Entertainment
 

Riding with Death

From MST3K

814 - Riding with Death
Air Date July 19, 1997
Movie Director Alan J. Levi
Don McDougall
Year 1976
Cast Ben Murphy
Katherine Crawford
Ed Nelson
Jim Stafford
William Sylvester
Preceded by 813 - Jack Frost
Followed by 815 - Agent for H.A.R.M.


Contents

The Movie

Synopsis

The ever-so mellow Agent Sam Casey (Murphy) is in a satellite explosion and the radiation turns him invisible. He gets a watch that keeps him visible, and he can use it to switch from visible to invisible. He is given two assignments: The first is to transport a chemical, Tripolydine, purported to be the most efficient fuel. After the cover is blown on that and Casey uncovers and stops the Tripolydine fraud, he must then stop terrorist Robert Denby (Nelson) from blowing up race cars. [1]

Information

  • This movie was pieced together from two episodes of the failed Gemini Man (1976) TV series, plus some computer-room footage and sound effects from the science fiction film Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970). [2]
  • These two episodes were stitched together after the fact with dialog added in that refers to Robert Denby, Driscoll's moustache, and Buffalo Bill's change in career. The scenes where Abby appears to watch from the computer room in the Forbin Project were also added in to explain her disappearance in the second episode, err, latter half of the movie.
  • Apparently Ben Murphy wasn't adept enough to gear down his rig while doing 30mph on the runaway slope. Apparently, unlike welding, truck driving isn't taught at Harvard Law. Of course, there's no real reason why the rig needed to be on that slope in the first place.

The Episode

Host Segments

Turkey Volume Guessing Man!
  • Prologue Mike was once a teppanyaki chef. He tries to make an ornate meal for the Bots, in the process cutting off Crow's own hand to serve to him.
  • Segment 1 The Camping Planet is under fire! Pearl calls the Satellite crew for air support, and Mike proceeds to make the biggest baking soda bomb possible. He not only takes out the enemy army, but planet #3. Brain Guy makes a disturbing nurse.
  • Segment 2 Inspired by the movie, Tom writes and performs a song, The Funky Seventies. As usual, he completely misunderstands everything, but still tries to save the sketch with with an even more inappropriate song about the Fifties.
  • Segment 3 Tom somehow acquires another new body. This time, it is that of a truck driver. His butt is disturbingly flat, and he disturbingly loves it too much.
  • Segment 4 Crow is now a new superhero...Turkey Volume Guessing Man! He can tell you how many turkeys it takes to fill up a space. Mike accidentally steals Crow's thunder.
  • Final Segment The SOL crew tries to figure out what the movie was actually about. Pearl calls in to alert them to her medal ceremony for her actions on the planet below. She ends up being unable to steer the Widowmaker.
  • Stinger Buffalo Bill expresses enthusiasm.

Other Notes

  • Camping Planet becomes the third and final planet Mike destroys, following Deep Ape and The Observers home planet.

Quotes & References

  • "I'd like to dedicate this song to my friends in the Posse Comitatus!"

Posse Comitatus is an American white supremacist group.

  • "Not actually Murray, but an incredible simulation." "Oh, Murray."

Murray Slaughter was a character on a popular 1970s TV show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The phrase also reflects the ads for 70's musical Beatlemania with their catchphrase "Not the Beatles but an Incredible Simulation!"

  • "I'll be your candle on a pile of papers..."

Parody of the song "Candle on the Water" from the Disney film Pete's Dragon.

  • "It's Alan Smithee's number!"

Alan Smithee is a name used by directors who wish to distance themselves from a film. The fictional nature of the name matches the fictional phone number shown on screen (with the telltale 555 prefix).

Notes


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