Watch MST3K - The Crawling Eye

The 1958 sci-fi horror film, The Crawling Eye, is a classic tale of terror that takes audiences on a journey to the Swiss Alps, where a group of travelers become stranded in a town that is haunted by a mysterious force. When strange things begin to happen, journalist Philip Truscott (played by Forrest Tucker) investigates and discovers that the source of the disturbances is a group of giant eyeballs that can move and kill on their own.

In the 1996 adaptation, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) takes on The Crawling Eye, offering a hilarious and irreverent commentary on the classic film. The cast of MST3K includes Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, J. Elvis Weinstein, and Jim Mallon, who provide a running commentary on the film as it plays on screen. The premise of the show is that a group of people are trapped on a spaceship and forced to watch terrible movies as part of a cruel experiment. As they watch the film, the cast members make fun of the movie's bad special effects, cheesy dialogue, and overall ridiculousness.

The Crawling Eye, in particular, provides the MST3K cast with ample material to mock. The film is filled with hokey special effects, bad acting, and dialogue that is both stilted and unintentionally humorous. The giant eyeballs themselves are a source of much ridicule, as the crew of the show cracks jokes about their ridiculous appearance and improbable behavior. One of the most memorable moments of the film comes early on, when the characters are still in the town and the giant eyeballs first make an appearance. As one of the characters looks out the window and sees the orbs approaching, Joel quips, "They're bringing eyeball to Switzerland!"

The cast of MST3K also makes fun of the characters themselves, who are all pretty one-dimensional and prone to making bad decisions. Philip Truscott in particular, who is meant to be the hero of the film, comes off looking like a buffoon as he stumbles through the plot, making all kinds of ridiculous assumptions and putting himself and others in danger. The rest of the characters don't fare much better, with one of them making the bone-headed decision to go out and try to fight the giant eyeballs with a pickaxe.

Overall, The Crawling Eye is a movie that is ripe for satire, and the cast of MST3K definitely delivers. Their witty commentary adds a layer of humor to the film that makes it much more enjoyable to watch, even for those who might not be fans of classic sci-fi horror movies. In fact, the show's ability to take terrible films and turn them into something entertaining and enjoyable is what helped it achieve such a loyal fan base during its original run, and what has made it a cult classic in the years since. Fans of sci-fi, horror, and comedy will all find something to enjoy in this version of The Crawling Eye.