Recap / Mystery Science Theater 3000 S08 E13: Jack Frost

...could eat no... frost.

Film watched: Jack Frost

The last of the four Russo-Finnish films featured on the show. This is notable for being the Trope Namer for The Freelance Shame Squad, coined by Crow to describe a group of villagers in the movie who always show up in time to laugh at wicked stepsister Marfushka.

The episode is available in the Gizmoplex here.

The Segments:

Prologue

• Mike impersonates Michael Flatley to become Lord of the Dance, performing alongside Crow and Servo to an audience of Gypsy. Since all his footwork is hidden behind the desk, Gypsy isn't that impressed.

Segment 1

• Since Pearl is taking her sweet time coming back to the Camping Planet after dropping off the Space Children, Bobo and Brain Guy are left to manage the SOL. It's shown that they're still butting heads as they argue about who's in charge and who's accomplishing the list of tasks Pearl left for them, many of which involve Bobo's gross hygiene, which leads to Brain Guy zapping Mike onto the planet to settle the argument. Mike uses Brain Guy's weakening resolve in the argument to trick him into taking his place in today's experiment, but he sees through it by Movie Sign and zaps Mike into the theater before the film starts.

Segment 2

• In an attempt to simplify and explain the film's Russo-Finnish context, Crow brings in who he deems an expert in Russian culture: Yakov Smirnoff. Over the Hexfield, the Russian-American only prefers to perform his tired "in Soviet Russia" routine instead of giving the SOL any straight answers, and Mike learning that Crow spent $25,000 of his money to have Yakov brought to the Satellite gives him an ulcer on the spot.

Segment 3

• Crow turns himself into a bear to mimic Ivan's curse of bear-headedness, and is later found having partially eaten and buried Servo, prompting Mike to scold him for getting too engrossed in his role. He keeps being a bear in the theater, but changes back later on. Back on the Camping Planet, Bobo and Brian Guy awkwardly try to find common ground in the name of the experiment, but they finally start bonding for real after complaining about Pearl and how demeaning she is.

Segment 4

• After his first attempt went south, Crow hires a better expert on Russian culture for the film, at the expense of maxing out Mike's credit cards. After several "associations" between him and Rocky IV, Crow introduces the crew to Earl Torgeson, a butcher in Sanford, Maine who specializes in handmade Old World sausages. Earl doesn't even pay the crew the slightest inkling of attention since he's in the middle of work, and Mike prepares to kill Crow where he stands.

Segment 5

• With the help of a dress and some big doe eyes glued to his dome, Servo becomes "adowable and pwecious", though his speech impediment confuses Mike and Crow over what he's trying to tell them. On the Camping Planet, Bobo and Brain Guy share beers and drunkenly argue about whether Every Which Way but Loose or Any Which Way You Can is the best ape movie ever made, the latter zapping Mike back to the planet to settle their argument. At that moment, Pearl finally returns and ends the argument by claiming Dunston Checks In is the best ape movie ever, having Mike sent back to the SOL and making her lackeys get back to work.

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The MST3K presentation of Jack Frost contains examples of:

• Alan Smithee: In-Universe, Mike posits that every name in the credits is Russian for this.
• All the Good Men Are Gay:
  Mike: Every time I meet a man he's either gay or a bear.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: In-Universe, Servo dubs Nastenka as, "One of the greatest criminal masterminds of the 20th century," but doesn't really elaborate. He also referred to her having a "conniving face" and being "maliciously cute."
• Bait-and-Switch: In the last host segment, Pearl arrives and says, "What the hell...?!" You think she's going to berate Bobo and Brain Guy for drinking on the job (not to mention bringing Mike down), but all she's objecting to is their argument that either Any Which Way You Can or Every Which Way But Loose is the best ape movie.
• Bat Deduction: Crow's reasoning starts with (naturally) assuming that the obvious touchstone for Soviet culture and Russian folklore is a behind-the-scenes understanding of Rocky IV, and of course who better to talk about Rocky IV than the band who composed the iconic theme song "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky III — specifically their drummer, who didn't join the band until years later. The chain of bad assumptions somehow results in the Satellite getting a butcher named Earl Torgeson from Sanford, Maine to talk about Russian folklore. Earl doesn't notice they're there and hangs up without saying anything about Russia, Folklore, or even meat.
• Becoming the Mask: Crow puts on his bear costume and insists he's a bear. He then eats half of Servo and buries the other half for later. Servo's not pleased. (Servo would get his revenge on Crow!Bear three episodes later.)
• Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: invoked The bear cubs picking up and running off with gigantic mushrooms are never explained, but Mike and the bots quit riffing and just chuckle at the overly cute sight.
• Call-Back:
  • "Am I Kirok?"
  • "I thought I was Dale."
• Call-Forward: Possibly unintentionally, but Mike chides Crow for taking his bear simulations too far and mentions that it happens with some frequency. Three episodes later, we see it again.
• "Cavemen vs. Astronauts" Debate / Fandom Rivalry: Bobo argues with Observer with which is the better ape movie: Every Which Way but Loose (Observer's choice) or its sequel Any Which Way You Can (Bobo's preference). Pearl settles matters with Dunston Checks In (though it's only resolved because Pearl says so).
• Celebrity Resemblance: Marfushka looks like Tom Petty while Ivan looks like Simon LeBon of Duran Duran.
• Failed a Spot Check: Pearl threatens Mike, not noticing that he's standing right behind her.
• Happy Ever After
  Mike: Yeah, until the Mushroom Guy moved in...
• Mind Screw: Since they didn't have any knowledge of the original Russian stories blended together to form the plot, let alone enough familiarity to tell what was changed or exaggerated for the sake of humour and what wasn't, this was what Mike and the Bots' considered the film to be. Not that the scripters of the dub seemed to have any greater clue. (Calling Baba Yaga "The Hunchback Fairy"? Really?)
  Crow: So, the premise of this movie is that everyone is just nuttier than all get-out?
• Owls Ask "Who?": Parodied as a quick riff when a close-up of an owl appears on-screen.
  Tom Servo: What! Uh, I mean, when! Who! I'm sorry — who!
• Poor Man's Substitute: Invoked in one of the host segments; Crow wanted to get insight about the film, but the only person available is a sausage wholesaler who doesn't seem to be aware of their presence.
• Pun
  • Immediately after Ivan is transformed:
    Bear Ivan: Nastenka! What's the matter?
    Crow: (as Ivan) Am I un-bear-able?
  • Later:
    Crow: (As a cat sits next to a spider web) How do you like my web site?
    Mike: (Groans)
• Right Behind Me: Except Pearl is so evil she isn't even put off by it — and is more interested in getting a brewsky anyway.
• Russian Reversal: Well, naturally, since Yakov Smirnoff (okay, a Smirnoff look-alike, but whatever) makes an appearance in one of the host segments.
• Shirtless Scene: Mike as the Lord of the Dance.
• Shout-Out
  • One to Duck Soup when the dog comes barking out of its kennel:
    Crow: Now, back into Harpo's chest!
  • When a murder of crows fly from the sled, Mike quips, "Counting US!" (Crow, who made the next riff, didn't do that "crows" joke for some reason.)
  • A bunch of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings jokes.
    Mike: (as Father Mushroom) Hey-oh, day-oh, Tom Bombadil-o!
    
    Mike: (as Father Mushroom keeps popping in and out of invisibility) Frodo gets drunk and screws with the neighbors.
  • When a group of women run away from a bear-headed Ivan, Mike says that the film's going to go into slow motion with Barber's "Adagio for Strings" as a soundtrack.
  • After Wicked Stepmother slaps Mafusha.
    Mike: This Fin's Life!
  • Crow refers to Baba Yaga as Mrs. Non-Gorilla.
    • When a shot begins with no one in it for a moment: "How not to be seen...", and "So, what? Are we looking for Waldo here?"
  • As Marfushka gobbles down food.
    Crow: It's Mrs. Creosote!
  • A quick reference to The Chronicles of Narnia appears when Father Mushroom disappears in a puff of smoke:
    Tom Servo: I didn't know there were that many land mines left in Narnia.
  • At the start of one scene, a roasted pig is shown on the table. Tom immediately laments: "Babe!! (sobbing)"
    • Later when Marfushka is in a sled pulled by pigs:
      Tom Servo: On Wilbur, on Gordy, on Babe!
  • Oklahoma!: "Oh what a beautiful (gibberish Russian), oh what a beautiful (gibberish Russian)..."
  • Grateful Dead: "I thought Jerry Garcia was 'Father Mushroom'."
  • "Paul Williams!"
  • When Ivan is turned into a bear:
    Ivan!Crow: Dammit Puck, this time you've gone too far!.
  • "Mmm, gimme some French-fried potaters, mmm..."
  • Marfushka is Tom Petty.
  • "Now I gotta keep stirring the sauce, deliver these guns to Jimmy..."
  • One riff has Ivan asking, "Do I look like Simon LeBon?"
  • The Wicked Stepmother is compared to Roseanne Barr, "I'm a domestic goddess!".
  • One shot of Ivan prompts, "Val Kilmer is Prince Valium."
• This Is Gonna Suck
  Mike: ...So the first plot point involves knitting socks. I think we're in for quite a ride, guys!
• Viewers Are Geniuses: (When a rooster crows several times) Tom: "Boy, Peter must be going around denying everybody today!"
• Waxing Lyrical: When Ivan asks Nastenka to forgive him, Tom puts the lyrics to "Take on Me" in his mouth.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • This is Servo's reaction after Nastenka convinces the Rosy Fingered Dawn to go back below the horizon so she can finish knitting her stockings and avoid punishment from her stepmother.
    Servo: Eh, the world's thrown into chaos, earthquakes, floods... but that's fine, you knit your sock.
  • Crow pre-emptively calls out Jack Frost as he's out frosting things and begins to approach Nastenka.
    Crow: Don't frost her, you big-!
• Wicked Stepmother: Servo joins in on the Lampshade Hanging.
  Ivan: You must have a very wicked stepmother.
  Servo: (as Nastenka) Yep, standard issue.
• Witch with a Capital "B": When Bobo asks Observer if he thinks Pearl can be mean, Observer's answer is calling her a stone cold witch.

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Marfusha: Bring on my fiancé.

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