First Broadcast - 7 pm Saturday, Dec 10 1994
Marvin is the poster child for Murphy's Law. If it can go wrong for the poor sod, it will, in massive ways. He falls in love with a girl who's using him, and who costs' him a shot at a college scholarship. But does morose Marvin give up on her? No-siree-bob, he plows right on ahead by masterminding a theft so that he might buy her love. Of course, it backfires tragically- but that's just the tip of the misery iceberg (which includes a drunken dad who, well, maybe you should just watch the misery... uh movie).
The writing staff earned their kudos here as "Big Shot" isn't anywhere near the worst, cheesiest, or most quirky flick they've ever riffed on. Yet M&TB still manage to wring every ounce of humor they can out of this thing. While some complain that the picture's too depressing, the darkness in it actually works for me, the riffing that is drawn from that is very funny to me, like the twisted Norman Rockwell moment, or Marv mentioning that Camus The Plague is his favorite novel.
#51 in Mighty Jack's Top 100
Amazing Colossal Grade: Marvin, you sad dope. Here, drown your sorrows in a loaf of French bread with a shot of bourbon built right in.
Movie Pain: Medium - Depressing with an outlandish scheme, but generally well told
Riffing: Lots of laughs to be had, cute and clever.
Skits: I laughed so hard I wet 'em!
Amazing Colossal Grade: Marvin, you sad dope. Here, drown your sorrows in a loaf of French bread with a shot of bourbon built right in.
Movie Pain: Medium - Depressing with an outlandish scheme, but generally well told
Riffing: Lots of laughs to be had, cute and clever.
Skits: I laughed so hard I wet 'em!
Marvin is the poster child for Murphy's Law. If it can go wrong for the poor sod, it will, in massive ways. He falls in love with a girl who's using him, and who costs' him a shot at a college scholarship. But does morose Marvin give up on her? No-siree-bob, he plows right on ahead by masterminding a theft so that he might buy her love. Of course, it backfires tragically- but that's just the tip of the misery iceberg (which includes a drunken dad who, well, maybe you should just watch the misery... uh movie).
The writing staff earned their kudos here as "Big Shot" isn't anywhere near the worst, cheesiest, or most quirky flick they've ever riffed on. Yet M&TB still manage to wring every ounce of humor they can out of this thing. While some complain that the picture's too depressing, the darkness in it actually works for me, the riffing that is drawn from that is very funny to me, like the twisted Norman Rockwell moment, or Marv mentioning that Camus The Plague is his favorite novel.
Plus, I don’t think it’s a terrible movie by itself, bleak, sure, but I can sit through it without it becoming a chore. As hopeless as it is, it doesn’t bring me down and after awhile it becomes rather funny, in a, ‘what other miseries can they pile in here’ kind of way.
The sketches are good, with Mike turning Servo into a giant at one point (which is no doubt, Glenn Manning's favorite version of Tom).
The Short, which tells the story of a devil and an angel wagering on the integrity of a bread man, is one that had to grow on me, but the last time I watched this episode I was laughing steady, from short to feature.
Of Note: In this experiment, Mike gets so frustrated with Tom singing, "Don't Pay the Ferryman", that he throws him at the movie screen.
Host Segments
Intro: Mike has a headache and the bots make noise. Segment 1: Through chemistry, Frank creates a lil' Dinosaur while Mike turns Tom into a giant with limited brain function. Segment 2: M&TB show off their specialty breads. Segment 3: The bots egg Mike, but get it all wrong. Segment 4: Tom and Crow attempt to blow the lock off Gypsy's diary. End: Tom & Crow brandish squirt guns and re-create the films ending. Frank has a dinosaur in his pants. Stinger: Sweaty guy sez... "A million bucks!"
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Notable Riffs
World Riffs
* "Oh, never let the Devil dress you" - Crow
* "Try new enriched, stuff!" - Crow
* "Hey, can I split your top and butter your buns?" - Mike
* "Uh, I don't live with my mother!" - Mike
* "If you're gonna tempt a guy, don't send Claire Boothe Luce" - Mike
* "Never put the donuts next to the kitty litter" - Mike
* "Make sure you stock your truck up, so that you don't... oh you know" - Mike
* "Damn you all to my place" - Crow as the devil
Big Shot Riffs
* "She's guilty of thought crimes. Put the rat mask on her" - Mike
* "Oh, he's gonna bowl is troubles away" - Servo
* "We find out where they store the band candy, and we steal it!" - Mike
* "Mmm, Kal Kan is better!" - Crow
* "Ah, he's the Vasectomy kid" - Crow
* "The anal gang" - Servo
* "Marvin should really be in his car seat" - Crow
* "He's hitting him with a hot dog" - Servo
* "I might as well have Mitchell for a dad" - Servo
* "Are there voices in your head or mine?" - Crow
* "Hi, this is Marvin. Is your million dollars in yet?" - Mike
* "He has a haunting ugliness" - Mike
* "How else can I scar him... Hey son, you have a tiny winky!" - Mike as dad
* "Kiss him!?" - "You can't miss his lips, they ran into me" - Betty/Servo
* "Dad's new girlfriend is called Smirnoff" - Mike
* "Larry Bird's going to help them?" - Crow
* "Dad, I don't want to be around when the beans kick in" - Mike
* "Well sir; everyone thinks you smell like old hamburger" - Crow
* "Marvin has date; City stunned" - Mike (as Marv reads newspaper)
* "And that's why The Plague is my favorite book" - Crow, as Marvin
* "This is where Mr. Hooper died" - Servo
Riff Explained
"Terry Malloy!" - Servo
Spoken while Marvin and Betty are hanging out at the docks. This comes from the movie, "On The Waterfront", which stars Marlon Brando as the punch drunk Malloy.
"I have my answer, I'm walking on air" - Servo
Another film reference, this is said when Marv gets a vague answer from Betty concerning whether she'd be his if he had money. It echoes a scene from "Hanna and Her Sisters". Michael Caine asks the woman he loves how she feels about him. She waffles slightly, but Caine seems happy and speaks the words above.
Stuff & Nonsense
* Actor Tom Pittman (Marvin) died before this movie was released. Attending a Halloween party with friends in 1958 -one of them being Peggy Moffitt (Flo, from "Girls Town"- He left early and crashed his custom Porsche at Benedict Canyon, CA. Police did not discover the wreck and his body for 19 days.
* Virginia Aldridge (Betty) can also be seen in the original Star Trek. She played Lieutenant Karen Tracy -the 2nd woman Scotty is accused of murdering- in the episode, "Wolf in the Fold". Aldridge went on to become a writer for popular TV series such as Dallas, Fame, Knight Rider, and Beauty and the Beast.
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The Short, which tells the story of a devil and an angel wagering on the integrity of a bread man, is one that had to grow on me, but the last time I watched this episode I was laughing steady, from short to feature.
Of Note: In this experiment, Mike gets so frustrated with Tom singing, "Don't Pay the Ferryman", that he throws him at the movie screen.
Host Segments
Intro: Mike has a headache and the bots make noise. Segment 1: Through chemistry, Frank creates a lil' Dinosaur while Mike turns Tom into a giant with limited brain function. Segment 2: M&TB show off their specialty breads. Segment 3: The bots egg Mike, but get it all wrong. Segment 4: Tom and Crow attempt to blow the lock off Gypsy's diary. End: Tom & Crow brandish squirt guns and re-create the films ending. Frank has a dinosaur in his pants. Stinger: Sweaty guy sez... "A million bucks!"
.png)
World Riffs
* "Oh, never let the Devil dress you" - Crow
* "Try new enriched, stuff!" - Crow
* "Hey, can I split your top and butter your buns?" - Mike
* "Uh, I don't live with my mother!" - Mike
* "If you're gonna tempt a guy, don't send Claire Boothe Luce" - Mike
* "Never put the donuts next to the kitty litter" - Mike
* "Make sure you stock your truck up, so that you don't... oh you know" - Mike
* "Damn you all to my place" - Crow as the devil
Big Shot Riffs
* "She's guilty of thought crimes. Put the rat mask on her" - Mike
* "Oh, he's gonna bowl is troubles away" - Servo
* "We find out where they store the band candy, and we steal it!" - Mike
* "Mmm, Kal Kan is better!" - Crow
* "Ah, he's the Vasectomy kid" - Crow
* "The anal gang" - Servo
* "Marvin should really be in his car seat" - Crow
* "He's hitting him with a hot dog" - Servo
* "I might as well have Mitchell for a dad" - Servo
* "Are there voices in your head or mine?" - Crow
* "Hi, this is Marvin. Is your million dollars in yet?" - Mike
* "He has a haunting ugliness" - Mike
* "How else can I scar him... Hey son, you have a tiny winky!" - Mike as dad
* "Kiss him!?" - "You can't miss his lips, they ran into me" - Betty/Servo
* "Dad's new girlfriend is called Smirnoff" - Mike
* "Larry Bird's going to help them?" - Crow
* "Dad, I don't want to be around when the beans kick in" - Mike
* "Well sir; everyone thinks you smell like old hamburger" - Crow
* "Marvin has date; City stunned" - Mike (as Marv reads newspaper)
* "And that's why The Plague is my favorite book" - Crow, as Marvin
* "This is where Mr. Hooper died" - Servo
Riff Explained
"Terry Malloy!" - Servo
Spoken while Marvin and Betty are hanging out at the docks. This comes from the movie, "On The Waterfront", which stars Marlon Brando as the punch drunk Malloy.
"I have my answer, I'm walking on air" - Servo
Another film reference, this is said when Marv gets a vague answer from Betty concerning whether she'd be his if he had money. It echoes a scene from "Hanna and Her Sisters". Michael Caine asks the woman he loves how she feels about him. She waffles slightly, but Caine seems happy and speaks the words above.
Stuff & Nonsense
* Actor Tom Pittman (Marvin) died before this movie was released. Attending a Halloween party with friends in 1958 -one of them being Peggy Moffitt (Flo, from "Girls Town"- He left early and crashed his custom Porsche at Benedict Canyon, CA. Police did not discover the wreck and his body for 19 days.
* Virginia Aldridge (Betty) can also be seen in the original Star Trek. She played Lieutenant Karen Tracy -the 2nd woman Scotty is accused of murdering- in the episode, "Wolf in the Fold". Aldridge went on to become a writer for popular TV series such as Dallas, Fame, Knight Rider, and Beauty and the Beast.
Released on DVD: Volume 38 (XXXVIII)
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