J.P. Reviews

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999)

drooling fanboy praise follows

[20 May 1999]

Truly one of the funniest shows ever on tv, up there with Police Squad!, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Fawlty Towers, and the early years of SNL. If not for this show, I never would have seen such great flicks as Eegah, Angel's Revenge, The Beginning of the End, or (fanfare) Manos, the Hands of Fate. Every friend or family member I've turned on to this show has loved it. I just wish the sci-fi channel wouldn't show it at such goofy times (11:00 on Sunday mornings??? I'm either working or asleep).

Angels' Brigade (1979)

low budget rip-off, but fun

[20 May 1999]

In a desperate attempt to capitalize on "Charlie's Angels", this movie pits seven (six, really) buxom, bejumpsuited beauties against the evil forces of Peter Lawford, Jack Palance, and some oily guy, all three of whom are pushing drugs on kids (who weren't getting paid for speaking roles). Lawford and Palance were probably down in the wine cellar for most of the filming, but where else can you see Pat Buttram, Alan Hale, jr., Jim Backus AND Arthur Godfrey all drool over the same women in one flick? One of the best MST3Ks.

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)

it was a little creepy, kinda-sorta...

[20 May 1999]

Admittedly, this is one of the worst ever. However, this movie had potential. Watching it in the daytime made it really lame (even with the MST3K treatment), but when I watched it late at night, with all the lights turned off, it REALLY creeped me out. I mean, here you are, stuck in the middle of nowhere, sharing a house with a big-kneed mongoloid and "The Master", it's dark, the background music is creepy, the crazy teenagers are necking while drunk, you're not getting paid CLOSE to scale, and the writer/director/producer/star is a fertilizer salesman from Texas...

But maybe it's just me, i dunno.