. However, Dr. Ulof’s guinea pig dies and, during the second time he’s invisible, Faust uncontrollably reverts from invisible to visible and back again. Despite these drawbacks Faust forges ahead intent on breaking free from Krenner’s control. [1]

Information

The Episode

Host Segments

Auntiefrank

Auntie McFrank’s Tangleberry Inn

Prologue: Tom’s science project is a Crowtus Robotus Horribilus, trapped in a giant bottle.

Segment One: Crow gets mounted among the other insects of Servo's collection. Deep 13 has been transformed into Auntie McFrank’s Tangleberry Inn, a colorful bed and breakfast. After being served a meal of cold lo mein, Mike and the Bots provide some "local color" for the guests by presenting a llama. "Don't you give no matches to Mikey!" The guests can't pack fast enough, and Dr. F is peeved.

Segment Two: Based on the tragic short, Crow learns the hard way about "gentle pressure".

Mikey

"You people bring matches for Mikey?"

Segment Three: Frank finally gets a day off and buys a ticket from a scalper for Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale. Dr. F tactlessly lets Frank know it's already left theaters.

Segment Four: After failing to impress the Bots with his new electric organ, Mike gets caught pretending to be Rick Wakeman when he tries to perform The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

AMAZING TRANSPARENT

Mike's new organ

Segment Five: Mike and the Bots try to answer the film’s dilemma of either having an invisible army or blowing up a county in Texas. They read an amazing transparent letter. Back in Deep 13, it's teatime, though Frank still mourns for Squanto.

Stinger: Petting the invisible guinea pig is fun!

Other Notes

Guest Stars

Callbacks

Obscure References

  • "They should have had a train scene here!"

Crow is suggesting that some Freudian imagery would have rounded out the montage.

  • "...when he was good friends with Dean Rusk."

Dean Rusk was the U.S. Secretary of State under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

  • "The doctor's wife had died. He paused to smell a rose..." "Plan 5 from Outer Space!"

All references to Ed Wood's cinematic opus Plan 9 from Outer Space. Though the SOL crew tackled Ed Wood's other films like Bride of the Monster and The Sinister Urge; Mike wouldn't tackle Plan 9 until the founding of RiffTrax.

  • "Oh, no- cops!"

Mike is imitating the Simpsons character Snake.

  • "Must escape from Barbara Woodhouse!"

Barbara Woodhouse was a British dog trainer.

  • "Shadowlands II: Escape from Oxford!"

Shadowlands was a 1993 film about C.S. Lewis' relationship with poet Joy Davidman.

  • "Is your knob turned to Bob?"

A reference to "Turn your knob to Bob", a former slogan for the Minneapolis radio station KTLK-FM. The slogan had inspired the "Turn Your crank to Frank" sketch in Experiment #610 The Violent Years.

  • "Burgess Meredith is in there reading..."

A reference to the "Twilight Zone" epsiode Time Enough at Last, in which actor Burgess Meredith played a bank teller who typically reads in the bank's vault during his lunch break.

  • "I'm not a telephone junkie... There's no action..."

These are lines from the Elvis Costello song No Action.

  • "Keep your eyyyyeeee on the guinea pig!"

A reference to "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow", the theme song from the TV series Baretta.

  • "It's kind of an abstract sculpture of Jayne Mansfield."

Jayne Mansfield was a blonde movie actress during the 1950s and 60s, known for her voluptuous figure. None of Jayne's films were used on MST3K until Season 11's The Loves of Hercules.

  • "Ben, some people will turn you away..."

Mike is singing the theme song from the 1972 horror movie Ben, which was about a socially awkward young man and his friendship with a rat. The song was performed by a young Michael Jackson.

  • "It's just me and the latest issue of Sassy!"

Sassy was a magazine for teenage girls published during the 1990s.

  • "Goofus pisses me off."

Goofus and Gallant are two characters who regularly appear in the magazine Highlights for Children. Goofus is generally thoughtless, lazy, and inconsiderate.

  • "Spies Like Us!"

Spies Like Us was a 1985 movie starring Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd, with a theme song by Paul McCartney.

  • "Thanks a lot, Bill W...."

Bill W. is the name of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.

  • "Mr. Keesterman's mailbox!"

Mr. Keesterman is a character in the daily newspaper comic strip "Crankshaft". A recurring joke is that Keesterman's curbside mailbox is frequently damaged by the titular character's careless driving of a school bus.

  • "Tonight on '21', Charles Van Doren vs. Leopold Stokowski..."

"21" was a popular TV game show in the 1950s. The contestants were asked general knowledge questions, which were purported to be held in a sealed vault until the show was recorded. It was eventually revealed that the producers were giving the answers to contestants that they favored, such a Mr. Van Doren. The scandal was dramatized in the 1994 feature film Quiz Show. It was implied that the producers' selection of who would win was partially inspired by anti-Semitism or a disdain for ethnic minorities, hence Tom's reference to Leopold Stokowski, the orchestra conductor of Polish-Irish heritage.

  • "Kevin Costner as Jim Garrison!"

Jim Garrison was a New Orleans District Attorney who popularized the theory that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was the result of a larger conspiracy. Garrison was played by actor Kevin Costner in Oliver Stone's 1991 feature film JFK.

  • "Donald Nixon!"

Francis Donald Nixon was a younger brother of United States President Richard Nixon. Faust resembles him slightly.

  • "I just know I'm gonna show up in News of the Weird now!"

News of the Weird is a syndicated newspaper column by Chuck Shepherd.

  • "We return now to 'Paris, Texas'."

Paris, Texas was a 1984 film directed by Wim Wenders.

  • "It's a Frank Gehry building!"

Frank Gehry is an architect known for designing asymmetrical, ultramodern structures.

  • "David McCallum is booked for midnight."

David McCallum played the titular role of The Invisible Man in a 1975 NBC TV Series. (McCallum's series was canceled and replaced with the cheaper invisible man series called Gemini Man, episodes of which were later re-purposed and released as Riding with Death.)

Goofs

  • At the end of the movie, shortly after the question 'What would you do?' is asked, Mike's microphone is briefly visible.

Video releases