With Short: The Undersea Kingdom
First Broadcast - 10 am Saturday, July 18th 1992
#77 in Mighty Jack's Top 100
Amazing Colossal Grade: To hell with the leeches, the best thing about this flick is Bruno VeSota, seriously, the man gave an affecting performance in a silly creature feature
Movie Pain: Medium - Low budget with good story elements
Riffing: Wildly Funny
Skits: Fair, with a couple of big laughs
Just as "Psycho" made people afraid of the shower. "Giant Leeches" will cause you to fear Hefty Bags: But first - Our show opens with a goofy Crash Corrigan serial, "Undersea Kingdom", and while the serial shorts aren't my favorites; this one had some seriously strong riffing. Plus, the silly scene with the twitchy kid provides the stinger for this experiment.
As for Giant Leeches, it would have fit right in with season 11's Southern-fried Mstings. On the one hand, this is a tragic story of love and betrayal, on the other.... corny creature feature.
I dunno, I must be a sucker (he, he) for languid Southern tales, because I really enjoy them. From the works of Walker Percy to Boggy Creek While the repeated "Gilligan's Island theme" grew annoying, lines like "Mmmmm, Breakfast Beans" and "What, Is she on her lunch break from Wendy's?" - Joel, really struck my funny bone.
The skits are okay. The Holo Clowns were a gas, plus I got a laugh out of Frank getting sucked on by a leech -"Saaay, this is the most action I've gotten..."- and the hysterical song, "A Danger to Ourselves and Others" (The face Joel makes while singing it is rich).
Of Note: As the guys leave the theater, Servo's head pops off and Joel has to make a grab for it. Crow doesn't react as he's engrossed in the films ending.
Host Segments
Intro: Shutting down the terrifying Holo-Clowns. Invention: Frank wears a nicotine leech. Joel tests his "Insti-Adolescent Kit" on Servo. Segment 1: Dressing up for the end of the world. Segment 2: The gang talks about their dreams. Segment 3: A Danger To Ourselves and Others. End: Leeches are discussed. And Frank is drained of all blood. Stinger: Billy has a fit.
Notable Riffs
Undersea Riffs
* "Wait there! We're coming to attack you!" - Crow, as Atlantean Soldier
* "Keep out of sight. I'll find out if they're friends or enemies." - "Uh, if they kill me, they're probably enemies." - Crash Corrigan/Servo
* "Hand me up that horse!" - Crow, as Atlantean Soldier
* "And now back to "Men With Little Pants." - Crow
* "This looks like a fine place to set down my pasty white bottom." - Joel, as Prof. Norton
* "Look Dad!" - "How come they all turned when he said 'Dad'?" - Billy/Crow
* "Oh I hate when they talk during the movie!" - Crow
* "Geez, lady, scream in someone else's ear!" - Crow
Leech Riffs
* "Maybe we should have subtitles for this." - Servo
* "I'm going out." - "To Church." - Liz/Joel
* "...and they've got 7 toes on each foot." - Joel
* "You work for the State. - "The state of confusion." - Sheriff/Crow
* "Boy those Seminoles, they drink a lot of coffee, Mmm, hmm." - Crow as Nan
* "Get out you fat pig!!" - "Now wait a minute, I don't call you a beautiful shapely woman, do I?" - Liz/Joel as Dave
* "But, keep in mind, I'm intensely stupid." -Crow, as Evans
* "Can we break for a snack? Dave would have wanted us to." - Joel
* "Just advancing the plot, nothing personal." - Joel, as Cal
* "Thanks for comforting me with a gun." - Crow, as Liz
* "These guys are aggressively incompetent." - Servo
* "Oh I learned plenty, I gotta Ph.D. in "Stayin' away from your wife!" - Joel as Cal
* "Otis, your Quisp is ready." - Joel
* "Oh take me to the sweet mushroom palace, my friend booze." - Joel as Old Timer
* "And uh look, I'll spit in my own mask this time." - Crow as Steve
Riff Explained
"Looks like rush hour on Spaghetti Junction" - Crow
The Gravelly Hill Interchange near Birmingham, England; was the first to be given the nickname, Spaghetti Junction due to its impressive system of intertwined loops and ramps. It was built in the early 1970s, CLICK HERE for further info and photo.
Stuff and Nonsense
* Screenwriter Leo Gordon served time in San Quentin prison for armed robbery. He later made a name for himself as an actor in several tough guy roles ("Hondo" with John Wayne and he played Sgt. Enders in the MSTed "Kitten With A Whip"). As a writer, he worked on Jack Nicholson's film debut "Cry Baby Killer", Corman's "Wasp Woman" as well as episodes of "Adam 12".
* Yvette Vickers first saw "Leeches" in New York. She was doing a play on Broadway (The Gang's All Here), and she talked a few of her co-stars (including Melvyn Douglas and E.G. Marshall) into catching a midnight showing with her. Yvette said they all had a great time.
