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MST3K 808 - The She-Creature

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“ "They killed Savage Pier." ”
  — Mike


The Movie

Shecreature

The She-Creature

Synopsis

A mysterious hypnotist (Morris) reverts his beautiful assistant (English) back into the form of a prehistoric sea monster that she was in a past life. [1]

Information

  • The monster costume was created by master make-up artist Paul Blaisdell and is considered one of his best. [2]
  • The story was inspired by the success of the best-selling book The Search for Bridey Murphy, which concerned hypnotism. Exhibitor Jerry Zigmond suggested this subject might make a good film, and AIP commissioned Lou Rusoff to write a script.
  • AIP did not have enough money to entirely finance the film, so the company asked Alex Gordon if he could contribute the remainder. Israel Berman, a colleague of Gordon's brother Richard, knew a financier called Jack Doppelt, who agreed to provide $40,000 of the film's $104,000 budget.
  • Edward Cahn persuaded his old friend Edward Arnold to play the hypnotist for $3,000 for one week's work, and also cast Peter Lorre. Arnold died two days before production, prompting Lorre to read the script, after which he pulled out of the film. The producer had to find a substitute cast quickly

The Episode

Host Segments

Shecreaturehost

Pearl, Bobo, and Brain Guy escape

Opening: Crow and Servo get their Thigh Master and Thawmaster switched around. Because of this, Tom's pot roast remains frozen and Crow has melted himself into a puddle of goo while exercising.

Segment 1: On the Planet of the Observers, the Observers are trying to dissect Professor Bobo. Pearl promises to stop sending Mike bad movies if he creates a distraction. The nanites distract two of the Observers with a tractor beam leaving Brain Guy to guard Pearl. Pearl then lures Brain Guy into the force field that's containing her by telling him the other observers have created an invisible man and put him in with her. Furthermore this invisible man is ill and needs attention. When Brain Guy gets close, Pearl holds his brain hostage and escapes. Gypsy tries to get the Satellite of Love away from the Planet of the Observers but she can't since they disabled the navigation system. Mike asks the nanites to solve the problem and they do by destroying the observer's planet.

TickMeCarlo

Tickle-Me-Carlo-Lombardi

Segment 2: Crow shows Mike the Tickle-Me-Carlo-Lombardi doll he invented. The doll turns out to be creepy and aggressive.

Segment 3: Pearl, Prof. Bobo and Brain Guy have escaped in The Widowmaker relatively unscathed. Pearl abuses them and their microbus gets a flat tire. Bobo gets out to fix it and plummets to a nearby planet.

Segment 4 Mike and the bots are checking out Lance Fuller's instructional book "Do Not Act". The bots practice with Mike as he unresponsively mumbles without emotion to scenes from King Lear, The Odd Couple, Network and Schindler's List. He perfects the Lance Fuller non-acting technique by reciting a line from Waterworld.

Closing Segment Mike and the bots discuss the meaning of the question mark at the end of the film. They try to escape but are being held by Brain Guy's psychic abilities. On the Widowmaker, Pearl and Brain Guy forge a new friendship based on tormenting Mike.

Stinger Bobo is still lying on the planet's surface waiting to be rescued.

Trivia

  • Kevin Murphy is the voice of the Carlo Lombardi doll.
  • When this episode was released on DVD in 2015, it included a new introduction by Frank Conniff (see below).

Callbacks

Obscure References

  • Pearl: "I'M NOT PUTTING DOWN THE BRAIN! I'M NOT PUTTING DOWN THE BRAIN!" etc.

Pearl and the Observers are reenacting a scene from Witness.

  • Crow: ...and Lee Trevino goes fishing.

Lee Trevino was a professional golfer who had been struck by lightning at the 1975 Western Open golf tournament.

  • Servo: Edward Cahn! Edward Cahn! Lemme rock you that all I wanna do... 

Mimicking the opening loop of "I Feel For You", only replacing the name of singer Chaka Khan with Edward Cahn.

  • Mike: Ooh, Professor Firefly.

Professor Rufus T. Firefly was a conman played by Groucho Marx who wooed the wealthy spinster Mrs. Teasdale in the film comedy Duck Soup.

  • Detective: What could make a footprint like that? Crow: Bill Walton?

Bill Walton was the 7'2" center for the Boston Celtics.

  • "King is the Scorpio Killer"

The Scorpio Killer was the antagonist in the movie Dirty Harry.

  • "I'm not a coffee achiever."

Reference to a commercial from the 80's presented by the National Coffee Association.

  • Mike: Inspired by Balki

Balki Bartokomous was an immigrant from a fictional Mediterranean nation in the sitcom Perfect Strangers.

  • Crow: "Thank you very much."

The catchphrase of Latka Gravas, the immigrant mechanic from an undisclosed country in the sitcom Taxi.

  • "Molly Ivins can't say that!"

Molly Ivins was an American journalist, political commentator and humorist who was best known for her writing about Texas politics in the 1990s (which segued into criticism of U.S. president George W. Bush). She authored the book Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

  • "To the good life..."

"The Good Life" is a lounge song popularized by singer Tony Bennett (whose vocal style Tom mimicks).

  • Mike: "Bob Dornan after the election"

Bob Dornan (the star of The Starfighters) was a staunch conservative Republican Representative from California. He was defeated in 1996 in an election that he claimed was tainted by votes from illegal immigrants.

  • Servo: "I knew we should have hired Williams and Ree."

Williams and Ree are a comedy duo that often works as a warm-up act for country western singers.

  • "Kaiser Soze on piano."

Kaiser Soze was the mysterious criminal mastermind in the movie The Usual Suspects.

  • Lombardi: "Now you're going back in time to the very beginning"
    Mike: "...a very good place to start."

Referencing the song Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music.

  • "What year is it Elizabeth? "The year of the cat."

"Year of the Cat"  is a 1976 hit single released by singer/song writer Al Stewart.

  • Mike: "Dave Berg, Scientist."

Dave Berg was a cartoonist for Mad Magazine, drawing their long running "Lighter Side of..." series. He always portrayed himself smoking a pipe.

  • Mike: "Toonces."

"Toonces the Driving Cat" was a recurring sketch on Saturday Night Live. The sketches usually ended with Toonces driving the car off a cliff, resulting in a fiery wreck.

  • Servo: "She-Creature with Kung-Fu Grip."

Kung-Fu Grip was a feature of the original 12" G.I. Joe toys, frequently mentioned in the old commercials.

  • Crow: "Tell Moondoggie I love him."

Moondoggie was a character in the 50's/60's beach party films Gidget and Gidget Goes Hawiian.

  • Lt. James "Lombardi was Right"
    Mike: "Winning isn't everything..."

The phrase "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." is frequently mis-attributed to Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. Vince may have used it, but it was first said by UCLA coach Red Sanders.

  • Crow: "I want those Glengarry leads."

Glengarry Glen Ross is a two-act play about real estate investment cold-callers who break into an office to steal a valuable list of exploitable clients or "leads" in the Glengarry area.

  • Crow: "...and the Mysterians."

? and The Mysterians (pronounced "Question Mark and the Mysterians") is a 60's rock group famous for the single "96 Tears".

Memorable Quotes

[At the carnival, Lombardi talks about his assistant Andrea with Johnny the barker.]
Barker Johnny: I knew her when she was a carnival follower. Every time we'd hit a town, she'd be there, waiting for us.
Servo: So she's a carnival preceder.
[Dr. Erickson chats with Andrea, who noticeably fills out her tight-fitting top.]
Erickson: Maybe we could talk about it over a cup of coffee.
Andrea: I'd like that.
Servo [as Erickson]: Would you like a C cup or a D cup of coffee?
[Lombardi hypnotizes Andrea back to her "Elizabeth" former life. Fellow hypnotist Erickson (played by Lance Fuller) questions her.]
Crow [as Erickson/Fuller]: My first question: will I get the part in This Island Earth?
Erickson: What year is it, Andrea?
Mike [as Elizabeth]: [singing] The year of the cat.
Andrea/Elizabeth: 1618, the Year of Our Lord.
Servo [as Elizabeth/Eliza Doolittle]: In 'artford, 'ereford, and 'ampshire.
Erickson: Who is the reigning monarch?
Andrea/Elizabeth: James Stuart.
Mike [as George Bailey]: Now, wait a second. You're crazy, and you're driving me crazy, too!
[Lombardi forces King the dog to back away simply by staring at him.]
Lombardi: There aren't many who can control an animal by hypnosis, are there, Doctor?
Erickson: No.
Lombardi: He did what I told him without a single word.
Mike: That's because he's a dog!
[As Dr. Erickson looks out over the beach, large flipper-like footprints appear mysteriously in the sand.]
Servo: [gasps] Donald Duck has the Ring of Power!
...
Crow: Frodo goes snorkeling!
[A poster for Dr. Lombardi's show features a picture of him, serious and unsmiling]
Mike: See his lecture series, "Let A Smile Be Your Calling Card."

Video Release

TheSheCreatureDVD

MST3K DVD Cover

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