Mystery Science Theater 3000/Recap/S03/E21 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Film watched: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
This was the first Christmas Episode of the comedy series. It became a holiday staple on the Comedy Central cable channel in the years following its 1991 premiere, helping it become one of the series' most popular episodes and introduced the film to a new generation in the form of younger MS-Ties.
Some of the original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 would later form Cinematic Titanic and took a second go at the film seventeen years later, this time the full length version.
The episode has examples of:
- An Asskicking Christmas / Crowning Music of Awesome / Lyrical Dissonance / Notable Original Music
- "Open up your heart and let the Patrick Swayze Christmas in / We'll gather at the Road House with our next of kin..."
- On a sidenote, someone played this song for Patrick Swayze during a radio show a few years after the episode aired. He loved it.
- "Open up your heart and let the Patrick Swayze Christmas in / We'll gather at the Road House with our next of kin..."
- "Gift of the Magi" Plot: Dr. Forrester and Frank, with the inversion being that, since they're evil, they sold each other's stuff to pay for the presents.
Frank: Oh, Henry!
- Hollywood Giftwrap: Dr Forrester's invention exchange.
- Incredibly Lame Pun: When the Martians shoot the elves.
Joel: He stopped them short!
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: When Mrs. Claus gets excited over a news crew visiting the North Pole
{{quote|Tom Servo: When she thinks of the mass media, [[A Date with Rosie Palms she touches }}
- Hilarity Ensues: Riffing the climactic "battle".
Tom: Hilarity, guys. Not since the pie fight scene in The Great Race!
Crow: Not since the mudslide scene in McLintock!!
Joel: Not since the wagon race scene in The Hallelujah Trail!
Crow: Not since the chess-playing scene in The Seventh Seal!
Tom: Not since the orgy scene in Calig...u...la.
- My New Gift Is Lame: "Weaponized" by the Mads in their invention, the Wish Squisher, which turns great gifts into this trope.
- Running Gag: Pia Zadora and her Golden Globe, beginning with "Will you buy me a Golden Globe?"
- In the Cinematic Titanic version, Joel quips that they thought Pia Zadora being in this was pretty funny, but now he can't remember why.
- Shout-Out: When Mrs. Claus gets excited about being on television, Tom sings "Ed Sullivaaaaaaan!".
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Everything in Tom's stocking consists of items that, since his arms don't work (something addressed at multiple times), he can't possibly use.