MST3K: Episode 309 - The Amazing Colossal Man

I'm watching all the episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in order. More about this here. It began here.

Episode 309: The Amazing Colossal Man

First aired: Comedy Central on 27 July 1991
Availability: Rhino VHS (out of print), Amazon VHS, MST3KVideos.com DVD

AMAZING!

This movie is the only VHS release of an MST3K episode that was never re-released on DVD. The episode came out on VHS in 1996, but was removed the next year because of an issue with rights.

Fan copies of this episode exist, but I don't have one of those. I own the VHS tape, which allows me to own not only all the MST3K DVDs released, but also all of the episodes released (although only briefly).

I actually saw this movie -- the actual movie -- on TV years ago, either in the 1960s or early 1970s. I remember enjoying the movie. Most of the movie anyway. The beginning where the plutonium bomb blew up and the hero (Glenn) fell over all bomb-scarred? That stayed with me. Of course, they showed it three times in the movie, so, yeah, I remember it.

Glenn meets Vegas Vic

I think this movie was also my introduction to certain landmarks in Las Vegas. The cowboy at the Pioneer Club? I think this movie is where I first saw it. And, when we went to Las Vegas some years ago, that's one of the things I wanted to make sure I saw.

One of the riffs by Joel & the Bots was calling A&E "The All-Hitler Channel." Wife used to call History Channel that.

I enjoyed the bits where they came up with ways to talk about Glenn's injuries. Those were so bad they were good. Very good. And very bad. Good bad.

Yul Brynner made a return appearance. Or a reference to his "Don't smoke, I'm dead now" from after when he died from lung cancer. This time, it's "I'm huge, don't smoke."

Glenn (Michael J. Nelson) visits the Satellite of Love

Oh, and at the beginning, when they sang the "Scarecrow" song? I loved that. I wonder how many people remember "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" from Walt Disney.

By the way, this movie came out in the fall of 1957, after The Incredible Shrinking Man, which was released in the spring of that year. Good year for extraordinary-sized men.

I don't know if the riffing was spectacular in this episode, or if the fact that I remember the movie fondly from my childhood was the reason I liked it so much. But I liked it so much. And I really do think it's because it's just plain funny.

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