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Mystery Science Theater Turns 20
Posted by
timothy
on Tue Nov 11, 2008 12:50 PM
from the snark-embodied dept.
from the snark-embodied dept.
RimmerExperience writes "Hard to believe that Mystery Science Theater 3000 is 20 years old. This NY Times article provides a brief synopsis from the humble but inspired beginnings in a Midwest TV studio, to the making of MST3K: The Movie, to what the creators are up to today. It's interesting that the original creators are still involved in MST3K-style riffing in some way. So if you are looking for your traditional Turkey Day fix, plug in your old VHS, tune into BitTorrent or check out their current projects — Riff Trax (Mike Nelson) or Cinematic Titanic (Joel & Trace). Keep circulating the tapes, er, MPEGs."
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Gamera - classic (Score:5, Funny)
Dr. Hidaka: The war even comes to this Eskimo village. Soon there won't be any peace anywhere.
[Cut to a ship cutting through the ice.]
Joel: There's nothing more tragic than a war in an Eskimo village.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
I don't remember which movie it was, but I recall the opening sequence of an old B&W movie where they showed the a map to let the audience know where the action was taking place. The caption under the map in large, dramatic letters was... "ASIA".
The sarcastic comment was, "Well, that narrows it down."
Quick, before they make it illegal! (Score:2, Insightful)
Quickly now children, download them all before they make satire illegal. Wait... my phone's ringing. Hello? What? Oh. Hey guys, I have an announcement to make... Satire is now illegal. The lawyers are calling it a "collection of derivative works" and that it "damages the brand identity". Just kidding. For now. O_o
MST3K seemed nice... at first. (Score:2, Funny)
Then it started gettting creepy. Does anyone else notice that the riffs seem to coincide with things that are happening in your life?
Just too coincidental for me. Especially after smoking weed.
Slap Hardbody (Score:4, Funny)
Big McLargehuge!
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Buff Bigblock!
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Butch Deadlift! (Score:3, Interesting)
We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese [youtube.com].
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Cliff Ironjaw
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HBO? (Score:2)
--
Keep One Eye Open on Craiglist.com - Search hundreds of communities from one place with one click [bigattichouse.com]
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Ah yes I think you are thinking of Mad Movies.
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Cheech and Chong did the same thing in "It Came From Hollywood!" as well, specifically to The Giant Mantis (Look out, it's the attack of the 50 foot chicken wing!) and Reefer Madness.
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That would've been "Whose Line Is It Anyways?". They actually did a large variety of improv setups, but that was one of them.
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Actually, I hate to give him this credit, but the earliest example I am aware of doing something in a SOMEWHAT similar vein as MST was Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily.
(though I am sure someone else will pipe in with something earlier ans no one hit the perfect recipe for this like Joel did)
It may have turned 20 (Score:2)
...but it has the emotional development of a 13-year old. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Is that you, Rowsdower?
What do you want for Christmas? (Score:5, Funny)
"I want to decide who lives and who dies!"
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Oh yes, easily my fav MST line ever (and there are so many close competitors...)
***I*** want to decide who posts on Slashdot and who is banished to kuro5hin.
Probably a fate worse than death
Commemorative Box Set (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I think you mean "Werewelf", yaniglotchy... you know, that which runs about on all fours from place to place? Nothing better than a werewolf movie set in the american southwest where the actors are all from eastern europe.
The Sci-Fi channel era had a few Joe Estevez gems. In "Soul Taker" he plays an Angel of Death. Dunno if that one is available on video or not.
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I think you mean "Werewelf", yaniglotchy... you know, that which runs about on all fours from place to place? Nothing better than a werewolf movie set in the american southwest where the actors are all from eastern europe.
The Sci-Fi channel era had a few Joe Estevez gems. In "Soul Taker" he plays an Angel of Death. Dunno if that one is available on video or not.
Not yet, though I have it on VHS and watch it regularly. It also has Robert Z'Dar (OH Z'NO!) also of Future War fame--you know, the catcher's mitt with eyes [youtube.com]? I think I nearly urinated myself 8 times during Soul Taker.
"You'll never get the smell of Hardee's out of that car."
"Where does that guy even keep all his acorns?"
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Yeah, some of the SciFi channel eps I consider to be the pinnacle of Best Brains production, mostly because once Joel was out the way, the jokes got edgier and the skits finally strayed from the (classic, but wearing at the edges) Deep 13 stuff. (though the latter was more due to moving to SciFi I guess).
In any event, the tone of the humor on SciFi was much more to my liking than the frequently relatively "safer" humor of the Comedy Central days. I often explain it as being: Joel was a father figure to th
Re:Commemorative Box Set (Score:5, Interesting)
True stories:
I love this town! It's easy to ridicule these films, and I love MST, but the really interesting stories are from how these films get made in the first place, and the fact that people often pour their hearts into the work, and they themselves may be very talented but other factors simply doom the thing.
Not to defend Golan-Globus of course. The last few Rhino box sets had interviews with actual cast and crew from some of the films on the DVD, and I really treasure these, as it gives me some perspective on my job. It's like a hacker reading about the Tech Model Railroad Club.
Sorry it's OT, just thought I'd share.
Parent
My Two Favorites (Score:2)
"Attack of The Eye Creatures" and the TV premiere of the ninja show "The Master".
I know Joel got off the ship by stranding Mike, but did Mike ever make it off the satellite of love?
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"Attack of The Eye Creatures" and the TV premiere of the ninja show "The Master".
I know Joel got off the ship by stranding Mike, but did Mike ever make it off the satellite of love?
SPOILER ALERT!
In Danger:Diabolik [mst3kinfo.com], the very last episode, they do make it back to earth in a crash landing. The funniest part is Tom Servo blowing up all the extra Tom Servos they've accumulated over the years. At the end, the three share a one-bedroom apartment and settle into eat popcorn and--you guessed it--riff on a cheesy movie on TV. Speculation: Someone told me that that was the first movie they had ever riffed before but I can't verify it and I don't think that's true with the KTMA episodes.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually the movie in question was The Crawling Eye. And it was the first movie watched by J&TB when MST3K made its way into Cable TV.
Attack of The The Eye Creatures (not a typo, look at the movie title card) was in the latter half of season 4, MST3K's heyday.
I still miss Turkey Day to this date, I didn't have cable TV (back in the late 80s/early 90s, it was difficult to get new service if you didn't own your home, and even if you DID have cable, there was only a 20% chance they carried The Comedy Chann
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Yes, in the very last episode of season 10. Mike and the bots are brought to a fiery crash landing due to a malfunction of Pearl Forrester' joystick. They survive and end up watching the very first bad movie ever riffed by MST3K.
ever riffed by MST3K on cable... important distinction...
But, of course, not many people saw the KTMA run, so really The Crawling Eye is where most of us remember the show starting...
This being the 20th anniversary of the show, I really wish they'd finally dig out some copies of those first couple of KTMA episodes and release 'em. Those are the only episodes in the entire run that aren't available online.
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I remember watching the first runs of the KTMA episodes for MST3k and finding them funny. (I was quite young).
In recent years I searched and obtained some KTMA episodes through the MST3k DAP, and man... they were not very good.
Writing scripts starting on comedy central was a very good idea.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Funny thing is, MST3K's first day on KTMA is probably one of the most memorable days of my life, but not because of MST3K. I was sick with the worst case of strep throat I've ever had along with a high fever, and I couldn't go to the doctor because it was turkey day (plus my parents had company over). Between bouts of sleep (that never lasted long because of the pain) I was flipping through the channels on the TV in my room and I came across the show. I missed about the first 10 minutes and wasn't sure w
It's been replaced for me (Score:2)
"Who frames labels in a linen closet?"
"Some flamer framed them."
"How does she keep a straight face?"
"She's thinking how much fun it will be to scream at the crew when the segment's over."
etc.
Prince of Space all (Score:4, Insightful)
Yes, even better than Manos. Manos is more horrible to behold, but Prince of Space is funny from start to finish, and hits every key sci-fi demo - B&W, bad SFX, awkward costuming, dubbed from Japanese to some weird form of Brooklyn tough guy accent ("I like it VERY MUCH!"), great callbacks (Krankor's laugh, "your weapons are useless against me", bumbling scientists). It was a cinematic goldmine, ably plundered by Mike and the Bots.
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There's no doubt that Prince of Space was more funny than Manos, simply because Manos was god awful.
The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies [imdb.com] was far, far worse, though.
("let's use bare hands!")
Oblig... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Push the button, Frank.
Thank you!
(In retrospect, I like Larry better than Frank.)
DIY (Score:2)
whoah (Score:2)
Something I loved from my childhood is 20 years old.... am I old?
How about a "Slashdot Poll" of Favorite MST3K Eps? (Score:2)
My votes are for:
myke
Re:How about a "Slashdot Poll" of Favorite MST3K E (Score:2)
Seconded. Since I already see a mention of "Prince of Space" above, I suggest:
Which might actually have been a pretty good sci-fi film if it had made the slightest bit of sense.
Worst. Superhero. Ever.
died at 11 (Score:5, Insightful)
MST3k didn't turn 20, it died at 11.
The Simpsons recently turned 20, and Meet the Press just turned 61.
Re:died at 11 (Score:5, Funny)
MST3k didn't turn 20, it died at 11.
The Simpsons recently turned 20
Yeah, but it died at 8.
Parent
Put your helmet on, we'll be reaching speeds of 3! (Score:3, Insightful)
Probably what's more funny is that I own some of the VHS's of the sci-fi films they ripped into so it was a delight to watch them with the SOL crew.
Two of my favourite episodes are "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" and "Space Mutiny" (I have the original VHS, they cut the MST3k version, no boobies!)
What are people's reccomendations of episodes to introduce friends to?
Hercules against The Moon Men... (Score:3, Funny)
"The blood of Uranus can NEVER be healed!"
"EWWWW!"
Re: (Score:2)
Almost as good as Roadhouse!
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Yeah, but Rifftrax is routinely funnier than Cinematic Titanic, so I'm willing to overlook that Mike and the Bots aren't actually on screen.
Re:HAI! HAIKEEBA! (Score:4, Funny)
...He tried to kill him with a forklift...
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Written just for us.. (Score:5, Insightful)
like Futurama back when IT was funny.
So, today, in other words. Cause Futurama is still funny.
Parent
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
oh, and Indy 4... Well that's just a story that HAD to be told!
Yeah... i'm not usually confrontational, but you're gonna need to open your doe eyes and let in some harsh reality... World hoarding stereotypical jews and bisexual tentacle monsters are just hollow reminders of Jurassic Bark and Godfellas. Most of us would agree you can tell the difference between passion for the writing and "wow you mean i can still