913-Quest of the Delta Knights

Film Year:  1993
Genre:  Fantasy, Adventure
Director:  James Dodson
Starring:  David Warner, Corbin Allred, David Kriegal, Olivia Hussey
MST Season:  9

The Movie

Fluffy and harmless (unless you’re actually trying to learn history from this nonsense, then it’s pretty harmful) fantasy stars David Warner in dual roles because...why not?  ARTISTIC!  Warner initially plays a beggar who takes a slave boy named Tee under his wing.  He reveals to him that he is a “Delta Knight,” a secret society devoted to the betterment of humanity.  David Warner is murdered by David Warner...no, seriously, Warner’s other character, chief bad guy, which sends Tee off on his own.  Befriending an artist named Leonardo from the village of Vinci (nyuk nyuk nyuk, yep that guy) and a prostitute with a heart of gold (among other things in that chest region), they go on a quest to find the treasure of Archimedes.

It’s goofy, it’s lame, it’s cheap, it’s direct to video.  That should say the world about Quest of the Delta Knights, and I’m sure even if you haven’t seen it you have a rough idea of what it’s like from that description alone.  It’s the type of movie you plug in and tell kids to “sit down and shut up” because the grown ups need to do adult things.  I can’t guarantee the child won’t get bored and try and bug you anyway, but this dusty video you found in the cabinet was your best shot without actually spending effort on finding Toy Story.

I’m going to choose to not pick on this movie too much, because it feels like I’m kicking a kitten.  There’s really not a lot to say about it anyway.  It’s a dumb movie that exists to maintain blank stares from people who aren't thinking about it.  Could be worse.

The Episode

Hercules and the Captive Women brought Gypsy into the theater, Last of the Wild Horses brought Dr. Forrester and Frank, and now it’s Pearl’s turn.  Only time will tell if Kinga and Max get a crack at the theater work in the future (fingers crossed, I hope they do).

Needless to say this episode is best remembered for being the one where Pearl riff’s the first theater segment.  How does she stack up?  Nothing against Mary Jo Pehl and her riffing style, as she has gone on to do spectacular riffs with Cinematic Titanic and Rifftrax, but here she barely registers.  It’s not that she’s bad here, quite the contrary, because she’s quite funny, it’s that her presence doesn't really stand out and by the time Mike returns, you barely even notice he was absent.  I couldn’t say the same for Dr. Forrester and Frank in Wild Horses, because that certain geek out factor seemed to flavor their entire segment.  Mary Jo feels a bit like a seat warmer for Mike, which is probably due to the fact that she’s paired up with Servo and Crow and not Bobo and Observer.  This choice is understandable, since Bobo and Observer don’t have ideal personalities for riffing, but it doesn’t always feel like a reach toward the stars with this gimmick.

The riff as a whole is quite good.  The goofy movie featured is an easy target, they just take aim and shoot.  The riffs can get a tad harsh for something so innocent (read:  mentally-challenged), but the laughs are steady and the film is constantly giving them opportunities.

Host segments are definite highlights, and they obviously lead off the episode gimmick of Pearl being in the theater.  Pearl is unhappy with the pain that Mike is receiving from the movies and wants to witness what is wrong from the inside.  Meanwhile Mike pals around with Bobo and Observer with some “guy talk” and gossip.  Other segments prove to be just as good, with a song from an all Servo choir and a visit from Leonardo da Vinci (who hates Servo).  My favorite segment is the intro, in which Crow breaks down and Mike and Servo are forced to use a “Loaner Crow.”  Loaner Crow may be one of my all-time favorite characters on the show with what little screen time he has.

Very few people talk about Delta Knights, which is fair since it doesn’t live up to its gimmick and there are certainly better episodes.  However if one were to measure on how much you laugh during an episode versus how well you remember it, In say this one stacks up even if I wouldn’t think to put it on a top ten list.  It’s definitely a worthy watch for any fan of the series.

Good

The DVD

Quest of the Delta Knights is unfortunately one of the MST episodes that never hit home video.  Shout Factory however included the episodes’ host segments in their “Satellite Dishes” disc from their Volume XXXIX release.