An ancient Aztec legend tells of a God who descended to Earth from the stars at the dawn of time and became the father of the first Pumaman...
"So... pumas are suicidally depressive mouth-breathers?" - Crow T. Robot
Debuting in 1980 with the original title of L'Uomo Puma, this poorly done but amusing superhero movie is most notable for its royal treatment as
MST3k's Puma Man.
It was directed by
Alberto De Martino and the screenplay was written by
Luigi Angelo and
Massimo De Rita.
It stars
Walter George Alton as Professor Tony Farms,
Donald Pleasence as Kobras,
Sydne Rome as Jane Dobson, and
Miguelangel Fuentes as Vadinho.
Puma Man - Episode 903 - Aired
April 4, 1998
This episode is an MST3k classic. It follows the adventures of Tony Farms, a
dorky and apparently incompetent
paleontologist who lives and works in
London. His
tranquil life is interrupted by the appearance of Vadinho, a large goofy
Aztec priest. Both in the original and the mistied version, Vadinho very much steals the show from the supposed protagonist, Tony.
"Your father saw in the dark. Your father jumped in the air. Your father protected my people." - Vadinho
Vadinho and Tony are fighting the forces of the evil Kobras, who has stolen a cheesy prop. Err, the golden mask of the Aztec gods, which gives him power over the minds of men. With the mask, his minions, and his brainwashed slaves, Kobras is attempting to
defenestrate a lot of
Americans and has a
plan to take over the world. Hey, at least he doesn't have a
cat.
Tony: "What is this?"
Vadinho: "My refuge."
Tony: "It fits your proportions."
Crow (as Tony): "Do you have a small, whiny warehouse for me?"
The
quips in this episode come pretty fast and steady, and the movie is hardly
Oscar material, but it's interesting enough to keep you going. And, of course, there are a few subplots on the
Satellite of Love and
Castle Forrester -
Tom Servo's battle with Short Man's Disease,
Crow T. Robot's resignation and return as a freelancer,
Pearl Forrester's ball,
Roger Whittaker, and more.
Vadinho: "You must take the great trip."
Mike: "Go to grandma's?"
Vadinho: "Dive into the nothingness."
Tom: "Watch MTV?"
Due to the usual copyright problems with rebroadcast of MST3k episodes, this might be hard to track down through normal channels, but with a little work you may find a friend with a tape or
another copy of it. It's well worth it, this episode is great fun for
newbies and old fans alike.