History Film / MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders

Then, Merlin's beloved wind-up monkey (AKA "rock and roll Martian") gets stolen (this monkey was seen on TV earlier, and is what inspired Grandpa Borgnine to tell this story), eventually making its way into the hands of a cute family at least a dozen years in the past, and shot on completely different film stock to the rest of the movie (the whole sequence was cut down from the same director's first, and only other feature, ''Film/TheDevilsGift''). Being a smart guy, Merlin forgot put a "homing spell" on the demon-possessed, death curse causing toy money which would allow him to reclaim it.

* ThePublicDomainChannel:

** Averted, the other cartoon shown is the "The Series/{{Ultraman}}" anime.

* ThePublicDomainChannel

** Averted, the other cartoon shown is the ''The Series/{{Ultraman}}'' anime.

* ThePublicDomainChannel: "[[BalloonLand I'm the ol' PIN-CUSHION MAN! Terror of Balloony-land!]]" David's son watches the old Ub Iwerks cartoon ''BalloonLand'' (a.k.a. ''ThePincushionMan'') in one scene.

** Averted, the other cartoon shown is the "The {{Ultraman}}" anime.

Then, Merlin's beloved wind-up monkey (AKA "rock and roll Martian") gets stolen (this monkey was seen on TV earlier, and is what inspired Grandpa Borgnine to tell this story), eventually making its way into the hands of a cute family at least a dozen years in the past, and shot on completely different film stock to the rest of the movie (the whole sequence was cut down from the same director's first, and only other feature, ''Film/TheDevilsGift''). Being a smart guy, Merlin had thought to put a terrible curse on the wind-up monkey that will kill all who touch it, but '''wasn't''' smart enough to put a "homing spell" on it which would allow him to reclaim it.

Then, Merlin's beloved wind-up monkey (AKA "rock and roll Martian") gets stolen (this was seen on TV earlier, and is what inspired Grandpa Borgnine to tell this story), eventually making its way into the hands of a cute family at least a dozen years in the past, and shot on completely different film stock to the rest of the movie (the whole sequence was cut down from the same director's first, and only other feature, ''Film/TheDevilsGift''). Being a smart guy, Merlin had thought to put a terrible curse on the wind-up monkey that will kill all who touch it.

Best known now as [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S10E03MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders the last episode (though technically it was episode three of season ten)]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' broadcast during the series original run (it didn't air until after [[GrandFinale the finale]] due to rights issues).

* AdaptationInducedPlothole: The character of Susan (whom most viewers assume from this version is the mother, but is in fact David's girlfriend) vanishes halfway through the second part of the film. This is because in ''The Devil's Gift'', David accidentally killed her when he threw her out of his home after he came home and saw her trying to drown Michael. Apparently even ''this'' film had its limits.

* CastFromLifespan: Mr. Cooper finds out the hard way that this is what happens when you cast spells willy nilly. Only a rejuvenation spell can make you young again. (Presumably Merlin and Zurella are immortal so they don't have this problem, even if they choose to ''look'' old for some reason.)

** You almost get the feeling (at least based on this cut) that the monkey tries to kill the kid because David tried to get rid of it by putting it in the trash.
* FramingDevice: The grandfather telling his kid ''horrifying'' stories, thus showing the action of the film. Even sillier when you consider the long scenes of nothing happening in ''The Devil's Gift''.
* HandWave: On top of ''another'' HandWave. Ernest Borgnine tries to get around the fact that Merlin's book from the first story was still with the family at the end of the story by saying it had a "homing spell" that causes it to return to Merlin. When the monkey gets stolen in the second story, however, Merlin apparently can't just summon it back the same way because Zurella says he "forgot" to put the homing spell on it.
* HappilyEverAfter: The last scene was originally a DownerEnding, but was changed so Merlin saved the family. The film even added clumsy sounds of the family getting out of the house (offscreen, of course). The monkey shown in the Merlin footage is clearly ''not'' the same toy. Or the house. Or the lighting.

* LysistrataGambit: Inverted in the oddest way imaginable: Merlin's wife actually appears to ''threaten'' to have sex with him! She's probably intended to be threatening him with violence, but it's quite poorly written.

* ObviouslyEvil: The movie wants you to think the little monkey looks like a charming children's toy. Just ignore those staring, dead glass eyes, and that [[TheUnsmile rictus non-grin]].
* OffscreenTeleportation: The monkey falls into an earthquake fault. We're free right? WRONG!
* ParentingTheHusband: The end of the first story. ''[[{{Squick}} Literally]]''.

* VertigoEffect

Then, Merlin's beloved wind-up monkey (AKA "rock and roll Martian") gets stolen (this was seen on TV earlier, and is what inspired Grandpa Borgnine to tell this story), eventually making its way into the hands of a cute family at least a dozen years in the past, and shot on film rather than videotape. Being a smart guy, Merlin had thought to put a terrible curse on the wind-up monkey that will kill all who touch it.

* HappilyEverAfter: The last scene was originally a DownerEnding, but was changed so Merlin saved the family. The film even added clumsy sounds of the family getting out of the house (offscreen, of course). The monkey shown in the Merlin footage is clearly ''not'' the same toy.

* ObviouslyEvil: The movie wants you to think the little monkey looks like a charming children's toy. Just ignore those staring, dead glass eyes and [[TheUnsmile rictus non-grin]].

->''"It's called Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders - and it's a ''[[BlatantLies delightful]]'' Disney/{{Bambi}} [[BlatantLies romp through a flowery fairyland of happy, harmless, frou-frou]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment family fun for the whole family of all ages]]. '''OR IS IT!?!'''"''

* CanonForeigner: Zurella. They could've at least named her [[DidNotDoTheResearch Nimue]] or something...

* CymbalBangingMonkey: the villain of the second part of the film.
* DemonicDummy: the monkey.

** [[HilariousInHindsight To be fair]], The NostalgiaCritic [[QuestForCamelot did exactly that]].

* CastFromLifespan: Mr. Cooper finds out the hard way that this is what happens when you cast spells willy nilly. Only a rejuvenation spell can make you young again. (Presumably Merlin and Zurella are immortal so they don't have this problem, even if they ''look'' old for some reason.)

* FreudWasRight: The first tale. Even {{Lampshaded}} by Tom Servo.
-->'''Servo:''' Based on a story by Sigmund Freud!

* PostersAlwaysLie: Hee, hee, check out elderly Zerelda in the poster.

Best known now as [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S10E03MerlinsShopOfMysticalWonders the last episode (though technically it was episode three of season ten) of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' broadcast during the series original run (it didn't air until after [[GrandFinale the finale]] due to rights issues).

Born of quite possibly one of the most moronic cases of ExecutiveMeddling ever, ''Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders'' started as a horror anthology directed by Kenneth J. Berton. Unfortunately, the movie studios didn't want any more horror--family films were all the rage then. As a result, a flimsy FramingDevice about a child and his deeply unhinged grandfather (a poorly veiled AuthorAvatar played by a disturbingly big ErnestBorgnine) who tells his grandson stories during a power cut was attached (the program the grandson was watching before the power went out reminded Grandpa Borgnine "of a story [he] once wrote for TV"), a scene involving a séance turned into the ShowWithinAShow ColdOpen, and umm... not a lot else changed.

Then, Merlin's beloved wind-up monkey (AKA "rock and roll Martian") gets stolen (this was seen on TV earlier, and is what inspired Grandpa Borgnine to tell this story), eventually making its way into the hands of a cute family at least a dozen years in the past, and shot on film rather than videotape. Being a smart guy, Merlin had thought to put a terrible curse on the wind-up monkey that will kill all who touch it. Cos that's what you do. The doll soon causes the cute family to suffer all kinds of terrible fates; the father makes several increasingly desperate attempts to stop it, all unsuccessful. Luckily, Merlin, who has spent the whole second half of the film walking up to women on the street and asking "[[AccidentalPervert have you seen my monkey?]]", manages to stop the monkey just before an earthquake swallows the house (in the original horror anthology, the earthquake ''did'' hit - this was the one of the few changes made to the actual plot between the adult horror movie and the family fantasy movie).

Best known now as the last episode of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' broadcast during the series original run (it didn't air until after [[GrandFinale the finale]] due to rights issues). ''Merlin's Shop'' is also considered one of the best, and is [[SoBadItsGood hilariously bad]] even ''without'' [[{{MST}} the riffing]]. It's also one of the episodes that spawned the name of the NightmareFuel trope. We have a hunch that the writers of ''ToyStory 3'' are fans.

You can watch it [[http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-1192673069643307127&ei=arujSYrbLqS2qAOK4-2fDQ&q=mst3k&hl=en&dur=3&st=month#docid=4252792113516564309 here]], and the DVD of the MST3K episode has been released on DVD by Rhino.

-->'''Crow: (as Johnathan)''' He made Satan the owner of my soul. I gotta give it to you, Merlin. Good one!

-->'''Mike (as Borgnine):''' ...Then he puttered around the kitchen for a while and got himself a cold drink.
* FreudWasRight: The first half, {{lampshade|Hanging}}d by Tom Servo.
-->'''Servo:''' Based on a story by Sigmund Freud!
* FridgeLogic: So the kid knows what "clairvoyant" means but doesn't know what a psychic is?
** You don't want him watching the movie about evil spirits and killer cymbal monkeys, so you're going to tell him a bedtime story about evil spirits and killer cymbal monkeys?
*** As for the first, I'd assumed the kid was trying to be sarcastic. It just didn't come across well because the kid can't act.
** Just how is Madeline going to explain her husband's sudden disappearance and her new baby? Especially after she spent the whole of her time onscreen reminding everyone within earshot about her infertility?

* {{Narm}}: damned near everything.
** "Rock and Roll Martian!"

--> '''Crow:''' And so, Billy, the little boy who looks just like you, went through terrible, irredeemable grief!
--> '''Crow:''' Remember that kitten, Billy? That was nothing compared to this! At least the kitten went quick, Billy!
--> '''Tom (as sleeping kid)''': Ooooh Monkey! Oooooh... car coming! Oh, flaming cat. Dog dying, mean psychics! Oh, Grandpa! Help!

* [=~So Bad It's Good~=]

--> '''Mike:''' (''laughs'') Why?

-->'''Tom:''' My cabinets are flying away!
* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Too scary to be a good kids' movie, but not scary enough to be a good horror movie.

!!The [=MST3k=] presentation has examples of:

* CoversAlwaysLie / NonIndicativeName: In one host segment, Mike looks through four children's books by Ernest Borgnine. In keeping with [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids the nature of the movie]], three of the books have innocuous titles like "Slow Bear's Woodland Picnic" that mask their [[SugarApocalypse dark and gory imagery]]. "Dr. Blood's Orgy of Gore," on the other hand, is about eight plump mice who get little sweaters and live happily.
* CymbalBangingMonkey: The movie inspired Pearl to make Professor Bobo dress up as one of these to scare Mike and the 'bots. They weren't impressed.
* [=~I'll Kill You!~=]
* ReleasedToElsewhere: After the father in the second half finds the body of Sparkle the dog, and his son asks what happened, Mike quips "I ''very quickly'' sold him to a farm where he'll be happier."
* StrawCritic: Servo and Crow become niche reviewers and review each other in one of the segments. They give each other virulent and vehement thumbs down.
* TakeThat: "Oh look, it's something else Satan created: Japanimation."

"[[TheStinger Rock and Roll Martian!]]"
----

[[http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=4252792113516564309&ei=arujSYrbLqS2qAOK4-2fDQ&q=mst3k&hl=en&dur=3&st=month#]]

-->'''Pearl:''' It's called Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders - and it's a ''[[BlatantLies delightful]]'' Disney/{{Bambi}} [[BlatantLies romp through a flowery fairyland of happy, harmless, frou-frou]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment family fun for the whole family of all ages]]. '''OR IS IT!?!'''

Best known now as the last episode of ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' broadcast during the series original run (it didn't air until after [[GrandFinale the finale]] due to rights issues). ''Merlin's Shop'' is also considered one of the best, and is [[SoBadItsGood hilariously bad]] even ''without'' [[{{MST}} the riffing]]. It's also one of the episodes that spawned the name of the NightmareFuel trope. We have a hunch that the writers of ''ToyStory 3'' are fans.