RiffTrax Shorts Season 39 Episode 5 People Soup

RiffTrax Shorts season 39 episode 5, "People Soup," is a hilarious journey through several short films that are all linked by a common theme - cannibalism! From horrifying promotional videos to bizarre public service announcements, this episode is sure to leave you laughing and cringing in equal measure.

The first short, "Meat Pies," sets the tone for the episode with its disturbing, yet somehow still hilarious, portrayal of the meat industry. As the RiffTrax crew points out, people have been eating other people for centuries - just look at the history of sausages! The film's overly cheery narrator extols the virtues of meat pies, which are made from "the bits of other pies that can't be used." The resulting concoction is disturbingly similar to Soylent Green, and the jokes practically write themselves.

Next up is "The Home Front," a World War II-era propaganda film that warns against spreading rumors and causing panic. However, as the RiffTrax team points out, it's hard not to panic when the government is telling you that your neighbors might be plotting to eat you! The film features a creepy scene in which a woman imagines being hunted through her house by her own family members, who have turned into cannibalistic monsters. It's one of the most memorable and ridiculous segments of the episode.

Another highlight is "Soup," a bizarre short film in which a man decides to make a soup out of his neighbor's cat. This is already pretty disturbing, but the film takes a turn for the even weirder when we learn that the cat's name is "Alex!" The RiffTrax crew can hardly contain their laughter at this point, and neither can the audience. Of all the cannibalism-themed shorts in this episode, "Soup" is probably the most ludicrous and over-the-top.

The episode also includes a couple of public service announcements that warn against wasting food. In "Join the Wasting Club," we see a group of people who pride themselves on throwing away perfectly good food. As the RiffTrax team points out, this is basically the opposite of cannibalism - instead of eating people, these folks are throwing away food that other people could eat! Meanwhile, "Clear the Aisles" shows a grocery store employee who is trying to clear out expired food. His solution? Dump it all into a big vat and serve it up as "people soup." It's a gross-out moment that is made even more ridiculous by the deadpan delivery of the PSA's narrator.

As with all RiffTrax Shorts episodes, the real star of the show is the RiffTrax crew themselves - Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett. They provide nonstop commentary throughout the episode, riffing on everything from the terrible acting to the questionable morals of the films' creators. They also make plenty of jokes about cannibalism, of course, but they manage to do it in a way that is both hilarious and oddly wholesome. It's all in good fun, and you get the sense that the guys are genuinely enjoying themselves.

Overall, RiffTrax Shorts season 39 episode 5, "People Soup," is a must-watch for fans of the show and anyone who enjoys a good laugh. It's not for the faint of heart - some of the shorts are genuinely disturbing - but if you're willing to embrace the weirdness, you're in for a treat. So grab some popcorn (but leave the cats alone!), settle in, and get ready to laugh until you cry.