Line #4 Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E23VillageOfTheGiants


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mst3k_village_of_the_giants.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Wow. You know, they don't look that big to me.]]
3
4	->''You know, as in tune as Creator/BertIGordon was with {{the Fifties}}, he just didn't get {{the Sixties}}.''\
5	--'''Tom Servo'''
6
7	Film watched: ''Film/VillageOfTheGiants''
8
9	The episode is available in the Gizmoplex [[https://www.gizmoplex.com/mst3k/season:5/videos/mst3k-118-villageofthegiants here]], and on the [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 [=MST3k=]]] [=YouTube=] channel [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BELBXRnwLcY here]].
10	----
11
12	!!The Segments:
13	[[AC:Prologue]]
14	* Mike and the 'Bots decide to take up exercising, though it's mostly Mike. The 'Bots are not fans of how he makes them get into it, specifically how he throws eggs and sausage into a juicer for a liquid breakfast.
15
16	[[AC:Segment 1]]
17	* Dr. Forrester is doing some budget-shifts down in Deep 13 in order to make his enterprise more profitable, promptly firing TV's Frank for no good reason. Frank is left speechless at his sudden shift to unemployment, though he does get a parting gift and a last meal.
18
19	[[AC:Segment 2]]
20	* As the now-jobless Frank loafs around Deep 13 like a slob, Torgo visits for a job interview with Dr. Forrester, and despite the doc's promises to Frank, the man-goat is immediately hired.
21
22	[[AC:Segment 3]]
23	* Frank calls Mike and the 'Bots from the janitor's closet, asking if they can help him apply for unemployment. Wary about comitting fraud, the SOL crew takes the time to host a fake job interview with Frank, which ends when Dr. Forrester evicts him.
24
25	[[AC:Segment 4]]
26	* Frank is packed and ready to leave, but the SOL crew try to cheer him up with a montage of his greatest moments, backed by a song that explains why he's truly "The Greatest Frank of All". Upon realizing how much of his soul and physical anatomy he's sacrificed for Dr. Forrester, Frank swears to get rehired.
27
28	[[AC:Segment 5]]
29	* As Mike and the 'Bots read letters of support for Frank, the man himself puts an end to Torgo's career in Deep 13 with a little employee sabotage. Dr. F is so disgusted at Frank's treachery that he happily rehires him... before proceeding to kill him with a power auger.
30
31	!!The Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 presentation of ''Film/VillageOfTheGiants'' contains these tropes:
32	* AbandonedCatchPhrase: Frank's weird mouth sound shows up in the song:
33	-->'''Crow:''' Eyukkk-gheuuu from me to you\
34	Sweet floppy Frank
35	* ActorAllusion: [[invoked]] Plenty of references to Creator/BeauBridges and his father Creator/{{Lloyd\|Bridges}}. Also many [[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Opie]] and ''Film/{{Willow}}'' jokes at Creator/RonHoward's expense.
36	-->'''Crow:''' [[RunningGag I liked]] ''Willow''!
37	* BadIsGoodAndGoodIsBad: Dr. Forrester is furious at Frank for his underhanded tactics in getting rid of Torgo -- which, naturally, means he's obviously the best fit for his old job, and Forrester is just so proud. But he's still going to have to [[TheyKilledKennyAgain kill him with a power auger]].
38	-->'''Frank:''' Fine? What do ''you'' think! ''({{Everybody Laughs\|Ending}}, FadeToBlack -- then, stuttering in pain)'' ...Th-ank you, Dr. Forrester!
39	-->'''Dr. Forrester:''' No, thank YOU, TV's Frank.
40	* CallBack:
41	** Prolific B-director Bert I. Gordon returns with another movie about giants (he also did ''Film/BeginningOfTheEnd'', both ''[[Film/TheAmazingColossalMan Colossal Man]]'' movies, ''Film/EarthVsTheSpider'', and ''Film/KingDinosaur''), for what turns out to be the final time.
42	--->'''Crow:''' Ah, pure I. Gordon.
43	** The SOL recognizes Tommy Kirk and Jim Begg from ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S02E04CatalinaCaper Catalina Caper]]''.
44	** While the giant teenagers are dancing:
45	--->'''Crow:''' "Why wasn't [[Film/TheAmazingColossalMan Glenn Manning]] this much fun?"
46	** Likewise on the giant ducks:
47	--->'''Crow:''' [[Film/TheAmazingColossalMan What sin could a duck commit in a single lifetime...?]]
48	** As the giant spider creeps up on the teens in the basement: "[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E18AttackOfTheEyeCreatures Get off my land, ya dang smoochers!]]"
49	** Giving [[ChildProdigy boy genius]] Genius the voice of glasses-wearing goofy, doofy Mikey from ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E14TeenAgeStrangler Teen-Age Strangler]]'': "And I didn't steal no bike, neither!"
50	* ContinuityNod: Awkward henchman/[[CrustyCaretaker groundssatyr]] Torgo from ''Film/ManosTheHandsOfFate'' briefly takes over Frank's job in Deep 13. During his job interview, he mentions running [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E24ManosTheHandsOfFate his own delivery business]] that had to shut down [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E08OperationDouble007 because of "sanitation problems"]]. His "haunting Torgo theme" from ''Manos'' returns along with him, and the cheerful jazz background music from ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E19TheRebelSet The Rebel Set]]'' plays during the interview.
51	* CreditsGag: A reprise of "The Greatest Frank of All" plays over the episode credits instead of the Love Theme, as part of the show's tribute to Music/FrankZappa.
52	* DualMeaningChorus: While "The Greatest Frank of All" is ostensibly meant to refer to ''TV's'' Frank, the stinger reveals it was also meant as a loving tribute to Frank Zappa (see Trivia), who had passed away a month before this episode aired.
53	* EndOfAnEra: The last movie by much-riffed B-movie director Creator/BertIGordon the show would ever do.[[note]]Podcast/{{RiffTrax}} would eventually tackle ''Film/AttackOfThePuppetPeople''.[[/note]] Gordon directed more movies featured on the show than anyone else — in addition to his various movies about giants, he was also responsible for ''Film/TheMagicSword'' and ''Film/{{Tormented\|1960}}''.
54	* EvenTheDogIsAshamed: The movie uses the "bashful" type of this, with pet dog Wolf putting a paw over his face as Nancy and Mike make out. Crow, taking a different interpretation, almost quotes the trope verbatim:
55	-->"Even the ''dog'' is grossed out!"
56	* FridgeLogic: Invoked: When the giants shrink back down to normal size, Mike and the bots wonder why they didn't explode from all the urine in their giant bodies.
57	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: A funny ''non''-event — Frank is on the couch [[GoofyPrintUnderwear in his underwear]] next to a pile of empty pizza boxes with a portable TV on his stomach during Torgo's job interview. He barely moves the entire time (other than a sarcastic "Oh, whoopee" when Torgo gets the job).
58	* GoodTimesMontage: Parodied with a bittersweet ClipShow-style montage of all the times Frank got hurt, maimed, and killed during "The Greatest Frank of All".
59	* HiredOnTheSpot: Dr. F gives Torgo a very simple interview and immediately hires him to replace TV's Frank.
60	* InherentlyFunnyWords: Mike gets Crow to giggle a couple times by mocking Genius's funny-sounding chemical compounds, which mostly use "P" sounds.
61	* MickeyMousing: The "Haunting Torgo Theme" gets sped up when Dr. F helps Torgo get to his seat to interview for Frank's job.
62	-->'''Dr. F.:''' First rule: No theme music. (''Haunting Torgo Theme stops abruptly'')\
63	'''Torgo:''' ''What'' theme music? (''walks away, theme restarts'')
64	* MondegreenGag Invoked; when one of the women kisses a guy, she says "Please?", but it ends up sounding more like "Bees?" Mike runs with it: "Bees, yes."
65	* NoodleIncident: Frank tricks Torgo into doing something to Dr. F offscreen. We never know what it is but it's enough to get Forrester to throw Torgo out on his ear immediately.
66	* ParentalSubstitute: At one point, Servo excitedly starts calling the gumball machine in Genius's lab his mother. A few minutes later, he promptly disowns her after seeing her "putting out for a nickel" when Fred stops to buy a gumball while stealing the Goo.
67	* PetTheDog: Mike and the 'Bots are super nice to Frank after he gets fired. They get ready to send him a card and even give him a job interview for a position on the SOL (although they really just do this so he doesn't commit fraud while trying to apply for unemployment benefits).
68	* RunningGag:
69	** [[ActorAllusion Alluding]] to Creator/RonHoward (Genius)'s career, mainly his early breakout role as the {{adorably precocious\|Child}} Opie Taylor on ''Series/TheAndyGriffithShow'' and one of his more notable "bombs" (relatively speaking) as a director, ''Film/{{Willow}}''.
70	--->'''Crow:''' (''defensively'') Hey, I ''liked'' ''Willow''!
71	** The film supposedly being based (very loosely) on Creator/HGWells' novel ''The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth''.
72	** Mike and the bots replying, "WHAT?!" to the hard-to-hear police officer.
73	* ShoutOut:
74	** ''Countless'' riffs based on Music/FrankZappa songs. Zappa was a [=MSTie=] and the episode was dedicated [[InMemoriam in his memory]].
75	** Crow sings "[[Series/TheAndyGriffithShow Opie Opie Opie]]" to the tune of the Witch's/Miss Gulch's/the flying monkeys' theme from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' as [[Creator/RonHoward Genius]] rides up on his bike (like Miss Gulch).
76	** One of the giant delinquents asks "What is happening?", causing Mike to break into the ''Series/WhatsHappening'' theme song.
77	** "[[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Attack of the 50-Foot]] Music/{{ABBA}}!"
78	* SpecialEffectsFailure: Invoked. As per usual, Gordon's "special" effects consist of [[ChromaKey rear projection]][=/=]{{matte\|Shot}}s, camera angles, and not much else, and the story is once again about people and animals growing to gigantic size. As per usual, the SOL crew are not convinced.
79	** Special note has to go to the attempt to tie a rope around Fred's giant legs.
80	-->'''Mike:''' (''as Fred'') I get it—I think she meant to put this around ''my'' feet, not those mannequin legs down there!
81	* TheStinger: Rather than a clip from the movie, the credits end on an InMemoriam[[invoked]] plate dedicating the episode to Music/FrankZappa, a fan of the show.
82	* TakeThat: Crow might have liked ''Film/{{Willow}}'', but Mike and Tom decidedly did not.
83	-->'''Mike:''' Oh, Creator/KevinPollak, you liked that?\
84	'''Crow:''' ...Point taken.
85	* TheyKilledKennyAgain: Frank is happy to take an offscreen ice auguring if it means he gets his job back. Also the GoodTimesMontage of all the previous times Frank got killed during the song.
86	* VillainousBSOD: Frank becomes a sullen mess after being fired.
87	* WithAFootOnTheBus: Frank is fired, but manages to get his job back from Torgo right before being evicted from Deep 13.
88
89	----
90	->''[[PleaseDontLeaveMe "Please... please don't go."]]\
91	[[InMemoriam "Bye bye,]] [[Music/FrankZappa Frank.]] [[InMemoriam You were enjoyed."\
92	(singing) "Nothin' but sweet lovin' Frank..."]]''

Context Recap / MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E23VillageOfTheGiants