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Changes: MST3K 912 - The Screaming Skull

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{{quote|Hey, I can throw things through dad! I'm gunna get an anvil...}}
  
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{{Ep infobox
  
{{Ep infobox
 
| name =912 - The Screaming Skull
  
| name =912 - The Screaming Skull
Line 6: Line 4:
 
| image_size =200px
  
| image_size =200px
 
| airdate =[[August 29]], [[1998]]
  
| airdate =[[August 29]], [[1998]]
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| mstdirector =
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| mstdirector =[[Kevin Murphy]]
 
| runtime =
  
| runtime =
 
| turkey =
  
| turkey =
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| movdirector =[[Alex Nicol]]
  
| movdirector =[[Alex Nicol]]
 
| movyear =[[1958]]
  
| movyear =[[1958]]
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| cast =[[John Hudson]], [[Peggy Webber]], [[Russ Conway]], [[Alex Nicol]]
 +
| cast =[[John Hudson]]<br/>[[Peggy Webber]]
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| short1 =
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| short1 =''Robot Rumpus''
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| s1director =
 +
| s1director =[[Art Clokey]]
−
| s1year =
 +
| s1year =[[1956]]
 
| s1cast =
  
| s1cast =
−
| Short2 =
  
 
| s2director =
  
| s2director =
 
| s2year =
  
| s2year =
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| preceded_by =911 - [[Devil Fish]]
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| preceded_by =911 - [[MST3K 911 - Devil Fish|Devil Fish]]
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| followed_by =913 - [[Quest of the Delta Knights]]
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| followed_by =913 - [[MST3K 913 - Quest of the Delta Knights|Quest of the Delta Knights]]}}
  +
{{Quote|"That squares my breasts!"|[[Crow T. Robot]] (as Gumby's mother)}}
−
}}
  
−
==The Short: ''Robot Rumpus''==
  
−
[[File:912a.jpg|thumb|left|Gumby]]
  
   
  +
==The Short: ''Robot Rumpus''==
 
===Synopsis===
  
===Synopsis===
  +
[[File:0912s1.jpg|left|thumb|221x221px]]
−
A cautionary tale of our over reliance on technology. Gumby uses toy robots to do his chores. Initially Mrs. Gumby is thrilled by her son's ingenuity. (''"This way we don't have to hire illegal immigrants!"-Crow''). But unfortunately for our plasticine hero, things go awry (''"Gumby was nude!"-Mike'') and the malfunctioning robots wreak havoc throughout the house and yard. (''"Well, if you use those older Philips analog chips with your robots, you're going to get this kind of thing."-Tom'') They spray-paint graffiti on the house ("''Clay figures go home!"-Mike'') and begin to tear down the Gumby's garage. (''"Habitat against humanity."-Crow'').
  
  +
[[Gumby]] uses toy robots to do his chores. Initially Gumba (Gumby's mother) is pleased by her son's ingenuity. Things go awry and the malfunctioning robots wreak havoc throughout the house and yard.
   
−
Mrs. Gumby panics and calls her husband at the fire department, who races home in a fire truck ("''I'll just take the company car."-Mike'') and tries to stop the malignant mechanical men. However, he is quickly overwhelmed by the machines and dumped in the trash. Gumby manages to rescue his father but another robot breaks through the wall with a lawnmower (''"I'd better mow the shag carpeting."-Mike'') and frightens Mrs. Gumby (''"That squares my breasts!"-Crow)''. Gumbo tries to stop a rogue robot who's digging up the flowerbed, but is thrown onto a nearby roof and takes the impact in the groin. (''"Thank God for the internal genitalia!"-Mike''). Gumby gets him down but not even a wrench can stop the robot! (Gumbo gets it thrown through him.) Gumby hijacks a crane (''"Where did Gumby get a class-F license?"-Mike'') and destroys the last robot. Gumby's parents force him to do all the chores by himself. The end credits feature a robot's head hung above Gumby's garage, which causes great disturbance to Servo and Crow.
 +
The robots paint graffiti on the house and begin to tear down the family's garage. Gumba panics and calls her husband Gumbo at the fire department, who races home in a fire truck and tries to stop the robots. He is quickly overwhelmed by the machines and dumped in the trash. Gumby manages to rescue his father while another robot breaks through the wall with a lawnmower and frightens Gumba. Gumbo tries to stop a rogue robot who is digging up the flowerbed, but is thrown onto a nearby roof. Gumby rescues his father, then hijacks a crane and destroys the last robot.
  +
  +
Gumby's parents then force him to do all the chores by himself. The end credits feature a robot's head hung above Gumby's garage, which distresses [[Tom Servo|Servo]] and [[Crow T. Robot|Crow]].
   
 
===Information===
  
===Information===
−
Believe it or not, this was the first Gumby short ever aired. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumby#Origins_of_Gumby [1]]
 +
* This was the first and only ''Gumby'' short used on [[Mystery Science Theater 3000|''MST3K'']].
  +
* The MST3K version cuts out the first five minutes of the short, starting as Gumby and Pokey are heading to the kitchen.
   
 
==The Movie==
  
==The Movie==
  +
{{Main|The Screaming Skull (film)}}
−  
 
===Synopsis===
  
===Synopsis===
  +
A recently-widowed man brings his new bride to the home he inherited from his wealthy deceased wife. The new wife (who has a history of mental health problems) is beset by seemingly-supernatural terrors.
   
  +
==The Episode==
−
The film opens with a warning that you, the viewer, may die from fright while watching it.
  
  +
===Host Segments===
  +
[[File:ScreamingSkullHost.jpg|thumb|242x242px]]
  +
'''Prologue''': [[Tom Servo|Tom]] reveals that he has become a beautiful butterfly.
   
  +
'''Segment One:''' Although he doesn't look like it anymore, Tom is still a beautiful butterfly. Meanwhile, [[Pearl Forrester|Pearl]], [[Brain Guy]], and [[Professor Bobo]] pull a less-than-effective prank on the SOL crew, wasting lots of time and money in the progress.
−
Eric ([[John Whitlock]]) and Jenni ([[Peggy Webber]], the sand-phobic wife from Experiment 906 ''[[The Space Children]]'') are newlyweds. He's a joyless widower ''sans ''vocation, but he does have a mansion on lavishly landscaped grounds from his last marriage, which ended in the sudden death of his wife. Jenni's an unstable heiress who has spent time in a sanitarium due to a traumatic incident in her past - the accidental drowning of her parents, which she witnessed. She blames herself for being unable to save them and also for (prior to the accident) hating her mother and wishing her dead.
  
   
  +
'''Segment Two:''' [[Crow T. Robot|Crow]] and Tom create their own little playlet based on the Gumby short, only to breakdown from the pain caused by it.
−
Back from their honeymoon, they move into the house without phone, lights, or furniture. They encounter three locals - Reverend Snow ([[Russ Conway]]), his wife, and Mickey (director [[Alex Nicol]]), a shabby, semi-verbal groundskeeper who can barely make eye contact, and who, it is said, was extremely close to Eric's dead wife, Marion, having grown up with her.
  
   
  +
'''Segment Three:''' Tom tries to scam his way into getting a free coffin.[[File:Screamingskullhost.PNG|thumb|246x246px|'''Crow as a screaming skull''']]
−
Padre Snow and wife welcome them with fresh eggs and help them hang drapes inside the residence. Snow, who punches up every other line by beginning it with "why" or "well", divulges to Jenni the story of Marion's mysterious demise. "She slipped on a leaf in the rain and hit her head on a wall and the base of her skull was bashed in and she fell in a pool and drowned", he says.
  
   
  +
'''Segment Four:''' Crow disguises himself as a screaming skull to scare [[Mike Nelson|Mike]]. It works a little too well.
−
While Eric's away, Jenni tries to befriend Mickey. Meanwhile, Mickey talks to the painting of Marion in the lobby of the house. "Send them away!", he begs her/it.
  
   
  +
'''Closing (Segment Five):''' Tom's coffin arrives and he reveals that in order to pay for shipping, he has maxed-out Mike's credit card. Later, Bobo tries to pull the same trick on Mike and the Bots from before, resulting in him getting shrunk by Brain Guy.
−
While alone - the vast, vast, vast majority of the film - Jenni hears strange sounds - knocking, distant shrieking, doors banging - and contorts her face into grimaces. (She also heard sounds before she went into the sanituarium, so she's afraid she may be getting sick again). A cabinet door opens by itself; she discovers a lily pad from the pond where Marion drowned on the floor of the house; the audience sees the image of a skull floating before the portrait of Marion. Does Jenni see it? Is she imagining it or is it really there? It's not so clear. Eric ascribes the presence of the aquatic vegetation to Mickey, who, Eric placidly says, probably enters their house unannounced at night. He promises to "speak to him". [[File:Peggy-Webber-Screaming-Skull.jpg|thumb|Jenni]]
  
   
  +
'''Stinger:''' Eric flings a stool at the skeleton.
−
Mickey and Jenni carry flowers to Marion's shrine on the estate grounds. Mickey tells Jenni that Marion "cries at night".
  
   
  +
===MST3K cast===
−
One evening, Jenni hears vigorous knocking at the front door. Upon opening, there is a skull resting on the doorstep, and it appears to roll of its own accord into the house. Mickey observes from outside. Did he do it, or is the skull self-powered? Eric pretends to confront Mickey as though he suspects the latter is responsible.
  
   
  +
Regular cast
−
As part of Eric's unconventional approach to promote mental health, he urges Jenni to ritually burn the portrait of Marion because it reminds Jenni of her mother. They do so, but the painting shrieks in the process. (The audience hears the shriek but not the actors). Jenni and Eric start to bury the ashes, but that unearths yet another skull. Jenni swoons while Eric pretends to see nothing. He abandons Jenni, supine on the lawn, and takes the skull, hiding it in the garden pond, secretly observed by Mickey.
 
  +
*[[Michael J. Nelson]] - [[Mike Nelson]]
−
Jenni, rattled, prepares to return to the rest home.
  
  +
*[[Mary Jo Pehl]] - [[Pearl Forrester]]
  +
*[[Bill Corbett]] - [[Crow T. Robot]] / [[Brain Guy]]
  +
*[[Kevin Murphy]] - [[Tom Servo]] / [[Professor Bobo]]
  +
*[[Patrick Brantseg]] - [[Gypsy]] (credit only)
   
  +
Guest cast
−
Reverend Snow becomes suspicious after hearing of the ashes and skull ceremony. He informs Jenni he is sending men to search the estate for the skull and she relays the information to Eric. He races to retrieve it from the pond, but it's gone. He violently confronts Mickey who tells him "Marion" took the skull.
  
  +
*[[Barbara Tebben]] - Friendly Phone Representative
  +
*[[Patrick Brantseg]] - [[Delivery Man]]
   
  +
=== Trivia ===
−
Jenni prepares to return to the sanitarium. She takes a final walk to bid farewell to Mickey and espies a figure in the distance - someone in a wedding dress and veiled hat. It must be the dead Marion! Jenni screams and flees with "Marion" in hot pursuit, shrieking. Meanwhile, Eric readies a noose to kill Jenny and make it look like suicide. Jenny races into the house and Eric proceeds to throttle her into oblivion.
  
  +
* The last MST3K episode broadcast on [[The Sci-Fi Channel]]. ([[January 31]], [[2004]]).
   
  +
== Obscure References ==
−
Suddenly, there is a loud knock at the door. An intruder has arrived. Who... or ''what''... could it be?
  
  +
*''"Butterflies are free to fly. Fly away, high away, bye-bye."''
  +
:Tom is doing a somewhat matter-of-fact recitation of a lyric from Elton John's song, "{{w|Someone Saved My Life Tonight}}".
  +
*''"Hey, don't! That's Wallace and Gromit's lawn!"''
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Wallace and Gromit|Wallace and Gromit]] are the main characters in a series of claymation films (shorts and a feature) by Nick Park about the adventures of a bumbling inventor and his dog.
  +
*''"Habitat AGAINST Humanity..."''
  +
:{{w|Habitat for Humanity}} is a non-profit Christian organization that builds houses for families in need around the world.
  +
*''"Sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older..."''
  +
:These are the first two lines of the chorus of the song "[[Wikipedia:Sixteen Tons|Sixteen Tons]]" which is about the drudgery and poverty of coal mining. It was originally recorded in 1956, and later popularized by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Ernie_Ford Tennessee Ernie Ford].
  +
*''"Hey, you use one of those older Philips analog chips in your robot, you're going to get this."''
  +
:This refers to an attempt by [[Wikipedia:Philips|Philips]] in 1992 to create the [[Wikipedia:Digital Compact Cassette|Digital Compact Cassette]], a cassette recorder/player that was compatible with analog cassettes and that could compete with MiniDiscs and DATs. It never caught on, and was discontinued in 1996.
  +
*''"So he just goes to work starkers?"''
  +
:"Starkers" is British lingo used to describe someone going completely naked.
  +
*''"I'm going to set you on Don Knotts strength!"''
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Don Knotts|Don Knotts]] was an American comedic actor. His most famous roles include deputy Barney Fife on ''[[Wikipedia:The Andy Griffith Show|The Andy Griffith Show]]'' and landlord Ralph Furley on ''[[Wikipedia:Threes Company|Three's Company]]'', which played up his thinness and lack of physical prowess for humorous effect.
  +
*''"I wonder why the Gumbys never had any other children."''
  +
:Later in the series, Gumby did have a sister. Her name was [http://www.gumbyworld.com/gumby-characters/minga/ Minga]. 
  +
*''"Davey and Goliath are moving in next door. There goes the neighborhood."''
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Davey and Goliath|Davey and Goliath]] is a Christian television show by Art Clokey (also the creator of ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumby Gumby]'') that features the adventures of a boy and his talking dog who gave moral advice.
  +
*''"Now I'm ready for years of powerful Adlerian therapy, Mike!"''
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Alfred Adler|Alfred Adler]] was an Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_psychology individual psychology]. Adler emphasized the importance of equality in preventing various forms of mental disorders. His most famous concept is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferiority_complex inferiority complex] which speaks to the problem of self-esteem and its negative effects on human health. Said complex is recognized as an isolating element which plays a key role in personality development.
  +
*''"This is worse than ''Seven''!"''
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Seven (film)|''Seven'']] (stylized as ''SE7EN'') is a 1995 psychological crime thriller about two detectives' pursuit of a serial killer, who is killing people in ways that make them embody the deadly sins of which the killer feels they are guilty. The deaths of the victims are graphically depicted and extremely gruesome. The penultimate victim is discovered as just a decapitated head in a box.
  +
*''"Gotta move this body back upstate."''
  +
:In the movie [[Wikipedia:Goodfellas|''Goodfellas'']], a group of mobsters must move the body of someone they murdered several months earlier when they learn the area where they buried the body is about to be developed.
  +
*''"Thank you and good night."''
  +
:[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103070/ ''Thank You and Good Night''] is a 1991 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docufiction docufiction] on the family issues of elders, aging, and death.
  +
*''"Looks like a dead person won the Kentucky Derby."''
  +
:{{w|The Kentucky Derby}} is an annual American race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses that, since 1875, has been held on the first Saturday of May. It is also called the "Run for the Roses," because the winning horse is draped in a blanket of red roses.
  +
*''"Al Lewis's one-man show!"''
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Al Lewis (actor)|Al Lewis]] was best known for playing the vampire [[Wikipedia:Grandpa (The Munsters)|Grandpa]] in the sitcom ''[[Wikipedia:The Munsters|The Munsters]].''
  +
*''"Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax."''
  +
:This is the frog chorus from Aristophanes' comedy ''[[Wikipedia:The Frogs|The Frogs]],'' which was first performed in 405 BC. Yale University uses the frog chorus as a cheer.
  +
*''"My Sharona..."''
  +
:"[[Wikipedia:My Sharona|My Sharona]]" is the debut single by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Knack The Knack] in 1979. It re-entered the charts in 1994. It's noted for having a hard, fast bass line.
  +
*''"Mazo-ola corn goo-oodness..."''
  +
:In an ad shown from the late '70s to the early '80s, the three above words were chanted by Native American men in an attempt to connect Mazola corn oil with Native Americans, the natural world, and quality.
   
  +
*''"I knew an Alex Kristy McNichol once. Thank you very much. Good night."''
−
Will Eric get away with murder yet again, or will his treachery be revealed? Will Marion have her vengeance? Will Mickey "Exit - stage left"?
  
  +
:[[Wikipedia:Kristy McNichol|Kristy McNichol]] is an American actress who is best known for her roles as a teen and as a young woman in such TV shows as ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_(1976_TV_series) Family]'' (1976-1980) and in such movies as ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Darlings Little Darlings]'' (1980), ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_When_I_Laugh_(film) Only When I Laugh]'' (1981), and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirate_Movie The Pirate Movie] ''(1982). McNichol's last onscreen role was as Barbara Weston in the sitcom ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empty_Nest Empty Nest]'', which she left in 1992 after being diagnosed as bipolar. She returned for the series finale in 1995. She has rarely appeared on-camera since, though she has done some voice acting.
  +
*''"Help us! NBC is after us! Hide us!"''
  +
:The pretended speakers are the peacocks in this scene, and [http://www.etiziano.com/I_love_logo_design/history_of_the_nbc_logo.html NBC's logo is a peacock].
  +
* "Poor Mickey." ''"He's so fine, he blows my mind, poor Mickey."''
  +
:A re-phrasing of the song "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_(song) Mickey]", popularized by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Basil Toni Basil]. The lyrics are actually "Oh Mickey, you're so fine/You're so fine you blow my mind/Hey Mickey, hey Mickey". Toni Basil also played Red in [[Village of the Giants (film)|''Village of the Giants'']].
  +
* ''"Now let me tell you about Norman Schwarzkopf's book!" ''
  +
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Schwarzkopf_Jr. Norman Schwarzkopf] was a former United States Army General who led the coalition forces in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War first Gulf War]. He was known for being very short-tempered and did in fact write a few books including his memoir ''It Doesn't Take a Hero. ''His serious and stern nature is probably what alludes to the joke that the kind of books Jenny reads are anything but romantic.
   
  +
*''"Are they skeet shooting in the lido deck?"''
−
===Information===
  
  +
:{{w|Skeet shooting}} is one of three sporting practices that involves shooting "clay pigeons" with a shotgun. Skeet shooting is a common recreational activity on high-end cruise ships (as it removes the necessity to clean up the debris from shot pigeons). Such ships often have a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lido lido] deck which contains an outdoor pool and related equipment.
−
Released as the top half of a double feature with ''[[Terror from the Year 5000]]'' (1958).[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052169/trivia]
  
  +
*''"Gandalf's outside scratching things on there."''
  +
:The wizard [[Wikipedia:Gandalf|Gandalf]] from the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien J. R. R. Tolkien] novel ''[[Wikipedia:The Hobbit|The Hobbit]]'' scratched symbols on the door to main protagonist [[Wikipedia:Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo Baggins]]' house so the Company of Dwarves could find him for their quest to reclaim their homeland.
  +
*''"Hey! Do me a favor, open the door, let'' '''em in!"''
  +
:Lyrics from the Paul McCartney & Wings song "{{w|Let 'Em In}}".
  +
*''"First snow, horse, then the Mary Jane."''
  +
:All are street slang for different drugs: cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, respectively.
   
  +
*''"Fruma Sarah!"''
−
==The Episode==
  
−
[[File:912_2.jpg|thumb]]
  
−
===Host Segments===
  
−
'''Prologue''': [[Tom Servo|Tom]] reveals that he has become a beautiful butterfly.
  
   
  +
:In he song "The Dream" from [[Wikipedia:Fiddler On The Roof|''Fiddler on the Roof'']], the "ghost" of Fruma Sarah is part of a story that Tevye weaves to explain a change in an arranged marriage.
−
'''Segment One:''' Although he doesn't look like it anymore, Tom is still a beautiful butterfly. Meanwhile, [[Pearl Forrester|Pearl]], [[Brain Guy]], and [[Professor Bobo|Bobo]] pull a not-so-fast one on the crew, wasting time and money in the progress.
  
   
  +
*"Not me." "''...and Ida Know.''"
−
'''Segment Two:''' [[Crow T. Robot|Crow]] and Tom create their own little cartoon based on the Gumby short, only to breakdown from the pain caused by it.
  
   
  +
:Not Me and Ida Know are two recurring characters in the newspaper comic ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_Circus The Family Circus]''. Appearing as ghosts, they are allegories for the kids' excuses for their own wrongdoing.
−
'''Segment Three:''' The Bots try to scam their way into getting a free coffin.
  
  +
* "Jenni..." ''"I've got your number."''
  +
:Lyrics from the 1981 hit song "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/867-5309/Jenny 867-5309/Jenny]" performed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Tutone Tommy Tutone].
  +
*''"They must have bought that chair from Gateway."''
  +
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway,_Inc. Gateway Inc.] was a company founded in Sioux City, Iowa that built brand recognition in part by shipping computers in spotted boxes patterned after [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holstein_Friesian_cattle Holstein cow] markings.
  +
*''"He's doing Juan Epstein."''
  +
:In the 70s sitcom ''[[wikipedia:Welcome Back, Kotter|Welcome Back, Kotter]]'', a character would occasionally respond to a question with a series of "what?-where?-when?-who?" responses, but the character who did this wasn't Juan Epstein, it was Vinnie Barbarino.
  +
*''"She moves like Gale Sayers."''
  +
:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_Sayers Gale Sayers] was an American professional football player who was both a halfback and return specialist in the NFL from 1965 to 1971. He was known for his elusiveness and agility and was regarded by his peers as one of the most difficult players to tackle.
   
  +
*''"I should have married that nice Mr. von Bülow."''
−
'''Segment Four:''' Crow disguises himself as a screaming skull to scare [[Mike Nelson|Mike]]. It works a little too well.
  
   
  +
:{{w|Claus von Bülow}}, a lawyer, consultant, and socialite, who, in 1982, was initially convicted of both the attempted murder of his wife [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_von_B%C3%BClow Sunny] in 1979, which had left her in a temporary coma, as well as an alleged insulin overdose in 1980 that left her in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of her life. On appeal, however, both convictions were reversed, and he was found not guilty at his second trial.
−
'''Closing (Segment Five):''' Tom's coffin arrives and reveals that to pay for shipping, he maxed-out Mikes credit card. Later, Bobo tries to pull the same trick on Mike and the Bots from before, resulting in him getting shrunk by Brain Guy.
  
   
  +
*''"I was going to do Dance of the Seven Veils, but I only have four."''
−
'''Stinger:''' Eric flings a stool at the skeleton.
  
  +
:The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_of_the_Seven_Veils Dance of the Seven Veils] is [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome Salome]'s dance performed before [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_II Herod II]. It is an elaboration on the biblical story of the execution of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John the Baptist], which refers to Salome dancing before the king, but does not give the dance a name.
   
  +
*''"The only end my friend!" "Yeah, yeah, and the children are insane..."''
−
===Obscure References===
  
   
  +
:Crow and Mike are reciting lyrics from the song "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_End_(The_Doors_song) The End]" by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors The Doors] which was used for the opening and ending of the movie ''[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_Now Apocalypse Now]''. The actual lyrics are "This is the end, my only friend" and "All the children are insane."
−
'''Robot Rumpus'''
  
−
*''"Hey don't! That's Wallace and Gromit's lawn!"''
  
−
[[Wikipedia:Wallace and Gromit|Wallace and Gromit]] are the main characters in a series of animated films (shorts and a feature) by Nick Park that features the adventures of a bumbling inventor and his dog.
  
   
  +
== Memorable Quotes ==
−
*''Habitat AGAINST Humanity.''
  
−
[http://www.habitat.org/how/factsheet.aspx Habitat for Humanity] is a nonprofit Christian organization that builds houses for families in need around the world.
  
   
  +
=== ''Robot Rumpus (A Gumby Adventure) (short)'' ===
−
*''Sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older...''
  
  +
: '''Crow [as Gumby]''': One of my classmates died in the kiln today, ''mother''.
−
These are the first two lines of the chorus of the song [[Wikipedia:Sixteen Tons|Sixteen Tons]] which is about the drudgery and poverty of coal mining. It was originally recorded in 1956, and later popularized by Tennesee Ernie Ford.
  
   
  +
: '''Tom Servo''': The nice thing about Gumby is that you can also use him as window caulk.
−
*''Hey, you use one of those older Philips analog chips in your robot, you're going to get this.''
  
−
This refers to an attempt by [[Wikipedia:Philips|Philips]] in 1992 to create the [[Wikipedia:Digital_Compact_Cassette|Digital Compact Cassette]], a cassette recorder/player that was compatible with analog cassettes and that could compete with MiniDiscs and DATs. It never caught on, and was discontinued in 1996.
  
−
*''So he just goes to work starkers?''
  
−
"Starkers" is British lingo used to describe someone going "completely naked."
  
−
*''I'm going to set you on Don Knotts strength!''
  
−
[[Wikipedia:Don_Knotts|Don Knotts]] (1924-2006) was an American comedic actor. His most famous roles--deputy Barney Fife on ''The Andy Griffith Show'', and landlord Ralph Furley on ''Three's Company''--played up his thinness and lack of physical prowess for humorous effect.
  
−
*''I wonder why 'The Gumbys' never had any other children.''
  
−
Actually, they did. Later in the series, Gumby had a sister named [http://www.gumbyworld.com/gumby-characters/minga/ Minga] . 
  
−
*''"Davey and Goliath are moving in next door. There goes the neighbourhood."''
  
−
[[Wikipedia:Davey and Goliath|Davey and Goliath]] was a Christian television show by Art Clokey (also the creator of ''Gumby'') that featured the adventures of a claymation boy and his talking dog who gave moral advice.
  
   
  +
: ''[One of the robots doing Gumby's yardwork drives its lawnmower through the fence into the next yard.]''
−
*''"Now I'm ready for years of powerful Adlerian therapy, Mike!"''
  
  +
: '''Crow''': Hey, don't! That's Wallace and Gromit's yard!
−
A reference to types of psychotherapy based on the theories of [[Wikipedia:Alfred Adler|Alfred Adler]].
  
  +
: ''[Another robot chops down a tree.]''
  +
: '''Mike''': Hey! That's old-growth clay!
  +
: . . .
  +
: ''[Another robot is ripping slats from the garage.]''
  +
: '''Crow''': Habitat ''Against'' Humanity.
   
  +
: ''[Gumby's dad Gumbo arrives at the house, where we see a cloud — actually, a piece of white fluff — stuck on the construction-paper sky.]''
−
*''This is worse than Seven!''
  
  +
: '''Crow [as Weatherman]''': It's a fair to partly-cottony day…
−
[[Wikipedia:Seven_(film)|Seven]] (also called ''Se7en'') was a 1995 thriller about two detectives' pursuit of a serial killer, who is killing people in ways that make them embody the deadly sins the killer feels they are guilty of. The deaths of the victims are graphically depicted and extremely gruesome.
  
   
  +
: '''Gumby's Mother''': Such clever boys certainly deserve crackers with their milk!
−
*''Gotta move this body back upstate.''
  
  +
: '''Servo''': ''Crackers?'' Wow! Maybe they can have ''white rice'' later!
−
A reference to a scene in the movie [[Wikipedia:Goodfellas|Goodfellas]], in which a group of mobsters must move the body of someone they murdered several months previous when they learn the area where they buried the body is about to be developed.
  
   
  +
: ''[A robot is digging up the flower garden.]''
  +
: '''Crow [as mobster]''': Gotta move this body back upstate.
   
  +
: ''[A robot spray paints the house]''
−
'''The Screaming Skull'''
  
  +
: '''Mike''': Clay figures, go home!
   
  +
: ''[A robot throws a wrench at Gumbo, which goes through him and leaves a wrench-shaped hole in his torso.]''
−
*''Thank you and good night.''
  
  +
: '''Servo''': Liquid metal!
−
[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103070/ Thank You and Good Night] (1991) was a documentary on the elderly, aging and death.
  
  +
: ''[The camera cuts to Gumby's reaction.]''
  +
: '''Mike [as Gumby]:''' Hey, you can throw things through Dad! I'm gonna get an anvil!
   
  +
: ''[Gumbo flies through the air and lands, legs spread, on the roof of the neighboring house.]''
−
*''Looks like a dead person won the Kentucky Derby.''
  
  +
: '''Mike [as Gumbo]''': Thank goodness for the internal genitalia!
−
The Kentucky Derby is an annual American race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses that, since 1875, has been held on the first Saturday of May. It is also called the "Run for the Roses," because the winning horse is draped in a blanket of red roses.
  
   
  +
: ''[Gumby's stacked mother gives a stern look at a robot who's invaded the house.]''
−
*''Al Lewis's one-man show!''
  
  +
: '''Crow [as Gumby's Mother]''': That squares my breasts!
−
[[Wikipedia:Al_Lewis_(actor)|Al Lewis]] (1923-2006) was best known for playing the vampire [[Wikipedia:Grandpa_(The_Munsters)|Grandpa]] in the sitcom ''The Munsters''.
  
   
  +
: ''[Gumbo slides down the fire truck ladder from the roof in a sitting position.]''
−
*''Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax.''
  
  +
: '''Mike [as Gumbo]''': Son, I'm gonna need a can of Play-Doh to replace my butt.
−
The frog chorus from Aristophanes' comedy, [[Wikipedia:The_Frogs|The Frogs]], which was first performed in 405 B.C. Yale University uses the frog chorus as a cheer.
  
   
  +
: ''[A robot head hangs over a garage door with the words, "THE END".]''
−
*''My Sharona...''
  
  +
: '''Servo''': Aah! They hung his head! Oh...
−
[[Wikipedia:My_Sharona|My Sharona]] was the debut single by the Knack in 1979, and re-entered the charts in 1994. It's noted for having a hard, fast bassline.
  
  +
: '''Crow''': Now I'm ready for years of powerful Adlerian therapy, Mike.
  +
: '''Servo''': They hung his head! Oh... oh... This is worse than ''Se7en''!
  +
: '''Mike''': Hey! His bump is on the other side!
   
  +
=== ''The Screaming Skull (movie)'' ===
−
*''Mazo-ola corn goo-oodness....''
  
−
Refers to an ad shown from the late '70s to the early '80s. The three above words were chanted by Native American men in an attempt to connect Mazola corn oil with Native Americans, the natural world and quality. The 1982 version of the ad may be seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYPtnxiwydk here], from 1:37 to 2:01.
  
   
  +
: '''Narrator''': "The Screaming Skull" is a motion picture that reaches its climax in shocking horror.
−
This, coincidentally, is probably the oldest joke the gang ever used, going back all the way to the second episode of the series, [[The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy]] by [[Josh Weinstein|the original Tom Servo]]. It is thus the only joke to be heard by every actor on the show (Joel, Mike, and both voice actors for Crow and Tom Servo).
  
  +
: '''Mike''': ...but we cut that.
−
*''I knew an Alex Kristy McNichol once. Thank you very much. Good night.''
  
  +
: '''Narrator''': Its' impact is so terrifying, it may have an unforeseen effect: it may kill you.
−
[[Wikipedia:Kristy_McNichol|Kristy McNichol]] was an American actress who was best known for her roles as a teen and as a young woman in such TV shows as ''Family'' (1976-1980) and in such movies as ''Little Darlings'' (1980), ''Only When I Laugh'' (1981) and ''The Pirate Movie''(1982). McNichol's last onscreen role was as Barbara Weston in the sitcom ''Empty Nest'', which she left in 1992 after being diagnosed as bipolar. She returned in the series finale in 1995, which, to date, was her final appearance onscreen, though she has done some voice acting since.
  
  +
: '''Servo''': ...if you watch it in front of a moving bus.
   
  +
: '''Eric''': Jenni, this is Mickey.
−
*''Help us! NBC is after us! Hide us!''
  
  +
: '''Mike [as Eric]''': Mickey's a wide-awake nightmare!
−
The pretended speakers are the peacocks in this scene--and [http://www.etiziano.com/I_love_logo_design/history_of_the_nbc_logo.html NBC's logo is a peacock].
  
   
  +
: ''[Jenni goes to Marian's room, grabs a skull she found in the chifforobe, and flings it out the window.]''
−
* Poor Mickey. ''He's so fine, he blows my mind, poor Mickey.''
  
  +
: '''Servo''': Alas, poor Yorick! She threw him well!
−
A slight misquote of Toni Basil's song "Mickey". The lyrics are actually ''Oh Mickey, you're so fine/You're so fine you blow my mind/Hey Mickey, hey Mickey.'' Full lyrics are [http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/toni_basil/mickey.html here].
  
   
  +
: ''[Jenni pours her heart out to Reverend Snow, who looks grim.]''
−
*''Are they skeet shooting in the lido deck?.''
  
  +
: '''Mike [as Rev. Snow]''': Have you tried talking to ''your'' minister about this?
−
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeet_shooting Skeet shooting] is one of three sporting practices that involves shooting "clay pigeons" with a shotgun. Skeet shooting is often offered as a recreational activity on high-end cruise ships (as it removes the necessity to clean up the debris from shot pigeons).
  
   
  +
: ''[The face on Marian's tombstone briefly appears to morph into a skull as Eric looks at it.]''
−
*''"Hey! Do me a favor! Open the door! Let him in!"''
  
  +
: '''Servo [as Eric]''': Don't you make that skull face at me, missy!
−
Referencing lyrics from the Paul McCartney & Wings song [http://www.lyricsfreak.com/p/paul+mccartney+wings/let+em+in_20245183.html 'Let Em In'].
  
   
  +
: ''[Over a long shot of Jenni sitting on her bed, not moving...]''
−
*''"Fruma Sarah!"''
  
  +
: '''Crow''': ''[impatient]'' Can we help you, movie lady? Do you need a push or something?
−
This refers to "The Dream" from [[Wikipedia:Fiddler On The Roof|Fiddler On The Roof]]. In this notable sequence, the "ghost" of Fruma Sarah is part of a story that Tevye weaves to explain a change in an arranged marriage.
  
   
  +
: ''[In the greenhouse, Mickey struggles with an armful of flowerpots, dropping them as he tries to pick more up.]''
−
*"''...and Ida Know''"
  
  +
: '''Crow''': ''GET A BOX!''
   
  +
: ''[As Jenni runs from Marian's ghost, the soundtrack has a soprano singing an erratic sequence of creepy notes.]''
−
Not Me and Ida Know are two recurring characters in the newspaper comic Family Circus. Appearing as ghosts, they are allegories for the kid's excuses.
  
  +
: '''Servo''': Kiri Te Kanawa is drunk again!
−
*''"He's doing Juan Epstein."''
  
  +
−
A reference to the 70s sitcom ''[[wikipedia:Welcome Back, Kotter|Welcome Back, Kotter]]'', which featured a character who would occasionally respond to a question with a series of what-where-when-who responses.  (The character who did this, however, wasn't Juan Epstein, it was Vinnie Barbarino.)
  
  +
: ''[Jenni, back in the house, is shrieking uncontrollably.]''
  +
: '''Crow''': Oh, great! She's playing her Yoko Ono albums.
  +
: '''Mike''': I think the title was supposed to be "Screaming, ''semicolon'', Skull".
  +
  +
: ''[There is a long scene of continuous knocking at the door]''
  +
: '''Mike''': Martin Luther is nailing each thesis individually.
  +
  +
: ''[Eric flees to the stairs, where a skull tumbles down toward him.]''
  +
: '''Crow''': Everyone knows it's Slink-skull!
  +
  +
: '''Crow''': So, this movie's kind of a combination of "The Tell-Tale Heart", ''Blithe Spirit'', and... well, a piece of lint, I guess.
  +
  +
: ''[The skull is throw out the window and hits the ground rolling, landing right side up.]''
  +
: '''Crow''': Settled in a divot.
  +
: ''[The skull twitches.]''
  +
: '''Servo''': Woof!
   
−
===Notes===
 +
==Video releases==
  +
[[File:Mst3k screaming skull dvd.jpg|thumb|376x376px|'''MST3K DVD Cover''']]
−
The last MST3K episode ever broadcast ([[January 31]], [[2004]]).
  
  +
*Commercially released on DVD by [[Shout! Factory]] in November 2014 as part of [[Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Turkey Day Collection|Volume XXXI]], a 4-disc set along with ''[[MST3K 203 - Jungle Goddess|Jungle Goddess]]'', ''[[MST3K 510 - The Painted Hills|The Painted Hills]]'', and ''[[MST3K 1012 - Squirm|Squirm]]''.
  +
**The DVD includes a [[Turkey Day]]-style intro, the [[Ballyhoo Motion Pictures]] features ''This Film May Kill You: Making The Screaming Skull'' and ''Gumby and Clokey'', and a theatrical trailer.
  +
* Re-released in October, 2016 in a [[Mystery Science Theater 3000: Double Feature|"Double Feature"]] with ''[[MST3K 313 - Earth vs the Spider|Earth vs the Spider]]''. This release is a single disc that lacks the extras from the Turkey Day Collection.
  +
* This episode was also included as an extra on Shout! Factory's [[List of Blu-ray releases|Blu-ray]] of the unriffed movie in April 2017.
   
  +
==References==
  +
<references />
   
  +
===<nowiki/>===
 
{{Season9}}
  
{{Season9}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Screaming Skull}}
  
{{DEFAULTSORT:Screaming Skull}}
Line 173: Line 264:
 
[[Category:Season 9]]
  
[[Category:Season 9]]
 
[[Category:Episodes with shorts]]
  
[[Category:Episodes with shorts]]
−
[[Category:Unrated movies]]
 +
[[Category:Directed by Kevin Murphy]]
−
[[Category:Episodes directed by Kevin Murphy]]
  

Latest revision as of 19:38, 15 November 2023

“ "That squares my breasts!" ”
- Crow T. Robot (as Gumby's mother)


The Short: Robot Rumpus

Synopsis

0912s1

Gumby uses toy robots to do his chores. Initially Gumba (Gumby's mother) is pleased by her son's ingenuity. Things go awry and the malfunctioning robots wreak havoc throughout the house and yard.

The robots paint graffiti on the house and begin to tear down the family's garage. Gumba panics and calls her husband Gumbo at the fire department, who races home in a fire truck and tries to stop the robots. He is quickly overwhelmed by the machines and dumped in the trash. Gumby manages to rescue his father while another robot breaks through the wall with a lawnmower and frightens Gumba. Gumbo tries to stop a rogue robot who is digging up the flowerbed, but is thrown onto a nearby roof. Gumby rescues his father, then hijacks a crane and destroys the last robot.

Gumby's parents then force him to do all the chores by himself. The end credits feature a robot's head hung above Gumby's garage, which distresses Servo and Crow.

Information

  • This was the first and only Gumby short used on MST3K.
  • The MST3K version cuts out the first five minutes of the short, starting as Gumby and Pokey are heading to the kitchen.

The Movie

Main article: The Screaming Skull (film)

Synopsis

A recently-widowed man brings his new bride to the home he inherited from his wealthy deceased wife. The new wife (who has a history of mental health problems) is beset by seemingly-supernatural terrors.

The Episode

Host Segments

ScreamingSkullHost

Prologue: Tom reveals that he has become a beautiful butterfly.

Segment One: Although he doesn't look like it anymore, Tom is still a beautiful butterfly. Meanwhile, Pearl, Brain Guy, and Professor Bobo pull a less-than-effective prank on the SOL crew, wasting lots of time and money in the progress.

Segment Two: Crow and Tom create their own little playlet based on the Gumby short, only to breakdown from the pain caused by it.

Segment Three: Tom tries to scam his way into getting a free coffin.

Screamingskullhost

Crow as a screaming skull

Segment Four: Crow disguises himself as a screaming skull to scare Mike. It works a little too well.

Closing (Segment Five): Tom's coffin arrives and he reveals that in order to pay for shipping, he has maxed-out Mike's credit card. Later, Bobo tries to pull the same trick on Mike and the Bots from before, resulting in him getting shrunk by Brain Guy.

Stinger: Eric flings a stool at the skeleton.

MST3K cast

Regular cast

Guest cast

Trivia

Obscure References

  • "Butterflies are free to fly. Fly away, high away, bye-bye."
Tom is doing a somewhat matter-of-fact recitation of a lyric from Elton John's song, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".
  • "Hey, don't! That's Wallace and Gromit's lawn!"
Wallace and Gromit are the main characters in a series of claymation films (shorts and a feature) by Nick Park about the adventures of a bumbling inventor and his dog.
  • "Habitat AGAINST Humanity..."
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit Christian organization that builds houses for families in need around the world.
  • "Sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older..."
These are the first two lines of the chorus of the song "Sixteen Tons" which is about the drudgery and poverty of coal mining. It was originally recorded in 1956, and later popularized by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
  • "Hey, you use one of those older Philips analog chips in your robot, you're going to get this."
This refers to an attempt by Philips in 1992 to create the Digital Compact Cassette, a cassette recorder/player that was compatible with analog cassettes and that could compete with MiniDiscs and DATs. It never caught on, and was discontinued in 1996.
  • "So he just goes to work starkers?"
"Starkers" is British lingo used to describe someone going completely naked.
  • "I'm going to set you on Don Knotts strength!"
Don Knotts was an American comedic actor. His most famous roles include deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show and landlord Ralph Furley on Three's Company, which played up his thinness and lack of physical prowess for humorous effect.
  • "I wonder why the Gumbys never had any other children."
Later in the series, Gumby did have a sister. Her name was Minga. 
  • "Davey and Goliath are moving in next door. There goes the neighborhood."
Davey and Goliath is a Christian television show by Art Clokey (also the creator of Gumby) that features the adventures of a boy and his talking dog who gave moral advice.
  • "Now I'm ready for years of powerful Adlerian therapy, Mike!"
Alfred Adler was an Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology. Adler emphasized the importance of equality in preventing various forms of mental disorders. His most famous concept is the inferiority complex which speaks to the problem of self-esteem and its negative effects on human health. Said complex is recognized as an isolating element which plays a key role in personality development.
  • "This is worse than Seven!"
Seven (stylized as SE7EN) is a 1995 psychological crime thriller about two detectives' pursuit of a serial killer, who is killing people in ways that make them embody the deadly sins of which the killer feels they are guilty. The deaths of the victims are graphically depicted and extremely gruesome. The penultimate victim is discovered as just a decapitated head in a box.
  • "Gotta move this body back upstate."
In the movie Goodfellas, a group of mobsters must move the body of someone they murdered several months earlier when they learn the area where they buried the body is about to be developed.
  • "Thank you and good night."
Thank You and Good Night is a 1991 docufiction on the family issues of elders, aging, and death.
  • "Looks like a dead person won the Kentucky Derby."
The Kentucky Derby is an annual American race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses that, since 1875, has been held on the first Saturday of May. It is also called the "Run for the Roses," because the winning horse is draped in a blanket of red roses.
  • "Al Lewis's one-man show!"
Al Lewis was best known for playing the vampire Grandpa in the sitcom The Munsters.
  • "Brekekekex, ko-ax, ko-ax."
This is the frog chorus from Aristophanes' comedy The Frogs, which was first performed in 405 BC. Yale University uses the frog chorus as a cheer.
  • "My Sharona..."
"My Sharona" is the debut single by The Knack in 1979. It re-entered the charts in 1994. It's noted for having a hard, fast bass line.
  • "Mazo-ola corn goo-oodness..."
In an ad shown from the late '70s to the early '80s, the three above words were chanted by Native American men in an attempt to connect Mazola corn oil with Native Americans, the natural world, and quality.
  • "I knew an Alex Kristy McNichol once. Thank you very much. Good night."
Kristy McNichol is an American actress who is best known for her roles as a teen and as a young woman in such TV shows as Family (1976-1980) and in such movies as Little Darlings (1980), Only When I Laugh (1981), and The Pirate Movie (1982). McNichol's last onscreen role was as Barbara Weston in the sitcom Empty Nest, which she left in 1992 after being diagnosed as bipolar. She returned for the series finale in 1995. She has rarely appeared on-camera since, though she has done some voice acting.
  • "Help us! NBC is after us! Hide us!"
The pretended speakers are the peacocks in this scene, and NBC's logo is a peacock.
  • "Poor Mickey." "He's so fine, he blows my mind, poor Mickey."
A re-phrasing of the song "Mickey", popularized by Toni Basil. The lyrics are actually "Oh Mickey, you're so fine/You're so fine you blow my mind/Hey Mickey, hey Mickey". Toni Basil also played Red in Village of the Giants.
  • "Now let me tell you about Norman Schwarzkopf's book!"
Norman Schwarzkopf was a former United States Army General who led the coalition forces in the first Gulf War. He was known for being very short-tempered and did in fact write a few books including his memoir It Doesn't Take a Hero. His serious and stern nature is probably what alludes to the joke that the kind of books Jenny reads are anything but romantic.
  • "Are they skeet shooting in the lido deck?"
Skeet shooting is one of three sporting practices that involves shooting "clay pigeons" with a shotgun. Skeet shooting is a common recreational activity on high-end cruise ships (as it removes the necessity to clean up the debris from shot pigeons). Such ships often have a lido deck which contains an outdoor pool and related equipment.
  • "Gandalf's outside scratching things on there."
The wizard Gandalf from the J. R. R. Tolkien novel The Hobbit scratched symbols on the door to main protagonist Bilbo Baggins' house so the Company of Dwarves could find him for their quest to reclaim their homeland.
  • "Hey! Do me a favor, open the door, let 'em in!"
Lyrics from the Paul McCartney & Wings song "Let 'Em In".
  • "First snow, horse, then the Mary Jane."
All are street slang for different drugs: cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, respectively.
  • "Fruma Sarah!"
In he song "The Dream" from Fiddler on the Roof, the "ghost" of Fruma Sarah is part of a story that Tevye weaves to explain a change in an arranged marriage.
  • "Not me." "...and Ida Know."
Not Me and Ida Know are two recurring characters in the newspaper comic The Family Circus. Appearing as ghosts, they are allegories for the kids' excuses for their own wrongdoing.
  • "Jenni..." "I've got your number."
Lyrics from the 1981 hit song "867-5309/Jenny" performed by Tommy Tutone.
  • "They must have bought that chair from Gateway."
Gateway Inc. was a company founded in Sioux City, Iowa that built brand recognition in part by shipping computers in spotted boxes patterned after Holstein cow markings.
  • "He's doing Juan Epstein."
In the 70s sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter, a character would occasionally respond to a question with a series of "what?-where?-when?-who?" responses, but the character who did this wasn't Juan Epstein, it was Vinnie Barbarino.
  • "She moves like Gale Sayers."
Gale Sayers was an American professional football player who was both a halfback and return specialist in the NFL from 1965 to 1971. He was known for his elusiveness and agility and was regarded by his peers as one of the most difficult players to tackle.
  • "I should have married that nice Mr. von Bülow."
Claus von Bülow, a lawyer, consultant, and socialite, who, in 1982, was initially convicted of both the attempted murder of his wife Sunny in 1979, which had left her in a temporary coma, as well as an alleged insulin overdose in 1980 that left her in a persistent vegetative state for the rest of her life. On appeal, however, both convictions were reversed, and he was found not guilty at his second trial.
  • "I was going to do Dance of the Seven Veils, but I only have four."
The Dance of the Seven Veils is Salome's dance performed before Herod II. It is an elaboration on the biblical story of the execution of John the Baptist, which refers to Salome dancing before the king, but does not give the dance a name.
  • "The only end my friend!" "Yeah, yeah, and the children are insane..."
Crow and Mike are reciting lyrics from the song "The End" by The Doors which was used for the opening and ending of the movie Apocalypse Now. The actual lyrics are "This is the end, my only friend" and "All the children are insane."

Memorable Quotes

Robot Rumpus (A Gumby Adventure) (short)

Crow [as Gumby]: One of my classmates died in the kiln today, mother.
Tom Servo: The nice thing about Gumby is that you can also use him as window caulk.
[One of the robots doing Gumby's yardwork drives its lawnmower through the fence into the next yard.]
Crow: Hey, don't! That's Wallace and Gromit's yard!
[Another robot chops down a tree.]
Mike: Hey! That's old-growth clay!
. . .
[Another robot is ripping slats from the garage.]
Crow: Habitat Against Humanity.
[Gumby's dad Gumbo arrives at the house, where we see a cloud — actually, a piece of white fluff — stuck on the construction-paper sky.]
Crow [as Weatherman]: It's a fair to partly-cottony day…
Gumby's Mother: Such clever boys certainly deserve crackers with their milk!
Servo: Crackers? Wow! Maybe they can have white rice later!
[A robot is digging up the flower garden.]
Crow [as mobster]: Gotta move this body back upstate.
[A robot spray paints the house]
Mike: Clay figures, go home!
[A robot throws a wrench at Gumbo, which goes through him and leaves a wrench-shaped hole in his torso.]
Servo: Liquid metal!
[The camera cuts to Gumby's reaction.]
Mike [as Gumby]: Hey, you can throw things through Dad! I'm gonna get an anvil!
[Gumbo flies through the air and lands, legs spread, on the roof of the neighboring house.]
Mike [as Gumbo]: Thank goodness for the internal genitalia!
[Gumby's stacked mother gives a stern look at a robot who's invaded the house.]
Crow [as Gumby's Mother]: That squares my breasts!
[Gumbo slides down the fire truck ladder from the roof in a sitting position.]
Mike [as Gumbo]: Son, I'm gonna need a can of Play-Doh to replace my butt.
[A robot head hangs over a garage door with the words, "THE END".]
Servo: Aah! They hung his head! Oh...
Crow: Now I'm ready for years of powerful Adlerian therapy, Mike.
Servo: They hung his head! Oh... oh... This is worse than Se7en!
Mike: Hey! His bump is on the other side!

The Screaming Skull (movie)

Narrator: "The Screaming Skull" is a motion picture that reaches its climax in shocking horror.
Mike: ...but we cut that.
Narrator: Its' impact is so terrifying, it may have an unforeseen effect: it may kill you.
Servo: ...if you watch it in front of a moving bus.
Eric: Jenni, this is Mickey.
Mike [as Eric]: Mickey's a wide-awake nightmare!
[Jenni goes to Marian's room, grabs a skull she found in the chifforobe, and flings it out the window.]
Servo: Alas, poor Yorick! She threw him well!
[Jenni pours her heart out to Reverend Snow, who looks grim.]
Mike [as Rev. Snow]: Have you tried talking to your minister about this?
[The face on Marian's tombstone briefly appears to morph into a skull as Eric looks at it.]
Servo [as Eric]: Don't you make that skull face at me, missy!
[Over a long shot of Jenni sitting on her bed, not moving...]
Crow: [impatient] Can we help you, movie lady? Do you need a push or something?
[In the greenhouse, Mickey struggles with an armful of flowerpots, dropping them as he tries to pick more up.]
Crow: GET A BOX!
[As Jenni runs from Marian's ghost, the soundtrack has a soprano singing an erratic sequence of creepy notes.]
Servo: Kiri Te Kanawa is drunk again!
[Jenni, back in the house, is shrieking uncontrollably.]
Crow: Oh, great! She's playing her Yoko Ono albums.
Mike: I think the title was supposed to be "Screaming, semicolon, Skull".
[There is a long scene of continuous knocking at the door]
Mike: Martin Luther is nailing each thesis individually.
[Eric flees to the stairs, where a skull tumbles down toward him.]
Crow: Everyone knows it's Slink-skull!
Crow: So, this movie's kind of a combination of "The Tell-Tale Heart", Blithe Spirit, and... well, a piece of lint, I guess.
[The skull is throw out the window and hits the ground rolling, landing right side up.]
Crow: Settled in a divot.
[The skull twitches.]
Servo: Woof!

Video releases

Mst3k screaming skull dvd

MST3K DVD Cover

References


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