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Post by kmorgan on Jul 7, 2017 11:53:34 GMT -5
Well, now I'm early, but there's a reason for it.
I'll review week 113 later on. Right now, I'm a bit pressed for time, so I'm posting the selections for week 114. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."RT: Shorts-a-Poppin" (2nd half)... - Does Fruit of the Loom actually make poppin' shorts? ...and for the Originals, I'm going outside both the rotation and the new episodes for..."MST3K Live: 'Watch Out for Snakes' Tour". - I'm going to tonight's "Secret Surprise Film" show at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA. Hence the haste in posting.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 14, 2017 21:13:23 GMT -5
Whew! I've got two weeks to review. Well, here's how weeks 113 and 114 went.
For 113, "Plan 9" was..."Plan 9". What more can one say? This time, I watched the version with just Mike commenting. At this point, pre-RT, he was still putting in occasional bits of trivia along with the riffs. It turned out OK, though I was uncomfortable with the references to Bela's sad drug problems. The later version from RT cut down on those. As for "The Christmas that Almost Wasn't", I promise I'll get to it in the dedicated board. ("Yeah, Ken, and the check is in the mail.") Here, I'll just say it didn't get me in the Yuletide spirit.
And for 114, "Shorts-a-Poppin'" was great stuff. Once again, Mike, Kevin & Bill do particularly well with the shorts. This bunch included "Molly Grows Up", about a girl's first period (I felt like I should've been in another classroom watching "Why Study Industrial Arts?"), "The Bill of Rights in Action", about freedom of speech (I watched it earlier on July 4th, after "1776"), "The Tale of Moose Baby", about a young moose growing up (I wondered if I'd switched to Animal Planet), and "The Following Directions Game", with a kid learning how to remember instructions (I was surprised the guys didn't notice Hal Smith, alias Otis Campbell, in this one). And the MST3K Live show turned out great. I'll post details over in the dedicated thread, for those who still don't know what the SSF is. I will say that it was a great choice. One can only hope they'll keep it on mind for Season 12.
Well, good results for the last two weeks, I thought. So, let's move on to week 115. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."RT: Road House (3-Riffer Version)"... - I think pain's going to start hurting. ...and, for the Originals, we'll finish up the new season with..."At the Earth's Core" (Show 114)". - Hi, I'm Doug McClure, and I'm co-starring with Peter Cushing.
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 23, 2017 19:25:04 GMT -5
Sorry, running late again.
The 3-Riffer version of "Road House" is an improvement over the Mike-only version. The way the guys play off each other makes things much funnier. Personally, I figure "Road House" would be a good candidate for some future live show, though they'd have to do a bit of editing. As for the movie, what more needs to be said? Let's just hope nobody gets the bright idea to remake or reboot it; it's perfect as is.
As for "At the Earth's Core", I'll post on the dedicated thread. I'll just say here that I thought it work OK, for the most part.
Seemed pretty much OK this time. So, on to week 116. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Return to Eden Prairie (Pt. 1)"... - For all you history buffs out there. ...and for the Originals, I'm going outside the rotation again. Since I just finished the newest episodes, I'm going back to..."Invaders from the Deep" (Show K-01). - When an unsuspecting world first saw the SOL.
So, does anyone else use these selections? Just asking...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 30, 2017 11:44:08 GMT -5
My sense of timing has not improved lately. Anyway...
"Return to Eden Prairie (Pt. 1)" is part of an extensive documentary on the show from Shout's 25th Anniversary DVD set. It features Beez, Patrick and Jef Maynard talking about their time on the original show, and how they managed to do so much on a small set and with limited resources. It's actually very interesting. I'm very glad Shout & Ballyhoo put these segments together. One can only hope they'll do something similar for the Relaunch.
As for "Invaders from the Deep", I got a copy of this for backing the Relaunch. I wanted to wait until I'd seen the new season before watching it. I had a couple of problems accessing it (Do I sign in? What's my password?), but I eventually got it going. (By the way, is there a way I can download and save a copy on my computer? Anybody know?) The "movie" is just four episodes of "Stingray" stitched together, with really cheap title graphics added. It's OK, as long as you don't mind the juvenile focus and the visible wires. But there are some good models and cool explosions. It's not "Thunderbirds", but I liked it. As for the episode, it was interesting to see the show in such an early stage. The riffs are rather sparse, they're ad-libbed, and only Crow (played by Josh!) joins Joel (who's eating & drinking in the theater!). Still, they do get some good riffs in. The host segs, as Joel handles a foamy illness on the ship, were OK, in general. And I liked that they left in the "Place Commercial Here" cards during the breaks. Nice to know they saved this; would that the BBC had been as thoughtful.
Well, two good ones this time. So, on we go to week 117. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Kevin & Mike 'Entertainment Weekly' On-Line Interview (1998)"... - A long but perfectly descriptive title. ...and for the Originals, I'm going outside the rotation again for..."Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars" (Show K-02). - Pull the strings! Pull the strings!
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 4, 2017 22:37:50 GMT -5
Well, I'm not late, anyway. Anyone else keeping track?
The interview with Mike & Kevin was new to me. I got it, along with several CDs of MST3K-related audio segments, from Cheepnis a while back. In this one, recorded just when Season 9 started, they talked about several subjects, including handing the cast changes, the reason they had little meddling from networks, and the hassles involved in making the movie. It ran just over 30 minutes, and I thought it was very interesting, especially Mike summing up exactly what they do on the show.
As for K-02, the "movie" is another patched-together Supermarionation effort. This one is taken from the edgier "Captain Scarlet" series, where the puppets were more lifelike, and got killed on occasion. The episodes are better linked than in the "Stingray" and "Space:1999" pseudo-movies, so it least seems a bit of an improvement. As for the experiment, Servo finally shows up, though he still doesn't have his usual voice, while Trace handles Crow for the first time in the series proper. The riffs are still few and far between, but there are more of them. The host segments have a Thanksgiving theme, but it'd be a while before they'd really tackle that subject. It's still not quite there, but I thought it made for good viewing.
Well, that turned out pretty well. I'm currently on vacation, but I still think I can fit week 118 into my schedule. So, the Outsiders selection is..."RT Live: MST3K Reunion Show"... - Featuring our past alumni, and the new guy. ...and the Original selection is..."The Leech Woman" (Show 802). - JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!
We'll be right back..
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 12, 2017 15:10:00 GMT -5
Well, let's look at week 119. I took a little time from my vacation at my Ancestral Home to keep up. Anyway...
The RT MST Reunion was a real blast when I first saw it, and it remains one now. It was great to get so many of the gang back together, and focusing on shorts was a good move. The shorts, themselves, were well-chosen (though I'm not sure why they didn't use the full, uncut version of "Shake Hands with Danger") and provided great riffing material. All in all, it turned out very well.
As for "Leech Woman", the movie is surprisingly nasty. It's tough to tell who we're meant to root for since pretty much everyone is playing an angle or ends up doing something bad. (Okay, maybe Malla gets a pass.) Add in the stereotypes and the real Africa/Hollywood Africa dueling footage, and you've got a fairly competently-made but very riffable movie. The riffing was great, though they did go a little overboard with "JED!". The host segs were funny, though it seems almost quaint to see Bobo seem intelligent and sophisticated. I do have to wonder what ever happened to the prairie dogs and the beefalo. By the way, does anyone else think that "The Leech Woman" and "The Wasp Woman" would make a great double feature? (Riffed, of course.)
Well, that turned out OK. Let's move along to week 119. I'm heading home tomorrow, but I can still fit this into my schedule (once I address the mountain of work on my desk). Anyway, the Outsiders selection is..."Paul & Mary Jo on NPR"... - Just a few short commentaries during the inter-series period. ...while the Original selection is... "King Dinosar" (Show 210). - Joey the Lemur? NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Over to you...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 17, 2017 11:34:47 GMT -5
I'm posting early on somewhat on the run this time. I'll explain:
For week 120, the away-from-rotation Outsiders selection is..."RT Live: The Five Doctors" (which happens tonight)... - Reverse the polarity of the somethingorother. ...while the Originals selection is..."Swamp Diamonds" (Show 503). - I like Connors, but do I want to "Touch" Connors?
I'll be right back to get caught up...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 28, 2017 19:58:04 GMT -5
Yes, I'm very late. My apologies; I was celebrating my Mom's birthday this weekend. Anyway, let's get caught up.
For week 119, the NPR segments were actually pretty good. Most lasted around four minutes, with the last running nearly ten. Paul had one segment (where he was billed under his real name) where he talked about how baseball stadium names reflect a problem with current society in general, while Mary Jo had four segments: three on her life after MST3K (and all featured in her book) and one where she was one of several commentators on memories evoked by cigarette smoke. They were all good; I just wish they'd done more of them. As for "King Dinosaur", the short ("X Marks the Spot") was good and, I believe, filmed not far from my NJ home. The main movie, though, was pretty boring, and not recommended for animal rights supporters. And can someone tell me why exactly they needed to nuke the island? The riffing was good, though, but I can't get through "Joey the Lemur" all at once.
For week 120, I was concerned over how RT could effectively riff an episode of "Doctor Who" that would make no sense to non-fans. But, they did a great job, though with a couple of slow spots. They stayed focused on the cheesy stuff (like Sarah Jane and the "cliff") and didn't worry about fan arguments over canonicity. The short, the British-made "Play Safe' is pretty much "Shake Hands with Danger" for English kids and provided great riff material. And I also liked the pre-show title cards (though the slam on Sylvester McCoy was unexpected). As for "Swamp Diamonds", the short, "What to Do on a Date", is one of the best ones, and the host segments it inspires are also funny. (That last brush-off did hot close to home for me, though.) "Swamp Diamonds" had a moody title sequence, good work from Beverly Garland, and strong female characters. It also featured a fair amount of padding, and a story that got real slow in spots. Both Mike Connors and Corman have been in better projects.
Well, I guess we should move on to week 121, for those playing at home. For the Outsiders selection, we have..."Movie Sign with the Mads: 'Ed Wood'"... - No, they aren't riffing on it. ...and the Originals selection is..."City Limits" (Show 403). - Starring KIM CATRALL and...other people.
Keep those cards & letters coming in, folks.
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 6, 2017 7:22:44 GMT -5
Sorry, I'm very late this week. The holiday weekend threw me off. Anyway...
I'd heard of "Movie Sign with the Mads" for a while, but this was the first time I'd actually sat down and listened to an episode beginning to end. I thought it was very interesting. While Trace & Frank and Carolina Hidalgo talk about "Ed Wood" the movie, they also talk a lot about Ed Wood, the filmmaker. While acknowledging his faults and failings, they have both respect and affection for his efforts and spirit. While they agree that his movies are certainly riffable, the felt the movies had more of a soul than a lot of current blockbusters. I can go along with that.
As for "City Limits", I think the potential for a good movie was there. It just came out as a pretty bad flick. Still...KIM CATRALL. The episode was very good, with fine riffing. I am a bit surprised that no producers have actually made a movie based on one of the "superheroes" the guys came up with. (So, would Absorbine Sr. be part of the MCU or the DCU?) And Mike is hilarious as the terminally depressed Morissey.
Two good ones for week 121. Now, let's move on to week 122. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."TCM Podcast w/ Joel (9/2013)"... - So, when does Joel get to co-host "The Essentials"? ...and the Originals selection is..."The Brain that Wouldn't Die" (Show 513). - Mike's baptism of cheese.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 17, 2017 0:40:53 GMT -5
Oh, boy. I'm really late this time. There are reasons for this, but I won't go into them. Anyway, week 122.
The TCM Podcast with Joel is from 2013. It runs about 20 minutes and it turned out quite well. Joel talks about the show's beginnings, as well as the movies he enjoyed growing up, like musicals and Jerry Lewis comedies. One interesting point is that this was recorded around the time CT was finishing up and he was touring with his "Riffing Myself" one-man slide show. By the way, I saw that show a couple of times and I really enjoyed it. I just hope somebody recorded it. (Hey, I come from a long line of savers.)
As for "Brain that Wouldn't Die", it was a good choice for Mike's initial experiment. There's good riffing material, particularly how things get sleazy and misogynist when our "hero" looks for a replacement body for Jan. Oddly, Jan gets some female empowerment when she's decapitated. Is there some message there? The riffing was great, of course. And the host segments were OK, though Mike's character hasn't quite developed yet. He seems kind of Joel-like at times. He'd settle in a few episodes later, though.
So, what do I do now? Week 122 turned out OK, but I'm now two weeks behind. I think I'll try and double things up for week 123/124. With any luck, I'll be back on track. So, for the Outsiders, our double feature is..."The Making of MST3K" and "Frank on KCAL (1995)"... - The first is the special they did for TSNWSRN. I haven't heard the second one in its entirety yet. ... and the Originals twosome is..."Radar Secret Service" (Show 520) and "Phase IV" (Show K-09). - These mutant ants are no problem. Thanks to RADAR!
Enjoy!
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 1, 2017 20:26:49 GMT -5
I'm not doing too well as far as keeping up with my schedule. I hope this isn't a problem for anyone who's keeping up with this. You are keeping up, right? Anyway, week 123/124...
"The Making of MST3K" is pretty good for a "behind the scenes" special. There are a few clips of the TFNWSRN era, but it primarily focuses on the show as it appeared on TSNWSRN. It includes comments from the cast & crew, as well as some camcorder shots of everyone at work. Fortunately, Penn Gillette doesn't narrate this one. The interview with Frank on station KCAL, Redlands, CA was OK. Broadcast around the time the Frank-less Season 7 was starting, it's from the stations morning show, featuring hosts who seem to have massive amounts of sugar and caffeine in their systems. Frank talks about MST, as well as a couple of then-new projects I'd never heard of: updated "Fractured Fairy Tales" for Disney Home Video, and an autobiographical book, TV Recovery. Anyone know anything about these?
Turning to the eps, "Radar Secret Service" is pretty slow, gray and routine. It's an OK time filler, though I agree with others that it's tough to tell the characters apart. Before the movie, though, there's "Last Clear Chance", one of the best shorts. The riffing is great in the short and OK for the movie. And the host segments are good, with Trooper Tom Servo's appearance just a little bit of a classic. I understand "Phase IV" is a fairly well-regarded 70's sci-fi movie, with good visuals and an intriguing plot. It was tough for me to tell, since I couldn't watch it. I have a heavy phobia/allergy to ants, so I did like I do during "The Incredible Melting Man" and pretty much just listened. Personally, I thought it wasn't as great as it's reputed to be. Just a bit too off-kilter for my tastes; I prefer my mutant ants very large and easily-killable with a flamethrower. The riffing was OK for a KTMA show, and I liked the host segments. And the Mads' appearance explained the later move to Deep 13: Old Leadbottom found out!
Well, I eventually got through those. Now, what do I do now? I'm not going to try doubling up again. So, let's just figure last week was a bye week and move in to week 125. The Outsiders selection is..."RT: The Guy from Harlem"... - I doubt this is about the Globetrotters. ...and the Orignals selection is..."Giant Gila Monster" (Show 402). - As Tom Baker said, "I love a knees-up!"
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 11, 2017 7:44:47 GMT -5
No, I didn't forget. I'm just still running late. Anyway...
"The Guy from Harlem" isn't just one of the worst Blaxploitation movies I've ever seen. It's one of the worst movies I've even seen, period. Poorly acted and shot, with a script that makes very little sense, it's a real mess. About the only bright spot is Harry, the amiable mobster who's got ONE answer to your TWO questions. The only thing that saves this movie is RT's treatment. The riffing is very funny, focusing largely on the inept production. I watched this on DVD, which also offered the guys introducing the movie, and later discussing it. I wouldn't mind them doing this sort of thing more often.
As for "Gila Monster", I remember back in the TFNWSRN days, when this would be run a lot. I mean, a whole lot. Still, it's not too bad a movie. Sure, the songs don't do much for me, but there are a few good moments. I've seen worse. The ep is a good one, with great riffing and good host segments. It also featured one of my favorite inventions: the Renaissance Fair punching bags. I watched this one from the 10.2 DVD, including the funny intro with instructions on disposing the now-unofficial disc for "mumblemumble vs. mumblemumble". Now, be honest, did anyone ditch those?
Well, week 125 turned out OK. So, on to week 126. The Outsiders selection is..."RT Live: Manos, the Hands of Fate"... - Oh, dear. ...while the Originals selection is..."The Screaming Skull" (Show 912). - Featuring Mickey, the kinder, gentler Torgo.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 15, 2017 19:57:40 GMT -5
Well, I'm getting better. So, week 126:
The RT Live version of "Manos" worked pretty well. We got two really good shorts: "Welcome back, Norman" (UUUUGGHHHHH!) and "At Your Fingertips: Cylinders", as well as a prune juice commercial. The re-riffing worked well, with the "trailer trash 'Twilight'" sketch a standout. I noticed that they used the uncut version of the movie, which provides more pain. The DVD, however, didn't include everything from the show. They didn't have the pre-show title cards (is there some site where those are archived?), or the "Manos 2" content that I understand they were forced to include. Regarding the latter, did you ever imagine that one day there'd be a dispute over who gets to do a sequel to "Manos"?
As for "Screaming Skull", it's a pretty effective movie at times. Yes, it's clear that the husband is trying to gaslight the mrs., but there was enough ghostly stuff before the finish to keep us wondering. Mickey, at least, wasn't as over-the-top creepy as some other similar characters, and the husband did drive a cool car with SHADO-style gull wing doors. Plus, "Robot Rumpus" was a pretty good short, and I agree it would've been nice to see more Gumby material. (One missed opportunity: when they first saw the words "A Gumby Adventure", somebody should've shouted, "My brain hurts!") The riffing was very good, and I liked the host segments, especially Mike vs. the SkullCrow. And you have to wonder if that coffin offer is still in effect.
Well, that turned out OK. One to week 127. The Outsiders selection is..."Joel & Mike NPR Interview (1992)"... - So that's what they did with our tax dollars! ...and the Originals selection is..."San Francisco International" (Show 614). - So, could I get bumped from this movie and get a free ticket later?
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 24, 2017 7:50:12 GMT -5
Late again, folks. My apologies.
Turning to week 127, the NPR interview with Joel & Mike was a rebroadcast of one recorded in 1992. It was re-aired on "Weekend Edition" on the morning before the (supposed) last episode was broadcast over TSNWSRN. It only lasts about 10 minutes, but it's pretty good. They talk about how the show is produced and its cult success. It was recorded when they were making the show with "Attack of the Giant Leeches", so we get to hear some behind-the-scenes audio of the writing. It's pretty good.
As for "San Francisco International", it's a typical TV pilot in every way. It's OK, basically, but not wonderful. I agree that Clu Gulagher's character is probably the best thing in the story. I wonder if the three episodes that were actually shown are available somewhere? As for the episode, the riffing is great, especially during the sequence where they talk Davey down. I do think they were too hard on David Hartman, though. The host segments with Mike as Urkel made a good point, but they went on too long. On balance, this was a good one.
Well, things turned out OK this time. So, on to week 128. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for..."The Mads are Back"... - They're live tonight in Bethlehem, PA. I just hope the weather isn't bad during my drive over there. ...and the Originals selection is..."Time of the Apes" (Show 306). - So, why doesn't Johnny care?
Is anybody actually reading these?
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
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Post by Torgo on Oct 24, 2017 15:59:31 GMT -5
Yes indeed! Keep 'em coming!
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