Customer Reviews

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - I Accuse My Parents

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This DVD from Rhino offers up one the funniest -- and most charming -- episodes of the legendary TV show "Mystery Science Theater 3000," where they take on a 1944 drama/gangster movie/message flick called, "I Accuse My Parents." There are few episodes of the show I recommended higher for all-around quality.

For those of you unfamiliar with "Mystery Science Theater 3000," (MST3K for short) it is a ninety-minute show featuring a silhouette of a man and two robots (Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot) in movie theater seats projected in front of a bad movie. The hosts provide hysterical, satiric, and culturally-savvy wisecracks to accompany the movie. The episodes also includes sketches and songs and adds up to some of the most hilarious comedy you will ever see.

"I Accuse My Parents" is episode #507, from the last days of Joel Hodgson's run as host. Although the movie itself is actually not that bad, this episode comes at point in the show's development when the writers and performers were at the peak of the powers, and the result is one of the most hilarious episodes, and one that really grows on you with its sense of warm parody. It's a good episode for newcomers as well, since the film is average enough so that its awfulness doesn't distract from the wisecracks. (I've noticed that when I show an episode of the show to a friend who has never seen it before, the worse the movie being parodied is, the more my friend focuses on the movie instead of the hosts. This, therefore, is a good "training" episode.)

The camaraderie between the cast is quite wonderful here, and the warm, jocular style of the Joel years is at its strongest. After Mike Nelson took over as host (a few episodes later), the comedy style became more satiric and antagonistic toward the film. I love both hosts, but there is something rather magical and pleasant about the comedy of Joel's stint as host, and this episode displays that style perfectly. It is one of quintessential Joel Hodgson episodes.

The movie is a competently shot `B' programmer from low-budget studio PRC. Our hero is Jimmy, a really stupid high school graduate who has to get a job at a shoe store despite his skills at essay writing (he won an essay content and mentions it endlessly). While lying to impress a girl, Jimmy idiotically ends up getting into debt and having to go to work as a courier for a gangster, while he also romances the gangster's girl Kitty (played by actress Mary Beth Hughes, who also appears in another MST3K episode, "Last of the Wild Horses.") Well, pretty soon our poor fool is in trouble with the law and the mob and on the run. And when it all explodes in his face, whom does he accuse? Yep, the title gives it away: His Parents! And why? Because they drink and argue. See, it's all their fault.

What makes this episode so dang funny is not that the film is particularly rotten looking or the acting is awful, but because the film's premise and main character are so stupid. The hosts lance into the characters at every point: Jimmy's incessant lying ("I liberated France while you were out dancing"), Jimmy's constant bragging about winning an essay constant ("Welcome to the Annual Essay Awards Ceremony!") his alcoholic parents who keep throwing money at him ("I'm up here with the D.T.s, honey! Would you get the yellow lizard out of the bathroom?"), Jimmy's rank stupidity ("Sir, I just don't get the holy spirit. Is it a bird?"), and the extremely obvious gangster organization ("Organized crime, please hold...organized crime, please hold...). This is a very `character'-driven episode, and it's hilarious. There's also some great sketches between movie watching. In one sketch, Joel and the Robots psychoanalyze Jimmy to show that more than just `drunk folks' are behind his problems. (Crow, or course, determines that Jimmy is just stupid.)

This DVD is a laugh riot, and a quintessential Joel episode. It feels like plunking down on the couch and watching a film with your best buddies; I think that's the main charm of the Joel years of the show. Newcomers and old fans alike will want this classic. (There are absolutely no extras on the DVD, however, but the episode is such a gem, it doesn't matter.)

I have most all of the MST3K videos and this is the one we reach for the most. Not a 3 second interval can pass without us howling in laughter. This is my absolute favorite episode hands down because it is overflowing with the razor-sharp sarcasm Joel and the bots do so well. Tom Servo's opening credit song is rewind worthy and you'll be singing it to yourself after the movie is over. The host segments are off the scale funny. I hate over-hyping but I'M NOT! If you love MST3K and haven't seen this one, you HAVE to. HAVE TO. You'll wet yourself and maybe accuse your own parents!

OK, this story's about Jimmy. At the start he seems to be a nice, smart, well-liked kid, who, for someone who looks like he's in his twenties, does real well in high school. But, as it turns out, Jimmy also has a real knack for lying and doing shady errands for his girlfriend's (Kitty) other boyfriend (mobster Charlie). And the whole reason he resorts to this life of crime is because his parents have a bigger interest in spending time at Jack Taylor's house with their good friend Jim Beam instead of spending time with Jimmy.

This episode is one of my favorites. Joel and the 'bots are so "on", that even Kitty's songs, which when seen in their original state would be mind-numbingly unbearable, are hilarious enough to rewind and watch again before continuing with the rest of the show. The movie provides so much material to lampoon that the time just flies by while watching it. And just when you think it may be slowing down and getting a little dull, the character (and what a character!) of Al Frazier comes along to give the guys enough ammo to easily fill the last 20 minutes of the movie.

My experience has been that it's best to start newbies out with Mitchell, but when I'm not sure what I want to watch I always turn to I Accuse My Parents. And it provides a great alternative stress reliever. Did you burn tonight's dinner, lose your job, or get your hand slammed in a door? Forget swearing, just accuse your parents! It's fun!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 has always been one of my favorite TV series. Even in later years, when the non-movie material (the short subjects and invention exchange) faded away, the movies themselves were always a hoot. Although usually focusing on cheesy science fiction and horror movies, this episode shows that any sort of bad movie serves as prime fodder for the MST3K crew.

The main feature (following a short on truck farming that features no trucks) is a cautionary tale about bad parenting. When their accusing son can't find love at home, he takes up with a nightclub singer with a heart of gold and a mobster boyfriend. Through events that are more a result of naivete (despite winning an essay contest, he is not overly bright), he eventually winds up on the run and taken in by a kindly restaurant owner. In the end, however, all works out, and his parents, accused by their son and lectured to by a judge, are fated to turn their hedonistic lives around.

Since this is MST3K, the movie's story is purely incidental, and only an excuse to make jokes. The one-liners fly by quickly, and even if some miss, there are always a dozen more that hit. As an opportunity to squeeze a little bit of virtue out of a really bad movie, this is a success.

Episode 507, I Accuse My Parents, is a great example of the preachy melodramas that the MST3K gang ripped into gleefully before they moved to that other network that would not let the guys stray too far from science fiction movies. I would not call this a classic episode, but its certainly very entertaining. Jim is a goofy kid who blames all of his problems on his parents. Sure, his mom is a lush and his father is a cold fish also known to slosh around in the bottom of the bowl, but the kid seems to have a good head on his shouldersat first. Unfortunately, Jims first place finish in an action-packed school essay contest seems to be the peak of his intellectual career. When his teachers want to meet the mother who inspired such a baseball and apple pie essay in praise of family life, Jims thrilling victory is turned into deep shame when his mother stumbles in to the meeting as drunk as a fish. Only now do Jims emotional problems (and stupidity) begin to come out into the open. Having lied about his family life for years, he begins to lie about basically everything. After managing to start a career in the lucrative shoe sales business, he meets up with a night club singer named Kitty. Soon he is lying to her about his family and throwing money around trying to impress her. Having no money to start with, he starts running odd jobs for Kittys shady boss (who also happens to love Kitty). Too stupid to realize what he is doing, Jim finds himself smack dab in a life of crime. After making countless stupid mistakes, he justifies everything by accusing his parents. Yes, it is all the fault of the parents who gave him everything he wanted but didnt love him enoughhow can he be blamed for doing odd jobs for his Mafia boss and lying like Rip Van Winkle in the mountains and pretending to be a big shot in front of his girlfriend?

This movie is just a morality play. Ostensibly aimed at parents, its message is actually one of lying and passing the buck for troubled youths. It actually features three musical numbers, which Joel and the guys manage to pull us through with their typical acerbic comments. Melodramas like this just begged to be riffed, and the gang steps right up to the plate and knocks out a few extra base hits with this one. They also manage to make a horribly boring short, The Truck Farmer, bearable. The quality of the skits is also pretty high this time around. One of them features the infamous Tom Servo nude scene, while another gem has Joel and the Bots performing one of the snappy musical numbers from the movie. This video ranks above average on the old laugh meter and should definitely be a part of any MST fans collection.

Oh boy, this episode is a real hoot! I've always tended to like the episodes that were based around non-science fiction movies better than others (Mitchell, Red Zone Cuba, etc.), and this is no different.

The basic plot of this one (after a rather ridiculous look at the exploitative world of truck farming in the opening short feature) is more coherent than most MST films, but no better, really. Jimmy is a good middle-aged high school student and essay writer ("Essay man here!") who is becoming depressed because his parents give him lots of money and let him drink (huh?). Anyway, after meeting a 30 year-old teenaged girl night-club singer and spending all of his shoesalesman salary on her, he gets mixed up in the world of organized crime with the girl's 50 year old boyfriend, Blake. Blake gets Jimmy involved in a botched robbery, and Jimmy threatens to squeal on him after being consoled by a tubby little line cook at a diner. Jimmy and Blake then get into a rather femmy fight and Jimmy shoots and kills Blake. The preachy judge lets Jimmy off scot-free but his parents get a stern lecture.

Joel and the Bots really give ole Jimmy a good ribbing (deservedly) for being such a knucklehead throughout this movie, despite his award-wining-essay-caliber intelligence. He really is quite a dope. In one particular host segment they try to figure out what exactly is wrong with Jimmy by making a mobile of his psyche. As it turns out, there are many factors, but the main one that is that he's stupid.

Overall, I'd say this is one of the stronger Joel episodes (I, personally, prefer the Mike years), with non-stop laughs and good host segments. I highly recommend it.

This is my all-time favorite episode of MST3K. To this day my family still says "hamburger sandwiches and french-fried potato garnish." I like the part where the 'bots are threatening Joel with guns trying to get hamburger sandwiches and french fried potato garnish before finally getting fed up and rolling in a tank to get them. But my #1 favorite part is when the protagonist shoots a guy and Joel says, "Uh, I accuse my parents?!" A must-have for MST3K lovers.

Omigod, glory be to Amazon.com for selling this episode ... this was me and my sister's FAVORITE episode of all time ... the short has some of the BEST quips that STILL make me laugh to this day ...

From the short on truck farming -
Narration: "Some carrots are harvested."
Servo: "Some carrots are humiliated publicly."

(Showing a scene of Mexican workers)
"These select few are being paid 3 cents a day"

From I ACCUSE MY PARENTS:

"It's my birthday!"
"Hi, it's essay boy! Essay's the name!"

"She's drunk -- It's funny!"

"I accuse her HAIR."

And of course the classic song -

"Are you happy ... "

Oh, jeez. Only MST is the kind of show you can watch one evening with your sister and its so funny that you're still laughing out loud at the very thought of it 7 years later. I just found my sister's birthday present.

"I Accuse My Parents" is absolutely one of the funniest episodes in MST3K's rich history. The "Are You Happy in Your Work?" sketch remains one of my favorites. This episode is vintage Joel. I'm a huge fan of both Mike Nelson and Joel and this is one of the funniest episodes either of them hosted. Joel is at the top of his game in this one. It's from the show's 5th season which is, for my money, when the show hit its prime. The season that gave us "Mitchell", "Eegah!", "Santa Claus", "Village of the Giants" and "Warrior of the Lost World" finds the whole writing staff at a creative peak. "I Accuse My Parents" is actually one of Joel's last (and best) episodes. If you enjoy this era of the show, you must buy this episode. The sound and picture quality of the Rhino DVD is terrific to boot.

This was the first Joel episode I watched and I thought I was going to have a stroke I was laughing so hard (or maybe it was because I smelt toast. I'm not sure). The short about truck farming is dark, and not even Joel or the 'bots can really save it. As it is, a lot of the farmer jokes fall a little flat (and yes I get them. I am from Nebraska). As it is, the segments also are not anything to write home about. Although the one where Joel tries to analyze the 'bots psyches is probably the best, in my opinion, segment.

However, the movie is pure gold. It's a 1940's morality play created to get parents to realize that they can't just go out and party day and night and ignore their stupid 20 year old kids. Jimmy is so slow that he gains mob ties without trying to, and goes on the lam just long enough to decide he has to come back. Add this and the songs that Jimmy's love interest belts out and it really is no wonder the MST3K team made this into a great episode.

I recommend it highly and think that every MiSTie should see it, but not over the great eps like "Manos: The Hands of Fate" or "Mitchell."

Just remember that should you ever get in trouble with the law just accuse your parents and you'll get off scott free.