Entertainment
 

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank

From MST3K

822 - Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Air Date December 6, 1997
Movie Director Douglas Williams
Year 1983
Cast Raul Julia
Linda Griffiths
Preceded by 821 - Time Chasers
Followed by 901 - The Projected Man


Contents

The Movie

Synopsis

In a dystopian future society, corporate bureaucrat Aram Fingal (Raul Julia) is caught "scrolling up cinemas," or watching movies - specifically, Casablanca - and is sentenced to a virtual reality experience known as "doppling". And that's when things start to go haywire...

Background

  • Loosely based on a short story by John Varley, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was originally broadcast on the New York City PBS affiliate WNET in 1983, and was partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.[1]
  • The movie was shot on videotape in order to take advantage of cutting-edge (for their time) digital graphics and special effects.
  • The wild-animal footage was taken from the documentary Animals Are Beautiful People.

The Episode

Pearl and Brain Guy sing

Host Segments

Opening: Crow cashes in on his 'loved by millions' catch phrase, "You know you want me baby!"

Intro: Mike tries a few catchphrases himself, and like usual, fails miserably. Pearl starts her own public-TV station in order to enrich herself through pledge drives.

Segment One: Tom and Crow order a monkey from Instant Monkeys Online. It escapes, urinates on Mike's shoes, and throws stuff. The bots named the monkey Henry Kissinger 'because of his scalp'.

Segment Two: Mike keeps fighting Henry, and we get to see a 'very special pledge week special of a special pledge week special', 'Pearl! Pearl! Pearl! Pearl! Pearl!' which features a duet by Pearl and Brain Guy.

Segment Three: Tom wants to be 'doppled' to the nanite world and cause trouble. He soon regrets it.

End: Bobo tries to talk Henry down, but Henry turns the tables on Bobo, and convinces him to throw things like microwaves. The bots are scared at first, but of course, when Mike takes action, the Bots scorn him. Meanwhile, Pearl counts her 'pony playing from some well meaning liberals'.

Stinger: "'m I nuts?"

Quotes & References

  • Public Pearl intro music.

Same music used on the Mystery Science Theater Hour.

  • "But I'm signed to play Archbishop Romero!"

A reference to the 1989 film Romero, in which Raul Julia played the assassinated Salvadoran archbishop Óscar Romero.

  • "I hear the transpod comin'/It's comin' round the bend..."

A parody of the Johnny Cash song "Folsom Prison Blues".

  • "They must have a Jack in the Box in the food court!"

A reference to an E. coli outbreak that occurred among customers of Jack in the Box fast food restaurants in 1993. Or, alternatively, just a comment on the general unpopularity of the restaurant chain.

  • "Come/As you are/To my mall/To my atrium, yeah yeah"

Referencing the Nirvana song Come As You Are.

  • "Elizabeth Clare Prophet and David Duchovny look on."

Elizabeth Clare Prophet is the leader of the Church Universal and Triumphant, a religious movement that has been widely denounced as a cult. David Duchovny is an actor best known for starring as Fox Mulder on The X-Files. The two Novicorp bigwigs bear a striking resemblance, respectively.

  • "It's a Viv Savage Christmas ornament!"

Viv Savage was one of the keyboard players for the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap.

  • "That's sexual harassment, and I'm going to take it!"

A reference to an anti-sexual harassment PSA from the early 1990s, in which a woman stands up to her lecherous boss by saying "That's sexual harassment, and I'm not going to take it!"

  • "I've got a fever for the flavor of Fingal!"

A play on a Pringles advertising slogan from the 1980s.

  • "Eating Raul!"

A reference to the 1982 black comedy film Eating Raoul.

  • "We just lost Watson." "He came here, we wanted him."

A reference to Alexander Graham Bell and the first words ever spoken over telephone: "Mr. Watson — Come here — I want to see you."

Video Release

  • Commerically released on DVD by Rhino in November 2003 as part of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 4, a 4-DVD set with Space Mutiny, Girl in Gold Boots, and Hamlet.
  • The DVD features an intro by Mike Nelson, specifically taped for the release.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Overdrawn_at_the_Memory_Bank_1983.aspx


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