Monday, August 25, 2014

706 - Laserblast

First Broadcast - 5 pm Saturday, May 18 1996


Amazing Colossal Grade: The kid on the poster (see below), looks like what would happen if you mixed Mark Hammill with Klaus Kinski.
Movie Pain: Medium - Unlikeable characters, hopeless situation
Riffs: So-So
Skits: Very funny


Mix claymation aliens with an explosive poster tube. Add a dash of pasty white teen then half bake for 92 minutes and Voilà - that's all it takes to create a MSTable movie. This was it for the Comedy Central era and it is, sadly, the last time we'll see Dr. Forrester. By the end of it all, Clayton becomes a star child - but before he goes he sends off one last movie.

Jeff Beck Group lead singer, Kim Milford, stars as a teen who finds an alien weapon and uses it to get even with those who once picked on him (mostly by blowing up their cars). Though I didn't hear a huge amount of "pinpoint" laser strikes (the constant -"Are you ready for some football"- gag didn't connect with me) and found it the weakest ep from the season, it's one that's grown on me a bit -overall a decent middling experiment.

The host segments have some nice homages to classic sci-fi moments and we DO get to watch Eddie Deezen go up in a ball of flames, so that's a big plus (Kidding Ed, just kidding).

Host Segments
Intro: Mike is tied up and the Bots tell a "Thunderdome" joke. Segment 1: Dr. F loses his funding so he cuts the SOL loose. Tom gains control. Segment 2: Killer bot 'Monad' is on board. Segment 3: Giant star babies and one needs a changing. Segment 4: The SOL heads towards a black hole. End: The SOL crew becomes beings of pure energy. Dr.F is reborn. Stinger: "Far out!"



Notable Riffs
"Edward CD Playerhands." - Mike
"Excuse me, I just got crabs from your toilet" - Crow
"Flesh is a nice color for a house" -Mike.
"Frankly, Billy, I'm baffled AND grossed out!" - Crow as Dr. Mellon
"Good Shooting, Xanthar!" "Thanks, Denise!" - Crow/Mike as aliens
"I don't like goin' to doctors." - "But it was Roddy MacDowell, he made it fun!" - Billy/Mike
"I just keep getting the feeling that you're not ready for some football?" - Crow as Deputy hank Williams Jr.
"I'll show you a race!" - "Just let me get in my dad's electrical supply van!" - Billy/Crow
"I think they were going for a 'Touch of Evil' feel, but they got a touch of somethin' else" - Crow
"J.D. Powers and associates rank these guys the most loathsome in their class" - Servo
"Now that scene worked because you were expecting a bear to jump out" - Mike
"Oh, Billy, between you and the motor oil and your B.O. and the scabby hole in your chest.... I just love you." -Tom Servo as Billy's girlfriend
"Oh, they targeted this movie to lonely bass fishermen" "In other words, bass fishermen" -Tom Servo/Mike
"Ow! There's a folding shovel in there!" - Crow
"That'll be..." - "let's see, uh, five bucks for the butt nudge." - Gas station guy/Crow
"Teens love their cake pool parties" - Crow
"You know, Mike, this film was run through a highly technical process called "Tension Extraction" before being released to theaters." - Crow


Stuff & Nonsense
* The alien arm rifle, seen in this film, sold at auction in Dec 2003 for $3,750.00! Of interest, the rifle incorporated an original series Star Trek Tricorder, which served as a view screen on top of the weapon.

* Kim Milford performed in the first concert tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. The brother of actress Penelope Milford (Oscar Nominee for "Coming Home"), Kim died at age 37 from heart failure (He'd undergone open heart surgery weeks before).

Riff Explained
"Well, Merry Christmas everybody... ba, da, bum" - Servo
While it might sound odd for Billy to be wishing everyone a merry Christmas during a summer's day, it makes perfect sense when you realize that Billy looks like he might be a fan of 70's glam rock band, "Slade". The British foursome had a hit in 1973 with the song "Merry Xmas Everybody"

Available on DVD: Volume 13