Friday, August 27, 2004

Flashback Friday: Doctor Morgus

Let's face it. Mad scientists are cool. Why are they cool? Because they do things no sane scientist would do, but every sane scientist wants to do. I mean, who wouldn't want to create a fearsome monster that would do your bidding or build a giant laser that would threaten the world? Plus, mad scientists always get things done. Ever seen an unsuccessful mad scientist in a movie? I'm sure there are scientists trying to re-animate the dead or hypnotize world leaders who fail, but we just call those guys crazy. No, you can't be a mad scientist unless you're really good at it.

That's why Doctor Morgus rocked.

In case you don't remember (and not many people do), Doctor Morgus was an evil mad scientist who hosted bad science fiction movies. He was part of a long line of scifi television hosts like Elvira, where we would watch the movie just for the funny bits before and after the commercial breaks. Every episode, Morgus would be building a nuclear reactor or a teleporter, and it would go horribly wrong. One thing about Morgus was that he was very, very creepy with his fright wig, bad teeth, and evil laugh. But he had that kinda normal voice. It was a good mix of horror and scifi. You didn't know if you wanted to root for him or be afraid of him. Then there was his sidekick, the giant mute in the executioner's outfit, Chopsley. Classic routine. I don't remember Morgus being particularly funny, but he was such a prototypical mad scientist that I loved him.

I'm not sure if Morgus is still on the air, but he does have at least two fansites (Morgus.com and the Old IceHouse) and a movie that was released in the sixties. I had no idea Morgus had been around that long. I wonder if he was in reruns when I watched him?

3 comments:

Maurice Mitchell said...

Man what a memory you have. I remember him too, now that you bring him up. I also remember the creepy, wierd vibe I got whenever I watched his show. I don't think I ever watched a whole episode, but I liked it in theory...being a lover of science.
It's amazing how well thought out his whole philosophy is, but I guess after working on it for 40 years(!) you can make it pretty detailed.

Maurice Mitchell said...

Dear sir,
I think Morgus had the right idea. Since when is delving into areas of science feared and banned by ethical committees proof that you're a "mad scientist"?
Signed,
Stem-cell researchers

Nigel G Mitchell said...

Funny...and controversial, but funny