This new collection of episodes from Comedy Central's Mystery Science Theater 3000 uses a Thanksgiving theme (but only in the title) to showcase four more cinematic turkeys roasted by the show's cast. The movies heckled by Joel Hodgson (replaced by Mike Nelson after five seasons) and the bots on the “Satellite of Love” space station kick off with the 1948 B-movie adventure Jungle Goddess, directed by Lewis D. Collins and starring George Reeves as a pilot who sets out to rescue a millionaire's daughter—the sole survivor of an airplane crash, who's been living with an African tribe. Next up is the 1951 Lassie movie The Painted Hills, from filmmaker Harold F. Kress, a gold rush tale in which the intrepid canine seeks revenge after her master is murdered. Director Alex Nicol's 1958 ghost story The Screaming Skull stars John Hudson and Peggy Webber as a married couple haunted by the husband's deceased first wife. Finally, the 1976 killer-worm horror flick Squirm, helmed by Jeff Lieberman, features Don Scardino as a New Yorker who travels to Georgia to visit his girlfriend only to find himself in the midst of an invasion of man-eating crawlers. Extras include introductions by Hodgson, bonus shorts and featurettes, and an interview with Scardino. Likely to appeal to fans of MST3K, which continues to boast a minor cult following, this is recommended. (S. Axmaker)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXI—The Turkey Day Collection
Shout! Factory, 4 discs, 480 min., DVD: $64.99 Volume 30, Issue 2
Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXI—The Turkey Day Collection
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