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Post by kmorgan on Nov 21, 2018 22:26:09 GMT -5
Well, everything worked for week 181, so let's review...
The "NPR Farewell to MST3K" sounds like it was from "All Things Considered", but I'm not sure. It runs around 10 minutes, and mainly features bits from a 1992 interview with Joel & Mike, plus some audio as they wrote the riffs for "Attack of the Giant Leeches". It turned out OK, and it was originally broadcast on the day the supposed last episode went out over TSNWSRN. I liked the guys answer to the question, "Will success spoil the show?" As for "Gammera the Invincible", they pretty much went the Raymond Burr/Godzilla route, but not as well. The American segments don't fit in as well and come off as a lot of needless filler. Brian Donlevy shows up as a general sort-of in charge of the situation, but he shows little of the bullheaded conviction he had as Prof. Quatermass. This version seems to cut some of the stuff with Kenny (who's called Toshio, as he was in the Japanese original), and General Curley is eliminated in favor of news scenes with Dick O'Neil as a different, ineffectual USAF officer. And Gamera doesn't let the extra "m" effect his performance. I thought the riffing was good, though I was surprised they didn't wonder why Kenny's name was different. An odd thing I noticed some other RT offerings is that the movie is cut by about five or ten minutes for unclear reasons. In this case, this version had a scene with Alan Oppenheimer as the host of a panel discussion on Gamera. The scene might not have been really needed, but just imagine the patent papers riffs. Anybody know why the scenes were cut?
As for "Brute Man", the movie is dark, dreary and downbeat. The Creeper, while they try to humanize him a bit, is still a violent murderer. His victims don't make much of an impression. The cops are ineffectual and smug. And the shopkeeper should be kept away from weapons of any kind, lest he totally go nuts. I know there have been criticisms about this movie exploiting the unfortunate Rondo Hatton, and there may be grounds for them. I'm not going to say they shouldn't have featured the movie, though. I will say that, for a better and less exploitative Rondo Hatten movie, go with "The Pearl of Death", a Sherlock Holmes movie with Basil Rathbone. The short, "Chicken of Tomorrow", is one of the best ever featured on the show. And it looks like it was filmed right here in NJ! The riffing was great, and you can't help but notice Mike really crack up over the shopkeeper. The host segments were generally OK, with Paul doing a good job as smarmy Sandy.
I think this one turned out OK. So, let's look at Turkey Day. I can't do an actual marathon, since my holiday will also feature dinner, football, family, Bob Newhart, WKRP, Charlie Brown and a fair amount of driving. I am going to fit in four episodes (three random selections, one specifically chosen) and one Turkey Day special (specifically chosen). Got all that? OK, the special is..."Turkey Day Bumpers: 1991 & 1992"... - That's promos from the former and force-feeding from the latter. ...and the episodes are... "Project Moonbase" (Show 109)... - Misogyny IN SPACE! ... "Attack of the Giant Leeches" (Show 406)... - I promise it was random, even if I did just hear them write it. ... "Devil Fish" (Show 911)... - I KNOW!!! ... and the selected one, "Mac and Me" (Show 1201). - The Gauntlet begins...
I'll get to Week 182 tomorrow, when I get a moment.
Enjoy!
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 23, 2018 0:56:53 GMT -5
Okay, for week 182, the Outsiders selection is... "TV Wheel (TFNWSRN Version)"... - This is the one we saw right after "Laserblast". ...and, for the Originals, we'll continue to run the Gauntlet with..."Atlantic Rim" (Show 1202). - So, that leaves Artic, Indian and the one around Antarctica, right?
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 24, 2018 22:33:26 GMT -5
Boy, do I feel like an idiot. I forgot that tonight, November 24th, is the 30th anniversary of the KTMA premiere. So, I'm adding one more selection to week 182..."Invaders from the Deep" (Show K-01). - And so, it began.
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 29, 2018 23:24:58 GMT -5
Okay, first I think I'm going to buckle and just change the day for reviews/selections to Wednesday(ish). Hope this won't be a problem. Anyway, let's get caught up.
The '91/'92 Turkey Day bumpers weren't as extensive as the previous year, when the guests went to Deep 13 for Thanksgiving dinner. The '91 bumpers featured the guys on the S.O.L. (like Crow giving three different "Turkey Fact #12"s). While the '92 bumpers had Dr. F force-feeding Frank a whole movie-inspired turkey for each experiment in the 30-hour marathon. It turned out quite well, actually.
"Project Moonbase" is just full of unfortunate implications. The way the men hate and plot to humiliate Col. Briteis, while she is portrayed as a less-than-competent shrew sets my teeth on edge. And the whole marriage of convenience makes it worse. Oh, they do make a slight attempt at scientific accuracy, but they also make the Russkie spy terribly obvious. On the other hand, the "Radar Men from the Moon" segments at least provide some fast-paced action to balance out the deceptive editing. As far as the episode is concerned, the riffing is very good and I liked the host segments, especially the SPACOM commercial.
"Attack of the Giant Leeches" was OK as it tried to combine Southern-style melodrama with giant, apparently-radioactive monsters. Not my favorite movie, though; I'm not a big fan of leeches. The opening of "Undersea Kingdom" was OK, though not as good as the Commando Cody series. The riffing was OK, and I liked the "Danger to Ourself and Others" song.
"Devil Fish" was generally OK, providing an 80s take on the "giant sea monster created by mad science" genre (which actually exists, right?). I didn't like the way it treated women, though; the serial killer/enforcer wasn't necessary and I'm glad they reportedly cut down the scenes of him really at work. There was good riffing and I liked the reveal of just what those dolphins are up to.
Well, that's Turkey Day. Moving on to Week 182: The big difference in the HBO and TFNWSRN versions of "TV Wheel" is the latter includes opening & closing segments of Joel explaining the premise and showing test footage of the X-Box prototype. (I really hope Joel gets royalties for the use of the name.) These segments are funny, informative and nicely low-tech, plus they introduce the audience to the concept of a puppet uprising. As for the show itself, it taught me never to order from Vick Lawson's catalogue. And it's no surprise that TFNWSRN just had to have Penn Jillette talk over Joel's closing comments.
As for "Invaders from the Deep", the "movie" was goofy but fun. I've always been a Supermarionation fan, so I could enjoy it. The episode, being the first one (barring the pilot) has a number of differences from the show proper (Josh as Crow, no Mads, no Servo) that were dealt with pretty quickly. Yes, the riffs are sparse, but what's there is good. I'm glad Joel got this and K-02 released.
And as for the opening two parts of "The Gauntlet", I've commented on them on the Revival board. I can say that the common ground for "Mac and Me" and "Atlantic Rim" are that they're both really, really stupid.
Whew! That took a while! So, let's move on to week 183. As we enter the Holiday Season, I'm going outside the rotation for The Outsiders. And the selection is..."RT Live: Santa Claus"... - Help! Merlin! ...and for the Originals I'm going with another double feature, both from outside the normal rotation. It'll start with..."Revenge of the Mysterons from Mars" (Show K-02).. - I just feel like seeing the other part of the show's genesis. ...and we'll continue with the next installment of The Gauntlet, "Lords of the Deep" (Show 1203). - Is Troy Tempest in this one, too?
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! Feel free to let me know...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 6, 2018 23:29:38 GMT -5
So, how'd week 183 go?
The RT Live version of "Santa Claus" turned out quite well, I thought. They used the uncut version of the movie, giving us extended footage of doddering Merlin, a new scene with Vulcan (who doesn't wear an IDIC), and an extended version of Lupita's weird and doll-centered dream. It doesn't add to much, but it's OK. The movie is still a massively goofy take on Santa's legend, but I can accept it as apocrypha. And I kind of hope, years down the road, moral stalwart Lupita and hyper-competent Pedro got together and started running a homeless shelter. She provides the compassion, he provides the know-how. The riffing was great, and I liked Bill's "North Pole Guy" costume. And the "At Your Fingertips: Sugar" short was...interesting. And there's no way today's educators would allow it to be shown to kids. (I don't remember seeing it during my school days back in the idyllic 1970s.)
As for "Revenge of the Mysterons fro Mars", it opens with the same cheesy 80s-style video credits to make us think it's a "movie". It's more serious and adult than the "Stingray" movie, with bad guys winning at times and puppets getting killed. But it is well made and interesting, and creepy Capt. Black makes a quick but effective appearance. By the way, I'm sure one of the puppets bore a resemblance to a thin Larry Drake (a.k.a. Durant from "Darkman"), while another looked exactly like a G.I. Joe I used to have. Odd, Huh? The riffing, as par for early KTMA, could be pretty sparse, but what was there was funny. They're still developing things, but at least Servo (with a countrified voice) is there this time. And there are some nice Thanksgiving references. As for "Lords of the Deep", see my comments on the Gaunlet dedicated board.
So, where to in week 184? For the Outsiders, I'm sticking with the holiday theme and selecting..."RT Live: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"... - Any chance Marvin will ask Santa for an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator? ... and, for the originals, we'll continue with the Gauntlet and... "The Day Time Ended" (Show 1204). - Please, don't say it's "timey wimey".
Catch you later...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 14, 2018 7:56:46 GMT -5
Well, how has your Holiday Season been going? I've been very busy, which means that while I watch the selections, I get delayed in reporting on them. Anyway, week 184...
It's pretty impressive that RT's version of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" can be the third attempt (after MST3K and CT) of riffing the movie and still work out well. It helps that it's a good print of the full movie (well, "helps" is a relative term). As always, the riffing is good, with few obvious duplications. In addition, they take on the short, "Santa Claus and the Fairy Snow Queen", featuring the debuts of Mr. B-, sorry, Snoopy the Brownie (believe me, they're nearly interchangeable) and the Candy Lion (why didn't he get a Rankin-Bass special?). It's low budget and not very good; I kept wondering how the kids who saw this actually received it.
As for "The Day Time Ended", see my review on the Relaunch/Gauntlet board. It has its good points, but I'm still not sure what the heck was going on.
So, let's move on to week 185. For the Outsiders, the next Holiday selection is... "RT: Beyond Christmas"... - It's some kind of fantasy film, with riffing by Bridget & Mary Jo. I'll let you know. ... while the Originals continue with the Gaunlet with..."Killer Fish" (Show 1205). - Can I get tartar sauce with them?
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 21, 2018 3:42:36 GMT -5
And let's look at week 185.
"Beyond Christmas" (a.k.a. "Beyond Tomorrow") is technically a Christmas movie, since it starts with an important Christmas-set sequence. The rest of the movie takes place later in the year, hence "Beyond Christmas". Anyway, three wealthy industrialists (grumpy & business-like, old-fashioned & British, and happy & Irish) do a bit of an experiment which allows two unconnected young people to have a nice, happy Christmas with them. The two guests have a movie-appropriate whirlwind courtship, but then an unexpected event throws things off-track. Then, newfound fame for one of them results in fully-expected problems. And, once you're watching it, you'll probably see where it's headed. This is actually a pretty good, if quite standard, programmer. You'll spot the plot complications right away and, most likely, figure out how they're dealt with. But it's still a fairly pleasant story, though there are a couple of dark twists. But, given the era in which it was made, we know that the Hays Office will mandate that nearly everyone will live happily every after (except that one character whom, we're told, totally had it coming when...I digress). The riffing from Bridget & Mary Jo is great and, as always, they sound like they're really enjoying both the riffing and the movie, itself. (At the close, they actually say that they like the movie.) And they get to see favorite actor RICHARD CARLSON! This was last year's Christmas special from them, and it's well-worth pre-empting "Ironside" and "Dragnet 1969" for.
As for "Killer Fish", see my review on the Relaunch board. Suffice it to say, it's not really better, stronger, faster than any other flick.
Things went OK this time. So, it's on to week 186. We'll be continuing our Holiday Season offerings. For the Outsiders, we have the double feature of..."The RT Yule Log 2018" and "RT: Charlie's Christmas Secret"... - I hope I won't feel like tossing the latter onto the former. ... and, for the Originals, I'm taking a one-week break from The Gauntlet for..."Gamera" (Show K-05). - The KTMA gang celebrates the Yuletide with nutsy Kenny.
May your days be merry and bright...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 27, 2018 23:24:46 GMT -5
And now let's review week 186.
"The RT Yule Log" runs about 2 hrs. and 15 min. and there are a number of spots where, for a couple of minutes, we just see the logs burning in near silence. Fortunately, there are a lot of clips interspersed throughout the program, ranging from several different versions of "A Christmas Carol" to supposed Christmas movies like "Goodfellas" and "Die Hard". I was impressed that it isn't just a couple of minutes of burning logs looped over and over. We actually see the logs burn down, and Kevin actually walks over and puts more wood on the fire, contributing some interesting new lyrics to seasonal songs. And, near the end, there's a running audio gag where...no, I won't spoil it. All I'll say is I'm glad it's audio only. As for "Charlie's Christmas Secret", I'm told it was originally aired on TV by a network (either CBS or NBC) in an attempt to subvert ABC's "Afterschool Specials". The title character (played by a young Seth Green) is going through a bit of Holiday depression and he manages to find the true meaning of Christmas, as seen on TV. It's not too bad, actually, and it doesn't go to hard on the schmaltz. Yes, there are a couple of instances where you doubt how well Charlie's head is screwed on, but it's good-natured enough. Bridget & Mary Jo handle the riffing on this one, and they do their usual great job. I was a bit surprised that they didn't reference that other kid named Charlie who had trouble understanding Christmas.
As for "Gamera", it's a very unusual episode, even for a KTMA show. Joel handles the riffing alone, since Trace was away and Josh was only available for the host segments. There aren't as many jokes as usual, even for that era, but Joel does OK. The host segments feature a bit of a Christmas theme, as well as a couple of phone messages from fans (and another couple of scripted calls). Even today, I'm sorely tempted to call the number Joel puts up on the screen, just to see if anyone will answer. As for the movie, we see a bit more of it than was shown during the TFNWSRN version. But there's still psychotic Kenny overpowering everyone with his mad turtle obsession. Memorably, even-tempered Joel really loses patience with him.
Well, let's move on to week 187. We're going outside the rotation for the final selections of 2018. For the Outsiders selection, we have..."KTMA Melon Drop Special (1986)"... - Hosted by Bob Bagadonuts, who looks oddly familiar. ...and for the Originals, we'll close out both the year and the Gauntlet with..."Ator, the Fighting Eagle" (Show 1206). - Does he build a hang-glider in this one, too?
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 5, 2019 0:54:34 GMT -5
I'm still readjusting after the Holidays, thus I'm late again. At least I can't use that excuse again for another year. Anyway, week 187...
The "Melon Drop" special was a heck of a lot of fun, and I had a heck of a good time watching it. It runs about 1 hour and 40 minutes, and was sort-of live, with cut-aways to episodes of "The Best of 'Saturday Night Live'" (not included in the YouTube version). There were some great segments, including Bob's quick trip to an underwhelming "New York City", the new game show "Tow 'Em!", and live P.O.V. remotes to a semi-upscale party. They also included some segments that would get repeated the following year, like the great "15 Minutes" report on the Martians. All in all, I really enjoyed it, and Kevin did a great job as Bob. And I really have to thank CW 23 (KTMA's successor) for salvaging and posting it. Oh, and if you want to see it yourself, be advised: it's listed as the 1987 special. I list it as 1986 because, except for the last couple of minutes, that's the year it was broadcast.
As for "Ator", you can see my review on the dedicated board. In short: lousy movie, great riffing, memorable (in a good way) ending.
So, now that 2019 is rolling, let's move to week 188. And, for now, we're back to selections from the rotation. The Outsiders selection is..."Origins & Beyond at CONvergence 2009"... - Didn't make it to this con; glad somebody taped this. ...while the Originals selection is..."The Pumaman" (Show 903). - Or is it "The Pewmaman"?
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 13, 2019 0:39:14 GMT -5
Sorry to have kept you waiting. Anyway, week 188...
The CONvergence panel featured Joel, Frank and Mary Jo, which was appropriate since they were appearing with CT concurrent with the convention. It's the usual conventional panel presentation, with one camera and audio patched in from the room's sound system. (I work in TV, so I tend to concentrate on such things.) Joel spoke about the show's beginnings and inspirations, including his early reading of the "Psychotronic Video Guide", and the original plans for "You Are Here", the show's original format. He also gives Jim his due for his part in getting the show off the ground. Frank and Mary Jo offer their perspectives on how they first heard of the show, and the making of the TFNWSRN episodes. Even though I knew most of the info, it was still very interesting, with the audience Q&A providing some good material (like, "Why didn't you re-shoot the KTMA title sequence after Joel cut his hair?"). There's even some product placement for Sprite and DQ. You can find this segment as an extra on the "Devil Fish" DVD.
As for "Puma Man", what can I say? Not the worst superhero movie ever made ("Fantastic Argoman" is worse), but pretty bad. And I have to go along with those who consider Vandinho a better hero than the titular character. And who Okayed the inappropriate music score? The riffing was great, and the host segments were OK, though now I have to wonder if Tom Baker will be appearing in a Coatimundi Man movie. And I'd better listen to some Roger Whitaker music, just in case.
Two good ones this time. So, what's on tap for week 189. The Outsiders selection is..."The MST Scrapbook".. - Another look at how it all began. ... while the Originals selection is... "Bloodlust" (Show 607). - It's not actually a very dangerous game at all, really.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 20, 2019 3:08:16 GMT -5
Late again. I've been busy worrying about the winter storm and the sub-freezing temps following it. Anyway, week 189...
"The MST Scrapbook" is one of my favorite items. I remember first watching it at ConventioCon I. It's a great assembly of clips from KTMA, the beginning of BBI, the show itself, and the first live performance. It was later expanded to include material from Con I, as well as stills from the making of the movie. It's a great intro to the show, and I'd love to have a further expanded edition with even later material released (though the Ballyhoo documentaries have kind of done that). Oh, here's a trivia question for you: during the photos shown in the later edition, the music heard is from "Who Will I Kill?" and "Clown in the Sky". What music was used for the original, Con I version?
As for "Bloodlust", it's the 150,345th version of "Most Dangerous Game", though uncredited (as most of them are). I don't have to describe the plot, but this one pretty much depends on all the characters being total idiots. Plus there's a bit of gore, which is unusual for the time it was made. And it gets rather tedious at times. The short, "Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm", is better, though I can tell you from experience that, unlike what the short tells us, your average cow barn is not as clean as a hospital O.R. Those dung channels are there for a reason, folks. The riffing, though, was good and the host segments were OK, and we get to meet Pearl Forrester, before her promotion to Mad.
Well, those were Ok, I think. Let's move on to week 190. The Outsiders selection is... "Trace Beaulieu Skype Interview (2013)"... - Yep, that what it is. Found it on YouTube. ... and the Originals selection is... "MST Triple Decker". - All original hits! All original artists!
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 31, 2019 11:51:28 GMT -5
Boy, I'm very late with this one. The weather and other concerns threw me off-track. Sorry, folks.
The Skype interview with Trace was conducted by "Bird" from C.G.P. Productions, which I am unfamiliar with. We only see "Bird", not Trace, by the way. It's an OK interview, done while CT was still going. Trace talked about his time on the show, what he'd done since, and if he was still in touch with the cast & crew. "Bird" seemed, at times, to try and draw Trace into talking about more divisive subjects (like the dispute between Joel and Jim), but Trace took the high road and didn't get drawn in. The interview only lasted about twenty minutes, but it was OK. And Trace once again stressed an important lesson: never take the puppet home.
As for "Triple Decker", it's a BBI-made compilation of the "Play MST for Me" VHS tapes, featuring most of the songs from the show. While it includes the more prominent songs ("Patrick Swayze Christmas", "Toobular Boobular Joy"), it also features a few segments only marginally song-related (like the "Glorious Bomb" song when Bobo activates the Doomsday Bomb). A couple of more famous songs are missing (like "Idiot Control Now"), but I didn't mind. They also included Trace's funny intros to the first two collections. Not too bad of a collection, I thought.
OK, since I'm so late this time, I'm going to combine weeks 191 & 192, if you don't mind. Hope this isn't a problem. Anyway, our two Outsiders selections are..."Mike Rifftrax Interviews (April & June, 2006)"... - Once again, Mike doing audio-only PR. ... and "Night of the Living Dead" (Mike-only version)"... - Guess I'd better start nailing up the boards over the windows. ... while the two Originals selections are... "Hobgoblins (Show 907)"... - Any chance I can sneak out on this one, too? ... and "Girl's Town" (Show 601)." - Not recommended for those with a Paul Anka fixation.
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 16, 2019 22:12:08 GMT -5
I'm late, but there's an explanation.
First, let's run through weeks 191 & 192:
I was mistaken in my titling of the Mike interviews as being about RT. In fact, listening to them, I realize they were done pre-RT and possibly even pre-"Film Crew". In both of them, Mike talks about his books and his commentaries for Legend Films (one of which I'll get to in a moment). In the shorter interview for "Dead Pan", he also talked about responses to MSTing, his outlook for a revival of the show (he didn't think it'd work, due to the expense involved) and the advantages of making the show in Minnesota. The longer interview for "Jawbone Radio" was the problem. It was a good interview, with Mike talking about revisiting old episodes and the cancellation by TSNWSRN. But, at the 20 min. mark, when Mike was talking about his home theater set-up, my copy of the interview stopped working. I've been through this before (some players are finicky), so I tried several other CD players, only to have it cut out in the same spot. So, I ended up past deadline and with only a partial listening. In any case, I'll go with what I have. I'd rather not order a whole new copy of the audio collection, since most of them work fine. I suppose I could check and see if the original podcast is still archived somewhere. I'll see what I can do. Oh, and here's an interesting item: the intro for the "Jawbone Radio" spot explains that they recorded an interview with Mike some time previous, but the recording was accidentally deleted. Wonder if there's a curse involved.
As for "Night of the Living Dead", the movie is not a big favorite of mine (the characters are just too rock stupid at times), but I recognize its place in cinema history. Mike's commentary, as usual in this period, is somewhere between a normal commentary and riffing. It's quite listenable, though I didn't try the different recipes for a zombie cocktail he lists.
"Hobgoblins" is just one awful movie. And the fact that it was obviously meant as a spoof or sorts doesn't help too much. The humans are too stupid, and the monsters are just as bad, if somewhat more cuddly-seeming. And, for Pete's sake, why didn't the guard just blow the basted things up right after they landed, or soon after? Maybe I shouldn't think about such things, too much. I will say that the riffing was great, and took some of the pain away. The host segments were good, especially Crow's documentary on these "women" people keep talking about, and the cardboard cut-outs.
"Girl's Town" was a better movie, by comparison. It has a more polished look, and it tries to provide something of a moral. And there's Mamie Van Doren, of course. On the other hand, Mel Torme as a tough hood? And the way they deal with a nearly-deranged stalker is somewhat questionable, let's say. Another great job at riffing, though. The host segments were OK, with the introduction of the Umbilicus (or whatever it's called in later episodes).
Well, due to the delay, I'm combining weeks 193 & 194. I hope I won't have to do this again; cross your fingers. Anyway, the Outsiders selections are..."Joel & Trace Interview (1993)"... - I know for a fact this one works. ... and "RT: She". - Bridget & Mary Jo riff on 'She Who Is Not Ursula Andress'. ...while the Originals selections are... "Space Munity" (Show 820)... - I'd better stay away from railings this week. ... and "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" (Show 822). - I'm shocked! Shocked! That I selected this one.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 23, 2019 23:18:41 GMT -5
I'm...not late. Well, not much, anyway. So, let's look at Weeks 193 & 194.
Starting with the Outsiders, the Joel & Trace interview is one of the earlier ones I've heard. Made during Season 3, and from 1992 and not 1993, as previously noted, the guys talk about some of the usual subjects. These include the advantages of working in Eden Prairie, favorite episodes, and riffing off the job. The interviewers (whom I'm not familiar with, I'll have to double-check) also ask if the guys were influenced by other horror movie hosts, and the movie selection process. They try to ask Joel about his stand-up days, but Joel isn't really interested in the subject. Lasting around 50 minutes, it's a good interview, and my copy has a couple of interesting features. It's something of a raw audio copy, as it starts as the hosts are placing the phone call and waiting for the guys to arrive, and it includes part of an interview they did with Gilbert Gottfried, who was doing movie hosting on USA Network at the time. (Oh, those were the days. "Night Flight" and "Commander USA".) As for "She", is a riff on the 1935 version of the story, rather than the more famous Hammer version from the 60s with Ursula Andress. It features Nigel Bruce (without Rathbone) and Randolph Scott (without cowboys). The movie isn't as polished as the later version, and there are a lot of plot problems. The problem I have in reviewing it is that RT has cut the movie down by at least 10 minutes, and I'm not sure why. I will say that the riffing by Bridget & Mary Jo is great, as always, with them clearly enjoying themselves. I was surprised that there were no Sherlock Holmes riffs directed at Bruce, but they make up for that during the actual Holmes movies they riff on. Very funny stuff.
As for the Originals, what can I say about "Space Mutiny" and "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"? Two of the best episodes from Season 9, and from the show in general. "Overdrawn" has an interesting idea, but with an execution that's greatly lacking (like the "Doctor Who"/Davison Era VFX), while "Space Mutiny" is a real mess. Still both movies are watchable, and the riffing is top-notch.
Well, let's move on to week 195. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."X-Box R&D"... - No, it's not Joel playing a video game. ... and for the Originals, since tomorrow is Oscar night, I'm going outside the rotation for... "The Academy of Robot's Choice Awards Special", with the special added attraction of... "Monty Python's Flying Circus: The British Show Biz Awards". - At least these guys can settle on a host.
May I have the envelope, please?
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 2, 2019 23:31:11 GMT -5
Well, let's look at week 195, shall we?
The "X-Box R&D" is basically the prototype for Joel's later "TV Wheel" project. It features the X-Box program, along with a "making of" segment on how it was put together. The program, like "TV Wheel", was funny in parts and weird in parts, and not as polished as the later production, but it was worth watching. What really struck me was the "making of" footage. Particularly, seeing Joel & company putting the set together reminded me of the footage of the Brains putting up the original MST sets at BBI. And I was also impressed with how many of the cast & crew said they did the project mainly because Joel asked them to, or they wanted to work with him. That says a great deal for him, I'd say.
As for "The Academy of Robot's Choice Awards Special", I thought it turned out OK. It's better than the previous Oscar special in that they actually riff on the clips, including the "Titanic" riff that, alone, inspired RT's later take on it. I really enjoyed it, and wish they'd done (or would do) more Oscar preview specials. Unfortunately, it's always a toss-up on how well the filmmakers can take a joke. As for the Python episode, it was the last one of the third season (or series), and the last one with John Cleese, before his hiatus from the group. It's a good episode, with some hilarious work from Eric Idle as host "Dickie" Attenborough. There's also the "Oscar Wilde Sketch" and "The Dirty Vicar Sketch", both quite memorable. I've heard it rumored that Python's award spoof led to their being overlooked for later, real awards, but I have no idea if that's true. Can anybody confirm this?
So, with Oscar hoopla done, lets move on to week 196. The Outsiders selection is..."ConventioCon I Highlights"... - I'll be on the lookout for an average-looking guy in a slick PCTV jacket. ...while the Originals selection is..."Girl in Gold Boots" (Show 1002). - Hope I don't lose my pretty mind.
Stay tuned...
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