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Post by kmorgan on May 1, 2015 23:28:58 GMT -5
I realize I've only put up one post on this board so far, but may I try something?
Over on the late, lamented Even Deeper Blurting board, I tried an idea back during the Great Drought, that period after the show's cancellation but before the advent of CT and RT. In order to keep up my interest and involvement, I decided to try and randomly select an episode from my collection each week to watch and post comments on. As time went on, and the cast started appearing in new stuff, I added an additional selection for outside projects. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to try that sort of thing here.
A word on definitions: first, I'm defining the Originals as any episode of the show or compilation thereof (like shorts or host segment collections). Next, I'm defining the Outsiders as anything with the cast where they're basically not appearing in MST character. That includes convention footage, interviews, other series appearances, or things like that. I wasn't sure where I'd place behind-the-scenes features about the show itself, since they were also produced by BBI, so I've decided to list them as Outsiders. And, carrying over from the old board, you see me refer to TFNWSRN or TSNWSRN; those refer to The First Network Which Shall Remain Nameless (the one that Doug Herzog took over) and The Second Network Which Shall Remain Nameless (the one that Bonnie Hammer took over).
A word on scheduling: I usually watch the Outsiders on Saturdays and the Originals on Sundays. For anyone who wants to play along, I'll try and post things by Friday. And I'll also occasionally go outside the normal rotation for special events, like RT live remotes or other reasons. And, for those who might have followed my progress (such as it was) on the old board, I'm not going to try and pick up where I left off. I'm going to start up again from scratch.
Now, if anyone thinks I'm being presumptuous by doing this so early, I apologize in advance. I just hope this turns out OK, and that you'll be interested. So, I'm going now to the mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnall's front porch (OK, it's a Minneapolis Public Library insulated coffee mug) and the specially constructed stainless steel vault (OK, it's an old popcorn can) and where I keep the slips for, respectively, the Outsiders and the Originals.
For week 1, I'm going outside the rotation for the Outsiders for..."Other Space (Episodes 1 & 2)"... -I want to watch these in order, so I can't just randomly select them. I haven't seen the show yet, and I'm looking forward to this.
...and for the Originals, this week's selection is... "The Projected Man" (Show 901). -Featuring the apparently all-important Lembach.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on May 6, 2015 0:02:59 GMT -5
Well, that's week 1 down.
"Other Space" was actually pretty funny. I'd stayed away from information on the show so I could go in more or less cold, and I liked it. The MST references were a nice touch, and the script and the acting were OK (though I did figure out who the alien was pretty fast). Just to show my age, it kind of reminded me of "Quark", though I'm not sure if it was a direct inspiration for the show.
As for "Projected Man", the movie wasn't too bad. There was some good acting from Bryant Halliday, and some nice atmosphere. The script could've been better, and the projector noise was indeed annoying. And can anyone think of a legitimate reason (besides appealing to the male audience) why Sheila had to strip down to her underwear when it was her eyes that were bothering her? The host segments were OK, with the introduction to Castle Forrester and all. The riffing was very good, and I didn't mind the sound problems in the theater. (My copy is from the initial airing on TSNWSRN.)
Not too bad this time. And, I may as well put up the selections for week 2. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation again for..."RT Live: The Room". -I haven't seen the movie; I only know it by reputation. I have a feeling I'm in for something pretty awful.
...and for the Originals, this week's selection is..."Hercules" (Show 502). -I'd better get some protein powder to snack on for this one.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on May 6, 2015 19:32:14 GMT -5
It seems I've run into what could be considered a problem.
Tonight, I went over to the usual theater I go to for Rifftrax Live remotes (the Rialto in Westfield, NJ). To my surprise, it seems they aren't carrying the presentation of "The Room". And I can't make it to next week's rebroadcast, due to a scheduling conflict. In a word, darn.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see if the live version is released. And, next time, I'll check the venues.
So, my back-up selection for the Outsiders this week is..."Rifftrax Plays with Their Shorts (2nd Half)".
Well, at least it's something with RT.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on May 14, 2015 23:44:49 GMT -5
Well, things went pretty well last weekend.
My back-up choice for the Outsiders consisted of "Teenagers on Trial", "Women in Blue", Wing Claw & Fang" and "Constance Bennett's Daily Beauty Rituals". The riffing on all of them was good, as always. The shorts were OK, though I didn't like the one with Constance Bennett as much. No reflection on the actress, I'm just not part of the target audience. Speaking of target, the "Wing Claw & Fang" short featured an animal trainer who makes a trained lion play dead by aiming a blank-loaded gun at it and firing. Ye gods, was this guy one of Ross "Catching Trouble" Allen's pals?
As for the Originals choice, "Hercules" was a pretty good movie, with fine production values, a pretty good pace and Steve Reeves as Herc. Unfortunately, BBI had to cut a lot of the movie due to time, so the plot was disjointed. (By the way, on the old Even Deeper Blurting board, I once posted an article on the cut scenes from "Hercules". Anyone want me to post it here?) Still, the riffing was very funny and the host segments were good, particularly the second (the one with Hamilton Joe, Frank & Reynolds) and third (the one with "Match Game") ones, since I'm a child of the 1970's, more or less.
Well, not bad this time. And for week 3, the Outsiders selection is..."CT: The Oozing Skull"... -CT's inaugural effort (on DVD, anyway).
...and the Originals selection is..."Cosmic Princess" (Show K-10). -From the second, lesser season of "Space:1999".
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on May 22, 2015 22:31:13 GMT -5
Well, let's review.
"The Oozing Skull" was one really unpleasant movie. It's not just that it was cheaply and ineptly made. It was also full of pointless violence and had an ending which, at best, broke even. (The one girl and the kid got away, but the mad doctor won.) The riffing was good, though the Slinky riff ran a bit long. The host segments were OK, with Josh's attempt to craft a love theme for the movie working best. In general, as this was the first CT offering, you get the feeling they're still getting settled in. It was a good effort, but later ones were even better.
As for "Cosmic Princess", I've already noted I preferred the first season of "Space:1999", when they went for more philosophical and unsettling stories. The two episodes they stitched together had little in common, and both weren't very good. Still, the second part had some good action and both had great visual effects, especially the Eagle crash in the hangar. And Alan Carter is the second coolest space pilot in science fiction, second only to Han Solo. The riffing was okay, but was a bit sparse, as usual for a KTMA episode. The host segments were OK, and I liked the way they tried to cover up Servo's continual falling apart.
I'm going to say this week was passable, I guess. Anyway, for week 4, the Outsiders selection is..."Return to Eden Prairie (pt. 3)"... -From the 25th Anniversary set from Shout! Factory.
...and, for the Originals, I'm going outside the rotation for Memorial Day Weekend for..."The MST3K 2nd Annual Summer Blockbuster Review". -I'll have to see which ones I missed.
Oh, and feel free to reply to these posts. No reason why I should have all the fun.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on May 29, 2015 21:40:16 GMT -5
Okay, time to review.
The Outsiders choice "Return to Eden Prairie (Pt. 3)" was really good. It was produced by Ballyhoo, who did a fine job with the presentation. This segment ran about 30 min. and focused on the show's characters. It featured interviews with most, but not all, of the cast and was really informative. I enjoyed it a lot.
And the Originals choice "The 2nd Annual Summer Blockbuster Review" was good, too. They managed to fit in clips from a pretty good number of movies, ranging from "Saving Private Ryan" to "The Truman Show". The riffs & intros were good, especially the one where Crow says that they can't even mention the name of that movie "G******a" so as not to get sued. A few years & Kickstarter later, though... Oh, and so far as I know, I didn't see any of the featured movies in a theater that year, so I guess I'm still in big trouble.
All in all, things turned out OK this time. So, onto to week 5. The Outsiders selection is..."RT: Dragon Wars"... -I always knew there was something sinister about Puff. ...and, for the Originals, it's..."Manhunt in Space" (Show 413). -So, what the heck kind of a name is Winky, anyway?
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 5, 2015 20:06:14 GMT -5
Okay, how did week 5 go?
The Outsiders choice, "Dragon Wars", actually got me ticked off. I'm normally a big fan of giant monster movies, both Japanese and non-Japanese. I didn't like this one, though. The dodgy CGI wasn't the problem, it was the plot. On the one hand, you've got the whiny heroes who run off and shirk their responsibilities, allowing countless people to get killed. But, on the other hand, you've got the Forces of Good, who in this movie are practically powerless and rather bossy, even though they obviously could offer a lot more help, or at least appreciation for the heroes' plight. Add in villains who are more-or-less unopposed and a lousy ending ("Okay, fight's done. We're leaving you to mourn alone. See you in 500 years when we'll start the whole mess over again.") and I was really annoyed. Admittedly, I was spoiled by watching Luke Skywalker save the day by coming up with a third option, instead of either "Join the Sith" or "Kill Vader (who we swear killed your father) on sight". This one definitely needed the "Girl in Lover's Lane" treatment. I will say that Mike, Kevin & Bill did a fine job with the riffing. I had no problem with that.
As for the Originals, I really enjoyed "Manhunt in Space". Yeah, it's cheesy, but it's fun. And it provided a lot of good material for riffing. I also enjoyed the "General Hospital" short, though I was again surprised that the presence of Roy Thinnes didn't inspire some "Invaders" riffs. The riffing was top notch, and the host segment with Mike as Winky is one of my all-time favorites.
Split decision this time. So, on to week 6. The Outsiders selection is..."CT: Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks"... -Or is it "Fronkensteen's Castle of Freaks"? ...and, for the Originals it's..."Tormented" (Show 414). -I swear it was a random drawing! I didn't plan on getting the actual next episode.
Stay tuned...
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Post by crowschmo on Jun 5, 2015 20:18:54 GMT -5
Tormented is one of my faves. The actual movie really isn't that bad by itself.
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 12, 2015 22:05:30 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 6.
"Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks" turned out pretty good. The riffing was great, especially a quip from Josh/J. Elvis referencing a certain job he once held. And I was surprised that they restrained themselves to only two "Wild Wild West" jokes. The host segment with Trace was pretty funny, and I consider the Breast Blimp the middle ground between Joel's umbrella in "City Limits" and the GorillaGram RT used for "Starship Troopers". The movie itself was pretty rotten, though. As painful as it was to see Michael Dunn in this dreck, at least the movie didn't have the sustained awfulness of "Ooozing Skull" had in week 3. One more thing: Count Frankenstein? Huh?
As for "Tormented", I'll agree with crowschmo that this was actually a pretty good movie. Unlike other BIG movies, it's more of a psychological thriller than a monster movie and it worked pretty well. There was a nicely tense atmosphere; I can easily see this story on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" or "The Whistler". (It went soooo well, didn't it, Tom?) I will say, though, that having Sandy be a little kid made for some pretty disturbing moments. The riffing was great, and I thought the host segments were good, too. As for the closing song, I once saw the "Star Wars" OT (pre-SE) as a marathon in a great, old-style theater, and I once saw Eps. 1-6 as a marathon at the 1997 "Star Wars" Celebration. But I have yet to see any of them at a drive-in. Sounds like a great idea, though.
So, here's what on for week 7. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for..."@midnight" (with Mike, Kevin & Bill)... -I've never seen this show, and I missed it when the guys were on. I hope it'll still be available on TFNWSRN's website. ...and for the Originals the selection is..."The Mole People" (Show 803). -John Agar. Ugh.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 19, 2015 23:06:21 GMT -5
So, let's review week 7.
"@midnight" was generally OK, though I have to agree with a poster in another thread who wrote that the humor was rather crude at times. There were several pretty funny spots, and the guys did a good job coming up with funny lines on the fly. That big puppet, though...(shudder). And I'm not sure if I'll watch this again, since I saw it on TFNWSRN's website and I'm not sure how long the shows remain archived. We'll see; I guess.
As for "The Mole People", it was pretty much typical Universal 50's sci-fi. Generally OK, though John Agar's all-encompassing smugness brought the score down a bit. Personally, I'd have preferred Prof. Baxter, "The Gesture Professor, to be the main character; he sounds a lot more interesting. The host segments were good, and the riffing was great, though I was a little surprised that the 'bots didn't reference "Rock Climbing" during the descent down, down, down into the underworld.
This one went OK. So, on to week 8. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Carnival of Souls" (w/ commentary by Mike)... -Do I have to pay extra for the rides at this carnival? ...and for the Originals the selection is..."Laserblast" (Show 706). -Ah, the thankfully overridden series finale.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 26, 2015 17:34:01 GMT -5
So, week 8, anyone?
"Carnival of Souls" is actually a good movie. It's not perfect, but it has a really creepy atmosphere that works very well. Now, the twist ending is kind of predictable, but it still works. As for Mike's commentary, it follows his pre-Rifftrax style of a mix between riffing and production trivia. He does a good job, and he's pretty informative. I think there might also be an actual Rifftrax commentary available for this movie; I'll have to check.
As for "Laserblast", yes, the 70's were that depressing-looking. The movie has an interesting basic idea, but the execution leaves much to be desired. And there are a lot of questions left open (like just what connection does the government have with the aliens, anyway?), but I'm not exactly up nights wondering over them. The riffing, of course, was great, and the host segments were great, as well. It would've been a great finale, though I'm glad it didn't have to be. Sad to see Trace leave, though. I still remember the chants of "Four more years!" for him at ConventioCon II.
Another good one this time. And, for week 9, the Outsiders selection is..."RT: Missile to the Moon"... - From the days of backyard spaceships with BIG levers. ...and for the Originals it's..."MST Alive!" - Featuring a good chunk of "World Without end".
Stay tuned...and is anyone actually reading these?
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 3, 2015 22:49:50 GMT -5
Okay, let's review week 9.
"Missile to the Moon" is a pretty bad movie (as was "Catwomen of the Moon", of which this movie is a remake, basically). In addition to the traditional BIG levers, meteorite storm, passive female lead and ineffectual male lead, there's the usual power struggle among the aliens, and even a guest appearance by that giant spider from "Gilligan's Island". The guys get a lot of good riffing out of this one, particularly how the shanghaied convicts are supposed to be "clever" and "too smart". And the menu screen of the DVD has a good song from Kevin. (By the way, this is another one I reviewed for Even Deeper Blurting. Interested in seeing it?)
And "MST Alive!" is both great and maddening. Great because the movie lends itself well to the fine riffing, and the cast Q&A afterwards was also good, especially Bridget's rendition of the "Wiener Man" song. It's maddening because the available fan copy only features less than half of "World Without End", and the audio can be iffy at times. I have no idea if a better, fuller copy is available somewhere; maybe Jim has one in all the archived BBI material. Anyway, this is one of those events where I'd like to get a functioning TARDIS and head back and see it first hand. Plus, I'd bring my cohorts from PCTV to make a good, full video copy. A man can dream, I guess...
So, this one worked OK. Onto week 10, where the Outsiders selection is..."CT: The Wasp Woman"... - Ever been stung by a dead wasp woman? ...and for the Originals its..."Master Ninja II" (Show 324). - wackachika-wackachika-wackachika MASTER NINJA THEME SONG!
We'll be right back...and keep those cards & letters coming in, folks.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 8, 2015 23:14:24 GMT -5
Time to review week 10. I'm doing this a bit early, for reasons you'll soon see. Anyway...
"The Wasp Woman", while pretty low grade, was an OK movie. It uses the same basic plot as "The Leech Woman", but it's faster and avoided offensive racial stereotypes. The riffing by the Titans was fine, though I figure they'd have tossed in a few "Mad Men" jokes, has they done this one a couple of years later. Two other notes on this one: first, this DVD had to have a big disclaimer on the front label, and both before and after the feature, noting that the movie had been altered in a non-Corman approved way. (Sheesh, Roger, take it easy.) And second, this was one of the featured movies (the other being "The Doll Squad") on CT's last live performance to date, on December 30, 2013 at the Keswick Theater. I was there and enjoyed the show a lot. I just wish they'd recorded it for posterity. Still, I remain firmly convinced they'll get back together for an encore or something. Just bring the video cameras, please; I'll pay extra to fund it.
Anyway, on the other hand, "Master Ninja II" was a tough ride. It wasn't offensive, just really bland. It was a wholly unremarkable TV action show for the period, with all the expected clichés. (I will admit that David McCallum gave it a decent try.) The riffing and the host segments were good, though. But the "movie" was just...there. Still, I can look on the bright side. David McCallum is current co-starring in a highly-popular TV show. George Lazenby's best movie has been rediscovered and finally given some real respect. Timothy Van Patten is now an acclaimed director of acclaimed TV series. And we prefer to remember Lee Van Cleef for his more enjoyable westerns.
Split decision this time. So, moving on to week 11. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for tomorrow night's presentation of..."RT Live: Sharknado 2- The Second One"... - I guess this will be SECOND TO NONE!
...and for the Originals, it's..."Fugitive Alien" (Show 310).
- Hahahahahahahahahahahaha I'M STUCK HERE!
Don't touch that dial...
Oh, a postscript: I also celebrated our nations birthday with a couple of RT shorts, "Patriotism" (starring Bob Crane) and "The Bill of Rights in Action" (starring some loner with a Hitler fixation).
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 17, 2015 21:21:24 GMT -5
Okay, let's look at week 11.
"Sharknado 2", as I noted on Satellite News, was ridiculous in ways that stagger the imagination. But, it was still a pretty fun movie, in its way. I guess it was pretty much what I expected it would be. One interesting point: I noted to a couple of people I know that, considering the way the Mayor of New York puts the full resources of the city under Fin's authority just because he seems to know what he's doing made me realize that, in a way, "Sharknado 2" is a really strange, Americanized episode of "Doctor Who". As for the short, "Parents: Who Needs Them" was perfect riff fodder. I wonder if the kid's puppet was any relation to the notorious Mr. Bumble. The riffing by Mike, Kevin & Bill was great, as always. And that they did it with the AC not working in the theater warrants them some extra praise.
As for "Fugitive Alien", this is one of the best eps from the series. The riffing is great, the host segments were funny, the movie was off-the-wall, and we got to see "Jack Perkins" for the first time.
Good results this time. So, what's coming up for week 12? Well, for the Outsiders, the selection is..."Reefer Madness (Mike-Only Version)... - So, is this now Colorado's official state movie? ...and, for the Originals, it's..."The Undead" (Show 806). - STAY!!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 24, 2015 23:59:17 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late, folks (assuming anyone is reading this). Anyway, week 12...
"Reefer Madness" is one of those movies that, it seems, everyone has riffed on. I remember watching Cheech & Chong joke about it in "It Came From Hollywood", one of several MST3K antecedents. And there is much to riff about, from the effects of the "marihuana" (I understand the current theory is they're actually smoking crystal meth) to the middle-aged "teenagers" to the stiff, repressed Woodrow Wilson-ish voice of authority. Like the previously noted "Carnival of Souls", Mike's solo work is both riffing and trivia commentary, though its balanced more on the riffing side. Fun stuff.
As for "The Undead", it has an interesting premise, being a rip-off of the Bridey Murphy thing (which was also the source of a great Stan Freberg routine, "The Search for Bridey Hammerschlagen"). And Roger Corman does put in some good atmosphere, plus the female leads are...somewhat attractive. Still, the Devil, while crafty, looks pretty comical. In addition, Quintas nearly reaches John Agar levels of smugness, while Pendragon, our so-called hero, is excessively dim. Good idea, but the result was lacking. The episode was fine though, with great riffing. I thought the intro, with Mike brooding, was well done. The host segments were funny, with the lovely & talented Bridget as Livia, Servo channeling Harpo and Curly, and the musical stylings of Smolken.
Good selections this time. So, on to week 13. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Who Done It?"... -Featuring Abbott & Costello, with commentary by Frank. ...and for the Originals, it's..."Mystery Science Theater Hour Host Segments (Disc 2)". -Featuring "Jack Perkins".
Don't touch that dial...
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