TGME Round 1: MST3K: The Movie Vs. The Great Escape

[GregMcduck]

How it works: Each poll will be open for two weeks, giving all of you time to watch each film. New polls added every Sunday and Wednesday.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) vs. The Great Escape (1963)



Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie is a theatrical adaptation of the cult television hit Mystery Science Theater 3000. The movie opens with mad scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester explaining the premise of the film. Following Dr. Forrester's intro, we are introduced to our heroes, Mike Nelson, Crow T. Robot, and Tom Servo, along with Gypsy. Cambot and Magic Voice play no role in the movie. Dr. Forrester announces that he is about to make them watch the 1955 classic Rex Reason sci-fi thriller This Island Earth in an attempt to break their wills. In the process of doing so, Mike and the Bots mock (or "riff") the movie mercilessly.

The choice of This Island Earth for the film to be riffed in MST3K: The Movie was questioned by some. Considered by many to be a classic of its 1950s genre, sci-fi buffs have a soft spot for it, and its visual quality is considerably higher than virtually all of the films seen in the series. This was intentional: Best Brains and Gramercy agreed that average movie-goers would not sit through the sort of dreary, black & white fare normally featured on the TV series, and that the concept would be more successful if the film that was featured was visually engaging and action-packed. Mary Jo Pehl also described it as "the only one we could get!" and not BBI's first choice.



The Great Escape, written by James Clavell, W.R. Burnett, and Walter Newman, and directed by John Sturges is a popular 1963 World War II film starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough and James Garner, based on a true story about Allied prisoners of war with a record for escaping from German prisoner-of-war camps. The Luftwaffe placed them in a new more secure camp, Stalag Luft III, from which they promptly formed a plan to break out 250 men.

The film was based upon the factual book of the same name by Paul Brickhill, who observed the actual events as a prisoner, as did George Harsh who supplied the introduction. Many elements of the film are factual, but the events and characters are condensed. Hilts's dash by motorcycle for the border is fictional. It was made on the insistence of McQueen, a keen motorcyclist, and has become one of the most famous action scenes of 1960s classic cinema. Furthermore, the motorbike used in the film is a 1960s Triumph 650 rather than an authentic but more pedestrian, BMW R 75 or Zündapp KS 750.

Please take the time to watch or re-watch these two films before voting. You can use this thread to post reviews after having watched them, campaign for your preferred movie, or just discuss the movies in general.

[Doctor Who?]

Sorry but MST3K:the movie isn't even the best episode of the show.

At any rate it can't compete with the Great Escape,I am still sure MST3K will win.

[Tripe]

me too but as for me I'll most likely be picking The Great Escape

[YoohooRiffer]

Oh this is quite a cruel pairing.  I love MST3K:TM but you really can't beat The Great Escape.  In all fairness MST3K doesn't deserve to win this one.  I think even Mike would agree.  The Great Escape is a true classic.

[a pretty girl is like]

Sorry but MST3K:the movie isn't even the best episode of the show.

At any rate it can't compete with the Great Escape,I am still sure MST3K will win.

What you said.

[anais.jude]

But STEVE MCQUEEN FTW!

[RoninFox]

It feels wrong to vote against MST3K in any capacity, but that's the way the cookie crumbles (anyone else notice that in spite of the predictions of a MST victory Great Escape is mopping the floor with it so far?)

[mrbasehart]

I've had entirely too much of the Great Escape throughout my life, while MST3k the Movie was possibly my....*thinks*  ...third ever episode of the series that I saw. 

[Pak-Man]

Wow. Not as one-sided as you'd think. :^)

[GLaDOS]

OMG. I love both these movies almost equally... please don't ask me to decide. 

[bettertomorrowamy]

This is why I said the MST3k movie should be handicapped in the voting.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

MST3K: TM never should have been in the running to begin with.

It's a nice film.  But it's not in the same league with most of the films on the original list.

[gammer]

When I first read this, I thought The Great Escape was The Great Race, with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.

I've always had those two movies confused 

[MontyServo]

Both great movies.  I don't care what anyone says, MST3K the Movie is awesome and one of the all time great comedies.

However, it is against The Great Escape.  Which is in my top 3 of all time (the other two are Braveheart and Duck Soup).

So I have to vote for The Great Escape.

P.S.  I've seen both of these movies enough times over the years to come to this conclusion.  So I don't feel the need to watch them again before I vote.  Although talking about them will probably make me want to watch them again soon.   

[GLaDOS]

I had to vote for The Great Escape. It's just way way way too much of an A+ movie and filled with so many great actors and acting that I could not pass up voting for it.