Ep 12. The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies

The cult classic TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 is back with another hilarious and insightful episode. Season 8, Episode 12 is titled "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies," and it's a wild ride from start to finish.

The episode opens with Joel and the bots trying to make sense of the title, which is a mouthful to say the least. The film they're about to watch turns out to be just as baffling. It starts with a carnival barker trying to lure people into a sideshow featuring "the strangest people on earth." We soon meet a cast of bizarre characters, including a trapeze artist, a fortune teller, and a very creepy magician. But things take a turn for the worse when our hero, Jerry, is hypnotized by the magician and turned into a zombie.

From there, the plot gets even weirder. The carnival becomes a hotbed of supernatural activity, with zombies, ghosts, and other spooky creatures running amok. Jerry's girlfriend, played by the director's wife (a fact that doesn't go unnoticed by the MST3K crew), is kidnapped by the magician and forced to perform in a really uncomfortable dance sequence. And just when you think things can't get any stranger, we're treated to a surreal dream sequence that involves lots of glitter and some seriously trippy visuals.

Throughout all of this, Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo provide their trademark snarky commentary, riffing on the film's many absurdities and making jokes that range from silly to surprisingly insightful. They point out the film's low budget special effects, its cringe-worthy dialogue, and its bizarre pacing. But they also dig deeper, commenting on themes like the exploitation of carnival performers and the dangers of mass hypnosis.

One of the funniest moments in the episode comes when the crew realizes that the "mixed-up zombies" of the title are basically just regular people in zombie makeup. They start making fun of the makeup job, pointing out how some characters just have a little bit of gray paint smeared on their faces and others look like they've been dipped in pancake batter. But even as they mock the film's shortcomings, they maintain a certain affection for it. They appreciate its weirdness and its willingness to take risks, even if those risks don't always pay off.

As always, the host segments are a highlight of the episode. In one, Joel and the bots create their own carnival sideshow, featuring some truly bizarre attractions (like "the flea circus of the damned"). In another, they perform a musical number about the joys of being zombified. And in a meta twist, they even bring on a guest "scientist" to explain how the show works and why it's so important.

Overall, "The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies" is a classic episode of MST3K. It's funny, weird, and just a little bit unsettling. And like all the best episodes of the show, it celebrates the joy of riffing on bad movies while also acknowledging the creativity and passion that went into making them.