MST3K: Episode 822 - Overdrawn at the Memory Bank

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

Episode 822: Overdrawn at the Memory Bank

First aired: Sci-Fi Channel on 6 December 1997
Availability: Amazon DVD (Volume 4), Rhino (Volume 4/out of print)

The name says it all.

Remember when I mentioned that I had seen Episode 821: Time Chasers many, many times? Well, I've seen this episode many, many times, too. It aired 11 times from 1997-2002. I saw it several of those.

How bad of a movie is this? It's bad. Wicked, naughty, bad. It needs to be spanked.

It was made by a Canadian company, financed by a public TV station in New York, and based on a story by John Varley -- and if that doesn't say quality, my name isn't Morgan Fairchild.

"Never show a good movie in the middle of your crappy one."

Okay, sure, the movie stars Raúl Juliá -- yes, the same Raúl Juliá who won Emmy and Golden Globe awards -- so you'd think it can't be all bad.

You'd be wrong.

Oh, and I'm not even counting the fact that not only does it look like it was recorded on videotape, it actually was recorded on videotape.

Puerto Rican data processor Aram Fingal is bored with his job so he spends the work day watching movies like Casablanca (which sounds like good work if you can get it), but his bosses don't like that, so they send him to get doppled, which involves brain surgery and virtual reality and, apparently, a monkey, but some kid interferes and his body gets lost, which causes bad press for the company he works for, so they extend his reality, but he creates his own reality involving Casablanca, but the 80s Hair Chick who was in charge of him decides to help, so Fingal wins the battle of virtual wits with the bad guy at the company, and sends Casablanca to everybody's screen. The end.

"Come ... as you are ... to my mall ... to my atrium."

Not sure what this scene was all about, but it had a nearly-naked chick.

I can't tell if those are iPads or Galaxy Tabs.

Lots of good riffing in this really bad movie. And some fun Host Segments.

Observer and Pearl sing "When Loving Lovers Love."

I didn't care for bit about the loose monkey that terrorized Mike, but the Public Pearl TV parts were fantastic.

They nailed the whole PBS fundraising shows. The phone banks -- staffed by Ortega -- were standing by ready to take your pledge. Pearl and Observer sing their duet, "When Loving Lovers Love," which was an instant classic.

Pearl's Host Segments more than made up for the lame monkey-Mike bits. I thought the PBS parts were the highlight of the show, maybe even of the season.

Despite how bad this movie was, I still have a soft spot for it. They seemed to appreciate the movie Casablanca, which is one of my favorite films.

They ended Season Eight on a high note.

---

<< Previous episode

Next episode >>