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in: MST3K Episodes, Season 4, Sword and Sandal,
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MST3K 410 - Hercules Against the Moon Men

Revision as of 14:10, 20 July 2012 by Gladrius (Message Wall | contribs) (→‎Information)
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The Movie

Synopsis

After a meteor crashes into a mountain, moon men emerge and demand human sacrifices from the city below. This goes on for years until at last Claudis, advisor to Queen Samara (Clair), sends for the mighty Hercules to save them all. The evil Queen Samara however, is in league with the moon men, and does everything in her power to stop Hercules. The moon men need a final human sacrifice on the night of the convergence of the planets in order to bring their queen Selena back to life. The sacrifice turns out to be the princess Phyllis, and Hercules must rescue her and stop the moon men before it's too late. [1]

Information

  • While sword-and-sandal epics were mostly made in Italy and filmed in Italian, most of the lead actors were from other countries. Homegrown hunks were usually relegated to supporting roles, but Alan managed to break through. Alan, whose real name is Sergio Ciani, has appeared in twenty-three different Italian films, mostly of the peplum variety. He has been credited under the names Alan Steel (as in this movie) and John Wyler. [2]
  • Because American audiences were unfamiliar with the Italian film character Maciste, the title character’s name was changed to Hercules. Sort of like in The Magic Voyage of Sinbad.

The Episode

Host Segments

Prologue: Believing the grass is always greener on the other side, Tom and Crow decide to run away to the other side of the ship... for about a minute.

Segment One: While Joel and the bots have invented the Super Freak-Out Kit, the Mads' invention of DEEP HURTING is woven into the experiment itself.

Hercules

Segment Two: Crow and Tom use Joel as the subject of their amazing BOOBY trap illusion, with bad puns ahoy.

Segment Three: Joel gives the Bots new muscular arms and they all come up with their new tough guy names (the rules: a virile first name and a last name that is something hard, as in "Alan Steel"). Unfortunately Tom's suggestions aren't all that agressively tough and his body rejects his new donor limbs.

Segment Four: Having finally had enough with all the togo/skirt action in these Hercules films, Joel and the Bots sing the stiring song Pants!

Closing (Segment Five): The SOL crew discuss the replacement of actors in sequels and TV series, but Tom is forced to read the letter alone after Crow breaks Gypsy's heart by mentioning Richard Basehart was just such a replacement and Joel has to dismember him. Dr. F is alarmed by Joel and the Bots' ability to survive a movie like this, but works out some of his anxiety by enacting a little DEEP HURTING on Frank.

Stinger: Old guy gets skewered on a booby trap.

Other Notes

Miscellanea

  • Outside References: Crow's alter ego in segment three, "Drake Tungsten", was used as the name of one of the comic book lines in the video game Fallout 3.

Obscure References

  • "...by Four Dead in Ohio Art! Tin soldiers and Nixon sold separately!"

A reference to both the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song "Ohio", and the toy company Ohio Art.

  • "He's goin' up against the Unification Church..."

Followers of the Unification Church are often derisively referred to as "Moonies", after its founder, Sun Myung Moon.

  • "NC Stu-Stu-Studio!"

Reference to Loreal's Studio Line hair care products, whose commercials began with the lyrics, "Stu-Stu-Studio. Studio Line from Loreal."

  • "Behind the Green Door!"

Behind the Green Door was a pornographic film originally released in 1972.

  • "Shop Red Owl."

Red Owl was a grocery store chain in Minnesota & the Upper Midwest.

  • "Father Murphy, NO!"

Father Murphy was a TV series from the early 1980s.

  • "I'm a Grimwold warrior!!!"

From The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent. Said by the incredibly fey prince in a key scene.

  • "'Porky's 2'!"

A refererence to the infamous shower-peeking scene in the film Porky's.

  • "I'm writing a spec script for Aristophanes."

Aristophanes was an Ancient Greek playwright; a "spec script" is one which is written in the hope that it can later be sold (as opposed to one paid for in advance).

  • Dang Me, Dang Me, Trailer for Sale or Rent, etc.

For unknown reasons, Joel and the 'bots have the slaves operating the torture device singing the songs of Roger Miller (some know him best as the voice of Allan a Dale, the lute strumming rooster, in Disney's 1973 version of Robin Hood; his song "Whistle Stop" is heard repeatedly throughout the film).

  • "You told me a fabricated story that wouldn't convince a child!"

Spoken by John Carradine's character in The Unearthly.

  • "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!"

A quote from a 1970s margarine commercial.

  • "I am the Mighty Pavog (sic)!"

The Mighty Favog was a character from the Muppet segments on the first season of Saturday Night Live.

  • "It's the Inhumanoids!"

Inhumanoids was a toy line from the late 1980s.

  • "It's like a bad Antonioni movie!"

Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007) was an Italian filmmaker.

  • "Gymkata!"

Gymkata is a 1985 Yugoslavian film incorporating ninjutsu and Olympic gymnastics.

  • "Why don't ya kiss 'er instead of talkin' her to death?!"

Line from the 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life.

Video Release


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