Mystery Science Theater 3000: C/D, S/D.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (1184 of them)

I loved Overdrawn At The Memory Bank as a child. I believe I still have a video on it somewhere doubling up with Max Headroom.

― Pete, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Ah, the AOL MSTie days. Got my first stalker out of that bunch.

Anyway, I adored the show. Was a staunch Mike defender in the Mike v. Joel days, now I'm not so sure. Favorite bit (of all time): "Are You Happy In Your Work?"

― Colin Meeder, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

What the fuck are you doing here, Colin? :)

― Michael Daddino, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Dan -- you saw a KTMA on the air? I envy and worship you, my liege.

Colin -- yeah, I remember you were torgotback@aol.com, but the stalking? No, not that.

The boards also attracted a number of true mental cases, most unforgettably KeijiKJ. He was similar to Gondola Blob in that he indulged in casebook net.kook behavior: delusions of professionalism, snottily dismissive of any random thing, threw around the word "clique" a lot. I've even heard stories that he scared the bejesus out of BB members during the first con. I personally had a thoroughly pointless argument with him about the population of the cities in California.

Concerning Mike, I'll say this: there are quite a few times during the Sci-Fi-era when he seemed to be sending out his performance via Fed Ex. Sad, because it was clear after CC he was capable of much better. But you know, a lot of the Sci-Fi-era episodes that initially seemed kinda minor and kinda eh to me now strike me as being thoroughly solid.

― Michael Daddino, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

That was my first exposure to MST3K. I had no idea that it was going to become so huge; I only thought that snarky Minnesotans would find it funny!

― Dan Perry, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Well, you're lucky and we hate you. There. ;-)

I'm waiting on Mike's next collection of essays and novel myself. The Megacheese collection was a scream.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Michael: With you and Dave R. here, it was simply a matter of time.

Stalking resulted from an unfortunate IRL encounter with a nice enough person. I thought it was a lovely afternoon, she thought it was TRUE LOVE FOREVER. Eek. The story resolved harmlessly enough -- she found TRUE LOVE FOREVER again with another MSTie, and this time it was returned.

― Colin Meeder, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

What the hell do I have to do with anything, Mr. Meeder? I've never seen you before in my life! (Weren't you supposed to get me a job?)

MST3K was never that big a part of my life - I watched it sporadically, and I always seemed to be in the wrong state of mind to truly enjoy it. I'll side with the Joel phreex, though, just because bald is sexy. (I'm getting sexier by the minute.)

― David Raposa, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

DR: I'll side with the Joel phreex, though, just because bald is sexy. (I'm getting sexier by the minute.)

But wasn't Mike balder than Joel? I'm confused. No matter. I'm balder than both, and I agree with David.

― Brian MacDonald, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I'm watching Rocketship X-M right now and it looks as if Joel is balder than Mike. I agree wholeheartedly that BALD(ING) = SEXXXY (my real and imaginary boyfriends are testament to this) but Joel really isn't bald enough to be sexy-bald.

― Michael Daddino, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

grr, watch it daddino.

― ethan, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Le huh?

― Michael Daddino, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Let me second Ned's Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese rec. Even if you don't like or are not familiar with MST3K it is an extrodinarily funny take on a lot of overblown movies of the 80s and 90s.

― Nicole, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Had you gotten that job I mentioned, David, you'd have been laid off about five months ago. So I did you a favor by being a hopeless slacker.

I think that my slight preference for Joel has something to do with a sense that the guy's a bit . . . off, where Mike is merely charming and funny.

― Colin Meeder, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Merely? I wouldn't go that far, though he certainly projects more immediate affability. But every so often he comes out with something or takes on a role that makes you a bit nervous. Thus, when he wigged out about his old temp job in one episode, and in Time Chasers where he played his drunk angry brother or cousin, I forget which. Sure, it's a role, but he inhabited them rather well. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Sampo once remarked that in interview, one can sense that there's something very dark and private about Mike just percolating below the surface, and that's colored my impression of him ever since. One thing to remember: "I suffer from excruciating headaches that dozens of neurologists have tried unsuccessfully to treat. I think I might be possessed."

― Michael Daddino, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

I appreciate the fact that both Mike and Bridget are very private about their home life, but from the sound of it from some of Bridget's comments it's a very happy family, lots of singing and nuttiness and fun with their kids. A good reminder that the show was, after all, just a performance.

But yes, Mike has the angst in there somewhere. He just tempers it very beautifully -- thus his legendary turn as Morrissey.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 15 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Fair enough -- Mike probably *is* a churning cauldren of angst. But I think he (and his rage) are probrably more based in reality, where Joel strikes me as more otherworldly. Which I prefer (slightly, only ever so slightly) in humor.

― Colin Meeder, Thursday, 17 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Oh, about time for a revival (thanks in part to a recent link from Mike D.). Actually, there were a number of episodes I didn't have, mostly from the sixth season, but my Seattle trip has given me the chance to dub a lot of those from Brian's collection, yay me. Plus I finally have Daddy-O and Fugitive Alien, that took long enough!

To add to the book recommendations -- Mike N.'s general essay book Mind Over Matters is another fine read (the TV essay alone is some kinda genius, the mock 19th century novel even more so), while I very much liked Kevin Murphy's A Year at the Movies. Chris Piuma mentioned he felt it was fairly Joe Queenan-like and therefore not as distinct as it could be, but I think it was handled very well and worked as both microstudy of the moviegoing experience and general reflection. Certainly any of the ILF/film-going hounds on this board should consider reading/borrowing a copy, at least. Then there's Mike's new novel Death Rat, which I really need to order next month...

And praise to all the other castmembers doing things and the continual rolling out of more DVDs, though apparently Rhino says they've exhausted what they have the rights to right now and are looking into securing more, hopefully...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:08 (10 years ago) Permalink

...although a quick check of the SatNews link sez there's some sort of further DVD thing coming out later this year, hm! Good thing to know. Also, anyone in Minneapolis can go to a writing workshop taught by Mary Jo Pehl next month, which I think would be great (I'm an unabashed fan of hers but she seems to really grate for a lot of MSTies...).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:11 (10 years ago) Permalink

is this ever shown in the UK?

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:12 (10 years ago) Permalink

It may still be on the Sci-Fi Channel UK, but your best bet is to go on S0ulS33k and download entire episodes (which are about 700MB a pop, FWIW).

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

I've never come across it here, Mark - but I have never had the Sci-Fi Channel.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:21 (10 years ago) Permalink

It was certainly on (late night) on the Sci-Fi channel a couple of years ago.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

Michael, I kiss you! I had no idea there were mst3k episodes on soulseek.

― Nicole (Nicole), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:34 (10 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, that sounds great, rah Mike! Nicole, I might be able to help with dubbing too though I still need a second VCR, but also please drop me a line about another possible source...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:52 (10 years ago) Permalink

FYI, Best Brains Inc. has its own little shop with some non-Rhino treasures. I highly recommend "Mr. B's Lost Shorts" which has the hands-down best short, "Mr. B Natural" - you know, the one with the ridiculously perky, questionably-gendered Neverland shill for Conn brass instruments.

"Bad touch."
"Does this mean I like guys now?"
"I feel ill."
"Spanking time!"

http://www.mst3kinfo.com/satnews/catalog/Basement.htm

― Ernest P. (ernestp), Sunday, 25 May 2003 15:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

It is a thing of beauty, that particular short. And chilling horror. Yeah, there are two short comps that are on DVD, but neither contain that gem. It's possible this thing Rhino is promising is some sort of basement-clearing compilation of all the various video oddities that have surfaced from Best Brains -- the second Poopie tape (the first is a DVD bonus with Manos, the scrapbook, more shorts like that, etc. But we'll see, I guess! (My other irrational hope is a full-on special edition of the movie...)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 May 2003 16:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

Michael, I kiss you! I had no idea there were mst3k episodes on soulseek.

Keep in mind that the fidelity on these files is sometimes suprisingly good considering the size, and sometimes fairly bad, but even the worst files usually have more than enough detail for a person to get what's going on.

I'm hoping the DVD is a Santa Claus vs. The Martians/Santa Claus double fun pak. It is going to come out late 2003, after all.

Later I may want to say something about MST3K in light of Mark's venting on Zappa, but right now I want to go to Central Park and maybe the Malevich exhibit before it starts raining (again).

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 25 May 2003 16:33 (10 years ago) Permalink

I SERIOUSLY NEED TO BUY SIDEHACKERS. I HAVE NOT SEEN IT SINCE HIGH SCHOOL

goooch....goooch....

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 25 May 2003 19:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

the tuba is like a fat jolly king! knew your father I did!

This show got me through middle school.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 25 May 2003 19:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

Live fast, die young, leave a fat, bloated, ugly corpse.

― luna (luna.c), Sunday, 25 May 2003 19:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

"That squares my breasts!"

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Sunday, 25 May 2003 20:40 (10 years ago) Permalink

I've only seen about four episodes of MST3K, but "Mr. B Natural" has got to be one of the funniest shorts ever! "We're white, we're white, we're really, really white..." I obv need to get a-downloadin on this show.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Sunday, 25 May 2003 23:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

It is good to see the newer folks here who have the love. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 26 May 2003 00:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've only seen a couple but I didn't get the point. Why not just rent the original B-movies and come up with your own sarcastic comments?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 26 May 2003 00:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

Well...that is the point, kinda. The AOL MSTies used to monkey-pile together in a chat room, and riff like mad to cable TV movies or rented VHS tapes. I remember Congo and A Star Is Born being particularly good for that.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 26 May 2003 00:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have no TV. I have no VCR. But I do have about 40 tapes of MST3K, well over 100 episodes, mostly Seasons 2-7, with a few 1s and KTMAs.

― Chris P (Chris P), Monday, 26 May 2003 00:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'll admit mst3ks were like bad movies with training wheels for me (and yeah, I love watching b-movies with friends now), but the best episodes still leave me crying.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 26 May 2003 01:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hard core MST3K-ites with lots of bandwidth should check out the Digital Archive Project which is where I'm getting most of my episodes from.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Monday, 26 May 2003 06:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

blimey chris, that site's enough to make a young man run out and get broadband and a huge eff-off new harddrive...

(current space on home PC C-Drive abt 700meg, it are old and small)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Monday, 26 May 2003 10:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

did I mention that I saw them live w/Joel at the Uptown Theater, one of the TWO PERFORMANCES EVER w/him? well I did < /gloat>

"Santa Claus, you're coming with us!"
"You're coming to town."

― M Matos (M Matos), Monday, 26 May 2003 14:15 (9 years ago) Permalink

Well, I do have broadband and a sum total of 150GB of storage over a couple of drives. My consumption rate of DVD-R blanks is pretty scary.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Monday, 26 May 2003 23:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've only seen a couple but I didn't get the point. Why not just rent the original B-movies and come up with your own sarcastic comments?

Because I'm not funny. And neither are you.

― NA. (Nick A.), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

"nipple nipple tweak tweak AWAY!"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

sundar OTM. funny at times, but c'mon snapping along to a movie is way up there on the annoyometer.

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

And to explain the 'point' a bit more to the unbelievers Sundar and Gff, or at least note the method -- the Best Brains put in a lot of effort and practice over time to make what seemed like a casual delivery of comments done on the spot be just that rather than the intensively scripted effort it really was. When they're firing on four cylinders at their best, it's a marvel.

Fave all time moment ever, from any episode -- this snippet from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, delivered and timed JUST RIGHT:

MARTIAN: "What soft, and round, and you put it on the end of a stick --"

SERVO: "An elf?"

MARTIAN: "-- and green?"

SERVO: "Oh, a DEAD elf."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:47 (9 years ago) Permalink

"It's not funny when other people do it" is one argument, but "do it yourself" is silly. Why watch a movie at all, then, when you could make your own? Because that's what people do.

― Tep (ktepi), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

Someone should invent MST3K glasses with the robots printed on the bottoms of the lenses for people to wear to movies, except that it would be unnecessary, since the robots are already built into the cognitive and aesthetic faculties of an entire culture. MST3K assumes its audienes are so impotent that they can't enjoy even "bad" films first hand but can derive pleasure from them only over the shoulders of robots.

Chris Fujiwara (sounding a little prim), here.

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

(I don't endorse his opinion fully, btw, but hey dissent and all.)

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Tuesday, 27 May 2003 15:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 1084 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"Great big buttery moon up there...sidewalk looks like ice cream if you squint right..."

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 February 2013 07:06 (3 months ago) Permalink

lool i love mitchell

the scenes with the hooker-girlfriend are my favorite

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 9 February 2013 07:14 (3 months ago) Permalink

i can't remember any lines but if you say them i will lol @ them

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 9 February 2013 07:15 (3 months ago) Permalink

"3M ... innovation ... research ..."

― Zero Dark 33⅓: The Final Insult (Eric H.), Saturday, 9 February 2013 07:23 (3 months ago) Permalink

"This is a police investigation!"
"Oh, really, I thought it was just some slob wandering around my house."

― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 9 February 2013 07:41 (3 months ago) Permalink

"Mah, mah, mah, mah 'partment."

― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 9 February 2013 07:41 (3 months ago) Permalink

http://www.siff.net/cinema/detail.aspx?FID=261&id=46043

Debating over the VIP package

― Jaq, Saturday, 9 February 2013 17:56 (3 months ago) Permalink

oh who am i kidding, hell yes it's worth it

― Jaq, Saturday, 9 February 2013 17:57 (3 months ago) Permalink

Yeah, gotta do it. I love the fact he's just keeping on his own wonderfully bemusing path.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 9 February 2013 18:00 (3 months ago) Permalink

Agreed. Joel being, well, Joel.

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 9 February 2013 18:09 (3 months ago) Permalink

"Mobsters laughing, really smiling, a man selling heroin!"

― Pheeel, Sunday, 10 February 2013 17:18 (3 months ago) Permalink

hahaha i was just thinking of that part when i woke up today

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 10 February 2013 18:24 (3 months ago) Permalink

it's a cold day for pontooning.

― a basset hound (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Sunday, 10 February 2013 23:26 (3 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

I got "favorited" by Bill Corbett on Twitter yesterday and it was the happiest day of my life. True story.

― ARE YOU HIRING A NANNY OR A SHAMAN (Phil D.), Tuesday, 5 March 2013 13:21 (2 months ago) Permalink

I bow down to u

That's awesome

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 5 March 2013 15:55 (2 months ago) Permalink

Nicely done!

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 5 March 2013 15:59 (2 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

― mookieproof, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 20:11 (1 month ago) Permalink

hahaha

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 20:14 (1 month ago) Permalink

yesss

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 20:28 (1 month ago) Permalink

okay lol @ this

http://www.google.com/trends/explore?hl=en-US#q=He+tried+to+kill+me+with+a+forklift

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 10 April 2013 20:29 (1 month ago) Permalink

Been watching more and more episodes and I'm becoming convinced - and forgive me if I've already said this in one way or another - but there's a real difference between basically two kinds of episodes...ones where the movies is kind of crappy and lame and goofy and dated, which they make fun of, and movies that were really made with total contempt for their audience, which they hate. Thinking here of Catalina Caper's jokes that are funny to no one, plot that's involving to no one, rock and roll that doesn't rock, etc. Or how the bots clearly loathe Monster-A-Go-Go more than Manos, though the latter is certainly bleaker and more unsettling (though maybe just as empty in terms of nothing happening).

Like, a b-movie or a shoddy dub like Gamera can be good camp material, but you really get the sense of glee when they get to serve justice to a movie that was made specifically and solely so that something could be on-screen at a drive-in and what difference does it make if it's done well. And The Giant Gila Monster's greatest sin is just how lazy and shitty the "giant"-ness is: there's not one damn shot that gets the gila monster in the same frame as the cast, and so as bad as Earth Versus The Spider may be, there's at least some measure of effort there that lets Joel and the bots get into the spirit of things and focus mainly on the absurd Fifties behavior and decision-making of the cast, not to mention that one old guy ("Who ARE you?").

Dunno if this really holds up or if it's just in my head, but it's been bouncing around in my head.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 20:33 (1 month ago) Permalink

dune reference is a bonus

― mookieproof, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 20:44 (1 month ago) Permalink

Manos: The Yarn of Fate

― tokyo rosemary, Thursday, 18 April 2013 19:57 (1 month ago) Permalink

Been watching more and more episodes and I'm becoming convinced - and forgive me if I've already said this in one way or another - but there's a real difference between basically two kinds of episodes...ones where the movies is kind of crappy and lame and goofy and dated, which they make fun of, and movies that were really made with total contempt for their audience, which they hate. Thinking here of Catalina Caper's jokes that are funny to no one, plot that's involving to no one, rock and roll that doesn't rock, etc. Or how the bots clearly loathe Monster-A-Go-Go more than Manos, though the latter is certainly bleaker and more unsettling (though maybe just as empty in terms of nothing happening).
Like, a b-movie or a shoddy dub like Gamera can be good camp material, but you really get the sense of glee when they get to serve justice to a movie that was made specifically and solely so that something could be on-screen at a drive-in and what difference does it make if it's done well. And The Giant Gila Monster's greatest sin is just how lazy and shitty the "giant"-ness is: there's not one damn shot that gets the gila monster in the same frame as the cast, and so as bad as Earth Versus The Spider may be, there's at least some measure of effort there that lets Joel and the bots get into the spirit of things and focus mainly on the absurd Fifties behavior and decision-making of the cast, not to mention that one old guy ("Who ARE you?").
Dunno if this really holds up or if it's just in my head, but it's been bouncing around in my head.

I think that is pretty solid. This may be my own hazy thinking, but I feel as though the Mike and the 'bots were 'meaner' as the show entered the Sci-Fi years; more vicious toward the film and those involved, like the attacks on the director in Hobgoblins, or lines like 'Sure I'm an unappealing actor in a bad movie! Sure!' in Time Chasers. I had no problem with it, but I know a pal of mine disliked it because she felt, even when Joel disliked a film, there was amiable-ness/gentleness in his mockery rather than outright 'ugh, this sucks'.

― blatherskite, Friday, 19 April 2013 21:18 (1 month ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Hulu has 25 of these now, fwiw:

http://www.hulu.com/mystery-science-theater-3000

― Not Simone Choule (Eric H.), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 01:11 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Hulu also has a bunch of Cinematic Titanic and Rifftrax

― mimicking regular benevloent (sic) users' names (President Keyes), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 01:13 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

Amazon Prime has a ton of them too

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 03:49 (2 weeks ago) Permalink

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.