Amazing Colossal Grade: Tagline time... "After the sun has set and the night wind has died, comes the hour of The Bat People" - Phew, well I'm safe then, because my night wind never dies down
Movie Pain: Medium - Kind of blah, but not totally unwatchableRiffing: Chuckle-Fest
Skits: Solid good humor
Johnny is a bat-scientist whose life turns to guano because he'd rather explore a dank dreary cave than explore his dank dreary wife! Ah, ha, ha, ha... Oh, sorry. Uh-Mm, anyway; our wimpy protagonist is rewarded for this bit of stupidity with a bite from one of his winged friends. This leads to a series of bat-spasms, painful rabies shots from 'Dr. Snowstud' and his inevitable transformation into a killer... monkey... bat... thing... er, I dunno what he is actually.
Really dull movie. In fact, Crow's right, it would have been more interesting if he'd been bitten by a cow. It has a Mary Tyler Moore-like actress and JC from Sidehackers as a seedy cop to rip on -and yet no Sidehacking jokes?- but the Msting is a mixed bag right out of the gate. It's funny listening to Tom sing "Diamonds and Rust" while the wife plays guitar in the car, but hearing Crow chant -"Grub, Grub, Grub"- during a scene with worms is pretty weak. By the end, "It" peters out with one too many "Squeak" comments.
The host segments? Are very good and adds to the fun. The dynamic between Pearl, Observer, and Bobo really jelled in season 10. Skits I dug: The mustaches, the bots giving Mike a few shots. Crow's "Mary" skit was my favorite.
Host Segments
Intro: How color affects your mood. Segment 1: Pearl gets Bobo to spray a poison that mutates M&TB. Segment 2: Crow dresses up like Mary Tyler Moore but Tom and Mike won't play along. Segment 3: The bots inject Mike with rabies vaccine. Segment 4: Pearl is very impressed by the guy's mustaches. End: Tom's "Buddy Ebsen Hat Distressing" biz Is upstaged by Crow's similar venture. And Pearl's slide-show of dead husbands. Stinger: Johnny has another sudden bat-spasm.
* "Bat on the run." - Servo
* "Mary Tyler Less." - Mike
* "Hey there's a heavenly light on his groin" - Mike
* "He's turning into a damn warwilf." - Mike
* "A human! He'll entangle my feet in his hair" - Crow
* "I guess then, by definition, I'm in the Batmobile." - Crow as Johnny
* "The real him is a diseased liver with legs." - Servo
* "It isn't happening. It's in my mind." - "Well, then you can clean that up with your mind, young man." - Johnny/Tom Servo
* "It would have been a better movie if he had been bitten by a cow." - Crow
* "...you mean the Pasteur treatment?" - "Otherwise he might go sour" - Cathy/Crow as Dr.
* "You tell Charlie McCarthy I want my money" - Mike, said while Johnny attacks mannequin
* "A woman and her guitar were found dead in a shallow grave in the desert." - Servo
* "We can also spackle your nose holes if you want." - Crow
* "Well, she got away from the bat, but ironically a tornado tore through her trailer park moments later." - Crow
* "Free! Free as a..." - "Guy who just messed himself" - Drunk/Mike
* "Fill 'er up! Thank you!" - Mike, as Johnny drives through gas station during high-speed chase
* "And remember, if you are bitten by a bat, you will convulse and turn into one, it is a scientific f fact." - Mike as tour guide
* "So, what? Bats kneel on moths and pummel their faces?" - Crow
* "This is worse than when I got jumped by those field mice."
* "So the message is, ladies, if your husband becomes a bat, abandon your career and become one too." - Servo
Riff Explained
"Oh, Vikings, Why!?" - Crow.
This episode was shown the year the Vikings posted the NFL's best record, only to lose in the playoffs when Gary Anderson -who'd been perfect all season- missed a chip shot FG.
"You're listening to the voice of a killer" - "Geraldine's boyfriend?" - Cop/Mike
Comedian "Flip Wilson" (whose variety show aired from 1970-74) used to dress in drag and play a sassy character named Geraldine. She had an 'unseen' but jealous boyfriend called "Killer".
Stuff and Nonsense
* Sally Stevens -who sang the theme song of this film- is also the voice heard over the main titles of the "Simpsons" and many, many, many other films and shows.
* Stewart Moss & Marianne McAndrew are real-life husband and wife. In 1969 Marianne earned 2 Golden Globe nominations as "New star of the year" and "Supporting Actress" for her role in Hello Dolly.
* What goes around... Director Jerry Jameson also helmed "Superdome", which was msted during the KTMA season.
Available on DVD: Volume 30
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