Mystery Science Theater 3000: STAR FORCE: FUGITIVE ALIEN II

August 19, 2015 10:30 PM - Season 3, Episode 18

The crew of the Bacchus 3, ex-Star Wolf Ken, hard drinking Captain Joe, vivacious Tammy, suspecious Rocky (again?) and some other guys, have adventures throughout the galaxy, involving a secret weapon, Ken's old girlfriend, and the leader of the Star Wolves. It's another sewn-together movie from episodes of the Japanese TV show Star Wolf. It's got the same great theme music, including a host segment that features it. It's the last of the eight Sandy Frank movies, and it's the last Japanese movie for a long long time. The crew of the SOL wouldn't get another Japanese picture until 816 PRINCE OF SPACE, on the Sci-Fi Channel. YouTube (2h) Premiered November 16, 1991. This movie was also riffed in a KTMA episode, but no known fan copy of it exists.

Episode 318 (Comedy Central)
MST3K Wikia - Mighty Jack's MST3K Review

Episode K03 (KTMA)
Info on this lost episode: MST3K Wikia - Mighty Jack's MST3K Review

The movie itself:
Daddy-O
IMDB (1.8 stars)
"In this second film compiled from two episodes of a Japanese TV serial, Captain Joe, reformed interstellar marauder Ken and the rest of the crew of the Backus-3 set off to destroy an alien race's super-weapon, face off with Ken's vengeful ex-lover Rita and confront the sinister leader of the marauding Star Wolves."
Directed by Minoru Kanaya and Kiyosumi Kuzakawa. Written by Keiichi Abe and Bunzô Wakatsuki. Starring Jô Shishido, Tatsuya Azuma and Miyuki Tanigawa.

posted by JHarris (6 comments total)

We of the MST3K Club have weekly showings of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in conjunction with these FanFare posts. If you would like to join us, they are currently Thursday nights at 9 PM Eastern time, at http://sync-video.com/tv/rodneylives. More details on our viewings can be seen at the club FAQ.
posted by JHarris at 3:45 AM on August 20, 2015

Mighty Jack's MST3K review turned up the link that there's a fansite (in English!) for the actor who plays Captain Joe, Jo Shishido. I like ol' Joe, even if he's frequently soused. One of the host segments has the guys playing around with a Capt. Joe action figure they made.
posted by JHarris at 3:58 AM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

Captain Joe belongs in the Fictional Captains Hall of Fame, along with...
America
Marvel
Kangaroo
Nemo
Morgan
Jack (Sparrow AND Harkness)
Horatio Hornblower
Archer, Kirk, Picard and Janeway (Riker, Sisko, Spock and Sulu were also promoted to the title later in their story arcs)
Ahab
Steubing
Haddock
Planet
Hook
Barney Miller & Ray Holt
Adama
Yossarian
Video
Billy's Whiz Bang
(and honorary member Crunch, he's just a Cap'n)
posted by oneswellfoop at 3:59 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

...and feel free to add any other FCHoF members I may have omitted, but remember:
Captain Obvious is an honorary title and
believe it or not, The Captain & Tenille are REAL PEOPLE (although Dave Kellett, in his great sci-fi comic "Drive", did name one of the major characters, a veteran starship captain, Captain Taneel. She is a candidate for future FCHoF status, if the comic becomes sufficiently popular. Regretably, she is the only character there who was named so punderfully)
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:50 PM on August 20, 2015

You forgot my Fave: Captain Ron.
posted by valkane at 5:23 PM on August 20, 2015

I just realized I got the count wrong. This is the last of nine Sandy Frank movies: five Gameras, two Fugitive Aliens, Time of the Apes and Mighty Jack.
posted by JHarris at 3:08 PM on August 21, 2015