Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection

Mad Movies were the greatest. The only thing that comes close to this type of comedy is the original Mystery Science Theater. The LA Connection was way ahead of their time when they made these shows. You see their influence in everything now-a-days, like MXC, MST3K, Kung Pow, etc. Those old episodes need to be released on DVD. Anyone who purchases the rights to release them would make a ton of cash, hmmm, business venture... of course. I have a several episodes on VHS that I recorded as a kid. We watch them about once a year to refresh ourselves on all the one-liners. One of my favorites is their spoof of "Night of the Living Dead", where they twist the plot turning the zombies into unwanted party guests. Very, very funny stuff.

The premise is simple: take a movie, probably within the public domain or has a lot of copyright problems and can be obtained cheaply, trim it down to half an hour and dub in new lines. It's not a new premise, so, its success rests on the quality of the writing. And, Mad Movies certainly succeeded!

Back in my Beta days, I wore my tapes to death with repeats. The only episode I nearly completely (Missing credits.) have transfered to VHS was, thankfully, what is probably the best: "Night Of The Living Dead." ("I'll hide in the trash!") There was also some old cowboy movie that was interrupted intermittently by a song of praise for a jelly sandwich and a fresh rhubarb pie. ("Lost my sandwich, jelly sandwich, now a sad guy am I!") from its cast, including the lead horse. I think there was also a rif on some Carmen Miranda movie. Unfortunately, it's hard to review a series like this, because it depends on actually hearing the gags. Thus, you must see the episodes, which are probably locked in TV Land's vaults somewhere, never to be seen again.

The show aired on Nick@Nite, Sunday, around 10 PM or 10:30, for only a year. A few years later, I believe the L.A. Connection made Blobbermouth, where they spoofed the entire original "The Blob" for theatrical release, but, I've not seen it. After that, the Mad Movies concept and the L.A. Connection appeared to have just disappeared.

Mad Movies should appeal to fans of other similarly themed shows like: Dynaman, Samurai Pizza Cats, and Tokyo Pig.

It's so good to find others talking about this amazing show. My wife and I were just reminiscing about those old shows (and crying about the tape that we accidentally recorded over, years ago) and wondering if they're available on DVD.

I remember the night I came across it on TV. I started watching it and was laughing so hard I couldn't make it over to the VHS to start taping it. I could only tell my wife about it the next morning. (No, she didn't move out). The next time it was on, we taped it and played it more times for more people than the poor oxide on the tape could stand. The reaction was always the same: "When is this on?" Our answer ("It's not on anymore") always astounded our guests.

I hope that someone, somehow, gets this back into the public domain.

I stumbled across MM one night on Nick. From that moment I was hooked. To this day I still have a tape with about 10 of the episodes on it.

My favorites were the Little Princess, DOA (Ruesie), Beneath the 12 Mile Reef (Blueberry pancakes!! LOL)... aw heck, I liked them all.

I'm so sorry that the LA Connection couldn't get the rights to the originals but I'm looking forward to the new ones that they'll be putting out this year and next. The writers and performers on this show certainly knew their stuff. It remains a mystery to me why Nick or the Comedy network never picked this up in reruns.

Great show with timeless humor.

Since this seems to be the only place in the world where any memory of this hilarious show exists, I wanted to put in my 2 cents. I saw this show during the nascent days of Nick at Nite in 1985/86, when, due to lack of programming and sponsors, there were full length movies in the wee hours, black and white classic shows in the evening (starting at 8 PM), and only one commercial interruption during the shows. Ah, the good old days.

Mad Movies took a very old or "B" movie and edited it. The original dialogue was cut completely, and most footage deleted. The edited version was really nothing like the original, not even being in the same chronology, and often repeating clips. The purpose was to fit in with the new funny "plot" in which new dialogue was added, a la the well known MST3K, but thanks to the editing and killing the original dialogue altogether, Mad Movies was much funnier. MST3K, maintaining the original length of the movie and dialogue, usually dragged in my opinion.

One of the two movies I remember well is the oft mentioned (here anyway) "Night of the Living Dead" in which the new plot was the kids planning a big house party. They kept showing one of the zombies approaching the house, and he'd always say "Telegram."

The other was Shirley Temple in "The Little Princess." If you've ever seen the original, you know that she often gets mad and throws sort of an enraged tantrum. The mad movies spoof made use of this by making her a possessed girl that needed an exorcism. It's amazing how well the original movie fit this new plot once edited. I can never watch the original without thinking of the demon inside every time she gets angry and frustrated.

Sadly, I believe I will never see these shows again, especially on the pathetic remnants of "Nick at Nite" which is now nothing more than overnight sitcom filler for Nickelodeon. I wonder if they are available for viewing at the Museum of Television and Radio History.