High-Def Revelations: Mystery Science Theater 3000

Last year I finally joined the early 2000s and retired my twenty year old picture tube TV and bought a hi-def set. Hey, don't judge. I was waiting to see if all this hi-def jazz was just a passing fad or if it was going to catch on. I ain't no early adopter!

Anyway, the past few months I've been rewatching a lot of my favorite movies in glorious 1080p resolution, and it's been, pardon the pun, eye opening. I'm seeing all kinds of things I never noticed before when I watched films in low-def, like a common peasant. 

For example, here's a high-def detail for you: Did you know that in the 1966 movie Fantastic Voyage, the filmmakers actually constructed a tiny submarine, complete with miniature cameras and sent it sailing through an actor's actual bloodstream? Who knew? At least that's how they looked on my new set. Maybe I need to adjust some settings. Never mind.

Anyway, onto tonight's Hi-Def Revelation. I was recently watching one of my favorite series on DVD, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and noticed a curious Star Wars connection.

Imagine my surprise when, during this scene on the bridge of the Satellite Of Love, I noticed not one but two two Millennium Falcons glued to the wall, along with a Darth Vader action figure carrying case!

Old news to rabid fans of the show, I'm sure, but it was a revelation to me.

Given the orientation of the Falcon's off-center cockpit, it looks like they split it and glued the top and bottom halves onto the walls.

Here's another view of the upper Falcon. In some episodes it has a piece of brass tubing sticking out of the center of it.

And here's a much better look at the lower Falcon. I can't believe I never noticed these details before now.

Here's the Vader carrying case. It looks like they turned it upside down to help hide what it is (didn't work) and then spray painted it white.

This episode was from the Siffy Channel era, back when they were still called Sci Fi Channel, so the objects aren't there on the earlier Comedy Central shows.

Given the show's handcrafted design aesthetic, there are probably even more bits of Star Wars memorabilia glued to the walls of the set. Just like inside of a Fuddruckers!