A quirky Sundance movie about Munchausen's Syndrome
Film watched: Munchie
The Segments:
Prologue- The attendance numbers are in and the Mads are ecstatic at their success. It seems like all their dreams for the Gizmoplex are coming true as Dr. Kabahl has foreseen. Jonah is trying to read through the exhausting rules of GPC's favorite game, Lawyers of Catan.
Segment 1/Invention Exchange
- Kinga's new invention solves both global warming and zombie apocalypses in one go with the Deadmill, an eco-friendly power source generated by zombies on treadmills. Jonah's Sustain-A-Band also helps save the environment with elastic-cord microphones, boomerang drumsticks, and self-reassembling guitars to keep the landfills low.
Segment 2
- Munchie's introduction scene is so terrifying that it scares the crew right out of the theater. They refuse to go back in, so Kinga has to shut off the SOL's oxygen supply to get them back in line.
Segment 3
- To help desensitize himself to the pain of watching the movie, Jonah puts on Dom DeLuise's voice auditions for Munchie, and they get pretty dark. Kinga is bragging about her success to Pearl and the Synthias, but Pearl would rather spend time reconnecting with her granddaughter instead.
Post-Intermission
- Kinga and Max meet with their new replacement Boneheads, M. Waverly and Growler.
Segment 4
- Jonah has to get a physical for insurance reasons, so Dr. Donna St. Phibes pays a visit to the SOL. The crew asks Dr. St. Phibes for her expert opinion on what Munchie is.
Segment 5
- The 'Bots are intensely focused on how Munchie is an immortal figure in all of Earth's history, which creeps Jonah out. Emily calls up Jonah and the two discuss their secret plans in rhyme, which apparently the Mads are genetically unable to comprehend.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of Munchie has examples of:
- Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole: The MST3K version cuts a pre-credits scene where the box containing Munchie is left in the mine by his prior "pal" in 1970.
- Artistic License – Physics: Lampshaded: "Did the [flying] pizza's wheels just screech?"
- Call-Back:
- One of Jonah's Sustain-A-Band contributions is the Rock-N-Wreck Guitar, originally conceived by Joel in Crash of the Moons.
- Kinga's cutting of the SOL's oxygen echoes Dr. Forrester's similar means of punishing Mike in The Movie. Jonah also tries (and fails) to call her bluff by pointing out how she has threatened it in past episodes but never followed through.
- Dr. St. Phibes' evolutionary history of Munchie positions the Hobgoblins as a distant relation of his.
- Jonah describes someone's car as being "pretty nice".
- Cutting the Knot: As the pizza chef is chasing after the flying pizza in the streets, swinging a knife, the sight attracts the attention of a cop car. Jonah takes a reasonable guess as to what was called in:Jonah: (as the lights flash on; as the cop) Unit 72, we got a- there's just a lot goin' on.
- Derailed Train of Thought: When Kinga shuts off the oxygen, Crow and Servo bravely tell her that they're not going to take it from her, but then go off on a tangent about dogs as Jonah suffocates. By the time Kinga relents and Movie Sign blares, the 'Bots are confident enough to go back into the theater while Jonah is confused and woozy.
- Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: After Jonah and the bots flee the theater in fear upon seeing Munchie's first appearance, Kinga calls them up to berate them for leaving early, and demands they go back. Jonah's immediate response is a simple "No". Kinga immediately decides to turn off the oxygen.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Especially if Good communicates in rhyming prose, according to Kinga.
- Freak Out: Munchie's introduction sends Jonah and all the 'Bots (even GPC) into screaming hysterics.
- Godzilla Threshold: Munchie's introduction is so terrifying, Jonah refuses to go back in the theater and Kinga has to follow through on her threat to cut off his oxygen supply.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: Not only does it turn out that Dom DeLuise had a severe anger problem, but he was also responsible for multiple hit-and-runs.
- Is This Thing Still On?: Apparently, Dom DeLuise rehearsed for the role of Munchie by putting on a lapel microphone and just saying whatever came to mind. As Jonah plays the tape of his rehearsals, Dom's act gets increasingly unhinged and aggressive. Later, Dom forgets he's still wearing the mic and hits somebody in his car, and he mentions that it's not the first time as he runs away from the scene of the crime.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: "Wait, wait, did Dom DeLuise just run over someone?!"
- Oh, No... Not Again!: After playing the audio of Dom DeLuise running over someone and fleeing the scene, Jonah admits this repeatedly happens during the full recording.
- Orphaned Punchline: When Dr. St. Phibes shows off the baby Munchie, it starts singing "Hello My Baby". Munchie was singing the same song at his introduction, but Jonah and the bots' panicked screaming drowned him out.
- Prove I Am Not Bluffing: When Kinga threatens to turn off the oxygen in order to force Jonah back into the theater, Jonah decides to call her bluff, pointing out she's used that threat for as long as he's been on the Satellite of Love. Tellingly, we cut to her doing so in the middle of Jonah's rant.
- Running Gag:
- Gage wishing he was dead.
- Dr. Elliot being given the voice of Ned Flanders.
- Responding to Munchie's jokes with a disgusted "Ew".
- "It's gotta be Munchie."
- Burt Reynolds and his divorce with Loni Anderson.
- Shout-Out
- "Okay, and cue the bucket of pig's blood."
- "One-Eyed Willy?"
- After just a minute with the Italian pizza chef, Jonah concludes "Wario's fallen on hard times."
- The pizza flying down a highway causes Crow to ask "So this is The Italian Job, huh?"
- "Aww, I just died of dysentery."
- "Harry Potter's Falling Down"
- While Jonah is playing the audio of Dom DeLuise's rehearsal recordings, he mentions how at one point, he leaves his lapel mike on, gets in a car, and leaves, all while recording himself doing/admitting to doing incriminating acts.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The sight of Munchie is enough for Jonah and the Bots to flee the theater in horror.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Kinga gets nauseous just introducing the movie, and Ardy isn't any more reassuring when he sadly tells Bonesy that Munchie is "not a treat".
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: Parodied during the final cast roll in the credits.Jonah: (at the final credit for Munchie himself) Dom DeLuise was tried in the Hague for crimes against humanity in connection with this film.
- With Lyrics: The slow theme arrangement gets a creepy three-part harmony treatment."There is a Munchie inside of us all. Listen and answer to the dark lord's call. I pray to Munchie to devour our souls. Feasting on all our flesh..."
