Ep 11. Squirm

In the 11th episode of the 10th season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, we are taken to the small town of Fly Creek in Georgia, where a power surge has led to a shocking discovery - worms are everywhere! The episode titled "Squirm" is a horror movie from the 1970s that centers around the town being taken over by killer worms.

As per the norm, the episode begins with the hosts, including Jonah Heston, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot, cracking jokes and having a good time at the expense of the movie. The concept of the movie is quite simple - a storm down in Georgia causes some power lines to fall into the swamp, thereby electrocuting thousands of worms. The electric current causes these worms to become aggressive and wreak havoc on the town of Fly Creek. Of course, the three hosts have a whole lot to say about this.

The hosts find a lot of humor in the fact that the movie starts off as a nature documentary showcasing worms in action, only to take a dark turn. As the movie progresses, we see the residents of Fly Creek face off against the worms. They use kerosene and electricity to try and kill off the infestation, only to find that the worms are evolving with each passing moment.

The trio of hosts has a field day with the movie's special effects, which are quite primitive in comparison to today's standards. For instance, the worms' mouths look nothing like anything we've seen before, and their facial expressions are comical rather than terrifying. As always, the hosts' commentary is riotous, with quips and observations that keep the audience laughing throughout the episode.

One aspect that the hosts have some fun with is the over-exaggerated southern accents of the town residents, something they find slightly amusing. Additionally, the hosts never fail to poke fun at the predictable horror movie tropes, such as the characters splitting up or going into the basement alone.

The hosts also praise the movie's score, which is quite bizarre, to say the least. The score is random and often doesn't match the mood of the scene. This results in hilarious commentary from the hosts, who try to make sense of the music. They even deliver a few, facts about the composer, who interestingly enough, never composed any other film scores after this movie.

In terms of the movie itself, "Squirm" falls into the B-movie category of horror movies. It's not particularly scary and is filled with unintentionally funny moments. The hosts also poke fun at some of the questionable dialogue, particularly with regards to one of the characters, Gerald. Gerald is an uninvited guest at a party who seems to have an eye for the host, and the hosts have a lot of fun riffing on Gerald's one-liners.

As the infestation continues to spread in Fly Creek, the residents soon discover that the worms are capable of causing blackouts, which only make their mission to eradicate them more difficult. The tension builds up as the worms begin to show signs of intelligence, almost as if they're communicating with one another. The hosts never take this aspect of the movie seriously and deliver some witty one-liners, which keeps the episode from ever getting too suspenseful.

In summary, "Squirm" is a classic MST3K episode that's worth a watch for fans of the comedy series or B-movie enthusiasts. The movie itself might not be one of the best, but the hosts' commentary and riffing more than make up for it. Jonah, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot have a fun time, cracking jokes and making us laugh out loud at every turn. For those new to the series, "Squirm" showcases the humor and charm of the MST3K crew, as they poke fun at some of the worst movies ever made.