After 34 Years, Have We Outgrown MST3K? HELL NO! Why the Season 14 Campaign Didn't Work

 

It's done.
The Season 14 Fundraiser hoped to get at least four million dollars for six episodes.
It fell short by one point three million.
So what does it mean?

Combing through Facebook and the MST message board, it's several reasons. Some aren't charmed by the revival. Some are still upset it took so long to get the swag from the Season 13 fundraiser. Some just didn't have the money right now. Some people thought it was about time the Gizmoplex funded itself, but cash from Pluto and Tubi aren't quite enough.

One of the more interesting takes came from the November 21st edition of the True Blue Riffcast, which reviews VODs and other things from Rifftrax. This was taped during the first day of the fundraiser, before the site added a running total. Before they razzed the TV version of Samson and Delilah, the hosts wondered why episodes for season 14 would average 616 to 667 thousand dollars apiece. 

First, let's make it clear the hosts are not fans of the revival, although they gave it a try. That's fine, since there are people who think the real MST lasted until 1999. Others think Doctor Who in the 21st Century isn't as good as the old days. 

Now, some clarity: if the fundraiser did hit four million, it would pay for six movies, six shorts and 18 "improved" classic episodes. So, an episode would have been closer to maybe 500 thousand, followed by maybe 90 thousand for a short and the rest for the classic episodes.

This was also before Joel sent an update which listed how the money was being spent, and revealed plans to go back to physical sets. Also, this was before he came up with some cost-cutting measures to make a new season easier to get.

The True Blue hosts also claim the MST audience is getting older, and that the show isn't as much of a cultural impact as it was in the early days.
Well, the original Mads are picking up a lot of business with its monthly shows, while Rifftrax is going strong. So, people want more of the original source for sarcastic movie opinions. 
It's likely after the fundraiser, the True Blue guys have a better idea of what it's all about. They might still believe new MST3K will never be as good as those episodes from Times Past. 
The Season 14 fundraiser just didn't work due to a perfect storm of bad timing, and let's not forget the SAG-AFTRA strike held back promotion.

So, what can be done?
Joel said this past weekend he isn't giving up. In his latest e-mail, he said "(one) silver lining is that the continued support for this campaign, and the show, may have opened up some new conversations about potential partnerships and fundraising that could be key in getting the show another season." 

So, it could be part fund-raiser with the rest funded by someone. Asking Shout! Factory to cover half the cost could work.
Also, it helps we know what the first six movies will be, including Plan Nine and Battle Beyond the Stars.
If there is a guarantee we'll have Gauntlet II with just those movies, that'll help. Also, instead of six movies in one day, have them run daily over a week. Disney Plus is doing that with the second season of What If...?

Next, how do we handle Gauntlet II? Kinga would recapture Joel, Emily and (maybe) Joel, then impose the ultimate punishment. Yeah, Plan Nine From Outer Space. She'll expect them to be driven to madness, but my guess is they'll express distain but that's it. It could be set up where Jonah suffers through a reel, followed by Emily.
Then, Kinga will wonder why the test cases don't become comatose husks. She and Max take over for Jonah, the two Synthias for Emily. Then they know why.

After that, Joel gets a movie, and Jonah and Emily split the rest.

What about Pearl? Maybe keep her "missing" while she's at Dumb Industries and Rifftrax, then spring her out of the blue when season 15 is approved.

Just try again, maybe in March.

We will have a season 14 somehow.

Time For Fund Another Season of MST3K

 

Last Christmas, we gave MST our heart
But Joel, Emily and Jonah (and Pearl) all ran away
This year, they expect us to pay
For just one more season, season, season.

Just one more? NO WAY!
We'll shut up and keep paying for this, especially if we get value.
OK, of course, they'll all come back somehow like the guy who tried to escape from Squid Game, and it's back to cheesy movies, the worst we can find, etc.
My hopes are that MegaSynthia gets a lot more coherent (like Synthia did), and we find out Cabal is a fraud but points out his ideas did work.
Oh, and he shoves Kinga and Max into the theater for a reel, and turns out they're a little too good at this riffing thing. 

This time, Joel and company will forsake Kickstarter and do it themselves. It started the week before Halloween, and will run until the day after Thanksgiving. It's a good choice of dates. 
As usual, the more people contribute, the more shows they make. The minimum goal is $4.2 million, which means six movies, six shorts and 18 restored episodes. The maximum is $7.4 million which gets 12 movies, 12 shorts and 36 (!) restored episodes. Maybe by then they can come up with a way to keep The Final Sacrifice available to all

Here's a video to explain more:

The perks are also available, especially knit caps, pins and t-shirts. They also have a new company who's better at shipping stuff. They are also offering special perks where your name is included in the credits or you can attend a class in riffing. 

Actually, considering the costs and value of the perks, it's still a good deal. Remember, those who got the full one-year pass got the shows, shorts, and post-movie interviews which were better than the movie. The chance for people who made the next MST targets explain themselves is priceless. Imagine if Hal Warren had to explain his movie.

This show will be 35 years old in a month (although it says that happens next year, but only as a national show. At least it exists!), It deserves to hit middle age.
Please give!
Oh, and here's the link as well. 

Joel Gets Flashbacks of Manos In Latest Movie

Over Halloween, Mystery Science Theater 3000 had its greatest experience by showing a 3-D movie in the best way.

Two weeks later, though, Joel, with Emily's bots, saw a terrible 3-D movie that was about as painful as Castle of Fu Manchu. At least Kinga was happy about it...in an immature way.

The movie is called The Bubble, which was presented in SpaceVision 3-D. It spent too much time emphasizing that, rather than adding a decent plot. Someone called it an incomplete Night Gallery episode that was padded to the hilt. It features future Mod Squad member Michael Cole and former beach movie idol Deborah Whalley as a young couple named Mark and Katherine. They're flying in a small plane before it lands somewhere but they don't know where. Katherine gives birth just after they land, but is very worried.
They also see people who repeat the same phrase or just wander aimlessly. In this photo, Joel says they're in a Magritte painting.

                                     

They eventually find out they're under a bubble, while it's implied a UFO is kidnapping people at random. Naturally the new mom is worried her child is next, while her husband actually wonders at one point if they should stay.
They escape and the movie ends. Again, they forgot to make a script. At least The Mask did.

As we said, the movie was more interested in showing the 3-D side, like so...
 
                                    

                                       

Also, the pilot comments the whole thing looks like a movie set. Too bad this scene confirms it.

Here's another photo along with a riff...

                                If somebody wants to rapture us, they'll have to catch us first.

Then Mark strips a chair that helps the people live without food (since they're already zombies). 

                                         Lay-Z-Boy presents the David Cronenberg Collection

Some other riffs...

Tony and Mark look at the weird town
This whole film feels like a cutting room floor.

Mark asks the unhelpful doc "how to get them to get out of here"
You Hippocratic oaf!

A truck crashes into the bubble, bursts into flames and gets towed away by the UFO.
The Hindenberg?

Mark sees how the zombie people enter a weird place to be "fed" or whatever
They're all Keto and they won't shut up about it. 

There's also riffs on Mean Girls, Wandavision, Andy Serkis, the Packers, Netflix and Greyhound buses.

The host segments were a lot better than the movie, as it included a Star Trek breakfast and a bit between Waverly and Growler who try to be Boneheads. It doesn't quite work, but their segment does.

Meanwhile, the escape plan is alive and well. Joel, Jonah and Emily hope to split by tricking the Mads to let them riff together in the Christmas show. Then, they leave this way.

One problem: the bots don't seem to be part of the plan. That could ruin everything, and Kinga may be in a "killing mood". Still, if Kabahl is really from the future (ridiculous, but the truth about him could still be helpful), he can stop this and keep the status quo if not improve it.

Oh, and the post-game show was a discussion on whether The Bubble was the worst ever, even more than Manos. Strangely, no one brought up Hobgoblins.

The next big event is the Turkey Day marathon with choices that could be riffs to the current season. At least the movies will be easier to see, while still bad.

Welcome Back, Joel! MST Takes On Homemade Horror

 

It's been more than 20 years since a guy named Joel, not too different from you or me, saw some cheesy movies with his robot friends on TV.

Yet, Joel Hodgson shows he hasn't lost a step (also thanks to two live tours) when he returned to the show recently in the latest episode, "Demon Squad". It's the first time the show took on micro-budget movies. Rifftrax has done this a few times, such as Lycan Colony and Things.
It's also the first time the show has not shown the credits.

To be fair, these are the ones behind the movie, director Thomas Smith and his wife Erin Lilley Smith. They explained how they tried to make the movie on a third of a shoestring in Mobile, Alabama (the little Big Easy). It was a pretty good discussion of how they really had to make do with less than less. You get the idea that with more money and an actual movie company behind them they'd have something close to Blumhouse. 

The movie is about Nick Moon, a PI who investigates supernatural crimes. He has a secretary named Daisy, and it seems they have some spooky powers. As mentioned at a special thread in the forum, a lot of their backstory was left out  (a shorter version is here). 

Anyway, a very comely client wants them to find a special dagger that, combined with a power source, creates a powerful weapon, Not only that, a guy who seems to be the demonic version of Belloq from Raiders of the Lost Ark needs the weapon to make a super demon to destroy, well, anything.

The movie has the typical detective stuff including two demonic bars. Actually, the demons looked interesting, and (of course) needed more funding.

This episode, as mentioned before, marked the return of Joel, but also Dr. Erhardt (J. Elvis Weinstein). He used the Time Bag to get Joel from the past, except he didn't. He got Joel from the year 3000, and he looks pretty good. 
Yes, there may be ways how he lasted that long, or he's a clone or such. We'll take this guy.
He's soon joined by Emily's SimBots. He's impressed by how they look, and he's OK with SimCrow's voice. He later changes SimServo's voice back its original form. It was nostalgia for some fans, and not much of a distraction for the newbies. They even threw in a new version of the first door sequence, and it's done pretty well. Maybe this will get Mike to the Gizmoplex, too.

If there's anything big from the reunion, it's Pearl trying a bit too hard to meet Joel. Remember, she wasn't "invented" until the "Bloodlust" episode. However, she admits Kinga was four years old then Joel "came along". This means Kinga is a grouchy yet attractive 38. It would be great if this bothers her sometime...maybe yelling out "NEVILLE!!!"

Now, time for the riffs. This time, we'll add pictures to a couple of them
First, evil Belloq...

Watch out, he's going to ska!

Nick meets his client for a date
You ordered a sweaty Alabaman

Nick kills a cute demon, then casts a spell to ease her death
Wow, that's real Latin. This guy's legit.

Nick finds the super demon

Was this guy possessed by a Cadbury Creme Egg?

There's also riffs on Groupon, Johnny Depp, Little Shop of Horrors, LinkedIn and Snoop Dogg.

The new season has hit the halfway point, and people are happy with the riffs. The only controversy so far has been Kelsey Ann Brady as SimCrow. Some like her voice, some don't. Thing is, Joel didn't complain. The season has already been done, so she may not have a chance to "revise" her delivery (via Emily's adjustments) until next year at least. Let's be patient.

When July rolls around, the Vault Picks will look at monster movies. That means a Gamera film or two, some Bert I. Gordon stuff (spiders or Glenn Manning) and maybe a giant Gila monster. It's a longshot any Netflix titles will be taken by Synthia, but let's hope. 

Learn more at gizmoplex.com

Gizmoplex Salutes The Ultimate MST3K Episode...and Finally Riffs a Short

 

The Gizmoplex's "Soft Open" continued this past Friday by riffing a short for the first time since the summer of '99, followed by a tribute to the ultimate episode, Manos: The Hands of Fate.

Not enough has been said about this odd ultra-cheap horror film made in El Paso in 1966 which was buried and forgotten until TV's Frank unwittingly allowed the curse to escape into an unsuspecting world in 1993
As Crow points out to Jonah and Servo, it's the one episode MST3K will forever be linked. Never mind stinkburgers like Castle of Fu Manchu, Monster a Go Go or Being From Another Planet. A movie that features a doomed family, a demon guy with an odd robe, a bellhop with suspect motor control and full-contact nightgown wrestling can curse anyone.
Just ask the Rifftrax guys, The Original Mads when they presented an HD print, and even Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. An episode of her seeing the movie (and realizing her mistake) is at Shout Factory TV.
Then again,  the revival of the movie led to an interesting book by the youngest cast member, odd adaptations, a documentary (on the MST special edition DVD by Shout Factory) and an unexpected sequel.

                                     

Before that, Pearl and Synthia introduce the Short of the Month Club, where Gizmoplex Pass members were recruited the same way Putin "recruited" an audience to a recent rally where he tells people the War with Ukraine is a big success (or else).
No matter, though. Fans have been wanting the MST gang to riff shorts again, and they started with Pipeline to the Clouds. It's a General Electric short about the importance of water distribution. It showed what happens when we don't get enough rain, and how building better water plants will solve everything. Still, they show about half of the film because it gets tedious at 24 minutes.

The riffing, though is pretty good. 

"There's no such thing as really pure water"
Ooo, rain, you nasty, girl

"We must have safe water, wherever and whenever we want it"
Brought to you by Nestle (really sharp comment here)

The short ends with lots of flowing water
Crow:  I didn't even have a bladder and I gotta go.

There are also comments on TLC, Kool-Aid and beer.

This was followed by the showing of Manos, complete with half a short and very unexpected apologies. In between, Jonah and the bots just shoot the breeze like suggesting what kind of demon hunters they'd have.

Then the post-game show, with Joel and Mary Jo recalling how they encountered Manos for the first time, followed by a deep uneasy feeling about seeing it. Remember, this was AFTER Deep Hurting.

                                  

That was followed by a new interview from Jackey Neyman Jones, who played Debbie in the movie.
Although she has been in several recent interviews, including one with the Mads last December, she had some new details for everyone. 
She says the cast, including her dad Tom (aka the Master), actually were in a local performance of Henry IV before the movie. The "wives", meanwhile, came from a local modeling agency.

Also, she found out the movie was on Comedy Central thanks to, of all people, her dad. Seems he's a big MST fan, and was as surprised as anyone the movie got on the show. She even called the channel to ask if she could get a copy, and the person who talked to her slowly realized he was talking to Debbie.

The episode was taken off the website for a while because the Gizmoplex bosses thought it had to be edited. That included removing a 20-minute countdown that featured the Mads in odd spacesuits while plugging some major contributors and featuring a recipe for Torgo's Pizza. This tweet from Frank gives fans an idea of how it worked. 

The plan is still to feature a movie every month or so, then a short two weeks later. The next edition will be Robot Wars on April first, but it's not certain if this is Emily's first Gizmoplex movie. Thanks to the live tour, she will be ready.

By the way, the episode revealed "The Bubble" will likely be the last episode of season 13 just before the Christmas show...and proof Growler's still on the show (as music director, possibly).

Learn more at gizmoplex.com.

MST3K, The Streaming Channel! Coming Soon....If You Want To Help

In the not too distant future, etc.

"DAMMIT!"
"MAX!"
The angry woman slugs her poor lackey.
"OUCH!"
"Hey, you should have noticed I'm wearing my MODOK costume for the next Comic-Con...whenever that happens"

Yeah, it's Kinga and Max. They just found out not even Shout Factory TV won't OK another season.

"This is an outrage," she says. "They show the really old stuff, some of the newer ones. We can make more."
"Uh, Kinga, you better see this..."
"See what, Max?", she says.

She then sees Jonah and Joel announcing the new Kickstarter plan for MST3K to be its own streaming service, with new stuff and specials.
"BLASPHEMY!", she yells. "Why didn't I think of that when we had all those COVID specials online thanks to President Virus Chump?"
"Maybe because you alienated all those other streaming services," Max says.
"Hey, I tried to be charming, offered the Satellite of Love to Amazon Prime to help with their delivery services. I still refuse to believe HBO Max when it said I was more terrifying than Godzilla or Kong. I'm more sure of that after seeing that movie the other day."
"Yeah, I think it's more terrified that Millie Bobbie Brown is 17"
"Why?," Kinga wonders. "Because it means Enola Holmes 2?"
"Well, Max says, "let's see if we can horn in on this before Synthia or Mega-Synthia find out."
"Yeah, I don't need that sequel to Attack of the Clones."

So, they see the new attempt to bring back Mystery Science Theater 3000, found at 
MakeMoreMST3K.Com

After they see the pitch video....
"OK, where are we in this?", Kinga wonders. "Besides, I thought Joel retired. This is not the time to pull a Jay Leno."
"Of course not," Max says. "Since you have that Conan O'Brien shrine, with rubber duck."
"Hey, Funko didn't offer that.

"Well, aside from dropping a few bucks of our own (thanks to our somewhat official swag we did sell), we can figure out a way to be the Mads again. I don't want that loudmouth Mega-Synthia taking over my job."
"Right," Max says, "or you shoving me towards Meg when she tries to attack you."
"Why would you think I'd....OK, that's too easy."
"It's not as if you'd be friends with Pearl's Clones."
"Sure I would....until I betray them...or they do....

"Look, let's just make sure this Gizmoplex is made, then we can inflict ourselves in it. In fact, let's make a threat, er, video, on that."
"Good idea," Max says. "The first goal is two million for three episodes..."
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, to quote a Super Dragon. We must break six million...and we're already close to a million four hours after this started. This will be a snap."
"Yeah, and thanks to being stuck in that other theater Jonah made for a couple of hours, and reviewing all the previous experiments, we'll have some ideas on new entries."
"Well, it wasn't my idea to do that, but once I found out some TV-movies were riffed in the pre-historic days, I just had to look."
"Sure. Of course, Kinga, you really want to get the sequel to Grizzly since it was shown on Showtime."
"I'd prefer getting Mike Nelson and force him to see it. It's bad enough he's our arch-enemy, the least he can do is be mad at us when we recapture him."
"Yeah, but what if we try to borrow a movie he's riffed, like with Ator?"
"I'd rather not do that. We just have to beat him to the punch, or maybe punch him if he offers us Lycan Colony or something like that"

"Come to think of it, what about our dads?", Max says.
"OH, THEM! They fake their deaths so they wind up mocking bad movies online too? Whose side are they on? Next thing you know, fans will expect us doing it."
"Well, I've watched enough Turner Classic Movies...."
"You dare suggest me doing it and I'll find that Metal Reptilicus you found a few years back and turn you into its lunch."
"Actually, it made up a third of the Metal Godzilla in that movie."
"How? It looked more like a bad Lego set."
"Hey, let's just make sure this Gizmoplex is funded, then make sure we're part of it."
"Damn right we will. No clone gonna replace me.

"Come to think of it, what about Emily whats-her-name. Could she replace Jonah?"
"Maybe they take turns. Since it's a streaming service, maybe it's twice the experiments."
"Well, let's get this funded. Maybe we can get revenge over those who have forsaken us, especially Netflix."
"Maybe. By the way, Kinga, could this lead to spinoffs like Dr. Donna St, Phibes' Monster Kingdom?"
"Oh, great, waste 30 minutes on seeing the wild Trumpy, Beast of Hollow Mountain, Hobgoblins or Coleman Francis in their unnatural habitats. 
SAAAYYYY..."

If you want MST3K's streaming service Gizmoplex to come true (watch out, Paramount Plus) go to makemoremst3k.com. The campaign will run until May seventh. Lots of bonus swag will be available depending on how much you want to give. They even include a music box and snow globe. 
HI-Keeba!

What if Mystery Science Theater 3000 Mocked Itself?

Now that "Let's Give Stupidity A Chance" is the national anthem (thanks to how sad the fight against coronavirus has become), fans of MST3K are wondering if and when they'll be another live tour. It's already suggested a new era, with Cambot operator Emily as the new test case, and Mega-Synthia the Angry Tall Mad.

This past weekend's special online event made it official. Emily, Servo, Crow and GPC (Gypsy's new name) gathered to mock a cheesy movie. This time, though, they mocked an episode from the Comedy Channel era called Moon Zero Two (Season one, episode eleven). This was called a space western, although a group of people who wear brown coats would differ. Besides, it was made just after Apollo 11, proof the future ain't what it used to be.

As with late night shows, Emily and the bots riffed at different locations, but were able to merge their efforts fairly well. The only problem was the episode's sound wasn't loud enough, but they were able to squeeze in quite a few riffs in between the ones already there. Here's the show:



If this is the future of MST3K, whether on stage or maybe Shout Factory TV, it looks like Emily will be way too much of a good sport responding to bad movies. It'll force Mega-Synthia to maybe riff a reel herself to see where is the flaw in the experiment.
The flaw, of course, is failing to notice how sharp Emily REALLY is.

Anywho, the movie's about an ex-astronaut who salvages broken tech. He meets a shifty rich guy named Hubbard who wants an asteroid loaded with sapphires to land on the moon so he can profit from it. Meanwhile, a woman's looking for her missing brother, whose mining claim is about to expire. Naturally, they're connected. Making a movie set 50 years in the future is interesting, but the movie doesn't do much with the idea. Using jazz music to mimic a shootout isn't enough.

During the riff, the crew shifts between being in character and themselves, but it was an interesting look at how the cheese is made. Emily asked Joel questions about the episode at a couple of times, especially how the Moon Landing pageant tailed off at the end.
Still, Yvonne Ingrid Freeze should fine tune Mega-Synthia. Staying at full rage won't help, but opening up every once in a while could help...along with a comb. The original Synthia should also show up to look in on her "copy".

Also, it was strange to see the movie with Emily and the bots in boxes on the far right. It would be better, just like Rifftrax, to show them for three minutes, then fade them out, during each "reel".

So, what riffs did they deliver?

The bots look at themselves from 1990
Servo: We haven't aged, have we?

Emily looks at Joel dancing through the opening credits
Even in silhouette, Joel is so very white

Old Servo:  In the future, bras will grow on the moon. Cross my heart
GPC:  And right next door, the training bras are in bloom.

There were also comments on ESPN, MegaBlocks, Barbarella, The Music Man and Mr. Plow.

Emily also had a host segment with the bots, riffing on the wigs of two girls who hang around with Hubbard. It was a nice touch.

Servo is supposed to be Kemp, based on the fact that his forehead is shiny, too.

The show ended with a short called "Circus Day", narrated by a clown who does his own makeup. The short actually was barely four minutes, but the full version can be found here. It has more details about the show and some of the acts. Hopefully, future episodes can include short films, which is something dominated by Rifftrax these days.

This show gave people who didn't make the live show a taste of what they missed, and what they might get sooner or later. It also keeps the dream alive that it'll be back somewhere.
If Mystery Science Theater 3000 has proven anything, it's that Hollywood hasn't learned a thing, and most likely won't.
Thanks to a test case and two bots, at least we can strike back.
That being said, what other first season episode could they take on? Maybe "The Mad Monster" (despite also having to deal with the serials) or "Untamed Youth". Any ideas?

No Retreat, No Surrender: The MST3K Circus Comes to Reno

When Joel Hodgson announced his farewell tour, also known as the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Great Cheesy Movie Circus tour, he planned to make sure a major part of the country saw him and his retirement from mocking bad movies.

He and his crew arrived at the Pioneer Center in Reno this past Monday, which looks like a UFO, before a near sellout crowd. The crowd was literally an all-ages event, from kids like these:

to those who have been with the show, and their successors, like me.

I was among about 20 people who were there for the meet and greet. The usual questions were told, especially how an episode is made and how it began way back in 1988. I even asked if fans wrote their own scripts to movies that might be riffed. Joel seemed to be surprised someone would mock Serenity (the sci-fi version), but I'm glad I didn't mention how I wrote riffs for the 1992 Buffy movie.

I did tell him I actually had a poster from Catalina Caper, the only "comedy" the show ever riffed.

So, here's me with everyone:

and the sign that was outside the theater:

Joel also seemed to be surprised I saw the "feature presentation", No Retreat, No Surrender, which was a movie that tried to be the Karate Kid, Rocky and maybe The Outsiders at the same time and didn't come close. He apparently didn't know Mike Nelson and Rifftrax pounded that movie in 2015.
However, I also discovered the movie had two different cuts. Rifftrax had the longer, but definitely not better, version by adding how the guy who ran the Seattle dojo was also threatened by the mob. The MST version was shorter and a few scenes were re-arranged, but at least it had one scene that explained how Jason knew Kelly, the love interest who was more like a prop.

The plot is about a kid named Jason who wants to be like Bruce Lee. When some mobsters cripple his dad after he refuses to sell out to them, they move to Seattle for a fresh start. He has a friend in RJ, but fails to impress the karate dojo mainly due to some fat kid who can be described as Andy Richter Jr...and not in a good way.
Suddenly, Jason gets help from the ghost of Bruce Lee. Jason becomes better at martial arts, but no one notices.
This is also the debut of Jean Claude Van Damme, who plays an evil martial arts guy named Ivan. He's the guy who cripples Jason's dad for the mob. Of course, Jason and Ivan have their rematch in the big karate competition that's supposed to help the mob take over Seattle.

You can guess the rest.

The host segments were quite different compared to the previous two live tours. The one familiar thing is Joel in a new version of his red jumpsuit, and he sang the theme himself.
Tom Servo and Crow were there, too, while a new version of Gypsy called GPC was more flexible than the original.
There was also Mega-Synthia (Yvonne Freese), whose origin story is interesting, and a gal named Emily Crenshaw (Emily Marsh) who has a jump suit that suggests her future. She briefly took over for Joel in the third segment, and well, she did play a big part in last year's Turkey Day marathon:



If and when a new version of MST3K is made, it looks like she'll take over along with Mega-Synthia. She'd be fine in a new Satellite of Love.
The host segments had their own take on traditional circus acts, with Crow up to his own tricks. They were pretty good, especially with Joel's decision to use "hidden puppeteers" to help the bots do things they've never done before, It was a trip seeing Crow with legs and on a pogo stick.
You can learn more about the cast here, and this page has very good behind the scenes videos, especially on the puppeteers.

As I said before, MST's riffing on the movie is different from the Rifftrax version because they used two different versions of the movie. So, comparing riffs will be a bit tougher. Joel (and Emily) and the bots packed a lot more riffs than Mike and his guys, but they also seemed a lot fresher. So, time for examples:

JCVD shows up with mobsters:

RT: Ivan the Scotsman
MST: Jean Claude Van Mannequin

Jason's dad tries to stand up to them, but his acting is as weak as his resolve:
"I will not join....your organization"
RT:  That's what I keep telling the CVS Extra Care Rewards Program
MST: Boy, if these cheaply painted walls could talk

Scott and his gang try to beat up RJ for no reason because the movie doesn't say why
RT:  Biggest fast feud brawl since Dave Thomas kicked Arthur Treacher's ass at a Wendy's 
parking lot.
MST:  (Scott's too big for RJ to knock down) Nothing moves the Blob

Ghost of Bruce Lee shows up
RT:  A waiter from a Chinese restaurant
MST:  HE'S NOT EVEN CLOSE!

Scott's dad serves beer to a fat drunk
RT:  Darker side of Chris Pratt
MST:  Treat me right. I'm an influencer for Yelp

Ivan comes back in the big karate battle, and this time he's got an entourage
RT:  Flanked by the sales team of a Yugoslavian Guess store
MST:  Los Lobos?

There's also riffs on Pacific Rim, Reno (of course), Joe Don Baker, Game of Thrones, the Oscars (which shows how they retool the show), and the Beverly Hills Cop theme.
At this point of the tour, the crew seems to play this movie more than the other choice, Circus of Horrors. Both movies will be shown in the same area twice in the home stretch in a couple of weeks. If MST comes back, it would be interesting to see their riff on this movie.

Oh, the concession stand in the lobby did some great business, especially t-shirts and MST decals where your laptop can have an MST silhouette. There's even a website where anyone can get swag.

This, however, is not available online:

Good thing the sign has the recipe. That way, anyone close to a BevMo can try their own "Robot Roll Call" while watching the show. At least it's easier to make than a "Killer Shrew". Anyone got ideas on how to make a "StarCrash"or a "Torg-Over"?

The tour continues for another month, with upcoming stops in Colorado, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Texas. Just click mst3klive.com for more info.

MST3K Live In San Francisco: It's the Brain Game

Waiting 18 months for a new season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 is tedious, waiting almost that long to see Joel and Jonah up close and personal was tough, too.

Finally, I got to the Warfield for my first visit to San Francisco in five years. Lots have changed, and the sidewalk feces problem wasn't that bad. Actually, I was surprised the lower level was just chairs and the upper section all plush seats. Also, where else can you see this in the ceiling:

Dressed as Dr. Erhardt (remember him?), I was at the pre-show Q and A where people asked Joel about his favorite episode, and how mocking movies turned out to be a gold mine. I asked how he compared doing a tour than one-night stands from the Cinematic Titanic days.He said the MST shows are more complex, and it took a while to get it right. Jonah joined in and admitted he was a Fruity Pebbles fan.

The structure of the show was different, too, Without having Kinga and Max to mock Jonah, Crow and Servo from the Moon (something about meeting their price), Synthia  could do anything she wanted, and it made for an interesting show. They threw in some local jokes about traffic and the Mayor. They also had to "drive in" through something that was not Phil Coulson's Lola.

After Jonah had his invention, which was a stink cannon that fired flawless smoke rings:

Synthia turned the experiment into a game show. Maybe Kinga has no idea how the live show is coming along. Then again, she has her own game show for Jonah called
"Season 12: The Gauntlet" around Thanksgiving. I wouldn't be surprised if  Syn pushes Kinga out eventually, but shows she isn't an exact clone of Pearl.

.
Anyway, the movie was The Brain, which is about a brain that came from...somewhere...hoping to control all of mankind with the help of a guy who's not Phil Donahue. The only hope is some prankster who's somewhere between John Travolta and John Stamos, and relies on his girlfriend to do his homework. It doesn't help that there's lot of deaths, and Jim gets accused of all of them thanks to the Brain hypnotizing the town with little effort.  The full version is on YouTube, but the MST version doesn't include bare breasts and the more gory deaths.

As shown here, it starts with only Jonah and Joel riffing. Eventually, The gang was split between Team Red (Joel and Servo) and Team Yellow (Jonah and Crow) and they competed for points. For the record, Joel won, but it's likely the results differed depending on the venue. It's a great idea to vary the experiment, even if it's only for live shows. The point is, the public wants the best in vindictive movie commentary. This show delivered.

Here's a very good picture of the gang...

and the first official look at Dr. Donna St. Phibes (any takers she's a frantic frenemy of Kinga's back in Evil Scientist School?). Apparently her specialty is caring for B-movie monsters, like this one.

She was also a close friend of Jan in the Pan from "Brain That Wouldn't Die".

Dr. Donna was a big hit with the crowd, especially when she let the Brain  possess her so it could tell its side of the movie. Sadly, it didn't explain how it was born.
One thing's for sure, she looks like she's about to take the most evil free-throw.

As we said, the riffing style was done differently, probably after re-tooling the show throughout the tour. At one point, they had to riff sound effects. That's why the bots said "Bang" a lot when the cop tried to arrest Jim the Joker and his girlfriend Janet but kept aiming his gun at them while he handcuffed them. They also had to come up with names of perfumes Chanel and Calvin Klein would never make, like "Corridor" or "Tight Squeeze."

Some of the more interesting riffs...

A woman watches "Independent Thinking", the show the Brain uses for world conquest
Oh, they cast the new Roseanne

Jim arrives to school in his car
Why is the new kid driving Christine?

Some creepy male nurse named Varna shows up
Rowsdower?

The teens are chased by everyone at the complex where the Brain is, and leave via a very small door.
Narnia was crazy this time.

Jim has to come back to save Janet (of course) and they're still trying to avoid the Brain
The ultimate relationship test:  Ikea.

There are also riffs on Billy Idol, SNL, Molly Ringwald, SCTV and Soylent Green. There is also one late riff that wraps up the movie perfectly.

Finally, the full cast...

It's a pity the live shows aren't taped. It was great seeing the past and the present get together to keep the MST3K saga going. Hopefully, Netflix will fork over more bucks for future live shows, and maybe Kinga and Max will come in person to take over the live show...or maybe it takes THEM over?

Until then, fans will see if showing Jonah and his bots six lousy movies in a row will drive them nuts..or drive Kinga and Max nuts because they don't get the results they expect.
We'll find out November 22nd on Netflix.
By the way, it's the same day Kurt Russell is Santa Claus in another Netflix show. He can wait, but see that guy, too.

Stuffing or Potatoes? Nope! Feast on New MST3K Instead

Good news! Jonah Heston survived the "wedding" that ended season eleven of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
After that, his fate is up in the air.

Netflix FINALLY revealed the show will have six new episodes on Thanksgiving, November 22nd, instead of the usual Friday release.

It was done because the show started on Thanksgiving 1988, so it was the perfect exception.
The start of season 12 will be the first fresh episode since April 14, 2017, or about 18 months. It's the longest period between shows since Comedy Central dumped the show in May 1996 and SyFy brought it back eight months later.
This also means the new six-pack will be unveiled after the live tour, which starts in less than two weeks and will run until just before the holidays.

The previous season ended when Kinga tried to "marry" Jonah just for the ratings. He hesitates, figuring he may not survive the reception. Actually, Max made a new friend by suddenly finding a metallic Reptilicus, and tells it to eat Jonah. She thinks Jonah was killed, but apparently only for a little while. Jonah does survive, but Kinga decides he must die (or suffer) via exposure to cheesy movies, the worst she can find (la-la-la).
The only question is how Max is not killed by Kinga over this. At least Clayton needed Frank as a friend/victim, and she doesn't see Max that way....but should. It's certain the Boneheads wouldn't put up with this.
We'll also see if Synthia has "matured" after being Pearl's clone for a while, There are signs in the comic book that she has.

Some photos were unveiled by the AV Club, which broke the news:

There's also this picture where Jonah confronts Kinga and Max, which is unheard of compared to the old days.

It seems to be set just after "At The Earth's Core", but it's safe to say while Jonah gets the drop on the Mads and their Boneheads, the bad guys'll figure out how to keep the experiment going. At least Waverly is rebuilt and he'll have a new friend.
Still, why a band? Will they take on "Don't Knock the Rock" or something like that?

The great thing is that fans can decide how long the annual Turkey Day marathon can last. It can be ten hours as it was at Shout Factory's website or YouTube in previous years, or four days if the NFL games are actually must-see. It's best to see the episodes in order, then maybe mix them up later. As Joel said at the Revival League podcast, he'll start the season with his second-best joke and finish it with his best joke, as stand-ups do.

Hopefully, the show will have a six-pack of cinematic sludge every six months, and ease eager fans.
Of course, MST fans have satisfied their bad movie heckling need thanks to Rifftrax. Wouldn't it be a good idea for Kinga to "wage war" with Rifftrax, but nothing comes of it for a while? Since "Pearl" is with Rifftrax now, at least we should have that.

Until then, the tradition resumes in the not too distant future, Thanksgiving A-D.

UPDATE:  Joel Hodgson just announced Shout Factory's annual MST3K Thanksgiving Marathon will be held on November 18, which is the final night of the live tour in Minneapolis. As usual, it'll have six classic shows.

FINALLY! Mystery Science Theater 3000 Will Return On Netflix in 2018

It is almost time.

Thousands of fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 switched off their computers, streaming sticks and tablets when the annual Turkey Day Marathon ended this past Thanksgiving. They missed a Rifftrax ad and a Shout Factory ad about new MST3K swag that's now available, including JOIKE sweatshirts.

Maybe they should have stuck around a little longer. Here's why:



That's right, guys. Netflix realized there is lots of room for Shonda Rhimes, Daredevil, young Queen Elizabeth and Stranger Things...and the Satellite of Love.
PRAISE THE LORD!

So, probably after next Easter or more likely around the summer, we will know what happened after Jonah was "eaten" by the Reptilicus Metallicus at the end of "At the Earth's Core" when Max had to stop Kinga from "marrying" Jonah for ratings. It's been all but confirmed the big worm has no stomach, so Jonah will be stuck there for a while. I'd be surprised Max isn't forced to take over for Jonah for a week or two, then he tries to do the same to Kinga. Then, eventually, it'll be back to normal.

What movies will be next aren't picked yet. It's hoped we'll see Lou Ferrigno as Hercules, since Shout Factory has those movies now. However, in this interview in Brooklyn Vegan, it's unlikely Argoman will also be on the list because it's considered a "concert film" kind of movie. That means it'll be tough to turn a live show movie into a regular episode. Maybe that also explains why "World Without End" wasn't chosen for a regular episode after it was also done live.

The point is, the saga of the third test case, Jonah Heston, will continue. How what happened at the end of season eleven will affect Kinga and Max, and whether we'll get ten or 13 episodes, is still up in the air. Still, having her shove Max into the SOL seems like a natural. Then again, we'll get something else, but we'll get something.

Thanks for pushing the button, Netflix.

MST3K Redux: Hangar 18

It's been a long time since I've written a review of a Rifftrax movie, so let's take a look at this sci-fi conspiracy movie done by Rifftrax's British Invasion, Matthew J. Elliott and Ian Potter.
This was also chosen because it was one of the last movies targeted in the KTMA years, and the shortest intro Joel ever did.

First off, Elliott has written a ton of radio dramas and short stories before he got into the riffing biz. Potter is a vet of TV production for the BBC and was a curator for a media museum. How they got sucked into watching bad movies, they'd rather not say.
Their style is similar to Jonah Ray and the crew at the new MST3K, jamming in as many riffs as they can. What's great is their selection of riffs from British TV to past targets, er, movies featured on MST and Rifftrax.

So, why Hangar 18?

It's a supposed docudrama about two astronauts who witness a UFO crashing into a satellite, causing the death of a third astronaut. For some reason, the White House wants to cover this up because it's too close to an upcoming presidential election, They think no one would vote for a president who believes in UFO's, even if you also show one to the press in broad daylight.

Otherwise, it's an excuse to make a cheesy sci-fi movie that's chock full of TV actors. The cast features Darren McGavin 12 years before A Christmas Story, Gary Collins just before his talk show career started, Robert Vaughn somewhere between The Man From UNCLE and paid programming, and Pamela Bellwood a year before Dynasty. Even Phillip Abbott, best known for The FBI, is there as a general, although he's mistaken for Dr. Bellows in the KTMA version.

Even though the two versions are 28 years apart, some scenes do inspire the same response. As the space shuttle lands, and the NASA guy says "90 knots", they give the same riff, "Don Knotts" (although the Rifftrax version wraps it up nicely with "Knots Landing"). Both versions also notice the guy replacing McGavin's character looks way too much like Burt Reynolds, and the guy who witnesses the alien landing looks like John Belushi.

After that, the Rifftrax version packs in more riffs only because Joel preferred fewer riffs in the early days of MST. So, let's compare...

NASA scrambles because something's gone wrong

KTMA:  They'll never get the Disney Channel now
RT:  C'mon, guys, it's not rocket...oh, wait

The UFO kept at Hangar 18 is lit up

KTMA:  Castle Greyskull, I think
RT:  That's not the UFO. That's a Roomba

They find the dead alien pilots, as their chairs turn around

KTMA:  Uncle Fester! AHHHH!
RT:  They love my singing (The Voice)

They blow up the hangar to save the President from losing the Electoral College

KTMA:  Good thing scientists are expendable
RT:  As coverups go, this is a bit on the overt side to me.

Also, Matt and Ian came up with some doozies

They find a blonde woman inside, and the staff says she must be sent to a hospital
But enough about Courtney Love 

The two astronauts meet some guy at a rural airport
Son of Cherokee Jack, Monterey Jack

McGavin:  "The female slaves (prehistoric humans) found it a great honor to be chosen to live with and to bear the offspring of the Gods"
Their names were Ivana, Marla and Melania.

There are also riffs on David Bowie, The Grand Tour, Coronation Street, Teenage Caveman, Robert Denby, and Alan Smithee.

Matt and Ian have riffed on a lot of movies including Scared To Death and King of Kong Island. You can check them out in the "Rifftrax Presents" section of the website. They'll also be part of the dismantling of Batman v. Superman:  Dawn of Justice later this year.

MST3K Live Conquers Comic-Con

In the not too distant past, last Saturday A-D...
Mystery Science Theater 3000's live tour stopped off at the annual center of the pop culture universe known as San Diego Comic-Con. It was a big hit as both shows were slightly hotter tickets than Hall H on Marvel Day. That's pretty good, since they were competing with all the parties, screenings of Atomic Blonde, and a major Doctor Who bash.

Jonah Ray, Joel Hodgson and Felicia Day, along with lots of other cast members stopped by the Shout Factory booth to sign assorted things. Here's a look:

Clearly Jonah has a future in retail. since he accidentally sold several copies of Fargo.

As for the Saturday show, they had problems with the pre-recorded clips with Felicia and Patton Oswalt, but we could always pretend the feed from Moon 13 got scrambled a bit due to solar winds.
The live part with Synthia (Rebecca Hanson) and Terry the Bonehead worked much better.
UPDATE: Someone somehow got this recorded by iPhone or such...



Joel even appeared to announce there will be a comic book where the SOL gang will suddenly find themselves in bad comic books. They also lived up to the "Watch Out For Snakes Tour" name by shooting some really big snakes from a bazooka on some guy. At least they should have given him one to take home.

As for Netflix, still no word. That's odd, considering Comic-Con is the time for big news, like announcing certain shows will be back next year. Heck, it said all four Defenders will be back next year with new shows..and that The Punisher will even have his own show. It may be waiting until after the tour ends next month in Atlanta before we finally get the word.
Besides, Jonah didn't really...you know...at the end of season eleven, right? (If you don't know, that's what Netflix is for).

Also, since I had the "bronze" VIP level at a hundred bucks, I was supposed to get a VIP lanyard along with a tote bag and poster. Well, no lanyard, but I did get this...

May not be able to wear it, but it's a good consolation prize.
As for the souvenir stand, the snakes were pricey, but the t-shirts were reasonably priced along with the mugs and even pins. Chances are the choices will be different depending on the city. They also have a very nice photo book of the cast behind the scenes. Considering the tour is in its third week, it's impressive they got it out so quick.

So, what was the not-Eegah movie like?
Since the movie will be shown a few more times, we'll keep it vague. Let's say it involves a lot of Swinging Sixties stuff, constant changing of robes, and a completely stupid "plot". Oh, and it was interrupted a couple of times by a "Watch Out For Snakes" warning...but not long enough. We'll actually name the "movie" once the tour is done in a month. It's safe to say it's bound to appear in season 12.
The live segments were great, including a fashion show that even used Synthia and Terry quite well (this is not from San Diego, but this is what happened).



Maybe those two will turn on Kinga, or convince her there's a better way to make the experiment her cash cow....just as long as they don't use the word "Rifftrax".
Not only that, the Shout Factory booth showed trailers of upcoming movies the company will be selling soon. Two of them are Hercules movies with Lou Ferrigno. The first one, judging from this trailer, has got to be a guaranteed choice for season 12.

The live tour should be a success, but it should convince Netflix to give the Satellite of Love more episodes. After all, shouldn't Luke Cage, President Underwood or young Queen Elizabeth have a good laugh? MST3K would give them that.