Line #28 Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E01TheProjectedMan


1	[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mst3k_projected_man.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:320:...vs. the ''Overhead'' Projected Man!]]
3
4	Film watched: ''Film/TheProjectedMan''
5
6	This episode introduces Castle Forrester as a permanent home for Pearl and her minions (and as a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for Deep 13).
7
8	!!The Segments:
9	[[AC:Prologue]]
10	* The Satellite of Love has finally exited of the wormhole it's been trapped in since the last season. Despite everybody's apprehension, Gypsy reports that the ship is now in orbit over Earth, 1998, with no weird changes whatsoever. Servo and Crow have their doubts, however, fervently insisting that the crew has ended up over kind of parallel Earth, or back in the far off future.
11
12	[[AC:Segment 1]]
13	* While Servo still expounds on his doubts, down on Earth, Pearl, Bobo, and Brain Guy have landed the Widowmaker outside a spooky old castle in the mountains on a dark and stormy night, filled with ominous whispering ghosts that she tells to shut up. Pearl gradually realizes that they have been drawn to Castle Forrester, the ancestral home of her wicked clan. She demonstrates that the place is truly in her blood by expertly playing an organ she finds, to which the SOL gang cheer her on ballpark style, then has Brain Guy send them today's movie.
14
15	[[AC:Segment 2]]
16	* In the spirit of the movie, Crow and Servo have created their own projector and test it on several of Mike's prized possessions, such as his class ring, a St. Blaise medal from his grandma, and love letters written by his deceased girlfriend Denise. Though the 'Bots claim that the device is projecting them "someplace else", it's exceedingly clear that they're blowing said possessions up with it for kicks. Mike promptly gets revenge by projecting Servo's autographed photo of Shirley Jones.
17
18	[[AC:Segment 3]]
19	* Mike calls Professor Lembach to see if he can convince him to stay a little longer, offering pie and a trip to Shenanigans, to which Lembach agrees. Down in the castle, Pearl studies an ancient tome detailing her family's history, learning that her ancestors shared a great affection for torturing hapless victims with badly-crafted forms of art and media. The SOL gang don't take her eerie statements that she's onto something big at first, but they lose their joy when they learn that Lembach changed his mind about staying.
20
21	[[AC:Segment 4]]
22	* Crow has said to have been experimenting with the art of projecting, and has obtained the Touch of Death as a result. He and Mike argue about whether this is real or Crow is having one of those lapses of clarity involving the films they watch, but when he shakes Mike's hand to make amends with him, his actually-real Touch of Death causes Mike to drop dead on the desk. As a result, he and Servo are forced to drag Mike's corpse into the theater and keep him propped up. After a couple of minutes, Crow is able to bring Mike back to life by giving him a second dose of the Touch of Death.
23
24	[[AC:Segment 5]]
25	* Mike has started a new foundation in his name, prompting Crow and Servo to pitch competing experiments to him in the hopes of getting a $50 grant. Servo's experiment with an engine powered by distilled water fails when the water he has Mike pour in turns out to not be distilled after all. As such, he loses out to Crow's lackluster experiment: buying two leaf blowers and a hat with the grant money. On Earth, Pearl has taken official ownership of Castle Forrester and given herself and her lackeys new uniforms, fully devoted to continuing her family's legacy and swearing that she'll conquer the world... just as soon as Bobo stops falling down the stairs.
26
27	!!Tropes from the [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]] version of ''Film/TheProjectedMan'' include:
28	* ActorAllusion: InUniverse, the guys recognize Bryant "The Great Vorelli" Haliday from ''Film/DevilDoll'' and make a few jokes off his role in it. "You're an ugly, stupid little doctor."
29	-->'''Servo:''' ''[as Steiner, as Vorelli]'' And bring some ham... I love it!
30	* BattleChant: Bobo and Observer do a [[Film/TheWizardOfOz Winkie-esque]] one of these as they march behind Pearl (in their [[CostumeEvolution new uniforms for the first time]]) as she reclaims Castle Forrester. The words of the chant in question? "[[CallBack Hum de de hee hee]] -- [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E21MonsterAGoGo hoowa, hoowa.]]"
31	** Bobo also goes into a stock left-right-left drill sergeant [[SoundOff military cadence]] before [[OverlyLongGag falling down a flight of stairs]].
32	* BritishStuffiness: "Paul! Listen to me, think of all the things we used to discuss, in our dry and impersonal British way!"
33	* BritishTeeth: Apparently the most colorful thing besides the throw pillows.
34	* CallBack: "[[BattleChant HUM DE DE HEE HEE]] -- [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S04E21MonsterAGoGo HOO-WA! HOO-WA!]]"
35	* CaptainObvious: Invoked when the police shoot at Paul:
36	--> '''Policeman:''' Hey, careful! Be sure to hit him!
37	--> '''Tom Servo:''' Thanks, Lt.[[note]]pronounced "Leftenant"[[/note]] Obvious!
38	* ContinuityNod: The characters have a bit of fun with the fact that one character is named ''Film/{{Mitchell}}''.
39	* CountryMatters: Alluded to:
40	--> '''Dr. Hill''': ''(in British accent)'' You can't!\
41	'''Servo''': [[MondegreenGag What'd she call him?!]]
42	* DidntThinkThisThrough: Because of how upset he got over Mike not believing he had the Touch of Death, Crow actually winds up ''forgetting'' he had it when he goes to shake Mike's hand when the two make up.
43	* DoubleEntendre: The two male burglars and female burglar keep exchanging sexual euphemisms, grossing out Mike and the bots.
44	* EatingTheEyeCandy: Everybody starts ''enjoying'' the movie when Sheila strips down to her underwear.
45	--> '''Crow:''' I declare this movie suddenly ''great!''
46	* FacePalm: Pearl finishes the episode on one of these, fingertips to the forehead as if in great pain.
47	* ForTheEvulz: The Bots claim they're transporting Mike's most treasured possessions someplace else with their homemade projector, but they're likely just burning them all up for a laugh.
48	** Mike manages to realize this by the end, and then tricks the Bots into destroying something Servo loved.
49	* FunWithAcronyms: Upon seeing that the director of photography is Stanley Pavey, B.S.C.:[[note]]British Society of Cinematographers[[/note]]
50	-->'''Crow:''' Stanley Pavey -- Big, Stinky, Crappy Director of Photography!
51	* ItRunsInTheFamily: The ancient Forresters apparently trapped people in caves and sealed them in walls, forcing them to listen to bad sagas and look at terrible cave drawings.
52	* JerkassHasAPoint: Blanchard cuts Paul's funding and tells him to dismantle his equipment, a serious dick move considering Paul's demonstration was seemingly sabotaged. However, Mike and the bots agree with Blanchard around the time Paul tries to recklessly perform the experiment on himself.
53	** Later, Crow amends this -- Blanchard should have held a proper hearing first. In fact, he thinks that was the whole movie's {{Aesop}}.
54	* LamePunReaction: When the police are mystified by the inexplicable electrocution deaths of three crooks, Crow is quick to quip "Shocking, isn't it?" Mike, as usual, didn't appreciate the pun.
55	* LampshadeHanging: Immediately after reminding Crow he doesn't have legs, Tom somehow manages to make footsteps as he rushes to the table and back. Not even Tom knows how he did that.
56	-->'''Crow''': Hey, I thought you didn't have legs?
57	-->'''Tom Servo''': I ''don't''.
58	-->'''Crow''': Then where'd you get footsteps, I...
59	-->'''Tom Servo''': ... ...good question!
60	** Neatly avoiding the question of how Servo is able to help Crow drag Mike's dead body into the theater (which is what they were doing at the time) when his arms don't work.
61	* NearDeathExperience: Nothing "near" about it. Mike sees the light and briefly experiences cosmic oneness... but quickly sours on the whole thing once he realizes he's been brought back to life to keep watching ''this'' movie.
62	* NeverMyFault: Downplayed: After Crow accidentally kills Mike, the two of them acknowledge that it was inconvenient for it to happen on the bridge, mainly because they now need to drag his body back into the theater.
63	* NonUniformUniform: Pearl, Bobo, and Observer all get [[CostumeEvolution new clothes]] that are different colors but all have the same basic design (button-up shirts, black gloves, "F" insignia). Observer's is the most distinct, since it has a black torso and blue arms rather than just one color and includes his cloak.
64	* OfCorpseHesAlive: Mike dies before commercial sign, so the 'Bots drag his lifeless body to the theater and watch about two minutes worth of the movie with Mike slumped over in his seat, until Crow decides to see if his TouchOfDeath works both ways. [[BackFromTheDead It does]].
65	* OverlyLongGag: In the final host segment, Prof. Bobo falls down a flight of stairs, just offscreen. His crashes and cries of pain continue for the entire duration of the end credits.
66	* RockThemeNaming: Apparently, all female Forresters up to that point are named for gems and precious stones (this tradition was later broken with the introduction of Kinga in the Netflix shows).
67	* RunningGag:
68	** During the credits, Mike deliberately reads the names wrong, until Crow tells him to knock it off.
69	** Several riffs based on the line, "Pretty you may be!"
70	** Paul's flaming orange hair.
71	** Trying to teleport a girl's knickers as part of an experiment.
72	** "I want you."
73	*** "I do. I want her, Mike."
74	** Prof. Lembach, and whether or not he's staying much longer. There's even a host segment dedicated to this. "[[HappyDance Lembach is staying! Lembach is staying!]]"
75	*** And so Mike and the 'bots are naturally ''crushed'' when Lembach calls back to say he's just gonna take off instead.
76	** Paul's "panic" supposedly excusing his murder of eleven people and a cat.
77	** The overly loud, urgent ring of British phones.
78	* SecretLegacy: While searching the castle, Pearl discovers that she and Clayton weren't the first Forresters trying to drive people mad:
79	-->'''Pearl:''' [[RockThemeNaming Amethyst]] Forachenta Forrester trapped a man in a cave and pushed in bad paintings of the hunt.
80	* ShoutOut:
81	** Pearl plays standard stadium anthems on Castle Forrester's organ. She starts in on "Louie Louie" just before the movie starts.
82	--->'''Servo:''' Louie Lou-AI?\
83	'''Crow:''' Oh mama!\
84	'''Mike:''' ''[movie sign lights start to flash]'' We gotta go!\
85	'''Servo:''' ''[singing]'' [[WaxingLyrical Yah yah yah yah yah!]]
86	** "Are they suiting up for NASCAR?"
87	** To the tune of "Walking in Memphis":
88	--->'''Crow:''' Walking in Mayfair... Walking with my [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage darby and my bumbershoot...]]
89	** "Sometimes you're so cruel I think you must have some other motive." "Are you Kim Philby?" British Intelligence agent [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Philby Harold "Kim" Philby]] was one of the most infamous, high-ranking {{Double Agent}}s and defectors of the UsefulNotes/ColdWar.
90	** A shadow in the lab during one scene happens to look like someone playing a saxophone, leading to a quip about Music/CharlieParker.
91	* SomethingWeForgot: As Crow and Tom start dragging Mike's corpse back into the theater, Tom abruptly remembers he forgot something... Namely, [[MediumAwareness cuing up the commercial break.]]
92	* StoryArc: With the [[Creator/SyFy Sci-Fi Channel]] loosening its initial restrictions, Best Brains were by and large glad to return to the looser continuity of previous seasons after spending much of Season 8 trying to find ways to crowbar story arcs into what was largely a sketch/variety show format. While it made for some funny material, it also made the show a lot more work to write and stage.
93	* TakeThat:
94	** At the very beginning upon learning they're finally back in the present day, Mike and the Bots rejoice over being back on modern day Earth.
95	--->'''Crow:''' Our own time? Cool! We can see Creator/EthanHawke movies again!\
96	''[everyone cheers]''\
97	'''Mike:''' ...No, wait. That's not a good thing. ''[realizing]'' [[DelayedOhCrap That's bad.]]
98	** Pearl assumes Brain Guy is making the spooky sounds in the castle: "Stop with the whispering and hissing! You sound like a Music/BrianEno record."
99	* TouchOfDeath:
100	** The title character develops an electrical version of this.
101	--->'''Crow:''' [[ElectricJoybuzzer Joybuzzer]] of death.
102	** Crow develops this as well, after his and Servo's experiments. Mike thinks he's having another one of his 'episodes'. Crow is offended, but they make up and shake hands... at which point Mike is electrocuted and ''dies'' for several minutes (and a commercial break). Luckily, Crow is able to revive him by [[MagicalDefibrillator touching him again]] in the theater. Or not-so-luckily, given that they're still watching ''this'' movie.
103	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Among her ancestor's other possessions, Pearl discovers thousand-year-old malt liquor labels and a recipe for "an antediluvian[[note]]Before the Biblical flood[[/note]] form of Chicken in a Biskit called 'Her Majesty's Fool's Hen Crackle-Bread'."
104	* UnfazedEveryman: Crow and Tom act rather casually over Mike dying, with their only real concern being getting his body back into the theater.
105	-->'''Crow''': (nonchalantly) Killed Mike...
106	-->'''Tom Servo''': (nonchalantly) Yep, sure did...
107	* UnwantedRescue: Mike is pretty upset about being brought BackFromTheDead... at least once he realizes he's been brought back to watch ''this movie''.
108	* VandalismBackfire: Crow and Tom Servo claim to have invented a "projector" (i.e. a teleporter) but it actually just burns everything they're "projecting". Crow and Servo insist on demonstrating the device with some of Mike's most prized possessions. Mike eventually catches on and offers up one of Servo's prized possessions (a signed picture of Shirley Jones) instead.
109
110	----
111	->[[TheStinger "Lembach is staying in London for another few days."]]

Context Recap / MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E01TheProjectedMan