MST3k 912 - The Screaming Skull 

Fun fact: this was the last ever rerun ep Sci-Fi showed before taking reruns off the air permanently. I remember vividly because I'd been searching for MST3K on TV for ages at the time and was so stoked to find out they'd been running reruns early Saturday mornings; I tuned in, laughed my ass off, and looked forward to next week, only to tune in at the same time and see no MST3K on my TV. Later found out I had the misfortune of finding out about reruns literally the last week they ever ran them. You can argue about what evil the internet may or may not have done to man, but making MST3K easily accessible has certainly made my life so much better.

It really didn't take much work. Just sit next to the VCR as the shows originally aired, carefully hitting "pause" when the commercials came on, then store the tapes for ~15 years until the advent of the VCR-to-burnable-DVD console, convert all the VHS tapes to DVD+R, then hold onto them for a few more years until I got a Mac and ripped all the DVDs, and then copied each episode one by one to a thumb drive which I took to work and uploaded from there 'cuz it was faster. So no biggie.

The last 4 seasons of Original MST3K was the pinnacle of genius.

Kevin had to wear a penguin costume. Over a gorilla costume. For us. Bless him.

Servo: "It's like they had 2 servings of tension that they're trying to stretch out for 7 people."

I love when Bill Corbett (Crow) yells "Can we help you movie lady??!! Do you need a push or...?" It reminds us of when Joel lost it and yelled at Torgo & Manos "Do Something!!!"

"Moral of the story: Never get close to anyone...ever" Good point, Servo

I have to admit, offering to pay for the funeral of anyone who dies of fright watching your movie is a pretty badass promotional stunt.

"It's the robots I hired to do the yard work." I loved the callback to the Gumby short.

"I'm pleasant but I have issues." I feel ya lady. I feel ya.

The fear warning before the movie should have played for the Gumby short instead

"Flat drab passion meanders across the screen!" I use this almost every chance I get 🤣

"It was a rainy day....." "And he shot her." That part always gets me 😂😂

I actually just read the short story this is based on last night. It is also called "The Screaming Skull', by F. Marion Crawford and it was published in 1906. Believe it or not, the story is very good, atmospheric and chilling.

"Must be the robots I hired to do the yardwork." That line was so random but completely within context of this episode that it gets me laughing every time.

"And then a lion came out and shot her" - that was hysterical

"Should we call the police?...No we didn't last time!.." Cracks me up every time

29:18 I half expected Mickey to say "this is where the fish lives."

The movie that dares to graphically depict sometimes seeing peacocks and sometimes not seeing peacocks

God bless all of yeh MST3K uploaders. This show was so fantastic.

"It was a rainy night...and he shot her." I laughed so hard at that part.

at least an oboe player got a paycheck out of all this horse hockey

I want the little Crow and Servo from the Gumby skit.

One of my all-time favorites. "We need to talk about a little "me-tossing" incident!"

I love Observer's face as Pearl explains the ridiculous complexities of their prank at the beginning. He goes from smug to self-loathing in a matter of seconds

This my desert island MST3K movie. I have watched it at least 25 times and the riffing still kills me

Mike cracking up every time Gumby opens his stupid mouth in the short kills me

"Patience" is the word you're groping for. And, talking during the movie is the whole point of MST3k - if you're not a fan, that's fine, but you won't find many defenders in this channel.

I think Jenny and Gumby's mom must get their bras at the same store.

While I'm here I'll give you some other details from the book (interview of Webber, the lead actress). She says the director told her they were going to do a remake of Rebecca! During filming she got the feeling some things were being let go (ie, her hair in getting in someone's face and not re-shot). They were paid $1000 a week for 2 weeks and a percentage (they never got their percentage--lawyers got in the way). She was 3 months pregnant. Mostly she wasn't happy with the way her hair looked.

One of my classmates died in the kiln today, mother.

Mickey is this film`s Torgo.

Couldn't stop laughing at "Alas poor Yorick she threw him well!"

Does anyone else notice that the more you watch MST3K, the harder is it to tell if someone is actually an ok actor or if MST3K has totally warped your standards for acting? Because I kind of think the actress playing Jenny is pretty good.

Can anyone else agree one of the best saving graces for this movie is Mickey? I feel like he was one of the better written characters in "The Screaming Skull", given his feelings of sadness about Marion's murder at Eric's hands, and how he likely knows Eric is the one who did it and would do it to Jenni. Sure, it was a different time, *BUT* people with developmental disabilities like Mickey (and myself) are capable of doing and knowing a lot.

My... name is... MIckey. I take cAre of the... place while the... MAster's dead wIfe is away.

I gotta admit, near the end when the skeleton lady arrives is kinda scary. Until the part where he throws his stool at her, lol.

Favorite ep of MST3K! I love the Mickey stuff, and the line late in the episode: "Shh... Uncle Lady will take care of you. Shhh... Uncle Lady's here." Trivia: the guy who plays Mickey was the film's director!

I love how Crow takes very little damage from being repeatedly bashed with a driver, and at 1:07:30 Tom’s head just falls off anyway

In all honesty, the gumby short was scarier.

Fun fact: Mickey is played by the director. Also, the pastor's wife is the middle-aged "college student" roommate in the anti-eloping short.

This film is all about the inevitable slide into insanity....but enough about the audience!

“Oh great. She’s playing her Yoko Ono albums.”

"It was a rainy day"...and he shot her. Fave line.

I would like to thank you for all your cool work allowing me to see shows I have never seen when I was in the Marines. Thank you, Randall

"I love you, Deceased Wife!...I mean, Jenni!" 18:50 "What the hell was THAT?!" 28:48 "Uncle Lady will take care of you." 1:24:13

"Ah, so he checks Micky's villa in the south of France."

i make a point to do a tiny amount of research into the movie itself during each episode. Fun fact: This movie was directed by the guy who played mickey.

24:08- 'My wife and I have an understanding'. Priceless.

Indiana Jenny and the Kingdom of the Screaming Skull

Does the basic plot of this movie remind anyone else of "Gaslighting?" Maybe it's just me...shoot, I found similarities between the plot of "The English Patient" and "Weekend At Bernie's."

The dead wife posed for "Little Debbie" snacks.

Alex Nicol - "Mickey" and also the director here - had a pretty impressive resume, including substantial work under Elia Kazan at the Actor's Studio. Solid Broadway experience performing Tennessee Williams, Clifford Odets, and other major playwrights.

How and why would this video receive 99 downvotes? It's exactly what it is. Keep circling the tapes.

I think her husband is gone for most of the movie because he got a letter from his dead wife asking him to come to Silent Hill...

"Lets just say she was riddle with bullets..." "She got shot." "Then a lion jumped out & shot her or at least that's what Eric said." hahha FAVORITE part.

"They put a tiny bit of movie in a box and filled the rest with foam peanuts."

Follow up: she eventually gets well, remarries, and has a couple of Space Children.

that Gull wing Mercedes 500SL is the real star of the movie how the hell did they get that for this thing? Renting one was almost impossible even at the time

my favorite lines: "that really squares my breasts" "look i made a mustache with your hair" "urgh die die !!" "ah her favorite symbol; a pyramid ballanced on oranges" "the movie that dares to graphically depict sometimes seeing peacocks & sometimes not seeing peacocks" "you looked at marion's grave? nice wife" "this movie's original title is looking for mickey" "apparently he killed a cross dressing beekeeper as well" "wooh prairie dog" "it's the society for unstrangled wives" it's the show us your live wife & win a million dollars people" "bugs bunny sneaking up music" "he's being compelled to hold a skull against his neck" "that man never finishes anything" "& the moral of this story; never get close to anyone ever"

Crow (as Mrs. Gumby): That squares my breasts! Mike (As Mr. Gumby): Thank goodness for internal genitalia!

I'm thinking about two-thirds of the film's budget must have been spent on that car, whatever it was.

"I'm pleasant but I have issues" would be at the top of my dating profile if I had one

"It was a rainy day. Then he shot her."

Can we help you, movie lady? 46:36 She's got mosquito netting protecting her bosoms. 31:22.

They could've been watching an apple decaying instead of the movie.

"Mickey's a wide awake Nightmare" 😂

the actor who played Mickey and directed this is so good looking, not even his mickey act can disguise it. It'll be night soon.//Oh, Jenny, Jenny//What?!? It'll be night soon!: one of my favorite riffs

Hey! I have this on tape. It was originally filmed in Psychorama, and had subliminal images incorporated into the film that were meant to enhance the scariness. According to the box it was banned in 47 countries.

Bugs Bunny sneaking up music

This is my all-time favorite episode!

Butterfly Tom Servo is adorable!! I want one!

Long story. It has to do with how I recorded the shows, edited the commercials out, converted my VHS tapes to DVD, ripped the DVDs, then uploaded the MP4 videos. It would take a scientist to explain it, but I'm a doctor. Actually, I'm a gynecologist, but this is my lunch hour.

Martin Luther is nailing all 95 Theses individually.

1:05:46 With all the mean things the bots have done to Mike, I think they had this coming to them.

“My name’s not Eric, ma’am” gets me every time.

I wonder if I can still apply for my free coffin.

We see where all the budget went for the movie when an original Gullwing smg Mercedes pulls up. End of movie, everyone go home. Good job. The Screaming Skull, the end.

"Alas poor yorick she threw him well". As a lover of literature I keeled over laughing at that point.

According to the IMDB, this is the 94th best episode of the pre-Netflix era... I completely disagree, I'd argue it's somewhere between the 9th and the 4th..

"Awwww poor mickey, hes so fine he blows my mind, poor mickey." This is an extremely funny episode! Make sure you guys check out RIFFTRAX and Cinematic Titanic. Fun continues after mst3k ended.

this is one of my favorites from the pearl era. thanks for posting it! i am calling for my free coffin now i died from laughter

"I'm so bipolar sometimes," is one of my favorite jokes of all time.

"I blend in only with myself". Good goddess. I am already giggling. Holy hell, thanks MST3K

The skull would later get a job singing the theme song for Star Trek: The Original Series.

apparently he killed a cross dressing bee keeper as well..HAHAHAHA

Mike flailing to defend himself while the bots tell him he has a terrible job is one of the best pieces of acting I've ever seen.

*fond memories* this was the very first episode of MST3k I ever saw.

HEY THAT'S WALLACE & GROMIT'S LAWN!

17:08 "I invite you to join me in marital intercourse." One of my favorite MST lines ever.

This is one of my most favorite MST3K episodes ever, along with Giant Spider Invasion and Eegah! Thanks for posting.

Fun fact: this was the first movie to be filmed using half as much film as movies of similar length. To overcome this great disadvantage, the editor slowed the entire movie down to half the original speed, but he did such a good job hat nobody noticed the long, drawn out moments.

"What did you hear?" "Was it a gunshot or more of a stabbing sound?"

Gumby Robot Rumpus! My favorite MST3K short!

The riffs on this episode is top 10 mst3k. Funny stuff.

I’d rather be on the Satellite of Love than be on Earth right now

Crow: MAN, he just scooped his stool up and just threw it at her!! 😆 Crow may have gone too far after that, BUT props for the timing!

"Don't you make that skull face at me, Missy!"

28:25 When Crow yells, "GET A BOX!" I laugh every time. 49:25 "Well all right. I guess I'll just go around back and use the pet door." 51:17 "Gandalf's outside, scratching things on the door."

I just realized: Mickey was an early prototype of Kato Kaelin.