Three American astronauts (Gene Hackman, Richard Crenna, and James Franciscus) returning from a long space station mission suddenly face imminent death when their spacecraft malfunctions and they are stuck in orbit with a very limited oxygen supply. On the ground, Chief astronaut Ted Dougherty (David Janssen) breaks all the rules to implement a mission to rescue the seemingly doomed adventurers. Charles Keith (Gregory Peck) is the ground commander in Houston who must decide whether or not to approve the dangerous rescue mission. Originally released as Marooned .
Information
James Franciscus (top) & Tony Franciosa (bottom)
An Oscar winner for Best Special Visual Effects, making it the only Academy Award-winning movie to ever be MSTed. The film also picked up nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Sound. [1]
Another film that Film Ventures International were able to snap up and release while its copyright status was unclear, thus the different title and the Film Ventures International style title sequence for sale to the cable market.
Marooned was mentioned by Joel at the end of Rocketship X-M as an alternative to the depressing way that movie ended. Dr. Forrester responded, "We couldn't get it!" Curiously enough, the Film Ventures copyright on Space Travelers is dated 1991, well after Rocketship X-M first aired. Marooned was also previously referenced by Crow in the opening moments of Fugitive Alien.
Throughout the movie, Crow keeps referencing James Franciscus as the Finder of Lost Loves, only to be corrected by Tom (with increasing frustration each time) that Tony Franciosa was the star of that series. This plays into Joel's shell game in the final segment.
The Episode
Host Segments
Prologue: The Great Crowdini attempts to escape, hanging upside-down, from a set of chains while a cannon is pointed at his head. Crow then loses the key.
Segment One (Invention Exchange): Crow reveals the secret to his escape: chewing his own head off. Dr. F chastizes Frank for reading Variety, but Frank points out that the decline of Bruce Willis' latest film is a blow to evil everywhere. Joel presents the Dollaroid, a camera that puts pictures on money. The Bots point out its uselessness. The Mads present thier Tissues with Faces, allowing you to blow your nose on famous faces in ridicule. Pat Buchanan might be nothing to sneeze at...until pepper is added to the equation.
Segment Two: The SOL crew lists the ways the space program has influenced everyday life. Some of them are kind of a reach.
Segment Three: Joel and the Bots reenact a scene from the movie, with Crow in the Gregory Peck role. He starts going crazy by switching into his David Jannsen impression, and Joel drags him away for some quiet time.
Segment Four: Joel contemplates what would happen if one of the SOL crew had to sacrifice themselves in space. The Bots rain on his parade, pointing out that an oxygen shortage would only be a problem for him.
Segment Five: Joel fakes out Gypsy while playing fetch before demonstrating a magic trick for Crow and Tom, "Find the Finder of Lost Loves". The Bots end up frustrated and confused by his pop culture references. The crew then reads some letters before Gypsy returns with a lot of balls. The Mads are unimpressed with it all.
Stinger: Gene Hackman contemplates a pill.
Obscure References
"'The Last Boy Scout' has dropped out of the top five!"
The Last Boy Scout was a 1991 action movie starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans.
"Remember 'The Return of Bruno'!"
Return of Bruno was a musical album recorded by Bruce Willis in 1987.
"The President will issue an appropriate statement..." "And then he'll throw up on the Japanese prime minister."
A reference to an infamous event that occured on January 8, 1992 during a state dinner in Japan, when then-president George H.W. Bush vomited on the Prime Minister of Japan, Miyazawa Kiichi, and then passed out.
"No, but I read 'Final Exit', and it's gonna come in handy."
Extremely controversial at the time of its publication in 1991, the book "Final Exit" was meant to be a how-to guide for terminally ill people on how to commit suicide in the most painless way possible.
