"Hi! The name's Merlin, and I would love to see you in this Camaro!"
Isn't this a Mahler symphony?
Film shown: The Dead Talk Back.
An odd case of being one of the "newest" films riffed by the show. While it was shot in 1957, it was never released until 1993, a year before the episode aired.
It was shown alongside The Selling Wizard, a short sponsored by Anheuser-Busch to demonstrate and sell grocery store refrigeration units with the help of a literal "selling wizard". Or as the SOL crew calls her, a "pizza dominatrix".
The episode is available in the Gizmoplex here
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The Segments:
Prologue- It's time for the SOL crew to perform a fire drill. As they march in a circle around the bridge, Crow points out that there's no place to go, but Mike admits that code is code.
Segment 1
- Dr. Forrester demonstrates his new technique of "pinpoint marketing", shilling a random product modelled after a single person to the person in question. His demonstration includes sending the SOL crew a new product of dubious intent: Nelson Cigarettes ("For the rugged individual trapped in space!"). Mike takes personal offense at having his image used to sell cigarettes to him, but the 'Bots think he looks so cool now.
Segment 2
- The 'Bots host "The Dead Talk Back", a radio show where they take callers from beyond the grave. Much to Mike's shock, Abe Lincoln and Winston Churchill call into the show, but they only want to discuss the Buffalo Bills.
Segment 3
- Mike and the 'Bots dress as The Grateful Dead to become the Satellite of Love's newest music sensation. Their only song consists of two short lyrics and Crow performing an hour-long guitar Jerry Garcia solo that continues into the remaining host segments and the credits.
Segment 4
- Inspired by the interrogation process in the film, Dr. Forrester interrogates Mike. It's actually Frank who cracks. Before it's even explained what the interrogation is about.
Segment 5
- Mike tries to read a letter despite Crow's solo, Tom's ranting, and Gypsy's next fire drill filling the bridge with noisy chaos. Dr. Forrester practices some archery with Frank, taking careful steps not to hit the apple.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of The Selling Wizard contains the following tropes:
- Faux Horrific: The Selling Wizard doesn't speak and is mostly all smiles, but she glowers at the camera when she thinks the narrator isn't going to show enough different refrigerator models.Servo: The pizza dominatrix!
Mike: [...] That was close. She was mad! - Ms. Fanservice: The titular Wizard is supposed to be be a case of Sex Sells, but the mute, dazed-looking woman in the plaid vest, bow tie, and cape looks more like a waiter/Stage Magician than a sexy sorceress.
- Sex Sells: Presumably what the filmmakers were going for with the titular "Selling Wizard".Narrator: (over a shot of the Wizard's legs slowly walking out of frame; in a stoic tone) Gentlemen, if you please!
Mike: (in the same tone) You filthy degenerates!
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of The Dead Talk Back contains the following tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Mike and the 'bots find the older lady's joking about how her photos look too much like her pretty funny.
- Added Alliterative Appeal: "Probably blew their budget on all those bongo players. I just said a lot of Bs."
- Annoying Arrows: Frank gets numerous arrows through his chest and just laughs them off.
- Call-Back:
- When Frank cracks, he admits he killed that fat barkeep.
- From the Speech: Using Your Voice short from Earth Vs. the Spider episode.Servo: Plenty of lip and tongue action!
- Continuity Nod: Mike is folding Crow's Nice Brown Pants while the latter is doing his Jerry Garcia solo.
- Credits Gag: Crow's Jerry Garcia solo plays during the episode credits.
- Faux Horrific: The bongo players.Crow: Thank God you're here, officer! They just came in and started that!
- Fridge Logic: Invoked. Gypsy leads the crew through a fire drill. Servo begins to call out the ridiculousness of practicing their escape plan when they're trapped in space with no way back to earth, but gets drowned out. As they troop back and forth on the bridge:Crow: There really is no place to go!
Mike: Well, still. We gotta meet code.
Gypsy: No talking in line! - Misapplied Phlebotinum: The entire joke of the radio show skit. Crow and Servo manage to get Krasker's afterlife two-way radio working, and immediately use it for a sports talk radio show. Mike spends the entire sketch flabbergasted as Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill call in from beyond the grave, and not even they're interested in anything besides who'll win the Super Bowl that year.
- Not Me This Time: Invoked:Detective: What [were you arrested] for?Crow: (as Krueger) "Crossbow killing... but I had nothing to do with this one!"
- Not What It Looks Like: After a point in the investigation, all of the suspects involved with the case are gathered into the boarding home. Tom has a different interpretation:Lieutenant Lewis: (narrating) It was at this point that our case took a strange turn.Tom Servo: (as Lieutenant Lewis) All the suspects moved into my house.
- Overly Long Gag: Crow's Jerry Garcia solo. It's so overly long in fact, that shortly after Cambot goes through the door, he comes back out so Mike can drag Crow into the theater. Also, Gypsy, as a Deadhead, describing the Dead's previous concert at Alpine Valley. "...into 'Sugaree', into 'Dark Star', into 'Sugaree', into 'Dark Star'...!"
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: Lieutenant Lewis as the narrator talking about Krasker's research.Lewis: (narrating) Incredible?
Mike: Not really.
Lewis: Unbelievable?
Crow: No. - Running Gag: Crow, as Jerry Garcia, plays on through all the remaining segments and the episode credits.
- Skewed Priorities:
- Much to Mike's growing frustration, Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill would rather talk shop with Crow and Tom about the Bills, rather than acknowledge the fact that they are able to call in from the afterlife.
- When Dr. Forrester's attempted interrogation of Mike results in Frank having an abrupt mental breakdown, Crow decides to just start up his Jerry Garcia solo again:Crow: ...well, I guess that really doesn't concern me! (starts noodling)
- Something We Forgot: After the crew's stint as "The Dead" grinds to a complete halt due to Crow's extended Jerry Garcia-style solo, it eventually gets to the point where Movie Sign is called, and everyone but Crow rushes off.note
- Spell My Name with a "The": "Oh, thank you, the dead."
- Shout-Out:
- Servo spots the Mads sign flashing: "Uh, guys, Ignatz and Krazy Kat are calling."Dr. Forrester: Oh, give it a rest, Red Adair.note
- "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste...!"
- Multiple references to The Grateful Dead, like Mike calling Crow Captain Trips. "Freak freaking freely, dude."
- Mike freaking out at the 'Bots: "Simon, Theodore, ALVIIIIIIIIN!"
- Servo spots the Mads sign flashing: "Uh, guys, Ignatz and Krazy Kat are calling."
- Take That!: Winston Churchill slams the Buffalo Bills' (especially then-quarterback Jim Kelly's) chance of having a Super Bowl ring.note At the time, they'd just lost their fourth straight Super Bowl.
- Target Audience: Dr. Forrester invents pinpoint marketing, entire advertising campaigns targeted at and named after the single person they're trying to sell to. Nelson cigarettes ("For the spirit of Nelson in all of us!") fail to penetrate the market because spokesman Frank just woke up and Mike doesn't like smoking, despite the 'Bots' attempts at peer pressure.
- Tempting Fate: One host segment sees Crow and Tom starting up a radio call-in program, "The Dead Talk Back", in order to allow dead spirits to contact them, something Mike repeatedly says won't work... until Abraham Lincoln calls up.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Invoked as the film credits roll, even though it was the title of the film:Crow: Hey, I just realized — they never talked to the dead!
Mike: No...! Never got around to that. - William Telling: Parodied in the final host segment, with Dr. Forrester repeatedly missing the apple that Frank has and instead filling Frank's chest full of arrows.
