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Post by eimag on Mar 19, 2010 3:42:17 GMT -5
Yet another first I can add to the list.........
First Spaceship on Venus
Bad puns aside, this episode is the first "Much better than I remember it" episode. The movie is bright and colorful, but i remember falling asleep many times when i tried to watch all of it in one sitting. i didn't this time, and am glad i forced myself through it. The riffing, at least in the first half, holds up very well and defuels the self seriousness of the movie.
Which makes me wonder, what was this film going for? It kind of reminds me of District 9, in that it almost presented itself like a documentary for the first half until the crew shot up into space, and then it was more straightforward.
The movie is dubbed, but considering all the nationalities, what language was the soundtrack originally in? It looks like all of them are speaking their respective languages. I wonder how they pulled it off.
I love non-sequitur comedy, and the host segments definitely satisfied that sweet tooth. I can sympathize; when you're at a deadline, and you're out of perfect ideas, you just have to throw in whatever you have so you can get out the door. At any rate, I appreciated the random nature this time around. It kept me from getting bored.
Overall, I chuckled a bit, laughed out loud, not too hard, but enough to makes this a good episode. Upgraded from a "it has it's moments" episode.
I hope people still enjoy these, and have started part one of the three part "dubbed" finale of season two. Next up, Godzilla Vs. Megalon!
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Post by Justin T on Mar 19, 2010 22:55:23 GMT -5
Keep up the good work, looking foward to the Godzilla eps coming up. I love both of them.
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Post by PimPamPet on Mar 20, 2010 5:54:11 GMT -5
Recently re-watched First Spaceship on Venus as well, and I feel almost exactly the same about it. It was much better than I remembered (I actually fell asleep during my first viewing, heh...).
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Post by eimag on Apr 6, 2010 2:35:41 GMT -5
MST de Nihon no eiga o miru koto ga hajimemashoo!
(Let's begin watching Japanese films here on MST!)
Godzilla Vs. Megalon
This movie is a kids movie through and through. Lots of quick edits to make sure the film isn't too boring for too long (doesn't always work), a kid is there to be part of the action (which fails to be interesting or useful for the plot 9 times out of 10), and lots of pointless fighting and bright colors. One thing i'll say for this movie, at least it lacks the condescending idiocy of most of the films MST is subjected to.
Joel is back to his red jumpsuit after mostly having the green one for season two.
Anyway, I enjoyed the film, it's perfect for saturday morning. This episode is a perfect example of why this show is so loved: Cheesy movie, game and playful attitude by the riffers, host segments that are funny even if they don't make sense, nice and wonderfully vague dirty riffing (Tom: Good job Godzilla, your tail has gotten longer. Crow: That's not my tail. Joel then proceeds to stop him from continuing)
The episode is a great way to answer the question "What is Mystery Science Theater 3000 really like?"
That said, it's not a great, or even very good, episode. The laughs are very uneven. They seem to be trying, and even in tune with the goofy vibe, but their comments only occasionally got me in my funny bone. The one exception is their anger towards the kid. It never failed to make me laugh loudly. If only they had been as relentless on all the Gamera kids.
The host segments, however, were very fun. I go with popular opinion here, the Dysfunctional Popcorn sketch was very odd, yet dark and a little bitter. But what helped make this sketch was the goofy, goofy subtext that softened the angry jabs the grandfather and grandson made to each other.
Overall, a good not great episode that I of course recommend. I took a nap through dinner, so i think i'll be awake a bit longer and may crank out the season finale. Stay tuned to find out........
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Post by eimag on Apr 7, 2010 15:44:52 GMT -5
Well, I somehow got tired anyway, but hey, two updates in two days is pretty good and fitting for the last episode of the second season.....
Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster
This movie is worse than Megalon. I didn't like most of the previous experiment, movie-wise, but it did accommodate the short attention span that children have, especially when it comes to activities that involve them sitting down and not moving. They started with the action and dished out the plot in necessary pieces.
This movie does the opposite. The first half hour to forty-five minutes is all plot, no monsters. And it's not a good plot either. Yes, rescuing his brother, three guys and a thief, the idea sounds good, but it's all done so boringly and without any excitement towards the happenings that unfold.
A Secret Military Base! Hot women that you can (and do) rescue! MOTHRA, for crying out loud.
But for the first half of the movie, I was bored. Really, really bored. Thank goodness for the introductory host segments. Velveteen Rabbit was cute, added to the "father figure" status that Joel was and gave the bots a chance to be young and cute. It worked.
The Invention exchange hit me in all the right places. The Mind Control Guitar was neat, and Joel's grimaces and facial expressions almost made me pause the episode, I was laughing so hard. The Dog Toy Guitars were both annoying and well-orchestrated. That's a sentence I never thought I would type.
The Godzilla Genealogy Bop was everything MST can be at it's best: Quirky, funny, satirical, and short to boot!
The jokes have me at a crossroads. I'm glad there wasn't an annoying kid, but without him, there's not easy target that I love to hear ridiculed. So they have to set their sights higher and more ambitiously. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. They go the pop culture route, which works if you know what they're referencing, AND if it's pertinent to the situation. A lot of the times, at least for me, it wasn't.
Though the observational stuff was great, the guy who looked like a pharmacist ("I just have to fill out a prescription") Joel's voice for the Sea Monster (I loved it because the voice is so non-typical), all the jokes on the naval officer with the eyepatch just killed me (Commander: Are you losing sight of this matter, Colonel? Tom Servo: I don't think that's funny, sir, but continue)
The second half got a lot better, movie wise when all the fights started, and things became what they should, sprinklings of plot, lots of explosions and steady good comments.
The episode is about the same in quality as the previous. Megalon had a lot of little laughs, this one had a few huge laughs. Plus all the chuckling that i get in nearly every MST episode.
That ends season two folks, and i think I'm going to add a favorite riff at the end of every episode from now on. MST is going to start getting a lot more consistent, and I find I will always find at least one riff that perfectly gets how I feel about a movie/moment.
Favorite Riff: Do you see half of what I see?
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Post by Justin T on Apr 8, 2010 23:05:07 GMT -5
Nice review. I enjoy both Godzilla episodes, but I enjoy Sea Monster a little more than Megalon, there are more big laughs for me too.
Onward to Season 3!
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Post by eimag on Apr 17, 2010 17:38:09 GMT -5
It might be hard for me to be unbiased here..........
Cave Dwellers
This was my first Joel episode. I saw this after seeing The Movie and The Brain That Wouldn't Die. So it was instantly quite a change in mood and tone. After i got over the overwhelming (well, to a then 9 year old) change, I realized I enjoyed the more laid back, "letting the goofiness unfold" vibe that Joel brings to his comedy and to the show. And few shows are a more perfect example of it than this one.
I love the movie. Completely. It reminds me of all these fantasy films of the 80s that had a bunch of sequels that no one had heard of, and a lot of the movies were just flashbacks. There is always something going on, either a cute low budget monster (or invisible villain) fight, corny exposition, and the journeying never drags on too long. To this films credit, though, the flashbacks don't really take up too much of it, unless a lot was edited. Compared to "Robot Vs Aztec Mummy," the flashbacks almost seem like normal exposition.
Joel and the Bots seemed to be sick of it, though. I enjoyed nearly all of the elements of the plot and the small budget they all had to work with. The "Come On!" parts, especially the hang glider did have me groan, but overall, this is my favorite type of film cheese.
The riffing. I probably don't even need to get into it, and i'll have my favorite riff at the bottom, but it was dynamite for three-fourths of the movie. I do feel that it slowed up in hilarity a bit 2/3rds in, with the village and the fishing. But it picked back up nicely.
Host segments: Terrific, and even the ones that were dependent on props were backed by a funny idea, which made it fine. "Worst movie they've sent?" I don't know if that was an honest opinion, or just a way they decided to go into the continuity sketch, but worse than "Mad Monster," "Robot Vs. Aztec Mummy," "Sidehackers," "Jungle Goddess," "Hellcats," "Lost Continent," and those are just a few movies that i feel were much harder to sit through than this. Of course, like I say, I may be biased.
Definitely one of my favorite episodes, one i've watched dozens of times and could see myself watching it forever.
Fave riff: Either the three way dialogue they had about the guards trying to get the "speak softly and carry a big stick" quote correctly or:
Crow: Be careful over there, I just mopped.
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Post by PimPamPet on Apr 18, 2010 10:55:27 GMT -5
I recently bought Volume 2 and after re-watching this episode, I've come to the conclusion that Cave Dwellers is one of my favorite episodes of MST3K, ever.
Actually, season 3 has many favorites of mine. Up next: Gamera, another (IMO) classic episode.
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Post by Justin T on Apr 18, 2010 13:09:08 GMT -5
That's funny, I finally bought Volume 2 myself yesterday. I love Pod People and Cave Dwellers alot. Cave Dwellers is also one of my favorite episodes, its one of the best IMO
Good review Eimag
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Post by eimag on May 22, 2010 14:21:21 GMT -5
Sorry for the long delay, I've been watching tons of other movies, and I will be making a similar thread in the movies thread within a week or so, but thanks for continuing to stop by.......
Gamera
Man, for the most part I love Japanese film. The style, the tone, the way profound questions are answered by the characters. From all the interviews with Japanese filmmakers I have read, they all have a great sense of humor about all their work.
Which makes the issue about the Gamera MST episodes seem very confusing. Unless I discover a website about Gameratology, I will never understand why Gamera is so hard to license. But i've noticed by all the franchises, no matter how mediocre and lame, the creators/holders of the rights take the property very seriously. Which makes this film so deserving of all the verbal punishment it gets.
Oh, i haven't talked about the plot yet. I'm sorry: Boring exposition, Gamera wakes up, more exposition, Kenny almost dies, develops Stockholm Syndrome, almost has everyone who has the right idea about protecting the world killed, gets sent back up to space, and a bunch of stupid catchphrases that pave the way for a bunch of goofy sequels ensue.
Lots of people like Japanese Cheese, but this cinematic turd is too solemn and too clearly behind the psychotic Kenny for me to have any entry point into enjoyment for this. I'm certainly glad Joel and the Bots were here, but the riffing lets me down. Way too many dead spots for me. When they're attacking Kenny, and Tibby, its great, but when they make fun of the exposition, they're not as successful as they would be in many movies later. The random technology quips and the slightly racist jokes make me laugh (I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate political correctness and if i don't feel that it's out of hatred i will laugh at jokes about stereotypes), but there weren't enough of them.
Host segments were wonderful. They had the life and vitality I wish the movie did.
Since the rest of the Gamera movies show how much better they get at making fun of these sort of films, I'd recommend it, but by itself, only if you're willing to wade through tons of boring fake mythology to get to the psychotic kid-bashing. Oh well. Maybe it'll grow on me.
Favorite riff: Tibby or Not Tibby? (Wonderful Pun)
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Post by eimag on May 27, 2010 2:39:19 GMT -5
Yes! Two reviews in two days again! Will this continue? Probably not......
Pod People
After over 20 viewings, mostly because at the time i had no other episodes besides Cave Dwellers, I know I will never, ever love this episode.
The movie, makes me want to make it a person and bludgeon it with a crowbar. Far, Far from the worst movie, but wow, maybe the most boring. And the fact that other than the murdering alien plot, I have no idea what is going on in it after this many viewings? Ugh.
Here's a weird thing for me on the riffing, though: I like it almost exactly 1 percent more each time i watch it. There are more random riffs that i'll think are more well timed and appropriately punched. The bad news is those riffs are all the throwaways, the big lines i know i'll never laugh at, even when I do get the refrences. These guys are clearly in the zone on this episode: Just not mine.
Recommended episode? Unnecessary question considering the episode, but yes, even if I tell you I don't really like it. I don't.
Fave Riff: Gimme that, I'll show you how to use a prop phone.
The way Crow says it is what makes me laugh.
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Post by eimag on Jun 3, 2010 23:27:52 GMT -5
And the sequelitis of season three begins.........
Gamera Vs. Barugon
Man, its weird when a movie is boring but one aspect of the story comes through in such a strong way. What sticks out for me is the greediness and douchebagginess (is that a word? it should be) of the surviving explorer who gets the opal that turns out to be Barugon's egg. I mean, what a dirtbag! He doesn't deserve the ending he gets, in my opinion.
Otherwise, a darn boring movie. Woooow, i needed fast and furious jokes to rescue me from this cinematic poo.
Well, i got fast and furiously funny host segments. The costumes crow and servo wore as they played the old ladies just hit my random sense of humor in all the right places. And also put the thought in my head that Joel could play an excellent comedic Devil. I mean, the way he described the Suicide cake made me think, "He could walk people through the gates of Hell without them even realizing it."
He also vapor locks again, in a sort of repeat of "name the fake stars" sort of segment. I don't mind when Joel goes nuts because he doesn't ham it up, like some i could mention. <Cough> SERVO <Cough>
As for riffing on the movie, it didn't save the movie, but only brought momentary disruptions to the boredom. Occasionally they deflated the self seriousness, but overall it was a fight to get through the movie.
Recommended? Meh, not really. See the host segs, skip the movie.
Fave Riff: Either, "Doctor! Doctor!" "Give me the news!" Man, then Servo. It just tickled me right.
Or:
"There's a weakness in the rainbow!" "And there is more of us!"
Jerk, then Servo. Making fun of the dubbing is always great!
Yay, 100th post!
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Post by Justin T on Jun 14, 2010 16:13:30 GMT -5
Yes, Cave Dwellers is a classic. I love that episode.
I also love Pod People, but not everyone likes that one. Everyone has their own tastes in certain episodes.
Haven't watched the Gamera episodes yet, need to get around to those.
Good reviews as always
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Post by eimag on Jan 12, 2011 3:24:58 GMT -5
Hello, MSTies and whoever else read(s) this!
I am back! Many a horrible thing has happened in my life since i last posted a review, but I am happy to say that I have since gotten out of debt, moved away from home (again) into my own beautiful apartment, and with a great job that allows me to make my own schedule, hence the return of the reviews!
I've always enjoyed reading reviews, I've never been one for "troll" type behavior and that is why i felt the need to write my own reviews and I hope you all have been enjoying them.
Starting this Monday, My reviews will RETURN! HOORAY!!!!!
Hope life is treating everyone well, and I look forward to continuing the dialogue of enjoying a great tv show.
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Post by PimPamPet on Jan 12, 2011 19:23:12 GMT -5
Welcome back! :-)
Glad to hear you're doing well. I'm personally getting ready to move into my own apartment as well, later this year. First time for me, exciting times!
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