Season 13 - Episode 08 & Special Event 05 with Short

1308 - The Batwoman 

Premiere Date: Friday, August 19, 2022, 5:00 PM PST 

Host: Emily Connor

Special Guests: No one new, though we do get a glimpse of Waverly and Growler as Boneheads

Writers: Jonah Ray, Nate Begle, Felicia Day, Ryon Day, Storm Dicostanzo, Jon Gutierrez, Lesley Kinzel, Conor McGiffin, Matt Oswalt, Nell Scovell, Hampton Yount

Director René Cardona has been very, very good to MST, gifting them with the season 5 masterpiece, Santa Claus, and now, two crimefighting wrestler flicks, Santo in the Treasure of Dracula, and The Batwoman... which, like its predecessors is plumb goofy. Conor's so tickled by it (movie and riffs) that he gets the giggles, and that's the proper response to this kitschy treat, which pits the scantily clad Batwoman against an emotional scientist who uses a plastic toy doll and pineal fluid to create a monstrous Gil Man (oddly, there are no callbacks to Leech Woman on that last plot point).  

The riffing justifiably drinks from the waters of Batman lore... from Servo's lengthy "Na, Na, Na, Na's", which leaves him exhausted, to the "Biffs" and "Pows" from the Adam West series given a hilariously mundane going over ("GRAB!") And speaking of water, I love that they threw in an Aquabats reference, considering how much time Batwoman spends under the sea (according to E&TBs, she acquires great strength doing this, as is custom for bats, lol).

Some of the material took me back to the early days, like the gang's discomfort at being far too close to a guy's junk in tiny shorts, and the batty twist on the classic "Hi-Keeba!" which warmed my heart and earned a big guffaw.

Names were also a hoot, like the ones Emily gives to the superhero (wrestlers), or the brief mishearing of the Gil-Man's appellation (Feces?) 

Sensual jazz score, check, man playing with sand, yup, hot merging action, got it! Conor's Brando impression, Sinatra, Sartre, fish vomit, Ramones, and a Space Ghost quote ("BANJOOO!") present. 

Mega-Bat-Synthia is on the scene!

SOL host segments come from the movie, and like many this season are carried by the personalities more than the comedy. With her background in theater, on tour, Em frequently goes big - with her expressions and arms waving about, she's the complete opposite of laid-back Joel - but there such a fun charm in this, and in her warm connection to her robot pals (in one sketch she beams and hugs upon learning she's part bot). On the moon, Mega Synthia gets a laugh out of her experiment (the duct tape dispenser in the shape of a duck - that added "quack" as she pulls tape was a brilliant topper). As does Max who's completely lost without Kinga (she's off on a trip with Grandma).

For the after show, Yvonne Freese, Conor McGiffin, Kelsey Ann Brady, and Emily Marsh join Matt for Q&A. They talk superheroes, touch on the riffs being very music heavy, and for Conor, address the challenge of writing for repetitive moments (car chases, the swimming scenes)

Favorite Riffs: "I'm, cold" - Emily as underdressed Batwoman | "Um, Danny Elfman lost his job to an alarm clock" - Crow | "This is the only exit" - "That's one more than Sartre had" - Bad guy/Crow | "Wow, Gotham got hit hard by the recession" - Emily | "Batwoman thought this was going to be a casual autopsy" - Emily | "Ghost World: Fury Road" - Crow | "Door Dash, lobster rolls" - Servo as scuba divers sneak on boat | "This is Batwoman's side hustle, delivering whale tampons" - Emily | "It's important to floss the ocean every day" - Servo | "Only God knows why" - "I do" - Servo as Diaz | "This abomination will make bath-time fun" - Emily | "Hey, it's my cousin, Juan Servo!" - Servo | "From here to infirmary" - Crow | "Excellent" - "Sí, señor Burns" - Mad Dr./Emily

Favorite Host Segment: Mega Synthia's invention was the funniest - The Batwoman franchise starter kit was cute

Amazing Colossal Grade: 3.75 - Fantabulous first hour, and while it does tail off a hair in the final 30, sometimes an episode hits you where you live, taps into your jam, The Batwoman was that for me.

Special Event: A Tribute to Pumaman + Short: The Wonder of Reproduction

Premiere Date: Friday, August 5, 2022, 5:00 PM PST

Emily's crew is up to bat this month, and if that guy in the short looks familiar it's because the Mads covered a flick with the same character and setting, in a piece titled, "The Wonder of the Body". I think we need more Moody Institute shorts, because "The Wonder of Reproduction" spotlights some drop dead funny lines, with one of the season's biggest laughs coming from a risqué jest uttered by Servo ("Who's Bubbles?") Now, it's a relaxed riffing, and at first, I thought there were too many gaps, as in "Sleep for Health", but another go through revealed it's not so much that, than it's an easy, breezy stroll, they're not swinging fists (not even at the Christianity, aside from a groan, they're mostly playful). Highlights: the haircut quips and puns (The Violent Fins, Seventh Sea Adventist), and the Riffer-added interactions between fish and Bob, and kids, added much mirth.  

Onto the feature, which was "surgically enhanced". Joel stops by to explain what that means (it's akin to HD upscaling) and shares a before and after comparison. We then fly on over to Pearl and Syntha, and Emily and the bots, who set up the tribute - while I enjoy these sketches (more for the personalities involved, though the Emily spots give up the giggles) wouldn't it have been a gas to have Pearl address her failed party from this episode? (Other bits: Jonah's Bot's are frustrated in their efforts to gain superpowers - on Emily's side of it, we have Crow's conspiracy theories, which Pearl mocks, but Synthia buys into). 

Sitcom ending freeze frame anyone?

The enhancement itself? While I'm not a fan of the cropping (they removed a little too much of the shadowrama), the overall work they did on this was amazing. The picture is no longer faded, there's more detail - and having a clean clear image can allow me to better focus on the comedy (RiffTrax's Magic Sword is an example of this). Yes, there's a tricky balance to be struck, the process wouldn't suit experiments where the poor quality of the feature becomes part of the joke, but I'd say that with this episode, it was a definite boon. (it's important to note that the original broadcast version still exists).

The tribute closes with SHOUTS DVD extra (an interview with the film's star), which is fine, but I own this disc and have seen this already - so, as with last month's tribute, I'd have preferred something original, more celebratory - trivia, a quick look at what was going on during April 4th, 1998, what were fan's or staff's recollections of seeing the episode for the first time - you could ask SHOUT about the difficulty in getting the episode released, offer a Roger Whitaker and Pearl reunion, or just see if Kevin wouldn't mind pre-recording a message or song, anything to make it fresh and unique.

The picture enhancements helped to make this more special than the Guiron tribute, and with one of the season's finer shorts releases, I did enjoy the evening. 

August's lineup for Not-So-Superhero Month

< Previous * Next >

Sythnia Selects 4: Not-So-Superhero Month

Master Ninja I

Special guest: Crow (Kelsey) Syn explains that she didn't call these "picks" because she wasn't a guitarist, then asks Crow to proceed, which discombobulates the bot as he was expecting an interview type question, after a back-and-forth Syn asks, "what the hardest thing you ever broke with you head?" Crow goes with softer woods and particleboard, and Synthia scoffs (as she's broken Oak with her noggin in the past). At the end Crow celebrates the cast, while Syn just digs smashed windows.

First Segment Text:

Syn - "First she gonna rock, then she gonna roll"

Crow - "Proceeding with caution"

Syn - "Pointing"

Crow - "Point recipient"

Syn - "Yodels in her sleep"

Crow - "Black belt in mischief making"

Syn - "Whiskey smashed personified"

GizmoBlip: Jonah and the bots discuss secret identities, and whether having a secret ID turns everyday folk, like Mrs. Doubtfire, into superheroes?

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Synthia De-Forrester-ation"

Crow - "Has replaced his share of windows"

Syn - "Has replaced her share of windows 95"

Bonus: Looking back at "The Master" with Bill McKinney

Master Ninja II

Special guest: Servo (Conor)

Are all turtles potential Ninjas? Tom argues that turtles are not slow, but methodical - Later, Synthia wishes that Van Cleef were her gruff sensei, speaking of which, Tom announces that he's a sensei for a turtle farm in the Everglades. "Cowabunga y'all, and good night" - Syn

First Segment Text:

Syn - "Still looking for Schroeder"

Servo - "Owns a Ninja, uses it for smoothies"

Syn - "Never adds up"

GizmoBlip: With Emily, what's the best part of being a superhero, flying, helping others, or brooding next to a gargoyle on top of a building?

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Master of nothing"

Servo -"More of a David Carradine guy"

Syn - "Always up for more pizzas"

Fugitive Alien

Special guest: CPC

GPC brought her own discussion topic, forklift safety, she warns against forklift matador, forklift joust, forklift chess. At the end, the ladies talk about love. Syn's against it, GPC has many thoughts, but is quickly cut off

First Segment Text:

Syn - "Trips every time"

GPC - "Not that bold"

Syn - "Will respect forklifts when they respect her"

GizmoBlip: Servo has some harsh thing to say about Aquaman - what comics do you love? Tom reveals he's into the X-Men, Jonah adores that beautiful blond man, Thor, while Crow's controversial favorite superhero is Dagwood, which leads to questions about Garfield (he's a supervillain, because he's filled with hate, hate of Mondays), Kathy, Jughead, and Tintin - Tom gets some phelmish caught in his throat.

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Everyone's favorite mistake"

GPC -"Thinks love should stick to tennis"

Syn - "Not hip about time"

Invasion of the Neptune Men

Special guest: Emily

This vault pick opens with a trailer from the movie, and then once again, Emily is confused by a question (Neptune the planet, or the God?) she doesn't think the planets a jerk, and at least it's not Uranus, Synthia takes offense. And is still upset at the end, Emily's constant "buts" don't help matters.

First Segment Text:

Syn - "Former Mrs. Bean"

Emily - "Can't carry a Neptune

Syn - "Recently purchased a high horse"

GizmoBlip: Jonah tries to explain Batman, Robin, Nightwing and Bluhaven, but the bots are not impressed and want comic book action (though Crow is interested in hearing about those havens of blood) 

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Yup, still riding that high horse"

Emily - "Would be fine with that"

Syn "She cracked"

Bonus: Mary Jo talks about the episode and movie

Prince of Space

Special guest: Pearl Forrester

Synthia's excited to have her best friend, Pearl, as her guest, but Pearl puts her in her place (I'm the evil genius, you're a minion), and says that she prefers to think of herself not as a Queen, but as a "Space Empress", Syn doesn't get it which annoys Pearl further. In the final segment, Syn is delighted by Krankor's infectious laugh, Pearl agrees, if by infectious she means contaminating, pestilential and virulent. Synthia responds to this by doing the Krank-laugh. 

First Segment Text:

Syn - "Has a designated Hot Pocket pocket"

Pearl - "Genetic O.G"

Syn - "Never gets it"

Pearl - "Czarina of space"

GizmoBlip: Crow denies any knowledge of Emily's missing Thin Mints and blames a multiverse Crow

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Your weapons have no effect upon her"

Pearl - "Immune to laughter"

Syn - "Didn't understand any of those words"

The Wild World of Batwoman

Special guest: M. Waverly

Synthia doesn't have a guest, the spotlights all on her, until Wavery stops by.  asks Waverly who he'd spy on if he had an atomic hearing aid, she is not impressed with his answer (anyone with an Irish accent, he finds the sound soothing) and offers that she would listen in on Fleetwood Mac backstage, there's still drama.  At the end, Syn exclaims that she liked the movie better than "Dark Knight Rises". but Waverly doesn't think it was wild enough.

First Segment Text:

Syn - "Doesn't understand atmosphere"

Wavery - "You're really cramping my style, guy... it's called a lower third for a reason"

GizmoBlip: The Batman suffer from Batman throat, with also gives them a gruff Batman attitude. To clear it up they demand Emily bring them some hot tea, "Where is tea!" (this really cracked me up) 

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Alone again, naturally"

A couple of screengrabs...

Last month Emily was seen in the robot's repair shop, this time it's the sleeping quarters

Funny, Pearl still has her stuff from Castle Forrester

Index

Season 13 - Episode 07 & Special Event 04 with Short

1307 - Gamera vs. Jiger 

Premiere Date: Friday, July 22, 2022, 5:00 PM PST 

Host: Jonah Heston

Special Guests: Dr. Donna St. Phibes, The Brain

Writers: Jonah Ray, Kennedy Allen, Ross Bryant, Matt Conent, Michael Druker, Rebecca Hanson, Lesley Kinzel, Molly Lewis, Hampton Yount

Last month was the much-anticipated return of Joel, now, the much-anticipated return of Gamera, which sadly, was a bit of a letdown... the work on Jiger is low key, with riffing that gave me smiles rather than guffaws - clever in spots (the Zaireeka joke) but not really Ha-Ha funny. Saying that, I'd like to focus on the good and the beautiful - the stuff that delighted.

The show opens nicely, by affording us an opportunity to hear the new generation of riffer tackle Gamera's greatest hits - also, the comments during the x-ray scene offers up a slice of silly fun (which leads to a silly host seg where Dr. St. Phibes returns with x-rays of her own). And Crow's personality shines, even in the simplest of lines (“I think the murderer did it” and "I'm gold, case closed" / he also makes Gamera saying “Wheeee” a belly buster, and I loved his Herzog)

The straw that stirs this comedy drink however is the child called Susan. She's sort of a kin to the original mad Kenny, though it's not obsession that drives her, but bloodlust - Heston and the bots having her revel in havoc was side splitting ("More carnage and destruction daddy!" - Crow / "The blood fills me with delight!" - Servo). Combined with her difficult to place accent and sometimes garbled line delivery, and Susan becomes the peak of absurdity and laughter in this experiment (there's a sketch dedicated to her - "Roaming national accents for children" which is Pygmalion with Tom as Henry Higgins).

Susan says "glorious" for one of the episode's biggest laughs

Movie-wise, there's a lot of familiar faces in the cast, Shô Natsuki from Zigra (who is on the receiving end of another Col. Sanders joke, lol), Kon Omura, Cornjob from Guiron, and Franz (not Hans) Gruber and Chico Lourant of War of the Insects fame (covered by CT), to name a few. I was disappointed they didn't do better by Cornjob, though I did chuckle when they had him speak German (it's the 'stache). Alternaversal was not allowed to edit this very repetitive flick, so they fill in the dull spots with an unfunny padded-out song (tsk), a teasing jab (Jonah's comment about how cool the fights will be once they’re edited down for the movie), or by just coming right out with it (♫ Gamera's the movie with no end in sight ♫). Yeah, that repetition was wearying and the writers struggled mightily with it.

Host Segments were movie related, I mentioned a few above, we also get a rousing Irish tune dedicated to Jiger, this was the best of the bunch, though I dislike the editing, the zooms and such. The movie is set during the 1970 Expo, so there’s an Expo Expo sketch (GPCs corporate contribution, “the pavilion of endangered animals we endangered” was my favorite here). For the Mads, a road trip for Pearl and Kinga is set in motion (Methinks Pearl is up to something evil - love how she calls Kinga her bittersweet heart, the name of Joel's experiment in show #501).

The Brain, who possessed Dr. Phibes during the 30th Anniversary Tour makes an appearance

Livestream Q&A features the writers of the episode, Kennedy Allen, Ross Bryant, Lezley Kinzel, and Jonah Ray, who discuss how they got involved with the show, and how difficult it was to riff certain scenes, they also do the usual fan question thing and talk about the writing process. 

Favorite Riffs: “If anybody asks, you ate some Tide Pods and I had to take you to the hospital, and that’s where I’ve been” - Jonah | “Lovely day for some light colonialism” - Jonah | “Shut your mid-western plaid wearing mouth!” - Servo | “Someone ate their Grape Nuts” - Servo | "Geeze Gamera eat some fiber" - Jonah | “I’m new at this, how do I let you know if I’m a Triceratops or a Tricerabottoms?” - Crow | “I regret installing a handle in my head” - Crow as Jiger | “I’m coming Elizabeth!” - Jonah | "Look at me I got second place!" - Jonah | "Ah, he's trying to wash our windows" - Servo as mini monster spits stuff at sub | "Your move Charles Darwin" - Crow

Favorite Host Segment: Jiger's wake

Amazing Colossal Grade: 2.5 - The lesser of the Gamera experiments (yup, I'll take Barugon over this) though Susan gives it a lift on occasion.

Oh, and this was my backer credit episode, which was a thrill

Special Event: A Tribute to Gamera vs. Guiron + Short: Sleep for Health

Premiere Date: Friday, July 8, 2022, 5:00 PM PST

The Livestream opens with Joel explaining that this month's short was part of the original Kickstarter, where backers pledged for the honor of taking a riff seminar and doing some writing of their own - due to rights issues it took years before those efforts were allowed to be heard. An overtired Pearl then introduces the piece, appropriately titled "Sleep for Health", and as with the other season 13 shorts, it's okay - Joel gets a laugh with his magic eye riff, and Crow mispronounces a credit. The scene where the kid counts his sins (rather than sheep) to help him fall asleep, was a kick, as was Crow's line about waking up unnaturally - unfortunately, there are dead spots (the boy's dream flight) and flat quips that bring it down. A few nights ago, I watched the classic, Appreciating Your Parents, which was a scream... they've yet to reach that level of funny with these.

After a joke about the film's star (in text), Pearl and Synthia return, to turn the screen over to Heston and his bots, who do a bit about translating Kaiju lingo - "Grow up Crow!" is the line of merit here. Other cute originals peppered through the show include Jonah's group playing at being their evil versions (like "Mirror Mirror" universe) / Emily and the bots preparing a Kaiju disaster kit, Ems list is practical, but Tom and Crow want to dress like kids and sing songs (this is my favorite of the group) / Lastly Jonah and all, including Dr. Kabahl, discuss how to get in shape for the perfect turtle physique.

As for the main experiment, "Hello! Thank you!" - this version made its debut on September 7, 1991 - a memorable date in MSTory as it's an all-time classic, the best of MSTs Gamera series IMHO.  This being a tribute, I wish there'd been more of a celebratory feel to the show. Manos and Hobgoblins achieved that with guests who worked on those movies. Here, it might have been nice to talk about what makes this a standout episode with fans who were there when it first aired, offer up some MST/Gams trivia, and have a special guest, like, well, Mike. How neat (and full of turtle meat) it would have been to have Mike involved, sharing memories about his spot as Michael Feinstein, and Jack Perkins (as MST Hour host of this ep). Perhaps that ship has sailed, but Mike has talked MST as a guest of the Mads, so maybe not an impossibility? In lieu of that, we get a screening of "So Happy Together: A Look Back at MST3K and Gamera" a documentary featurette that was included in the 2011 Gamera DVD set. Joel, Trace, Frank, J. Elvis, and Jim (but not Mike?) discuss the pictures, and that's cool, that fits the theme, and we had the Kaiju skits... still, it fell a bit short of special for me.   

Note: the JACKBOX SHOWDOWN that was announced on the ticket art, was rescheduled for July 27th. 

The showdown pit 3 Crows (Bill, Kelsey, and Hampton) against 3 Servos (Baron, Conor and Tim Ryder) - the games they played included Talking points (where they improvise a presentation, assisted by a partner who feeds them photos), there was this T-shirt and slogans thing, and Champ'd Up, where they designed some mega monsters who square off against one another. Though there are dead spots, while they draw and whatnot, and the 2-hour run time was tiring, I got laughs a plenty. It's a kick watching these folks be creative and funny. 

As for the winner? I was all about team Crow, but alas it was not to be.

July's lineup for Mega Monster Month

< Previous * Next >

Synthia Selects - Vault Picks Index

 

Synthia pictured with wigs in July's vault picks intro

2022-23

* May: Pesky Critters Month

* June: Supernatural Summer

* July: Mega Monster Month

* August: Not-So-Superhero Month

* September: Espionage & Intrigue Month

* October: Halloween Horror Month

* November: Nothing as it Seems Month

* December: Winter / Wonderlands Month

* January: Tech Run Amok Month

* February: Doomed Lovers Month

Note: These have now been collected at YouTube

Synthia Selects 3: Mega Monster Month

The Giant Gila Monster 

Special guest: Jonah
Syn shares some trivia about this being on a double bill with Killer Shrews. She seems unhappy that her guest is Jonah but asks him if he ever worked in a drive-in, instead he talks about his novelty bands (one who did a cover of "Let's all go to the lobby"). At the end, Jonah's still going on about his other failed novelty band (which combined classic cars with children's literature)

First Segment Text:
Syn - "Is it worth it? Let her work it"
Jonah - "Once listened to At the Drive In"
Syn - "Currently experiencing Miserlou"

GizmoBlip: Jonah, Crow, and Tom expose the truth behind disasters, The Titanic, The Chicago Fire, etc (all were Godzilla related)

St. Phibes Segment: An extra, extra for this month's picks, the good doctor chimes in on each monster. This one was too complicated for comedy and lost me - we're told that the movie was made to generate funds for the Experimental Clinic for the Passively ill, but it resulted in giant Gila backlash - that's not all... something about a glucagon drug causing an unfortunate incident where baby Gila's were set upon a diabetic tour group?? 

Final Segment Text:
Syn - "A living rat rod"
Jonah - "Hearts and thoughts they fade"
Syn - "Sensing a pattern"

Devil Fish 

Special guest: Servo (Baron)

Love the little hand gestures, as Synthia makes devil horn quotes whenever she says the word "Devil Fish", she also gets happy when she realizes the fun of their being "Angel Fish" - Tom discusses other demonic animals and divulges that he once worked as a veterinary exorcist on behalf of the Vatican. His revelation about a beautiful golden hummingbird, with eyes of crimson, projectile vomiting into his ear and revealing the date of his death, cracked me up. And cats, just cats. 

In the final segment each share their takeaways (Syn - "When in doubt kill it with fire" / Tom notes that violent movies from the 80s are difficult to show without heavy editing). Syn closes with the observation that, "underwater fights are the drum solos of the movies"

First Segment Text:
Syn - "Saving up for a wind machine"
Servo - "His dome is full of classified information"
Syn - "Heartworm survivor"

St. Phibes Segment: Donna St. Phibes shares the secrets of the devil fish and informs us that the only true monster, is ignorance 

GizmoBlip: Miniature city red tape prevents Jonah's bots from fulfilling their Kaiju fantasies

Final Segment Text:
Syn - "Scuba certified, for some reason"

Servo - "Wishes devil fish could meet killer fish"

Syn - "But in a different book entirely"

Eegah

Special guest: Crow (Kelsey)
The duo discusses watching out for snakes, in all their forms. Lastly... "Eshtemlo" which sums up the movie perfectly.

First Segment Text:
Syn - "Grooves to smooth snazz"
Crow - "Snakes, why did it have to be snakes?"
Syn - "Objects to bare feet in principle"

St. Phibes Segment: Dr. Donna reveals that Eegah's are sometimes known as "The Giraffes of the Americas", due to their DNA

GizmoBlip: Emily and the bots discuss whether Gamera is really a monster, or just an oversized turtle, for Em, mindset's all that matters

Final Segment Text:
Syn - "She can't eat anymore of this!"

Crow - "Goldy but moldy"

Syn - "Eshtemlo means friendship"

Gamera vs. Zigra

Special guest: Emily

I also enjoy the opening of these things, where Syn is seen talking to someone off screen, unaware that the cameras are rolling. Here she's telling a story about a guy informing her that an open-faced calzone is just a pizza, and her retort that an open-faced taco is just nachos (which gets her banned from Costco). 

Also, the turtle personality continuum, which once again leads Emily on her own tangent, involving Ninja Turtles (BTW, she's a Leonardo, much to her dismay) - at the end, Em tries to act surly, so she can be a Raphael. 

First Segment Text:
Syn - "Always buys in bulk"
Emily - "???"
Syn - "Shelling out the hard questions"

Emily - "Loves sewar pizza"

Syn - "Clearly a Krang"

GizmoBlip: Family members of famous monsters? Jonah mentions Martha Mothra, Tom, Derik Wolfman, and... Crow, Dracula's Daughter - he throws out a "blea" joke at her expense, and talks about her writing in red ink, and notes that she made the best garlic bread (which fell right off the bone?)

St. Phibes Segment: Able to speak turtle, and disguised as a small boy, Dr. Phibes interviews Gamera, who gets upset when she asks him a kaiju related question instead of focusing on his new rockabilly jazz album (the subtitles for Gamera were a cute idea) - my favorite among the Phibes segments

Final Segment Text:
Syn - "Could really go for some turtle meat right now"

Emily - "Surly"

Syn - "Tantrum-proof"

Emily - "100% Leonardo

Syn - "Wishes she were April"

Gorgo

Special guest: M. Waverly

Waverly joins Syn on the moon (because Kinga gave him his one-hour break for the week). They discuss London, Syn says "Crickey" (lmao) and Waverly reveals that he's a fan of Big Ben... and Little Benjamin. Synth doesn't like sharing the frame and knocks him out of it. (He's okay, but Syntha doesn't care, "but I care" says M.) Later, who knew a mother's love could cause such destruction, which appeals to Syn but scares M, at the end they all Gor-Go with a hearty "Cheerio" from Syn.

First Segment Text:
Syn - "Helpful by accident"
Waverly - "Is right where this would normally go" - "Forget it you're on your own" 

GizmoBlip: Emily and the bots discuss messy monsters + rebuilding projects = conspiracy theories. "To the internet" cries Em (Crow earns a laugh by going the wrong way, and wondering where the internet is, "I think it's a series of tubes")

St. Phibes Segment: Every monster has a mother, Gorgo's is a retired kindergarten teacher named Kristy, who digs precious moments.

Final Segment Text:
Syn - "Ah, that's better" (after Waverly runs off)

The Giant Spider Invasion 

Special guest: GPC 

GPC talks about sizes and gets on her soapbox. Syn says "super!" - final segment is all about shouting, "GO PACKERS!"

First Segment Text:
Syn - "Hates numbers but loves NUMB3RS"
GPC - "Size-mologist"
Syn - "Duper"

St. Phibes Segment: Dr. Donna argues that the giant spider is a kind of reverse Spider-Man, who has all the traits of a man, including refusing to ask for directions. Her response to doubters of this thesis is, "Good enough for my dissertation, good enough for you lot"

GizmoBlip: The bots plan a vacation to Monster Island, but Emily's worried it's too dangerous, so Tom suggests Skull Island, but those human sacrifices don't sound so appealing.

Final Segment Text:
Syn - "Bleeds green and gold, for health reasons

GPC - "Thinks they should give each team a ball

Syn - "Seriously, her blood is messed up"

A few screengrabs from the Vault...

New introductory video shows Synthia making an angry call on a banana - we also see her tapping on bongos, spinning a disco ball and playing with a pair of blond wigs.

Dr. Phibes' appearances are preceded by a logo

Synthia's none too happy about sharing the frame

Emily and the bots look over the Monster Island brochure

Index

Season 13: Episode 06

1306 - Demon Squad 

Premiere Date: Friday, June 24, 2022, 5:00 PM PST 

Host: Joel Robinson

Special Guests: Dr. Erhardt

Writers: Yvonne Freese, Tammy Golden, Storm Dicostanzo, Howie Smith, Mary Christen, Devon Coleman, Matt Conant, Len Webb, Emily Marsh, Howie Smith, Paul Sabourin 

SPOILER ALERT - if you haven't seen the experiment, you should probably not venture forth.

Let's begin at the beginning, as that's the best part of the episode: As seen in Mordrid, Kinga sent Erhardt on a mission through time to retrieve a previous host... what got me laughing was that Dr. Erhardt didn't just grab Joel, he dragged the whole dang SOL back with him. After this, Joel and Larry do some catching up, but when Mr. Robinson makes comment on Erhardt's voice... holy cripes, that brief exchange had me in stitches. The bonus of hearing J. Elvis slip into that "shrill, nagging tone" of his, made it all the sweeter.

Yup, the nostalgia was in full force, Joel's still the father figure, and he's in his version of the SOL with Hexfield - you even hear "pizza" as they enter the theater. (No Magic Voice, however.)

The riffing? It's not bad, there's cute material here, but man, they were lobbing a lot of softballs in this one. The back half is funnier than the front, especially when they react or add to the dialogue (the dinner date scene, Tom's Starlord line) - and halfway through Joel adjusts Servo's voice back to its original settings, and -with all respect to Conor, who's been great- Josh is one of the kings, the man can deliver a quip like no other, so hearing him was a jolt of joy. Kelsey works as well with the twin masters of the past as she does Emily and Conor - like when she takes the handoff from Josh's “Purple Wall”, with her “Raspberry Doorway”; so, the chemistry is there. And Joel? Well, Joel is Joel, you know him, you love him. He's Joel!

The movie? Imagine a less effective John Constantine as Sam Spade, battling supernatural forces who don't present much of a threat. Honestly, this is more like the kind of no-budget thing Rifftrax would cover, but I'll give the filmmakers points for ambition - the Frankendemon head looks good, and the picture does move from place to place, more than a lot of cheapies, which often stick to a limited set. 

Host segments were fine, there was an old-school vibe to them (the sitcom bit recalls "My White Goddess" of season 2 fame). Synthia joins Kinga at the opening, and they're a funny pair, Max pops in briefly to show off an experiment, that an old pro like Joel is wise to. Pearl introduces herself and comes off uncomfortably needy, making Joel long for movie-sign. The personalities here are what sell these sketches.

Livestream: After-show Q&A with Joel, J. Elvis, Emily, and special guests: Demon Squad screenwriter/actor Erin Lilley Smith and director Thomas Smith. Broken into 2 sections, part 1 focuses on the episode, where they talk about the return of Joel and Josh, how they decide who hosts what - Emily throws in her perspective on the film, and more. The second part zeroes in on the movie, and what went into its making. It's a calm, professional and informative conversation, and the Smith's seem like nice people who put their hearts into the production.  

Favorite Riffs:  "Could you hurry, it kind of hurts" - Joel as Nick lights flame from fingers | "She lives with her mom" - "And her boyfriend, Nosferatu" - Nick/Servo | "Because Nick don't do math" - Joel | "Pennywise, the middle school years" - Crow | "Bed Bath and Begone" - Crow | “My one weakness, a firm but gentle push” - Servo | “Jesus Nick" - ♫ "Superstar"♫ - Lilah/Joel | "Wilhelm!" - Crow | "Wow, Guillermo del Toro's garage sale" - Servo | "I tied up your hands, how are you talking?" - Servo | "I'll just slide myself out" - Joel as Lilah | "Rosebud" - Crow

Favorite Host Segment: The opening, Joel and Larry are big-time hilarious

Amazing Colossal Grade: 3 - It's a step back from the string of pearls we've received since Atlantis. I'd describe the riffing as pleasant, but not epic. Still special for the return of J & J.

< Previous * Next >

Season 13 - Episode 05

1305 - Doctor Mordrid 

#47 in Mighty Jack's Top 100

Premiere Date: Friday, June 10, 2022, 5:00 PM PST 

Host: Emily Connor

Special Guests: Dr. Kabahl, Dr. Erhardt

Writers: Tim Ryder, Harold Buchholz, Devon Coleman, Yvonne Freese, Tammy Golden, Storm Dicostanzo, Molly Lewis, Alex Lupica, Len Webb. Emily Marsh, Howie Smith

The experiment gets off to a rousing start, with Roller derby names on the SOL, and a hilarious appearance by Dr. Kabahl on the Moon (which explains how we're getting Joel back, and what that thing is we've been seeing in the background). Nice touches, like Emily pulling out opera glasses during the Gilbert and Sulli-phone experiment, and Max's reaction to the gross, "Palm Greaser" got me ready for a prime riffing, and while the group wasn't 'spitting heat' as they were in Beyond Atlantis, there's still a lot to love.

Despite the abrupt and anticlimactic finish (the villain really is a dud), Mordrid's a modestly entertaining flick with some solid casting, and Matt McGinnis deserves a pat on the back for his movie selections this season (Beyond Atlantis, Santo, and I'm looking forward to Batwoman, a picture I've seen and enjoyed).

Riffwise, the piece is heavy with puns and silly wordplay (sea-brah, Frankie Avalon's awful-ganger, I see (I-C), communist manifestone, Sam-ulet, Bone-jour). You also hear movie references (Sam Raimi's "The Apartment"), and they do an ace job keeping an eye on the little moments (Servo's simple kiss between dinos) and the facial reactions of the characters (Emily's line about the diarrhetic kicking in, which makes Conor giggle). Plus, the scenes with Gunner were gold (the eye jokes). 

A couple of standouts for me were Crow's meta-riff... "Hey those tapes should be circulating!", and the line about rent control. Also, the amusing and smart end credit discussion about Christmas movies reminded me of some of the better end credit bits from the classic era. So, kudos for that.

Love the "New York Host" paper Crow pulls out

The main host segments were all movie related, which I've always liked, though these were cute rather than laugh-out-loud funny. Still, I like this cast, I like their rapport and connection. I've read discussions on Jonah's relationship to the bots, but I don't really see one, they are more like comedians doing routines, there's not that father figure relationship (Joel), or the bungling big brother thing (Mike), however, this group recaptures that special relationship vibe, they remind me of school friends, or kids at a sleepover, goofing around with each other (the superhero sketch has that feel to it). 

I dug the Mads segments; Max and Kabahl I spoke of earlier, but Felica too, Kinga passes out well (lol). And it's always a win when you have Dr. Erhardt stopping by.

Livestream Notes: Guests were Emily, Kelsey, Tim Ryder, and the movie's screenwriter C. Courtney Joiner, who dispels some myths, shares backstories and reveals that he's a MSTie too. Matt also speaks to a new, uninvited character seen during the show, Loading Bar (White Dot's mother).

Favorite Riffs:  "Why are they using the Mary Tyler Moore font?" - Servo | "I want in that head hole (weird gargling kiss sound)" - Emily | "Oh look, he's pondering weak and weary" - Servo | "The world burns but she adheres to the social contract" - Emily | "My BMs are silver!" - Crow as doc with a diet drink | "Take care of Edgar" - "Like Goodfellas take care of him, or?" - Mordrid, Emily as Sam | "We can't afford flashing lights, but we got this heat lamp" - Crow as cops | "I took an oath" - " I mean a valium" - Mordrid/Servo | "Raymond don't, everybody loves you!" - Servo, as a Raymond look-a-like puts gun to head | "If you had a nose, I'd punch you in it" - Emily as Mordrid speaking to Monitor | "Hagar, you look horrible" - Crow | And the recuring 'garbage disposal' riffs

Favorite Host Segment: The intro, Dr. Kabahl's sudden appearance, Baron's so good as this character.

Amazing Colossal Grade: 4 - An experiment that gets better with every viewing, I've come back to it several times since its release - that combination of movie, riff and overall personality has made it a favorite.

June's lineup for Supernatural Summer month

< Previous * Next >

Sythnia Selects 2: Supernatural Summer

Cave Dwellers
Special guest: Crow (Kelsey)
Crow lets slip his hidden skills (latent water coloring) and later denies any knowledge of said skill, and Synthia doesn't get music

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Also banned from Sheboygan for different reasons"
Crow - "Crouching Tiger Hidden Skills" 

Syn - "Hidden sills to pay the bills"

GizmoBlip: Emily and bots wonder who they could invite over for a summer cookout 

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Only hang glides in her sleep"

Crow - "Only gold on the outside"

Syn - "Non-licensed non-therapist"

The Magic Sword
Special guest: Servo (Conor)
Weapons of choice? Tom lists the advantages of many (spiked ball on a stick), before settling on boomerang. Syn drinks from a bonehead mug and explains magic. Later, Servo changes his answer to "blowdart"

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Combination of "synthetic" and "ia""
Servo - "...and he's all out of bubblegum" 

Syn - "Weapon of choice: Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice""

GizmoBlip: Em and Crow prepare a picnic, but the magic basket wont sit still

Final Segment Text:

Syn - ""The Magic Sword" does double damage vs undead"

Servo - "Prefers the "Magic Flute""

Syn - "Prefers "Strange Magic" by ELO"

Quest of the Delta Knights
Special guest: M. Waverly
Syn still has her mug (now with a straw) and asks, have you ever been on a quest? Waverly discusses his, but Synthia doesn't care. In the final segment Wavery brushes his non-teeth.

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Who gave her this mug"
Waverly - "Little. Orange. Different" 

Syn - ""A real man makes his own luck" - Billy Zane"

GizmoBlip: Aleister Crowly reads Jonah's derivative palm, Servo is the crystal ball.

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Fat stacks of flapjacks"

Waverly - "No relation to M. Bison"

Syn - "Has new teeth delivered daily"

The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
Special guest: Jonah
Syn reveals that her fans are called "synners" (ha) and Jonah talks Sinbad (the comic). Later, Syn regrets never going on a voyage and Jonah yells.

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "No relation to the Subaru Forrester"
Jonah - "Not as reliable as a Subaru" 

Syn - "Pawned her Dwayne Wayne glasses in 1993"

GizmoBlip: Crow and Tom talk benches and chairs, while Jonah loses his temper

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Her life is a voyage"

Jonah - "Also thinks Avril Lavigne was replaced in 2003"

Syn - "More like Singood"

Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell
Special guest: Emily Connor
What would your sword and sorcery name be? Emily goes on about vampires instead, her vamp name? Natasha von Dracula, Jr. At the end Syn jokes about death getting a restraining order (because of all the stalking) 

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Has never left a penny"
Emily - "Loves Conan but not the one you think" 

Syn - "Always picked Oddjob"

GizmoBlip: Jonah impresses Crow with slight-of-hand, he thinks he'll become filthy rich with his head coins, then Tom walks in with a head full of coins.

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Lives, Laughs Larfs"

Emily - "Apparently loves purple"

Syn - "82 percent Mountain Dew"

Merlyn's Shop of Mystical Wonders
Special guest: CPC
Talking the downfall of magical shops

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Is pretty sure boba tea was invented by Boba Fett"
GPC - "Thinks magic is all around us" 

Syn - "Used B-Dubs Wing Sauce as perfume"

GizmoBlip: Emily would like to become a werewolf, Crow wants to be a tweenwolf, Servos disgusted with them both

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Owns a dozen of those evil monkeys"

GPC - "General public aCcountant"

Syn - "Still diamond hands on Gamestop"

Synthia blows bubbles + Waverly about to bush teeth

The magic picnic basket, from the Magic Sword (screengrab by optiMSTie)

Index

Synthia's Selects: Pesky Critters Month

New to the Gizmoplex are Vault Picks, which are 6 curated classic episodes tied to a common theme. During the soft launch there was "Good Vs. Evil" month, followed by "Dystopian Futures" month. May brought us "Pesky Critters" and something new and hilarious... wraparound segments hosted by Synthia, who is joined by various guests. And a mid-episode GizmoBlip (a host segment of sorts). Here's a quick look at these ephemeral (for now) pieces. Watch them while you can.

March - Good vs. Evil Month: Human Duplicators, Hercules Against the Moon Men, Outlaw (Of Gor), Teenagers from Outer Space, Zombie Nightmare, She-Creature

April - Dystopian Futures Month: Time Chasers, Space Mutiny, Escape 2000, Parts: The Clonus Horror, City Limits

May 2022: Pesky Critters Month

Werewolf

Special guest: GPC

Have you ever been to "Flagstaff?" that and werewolves are discussed

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Really thinks she could do stand-up"
GPC - "Forever on the ceiling" 

Syn - "Natural" "Blonde"

GizmoBlip: Emily and bots discuss how to repel various monsters.

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "There wolf"

GPC - "Stands for whatever you want it to"

Syn - "Flagstaff should be paying me at some point"   

Killer Shrews

Special Guest: Emily

Synthia asks Em, "If you could make anything giant, what would it be?" Emily at first goes with dog, but then remembers Clifford, and Martin Short and changes her mind, several times. 

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Clone about town"

Emily - "The new one"

Syn - "A nice Italian substitution"

GizmoBlip: Emily and bots are training critters, one pees on Crow's shoe, when Tom chastises her for wearing Converses, Kelsey makes a funny sound in response "Well-I -jab-a-ja-bla-ah!" 😄

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Killer, but shrewd"

Emily - "Human woman"

Syn - "Barely tolerating everything"

King Dinosaur

Special Guest: Tom Servo (Baron)

What makes a king? And the difference between dinos and lizards

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "The hostess with the mostest"

Servo - "He's the wind, baby"

Syn - "Doesn't believe dinosaurs are real"

GizmoBlip: Jonah's bots are convinced they have an outbreak of Leprechauns on the SoL

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Still unconvinced re: dinosaurs"

Emily - "Taxonomy expert"

Syn - "Dinosaur descendent"

Pod People

Special Guest: Crow (Hampton)

If you were on a desert island and could only bring one pod, what would it be? Crow seems confused by this question and panics. Syn is amused by his lack of preparedness. Later she asks him what he thinks Trumpy's up to these days, but he's still stuck on her first question.

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "She's out to get hers"

Crow - "The Gold One"

Syn - "Having fun with lower thirds"

GizmoBlip: The bots ask Jonah for a support animal, which leads to questions about what critter each would want

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "Idiot Control When?"

Crow - "Tough to pin down"

Syn - "Not afraid to get political"

Beginning of the End

Special Guest: Emily

Where do you think you are, the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning? Emily goes off on a wild tangent after being ask this question, and slowly loses her mind.

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "A clone after her own heart"

Emily - "Likes: Tom Petty's "Wildflowers", Dislikes: Actual wildflowers"

Syn - "Would've been a Mean Girl"

GizmoBlip: Tom and Crow are space exterminators; Jonah pretends to be a building.

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "This is the end of the Beginning of the End"

Emily - "Spiraling for the past 90 minutes"

Syn - "Major in Psychological Torment at DeVry"

Gamera

Special Guest: Jonah

Jonah discusses Ozu and Gamera, Synthia hums a bit of the giant turtle's theme song.

First Segment Text: 

Syn - "Clone, dog lover, raconteur"

Jonah - "Glasses"

Syn - "Feeling herself"

GizmoBlip: Emily does a pirate voice and tell an unclimactic story. The bots give their review

Final Segment Text:

Syn - "She sees a turtle in the clouds"

Jonah - "Does he even need those glasses?"

Syn - "Friend to few children"

A few screengrabs from the month

The introductory photos, used during the first 2 months

Before the Gizmoblips air, we see this image

Emily afeared of them pesky critters, during Killer Shrews

"Flag Staff"

Index