Dr. Clayton Forrester figures he can rule the world if he deadens his subjects' brains by making them endure terrible movies. Exploiting his access to nearby satellite-dwellers Mike Nelson and his robot pals, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, Forrester makes them watch "This Island Earth", a cheesy 1950s spaceship film. But when Mike and friends make funny comments throughout the movie and others that follow, Forrester's plan looks increasingly flimsy.
In the show's first-ever Halloween special and first-ever 3D episode, Jonah and the 'Bots watch The Mask (1961).
The crew discover disturbing secrets in Crow's memory bank while watching a film about bland government officials investigating, and then trying to cover up, a flying saucer crash.
This week's film features two intrepid heroes fleeing their Orwellian futuristic society in a souped-up racecar – but Joel and the 'Bots are more interested in reading fan mail from their adoring public.
Our intrepid hosts are trapped between Isaac Asimov's Literary Doomsday Device and Robert Ito from Quincy M.E. (1976) in a fur caveman outfit.
As two Earth boys plead for Gamera to rescue them from a planet of cannibals, Crow experiences a wonderful dream in which he turns the tables on the Mads.
Shorts, Volume 1 is a compilation release featuring seven popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was originally released on VHS by Rhino Entertainment in July 1998; it was later re-released on DVD as part of the Volume 2 set from Rhino and its re-issue, Volume II from Shout! Factory. The featured shorts are: The Home Economics Story (Episode #317), Junior Rodeo Daredevils (Episode #407), Body Care and Grooming Episode #510), Cheating (Episode #515), A Date with Your Family (Episode #602), Why Study Industrial Arts? (Episode #609} and The Chicken of Tomorrow (Episode #702).
In the first national broadcast of Mystery Science Theater 3000, the Mads have moved into Deep 13, Joel has spruced up the Bots, and Forrest Tucker sleepwalks his way through this week's literally eye-popping film.
Mike and the Bots learn the ins and outs of the thrilling world of grocery store refrigeration in The Selling Wizard (1954). Afterward, a scientist claims to have invented a machine that allows him to communicate with a recently murdered socialite in The Dead Talk Back (1994). Mike and the Bots host their own radio show called "The Dead Talk Back," and Gypsy starts a fire drill on the SOL.
The power goes out on the SOL, to which Servo and Crow take full advantage of by looting the satellite. Pearl unveils her plan to take over the world one person at a time and spontaneously starts off with Servo. While dealing with bad cases of Hockey Hair (to which Mike is conveniently immune), Servo defends Canada's honor with a song of tribute, which eventually turns violent when Mike and Crow join in. Mike's immunity to Hockey Hair leads to a case of Grizzled Old Prospector Syndrome and the bots form a muffin-based sewing circle cult while still remembering the need for human sacrifices. Meanwhile, Pearl almost takes over her first follower before he's suddenly taken over by the Traveler's Group.
Servo writes a letter to his uncle in which he recalls many fond memories of his time aboard the satellite. Meanwhile, the crew are subjected to a TV drama about a New Orleans Super Bowl full of intrigue, romance, and catfish.
Joel and his faithful robot companions celebrate Thanksgiving by scarfing down a chopped up Captain Scarlet serial repackaged as a TV film.
Joel introduces the chiro-gyro at the invention exchange while the Mads show off their flame-throwing flower. In the theater, Joel and the Bots get the third installment of 'Radar Men from the Moon' before the Bela Lugosi film 'The Corpse Vanishes'.
A documentary about the making of Danger: Diabolik, the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000's original run.
For the Invention Exchange, Joel presents a safety device for motorcyclists. The Mads, anticipating the Mad Scientists' Convention, show off their device for getting rid of unwanted guests. For the day's experiment, Joel and the bots are forced to watch the first tedious chapter of "Radar Men from the Moon" (1952), with Commander Cody, as Joel explains to Tom Servo what a serial is. Their feature film is the cheesy Mexican horror flick, "The Robot vs the Aztec Mummy" (1958). Meanwhile, the threesome do their best to fend off an attack on the Satellite of Love by demon dogs, who are attracted to the spaceship's bone-like shape.
This week's experiment is disastrous disaster film City on Fire (1979), which assures viewers the events depicted could happen in any city, anywhere. Even, as Tom points out, while we're watching this.
A selection of bloopers from cult TV favorite "Mystery Science Theater 3000", taken from seasons 2 through 6.
The 007-ish exploits of Mighty Jack – a government organization created to defeat the notorious crime syndicate known as 'Q' – took everything that was bad about espionage movies and threw the rest out.
The stranded crew of the Satellite of Love have no sympathy for the stranded crew of Moonbase Alpha when they take in two repackaged episodes of Space: 1999.
Today's experiment features real humans from Japan and a budget that must've been tens of dollars.