There’s something beautifully bizarre about a truly bad movie. The wooden acting, the baffling plot choices, the zero-budget special effects—all of it combines into an experience that’s strangely hypnotic.
And while some people can’t get past the clunkiness, I’ve always found a weird sort of joy in watching cinematic misfires. Maybe it’s the ambition behind them. Maybe it’s the unintentional comedy. Maybe it’s just that I like things that are a little off.
But my love of bad movies truly blossomed when I discovered Mystery Science Theater 3000. This gloriously absurd show—featuring a human host and his robot companions riffing on terrible films while trapped in space—made bad movies not just tolerable, but downright enjoyable.
With MST3K, what would’ve been an agonizing slog through awkward line deliveries and nonsensical plots becomes a laugh-out-loud joyride of clever jokes and shared disbelief.
Whether you’re a longtime Mistie or someone curious about the best (or worst?) the show has to offer, here’s a look at 10 of my favorite MST3K episodes—in no particular order—plus one honorable mention. These are the episodes I go back to again and again, not just because of the movies themselves (though some are... something else), but because of the brilliant, hilarious commentary that transforms each one into a cult classic in its own right.
Eegah!
This unique offering has a really interesting vibe. I can't explain it, but there is a dreamlike quality in every frame. If you’ve experienced Arch Hall Sr. and Jr’s opus years ago, perhaps you remember it like a fever dream. Part caveman-sort-of-monster movie, part beach movie, part musical—it suffers from an identity crisis but succeeds in holding your attention as you wonder what could possibly happen next.
Trivia:
- The titular Eegah was played by Jaws actor Richard Kiel.
- The famous MST3K catchphrase "Watch out for snakes!" was lifted from this movie and became a fan-favorite Easter egg, even inspiring a live tour name.
Favorite Riff:
(Female lead character Roxy screams uncontrollably)
Arch Hall Jr.: "Roxy, it’s just me."
Bots: “I know—that’s why I’m screaming. AAAAAAAAH!”
Manos: The Hands of Fate
The first MST3K VHS movie I bought, and unironically one of my favorite horror movies. Period. Not just for the riffing. Something about the strange pacing, the eerie music, and the bizarre characters stays with you.
It’s as if someone tried to make a horror film with no experience whatsoever (which is exactly what happened). The result is haunting in a way that most actual horror movies aren’t.
Trivia:
- Made by El Paso fertilizer salesman Harold P. Warren on a bet.
- The name literally translates to "Hands: The Hands of Fate" — a redundancy only MST3K could appreciate.
Favorite Riff:
Master: "Silence!"
Joel: "—is golden!"
Pod People
This is what happens when a gritty horror script suddenly gets rewritten to capitalize on the success of E.T.
The result: a movie that can't decide what it is. It's a horror movie with a cute alien named Trumpy, a child protagonist, and also—a rock band? Even the MST3K crew refers to it as three films in one: "Movie A, B, and C."
Trivia:
- U.S. distributors added the alien storyline over a more violent Spanish film. - The opening credits steal footage from Galaxy Invader, another MST3K favorite.
Favorite Riff:
(Alien examines multiple items)
Crow: (Mock voice-over) “Hmmm…this is another potato. (looks at rabbit)…This potato has long ears.”
Kid: “Trumpy, so you know what playing is?”
Servo: “It’s where I break you in half and eat you.”
Santa Claus (1959)
A Christmas movie that feels more like a fever dream. Made in Mexico and dubbed into English by K. Gordon Murray, this version of Santa Claus has him fighting a red-tights-wearing demon named Pitch, flying through space, and using a surveillance system to spy on children. The doll sequences and mechanical reindeer are pure nightmare fuel.
Trivia:
- Murray added near-constant laughing instead of translating the original dialogue.
- Features a multilingual chorus of child laborers singing Santa's praises.
Favorite Riff:
(Pitch shivers on a rooftop)
Mike: “Santa, I just need some ‘stuff,’ man, come on, just a taste, come on, man!”
Star Crash
A Star Wars knockoff with style, and I mean that sincerely. Caroline Munro stars as space-smuggler Stella Star, alongside a Texan-accented robot, a lightsaber-wielding Fabio-type, and David Hasselhoff. And yes, Christopher Plummer delivers his lines with Shakespearean dignity in the middle of a sci-fi cheese platter.
Trivia:
- Plummer took the part for a short paid vacation in Rome.
- The script was rewritten mid-shoot, often leading to actors improvising entire scenes.
Favorite Riff:
(Stella Star explores a spaceship)
Servo: “Wow! There’s no line for Star Tours!”
The Wild Wild World of Batwoman
This one defies description. A strange mix of spy movie, superhero parody, and surrealist mess. It's one of those so-bad-it's-good movies made better when shared. I have a sentimental attachment to this one because I watched it with my son on VHS, and we couldn’t stop laughing.
Trivia:
- Director Jerry Warren reused footage from his own earlier films to pad runtime.
- Despite the title, it has no connection to DC's Batwoman.
Favorite Riff:
(Three Batwomen standing together)
Mike: “Angels, you’re going undercover tonight with Adam West!”
This Island Earth
This movie was the centerpiece for MST3K: The Movie, and it's just a joy to watch. The sci-fi visuals are decent, but the pacing and plot are ripe for riffing. It follows a group of Earth scientists taken to the planet Metaluna to save it from destruction. Cue the classic MU-Tant alien.
Trivia:
- The studio cut a planned short film from MST3K: The Movie to reduce runtime.
- "Normal view!" became a running joke in MST3K fandom.
Favorite Riff:
(Crew watches their home planet on a monitor)
Exeter: “Switch to normal view.”
Crow, Mike, Servo (singing): “Normallll viewww... NORRRRRMALLL VIEWWWWW!”
Space Mutiny
This movie borrows heavily from Battlestar Galactica, literally stealing footage and models. The plot follows Reb Brown as a man-mountain of a space officer trying to stop a mutiny. It's famous for continuity errors, including a dead character who keeps reappearing. This one made such an impact it made our book, which you can find here.
Trivia:
- The lead actor’s repeated entrance triggered a running gag of absurd manly nicknames.
- Features one of the most awkward slow-motion chase scenes ever filmed.
Favorite Riff:
Mike: "Blast Hardcheese!"
Crow: "Slab Bulkhead!"
Servo: "Drunk Slam-Chest!"
The Beginning of the End
Peter Graves stars as a scientist whose food-growing experiment leads to a plague of giant grasshoppers. The effects include placing live insects on postcards of Chicago skyscrapers. I love this movie for its earnest tone and terrible science.
Trivia:
- Directed by Bert I. Gordon, a.k.a. "Mr. B.I.G."
- Famous for the shot of grasshoppers slipping off photos of buildings.
Favorite Riff:
(Deaf assistant flails in fear)
Servo: “He’s signing, 'AAAAAAAAAAAAH!'”
Hobgoblins
One of the most iconic Gremlins ripoffs, and possibly the cheapest. The monsters tap into your deepest desires and fantasies—then use them to kill you. Not that the logic matters. The puppets are laughable, the acting is wooden, and the plot is nonsense.
Trivia:
- Director Rick Sloane fully leaned into the cult status and made Hobgoblins 2 in 2009.
- One of the few MST3K films with a nightclub dance-off death.
Favorite Riff:
(Nightclub scene, girl trying to look seductive)
DJ: “Is she a HIT or a MISS?”
Guy holds up a sign: “HIT”
Crow: “They should really add an 'S' to that.”
Servo: “HITS?”
Honorable Mention: Time Chasers
When brilliant inventor Nick cobbles together a time machine using an airplane and a Commodore-64,
things go downhill fast. A forgettable early-'90s film transformed into a classic by the MST3K crew.
Trivia:
- Features Troll 2’s George Hardy as villain J.K. Robertson.
- Nick's mullet and shirtless scenes are meme-worthy.
Favorite Riff:
Nick (shirtless on the phone): "Sure."
Servo: "SURE, I'm an unappealing actor in a bad movie!"
Wrapping Up: Bad Movies, Good Times
At the end of the day, Mystery Science Theater 3000 is more than just a funny show about bad movies—it’s a shared language. It’s an invitation to laugh with the movie, not just at it. It teaches us to appreciate sincerity over perfection, effort over polish, and joy over judgment.
For me, these episodes aren’t just funny—they're memories. As a single dad, weekends with my son were everything. We didn’t have a lot of money for outings or events, but we had MST3K tapes, a battered VCR, and our own goofy commentary layered on top of Joel, Mike, and the bots. We'd stay up late watching these oddball flicks, rewinding the parts that made us laugh hardest, quoting riffs at breakfast the next morning.
Now that he's grown, it’s something we still share—a shorthand of inside jokes, bad sci-fi, and great memories. These cheesy old movies gave us a way to bond, to laugh, to connect. That’s what Mystery Science Theater 3000 does best: it turns the worst movies into some of the best times.
About the Author:
Dr. Dax Bradley is a professor of Computer Science and a lifelong connoisseur of all things nerdy. When he’s not teaching data structures or debugging Python code, he’s diving into Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, quoting obscure B-movies, or debating the finer points of Star Wars canon. He believes comic books are literature, bad movies deserve love, and if there’s a bigger nerd in the room, he’d really like to meet them.
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