Episode guide: 907- Hobgoblins

Movie: (1987) Some not-too-bright teens pursue aliens — who make people’s dreams come true, then murder them — who have escaped from confinement.

First shown: 6/27/98

Opening: On the SOL, there’s a rash of unintentional on-turning

Intro: M&tB mistreat Pearl’s new couch, and soon regret it

Host segment 1: Crow presents: “Let’s Talk Women!”

Host segment 2: Bobo calls Crow’s crisis hotline

Host segment 3: Pearl is only briefly fooled by Mike’s cutouts

End: Servo has solved the Rick Sloane problem…or has he?; Pearl expresses her disappointment

Stinger: The hobgoblins enjoy a ride

(349 votes, average: 4.65 out of 5)

Loading...

• Wow. Well, there are bad movies, there are really bad movies, and then there are bad movies like “Hobgoblins.” It’s one of those movies where somebody is sure to say “even the riffing couldn’t save it.” If nothing else, it’s memorable. The riffing is as good as it’s been all season and the segments are all pretty strong, and all that adds up to a great episode.

• Paul, who was doing these a lot at this point, offers thoughts here.

• References.

• This episode was included in Rhino’s Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 8.

• Producer Rick Sloan famously lobbied to get this movie on the show, something that didn’t happen often.

• Sloan revisits the movie in this video.

• The whole “on-turning” thing is brilliant.

• The intro is also a gem. We can’t have nice things.

• Crow, it’s pronounced “cerberus,” not “cerebus.”

• Among the more memorable credit sequences is the opening credit sequence, in which Mike is forced to corral the bots as they understandably attempt to flee the movie.

• In segment one, Mike is reading Dickens’ “Bleak House” as the scene opens, while Tom is reading Richard Scary’s equally gripping “What Do People Do All Day.”

• That’s Beez in the grainy photo Crow shows during segment 1.

• I like that the TV says “Stony.”

• Once funny, now dead references: JFK Jr.; Hunter Thompson.

• I was completely taken in by segment 2. Never saw the twist coming.

• Is my disk defective or does the sound cut out during the door sequence after segment 2?

• Naughty riff: “You’re the expert on that.”

• The run of “parking” riffs just gets funnier and funnier.

• Segment 3 is particularly funny to me because of the the three complete different reactions of Brain Guy, Pearl and Bobo. Reminds me a bit of some comment threads…

• I wonder if Rick Sloane began to regret offering this movie, after the infamous “interview” at the end of the movie.

• The closing bit is probably the weakest of all the segments, but even that one is pretty funny.

• No roundup this week: Nobody who worked on this movie did any other MSTed movies.

• CreditsWatch: Directed by Mike. After this episode, Mary Jo took then next two episodes off from the writing room–I’m guessing that was so she could head to the coast to do the “Gorgo” segments.

• Fave riff: “Aha! And what brisk witticism will this chappie have to offer?” Honorable mention: “o/` It’s the 80s… do a lotta coke and vote for Ronald Reagan…” o/`”