Recap / Mystery Science Theater 3000 Special 2

Films covered (in order of appearance):

1. Mrs Brown
2. The Wings of the Dove
3. Good Will Hunting
4. As Good as It Gets
5. Amistad
6. Titanic
7. Jackie Brown
8. Boogie Nights
9. Deconstructing Harry
10. L.A. Confidential
11. Starship Troopers

The second of three blockbuster movie specials the show did on the Sci-Fi Network.

The Segments:

Prologue

• By Al Gore's special vice presidential command, Mike and the Bots are ordered to do another Oscar showcase. Mike resists at first, but changes his mind after hearing that his driving record will be wiped clean if he goes through with it. In the theater, the 'Bots sing the opening number; Mike accompanies on claves.

Segment 1

• Mike and the Bots begin the special with Mrs. Brown, The Wings of the Dove, starring and Good Will Hunting. Mike annoys Crow and Servo with his Good Will Hunting snowclones.

Segment 2

• They continue the show with As Good as it Gets, a brief overview on Amistad, and Titanic.

Segment 3

• Servo introduces Jackie Brown, but the three are shocked by the film. Servo then changes to Boogie Nights, to which Mike bluntly tell the two Bots that the film is about porn. They then change to Deconstructing Harry, but again they are squicked by the prostitution scene. Crow switches gears to supposed WWII historical film La Confidenciale, but is corrected by Mike: it's L.A. Confidential. The special concludes with they film the three believe will sweep the Oscars, Starship Troopers. During the credits, Mike allows Vice President Gore a hand at riffing, but it turns ugly fast.

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This special contains examples of:

• Accidental Misnaming:
  • While discussing As Good As it Gets, Crow says it stars "Jack Nicklaus^note instead of Jack Nicholson as a complete jerk."
  • Tom refers to Boogie Nights as "Booger Nights" but is quickly corrected.
  • Crow pronounces L.A. Confidential as "La Cohnfeedenceahl", claiming it's a historical drama about children at boarding school in wartorn France.^note The plot he's describing sounds like Au revoir les enfants He's immediately corrected by Tom.
• Actor Allusion: In the Good Will Hunting section, Sean (Robin Williams) asks a question and the riff in reply is, "Nanu nanu!"
• Bait-and-Switch: You think Crow is talking about Titanic, but...
  Crow: Let's cast off with that unsinkable blockbuster, the movie that's still afloat at theaters, breaking all box office records, yes, it's full steam ahead, you know which one I mean, Mrs. Brown! (Mike is baffled)
• Big Eater: Crow accuses Skylar in Good Will Hunting of being this.
  Crow: (as Skylar) Lemme just fit more steak in my mouth.
• Brick Joke: During the review for Good Will Hunting, they have Matt Damon say, "...uh, I'm Leonardo DiCaprio, right?"...and during the review for Titanic (1997), Crow says, "Leonardo DiCaprio is compelling in the role of a young Matt Damon".
  • At the end, Crow says he has to drive Madeleine Albright home; Tom says he'll return the rented Monster truck to the dealer (based on what Crow says under Professional Butt-Kisser).
• Call-Back:
  • The MST Oscar Statue (arms aloft, holding up the MST3K moon) makes another appearance in the title card.
  • When Jack proclaims that he is the king of the world, Mike yells "Packers! Whooooo!"
  • During the dance bit in Titanic (1997), as in Daddy-O:
    Tom: (as Leo's character) Jump back! Kiss myself!
  • During the L.A. Confidential review, Mike calls Russell Crowe's character "Sgt. Chin-Butt".
• Call-Forward: From the Titanic (1997) review "I'm gonna sink this bitch!".
• Continuity Nod: Mike's blemished driving record for "failure to yield" was originally mentioned in Agent for H.A.R.M.. Al Gore offers to wipe it off his record if he performs in the special.
• Critical Dissonance: Invoked; Mike and the bots predict that Starship Troopers will win everything at the Oscars.
• Dude, Not Funny!: Invoked during the end credits; Mike gives Al Gore an opportunity to try riffing; his first joke is lame but clean ("This movie was a Titanic success."), but his second and third jokes are apparently so vile that Mike doesn't want to repeat them and he hangs up on Al.
• Evil Laugh: During the gross "Kissing with burger-mouth" scene in Good Will Hunting, Minnie Driver lets out a laugh that sounds like one, prompting Mike to add on his own "MUHUHAHAHAHA!!" that scares Crow and Servo a little.
• The Ghost: Then-incumbent Vice President Al Gore, whose muffled phone conversation is just this side of inaudible.
• Instant Costume Change: When Mike is informed that Al Gore will take his "failure to yield" off his driving record for participating in the special, he changes into a tux off-screen in less than a second.
• Nausea Fuel: Invoked. During the scene in Good Will Hunting where Will and Skylar kiss while Skylar has her mouth full of food, Mike and the bots are disgusted.
  Mike: Bits of ketchup and mustard and saliva co-mingling... ugh. Let's move onto something else.
• Never Trust a Title: When Boogie Nights first appears, Servo and Crow think it's an upbeat film about the last days of disco. Mike corrects them:
  Mike: Actually, it's about porn.
• Newhart Phonecall: Occurs a few times in the special, as Mike speaks to then-vice president Al Gore on the other end. They even reference Bob Newhart while doing this.
• Professional Butt-Kisser: The cast to Al Gore.
  Crow: Yes, Mr. Vice President! Yes, Mr. Vice President! Yes, Mr. Vice President! Absolutely, future president Gore! (...) Funny quips? You got 'em, sir. Glancing blows at the titans of Hollywood? They're built in! A big musical number at the end featuring synchronized swimming and Michael Bolton and Madeline Albright riding a monster truck? Can do!
• Pun:
  • "How will Gloria Stewart get to the Oscars this year? Will Minnie Driver, or will Greg Kinnear?"
  • Mike's snowclones of Good Will Hunting, which annoy the Bots.
• Rule of Three: Tom uses a different adjective beginning with "D" after the first three films covered in the special: "Ah, delightful." "Ah, delicious." "Ah, de-lovely."
• Running Gag: Mike has so much fun with the main characters' name of Will Hunting that he attaches "Good" to other titles. Crow and Tom quickly get annoyed.
• Sarcasm-Blind: Al Gore. After Crow gets on Mike's case about giving away the "surprise" ending to Titanic, Al calls up Mike:
  Mike: Yeah, we know the ship sinks, sir, we were just... trying to be funny.
• Saw "Star Wars" Twenty-Seven Times: After covering Titanic:
  Mike: So, finish your homework, put on your big pants and your Dr. Pepper lip gloss, and go down and see Titanic for the seventeenth time.
• Sound-Effect Bleep: Silence gaps for stronger language are used in quite a few of the films presented in this special. Each time, the silence is lampshaded:
  Sean: Because you know what? I can't learn anything from you I can't read in some [audio cuts out]in' book!
  Crow: Oh! I've read some [audio cuts out]in' book!
  • From the review for As Good as It Gets....
    Melvin: Uh, Carol the waitress, Simon the [fag].
    Crow: Why'd they bleep out "former guy from Talk Soup?
  • During the review of Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry, Mike & The Bots are delighted to see Allen... until he starts suggesting bleeped-out ideas for sex actsinvoked to the prostitute.
    Mike: Uh, we must've got hold of one of Woody's home movies, guys...
• Shout-Out: In addition to the bait-and-switch above, Crow is also making reference to The Unsinkable Molly Brown, a passenger on the Titanic who commandeered the lifeboat she was on.
• Special Guest: Special Ghost Vice President Al Gore is never seen or heard but teleconferences with the SOL throughout the special.
• Sublime Rhyme: Crow is able to rhyme "Julie Brown" with "La vieille dame et les pigeons".
• Toilet Humour: In the Starship Troopers section: "Oh no, the bug's been eating at Taco Bell all day long!!!"

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