Mystery Science Theater 3000 (TV Series) The Day the Earth Froze (1993) User Reviews

Make The Sampo!

[blunthead · 10/10 · 22 June 2008]

I love movies that are well-made, with good acting and direction, and I love good TV shows. I'm 55 years old, have been watching TV since a kid, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 is my second all-time favorite TV show (since I can't demote TAXI). My favorite mst3k episode is The Day the Earth Froze. Joel Hodgson and the other writers were really on their game this time, and he and the bots delivered their commentary in a flowing, effortless way. They seemed to especially enjoy their unfortunate duty with a movie absolutely determined to be ridiculous.

In my favorite part, the hero's quest requires he journey over water. A loud voice instructs him to make a canoe out of a nearby tree, which he begins to cut down as the scene fades out. The same scene fades back in (Servo says, "...eight days later...") as the tree is about to fall, and Joel, as the loud voice, says, "Not that tree".

The Day the Earth Froze provides fans with on of mst3k's great catchwords: Sampo; which is a substance created, only on uniquely demanding occasion for its powerful, magical properties, by certain mythological types--gremlins, trolls witches, and such--who occupy a subterranean commune, and who regard The Sampo as better than cookie dough.

Other fav episodes: The Amazing Colossal Man, Teenagers from Outer Space, I Accuse My Parents, Rocketship X-M, The Sidehackers, and, of course, 'Manos' Hands of Fate.

"The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man in chains!"

[ericstevenson · 10/10 · 9 December 2016]

This has to be one of my favorite episodes of the entire show. It's weird how I missed this one. I think I mistook it for "Jack Frost" another movie about a fairy tale in the far North. Gypsy had some really great fun with her singing. I guess "Unhappy Meal" was kind of a given. The last part was especially nice with Crow and Tom Servo floating in those bags! It does make me wonder how they were floating. I was wondering what the third bag was for, but it was actually for the mail. That was a pleasant surprise! I also like when they're asking what Sampo is.

The circus short was absolutely amazing. I especially loved "Here comes the Devil!" and "Our Betty goes both ways!". I love seeing them terrified of the clowns, but at least they had some respect for an Emmett Kelly look alike. Oh yeah, and "They're going clown style!". There were too many great riffs to even mention in the movie. I really liked, "Sister of mine" followed by "You shaved your beard". I also loved, "You'll never see the face of your sister again!" with "Can I see other parts?". I loved the Rocky and Bullwinkle jokes with, "Save me, Rocky! Save me!" and "Will somebody put me out? I seem to be on fire!". ****

Cold Comforting Fantasy

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 19 April 2022]

This episode is another favorite of the show for me. It's another fantasy film which has a unique concept as it's based on Norwegian fantasy, just poor execution; I'll give you a hint the film is no "Frozen".

Host segments are pretty good an honorable mention of mine for favorite host segments are when Joel is typing and then both Crow and Tom are presenting their story, and of course the further both go on about it the more dark and hilariously ridiculous it becomes and also there is a little twist at the end of this segment, though knowing Joel I actually saw it coming but whether you do or not it's still a type mark for fun.

There are a lot of memorable riffs, from the circus short which is one of my absolute favorite shorts. It was funny when in a parade scene Crow mentions each of the groups and people passing by. But really like those reaction the bots give where we see a lot of camera shots of several clowns that might make Pennywise scared.

The scene with plenty like the trees being chopped down and each of the things Joel and the Bots say as each comes down are funny as heck. A scene which involved boats and Joel was giving a mock traffic cam report but also a "Rocky and Bullwinkle" reference as one of the boats were burning.

There was a lot implied on the hero's failure which is true though also you could say stupidity as he might have made things worse despite good reasons and intentions, I guess you can say it goes with the old saying how "Good deeds don't go unpunished." It's funny when the Joel and the bots then sing a song in the marriage scene which is probably an honorable mention in favorite songs during film from the MST crew.

And of course, that final battle which really isn't much of a battle as most people are able to play the harp and put the bad guys under a sleeping spell, yeah Joel and the bots have plenty of riff ammo for this non battle. Really like the "Prairie Home Companion" reference yeah, the music in that scene does sound like the kind in that show, but also Tom doing an impression of Garrison Keeler which was just comic silver.

This episode won't leave you in the cold.

Rating: 4 stars.