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Okay, stop. Everyone go up a shirt size.
- Crow T. Robot


The Movie[]

Main article: Werewolf (film)

Synopsis[]

An archaeological dig unearths the remains of a werewolf. The unscrupulous director of the project uses them to create a modern werewolf. A local writer gets drawn into the plot when he becomes romantically involved with a beautiful project administrator.

Information[]

  • In terms of production, this was the most recent movie to be spoofed by MST3K during its original run, having been filmed in 1995 and released in January of 1996. The most recent movie in terms of release date was Future War, which was filmed in 1994 but wasn't released until 1997. Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders was also released in 1996, but included material that had been shot as long ago as the early 1980s.

The Episode[]

Host Segments[]

CastleCerealWereWolf

Mike attempts an escape

  • Introduction: After a fall, Mike thinks that he's James Lipton and interviews Crow, thinking the latter is Ray Liotta and interviews him about his film career.
  • Segment One: Crow hits Mike with a clown hammer, restoring him to his senses. Mike attempts to affect an escape, but accidentally lands in Castle Forrester. Mike decides to give up after Brain Guy produces a cannon and points it at him, but not before asking Pearl about the movie. He also asks Brain Guy if he can give him a lift, but his request is denied.
  • Werewolf2

    Mike turning into a Werecrow

    Segment Two: Mike and the Bots speculate over whom they would cast in their werewolf movies, using famous celebrity relatives (including Spike Knotts and Chip Hitler) as characters. All Crow can come up with is Ray Liotta.
  • Segment Three: Mike, Tom and Crow dress up as a '50s girl group and sing "Where, Oh Werewolf", about "Cindy" (Mike)'s doomed relationship with her werewolf boyfriend that parodies the doo-wop genre of pop music. Crow asks Mike if he really DID go out with a guy named Steve who died, but before Mike can explain a story he had about that subject, the movie sign goes off.
  • Werewolf3

    The SOL crew sing "Where, O Werewolf"

    Segment Four: Mike cuts himself on Crow's head and begins turning into a Werecrow. Servo is horrified, but Crow warms to the idea and tells Mike what to expect from his transformation.
  • Segment Five: Mike is even further along in his transformation, but Servo comes up with an antidote. Unfortunately, Servo is now transforming into a Weremike. At Castle Forrester, Pearl attempts to create her own werewolf, but Bobo produces a cocker spaniel instead.
  • Stinger: Natalie's flat emotionless delivery of the line, "This is absolutely fascinating."

MST3K cast[]

Regular cast

Guest cast

Trivia[]

904-4a

Kevin Murphy's real life dog

  • The "wolf" in the last host segment is played by Kevin Murphy's dog Humphrey. Humphrey had previously appeared in all of the author photos in The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide.
  • The helmet prop that Mike wears during his ladder descent previously appeared during Mike's spacewalk in Experiment #902.
  • During the host segment when Mike begins turning into a Were-Crow and asks Crow what to expect, Crow mentions that his voice will change every seven years or so—a reference to the fact that the actor who provided the voice of Crow changed from Trace Beaulieu to Bill Corbett at the beginning of the show's eighth season.
  • Werewolf was one of the films used in the 2013 Turkey Day marathon, based on fans' recommendations to Joel Hodgson. It aired third during both Turkey Day '13 and Turkey Day '19.
  • This was the episode that the Sci-Fi Channel submitted for Emmy consideration for 1998. It was not nominated.
  • Ranked 8th in the Top 100 Episodes as chosen by backers of the Bring Back MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 campaign.
  • When James Lipton passed away in 2020, Kevin Murphy tweeted that Lipton had apparently been "delighted" by the parodying he received from Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Songs[]

Obscure References[]

  • "A film called Operation Dumbo Drop. Let's talk about that."

Operation Dumbo Drop is a 1995 film that explores war, politics, and animal welfare. It stars Danny Glover and Ray Liotta as Green Berets during the Vietnam War in 1968, who attempt to transport an elephant through jungle terrain to a local South Vietnamese village which in turn helps American forces monitor Viet Cong activity.

  • "Then, of course, you had a small but crucial role in Harold Robbins' The Lonely Lady. The star, of course, Pia Zadora. You two became soulmates."

The Lonely Lady is a 1983 film based on a novel by Harold Robbins. It stars Pia Zadora and Ray Liotta in one of his early film roles. The plot follows an aspiring screenwriter who deals with several abusive men in her attempts to achieve success in Hollywood. Many critics consider The Lonely Lady to be one of the worst films ever made. There is no indication that Liotta and Zadora formed a lasting bond during production.

  • "Unlawful Entry, of course, a brilliant turn, a breakout role for you. You used to trade soup recipes with Kurt Russell on set. Let's talk about that."

Unlawful Entry is a 1992 American psychological thriller film starring Kurt Russell, Madeleine Stowe, and Ray Liotta.

  • "Are you really a good fella?"

Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, particularly in the mobster genre. When Ray Liotta died on May 26th, 2022, Joe Pesci said that "God is a Goodfella, and so is Ray" the day after.

  • "Whoopi Goldberg told me you smell like apples. True?"

Whoopi Goldberg is an award-winning comedian and actor. She starred with Ray Liotta in the 1994 feature film Corrina, Corrina.

  • "Give us the inside story on Tom Hulce's dog..."

Tom Hulce is an actor known for his roles in films including Animal House and Amadeus. He and Ray Liotta starred as twin brothers in the 1988 film Dominic and Eugene. There does not seem to be anything particularly notable about his dog in the popular consciousness.

  • "You called Kevin Dobson your real reason for living. Can you tell me why?"

Kevin Dobson was an actor known for playing tough guys including Det. Bobby Crocker on the TV police drama Kojak and 'Mack' McKenzie on the primetime soap opera Knots Landing. He and Ray Liotta do not seem to have ever worked together.

  • "Students, please join me in thanking Mr. William Katt. Truly you are the greatest American hero."

William Katt is an actor who came to prominence for his roles in the films Carrie, Butch & Sundance: The Early Days, and the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Pippin. After being passed over for the role of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, he starred as the schoolteacher-turned-inept-superhero in the popular TV series The Greatest American Hero.

  • "Awww, the poor thing has TMJ."

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is a condition that affects the joint between the skull and the mandible. The most notable consequence is pain, followed by restricted jaw movement, and noises from the temporomandibular joints during jaw movement.

  • "Yeah, okay, Leif Erikson."

Leif Erikson (c. 970 – c. 1020) was an Norse explorer from Iceland who is thought to be the first known European to have set foot on continental North America (excluding Greenland), approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus.

  • "The Man with the Yellow Hat arrives to calm things down."

The Man with the Yellow Hat (Theodore "Ted" Shackleford) is the human caregiver and father figure of the monkey Curious George.

  • "Louis Leakey in Every Which Way But Loose!"

Louis Leakey was a renowned archaeologist, naturalist, and paleo-anthropologist. Every Which Way But Loose is a 1978 movie starring Clint Eastwood and a trained orangutan. Eastwood's character frequently gets into back-alley fistfights for money, hence the reference during the scuffle at the dig site.

  • "Vanessa Redgrave for Banana Republic."

Vanessa Redgrave is an English actress and activist, proclaimed as the "Greatest Actress of our Time" by Tennessee Williams. Banana Republic is an accessory and clothing retailer known for selling travel themed fashionwear.

  • "Laura Dern prototype."

Natalie's initial appearance bears some resemblance to actress Laura Dern and her role as Dr. Sattler from the film Jurassic Park; both female protagonists were introduced at a dig site.

  • "There's just so much litter on the highway."

A reference to an anti-littering commercial from the early 1970s in which a Native American man is shown shedding a tear because of garbage on the highway tossed out of passing cars.

  • "It might just be the Bumpuses' dogs, we're not sure."

The Bumpuses were the family of "hillbilly neighbors" in A Christmas Story. Their noisy dogs were a constant source of annoyance to the father in the story, and the dogs eventually ruined the family's Christmas dinner.

  • "Heyyyy yayyyyy... Hiiiii... Yee Oh... Hi Oooohhhhhh!!!... Pure Moods!"

Servo seems to be mimicking the Indigenous Taiwanese chant heard in the song "Return to Innocence" by new age musical group Enigma. Pure Moods is a compilation of New Age Music by various artists (including Enigma) on CD.

  • "Sniff...sniff...I just heard 'Goodbye England's Rose.'"

"Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose", is a song by Bernie Taupin and Elton John, a re-written and re-recorded version of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind". It was released on September 13, 1997 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.

  • "They're establishing the hell out of this building here."

An establishing shot is used to show that the film is changing locations, or that time has passed between scenes. It's usually not nearly as long as the shot in the film (about fifteen seconds).

  • "I don't think this case calls for minoxidil."

Minoxidil, applied topically, is widely used for the treatment of hair loss. It is effective in helping promote hair growth in people with androgenic alopecia regardless of sex.

  • "A silver bullet." "There's Coors Light in your gun?"

Coors Light beer is referred to as "The Silver Bullet" in a long-running ad campaign.

  • "If it's Martin, shoot to kill. Then *I* can be in Spawn!"

In 1997, Martin Sheen appeared in the movie adaptation of the comic book Spawn (probably a double-joke because of Spawn's reputation of being a terrible film). Joe Estevez has stood in for Martin Sheen on a few occasions, most notably when Martin had a heart attack during the filming of Apocalypse Now.

  • "Travis Bickle moved out to the suburbs!"

Travis Bickle, played by Robert De Niro, is the protagonist of the 1976 film Taxi Driver. He is mentally unstable and eventually shaves his head into a mohawk and goes on a killing spree.

  • "C'mon, The Sheltering Sky moved quicker than this movie!"

The Sheltering Sky is a 1990 movie (based on a novel) set in post-war North Africa revolving around two tourist couples. It is notoriously slow-moving.

  • "You'll get to know everyone! It's a small town!" "It is?...."

Flagstaff had a population of around 55,000 people in 1996 when this movie was made.

  • "The actual skeleton of a pushmi-pullyu."

The original pushmi-pullyu is a "gazelle/unicorn cross" with two heads (one of each) at opposite ends of its body from Dr. Dolittle. In the 1967 film, the 1970s TV series, and the 1998 film, the pushmi-pullyu is instead portrayed as a double-headed llama.

  • "PBR me ASAP!"

Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer used this phrase in an advertising campaign for their beer.

  • "My modern man-made werewolf!" "The very model of a modern man-made werewolf!"

Parody of the Gilbert and Sullivan song "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General!".

  • "Well, he's no Richard Jewell."

Richard Jewell was an American security guard and law enforcement officer who was present during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He discovered the bomb before detonation and began clearing spectators out of the park. After the bombing, Jewell was initially investigated as a suspect by the FBI, and news media aggressively focused on him as the presumed culprit until he was cleared as a suspect when Eric Rudolph confessed.

  • "Right—King Timahoe here is going to drive himself home."

King Timahoe was an Irish Setter gifted to President Nixon by his staff in 1969.

  • "Hey mighty brontosaurus, don't you have a lesson for us?!"

The drum beats heard on the movie's soundtrack prompts Tom Servo to sing an excerpt of "Walking In Your Footsteps" by The Police.

  • "An American Werewolf in traffic!"

An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 horror comedy film written and directed by John Landis. The film's plot follows two American backpackers, David and Jack, who are attacked by a werewolf while traveling in England, causing David to question whether he will become a werewolf under the next full moon.

  • "This is like the time I hit that reporter with Piltdown Man's thighbone."

The Piltdown Man was a paleoanthropological fraud of the 1910s, in which bone fragments were presented as the "missing link" between ape and man. Although there were doubts about its authenticity virtually from the beginning, the remains were still broadly accepted for many years, and the falsity of the hoax was only definitively demonstrated in 1953.

  • "Flagstaff. I can't believe I'm still in Flagstaff!"

A parody of the opening line of the 1979 film Apocalypse Now: "Saigon...shit. I'm only in Saigon.". It is spoken by Martin Sheen's character after he is seen lying in bed. Werewolf star Joe Estevez also filled in for his older brother, Martin Sheen, for some parts of the film's narration.

  • "Oh, weasels ripped my flesh again."

Weasels Ripped My Flesh is the seventh studio album by the American rock group the Mothers of Invention, and the tenth overall by Frank Zappa, released in 1970. The title is taken from a story in a sensationalist men's adventure magazine from the 1950s.

  • "Word of advice, never have sex with Flo-Jo."

Track star and fastest woman of all time, Florence Griffith-Joyner, also known as Flo-Jo, was known for having very long fingernails. She died almost five months after this episode aired at the age of 38.

  • "It's the Red Shoe Diaries all of a sudden!"

Red Shoe Diaries is an anthology erotic drama series that aired on Showtime in the 1990s and distributed by Playboy Entertainment overseas. The story-lines usually have a thin plot revolving around some intrigue and the sexual awakening of a female who often also narrates. Sensuous love scenes with nudity as well as sultry, moody music are characteristic for most episodes.

  • "He's doing Iyengrrrr Yoga."

Iyengar Yoga, named after and developed by B. K. S. Iyengar, and described in his bestselling 1966 book Light on Yoga, is a form of yoga as exercise that has an emphasis on detail, precision, and alignment in the performance of yoga postures.

  • "Ziggy played...GUITAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR."

Yuri's hairstyle at that moment in the movie looks somewhat like David Bowie's during the Ziggy Stardust period of his career.

  • "Can't you see what I'm trying to tell you—I love you."

Groucho Marx says this line in the 1933 film Duck Soup.

  • "Live from New York, it's Saturday night!"

This is the famous lead-in line to Saturday Night Live. In the long-running sketch show's first season, the line was typically delivered by actor Chevy Chase after he made some kind of dangerous fall, in reference to Mike making the remark as a woman falls down a flight of stairs.

  • "I am the greatest!"

"I am the greatest" was a catch-phrase of boxer Muhammad Ali.

  • "You know what I really want to do?" "Is, baby, be friends with you."

"All I really want to do/Is, baby, be friends with you" is from Bob Dylan's 1964 song "All I Really Want to Do". There are also hit cover versions by Cher and the Byrds.

  • "The Color of Horny."

The Color of Money is a 1986 sports drama film based on the 1984 novel of the same name. It follows the story of pool hustler and stakehorse Edward "Fast Eddie" Felson.

  • "Frederic Remington's Guernica."

Frederic Remington was an American artist who specialized in depictions of the American Old West. Guernica is a famous painting by Pablo Picasso depicting the Fascist bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

  • "Leland Sklar, survivalist."

Leland Sklar is a musician noted for his facial hair.

  • "The death of Oliver Sacks."

Oliver Sacks is a prominent British neurologist and author of the book Awakenings.

  • "She learned English from the Wild and Crazy Guys."

The Festrunk Brothers ("Two Wild and Crazy Guys!") is a series of sketches from Saturday Night Live in the 1970s, wherein Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin play Yortuk and Georg Festrunk, two brothers who emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the United States. They have heavy accents and are constantly trying to pick up women.

  • "And Congress enacted the Pop Rocks labeling law."

A reference to the urban legend that eating the carbonated candy Pop Rocks at the same time that you drank a carbonated beverage like Coca-Cola would cause your stomach to explode. Rumors about the combination began in 1979, when it was widely believed that a child known as Little Mikey, whose real name is John Gilchrist, exploded after combining the two. The rumors became so bad that the FDA created a separate hotline to assure parents that the candy was harmless, even when combined with a carbonated beverage. However, rumors continue to exist about the combination to this day.

  • "E-O eleven..."

From the theme song to the original version of Ocean's Eleven.

  • "I'll take a walk!" "Over to Kirk Douglas's house!"

Reference to the actor Kirk Douglas's often angry/intense line delivery, which Yuri seems to imitate.

  • "The Coen Brothers?"

The fast dolly shot in on Paul resembles a similar shot in the Coen Brothers movie Raising Arizona, but that particular style of shot is more closely associated with Sam Raimi (director of the Evil Dead series, among other films).

  • "It's a Maurice Sendak creature."

Maurice Sendak wrote and illustrated numerous children's books, including Where the Wild Things Are which includes large creatures with long pointy fingernails like the werewolf's silhouette.

  • "So, basically, werewolves are Jackson Browne."

Jackson Browne was alleged to have been physically abusive to his girlfriend Darryl Hannah, though no charges were brought.

  • "I was playing Miss Havisham in the school play when I got attacked by a werewolf!"

Miss Havisham is a character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations. She wears an elaborate wedding dress that has deteriorated with age.

  • "Basquiat is in danger!"

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was a successful New York artist.

  • "Mr. and Mrs. B.O. Plenty..."

Bob Oscar ("B.O.") Plenty is a supporting character in the long-running newspaper comic strip Dick Tracy. An unsophisticated rural type, Plenty has a long, unkempt beard. His wife, Gertrude ("Gravel Gertie"), has long silky white hair but a gruesome face (with bulging eyes, a hairy upper lip, and crooked teeth).

Fascinating

Actress Adrianna Miles doesn't find this specimen to be all that "fascinating."

Gags/Continuity Errors[]

  • Tom Servo, who normally required assistance to enter the theater, is shown entering the movie theater unaided at the beginning of the movie. This was never explained.

Memorable Quotes[]

[Mike is lagging behind, so Servo and Crow enter the theater alone. Title card is shown.]
Servo: I don't know, you had him last! [laughs]
Crow: You can't say that! You're gonna get in trouble! That's a really stupid joke, and I'm gonna tell Mike!
Servo: Ha-ha, I don't care, what's Mike gonna do, anyway? [laughs]
[Mike enters.]
Mike: Hey, guys.
Servo[screams] YAH!
Crow: Mike, the title came up and it said Werewolf, and then Servo said "I don't know, you had him last!" And... and I... I think that was a really stupid joke...
Mike[chuckles] Ah, well, that's pretty funny, I like that!
Servo: Thank you!
Crow[backpedaling] Heeeey, that's what I meant! I... I like it.
[Mike finishes chuckling]
Crow[sighs, defeated] Good one, Servo.
Servo[gloating] Well, thank you! [chuckles]
[After Joe Estevez appears in the credits, Crow reads through the other names.]
Crow: Well so far the "star power" consists of Charlie Sheen's uncle.
[A group is sweeping in the sand during an archaeological dig in the desert.]
Billy: Hey, I got something here!
Crow: It's Ron!
[Yuri breaks into a massive brawl with the other archaeologists.]
Crow: Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Archaeologists!
. . .
Crow: It's a production of Road House in the Park.
. . .
Mike: And during the fight, they stomped all over the Ark of the Covenant.
Noel: At the risk of sounding nuts...
Crow [as Noel]: I've replaced my toes with grapes.
[Over a shot of the moon]
Servo [as moon]: Oh, I ate too much - I am a full moon!
Mike: I am gonna hit you so hard...
[Shot of a poor-looking werewolf running through the woods.]
Servo: No, wait! It's a gorilla!
[Close up of poor-looking werewolf mask.]
Servo: ...With a dog mask on!
[Paul Niles goes upstairs after his awkward introduction to "Sam the Keeper."]
Sam: Mr. Niles!
Servo [As Sam]: We're sharing a bed!!
Paul: Yes?
Sam: I just found out Count Dracula was a fa***t.
Paul: ....Oh... Is that right?
Sam: You don't have to believe me... But that's "The Facts!"
Mike: You know suddenly I miss my dad.
[Paul and Natalie make eye contact at a party.]
Servo: I see some really stupid children being born as a result of these two meeting.
[Noel takes Yuri outside after Yuri drunkenly hits on Natalie.]
Noel: Yuri! What the hell is the matter with you?
Crow [as Noel]: You are married to me!
[At a party, writer Paul chats with archaeologist Natalie.]
Paul: I'm actually working on something now.
Natalie: Really? What's the subject matter?
Crow [as Paul]: You're right. The subject doesn't matter at all!
Mike: Heh, good one!
[In the lab, a grandmother-like Noel (Richard Lynch) stalls English-impaired Natalie.]
Natalie: What are you hiding from me, Noel? Tell me the truth!
Servo [as Noel][in Grandma voice] You can't handle the truth, deary!
Noel: In due time, you'll know everything.
Natalie: Well, maybe then it's too late!
Mike: Wow! The future conditional pluperfect subjunctive.
[After slaughtering tenses and mispronouncing werewolf multiple times, Natalie walks in and sees Paul as a werewolf.]
Mike [as Natalie]: Paul, you is a wahrwilf!
[At the harpsichord pool bar, Natalie confronts Yuri about his werewolf-kidnapping plan.]
Natalie: So it all comes to this?
Servo [as Natalie]: The... thing that it comes to?
Natalie: You and Noel is in it for fame and fortune?
Crow [as Yuri]: Yes, we is.
Natalie: But over my deadBODy. You hear me? I won't stand for it!
Servo [as Natalie]: You is a jerk!
[A paunchy man in a black leather jacket is seen at the pool hall.]
Crow: Chubby Ramone!
[Paul, having completely transformed into a werewolf, approaches Sam.]
Sam: Werewolf?
Crow [as Paul]: No, I'm a squirrel monkey; OF COURSE I'm a werewolf, you...
[As Natalie is about to go upstairs to "WerePaul", Sam stops her.]
Sam: Oh wait! Ms. Natalie! I really don't think you should go in there! Something horrible has happened!
Mike [As Sam]: I passed my tapeworm!!
[Near the end of the film, a door slams in the background]
Crow: Oh, that was the sound of the director giving up and leaving.
[Mike, Crow and Servo sing alternate lyrics over generic Native American chanting in the credits]
Mike: Pow Wow the Indian boy, loved all the animals in the west...
Mike, Crow and Servo: We will, we will, we will ROCK YOU! Tusk!
Servo: Though they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles and they ran through the places where a rabbit wouldn't go...
Crow: Gypsies, tramps and thieves, we heard it from the people of the town...
Mike, Crow and ServoTusk!
Mike: High on a hill lived a lonely goatherd, lay ee odl lay ee odl lay hee hoo...
Servo: Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane...
Mike, Crow and ServoTusk!
Crow: Give it away, give it away, give it away now! Give it away, give it away, give it away now!
Mike: I've got a brand new pair of roller skates, you've got a brand new key...
Mike, Crow and ServoTusk!
Servo: Admiral Halsey notified me, he had to have a bath or he couldn't get to sleep...
Crow: And the cat's in the cradle with the silver spoon, Little Boy Blue with the man in the moon...
Mike: In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it...
Servo: One night in Bangkok makes a strong man crumble!
Crow: Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry, when I take you out in a surrey...
Mike: We were merely freshmen!
Mike, Crow and Servo: Oh Susanna, oh don't you cry for me! Cause I come from Alabammy with a banjo on my knee! Tusk!

Video Release[]

MST3KWerewolfDVD

MST3K DVD Cover

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