Entertainment
 

The Killer Shrews

From MST3K

407 - The Killer Shrews
Air Date July 25, 1992
AKA The Attack of the Killer Shrews
Movie Director Ray Kellogg
Year 1959
Cast James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis, Gordon McLendon, Baruch Lumet
Short Junior Rodeo Daredevils
Preceded by 406 - Attack of the Giant Leeches
Followed by 408 - Hercules Unchained


Contents

The Short

Junior Rodeo Daredevils

Synopsis

When old timer Billy Slater finds two children pulling a prank on his horses, he conscripts them to create a "Junior Rodeo". Most of the town shows up and watches children get thrown around by bulls while the narrator advises them that "That ground is awful hard!"

Information

The Movie

Synopsis

A supply boat captain and his Dixieland-Jazz-playing first mate land on a remote island to deliver provisions to a professor. On the island, the professor and his research team are using shrews to experiment on ways to prevent global overpopulation. The group includes the professor, a nerdy scientist, an overweight servant named Mario, a shifty assistant, and the prof's sexy daughter. Unfortunately, the experiments have also created some giant shrews. A hurricane strands the boat captain in the house with the professor's group. The oversized shrews kill the first mate outright. As the shrews run out of smaller animals to eat, they move in on the people in the house.[1]

Information

  • This was one of two features produced by an independent company in Texas and intended to be distributed as a double feature. The other feature was The Giant Gila Monster (1959). These films marked the directorial debut of veteran special-effects man Ray Kellogg.
  • Coon dogs were used to play the killer shrews for some of the scenes.[2] In other scenes, the shrews are evidently rat puppets.

The Episode

Host Segments

Prologue: Joel decides to give the Bots a pick me up and hands out cool gifts. Gypsy gets a Little Mermaid Ariel Bathtime Set, Tom gets a Junior Dragster Indoor Funnycar by Marx, and Crow gets dress slacks from J.C. Penney, perfect for job interviews. Crow is deeply disappointed.

Invention Exchange (Segment One): As Tom tunes his new race car and consoles Crow that he'd rather have a pair of slacks too, down in Deep 13 the Mads prepare to cleave the Earth in two. Only Joel's invention of Jim Henson's Edgar Winter Babies saves the planet.

Segment Two: Joel vapor-locks as he attempts an impression of Will Rogers and ends up going all over the shop.

Segment Three: The Bots sing the commerical for their new Killer Shrew board game, but the actual game seems like more a chance for them to vent over the shortcomings of the movie.

Segment Four: Joel and the Bots invent the Killer Shrew drink, which is insanely heavy on sugary items. Frank serves as the test subject and loves it.

Closing (Segment Five): The Bots dressed as shrews attack Joel, who like the scientist has just enough time to describe his symptons and read a letter before the poison kills him, while down in Deep 13, Frank is feeling the effects of too much Killer Shrew drink, but nothing a good ipecac won't fix.

Stinger: Dr. Craigis explaining that "Any unusual experiment can produce unusual results."

Obscure References

  • "C'mon, Quaker Oats for you, it's the right thing to do!"

A reference to a series of Quaker oatmeal commercials featuring Wilford Brimley.

  • "Hey kids, you ever read 'The Ox-Bow Incident'?"

The Ox-Bow Incident is a Western novel in which three innocent men are accused of cattle rustling and lynched.

  • "Animals vill be bred und SLAUGHTERED!"

A line spoken by the title character in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

  • "Maybe rodeos are the opiate of the masses!"

Servo is paraphrasing a Karl Marx quote about religion.

  • "Why can't Johnny ride?"

An allusion to the book Why Johnny Can't Read.

Video Release

  • Commerically released on DVD by Rhino in April 2005 as part of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 7, a 4-DVD set with Hercules Unchained, Hercules Against the Moon Men, and Prince of Space.
  • The DVD features the contents of the Assignment: Venezuela and Other Shorts VHS tape released by the MST3K Info Club in October 2001 as an extra.
  • This DVD also has the most infamous Rhino screw-up, on the original disc about 45 seconds from the opening titles of Killer Shrews was cut, a short bit narration setting up the premise of the movie. Due to fan complaint Rhino eventually offered free replacement discs with the error corrected.


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