...can slice a tomato so thin you can see through it!
Film watched: The Magic Sword
In a highly unusual admission, Joel Robinson and Tom Servo said the movie was "pretty good for a Bert I. Gordon film" during a theater segment. (Crow T. Robot seemed to disagree, but found something he liked about it too.) The writers of the show continued the praise in their Amazing Colossal Episode Guide.
The episode is available in the Gizmoplex here
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The Segments:
Prologue- Joel has decided to draw caricatures for a living, and is using the 'Bots as his subjects. He's apparently wanted to draw Cambot naked, even though all of the 'Bots are naked.
Segment 1/Invention Exchange
- Joel's created Big Gulp Berets to appeal to hippies and beatniks who want to attend poetry readings while enjoying a cool bottled spring water. Frank stars in a one-act play demonstrating Dr. Forrester's new decorator biohazard clean-up throw pillows, but he's concerned about the mutated strain of dysentery he's spilled on himself.
Segment 2
- Joel stars in a commercial for Basil Rathbone brand doggie treats, with Crow and Servo as his dogs. They're packed with bits of Nigel Bruce and also come in pesto flavor.
Segment 3
- Joel puts on a grand pageant about life in the Middle Ages, with himself as a happy king, Crow as a knight, and Gypsy as a lady-in-waiting/unicorn. Tom, dressed as a serf, ruins the whole thing with a heaping reality check of how hard life really was back then.
Segment 4
- Crow has become smitten with Estelle Winwood and sings a love ballad for her. Tom once again feels the need to interject with counterpoints.
Segment 5
- The film's seven curses make the crew discuss George Carlin's own seven curses. Back in Deep 13, Frank is reduced to a skeleton via the dysentery, creeping Dr. F out.
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of The Magic Sword has examples of:
- Ask a Stupid Question...: When Lodac first appears:Lodac: I am Lodac!
Sir Branton: The sorcerer?
Joel: No, the pre-emergent tank mix, of course he's the sorcerer! - Bad "Bad Acting": Frank, while trying to sell the merits of Forrester's half of the invention exchange in a one-act play. Complete with glances at the teleprompter.
- Blatant Lies: Dr. Forrester's attempt to reassure Frank that he looks fine in the final segment.
- Brain Bleach:Crow: (singing about Estelle Winwood) She's rooty-toot-toot / I bet she smells like Juicy Fruit...
Servo: Blecch! - Digging to China: Referenced when George asks Sybil what's in the hidden basement, and Tom replies with China.
- Girl of the Week: Crow rather famously ended his idolization of Kim Catrall to pursue Estelle Winwood in this episode instead.
- Keep Circulating the Tapes: Joel reads a letter that reveals that doing this helped a family give their son something to talk to them about while in college.Joel: (reading the letter) ...so kudos to guys (and Gypsy) for finding a way for parents and kids to connect. When people ask us how we manage to stay in such close touch with Bill and his generation, because they too wanna enjoy that kind of meaningful relationship with their kids, we simply tell them Keep Circulating the Tapes
- Nightmare Face: The ogre-woman's deformed face keeps freaking out Joel and the bots.
- Orphaned Punchline: One scene opens with one of the characters saying, "...If you'd move that darn cat!", a reference to an urban legend that Johnny Carson supposedly told Zsa Zsa Gabor.
- PunCrow: "Hey, Joel! Serf's up!"
- Running Gag: The king's resemblence to Grady from Sanford and Son.
- Serious Business: Tom Servo's rant about the Middle Ages.
- Seven Dirty Words: Briefly discussed in the final host segment.
- Shout-Out:
- "Strider!" "Boromir!"
- "My Westley will come for me." and "Mawwiage!"
- "Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!"
- "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." Doubles as an Actor Allusion since Gary Lockwood was in that movie too.
- Silver Fox: Crow has this reaction toward Sybil.
- Which turns a little squicky if you realize Estelle Winwood died eight years before the episode aired.
- Servo averts this however, interrupting Crow's "Ode to Estelle" with his Long List:Servo: (singing) Here's a quick list of people much better looking than Estelle...Crow: (rolling eyes) You're so shallow.Servo: Fred Biletnikoff, Brandon Tartikoff, Sid and Marty Krofft...Crow: Very funny...Servo: Fred Gwynne and Anthony Quinn and Rin Tin Tin and Pearl Bailey and Moms Mabley and Mayor Daley and Hank & Phoebe Snow... (deep breath) Ethel Merman and Pee Wee Herman and Strom Thurmond and Vince Lombardi and Burgess Meredith and George & Mary & Jesus Jones... (deep breath) Edith Head and Mister Ed and Nostradamus and Danny Thomas and Leona and Sherman Hemsley...Crow: (completely frustrated) Joel, make him stop!Joel: Servo, you're not helping things at all. Can you go and cut those coupons like you promised?Servo: Daaaaaaah, okay! (leaves singing) Willy DeVille and Agnes DeMille and Cruella De Vil and Roscoe Tanner...
- Stripped to the Bone: What happens to TV's Frank by the episode's end after he gets infected with dysentery from the Invention Exchange.
- This Is Gonna Suck: When they see Bert I. Gordon listed as writer, executive producer, special effects supervisor and director of the film, Tom declares "we are in big, BIG trouble, guys!"
- Then it gets subverted when Joel and Tom admit the movie actually isn't all that bad.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Servo's reaction when Crow proclaims his new love is named... Estelle.Tom: WINWOOD?! (laughs derisively)
- You Have No Chance to Survive: The riffers are most unimpressed by Lodac's final threat.Joel: Oh, go to bed, old man!
