MST3K: Episode 501 - Warrior of the Lost World

I'm watching all of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes in order. More about that here and here.

Episode 501: Warrior of the Lost World

First aired: Comedy Central on 24 July 1993
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 plot was lost, too.

Remember The Paper Chase? No, not the movie. The TV show. Sure you do.

One of the stars was Robert Ginty. He wasn't in the movie, but was in The Paper Chase: Season One, which aired on CBS. When Showtime picked the series up, he didn't come along. He had moved on from TV and was making movies by then.

When The Paper Chase: Season Two made its debut on Showtime, Warrior of the Lost World was getting ready to make its world premiere ... in Italy. It finally made it to American movie screens in 1985.

Persis Khambatta talks to Paper Chase Unit

Even though this movie took two years to make it to America, it was out of theaters and on video by the time The Paper Chase finally ended its TV run.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 never did The Paper Chase. But they did Warrior of the Lost World.

Just think, if Robert Ginty had decided to move with The Paper Chase to Showtime, he might never have appeared in an episode of MST3K. Then where would be be? Okay, he'd still be dead, but you get my point.

About this episode...

MegaWeapon, my hero.

In the future, Paper Chase Guy rides a goofy motorcycle that speaks fluent 80s. He's hired by the bald chick from Star Trek: The Motion Picture to rescue her dad from Blofeld. Dad gets rescued but Lt. Ilia gets captured and brainwashed to kill her dad. She shoots Blofeld, but it turns out it wasn't him and the bad guys get away. The end.

When I got this episode on DVD, I wasn't sure that I had seen it before. It really didn't see familiar. I was 1/3 way through it before I was able to confirm that I had seen it. The Invention Exchange didn't stand out, although I thought the segment was great. I don't know why I didn't remember them.

Maybe when I saw it on Comedy Central, I only saw part of the episode. Whatever the reason, I didn't remember the first half-hour of the episode. But, once we got to the rescue, it all came flooding back.

The Square Master.

Joel builds slot cars for the Bots.

I liked this episode. Yes, the movie was bad. Really, really bad. I didn't like the characters. Robert Ginty was a good actor, but even Laurence Olivier in his prime couldn't have done anything with the Warrior role. I hated the Warrior, I didn't think much of the heroine, either. I even hated the bike. Like J&tB, I also enjoyed it when that annoying bike bought it. MegaWeapon is my hero.

Donald Pleasence was good, though. But he was good in anything. He was always a great villain. I miss him.

Good, fun episode, with some great riffing and some fun skits.

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