Mystery Science Theater 3000: THE DEAD TALK BACK Rewatch

March 7, 2019 3:16 AM - Season 6, Episode 3

Rewatch! One of the sillier movies in MST's rich history, this film was made in the 60s but unreleased until shortly before the episode aired. Krasker is a self-styled occultist with a hilariously dramatic speaking style. He lives in the basement of a boarding house with a collection of "supernatural" artifacts that are laugh-out-loud funny even without riffing. For some reason the police hang on this cut-rate Sherlock Holmes' every word, and consult with him on murder cases, a premises so ridiculous that it demonstrates just how stupid it is when investigatory seances happen in real life. But mostly the movie stalls until its sub-Scooby Doo twist ending. Previously.
posted by JHarris (4 comments total)

My god, I love this film. It's just so damn earnest in it's desire to be a hard boiled police procedural/supernatural whodunit. The filmmakers had loads more ambition than talent, but my hat's off to them.

And as I've mentioned before, I love how Krasker projects this impressive image to everyone in the film that is completely at odds with reality.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 8:31 AM on March 7, 2019 [2 favorites]

The thing I can't wrap my head around is the two narrators. It's like a frame story, minus the story. Or like Inception, but less dumb. Or like, Krasker's opening talking-head bit is actually a repackaging of the core movie (narrated by Cop McHardboiled) a la the Jack Perkins intros for the MST3K Hour.

What keeps this one watchable is that some of the performers have actual charisma and commitment to their performances, particularly the perp.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 9:56 AM on March 7, 2019 [2 favorites]

Not kneeing you in the groin is a constant struggle.
posted by wittgenstein at 6:55 PM on March 7, 2019 [1 favorite]

I'm of a similar opinion, about the movies that try really hard but are outside the director's ability, or where the performances don't match with reality. They're like a window into an alternate world. Things there aren't like they are here. People act with alien motives and emotions. It has a way ot tickling the brain.

I slept through almost all of the movie because various events ensured I didn't get much sleep the night before. I think I'm going to put it in the channel to play over and over until next week, so I can watch it again. Anyone else want to see it who missed it last time, there it is.
posted by JHarris at 10:51 AM on March 8, 2019