507 - I Accuse My Parents

Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections: Mystery Science Theater 3000: Season Five: 507 - I Accuse My Parents
By Wes Collins (Wcollins) on Thursday, September 07, 2000 - 2:21 pm:

A person calling themself Krazy Kat mailed this plot summary to me, so I'm posting it.
Plot Summary: After a lesson telling us we should offer bird sacrifices to
the Truck Farmer because he abuses Canadian migrant workers and makes DDT
safe, we get to our main feature. We start out in a courtroom where Jimmy
Wilson is on trial because he's been a very bad boy. When asked to explain
himself, he goes for the Menendez brothers defense and accuses his parents.
We then flashback to the origins of the mess and find that Jimmy is a good
sort of kid, because he sells shoes and won an essay contest. But his
parents are a drunken, dysfunctional pair whom Jimmy lies about. Then one
day, he meets a nightclub singer named Kitty. He soon finds himself working
for her Mob boss boyfriend. Not being a particularly perceptive individual,
Jimmy doesn't realize he's selling drugs to schoolkids. When he finally gets
a clue, the other kids in the essay contest send a couple of goons to beat
him up. He then packs some peanut butter and underwear and goes to Kansas,
where he botches an attempt to hold up a greasy spoon. After a couple of
months, he returns to try to have his former boss be sent to jail, but
accidentally shoots him instead. The Judge lets Jimmy off with probation and
sentences his parents to Hell. I accuse the producer!!!!!
Prologue: Covered with nude paint, Servo is convinced that he's a real live
boy. Joel tries in vain to rid Servo of that delusion. Crow has more success
when, as Servo gives his reasons for wanting to be a real boy, he counters
each one with cold, hard reality.
Invention Exchange: Tired of the trouble associated with conventional cakes
containing an exotic dancer, Dr. Forrester and Frank have created Cake and
Shake, an easy to make cake mix with an exotic dancer included. It's then
discovered that Frank made the mistake of adding the dancer in the mix
before baking. Joel and the 'Bots have created the Junk Drawer Organizer, so
you won't suffer from frustration caused by rooting through your junk drawer
and not finding what you want.
Host Segment 1: Joel organizes some art therapy for the 'Bots, having them
draw their ideal families. Crow's drawing of his father is a huge.
all-powerful city stomper, but he can't explain why he has a handlebar
mustache. Servo's ideal family consists of two moms and a robot dad, but he
can't explain why his moms are holding hands. Gypsy's ideal family is the
SOL crew, but she can't explain why she has Richard Basehart as God. When
asked why he's psychoanalysing robots, Joel can't explain.
Host Segment 2: The nightclub song scene is reenacted, with Gypsy
lip-synching Kitty, Joel as the nightclub patrons, and Servo and Crow as the
nightclub employees. Things go awry near the end when some champagne
cocktails Crow is carrying get knocked onto Cambot and mess up the
recording. They get movie sign before they can start over.
Host Segment 3: Joel and the 'Bots have a discussion on whether or not
Jimmy's drunk folks are at the root of his problems. Tracing the movie's
storyline, it's decided that placing the blame entirely on his drunk folks
is oversimplifying things. A mobile is used to illustrate that, though his
drunk folks are an influence, there are other more significant factors, such
as the fact that he's a spineless moron.
Host Segment 4: As Joel attempts to read a postcard, Servo and Crow come up
holding pistols and demanding a hamburger and French fries. Joel claims to
have only a postcard. The 'Bots leave in disgust, after which Joel gets out
a hamburger and French fries. He then shows the postcard, which has a
picture of a device called the Barco Rammer. The writer claims it would make
the perfect date for the 'Bots. Just then, Servo and Crow arrive in a tank
and demand that Joel hand over the hamburger and French fries. Meanwhile, in
Deep 13, Dr. Forrester and Frank have managed to extract the exotic dancer
from the cake more or less alive.

Note From Wes: If you've enjoyed reading this plot summary, and would like to know more about accusing your parents, contact Mr. Grifiths. He, and his charming wife Edna might even show you their unrivled collection of Scandanavian credit cards.


By kerriem. on Thursday, September 07, 2000 - 7:51 pm:

ROTFLOL!

As noted above, this particular ep features some really funny host sequences, including wicked send-ups of art therapy and psychoanalysis. The closing bit with Crow in the tank is an especial hoot: 'You were supposed to get us a hamburger sammich with French fried potatoes, Joel! <snif, sob> WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THIS FAMILY?!'

Favorite riff: 'No-one's going to take you away from me. Not even me, see? I'll kill me before that happens.' (Also see the land-clearing sequence from 'The Truck Farmer' short: 'Early tractor pulls - not that much fun; this is the freestyle competition!' 'Aagh, it's Killdozer - Clint Walker, noooo!')

This is also the one with a title card that announces it's going to be shipped overseas for troops' entertainment. Every time i see that line i picture the poor bewildered GI's - 'And we're supposed to be dying for this moron?'


By Mr. Blake on Wednesday, November 15, 2000 - 3:19 am:

I felt this film wrongly ruined the image of booze. Jimmy was just screwed up.

There are so many great lines in this one:

"Praise the truck farmer! Bow down before him!
HAIL TRUCK FARMER! HAIL TRUCK FARMER!"

"I am the angel of death. The day of reckoning is upon us!" (That line and Jimmy's facial expression always gets me chuckling)

"Would you please get me my hamburger!!"

"Son, it's been 2 weeks and you still haven't touched your hamburger."


By Butler on Saturday, December 30, 2000 - 9:02 pm:

"I'm sorry, he says he's not here..."


By L Boogie on Wednesday, January 17, 2001 - 3:37 am:

"She's drunk!"
"It''s funny!"

"Suddenly, Jimmy is seized with an essay idea."

"Don't touch the customers Jim!"

"This is one successful shoe salesman"


By MikeC on Tuesday, August 07, 2001 - 2:13 pm:

The film really isn't that bad--cheesy and dated and lacking sense, yes, but compare it with, say "Manos" or "Pod People" or "Red Zone Cuba," and you've got Oscar material here. Also, I didn't mind the guy playing the kid--he was the best performer in the cast, aside from the gangster.

"I'm RUDOLF HESS!"

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeees?"

"Murray, use a coaster!"

"She's drunk!" "It's funny!"

"I just don't understand the Holy Spirit. Is it like a dog?"

"I like Jello!"

"A young Al Bundy..."

"It's my birthday, mister!"


By Gordon Lawyer on Wednesday, August 08, 2001 - 7:10 am:

Mike, that should be, "I just don't understand the Holy Spirit. Is it a bird?" It is referring to the bit in the Gospels when John the Baptist was baptising Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove.


By MikeC on Wednesday, August 15, 2001 - 11:26 am:

Whoops, sorry, I guess I was overdrawn at the memory bank about that, if you know what I mean...


By kerriem. on Thursday, August 16, 2001 - 7:34 am:

Agreed (after a recent viewing of this and 'The Unearthly' back-to-back!) that the film isn't that bad...just terribly, terribly earnest, in typical '40's Hollywood message-movie fashion.

But Jimmy - sorry, I can't work up any sympathy for this kid. He's got to be the single most clueless teenager in movie history, especially given his supposed background. And the fact that the actor playing him looks about 25-30 makes the 'naiive' thing almost creepy. (Something the MST3K crew riffs on to great effect throughout the film.)


By Callie Sullivan on Saturday, September 01, 2001 - 3:36 pm:

Short
Opening credits: “An Encylopaedia Britannica film.” Crow: “Wonder if they sold this film door to door.”
Tom: “There’s something you don’t see every day.” Joel: “What’s that?” Tom: “A farmer with all his limbs!”
Crow: “Harrowing, isn’t it? Harrowing … farmer joke …”
Narrator: “Here in southern Texas there is another problem.” Crow: “Texans!”

Main movie
Tom’s lyrics to the opening theme cracked me up, as did Gypsy as Kitty.
“Mirror mirror on the wall, can I make it to last call?”
“It’s an air filtered piano.”
“Seeing as it’s your birthday I’ll let you go.”
After the movie, commercial sign flashed instead of the Mads’ sign.


By kerriem. on Sunday, September 09, 2001 - 7:53 pm:

"They laughed when I accused my parents and I killed them/Let's see if they'll be laughing nowwwwww...." Possibly the single most effective (and funniest) musical moment in any MST3K ep.


By MikeC on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 - 1:49 pm:

Agreed, Kerriem. When I watched it with my friends, they gave it the party equivalent of a standing ovation (which is pretty much laughing and talking so much you miss the next five minutes).


By Anonymous on Sunday, January 01, 2006 - 3:39 pm:

The beginning short was hilarious, as well as the host segments. The actual riffing was somewhat forgettable.


By Gordon Lawyer (Glawyer) on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - 6:13 am:

One of the riffs in this one is used erroneously. When Jimmy is being mocked by the radio, one of them (I think it was Servo) mimics Don Wilson and says, "The Jack Benny Program!" The problem is that was what the TV version of the show was called. On the radio, Don Wilson would say, "The (whoever Jack's sponser was at the time) Program starring Jack Benny!" Similarly, Harlow Wilcox would say, "The Johnson Wax Program with Fibber McGee and Molly!"


Add a Message


This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Username:  
Password: