"Cah-vay Dwellers? Wasn't he in, uh—"
"Cave, Cave Dwellers."
"Cave, Cave Dwellers."
Film watched: The Blade Master aka Cave Dwellers
Like Pod People, this film featured an opening credit sequence that took scenes from a different movie. Star Miles O'Keeffe was allegedly amused by the show's take and called Best Brains (the show's production company) to personally request a copy. One of the series' most popular episodes, the MST3K version is available in both VHS and DVD formats, and is often cited as the example you want to introduce somebody to the concept of MST3K and riffing on movies in general.
Compare with Deathstalker and the Warriors From Hell and Quest of the Delta Knights. RiffTrax and the revival series riffed the original film Ator the Fighting Eagle.note
The episode is available in the Gizmoplex here
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The Segments
Prologue- Joel and the 'Bots come up with new names for themselves. Favorites include Stockard Channing, Jose Jimenez, Sugar Magnolia and Chuck Woolery.
Segment 1
- For this week's Invention Exchange, Joel comes up with the Smoking Jacket after noting that Smoking Is Cool, but its health effects aren't. The Mads engage in some robotic arm wrestling while the SOL cheers them on.
Segment 2
- Dressing up as characters from today's film, Joel and the Bots make their own Film Ventures International-style opening credits.
Segment 3
- The 'Bots ask Joel about the special names the movie's characters use for their lame weapons, and this prompts him to explain the power of Mundane Made Awesome descriptions.
Segment 4
- The Bots also question the sound effect choices of the film, which leads Joel to segue into a foley demonstration.
Segment 5
- Crow angrily calls out the continuity problems of today's film to the Mads, like sunglasses, tire tracks, and a city skyline.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of Cave Dwellers has examples of:
- Anachronism Stew: The continuity problems that are analyzed by Crow in the last host segment are treated as such.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: When Akronas suddenly turns toward the camera while talking to Mila, Crow imitates him, saying "What do you, the viewers at home, think?".
- Call-Back: "Welcome to Death Valley Days. The driver is either missing or he's dead."
- Catchphrase: "How much Keefe is in this movie?" "Miles O'Keefe!"
- AKA "Miles O'Beef"
- Quoth Mary Jo Pehl: "Every inch of Miles is a mile I want to travel." Or something to that effect.
- Celebrity Resemblance:
- Servo jokes that Thong was played by former Mother of Invention Jimmy Carl Black.
- Twice Zor is described as looking like John Saxon.
- Sandor is referred to as Willie Nelson.
- Cliché Storm: In-Universe Frank starts out describing the Mads' evilness, but rapidly descends into this.Frank: Yes, I guess you could say we're cut from a different cloth.
Dr. F: Exactly, Frank. Push-
Frank: Guess you could say we're more evil than a $3 bill.
Dr. F: Push the button, Frank.
Frank: Guess you could say the factory's still open, but we're making different stuff now.
Dr. F: Would you just push the button?
Frank: Guess you could say, we're buying at wholesale, and passing the savings on to you. - Defensive "What?": This is the reaction of Dr. F and Frank to seeing Joel and the Bots seething about the movie in Stunned Silence.Frank: What?
Forrester: Whaddaya want?
Frank: What? C'mon, what? It wasn't that bad, was it? C'mon! - Freudian Slippery Slope: When Zor confronts Ator and Mila in the snake-worshiper sacrificial room (not helped by Zor actually poking Ator's big muscled pec for a few seconds).Joel: Do you mind if I cup one of your pecs?
Crow: Tit's all over- I mean, it's all over for you, Ator! I know we've been breast- best friends. Nipple. - Full-Name Ultimatum: In the hang gliding scene.Joel: Ator Thomas Peterson, you get down here immediately!
- Hypocritical Humor: At the climax Zor, knowing full well he is overmatched, tries to bluff Ator by mocking him for using two swords to Zor's one. Joel replies to Zor with a sing-songy "Mockery is the ignorant man's weapon." When Ator actually discards one of his swords, only for Zor to immediately snatch it up, Crow takes it a step further by throwing Zor's own words back at him.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: After Forrester yells at them for cheering for Frank during the robotic arm-wrestling match, the SOL crew cheer for Forrester instead... until Servo lets slip a quick "Frank!" sotto voce.
- Invisible Monsters: "I don't believe it, they were too cheap to hire villains!"
- It's Quiet… Too Quiet: When Ator says, "It's too quiet", Joel and the Bots immediately add, "Too, too quiet."
- Pretentious Pronunciation: When Joel sees the movie's title.Joel: Kah-VAY Dwellers, wasn't he in...
Servo: It's cave...Cave Dwellers.
Joel: Oh. - Running Gag:
- Gypsy's other new name is Mrs. Richard Basehart.
- Joel getting Thong's name wrong.
- "Dad?"
- "No-o!"
- "It's not a comic book! It's a graphic novel!"
- Tempting Fate: Servo complains at the end of the episode that this was 'the worst movie' the Mads had ever sent them. Considering some of the films to come, he REALLY shouldn't have said that.
- This is also a reference to a frequent situation in the writer's room. Often someone would state that the film they were currently writing for was the "worst movie ever" only to be proven wrong in the future.
- Frank would tell Joel and the Bots that he and Dr. F have it worse than they do: "We have to watch you watching the movie."
- This is also a reference to a frequent situation in the writer's room. Often someone would state that the film they were currently writing for was the "worst movie ever" only to be proven wrong in the future.
- Shout-Out:
- Thong getting called "Gomez" repeatedly, generally taken as a reference to The Addams Family, was actually one to a stand-up comic the writers knew.note
- One of Ator's mates is flung into the void, earning this response from Servo.
- Sickening "Crunch!": In the foley sketch, Joel demonstrates to Tom & Crow how to simulate the sound of breaking vertebrae by crunching fresh celery.
- Take That!: "They're kinda dumb, they're easy to kill: the American Gladiators!"
- The crew's take on the opening credits has "Continuity by: (blank)".
- Too Kinky to Torture: Implied with Sandor.Zor: Flog him!
Crow: [as Sandor] Thank you, sir! - Valley Girl: Crow always impersonates Mila as sounding like one.
- With Lyrics: During Ator's flying theme.Servo: [singing] Ator flies...and so does my heeeeeaaaaaaaart!
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: The reaction by Joel and the 'bots to Ator's modern hang glider.Servo: Oh, come on.
Crow: What the…?!
(Servo laughs)
Joel: Terrific. (childlike voice) I'm the luckiest boy in the world! I have slipped the surly bounds of Earth and touched the hand of God!
Servo: This is a little ridiculous. Okay, so... he kills a deer, he tans the hides, he stretches the skins, he makes an anodized aluminum frame, he learns how to extrude and weld… all in about five minutes, huh? ... learned aerodynamics...
