Beofre MST3K

First let me handle some business I forgot to do last week. I want to give a shout out to our new Geek Who Reads: Josh Francis. Totally slipped my mind last week when I was rushing to post twice. Thanks for reading Josh, hope you like it.

Now, let me let you in on a not so secretive secret. I love Mystery Science Theater 3000. Ever since I got a VHS tape in the mail from my uncle marked MST3K: the movie (with no other explination) I have loved this show.

But Mike, Joel, and the bots weren't the first ones to make fun of bad movies. They just probably got the most famous for it. One movie that (at least in my opinion) is the predecessor to the Satellite of Love* is the weird cult movie What's up Tiger Lily?

This movie was originally two serial spy movie in Japan called Internation Secret Police. A studio in America bought the films and then realized the films were too confusing for American audiences. There seems to be some discrepencies in the history of the film between Wikipedia, and IMDB. So I'll just stick with the facts. The film was re cut and re dubbed by Woody Allen (bare with me, I know a lot of people are turned off just by mention of his name but this films is worth the watch) and friends, and released in America in 1966 as the "What's Up Tiger Lily?"

The plot involves Phil Moscowitz Japanese spy, lovable rogue, and ladies man. He gets involved in a plot to steal back the recipe for the best egg salad sandwich in the world. An evil gang leader, Shepard Wong has stole it, and as prophecy tells us "He who controls the recipe controls the world."

If you can find this film on DVD it actually contains two separate audio tracks. Both containing some great jokes. I would argue neither track is superior.

I can't find a whole lot of great videos on youtube to give you an example and the trailer isn't really that great either. So hopefully this single scene will suffice.

Fair warning, this is a movie made in the mid 60's so their is quite a bit of sexism, but usually it's played up for laughs. Also since it's an older film it may seem to drag plot wise. There's a running gag of the band the Loving Spoonful being spliced into the film. That's right a folk band in a Japanese spy thriller. These are funny the first couple of times for being non-sequitur scenes, but quickly grow old, unless you like seeing how they're going to sneak them into the film.

One of my favorite scenes involves Phil in a fight with a would be assassin, when he finally subdues the assassin and ask him who he works for the assassin replies "Noone, I freelance." He then gives the cyrpic warning of "Beware of the man with, with...with...." and promptly dies.

I think any fan of bad movies, or MST3K owes it to themselves to track down this bizarre movie if only for one viewing.

*I'd also argue this movie bares responsiblity for Steve Oedekerk's Kung Pow: Enter the Fist. Another example of a re cut Asian film people either love or hate.