The 1st Annual Riff Awards

Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Kitchen Sink of Love: The 1st Annual Riff Awards
By Ben Jackson (Bjackson) on Tuesday, January 19, 1999 - 4:39 pm:

My favorite line comes from "Manos: The Hands of Fate" When the smoke from the fire was blowing in front of the Master: "Smoke on the Weirdo!"


By Jason Krietsch on Tuesday, January 19, 1999 - 5:16 pm:

In the Oscar Preview Special, while there doing "Good Will hunting" Tom Servo makes sick eating noises. I laugh everytime I see it.


By Ben Jackson (Bjackson) on Tuesday, January 19, 1999 - 6:54 pm:

I'd expect to hear them do that on a Joe Don Baker movie


By Mike Konczewski on Wednesday, January 20, 1999 - 7:18 am:

From "Alien from L.A."--Kathy Ireland's character has a very confused look on her face, and Crow says, "My puzzler hurts" in a high pitched voice. That's a great line to use whenever you feel confused.

And from the short "Why the Industrial Arts?"--It's when the narrator is listing different industrial jobs. When he says "tool operator", M&TBs sing those words to the tune of Sade's "Smooth Operator." It made my wife laugh, so it has to be funny.


By Lea Frost on Wednesday, January 20, 1999 - 10:09 am:

From "Hobgoblins," when what's-her-name is doing this really bad strip number at Club Scum, and her boyfriend the dorky hero says, "Oh my God!" "If that's your god, you have a serious ontological crisis!"

From "Jack Frost" -- "You just got yourself a whole sled-load of whoop-a**, Frost!" This one cracked me up for purely personal reasons. ;-)

And from the same episode -- "Every time I meet a man he's either gay or a bear."

From "The Final Sacrifice," when there's a shot of the nerdy kid looking surprised -- "Wait! I haven't read Tolkien in nearly a week!"

From "Quest of the Delta Knights" -- "I'm not sure, but I think that guy is COMMMMMIIIINNNNGGG!"

I haven't been a MSTie for all that long. Can you tell? :-)


By Ben Jackson (Bjackson) on Wednesday, January 20, 1999 - 9:33 pm:

Lea, Rhino sells Comedy Central era tapes. There's about, probably, 10 now. I did not have access to those shows except the MST hour, which I only learned of shortly before it's demise. Thankfully, though, I got the Amazing Colossal Episode Guide and some Rhino videos to fill those needs.:-)


By Lea Frost on Wednesday, January 20, 1999 - 10:44 pm:

Thanks for the tip, Ben! I'll have to check it out. :-)


By Todd Pence on Friday, January 22, 1999 - 2:55 pm:

Mine is from "Time of the Apes," the Japanese rip-off of "Planet of the Apes." One of the girls who is held captive by the Apes is trying to escape during the air vent and one of the robots said "Maybe she'll run into David Hedison going the other way." I laughed out loud because David Hedison, who played Captain Crane on "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," would inevitably crawl through the Seaview's venting system at some point each episode.


By Ryan Smith on Friday, January 22, 1999 - 5:51 pm:

"Racket Girls." The shot of the women working out gives Tom his great line:

"Wow. This would make k.d. lang turn hetero."


By Jason Krietsch on Saturday, January 23, 1999 - 11:48 am:

"Baby Oil!?!? AGHHHHHHHHHHHH!" From Mitchel.


By Andy Jackson on Monday, January 25, 1999 - 10:42 pm:

Gotta say my favorite line of all time was from Cave Dwellers: Servo: "How much Keefe is in this movie?" Joel: "Miles O'Keefe" (He was the star, you see)


By Anonymous on Friday, June 04, 1999 - 4:58 pm:

Time Chasers: "Ah! So it's bicycles then! Very well, we accept your choice of vehicle! En Guard!" Servo, as the bad guys get out of their truck to persue the hero on bikes.


By rachgd on Saturday, June 05, 1999 - 5:52 pm:

Ben Jackson: are those videos available on-line, do you know? I did a Search, but could not come up with anything. No MST videos are sold in my entire country except for the movie (which I already have).
Please help. All donations gratefully received.


By Ben Jackson (Bjackson) on Sunday, June 06, 1999 - 2:13 pm:

rachqd: You can order on-line at http://rhino.com/projects/MST3K/index.html and they also have a free catalog that you can get.


By rachgd on Monday, June 07, 1999 - 1:47 am:

If only I could, Ben! However, they are only licenced to sell in the US, and even if they were able to sell to us Southern Hemisphere-ians, it's all in the wrong format!
Thanks for the link, though! I really do appreciate your help. Anyone have any other ideas?


By Wes Collins on Wednesday, July 07, 1999 - 12:10 pm:

From the short Century 21 Calling: "Soon all your freinds will be hanging up on you and dreading you calls"


By David Hensley on Monday, August 02, 1999 - 10:26 am:

In the Oscar Preview Special, The Fifth Element:
"They're doing a whole movie about Boron?"


By kerriem. on Wednesday, August 02, 2000 - 9:34 pm:

Based on the Rhino videos only, my all-time favorite riffs come from the operating room sequence that opens 'The Brain That Wouldn't Die' ('But what does turning them into clowns prove, John?').
Honorable mentions: the blurry-opening-credit riffs from 'Cave Dwellers' (''The Hills Have Eyes'...but they have glaucoma right now') and the chasing-Laura-through-the-'Casio forest' bit from 'Pod People' ('This way!' 'What - you smell her?')


By ScottN on Saturday, January 06, 2001 - 3:24 pm:

I forget the episode, but in the segment with Pearl and Brain with the gods, and they have to sing something, and Brain comes up with "Bitter Dregs". Great tribute to Trek!


By kerriem. on Saturday, February 17, 2001 - 9:11 am:

From the Rhino videos:

Most accurate descriptive riff that I've heard so far: Arch Hall Jr as a "Cabbage Patch Elvis" (from 'Eegah!')

Runner-up: (As the camera pans across Coleman Francis & Co. in prison, in 'Red Zone Cuba'): "I think this whole 'Ugly American' thing is really unfair, don't you?"

Honorable mention: "It's Harriet Nelson's evil twin!" (from 'The Crawling Hand'.)

Deadliest savaging of 1950's suburban values: 'A Date With Your Family' ("Father, I had a feeling today." "Well, don't, son.")

Best pun: (when the lovers in 'Crawling Hand' discover the title character on the beach): "Did he just offer her his hand in marriage?" "Well, not exactly his hand..."

Runner-up: (as the craven assistant battles the monster in 'The Brain That Wouldn't Die'): "Soooo...this is kinda like a 'Farewell to Arms', huh?

Best Tor Johnson joke (tie): (After mangling a line): "Tor's hooked on phonics!"
(Not responding to his master): "I'm sorry, Tor's not in right now, but if you'd like to leave a message..." (both from 'The Unearthly')

Best response to an inane movie statement: (courtesy the lab chief in 'Amazing Colossal Man'): "Now, the explanation for this is quite technical, Carol...the heart is made up of a single cell..."
Crow:"You're not a real doctor, are you?"

Runner-up: (as the abusive boyfriend comforts his girl in 'Sidehackers'): "I'd never hurt you, honey. Hey, we're a team, you and me..."
Joel: "Yeah - I'm Punch and you're Judy."

Honorable mention: (summing up the entire message of 'The Days of Our Years'): "So the three main causes of accidents are marriage, old age and pure unbridled joy?")

Best medical riffs: The opening sequence of 'The Brain That Wouldn't Die' ("Ahhh, have at 'im, we'll make it a closed casket.")

Runner-up: "Well, I guess it's all up to the dog - no, Marmaduke! Not the triple-overhand stitch! Bad dog!" (from 'Cave Dwellers')

Most impressive sustained riffing: The 'colour commentary' skit from "Sidehackers."

Best surrealist riff: (as the egg-crushing hunter in 'Pod People' cowers in fear): "Hey, this guy looks like Norm Abrams...gettin' killed."
(as his buddies search for him): "Hear that? Sounds like Norm Abrams, gettin' killed by a giant chicken."

Second-best reaction to the same scene: "Oh, no, it's the Easter Bunny, and is he ever mad!!"

Best reaction to pretentious narration: (opening sequence of 'Cave Dwellers'): "But there were in those days a few, who seemed to have been touched by divine fire..."
Joel: "And they're in AA now."

Best answer to an existential dilemma: (pondering Glen's fate in 'Colossal Man'): "Why is this happening to him? Why, why?"
Servo: "Cause he's rock stu-pid, honey."

Anybody else (particularly those who can see the entire series on cable?)


By Callie Sullivan on Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 3:50 am:

The two lines that have actually made me cry with laughter:

From Manos: the ferocious-looking Doberman saying, “Could you ... could you hold up that cue card ... what’s it say? ... oh yeah ... ‘Arf’.”

From The Beginning of the End: a soldier cowers in a shop window while looking out at a statue across the street. He is asked to report in. Servo has the soldier dramatically whispering, “I’m hiding from a lion!”


By Kinggodzillak on Tuesday, November 13, 2001 - 1:54 pm:

Best sustained riff:

The Agent for H.A.R.M's cardigan.


By Snick on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 10:03 pm:

Also from "Agent for H.A.R.M.":

Crow, with an Irish accent: "Welcome to County Morgue."

Always cracks me up.


By Snick on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 10:07 pm:

Oh man, I can't believe I forgot this one, also from "Agent for H.A.R.M.". No, I think my definite favorite riff, at least in terms of sustained mirth, has to be:

Extreme closeup of the back of a man's head in a car.
Crow, like a not-too-bright teenager: "This is my dad, he didn't know I was filming him and stuff. Heh."

I don't know why, but I always find that moment funny.


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