Recap / Mystery Science Theater 3000 S09 E01: The Projected Man

...vs. the Overhead Projected Man!

Film watched: The Projected Man

This episode introduces Castle Forrester as a permanent home for Pearl and her minions (and as a Suspiciously Similar Substitute for Deep 13).

The Segments:

Prologue

• The Satellite of Love has finally exited of the wormhole it's been trapped in since the last season. Despite everybody's apprehension, Gypsy reports that the ship is now in orbit over Earth, 1998, with no weird changes whatsoever. Servo and Crow have their doubts, however, fervently insisting that the crew has ended up over kind of parallel Earth, or back in the far off future.

Segment 1

• While Servo still expounds on his doubts, down on Earth, Pearl, Bobo, and Brain Guy have landed the Widowmaker outside a spooky old castle in the mountains on a dark and stormy night, filled with ominous whispering ghosts that she tells to shut up. Pearl gradually realizes that they have been drawn to Castle Forrester, the ancestral home of her wicked clan. She demonstrates that the place is truly in her blood by expertly playing an organ she finds, to which the SOL gang cheer her on ballpark style, then has Brain Guy send them today's movie.

Segment 2

• In the spirit of the movie, Crow and Servo have created their own projector and test it on several of Mike's prized possessions, such as his class ring, a St. Blaise medal from his grandma, and love letters written by his deceased girlfriend Denise. Though the 'Bots claim that the device is projecting them "someplace else", it's exceedingly clear that they're blowing said possessions up with it for kicks. Mike promptly gets revenge by projecting Servo's autographed photo of Shirley Jones.

Segment 3

• Mike calls Professor Lembach to see if he can convince him to stay a little longer, offering pie and a trip to Shenanigans, to which Lembach agrees. Down in the castle, Pearl studies an ancient tome detailing her family's history, learning that her ancestors shared a great affection for torturing hapless victims with badly-crafted forms of art and media. The SOL gang don't take her eerie statements that she's onto something big at first, but they lose their joy when they learn that Lembach changed his mind about staying.

Segment 4

• Crow has said to have been experimenting with the art of projecting, and has obtained the Touch of Death as a result. He and Mike argue about whether this is real or Crow is having one of those lapses of clarity involving the films they watch, but when he shakes Mike's hand to make amends with him, his actually-real Touch of Death causes Mike to drop dead on the desk. As a result, he and Servo are forced to drag Mike's corpse into the theater and keep him propped up. After a couple of minutes, Crow is able to bring Mike back to life by giving him a second dose of the Touch of Death.

Segment 5

• Mike has started a new foundation in his name, prompting Crow and Servo to pitch competing experiments to him in the hopes of getting a $50 grant. Servo's experiment with an engine powered by distilled water fails when the water he has Mike pour in turns out to not be distilled after all. As such, he loses out to Crow's lackluster experiment: buying two leaf blowers and a hat with the grant money. On Earth, Pearl has taken official ownership of Castle Forrester and given herself and her lackeys new uniforms, fully devoted to continuing her family's legacy and swearing that she'll conquer the world... just as soon as Bobo stops falling down the stairs.

Tropes from the MST3K version of The Projected Man include:

• Actor Allusion: In-Universe, the guys recognize Bryant "The Great Vorelli" Haliday from Devil Doll and make a few jokes off his role in it. "You're an ugly, stupid little doctor."
  Servo: [as Steiner, as Vorelli] And bring some ham... I love it!
• Battle Chant: Bobo and Observer do a Winkie-esque one of these as they march behind Pearl (in their new uniforms for the first time) as she reclaims Castle Forrester. The words of the chant in question? "Hum de de hee hee — hoowa, hoowa."
  • Bobo also goes into a stock left-right-left drill sergeant military cadence before falling down a flight of stairs.
• British Stuffiness: "Paul! Listen to me, think of all the things we used to discuss, in our dry and impersonal British way!"
• British Teeth: Apparently the most colorful thing besides the throw pillows.
• Call-Back: "HUM DE DE HEE HEE — HOO-WA! HOO-WA!"
• Captain Obvious: Invoked when the police shoot at Paul:
  Policeman: Hey, careful! Be sure to hit him!
  Tom Servo: Thanks, Lt.^note pronounced "Leftenant" Obvious!
• Continuity Nod: The characters have a bit of fun with the fact that one character is named Mitchell.
• Country Matters: Alluded to:
  Dr. Hill: (in British accent) You can't!
  Servo: What'd she call him?!
• Didn't Think This Through: Because of how upset he got over Mike not believing he had the Touch of Death, Crow actually winds up forgetting he had it when he goes to shake Mike's hand when the two make up.
• Double Entendre: The two male burglars and female burglar keep exchanging sexual euphemisms, grossing out Mike and the bots.
• Eating the Eye Candy: Everybody starts enjoying the movie when Sheila strips down to her underwear.
  Crow: I declare this movie suddenly great!
• Face Palm: Pearl finishes the episode on one of these, fingertips to the forehead as if in great pain.
• For the Evulz: The Bots claim they're transporting Mike's most treasured possessions someplace else with their homemade projector, but they're likely just burning them all up for a laugh.
  • Mike manages to realize this by the end, and then tricks the Bots into destroying something Servo loved.
• Fun with Acronyms: Upon seeing that the director of photography is Stanley Pavey, B.S.C.:^note British Society of Cinematographers
  Crow: Stanley Pavey — Big, Stinky, Crappy Director of Photography!
• It Runs in the Family: The ancient Forresters apparently trapped people in caves and sealed them in walls, forcing them to listen to bad sagas and look at terrible cave drawings.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Blanchard cuts Paul's funding and tells him to dismantle his equipment, a serious dick move considering Paul's demonstration was seemingly sabotaged. However, Mike and the bots agree with Blanchard around the time Paul tries to recklessly perform the experiment on himself.
  • Later, Crow amends this — Blanchard should have held a proper hearing first. In fact, he thinks that was the whole movie's Aesop.
• Lame Pun Reaction: When the police are mystified by the inexplicable electrocution deaths of three crooks, Crow is quick to quip "Shocking, isn't it?" Mike, as usual, didn't appreciate the pun.
• Lampshade Hanging: Immediately after reminding Crow he doesn't have legs, Tom somehow manages to make footsteps as he rushes to the table and back. Not even Tom knows how he did that.
  Crow: Hey, I thought you didn't have legs?
  Tom Servo: I don't.
  Crow: Then where'd you get footsteps, I...
  Tom Servo: ... ...good question!
  • Neatly avoiding the question of how Servo is able to help Crow drag Mike's dead body into the theater (which is what they were doing at the time) when his arms don't work.
• Near-Death Experience: Nothing "near" about it. Mike sees the light and briefly experiences cosmic oneness... but quickly sours on the whole thing once he realizes he's been brought back to life to keep watching this movie.
• Never My Fault: Downplayed: After Crow accidentally kills Mike, the two of them acknowledge that it was inconvenient for it to happen on the bridge, mainly because they now need to drag his body back into the theater.
• Non-Uniform Uniform: Pearl, Bobo, and Observer all get new clothes that are different colors but all have the same basic design (button-up shirts, black gloves, "F" insignia). Observer's is the most distinct, since it has a black torso and blue arms rather than just one color and includes his cloak.
• Of Corpse He's Alive: Mike dies before commercial sign, so the 'Bots drag his lifeless body to the theater and watch about two minutes worth of the movie with Mike slumped over in his seat, until Crow decides to see if his Touch of Death works both ways. It does.
• Overly Long Gag: In the final host segment, Prof. Bobo falls down a flight of stairs, just offscreen. His crashes and cries of pain continue for the entire duration of the end credits.
• Rock Theme Naming: Apparently, all female Forresters up to that point are named for gems and precious stones (this tradition was later broken with the introduction of Kinga in the Netflix shows).
• Running Gag:
  • During the credits, Mike deliberately reads the names wrong, until Crow tells him to knock it off.
  • Several riffs based on the line, "Pretty you may be!"
  • Paul's flaming orange hair.
  • Trying to teleport a girl's knickers as part of an experiment.
  • "I want you."
    • "I do. I want her, Mike."
  • Prof. Lembach, and whether or not he's staying much longer. There's even a host segment dedicated to this. "Lembach is staying! Lembach is staying!"
    • And so Mike and the 'bots are naturally crushed when Lembach calls back to say he's just gonna take off instead.
  • Paul's "panic" supposedly excusing his murder of eleven people and a cat.
  • The overly loud, urgent ring of British phones.
• Secret Legacy: While searching the castle, Pearl discovers that she and Clayton weren't the first Forresters trying to drive people mad:
  Pearl: Amethyst Forachenta Forrester trapped a man in a cave and pushed in bad paintings of the hunt.
• Shout-Out:
  • Pearl plays standard stadium anthems on Castle Forrester's organ. She starts in on "Louie Louie" just before the movie starts.
    Servo: Louie Lou-AI?
    Crow: Oh mama!
    Mike: [movie sign lights start to flash] We gotta go!
    Servo: [singing] Yah yah yah yah yah!
  • "Are they suiting up for NASCAR?"
  • To the tune of "Walking in Memphis":
    Crow: Walking in Mayfair... Walking with my darby and my bumbershoot...
  • "Sometimes you're so cruel I think you must have some other motive." "Are you Kim Philby?" British Intelligence agent Harold "Kim" Philby was one of the most infamous, high-ranking Double Agents and defectors of the Cold War.
  • A shadow in the lab during one scene happens to look like someone playing a saxophone, leading to a quip about Charlie Parker.
• Something We Forgot: As Crow and Tom start dragging Mike's corpse back into the theater, Tom abruptly remembers he forgot something... Namely, cuing up the commercial break.
• Story Arc: With the Sci-Fi Channel loosening its initial restrictions, Best Brains were by and large glad to return to the looser continuity of previous seasons after spending much of Season 8 trying to find ways to crowbar story arcs into what was largely a sketch/variety show format. While it made for some funny material, it also made the show a lot more work to write and stage.
• Take That!:
  • At the very beginning upon learning they're finally back in the present day, Mike and the Bots rejoice over being back on modern day Earth.
    Crow: Our own time? Cool! We can see Ethan Hawke movies again!
    [everyone cheers]
    Mike: ...No, wait. That's not a good thing. [realizing] That's bad.
  • Pearl assumes Brain Guy is making the spooky sounds in the castle: "Stop with the whispering and hissing! You sound like a Brian Eno record."
• Touch of Death:
  • The title character develops an electrical version of this.
    Crow: Joybuzzer of death.
  • Crow develops this as well, after his and Servo's experiments. Mike thinks he's having another one of his 'episodes'. Crow is offended, but they make up and shake hands... at which point Mike is electrocuted and dies for several minutes (and a commercial break). Luckily, Crow is able to revive him by touching him again in the theater. Or not-so-luckily, given that they're still watching this movie.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Among her ancestor's other possessions, Pearl discovers thousand-year-old malt liquor labels and a recipe for "an antediluvian^note Before the Biblical flood form of Chicken in a Biskit called 'Her Majesty's Fool's Hen Crackle-Bread'."
• Unfazed Everyman: Crow and Tom act rather casually over Mike dying, with their only real concern being getting his body back into the theater.
  Crow: (nonchalantly) Killed Mike...
  Tom Servo: (nonchalantly) Yep, sure did...
• Unwanted Rescue: Mike is pretty upset about being brought Back from the Dead... at least once he realizes he's been brought back to watch this movie.
• Vandalism Backfire: Crow and Tom Servo claim to have invented a "projector" (i.e. a teleporter) but it actually just burns everything they're "projecting". Crow and Servo insist on demonstrating the device with some of Mike's most prized possessions. Mike eventually catches on and offers up one of Servo's prized possessions (a signed picture of Shirley Jones) instead.

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"Lembach is staying in London for another few days."

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