MST3K: Episode 105 - The Corpse Vanishes

I am watching all of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. More about that can be found here and here.

Episode 105: The Corpse Vanishes

First aired: The Comedy Channel on 9 December 1989
Availability: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon (Volume 16 standard edition / Collector's Edition), Shout Factory (Volume 16 standard edition / Collector's Edition), Best Brains (Volume 16 Collector's Edition)

The 'Bots await Joel

Another out-of-order episode, but for a different reason than the series opener. This is an instance where the production number simply didn't match the production order. It seems that the number 104 was skipped, but would be applied to the last episode of Season One. Don't know why.

Joel featured another retread of sorts during the Invention Exchange. The Chiro-Gyro was featured in the unaired pilot/demo. As with many of the inventions, the prop was part of Joel's stand-up act.

I remember seeing the chiropractic helmet when he appeared on TV ... at some time many years ago. I didn't recall the name of the comic, although it had to have been Joel Hodgson. Either that, or some other comic stole his gag.

"Chiro-Gyro" from the pilot/demo

"Chiro-Gyro" (Season 1)

Two of the host segments were retreads. The haircut sequence from Episode K10 - Cosmic Princess was reworked. They also redid the "playing tag" sequence from Episode K11 - Humanoid Woman.

Joel gets a haircut (KTMA)

Joel gets a haircut (Season 1)

When the serial (another chapter from Radar Men from the Moon) started, Servo and Crow were already in the theater. I don't recall that ever happening in any of the episodes I've ever seen.

This is the Radar Men chapter where Servo first said "Nipple, nipple, tweak, tweak" when Commando Cody prepared to fly. I recall having heard that, and this is the first episode where this was said.

"Nipple, nipple, tweak, tweak"

One thing about this serial: the special effects of Cody flying (not the close-up, but the distance views) are actually pretty good, particularly considering this is a low-budget serial from the 1950s.

The movie? Mostly a rip-off of the Wolfman, but with a mad scientist as the catalyst for the transformation rather than a werewolf bite. Bela Lugosi plays a mad scientist, but sleeps in a coffin for some reason. There's a whole plot involving him murdering brides at the altar and stealing their corpses to keep his wife young. Or something.

The plot is off-kilter and illogical enough to make great fodder for MST3K.

One thing I've noticed about myself after having watched all these Joel episodes: I'm not thinking of MST3K as a "Joel" show. It was a "Mike" show for all these years, but having seen so much Joel now, I have a different perspective. I'll be curious as to my reaction when Mike takes over in Season Five. Will I go back to thinking of it as a "Mike" show? Will I fall into the Joel vs Mike trap?

We'll see.

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