Hobgoblins (1988). [Archive]

Knightmare

08-08-2007, 02:42 PM

You know, I don't think that I've ever watched a single episode; I've got one coming from Netflix though; flick called Horrors of Spider-Island. Now I'll get my first taste of the cult phenomenon outside of occasional snippets :D. Wonder what their finest hours were?

The finest hours of MST3K? Now that's aloaded question if I ever heard one, everyone has their own opinion of when the series was at it's peak.

I didn't get to really enjoy much of the Comedy Central era, but I did love the Sci-Fi years. Space Mutiany, Prince of Space, Werewolf and who could ever forget Puma Man(Pu-ma man he flies like moron).

I really wish that they'd put out an MST3K Big Monsters collection, with The Deadly Mantis(one of my personal favorites), Gorgo, Giant Spider Invasion and some other big monster movie.

Sandoz

08-08-2007, 02:45 PM

You know, I don't think that I've ever watched a single episode; I've got one coming from Netflix though; flick called Horrors of Spider-Island. Now I'll get my first taste of the cult phenomenon outside of occasional snippets :D. Wonder what their finest hours were?
Horrors of Spider-Island is a good episode.

As for "Must See" MST3K episodes:

Manos: The Hands of Fate
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Eegah
Mr. B Natural (short)
Mitchell
Space Mutiny
Time Chasers
Giant Spider Invasion
The Final Sacrifice
Hobgoblins
Puma Man (He flies like a moron!)

Personal favorites:

Zombie Nightmare
Alien from L.A.
Soul Taker
Girl in Gold Boots

I have to stop there before I list the entire series.

Michael24

08-08-2007, 03:55 PM

Space Mutiny is classic. To this day, my dad and I still quote the line, "He took my purse!" LMAO!!

The Comedy Central era is the one I have the most memories of. I think the switch to Sci-Fi Channel was around the time I was starting college, so I never did get to see much of any of that era, though I recall watching the first episode because I wanted to see how the show resumed.

Only episodes I have on tape are The Amazing Colossal Man (before the VHS was pulled from the shelves), Rocketship X-M and the Comedy Central era finale, LaserBlast, both of which I recorded.

Hanshotfirst113

08-08-2007, 04:38 PM

I swear that I've seen their Amazing Collosal Man on tape somewhere; whatever happened to it? That movie seems to be in legal gridlock.

Manos: The Hands of Fate

THIS one I HAVE heard of...Never seen it though.

Um, are these actual movies? Like, someone made them first and then the MST3K gang mocked them afterwards? 'Cause that's just sad.

Horrors of Spider-Island is a good episode.

I hope so. What does the show consist of precisely? Skits and them mocking bad movies?

I have a friend who believes the show should be revived. "Why?" I asked. His answer was simple: "Batman and Robin."

Unfortunately, MST3K, from the little I've read, looks like one of those shows that it sucks to be a fan of because so many of the episodes are evidently locked in legal hell. Still, it'll come in the mail soon. I'll let you guys know what I think :D. I'd imagine I'll like it; just a gut feeling.

Perhaps just a general MST3K talkback thread, if one doesn't exist already? Maybe break it down into two seperate Joel-era and Mike-era threads, maybe even a third Sci-Fi Channel-era thread.

As I seem to have inadvertently transformed it into such, perhaps this could be it; mods ;).

Robin2099

08-08-2007, 04:47 PM

Eh it has been revived(sort of) thanks to The Film Crew.

Sandoz

08-08-2007, 05:02 PM

I swear that I've seen their Amazing Collosal Man on tape somewhere; whatever happened to it? That movie seems to be in legal gridlock.
Rhino, the company that releases the show on VHS and DVD, sometimes loses the rights to films and they go out of print (which is worse when it happens to the DVD sets, since issues with a single film can take three more episodes off the shelves).

THIS one I HAVE heard of...Never seen it though.Manos is a B-movie legend, possibly the only movie to rival Plan 9 from Outer Space for the title of Worst Film Ever Made. Highly recommended, just don't handle sharp objects or operate heavy machinery afterwards.

Um, are these actual movies? Like, someone made them first and then the MST3K gang mocked them afterwards? 'Cause that's just sad.Yes, they're all real movies. Some are actually better than others. (Time Chases, for example, could have been good if not for the shoe-string budget and acting.)

I hope so. What does the show consist of precisely? Skits and them mocking bad movies?Each episode begins with an opening segment, and the film is periodically interrupted for segments that usually parody something ridiculous in it.

I have a friend who believes the show should be revived. "Why?" I asked. His answer was simple: "Batman and Robin."
It's already been revived, kinda. There's Rifftrax (http://rifftrax.com/), where Michael J. Nelson and other MST3K alums produce mocking "commetary tracks" for popular films, and now they've gone back to their B-movie roots with The Film Crew. (http://www.filmcrewonline.com/)

Michael24

08-08-2007, 05:06 PM

I need to check out some of those Rifftrax releases. I read that they'll be doing one for The Phantom Menace later this year. :D

I can't remember exactly what was the problem with The Amazing Colossal Man, but it was pulled for some kind of legal reason. Probably a rights issue or something. I bought a copy within the first week it came out, but I'm not sure how long it was out until it was pulled.

I should put Mitchell on NetFlix, because that's the movie/episode where Joel finally escapes the Satellite of Love and Joel is sent to replace him. Didn't Joel return for one of the later Sci-Fi Channel episodes?

J. B. Warner

08-08-2007, 05:15 PM

My recommendations for the best of MST3K:

519 Outlaw
604 Zombie Nightmare
506 Eegah
424 "Manos" The Hands of Fate
421 Monster A-Go Go
621 The Beast of Yucca Flats
505 The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
612 The Starfighters
703 Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell
620 Danger!! Death Ray
508 Operation Double 007
404 Teenagers from Outer Space
609 The Skydivers
603 The Dead Talk Back
702 The Brute Man
510 The Painted Hills
423 Bride of the Monster
521 Santa Claus
517 The Beginning of the End

What can I say? Seasons 4 through 7 are my favorite era of the show. As for Hobgoblins, the movie reeks, but the riffing is mostly hit-or-miss. They spend less time making fun of the movie and more time whining about how crappy it is. They seemed to do this sort of thing a lot in the later years of the show, which is why I prefer their middle period - everything was well-oiled and funny without being too mean-spirited.

Michael24

08-08-2007, 05:23 PM

Too bad we'll probably never see a release (as a bonus feature) of the two summer blockbuster specials they did in 1997 and 1998 where they riffed on clips from things like The Fifth Element, Lost In Space, and The Lost World, even Batman and Robin and Saving Private Ryan. I have both of them on tape somewhere.

Hanshotfirst113

08-08-2007, 05:24 PM

The Beginning of the End is OOP too, dammit! And I'd love to see it.

Manos is a B-movie legend, possibly the only movie to rival Plan 9 from Outer Space for the title of Worst Film Ever Made. Highly recommended, just don't handle sharp objects or operate heavy machinery afterwards.

LOL!

Yes, they're all real movies. Some are actually better than others. (Time Chases, for example, could have been good if not for the shoe-string budget and acting.)

Fascinating.

I can't remember exactly what was the problem with The Amazing Colossal Man, but it was pulled for some kind of legal reason. Probably a rights issue or something. I bought a copy within the first week it came out, but I'm not sure how long it was out until it was pulled.

It's not on DVD either; it's an issue with one of the producers.

Sandoz

08-08-2007, 05:38 PM

Didn't Joel return for one of the later Sci-Fi Channel episodes?
Joel and TV's Frank returned in Soul Taker.

Lord Dalek

08-08-2007, 06:18 PM

Joel and TV's Frank returned in Soul Taker.And that made that episode soooooooooooo much better. ;)

Guess I'll do my list...

1. "Manos" The Hands of Fate - the Citizen Kane of Misties

2. "Monster A-go-go" To think they aired these almost back to back in the same season. Yeeeuck!

3. "Space Mutiny" - FLAB CHESTHAIR! BIG McLARGEHUGE! BUFF BEEFGUT!

4. "Prince of Space/Invasion of the Neptune Men" These should seriously be considered one movie since they're practically sequels. Plus no body does Krankor better than Bill Corbett.

5. "Night of the Blood Beast" - WHY IS EVERYBODY NAMED STEVE?!?!

6. "Puma Man" - eh forget it...

7. "Time Chasers" - VERMONT!

8. "The Final Sacrifice" - ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWSDOWER.

9. "Santa vs. Satan" - what?

10. "Robot Rump" - NOT Robot Rumpus.

RedNinja84

08-08-2007, 06:24 PM

I'd recommend the Be Natural, its the funniest short they did on the show.

Toon Capone

08-08-2007, 06:59 PM

Hobgoblins was funny and I liked a lot of the episodes named already but I would like to recommend a couple of episodes of MST3K that I think are worth checking out Agent For H.A.R.M., Track Of The Moon Beast and Red Zone Cuba.

Youtube has them as well as a lot of the ones mentioned if you want to check them out.

FightingDreamer

08-08-2007, 09:06 PM

Hobgoblins is truly terrible, and you can feel the pain that Mike and the Bots are feeling as they watch it. I'm utterly fine with the mean-spirited bashing considering that the movie itself is one of the most soulless, vile things committed to celluloid.

My personal favorite MSTs are Manos and Bride of the Monster. My favorite bit of many in the Manos episode is one of the host segments: The guys (and Gypsy) try to do a funny skit based on the endless opening credits, but they break down and start crying halfway through. Words cannot describe how funny this is.

TnAdct1

08-08-2007, 11:11 PM

Bakasama

08-09-2007, 12:10 AM

It's already been revived, kinda. There's Rifftrax (http://rifftrax.com/), where Michael J. Nelson and other MST3K alums produce mocking "commetary tracks" for popular films, and now they've gone back to their B-movie roots with The Film Crew. (http://www.filmcrewonline.com/)

I've seen some the rifftrax some of them really do make bad movies more watchable like "Battlefield: Earth". "Grease is the word! Say it!" It rifftrax also made me realize Jar Jar Binks wasn't the main problem, in the Star Wars prequals but the lame dialog and flat characters. "I like the water!"

Sandoz

08-09-2007, 01:59 AM

When it comes to the funniest shorts, add Design for Dreaming and A Case of Spring Fever to the list as well.

How could I forget A Case of Spring Fever?

"You'll be the first to die!"

Strollymonster

08-09-2007, 02:10 AM

I found Spring Fever to be one of the funniest shorts...just utterly ridiculous as an apparent ploy by the spring industry to advertise their wares :confused:

DAMN YOU, COILY!

Mikintosh

08-09-2007, 03:25 AM

"Hobgoblins, Hobgoblins, what do you do with those Hobgoblins? They're over here, they're over there, those darn Hobgoblins are everywhere! (woo) (yay) As we sing the Hobgoblin soooonnnnng! Today!"

Can't believe I remember that. Great MST3K episode, and even though it was an awful movie, it at least tried its hand at characterization, unlike a lot of the sci-fi stuff they riffed on. All great TV, tho.

Hanshotfirst113

08-10-2007, 01:16 AM

When it comes to the funniest shorts, add Design for Dreaming and A Case of Spring Fever to the list as well.

Also, volume 12 has officially been announced. The episodes in this set are as followed:

episode 419- THE REBEL SET (with short: JOHNNY AT THE FAIR)
episode 504- SECRET AGENT SUPER DRAGON
episode 612- THE STARFIGHTERS
episode 811- PARTS: THE CLONUS HORROR

AGUA!!!

Ah, Parts. The movie Michael Bay got sued over.

Is there a rhyme or reason to these sets? The episodes aren't in order. Is it just whatever they can get the rights to?

NOTE: I'd love to make my first comments on MST3K, but my DVD will be late because it must be shipped from The Middle of Nowhere, Washington State. DAMN YOU NETFLIX!

Sandoz

08-10-2007, 01:24 AM

Is there a rhyme or reason to these sets? The episodes aren't in order. Is it just whatever they can get the rights to?
Whatever they can get the rights to. Due to the complicated licensing issues, complete season sets are an impossibility. With the exception of the early Sci-Fi episodes, all the episodes are stand-alone and it doesn't matter what order you watch them in. (And even with the early Sci-Fi episodes, order isn't important.)

g_UnIt_GaNsTa

08-10-2007, 02:33 PM

the club scum courtesy van arrives.

RedNinja84

08-10-2007, 06:02 PM

I'd also recommend "Girls Town" and "Laserblast" for 2 good episodes.

Michael24

08-10-2007, 06:27 PM

Is Laserblast on DVD? Incase someone doesn't know, that was the original series finale at the end of the Comedy Central era.

One of my favorite lines: "AH! She's one of the turtle aliens!" (But it works better when you can actually see the visual.)

Also like Mike's quip when the kid blows away a Star Wars billboard: "Pfft! Yeah, right."

Also: "When the Keenan Wynn comes blowin' in!" LMAO!!

Sandoz

08-10-2007, 06:54 PM

Is Laserblast on DVD?
Not yet.

RedNinja84

08-10-2007, 07:49 PM

I love the part where the camera rig was left on the side of the van.:)

J. B. Warner

08-11-2007, 05:56 PM

"You know, every time I come close to not hating him, I see those feet on the side of the van..."

I'm still not sure why Leonard Maltin saw fit to grant this movie two and a half stars.

Hanshotfirst113

08-11-2007, 06:28 PM

"You know, every time I come close to not hating him, I see those feet on the side of the van..."

I'm still not sure why Leonard Maltin saw fit to grant this movie two and a half stars.

What's the name of the film?

Sandoz

08-11-2007, 06:57 PM

What's the name of the film?
Laserblast, the Season 7 finale.

Desensitized

08-11-2007, 07:20 PM

The only ones I ever saw in full were Manos and Space Mutiny. I recommend both highly.

I've seen clips of Hobgoblins, though. It looks REALLY awful.

Edit: Oh yeah, I remember Spring Fever.

"You'll be the first to die!"

Hanshotfirst113

08-11-2007, 08:39 PM

Say, what's the premise of Manos? Why is it such a legendary MST3K target?

RedNinja84

08-11-2007, 08:42 PM

Say, what's the premise of Manos? Why is it such a legendary MST3K target?

Because its possibly one of the worst movies ever made. Poor quality and terrible acting make for great commentary by the guys. It also introduces a running character Torgo in the live skits. I mean you can actually see the clapboard in a shot, just one of the funniest episodes ever.

Sandoz

08-11-2007, 09:03 PM

Say, what's the premise of Manos? Why is it such a legendary MST3K target?
Manos is about a vacationing family that becomes stranded at a house maintained by a strange, stuttering caretaker named Torgo. The house is also the home of a cult comprised of Torgo, a man called "The Master" (who worships a god named Manos) and the Master's many wives.

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manos:_The_Hands_of_Fate) has a very good article about the film's production and history, but here are a few reasons as to why it's bad movie royalty:
The film was the result of a bet between a fertilizer salesman (make your own joke here) and a screenwriter. The salesman, Harold P. Warren, wanted to make a successful, low budget horror film. It proved to be so low-budget that he couldn't even pay the cast and crew.
The film is very amateurish. They used a camera that could only film 32 seconds at a time, which resulted in really chaotic editing. All dialogue and sound effects were dubbed in post-production. You can see moths circling in front of the camera during the shots filmed at night. They forgot to place the opening credits over a long sequence in which the family drives around, so the first ten minutes consists solely of a car driving around aimlessly.
Awful plot. In order to accommodate an actress who broke her leg before filming, Warren inserted a subplot in which the actress plays a girl who sits in a car and makes out with her boyfriend for the duration of the film. This subplot has absolutely nothing to do with anything else in the movie. And that's not even going into the vague, ridiculously underwritten cult plotline.
The title itself. "Manos" is Spanish for "hands." So the title of the movie is actually Hands: The Hands of Fate.

Hanshotfirst113

08-11-2007, 09:06 PM

Dear god, the MST3K movie costs more than most home theater systems! Though, come to think of it, This Island Earth hasn't gotten an official release yet either...

Desensitized

08-11-2007, 09:21 PM

There is so much wrong with Manos, you could write the book on "How not to make a film" on it alone. Name any mistake a filmmaker can make, and this film makes it.

My favorite thing about it is the fact that almost every voice is done by the same person. (For reasons mentioned above.)

Hanshotfirst113

08-11-2007, 09:48 PM

Oh, I now so must see this film. I CAN'T be worse than Plan 9. It just can't. It's not possible.

J. B. Warner

08-12-2007, 01:41 PM

Oh, I now so must see this film. I CAN'T be worse than Plan 9. It just can't. It's not possible.

Oh, it's possible. Ed Wood knew his films were garbage, but he had fun making them anyway. Hal P. Warren, on the other hand, thought he was making legitimate cinema, which makes the end result much more pathetic than Plan 9 From Outer Space could ever hope to be.

Fittingly, MST3K did do a couple of Ed Wood's films. Bride of the Monster and The Sinister Urge were both torn apart on the show, as was The Violent Years, which Wood wrote the screenplay for. Interestingly, they deliberately left Plan 9 alone because, as the Brains stated in a number of interviews, it was too talky and wouldn't allow them to get in a good number of riffs.

BROKEN BOY BLUE

08-13-2007, 08:22 AM

Crow as the director: "Why yes, I had been smoking quite a bit of crack that day." :D

Can't get enough of MST3K. I have like a billion eps on tape/DVD. Long live MST!

Hanshotfirst113

08-15-2007, 12:06 PM

Oh, it's possible. Ed Wood knew his films were garbage, but he had fun making them anyway. Hal P. Warren, on the other hand, thought he was making legitimate cinema, which makes the end result much more pathetic than Plan 9 From Outer Space could ever hope to be.

Fittingly, MST3K did do a couple of Ed Wood's films. Bride of the Monster and The Sinister Urge were both torn apart on the show, as was The Violent Years, which Wood wrote the screenplay for. Interestingly, they deliberately left Plan 9 alone because, as the Brains stated in a number of interviews, it was too talky and wouldn't allow them to get in a good number of riffs.

Wasn't it produced as the result of a bet or something? I take it its become legendary? And, um, "manos" is Spanish for hands which means....nevermind.

sag_2002

08-15-2007, 12:59 PM

Eh it has been revived(sort of) thanks to The Film Crew.

And, Mike Nelson's Rifftrax.

J. B. Warner

08-15-2007, 01:52 PM

Wasn't it produced as the result of a bet or something? I take it its become legendary? And, um, "manos" is Spanish for hands which means....nevermind.

Yep, it's all covered on the previous page of the thread. Of course, you have to see this movie for one glaring reason above all others - Torgo. Believe me, he's hilarious.

guinaevere

08-15-2007, 02:00 PM

The kid at the very beginning, the security guard... "ladies and gentlemen, introducing, FLATBUTT" He kinda sounds like David Moo's Sanji.

And that makes me cry.

I think my favorite part of the entire mst Hobgoblins, is when the Bouncer holds up the sign, "HIT". The look on his face, and Mikes (or was it Crow's) comment about just needing to add an "s" cracks. me. up.

And the woman working at the adult phone line scene. Toms comment, "why are we watching a crazy person?" bwahhahaa!

*magic noise* Backpain is Gone!

Hanshotfirst113

08-15-2007, 04:14 PM

Yep, it's all covered on the previous page of the thread. Of course, you have to see this movie for one glaring reason above all others - Torgo. Believe me, he's hilarious.

I'll see it next week. But I really don't see how it can be worse than Plan 9.

Yoda: Oh, but you will.

Zorak Masaki

08-16-2007, 10:18 AM

J. B. Warner

08-16-2007, 01:47 PM

The only thing i didnt like about MST3K is how the sci-fi years dropped the shorts, as well as (for the most part) sticking only to sci-fi and fantasy films. I mean, there were THOUSANDS of bad 70s/80s action flciks they could have ripped on (especially the cheaply made bruce lee ripoff films), and the fact that they were in public domain even back then would have made it simpler as well.

That was the network's fault. When the SciFi Channel picked up the show in 1996, they didn't think that it was "science-fictiony" enough, since the majority of the episode was the movie. So to make the show better fit their network's niche, they made them use nothing but sci-fi, horror, and fantasy movies during their first year on the network. This also meant they couldn't do shorts anymore, which was a huge blow to the series - shorts were necessary to fill out time in an episode when a movie ran less than the approximately 75 minutes allotted for the theater segments, and that happened a lot with all the 1950s horror movies that they had to use at the beginning of Season 8. So instead, the host segments got longer, which screwed up their pacing and made them much less funny. Some early SciFi host segments drag on for darn near six minutes, twice as long as the average Comedy Central host segments.

As for why BBI had to specifically use nine Universal B-movies in a row during Season 8, I believe they were left over from the negotiations for Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie. Universal Studios gave BBI the rights to use several of their movies on the show (I believe this is also how they got San Francisco International and Kitten With a Whip in Season 6), but relations between the Brains and Hollywood went seriously sour during production (MST3K: The Movie got focus grouped to death, and the Brains were extremely unhappy with the final result), so BBI had to burn them all off at the beginning of the season and get it overwith.

Desensitized

08-16-2007, 03:01 PM

We should just make this the official MST3K thread. :p

I just saw the Clonus Horror. It was a horror, alright.

It's like Michael Bay saw this movie and said "At least if I use the same plot, there's no way it'll be as bad as this!"

If someone asks you if you want to go to America, say no! It's a trap!

Sandoz

08-21-2007, 10:24 PM

Robin2099

08-22-2007, 02:20 AM

Seeing that makes me wonder what ever happend to that documentary called Hotel Torgo? Oh and of course if you want to know more about Manos you need to check out torgo.org for all your Torgo needs.

J. B. Warner

08-22-2007, 04:19 PM

This is too brilliant (or insane) not to share: a Manos: Hands of Fate music video set to "Hotel California" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1VZlEM32WU) (Spoilers for the movie).

I think the Master would approve.

It's amazing how well that song fits with the movie. Admittedly, it's about a place in California and not El Paso, Texas, and the caretaker is a beautiful woman instead of a twitching man-goat, but just about everything else works.

On another topic, I've always kind of hoped and prayed that MST3K would someday get a revival. It's happened to a number of TV shows and other pop culture facets of the 1970s and 1980s, so it's probably just a matter of time until the 1990s become fair game. It'd be nice to finally have some merchandise based on the show that isn't exclusively available through the Best Brains catalog - there were plans at one time for an MST3K comic book that never got off the ground, and the MST3K CD-ROM that got cancelled in 1996 could make a decent comeback in the form of a video game or two.

Strollymonster

08-22-2007, 04:32 PM

I still say that the MST3K shorts would be a great fit for Adult Swim...God knows they could use more programming that doesn't completely and totally suck.

Hanshotfirst113

08-22-2007, 05:09 PM

I still say that the MST3K shorts would be a great fit for Adult Swim...God knows they could use more programming that doesn't completely and totally suck.

It would still...be...live...action. Live action programing does not belong on the Cartoon Network.

Bakasama

08-22-2007, 05:10 PM

On another topic, I've always kind of hoped and prayed that MST3K would someday get a revival. It's happened to a number of TV shows and other pop culture facets of the 1970s and 1980s, so it's probably just a matter of time until the 1990s become fair game. It'd be nice to finally have some merchandise based on the show that isn't exclusively available through the Best Brains catalog - there were plans at one time for an MST3K comic book that never got off the ground, and the MST3K CD-ROM that got cancelled in 1996 could make a decent comeback in the form of a video game or two.

What I read about that situation is that it's much harder to do this than you think. Best Brains and Jim Mallon owns "MST3K" and Mike Nelson and his crew can't do anything too close to MST3K. The relationship between Mike Nelson and his crew and Jim Mallon has cooled a bit. The closest we can possible get is Film Crew and rifftrax (ttp://www.rifftrax.com).