Has it really been so long since I revisited Cinematic Titanic? Well, let’s jump into this. The episode starts off with Dave “Gruber” Allen introducing the group at a live show. Gruber was one of the scientists in silhouette in the early studio releases of Cinematic Titanic, and he has a longtime tie to Mystery Science Theater 3000. Joel Hodgson was the showrunner for “The Higgins Boys and Gruber” back when Comedy Central first started, which starred Des Moines natives Steve Higgins and David Anthony Higgins.

When Cinematic Titanic’s J (Josh) Elvis Weinstein had to miss some shows due to cancer treatment, Gruber filled in for his jokes. He is also the person who coined “MST3K” as a shortened version of the show’s title.

Release date: Dec. 2, 2011.

OK, it has been more than a year since the last time I wrote one of these. In my defense, there was an 18 month gap between the release of “Danger on Tiki Island” and “War of the Insects.” So really, I’m just trying to keep the feeling of when I originally watched these. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

“Danger on Tiki Island” had a lot of different titles, while “War of the Insects” only had two: “Great Insect War” and “Genocide.” Considering an alternate title for your killer bugs movie? Consider “Genocide.”

The plot? Atomic blasts make bugs turn angry. Think “Godzilla,” but with bugs. Only instead of exciting kaiju, they’re just normal sized bugs that are extra cranky.

Fun fact: “War of the Insects” was released on DVD by the Criterion Collection imprint Eclipse. So, it is one of the rare riffed films to get a Criterion release. Of course, Criterion’s parent company, Janus Films, was founded by Bryant Haliday who was riffed in the MST3K episodes “The Projected Man” and “Devil Doll.”

Favorite riffs:

Joel: “You know what this movie needs is a good Gamera attack right about now.”

Mary Jo (As an annoying character asks a woman what she would like to drink): “A piss off on the rocks.”

Trace: “This movie is going to be a big hit based on the buzz I’m hearing” (followed by some boos) “Yeah, well, it’s not easy.”

Mary Jo (After the characters are told, not shown, that insects are attacking monkeys): “Why can’t we watch that instead?”

Then timely references: Death Panels, Michelle Bachman (who is also an Iowan, but we don’t claim her).

MST3K in jokes: An oil lamp gets called “Tom Servo,” and gets a callback later.

Other riffing connections: A lot of MST3K/Rifftrax riffs of Japanese films are edited together TV series with different names, so searching through them all could potentially be maddening. American actor Franz “Not Dave Allen” Gruber is in “War of the Insects” and the series “Mighty Jack.” The first and sixth episodes of that show were combined into the film “Mighty Jack” which MST3K riffed in season 3. I don’t remember any Americans being in the film version, but maybe I’m wrong. Anyway, I’m still counting it.

Harold Conway was also in episodes of “Mighty Jack,” and “Mothra,” which Rifftrax riffed as a live show.

Mike Daneen was in “The X from Outer Space,” riffed by Rifftrax.

There are a few riffs that haven’t aged well, especially some Asian jokes. Rifftrax goes to the “David Carradine died in an embarrassing way! That’s the joke!” well too regularly, and Cinematic Titanic does the same in this film with one riff. It wasn’t well received by the audience, with Frank saying “What are you, friends of his?”

Next up: “The Rattlers,” the final “official” Cinematic Titanic release.