Any "MST3k" fans here?

I was late discovering this show, didn't even start watching it until it was on the Sci-Fi Channel (which, I've since discovered, was when the show was well into its decline). Thanks to Rhino's videos of several episodes and the magic of tape trading, however, I've been able to start digging into more of the show's classic run on Comedy Central. I think it's one of the funniest, most brilliant shows ever put on the air.

The other night I watched one of the episodes from Season Six (The Creeping Terror), which has the following bit...very apropos for this forum!

Mike: Hey, you guys, I finally got my stereo system set up.

Servo: Looks pretty substantial, Mike. What kind is it?

Mike: Oh, nothing much. Got the Nokamichi CD 1000 transport fiber-link to the PS audio uh, 20-bit uh, DA converter. Of course that goes to my Bryston straight-line pre-amp, out to the Carver 400-watt mono-blocks, and uh, over to the DCM time-window 7.

Crow: Yeah, sounds great, Mike. As for me, I've got one of them Goldstar bookshelf jobs.

Servo: Yeah, a boombox is enough for me, Mike.

Mike: You disgust me.

Servo: Huh?

Mike: Come on, you guys, haven't you ever heard a good system? Get into the sweet spot here. Now, listen to this. Come on. As the kids say, this is gonna blow your mind!

Crow: Mike, that's the music from "The Creeping Terror"!

Mike: Yeah!

Servo: Sounds pretty lame, Mike.

Mike: Oh, come on, listen to the definition, the imaging, there's plenty of air 'round the instruments. Uh, here let me replay it for you. Replay that... Listen to that, huh?

Servo: Yeah, neat. Well, you know, Mike, I think we're gonna listen to it from uh, over here.

Crow: Yeah, yeah, uh-oh, look! There's the sweet spot! Over here!

Mike: Ah, fine, who needs you?



Any other "MSTies" 'round these parts?

 

MST3K

Me, although I prefer the Joel-era episodes. Has Rhino issued the "Creeping Terror" one yet? I used to watch that movie (pre-MST3K) on Channel 13 in SoCal back in the day. Nuthin' better than old monster movies at 2 AM. Wow, man!

 

Re: MST3K

Yes, but it's one Mike hosted as you can see. I agree that Joel was the better host, and that they generally got worse (and thus, for the purposes of the show, better) movies for the earlier seasons.

My favorite has to be Manos: The Hands Of Fate. "The master would not approve."

 

Yes. I can't get up early enough to watch it though.

 

Re: Re: MST3K

Who are you, Torgo all of a sudden?!?!

Love the show, but count me as a Joel fan. Crow T. Robot, as voiced by Trace Beaulieu, is one of the funniest creations in the history of comedy. He's a god!--or at least, he wants to be:

Joel: What do you want for Christmas?

Crow: I want to decide who lives and who dies.

From Crow's soliloquy on how one person can make a difference: "Think globally, act locally--yeah, that'll work."

 

Always dug it, but what I'd really like to see is DVD editions of some of the hilariously bad movies they reamed over. The DVD functions would be set up so that you could either watch just the movie, or add the commentary and images(kind of like what was done for MIB1). Whattya think?

ED

 

That would be cool. They did the same thing with the "Ghostbusters" DVD.
I also prefer the Joel days, but the show remained great fun to the end. The movie version was also very clever.

I work with a guy who's wife has absolutely every single MST3K episode on tape, going back to their public access days. Not that's dedication!

Dan C

 

*blinkblink*

You clearly haven't been reading Rhino's catalogue as of late, eh?;-)

-D

 

What catalog? These days I just check out the Handmade part of the site. What's up?

ED

 

Ed, Rhino Home Video has been issing "MST3K" DVDs for a couple of years now. On some titles (though not all) the complete, un-MSTed version of the movie is included as a bonus.

 

Thanks for the tip, gentlemen! Truth is, I don't pay that much attention to DVD's beyond the obvious; takes no small amount of time to keep track of important CD boots, imps, domestic, DVD-A, SACD, etc. I do check the local store my brother runs for his weekly update of new stuff(and DVD Planet sends Es for new releases)but some of this stuff can miss me. Until my kid brother mentioned it weeks back, I had no idea the Reggio/Glass films KOYAANISQATSI and POWAQATTSI were coming out(they're two of my '80s faves). Had to travel fifty freakin' miles to get 'em on release day, too. Worth it, but I only do that for keepers.

ED

 

"Lost Continent" has always been my favorite. I used to sit in my dorm and eat down a full box of Little Debbies and as much milk as I could stand and watch MST3K every Saturday night.

Remember the song for the Turkey Day Marathon?

"We gather together to watch cheesy movies, on Comedy Central on Thanksgiving day..." etc

 

My favorite remains "Godzilla vs. Megalon" ("Rex Dart: Eskimo Spy"), I've always wished that one would come out on DVD. I see a ton of cheap, public domain DVD versions of that title, but for some reason, they apparently can't release the MST3K version.

Unfortunately, we'll probably never see some of the best episodes on DVD, as Sandy Frank won't let them use the movies he owns. Apparently he absolutely HATED it when they made fun of him and his movies.

 

Reechie, you made me think of this: Anybody on the thread think there were any movies MST3K skewered that really weren't all that bad? I'm going to have to think about that for a while(wish I'd taped more of them; usually just couch potatoed whenever they were on, never thinking I'd want to watch them again. Stupid me). I fear your observations are correct, that some of these will never get issued on video. Jeez, even Michael Jackson could take a joke(before becoming one).

ED

 

Stranded In Space a.k.a. Marooned with Gene Hackman and Gregory Peck was actually a pretty decent flick, if not a classic. Another one courtesy of Sandy Frank, who bought the original film and retitled it, thus allowing MST to lease it for their show.

And of course, the debate continues over MST3K: The Movie's skewering of This Island Earth which is considered a sci-fi classic in some quarters. Some folks never forgave them for that.


Which reminds me, I have a tape somewhere of some promotional appearances Mike and the bots did when the movie was released. One of the best is a spot where the guys riff on an actual MTV News report about Radiohead, watching it from the theater as usual. At one point Thom York is shown singing at the mic, frantically moving his head around, prompting this exchange:

Crow: Ronald McDonald sings!

Mike: (in his best Johnny Rotten shout) You deserve a friggin' break today, so get off your skinny ass and get away, to McDonnnnaaaaaalllldssss!

 

I also seem to remember reading someplace that Joe Don Baker has vowed to beat the living crap out of anybody he runs across who was connected with the show in any way.

 

Only if they happen to be ordering fries at the McDonald's he's currently employed at...

 

He oughtta beat the crap out of himself for even doing Mitchell.

 

RHINO UPDATE
Davis DVD (http://www.davisdvd.com) reports that the upcoming DVD four-pack from Rhino Home Video is still scheduled for release on November 12th. The four-pack will feature episodes 204- CATALINA CAPER, 606- THE CREEPING TERROR, 607- BLOODLUST (with short: UNCLE JIM'S DAIRY FARM) and 609- THE SKY DIVERS (with short: WHY STUDY THE INDUSTRIAL ARTS?). It will reportedly contain the MSTed and un-MSTed versions of all four movies, as well as bonus trailers for "Catalina Caper," "Bloodlust" and "The Skydivers

info from mst3k

 

I honestly really like the last few seasons of MST3K...they're more bitter, granted, but I never count that as a bad thing. "Space Mutiny" is my all-time favorite episode, and it's well into the Sci Fi run.

The earlier episodes are gentler, which is great, but I find I have to be in a certain mood for some of the season 3/4 offerings.

-D

 

David, you are so right. As time went on, the tone turned not only sarcastic but borderline nasty(and that was a very thin border, sometimes). But better to be acerbic than boring, and yeah, you definitely have to get into the mood, or else you wind up wincing more than laughing, which wasn't what they had in mind. Guess it all ended when it had to, before the border was gone.

ED

 

Interestingly enough, that statement could apply not only to "MST3K", but all of American culture in the '90s.

 

Crow: "I wanna decide who lives and who dies!"

Joel: "Oh, I don't know…".

Fans need to check out http://www.mst3kinfo.com and http://www.mst3ktemple.com (the latter has a ton of interesting pictures and a great History section).

There's an entire section on the KTMA pilot (which has now been shown in full by Joel at a convention) and the three "missing" KTMA episodes:

http://www.mst3ktemple.com/ouch1.html