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Sci-Fi Television

MST3K Successfully Crowdsources Its Comeback (thenewstack.io) 53

Posted by Soulskill from the terrible-movies-demand-it dept.
An anonymous reader writes: At least three new episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will be filmed, thanks to over $2 million in online contributions from fans. Responding to a Kickstarter plea by series creator Joel Hodgson, fans contributed over $1.5 million within just two days, and after five more they'd push Hodgson over the first $2 million threshold. "We've got movie sign," Hodgson posted on Twitter, noting that for each additional $1.1 million raised over the next 20 days, three more new episodes would be filmed. And this Thursday he'll be hosting a grateful online marathon of classic episodes on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition which dates back nearly 25 years, when "Mystery Science Theater 3000" first began its 8-year run on Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi channel.
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MST3K Successfully Crowdsources Its Comeback More

MST3K Successfully Crowdsources Its Comeback

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  • Could someone explain why this apparently costs so much per episode to make?

    • Re:Question for fans (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 21, 2015 @07:13PM (#50977727)

      Could someone explain why this apparently costs so much per episode to make?

      Let me assist with this helpful infographic! https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/004/893/621/f596d3d17d6aaa5aecb66b755ecbea3e_original.gif?v=1447300148&w=680&fit=max&q=92&s=955ed3cdcf0c129451bf0b7b858302df

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by RichMan ( 8097 )

      Every episode needs a lot of things -
      a) writing staff and expenses
      b) actors/puppeteers and expenses
      c) lighting equipment and crew
      d) sound equipment and crew
      e) camera equipment and crew
      f) director, accoutrements and expenses
      g) accountant, producer and expenses
      h) pay for the rights for the original movie -> in perpetuity!! Must become attached to this show. So someone licensing this show does not have to go back and also license the original
      i) craft services
      j) sound stage
      As they mention in the article part

    • Aside form simple production costs. The now popular show is goign to have to spend more $$$ to acquire the all the correct rights to the source material.

      You'll note that RiffTrax continued the tradition by creating a track that you play along with source material that you have to acquire separately. This allowed them to riff on some very big, very expensive properties, without having to try to worry about performance and distribution rights.

  • Cost of "donating" (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 21, 2015 @07:10PM (#50977711)

    As someone who is really interested in helping this project (and has looked at it previously) the one negative I have to say is that many of the options to help are quite expensive. This is of course, fine on some level as there are a lot of choices.. -However-.. The fact that in order to simply view the episodes you are supporting you have to contribute a minimum(!) of 100$ is a bit off putting.... to say the least.

  • What movies will they pick? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    There's been a lot of new bad movies put out, but some classics would be nice.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by glitch! ( 57276 )

      There's been a lot of new bad movies put out, but some classics would be nice.

      I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that the first Dune movie would be good fodder. The one with Sting.

  • Nostalgia is a dead end (Score:3, Interesting)

    by PopeRatzo ( 965947 ) on Saturday November 21, 2015 @08:21PM (#50978015) Journal

    I enjoyed the hell out of mst3k, but some things are better left alone. It's really hard to recapture something that's very specific to a time and a generation.

    Seeing new mst3k episodes is kind of like watching a Guns'n'Roses reunion tour. It's not going to be anything like seeing them back in the day and it all feels a little seedy and desperate with a fat, bald Axl Rose and the once-rocker audience now checking their smartphones and Apple Watches to text the nanny that they're going to be a little late.

    If you're an artist and you've done something good, move on and do something else good. Don't try to recapture your glory days. Like Earnest T Bass from the Andy Griffith Show used to say, "I don't chew my cabbage twice".

    • If you're an artist and you've done something good, move on and do something else good.

      Well said.

    • Christ, man. Just don't watch it. We don't need an essay about your existential issues with aging.

      • Christ, man. Just don't watch it. We don't need an essay about your existential issues with aging.

        You want a retread of a show from the '80s and you think I'm the one with the issues with aging?

        Dude, there has to be something more compelling than your show from 30 years ago.

    • The cast is going to be all-new, for reasons similar to what you mentioned.

  • Mystery Science Theater began its run in the Twin Cities, I believe it was on channel 23? later on Saturday mornings, in the late 80s.

    I had the good fortune to work briefly in high school with Trace Beaulieu (he was Lex Luthor), after which I'd heard about this new thing he was doing.

  • I'll pass since none of the originals are doing it (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Cito ( 1725214 ) on Saturday November 21, 2015 @09:28PM (#50978269)

    Brand new voices for the robots,

    New host, kid from Nerdist?

    wtf?

    I don't want some millennial sjw/PC bullshit,

    bring back the original voices or stick with rifftrax and don't bring it back.

    The original anti-political correct crew was best. I'm not supporting this fake mst3k, and yes it's fake if it's new host, all new robot voices, it's not mst3k.

    • You are not the only one to feel that way. Joel gave a detailed explanation on why they are bringing on a new cast. [kickstarter.com]

      As much as I love the old seasons, we're not just trying to make an "MST3K reunion episode." Even if we do get our entire old cast and staff to come help out, I think it's important – essential– that we bring in new talent to keep the show fresh, and to help it evolve.

      I was hesitant about having a new cast as well, but his answers sold me on the idea.

  • This was my very first kickstarter donation, and I joined at the 250 level for the mission patches.

    I'm happy with three new shows, but it would be awesome for 12.

    I'm thinking of Bumping up to 327 just for the signed poster.

  • I think they're making a mst3k.



    (Did ya see what I did there? Did ya? Did ya?)
  • Run in panic! Queue the door sequence!

  • Yay, MST3K is coming back.

    Unfortunately, I can't watch it because Jonah Ray is on it. I politely corrected something that he said on the Nerdist podcast and he went off on me. I tried to apologize and he just raised the level of his bile. Nerdist is one of my favorite podcasts, but I don't listen if he is on it.

  • We absolutely need to make fun of young Anakin and Jar Jar Binks

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