Back around season six of Mystery Science Theater's initial run, a CD-ROM game was in production based upon the show, but was eventually scrapped because life is a cruel mistress that wallows in our misery. While details on the CD-ROM are scarce, one thing we do know about it was that it was to feature two exclusive riffed shorts. The first was called What's It To You?, which is short selling us on the wonders of Mylar. Unfortunately while this short was riffed, it is lost to the ages. Maybe some day Rifftrax will re-riff it for our enjoyment, but until then the unriffed version can be found here:
Luckily for us MSTies the second short is preserved for prosperity, and that short is Assignment: Venezuela. This short is a progressive industrial short from the mid-1950's that lets us know that there are some new opportunities for American jobs way down in Venezuela. After all, South America is an America too and we must assimilate it as fast as possible.
Our tale sees a good old fashioned American Joe being relocated to Venezuela all the while being separated from his family. While there he takes in the sites, picks up the language, and learns the history, which he relays in his letters to his family.
I'm not big on industrial shorts like this, which are dry and full of dead air as we look on into endless landscapes. Learning about different cultures has to be more entertaining than a monotone narrator droning on about how interesting things are. But for the type of audience Assignment: Venezuela is made for, it's par for the course. No better, no worse.
It's hard to judge the riffed short without bias however, because its existence snuck up on MSTies after the show was initially cancelled. For a while it might have been the last glimpse we had at the show (and one that had Trace Beaulieu in the theater, even). Now it's not the case, but it's still a special piece of classic MST that is somewhat treasured.
That said, I've never been convinced that shorts like this, which are borderline travelogue, are right for the series. Overall it's a series of images that almost feel exactly the same and the riffing as a result feels a little rudimentary. That said, the short does have some howlers, as the family's mother explains to her boys where Venezuela is, and the riffers have her accusing him of being a cheating bastard down there the entire time. One of my favorite moments comes halfway through when they take a dark turn by implying he has been taken captive by a drug cartel by accident! The climactic few minutes of the short are pretty funny overall too, saving this one from mediocrity.
This short was made public at ConventioCon ExpoFest-A-Rama 2: Electric Boogaloo, and has since leaked online in various outlets, including the YouTube video below. But for those who wish to see it in a more official fashion they need to seek out Rhino's MST3K Volume 7 set, which is currently out of print but set to be re-released by Shout Factory in a few months. The short is featured on the Killer Shrews disc, along with bonus shorts Century 21 Calling... and A Case of Spring Fever.
And yes, every version of this short has a time code. Just ignore it.
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