Review: Laboratory of Terror I [2ACV16]

Capsule Submission for Anthology of Interest I [2ACV16]:

Capsule Review: A promising new Simpsons-esque tradition, this fun episode has a little of everything. Bender's fairly simpleminded segment has pop culture references old and new, and lots of original sight gags. (A-) Leela's story has a great, creepy horror mood, but like some Halloween Special segments, it suffers from too much buildup without a strong ending. (B+) Fry's fantasy is the best, building off of the series' canon, and integrating compelling sci-fi concepts with terrifically effective, very funny guest star appearances. Stephen Hawking's copyright infringement, the D&D guy's dice, Uhura's insult to Trek fans, and the simple presence of Al Gore make up an incredible four classic celebrity bits in one show. (A) (Overall: A-)

Alternate titles: King Bender vs. Crabzilla - Dial "L" for Murder - Shut Your Fryhole

Past episode refs: [1ACV10], [1ACV11] Someone considers Fry ugly or unattractive. [1ACV12], [2ACV06] Amy insults Leela's femininity. [1ACV12] Uhura mentioned when Fry expresses excitement at the opportunity to be a science fiction hero. [2ACV03] Bender travels across the floor via a car with wheels. [2ACV04] The professor is nude in public. Nudity is implied to be a cultural norm, but here the professor has suffered legal consequences for it. [2ACV05], [2ACV12] The possibility of Zoidberg being cooked is mentioned. [2ACV10] Zoidberg mentions bombing on stage at the Apollo Theatre. [2ACV10] Video of an event from moments ago has surprisingly been recorded and played back through an unexplained method. [2ACV13] Bender gets a limb cut in two. [?] Leela calls Fry an idiot. [?] Al Gore mentioned when his picture appears on currency. [?] Zoidberg eats an object made of wood.

Pop culture refs: Wizard of Oz: Like the Wicked Witch when doused with water, Zoidberg appears to melt when thrown in the stadium full of hot water. Sherlock Holmes: Zoidberg sports the famous fictional detective's hat and pipe. Poltergeist: A house is built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Simpsons: [2F03] A house is built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Simpsons: [1F08] Homer uses glasses he found in a toilet like Fry uses the party favor he found in a toilet. Newsradio: Like Bender, Bill McNeal writes letters to the staff to be read after his death. Newsradio: "Action Rangers" similar to "Rockin' Rangers of the Junior Jimmy Brigade". Newsradio: Like the "+1 mace," Matthew mentions a "+2 sword" in his Hobbit-inspired song about deceased office accountant Ted.

Did you notice:

A new writer, Eric Rogers, is credited. He is the third writer named Eric to work on the show, after Eric Horsted and Eric Kaplan.

Al Gore may be the first politician in a Matt Groening cartoon series who is voiced by himself rather than an impersonator.

Goofs:

Fry easily takes a bite out of the cooked Zoidberg's claw, revealing white meat inside, but in 2ACV14 Zoidberg's claw is solid enough to cut through a metal can.

-Eric Sansoni ([email])

"What I'm trying to communicate is that I'm willing to do nudity, no extra charge!" -Bill McNeal, Newsradio, 1998

Eric S. wrote in message news:8gamsq$[email]...

Actually, it was The Amityville Horror that was built on the ancient Indian burial ground. The house in Poltergeist was just built on a normal graveyard. :-)

Kat

On Mon, 22 May 2000 08:57:02 -0400, "Kat" wrote:

In Poltergeist VII or VIII or something like that, there was something about Indian sacred ground. I don't remember the details because the sequels were pretty lame and I didn't sit through the whole thing.

Also, South Park made a reference to indian burial grounds in the episode with the evil parallel universe. The evil pets all came form the Indian Burial Grounds Pet Shop.

--Larry

<Goofs:

Fry easily takes a bite out of the cooked Zoidberg's claw, revealing white meat inside, but in 2ACV14 Zoidberg's claw is solid enough to cut through a metal can.>

And to stop a Titanium airtight door in 1AVC10.

~DarthArada~ "Snuh!" Homer Simpson "We have all the time in the world..." ~George Lazenby/James Bond "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" MUSSOLINI TO EMBARK ON CHEST EXPANSION CAMPAIGN ~The Onion

"Eric S." wrote:

I got that right off the bat and all my friends were confused as to why I found it so funny untill I had to explain it to them.

I just had to repeat this part because Jimmy James was such a cool character. Oh how I wish I could grow up to be an Eccentric Media Tycoon just like "Dooby Keebler".

Being boiled alive softened his shell, so that's not a goof.

But Fry has probably never had shellfish before, as he just took a bite out of the claw tip.

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"Eric S." wrote:

To me, this looked a lot more like a ref to T2, when Ahnold lowers himself into the molten metal with his hand, in a thumbs up position the last thing to sink under.

Lyle

[email] wrote:

At the end with the hand, perhaps, but the defeated melting thing wasn't the same for Arnold. Weren't there also similar scenes with the hand sticking out in Batman when Nicholson fell in the tub of acid, and in The Naked Gun, when Leslie Nielsen knocks the hired goon into a similar vat?

-Eric Sansoni ([email])

"What I'm trying to communicate is that I'm willing to do nudity, no extra charge!" -Bill McNeal, Newsradio, 1998

Some more refs...

Simpsons: [2F03] One star character goes bad and tries to kill all the others. Simpsons: [3F18] Characters spit off of a highway overpass onto cars. Simpsons: [3F13] Al Gore's voice at times bears some resemblance to Donald Sutherland's (Hollis Hurlbut) in this episode.

King Kong: People gawking, some crying on the street after the giant monster suffers a fatal accident involving a city skyscraper.

As an aside, a DYN I don't recall seeing mentioned was the sign outside of the stadium that Bender filled with water to cook Zoidberg in. It was a breif shot of a marquis which said something to the effect of

NY Mets (or was it cubs) World Champions: 1969 and 1989.

something like that.

Lyle

In article , Lyle McDonald writes:

1969 and 1986. Which indicates that a) the Mets are still playing in 3000 and b) they've had a REAL long stretch without a World Series win... :-)

And the community *still* hasn't ponied up for a new stadium!

<monty_burns> Excellent. </monty_burns>

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Pop Culture There were a couple of Iron Giant riffs in the first segment. At least, the part where Fry runs in front of the soldiers to protect his giant metal buddy was one.

I seem to recall a music video, I think it may have been Pete Townsend's "A Friend is a Friend", that featured a child and his huge robot.

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Wasn't that the theme of his "Psychoderelict" album?

Well, Townsend did do an album that was inspired by the Iron Giant (note that this was before the Warner Bros. movie, thus the film is based on an existing story), so that song you mentioned could be from that album.

Joe Klemm

Ahh.

That makes perfect sense.

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In article , [email] (Joe Klemm) wrote:

you must, of course, be referencing the album THE IRON MAN, which was of course based on the same story THE IRON GIANT was based on, and which "A Friend Is A Friend" is found.

What's even more interesting: Pete Townshend is listed as one of the producers of the film.

In alt.tv.futurama, on the "Review: Laboratory of Terror I [2ACV16]" thread, Eric S. wrote:

Also "Treehouse of Horror (7F04)," in the "Bad Dream House" segment. From the episode capsule at <http://www.snpp.com/episodes/7F04.html>:

% Homer angrily dials the phone.

Mr. Bloot? Homer Simpson here. When you sold me this house, you forgot to mention one little thing: YOU DIDN'T TELL ME IT WAS BUILT ON AN INDIAN BURIAL GROUND! ... NO YOU DIDN'T! ... Well, that's not <my> recollection. ... Yeah? Well, all right, goodbye! [angrily hangs up] He said he mentioned it five or six times. -- Homer, ``Bad Dream House'' in ``Treehouse of Horror''