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Post by angilasman on Sept 20, 2011 7:05:22 GMT -5
Concluded the fifth season DVD releases with the very much overrated Santa Claus. It's a cute episode, but there's nothing particularly strong about it. The movie is obnoxious, the riffing is merely servicable, and the host segments are lacking, especially compared to the ones featured in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. I couldn't possibly disagree more... well, except for the SCCtM host segments being stronger.
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Post by TheNewMads on Sept 20, 2011 10:43:51 GMT -5
Concluded the fifth season DVD releases with the very much overrated Santa Claus. It's a cute episode, but there's nothing particularly strong about it. The movie is obnoxious, the riffing is merely servicable, and the host segments are lacking, especially compared to the ones featured in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. I couldn't possibly disagree more... well, except for the SCCtM host segments being stronger. the scene with the animatronic reindeer and M&tBs devolving into mad, panicky laughter was one of the first moments when i was first discovering the series when i realized it could be not just funny and clever but downright side-splittingly hilarious. also, the various xenophobic cracks at the expense of basically every country in the world during the by-nation musical breakdown, mocking lupita's poverty, etc., and on top of it the utter strangeness and visual surrealism of the movie itself ("it's an oscillating fan with an ear attached... period!"), i just gotta put santa claus on my list of top episodes, maybe in my top 10. i LOVE it.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 20, 2011 11:59:07 GMT -5
And I couldn't disagree more woth your disagreeing. The episode honestly does absolutely nothing for me.
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Post by angilasman on Sept 20, 2011 13:00:11 GMT -5
^Your honest opinions are wrong!
But seriously: Santa Claus is one of those movie I can watch un-Mistied. I find the whole thing entertaining. Believe it or not a company is going to release it on Blu Ray this year, along with a special edition Blu Ray of the Alastair Sim A Christmas Carol! Don't ask me how they ended up with the rights to both.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 20, 2011 13:08:55 GMT -5
Honestly, if I tried to watch that movie without the MST filter, I would punch my TV in. and I'm one who usually likes stupid Christmas movies.
Martians I could watch unriffed. Santa Claus I could not.
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Post by TheNewMads on Sept 20, 2011 13:42:49 GMT -5
^Your honest opinions are wrong! But seriously: Santa Claus is one of those movie I can watch un-Mistied. I find the whole thing entertaining. Believe it or not a company is going to release it on Blu Ray this year, along with a special edition Blu Ray of the Alastair Sim A Christmas Carol! Don't ask me how they ended up with the rights to both. i wouldn't mind seeing SC on blu-ray. you can't say it's not a colorful film.
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Post by angilasman on Sept 20, 2011 14:02:16 GMT -5
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 21, 2011 2:05:16 GMT -5
Really hit volume 1 today. Not my fault that three of its episodes just fell into place next.
The Creeping Terror offers up an inept monster movie with above average riffing. Quality experiment.
Bloodlust is an all-time favorite. I remember logging on into the online MST community for the first time a decade ago, and being surprised at how lowly the fanbase thinks of this episode. I'm still flabbergasted. The movie is poorly made, but very enjoyable and the riffing is spectacular. The host segments are short but sweet. This one's an episode I can watch over and over again.
And we venture into the territory of the infamous Coleman Francis with the Skydivers, often cited to be the best Coleman Francis film.
How can you tell?
Riffing is strongest during the short, but the boys are good enough to make this drivel watchable. That's nothing to sneeze at.
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Post by pinkfully on Sept 21, 2011 12:00:44 GMT -5
I'm working my way through Season 4 this week, and just saw Space Travelers. It was pretty dull, but Joel & the bots did their best.
Later today, I plan to see The Giant Gila Monster, one ep I love. I like how the guy feels free to steal tires off a car in an accident. The 2 songs he sings are stuck in my head forever, unfortunately. And everyone puts their leg up when they talk.
Torgo, Bloodlust is one of my favs, too. I just saw it last week. I love how Robert Reed sucks in his gut throughout. The short with it is good, too.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 22, 2011 2:45:37 GMT -5
Watched Starfighters today. Riffing is pretty good, but the movie is too much of a killjoy, loke an industrial short that won't end. It's hard to enjoy the show under these curcumstances.
Had time for the Sinister Urge. Great short, good theater segments. Host segments start out strong, but get tiresome as the episode goes on.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 23, 2011 2:44:40 GMT -5
Startes today with Racket Girls. Didn't remember much about this one except the movie was really painful, and the short was fantastic. However the riffing on the feature is pretty damn good to.
And is it just me or did season 6 have a thing for arcing host segments? This one in particular, dealing with Servo and Crow marrying each other, is particularly disturbing.
Coleman Francis double feature finishing up the day. Red Zone Cuba is one that goes in and out of my enjoyment level. Last time I watched it I didn't like it, but this time I was totally grooving with it.
Beast of Yucca Flats is unquestionably the best Francis episode (and arguably the most watchable of his movies). Two shorts are unfortunately a weak point. But...you know..."flag on the moon"...
Tomorrow I say goodbye to Frank. And it shall be sadness.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 24, 2011 2:12:54 GMT -5
And the end of Frank's five year run is here. Unfortunately his final episode hasn't been released on DVD. But I'm not a fan of it, so a little indifference can't be helped (same with his first episode, Rocketship X-M).
Instead I've got Angel's Revenge. Not a bad effort, but not the highest note season six could go on. Got some good laughs though.
Sixth season episodes that I would like to see released include the Sword and the Dragon, Last of the Wild Horses, and Girls' Town.
Popped in the Movie next, and took in some Thia Island Earth. Can't pass judgment on the film, because it has been hacked to pieces. I've been meaning to watch this unriffed for quite some time to see if it's any better than the edit that's featured here. From what I can tell, it's colorful with great production values, but I don't understand the plot. If it had any sort of...you know...story, it goes by unnoticed because all I'm seeing are a bunch of random ideas thrown into a blender and spilled out in front of Mike, Tom, and Crow.
As for the SOL end of it, I've watched this movie a bit too many times, so it has lost a lot of effect on me. I will say, in retrospect, the riffing seems watered down. I did enjoy quite a few jollies from the film.
And then we switched over to Trace's final season (so soon?) and continue with Night of the Blood Beast, with both sets of host segments. I greatly enjoy both versions, but the Turkey Day version works better with the bumpers leading up to it.
The riffing is hilarious. The short is classic and the film is a doofy hoot. The "Steve" gag is a running gag that works fantastically, unlike "Cheif? McCloud!"
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 25, 2011 2:01:32 GMT -5
And the all too brief stay in Trace's final season comes to an end with Laserblast. A pretty decent sendoff for the longtime riffer, with solid jabs at a crummy movie. All that goes through my mind however is thank god the series didn't end here. Diabolik was a much more solid series finale in just about every way.
The best seventh season episode that didn't make it to DVD is actually on its way, the Brute Man will be on Volume 22 in December. Woo! Other than that, the episode I'd most likely see is Incredible Melting Man.
And then we make the most massive episode jump in this marathon, the first nine episodes of season eight. We miss out on the debut of Bill's Crow, Bobo, and Observer. Unfortunately the beginning of the season concentrated primarily on dated science fiction instead of obscure cheapies, meaning some very powerful people have a hold of that group od movies. Oh well.
The Sci-Fi era's earliest release is the tenth episode, Giant Spider Invasion. Better episodes there are, but this one is pretty funny. The host segments are the highlight, though.
"PACKERS!"
We continue with Parts: The Clonus Horror. Can't jump on the bandwagon and say this is a decent movie. It's an interesting idea done in a thoroughly uninteresting way. It's sad when Michael Bay makes the same movie as you and YOURS is the movie that sucks. Riffing has its ups and downs. When it's up, it's hilarious. When it's down, it hits me hard. The Space Children crack me up though, especially the "Facts of life" segment.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 26, 2011 1:43:21 GMT -5
And we've entered probably my favorite group of episodes of the entire run. Everything from 812-822 is just absolutely amazing. It's too bad more of these haven't been released.
We start with the Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies. This putrid movie is made watchable with a solid commentary by the crew. MST on acid...I love it!
Followed by Jack Frost, an episode with a movie that would make you laugh on its own. The riffing has moments of brilliance, but there's a few too many patches where the movie is more enjoyable than the episode itself. That alone makes this the wekest of the Russo-Finnish episodes (still haven't seen the Day the Earth Froze, but I hope to rectify that next week).
And to end the day on a high note, my all-time favorite episode, Prince of Space. Like the previous episode, the movie is tons of fun. Unlike the previous episode, the riffing finds the right was to enhance it turning it into one hell of a winning experience. All hail Prince of Space! Winner and still champion!
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 27, 2011 3:25:53 GMT -5
And my favorite season of the show comes to an abrupt end. Note to Shout, you've mined the hell out of seasons one and two, and got quite a bit more of three than we ever thought we'd see. Go for eight! It's criminally underreleased.
Devil Doll is an episode that gives me gigglefits. The drab movie is hard to pay attention to, but the riffing makes one snap to. Pitch makes a welcome return in the host segments.
Space Mutiny was the winner of a massive best episode of MST series of polls we did a few years back (it beat out Manos, which was voted favorite Joel episode) and it certainly lives up to its reputation. Goofball movie is hard to take seriously, and the riffing enhances it.
Time Chasers is just as good. The movie is hard to hate because it was certainly made with good intentions, and it even has moments that get the viewer involved in it. However, it just isn't well made. The riffing is great, and the host segments are among the best of the entire series.
And closing out the season is Overdrawn at the Memory Bank, which gave us such memorable phrases such as "You know you want me, baby," "We're all out of toner," "Mom, 'm I nuts?," and...shudder..."Is it sexy?"
No. No it isn't.
Contender for worst movie ever featured on the show, the riffing actually saves this trash. But it still makes me angry enough to call up PBS next time they have a fundraiser and demand they pay me.
Best unreleased episodes are Invasion of the Neptune Men and Riding with Death. But just about any season eight is good season eight.
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