Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

The makers of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) were so annoyed by their experiences having to work with a major studio on this film that they later parodied the experience on the TV series. In The Incredible Melting Man (1996), the host segments are about Crow's screenplay being purchased by a studio then ruined by the executives (Dr. Forrester and Mother Forrester) as they vainly try to shoot it and screen it for audiences. Series writer and star Mary Jo Pehl would later call the episode an "exercise in healing."

When Mike first enters the theater at "Movie Sign," he's wearing the shorts and college t-shirt he was exercising in. When he exits the theater, he's wearing his normal blue jumpsuit.

When "Puppet handlers" comes up crow says "There were no puppets in this movie."

In the original version, the ending was different. Mike and the 'bots made an elaborate practical joke in which they used the interociter to transmogrify a regular ant into a MutAnt (affectionately known as Scrotor), who promptly throttles Dr. Forrester. Meanwhile, Crow uses the chainsaw he found in Tom Servo's room to once again try to "dig" his way back to Earth. This was the version shipped to some film critics before the studio demanded they re-shoot the ending (too "scary".) It was finally shown to a public audience at the second MST3K convention, along with another deleted scene involving air being sucked in space a la Apollo 13.

Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Celtic Pride/Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie/Mrs. Winterbourne/The Substitute/Fear/Sweet Nothing (1996)