Tuesday, August 26, 2014

812 - The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed Up Zombies

First Broadcast - 4 pm Saturday, June 14th 1997


Amazing Colossal Grade:
Glenn said that watching it felt like being stabbed in the ankle with a giant needle

Movie Pain: High - It actually melted my brain
Riffing: A few hits, lot of misses
Skits: Cute


Blech!

If you feel TISCWSLABMUZ is "So bad it's good" and get a kick out of the thick slime that oozes from the screen, you'll probably be one of many who like this experiment. I can't count myself as one of its fans. The movie -an unpleasant hallucinogenic about a punk (Director Ray Steckler) who unwittingly murders for a sideshow fortune-teller- gave me a headache and watching it felt like taking a sitz bath in battery acid. 
     
The jokes? They bombed with the running gag about a couple of dancer's sexual identities and their affiliation with the Nazi party. On the other hand, they struck my funny bone during the musical numbers -- the Burlesque show is accompanied by "Little Drummer Boy"! The "Schick out of Shape" song! Crow's additions to a folk tune! And helping an older woman with her "Blink, Blang, Blooms" etc... and there's a great Beatles quip, "Help! I need somebody..." Most of it though settled into Blahsville.
     
A couple of the skits were amusing – I especially got a kick out of the Walk-A-Thon acronyms and Mike's haircut.

All told though, this isn't one that makes me all too happy inside. There's something about the film tonally that sabotages any shot at enjoyment the riffing or skits might provide. This is just one of those rare movies that defeat the quips, which is why I rank it among my least favorite.

Host Segments
Intro: Walk-A-Thons on the SOL. Segment 1: Mike gets a T-Shirt from Tom, Pearl gives the Space Children a ride home and the SOL receives a live feed from Bobo and Brain Guy Segment 2: Crow uses Tom's head as a crystal ball and reads Mike's fortune. Segment 3: Its haircut day on the SOL, Mike's doo' goes on for miles. Segment 4: Ortega caters the movie break. End: Mike rides the bots roller coaster and Pearl meets the parents. Stinger: Foreign guy sez, "What do you think we came here for, to eat... or read", or something like that.

Get your tickets here! Get your tickets here!
Notable Riffs
* "The size of the word 'presents' makes me think they feel a little sheepish about it." - Mike
* "The title has appendices!" - Servo
* "Cinematography by Zapruder." - Servo
* "Every time I get near one (a cat), strange things happen to me" - "Like when I grew antlers" - Dancer/Mike
* "If you lived here you'd be depressed by now." - Mike
* "He won't sleep if you keep hitting the Steadicam on his head!" - Mike
* "I dedicate this song to Sylvia Plath" - Crow
* "Will work for salve" - Mike
* "Even the normally sharp Ortega seems confused" - Crow
* "It sounds like someones playing a cow" - Crow
* "Well, Let me take your last known photo" - Mike as Mom
* "His hair must need a drink of water" - Crow
* "Phoebe Cates, on sale today!" - Mike
* "Squiggy, Jackie O... Morrissey" - Servo
* "Ortega taco shells are made from People!" - Mike
* "Western zombie music, a short-lived fad" - Mike

Riff Explained
"Skull Juice" - Servo
This comes from an old old skit on the Conan O'Brien show. The Skull Juice vendor would come out, squeeze his skull until this thick ooze would drip from his nose and into a glass. EW!

"Corky St. Clair choreographed this"
Christopher Guest played the flamboyant writer & director, Corky St. Clair, in his movie "Waiting For Guffman". Which is about a theater production in the town of Blain, MO.

Stuff and Nonsense
Ray Dennis Steckler and Carolyn Brandt (Marge: The dancing drunk) were husband and wife. Both briefly appeared in Eegah (Kiel throws Ray into a swimming pool). Steckler also once worked as a grip on the show, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents".


Available on DVD: Collection Volume 9

And as a single through Shout Select

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