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Post by kmorgan on Jun 21, 2019 23:28:00 GMT -5
Let's look back at week 211, shall we? (And please let me know if anyone else is reading these posts.)
"The Giant of Marathon" is one of the lesser "sword & sandal" movies from the 50s & 60s. Steve Reeves plays Phillippides, a rather bland, non-demi-god who leads the Athenians against the Persians. It's fairly by-the-numbers, with all the usual archetypes (dark-haired bad girl, blonde-haired good girl, evil traitorous official, semi-evil traitorous official). There's action, but it's not as well staged as in other such movies. It's generally OK, but not as good as the Hercules movies. The Film Crew does a good job, though. The riffing is fine, with a lot of focus on the movie's heavy emphasis on big men in white diapers fighting/swimming/practicing/etc. The mid-movie sketch, with Bill using lunch to explain the battle, was good. The DVDs extras include Mike's less-than-successful apologies for certain comments, and Mike providing some commentary as a lesser member of the movie's cast.
"Escape 2000", meanwhile, is one of the many dystopian we ended up with after "Mad Max" was made. It's another by-the-numbers movie, with the usual cruel & fascistic baddies and the "heroes" who aren't exactly heavily moral. Watching the movie, you get the feeling that it'd be a lot easier for the baddies to actually arrange for real home in New Mexico, rather than just erase the populace. I will say that Henry Silva does OK as one of the big villains, and Dablone/Toblerone is a real highlight among the characters. I understand this movie is a sequel to another movie, but I'm not eager to track it down. The riffing is good, of course. The host segments were OK, with the SOL in flames twice, the mercifully-brief appearance of TimmyBobbyRusty, and the nice bit with Clay putting Pearl in a home. It's not the best from Season 7, but it was OK.
Well, let's move along to week 212. The Outsiders selection is... "Post-screening Q&A (with Joel & the new cast)"... - This was a Kickstarter video after the premiere of Season 11, and I hope I can get the video to run properly over the website. I'll let you know if there's a last minute substitution. ... and the Originals selection is... "Zombie Nightmare" (Show 604). - I'll have to check if there's a Twist 'n Crème nearby.
Please stand by...
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 30, 2019 19:11:36 GMT -5
OK, time to look at week 212.
I was a bit worried re: the "Post-Screening Q&A". It was offered as a bonus for Kickstarter supporters, but only via the website, like the release of shows K-01 and K-02. I was unsure whether or not I could still access it. (I'm old-fashioned in that I prefer to have an actual backup copy in hand, preferably as physical media.) Anyway, after a couple of false starts, and a switch from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome, I got it to work. It's a very interesting session, with Joel, Jonah, Felicia, Hampton & Baron answering questions submitted by the fans. Some of the questions were submitted before "Reptilicus" was released and related to the show's continuity, so all they could answer was, "Keep watching". But they were clearly having a good time, and it was pretty fun. And, as a bonus, they actually answered the question I submitted. If you watch it, they refer to me by name, so you can watch it for yourself after the 30 min. mark, as I recall.
As for "Zombie Nightmare", that's one of the better shows from the late TFNWSRN period. The movie is pretty lousy, though I will say that Adam West gives it a good try as a crooked cop with a dark past. They do cut the gorier moments, though; fortunately, I really have no interest in how exactly the baseball-playing zombie kills Tia Carrere's character. And you have to wonder how the shockingly stupid victims managed to survive so long on their own before the zombie arrived. The riffing was great, with the expected "Batman" jokes. The host segments were good, particularly the expected "Batman"-themed sketch. This does bring up a question: Mike decides what movies the 'bots can & can't watch? I could understand that from Joel, but Mike? Well, doesn't matter too much, I guess.
So, let's move on to week 213. For the Outsiders, the selection is... "Mike & Bill 'TimmyBugHands' Interview"... - This is an audio feature promoting the late, lamented website. ... while the Originals selection is... "The Sidehackers" (Show 202). - This one burns my gut.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 1, 2019 7:57:34 GMT -5
Wait a minute. Wait a minute! WAIT A MINUTE!
I re-checked and it turns out that interview only lasts around 12 minutes, so I'm exercising my option for a second feature. So, for the additional Outsiders feature, I'm going outside the rotation for one of the latest additions to the roster... "RT: Dressed to Kill"... - Bridget & Mary Jo riff on the last Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes movie. It's a three-pipe problem. ... and, for Independence Day, I'll try and break out a couple of patriotic shorts between "1776" and Shep's "The Great American Fourth of July (and Other Disasters)".
Over to you...
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Post by monkeypretzel on Jul 1, 2019 18:37:30 GMT -5
OK, time to look at week 212.
I was a bit worried re: the "Post-Screening Q&A". It was offered as a bonus for Kickstarter supporters, but only via the website, like the release of shows K-01 and K-02. I was unsure whether or not I could still access it. (I'm old-fashioned in that I prefer to have an actual backup copy in hand, preferably as physical media.) Anyway, after a couple of false starts, and a switch from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome, I got it to work. It's a very interesting session, with Joel, Jonah, Felicia, Hampton & Baron answering questions submitted by the fans. Some of the questions were submitted before "Reptilicus" was released and related to the show's continuity, so all they could answer was, "Keep watching". But they were clearly having a good time, and it was pretty fun. And, as a bonus, they actually answered the question I submitted. If you watch it, they refer to me by name, so you can watch it for yourself after the 30 min. mark, as I recall.If I may, how did you access the episodes on VHX? I tried several weeks ago, but the link from the email I was sent when the episodes were released to backers now comes up as a 404 Not Found. It's not a big deal for the bonus episodes themselves, since I downloaded them a long time ago, but I would like to watch the Post-Screening Q&A again, and if there's a way of doing so without going back and forth in email with VHX I'd be appreciative.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 6, 2019 21:17:19 GMT -5
OK, time to look at week 212.
I was a bit worried re: the "Post-Screening Q&A". It was offered as a bonus for Kickstarter supporters, but only via the website, like the release of shows K-01 and K-02. I was unsure whether or not I could still access it. (I'm old-fashioned in that I prefer to have an actual backup copy in hand, preferably as physical media.) Anyway, after a couple of false starts, and a switch from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome, I got it to work. It's a very interesting session, with Joel, Jonah, Felicia, Hampton & Baron answering questions submitted by the fans. Some of the questions were submitted before "Reptilicus" was released and related to the show's continuity, so all they could answer was, "Keep watching". But they were clearly having a good time, and it was pretty fun. And, as a bonus, they actually answered the question I submitted. If you watch it, they refer to me by name, so you can watch it for yourself after the 30 min. mark, as I recall.If I may, how did you access the episodes on VHX? I tried several weeks ago, but the link from the email I was sent when the episodes were released to backers now comes up as a 404 Not Found. It's not a big deal for the bonus episodes themselves, since I downloaded them a long time ago, but I would like to watch the Post-Screening Q&A again, and if there's a way of doing so without going back and forth in email with VHX I'd be appreciative. Here's the site: mst3k.vhx.tv/videos/backerchat that I used. To sign in, you may have to request a temporary password. Also, it doesn't seem to work with Internet Explorer, but it worked OK with Google Chrome. By the way, how did you download the bonus shows? I'd like to download the Q&A, as well as K-01 and K-02, as backup copies on my computer. (And, I promise, no bootlegs.)
Give it a try. Hope it works out for you.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 6, 2019 22:03:38 GMT -5
Well, how did 213 go?
I saw a lot of Outsiders stuff during 213. First, the interview with Mike & Bill (on two separate phone lines) was from 5/2000 on "Ron & Fez". I'm pretty sure I actually sat and listened to the whole show in order to tape the 11 min. interview (if this is the one I'm thinking of). They talked about the TimmyBigHands name and what the website featured. It's a pretty basic intro, but it's pretty funny. And now I really want to read that rejected, 55-page scholarly paper about Ginger from "Gilligan's Island". As for "Dressed to Kill", it was the last of the Rathbone/Bruce movies. It only runs about 75 minutes, and it's not one of the best. Both Holmes and Watson are a bit off their game, and the mystery isn't that engaging. The movie does feature a good female antagonist (Patricia Morison as Mrs. Courtney), though. Bridget & Mary Jo do a great job with the riffing, with much focus on Watson's "assistance". And I celebrated Independence Day with "The Bill of Rights in Action" (celebrating our freedom to say really stupid & offensive things), "Patriotism" (celebrating our desire to improve our country, under Bob Crane's watchful eye), "What It Means to Be an American" (celebrating our early 50s interpretation of diversity of population, and fruit farms), and "As We Like It" (celebrating the perfect symbol of American society & success: beer).
As for "Sidehackers", this is one deeply unpleasant movie. I hadn't seen it in quite a while, and I'd forgotten how uncomfortable the violence and angry attitudes were. Plus, you can't help but wonder why Rommel would want to associate in any way with the obviously psychotic J.C. and his band of malcontents. He'd have been better off just fixing the bike and making an excuse to quickly leave town until that nut was long gone. And the downbeat, bleak ending doesn't help. Joel & the 'bots do a good job with the riffing, though. And Kevin was already starting to set up hos own interpretation of Servo. The first two host segments were OK (the Sidehacking song and terminology), but Mike's proto-Hexfield visit didn't quite work as well. It was weird to see Frank as someone other than TV's Frank, though.
So, let's move on to week 214. For the Outsiders, the selection is... "RT: Rifftrax Plays with Their Shorts (1st half)"... - Will I need to bleach them afterwards? ... while the Originals selection is... "Poopie II"... - We'll fix it in post. ... and since it only lasts around 30 minutes, I'm exercising my second feature option and going with... "Gamera vs. Zigra" (Show 316). - Break out the Cokes.
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 12, 2019 23:44:04 GMT -5
Time to look back on week 214.
"Rifftrax Plays with Their Shorts" is another great compilation. I did have one problem in that the first short in the 1st half, "What it Means to Be an American", is one of the ones I just saw on Independence Day. Fortunately, the DVD included an alternate riffing of the first five minutes of that short, so I watched that. As for the others, I learned that dating was an insanely complex ritual way back when ("Going Steady"), cars and lies are the key to being popular ("Understanding Your Ideals"), I can't really judge circuses, since I've never been to one in my life ("A Circus Wakes Up"), and every other driver on the road except me is psychotic ("Highway Mania").
"Poopie 2" is another good selection of bloopers, this time from Seasons 7 & 8. It features the expected blown lines, headless Servos, and other troubles. It also includes some outtakes from the "Poopie Parade of Values" infomercial. The only bad spot is the inclusion of a bit from the non-Turkey Day version of "Night of the Blood Beast", when Trace was actually injured. Not sure why that one was included.
As for "Gamera vs. Zigra", it's one of the goofier and more juvenile entries in the series, with Gamera (somehow) teaching us how to take care of the environment while burning up an alien spaceship/monster. Still, I don't get why these kiddie kaiju flicks show Gamera getting slashed up and bloody; it's pretty unpleasant. Well, at least this one has a different, non-psycho Kenny. The riffing is good, and I liked the host segments (Gamera guts notwithstanding), including Bridget's first series appearance.
That seemed to go well. So, what's on tap for week 215? For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for... "Blobfest 2019".. - Later today, I'll be in Phoenixville for the annual celebration. It's been announced that Joel will be putting in an appearance. .. while the Originals selection is... "Mad Monster" (Show 103). - Do they mean mad angry or mad crazy? I can't remember.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 19, 2019 22:35:22 GMT -5
Okay, let's review week 215...
Last Saturday, I got up early and started out for Phoenixville. Even though the movies I wanted to see weren't showing until much later, I had to get there early in order to get a parking space anywhere near the Colonial, since part of the street would be closed for the street fair and there would be a crowd. (Even Trace & Frank have joked about Phoenixville's parking situation.) Even with a slight bit of navigational error, I got there in time to park near the theater. After some breakfast in my car, I walked over to Phoenixville Public Library to kill time until the movies started. It was a relatively short walk, but it was uphill and it was getting hot, so I was a bit out of breath. Still, I did some reading and relaxed until around 1:30. Then, it was downhill to the theater for a 2:30 showing of "The Green Slime". I'd never seen it on the big screen, and it was unreeled in one of the Colonial's smaller, newer theaters. It's an OK movie, though it can get a bit goofy at times. Also, the leads suffer from testosterone poisoning, and the movie's theme song is really cool. (If you like, I can post my old DBNS review, for more details.) After the movie, I had more time to kill before the 8:00 double feature of "The Blob" and "Teenagers from Outer Space". So, I checked out the street fair (including lot of art vendors, a few video venders, a live band, and horror host Mr. Lobo). I got something to eat and, rather than just sit around, I figured I'd catch at least part of the 6:30 repeat of "The Green Slime". It's a good thing I did do that. To my surprise, Joel introduced the movie. He spoke well of it, and briefly talked about its use as the MST pilot. I then watched about an hour of the movie before heading over to the main theater for the double feature. There was a very good crowd there, and Joel got a big response. In addition to introducing each movie in turn, he told a brief story about how "The Blob" affected his later career. Also, with the help of Matt McGinness, he gave a preview of a couple of puppetry ideas they're planning for the upcoming live tour. (Joel has released some video of his work with Crow; it's been posted on Facebook.) And, since he figured that "Blob" fans are now a cult, he introduced the fans' new special greeting and secret handshake. As for the movies, "The Blob" starts slow but builds nicely; it's a good flick, in general. "Teenagers from Outer Space"...not so much. It all finished up a bit earlier than I expected, and I was rolling for home by around 11:30. All in all, I had a good time. I try to get out to Blobfest's Saturday showings every year. I don't have the guts to try the Friday night Run-Out.
As for "Mad Monster", it's not a particularly good movie. The plot is overly familiar, and they really didn't need to kill the kid, even off-screen. It also moves very slowly, even for a relatively short movie. George Zucco does OK as the vengeful scientist, but Bela Lugosi did much better in the very-similar "The Devil Bat" (which should be considered for Season 13). On the other hand, the second chapter of "Radar Men from the Moon" was fast-paced, unscientific fun. The episode itself was generally OK. You can tell that they're still adjusting the scripted riffs, and the rhythm is still in KTMA ad-lib mode. The host segments were good, with the great bit of Tom and the blender, and ServoCrowation. And both inventions involve real, open flames; Jonah & the 'bots would've been impressed.
One great event, and one OK experiment. Not too bad, I figure. So, let's move on to week 216. For the Outsiders, the selection is... "RT: Shorts-a-Poppin'" (1st half)... - What, they're made of popcorn or something? ... and, for the Originals, I'm going outside the rotation and commemorating Apollo 11 with... "Moon Zero Two" (Show 111). - I doubt Nixon will be calling during this one.
All systems go...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 28, 2019 0:21:46 GMT -5
Time to look at week 216.
"Shorts-a-Poppin'" is yet another good collection from RT. The included segments in the 1st half are "The Case of Tommy Tucker" (a town all but worships a safety-obsessed kid), "Shy Guy" (Darrin #1 tries to mix audio equipment and social contacts), a re-riff of "What About Juvenile Delinquency?" (about a gang which apparently follows Barry Allen), "You and Your Family" (a family swerves from reasonable to dysfunctional based on your opinion) and "Cork - Crashes and Curiosities" (IRISH SWEEP!!). Great riffing throughout.
As for "Moon Zero Two", I thought it was a pretty good movie. I agree with the idea that it varies in tone from hard SF to near-spoof, but I thought it worked. There was good production design, and they tried to be somewhat realistic in terms of science. The choice of a jazzy soundtrack was OK, and using orchestra hits to simulate sound effects in space was a good touch. And there's Catherine Schell, of course. It was a change of pace for Hammer, and I liked it. As for the episode, the riffing was good, though it still has the Season 1 half-script/half-ad lib rhythm. The host segments were OK, in general.
Well, that turned out OK. Moving on to week 217. For the Outsiders, the initial selection is..."Joel & Mike NPR Interview (1992)"... - A good use of public broadcasting. ... and, since this one only lasts around 10 minutes, I'm exercising my 2nd feature option with... "RT: Fist of Fury"... - Nobody doesn't like Bruce Lee! ... and the Originals selection is..."Kitten with a Whip" (Show 615). - I didn't know Ann-Margaret was an archaeologist.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 3, 2019 22:54:35 GMT -5
OK, I'm going to take a break from my annual vacation at my Ancestral Home to look at week 217.
As noted, the NPR interview with Joel & Mike is brief, but interesting. It was done during the making of "Attack of the Giant Leeches", and there's some audio of the riff writing. Joel also gives some background on the show's premise and how the riffs are composed. Mike offers additional details, and both answer the question, "Will success spoil MST3K?" It's well worth a listen.
As for "Fist of Fury" it's, I believe, the second of Bruce Lee's starring vehicles. To be blunt, Lee is the best thing in it. He demonstrates his charisma and fighting skill, and is just great. The plot is pretty familiar, though, as it goes through the usual cycle of revenge and counter-revenge, with Lee supposedly the one causing all the problems (he isn't, though). Throw in a highly ineffectual cop and a very tame romance, and there you go. And you have to winder about a martial arts school where only one student (Lee, of course) is in any way noteworthy. It's not a bad movie, but "Enter the Dragon" is better. I will say that Mike, Kevin & Bill do a great job with the riffing.
As for "Kitten with a Whip", I had a real problem. Yes, the riffing was fine. And, yes, Ann-Margaret is very attractive. But her character is such a total nutcase, and John Forsythe's character is such a weak-willed dunce, that it's tough to watch. Plus it basically develops into a hostage drama, and I usually don't like those type of stories (with the previously-noted exception of "The Inside Man" and the original "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three"). Plus the host segments are only generally OK. Not one of my preferred episodes, really.
Two good ones, one not-so-good. Oh, well. Let's see how week 218 turns out. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for..."RT: Farm Shorts"... - Well, I'm staying in farm country this week, so why not? ... and the Originals selection is..."Official MST3K Press Conference". - Crow & Tom face the fourth estate as the Netflix era begins.
Keep those cards & letters coming in, folks.
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 12, 2019 22:24:08 GMT -5
Sorry I'm bit late again. I'm getting back into the routine following my vacation. Anyway, week 218...
"RT: Farm Shorts" is not a formal collection, though it should be. It's five shorts that are based on farm livin'. One of them, "Farm Babies and Their Mothers", features Mike, Kevin & Bill and is, as they say, exactly what it says on the tin. It's OK, though the riffs are bit hard-edged at times. By comparison, the other four shorts feature Bridget & Mary Jo and cover a farm family in Wisconsin through a year, one short per season. They were filmed in 1968, and they struck a chord with me. Until I was 18, I and my family would spend our summers at my grandparents' farm, my Ancestral Home. These shorts reminded me a lot of my younger days. Add to this the usual great riffing, and fun attitudes, of Bridget & Mary Jo and these are now among my all-time favorite shorts. Oh, and I've since learned that there's another farm-related short ("Farm Animals", with the guys) that I'll add to the selection for next time.
As for the Press Conference, it was originally live-streamed on Facebook before the premiere on the Netflix episodes. After an awkward delay, covered by M. Waverly, Crow & Tom show up with their new voices and answer questions submitted by fans. (Okay, it's not the actual press. So?) The questions run the gamut from how they've kept themselves in good riffing shape during the hiatus, to their opinion of new guy Jonah, to how the production of "Earth vs. Soup" was coming along. The 'bots (well, Hampton & Baron) are ad-libbing throughout and are clearly having a good time. All in all, a pretty good Q&A.
That went well, I thought. And my vacation (including a drive-in double feature, harness racing, a tractor pull, the demolition derby, horse & pony pulls, and some peace & quiet) went well, too. So, let's move to week 219. The Outsiders selection is... "Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark"... - Well, that's show-biz. ... while the Originals selection is... "Jungle Goddess" (Show 203). - I'm in the mood for a char-broiled...you know the rest.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 15, 2019 10:03:23 GMT -5
I really need to get myself better organized. I'd completely forgotten that, tonight, I'm going away from the Outsiders rotation for... "RT Live: The Giant Spider Invasion". - The part of the Spider-Verse Marvel doesn't mention.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 19, 2019 21:30:36 GMT -5
Oops, is that the time? Sorry for the delay. Let's look at week 219.
"Hollywood After Dark" is a deeply cheap, deeply sleazy movie. The stripping scenes are off-putting, the characters (what few they are) are largely unsympathetic, the production values are low, and the story makes little sense. On the other hand, if the intent was to make Hollywood look pretty repellant, they succeeded admirably. Fortunately, the riffing is very good, and I liked the lunchtime meeting sketch. (Fortunately, I've never had to deal with "core competencies".) And I enjoyed the "Ode to Lunch" on the DVD.
As for the re-riff of "Giant Spider Invasion", I'm pretty sure the guys used the uncut version of the movie, providing even more glimpses into the highly dysfunctional world of the Kester family. And, in this movie, they dealt with a bit of brief on-screen toplessness by simply cutting to a wide shot of the stage & screen, far enough out that you couldn't really tell what was visible. The riffs were good, though, and they did a "PACKERS!" reprise. They also riffed on "Adventures in Telezonia", a marionette-heavy short that must be seen to be believed.
As for "Jungle Goddess", I thought this one turned out OK. The movie is low-grade and somewhat racist, but the presence of George Reeves is a plus. I thought the first part of "Phantom Creeps" was kind of talky, but Bela Lugosi is always watchable. The riffing was good, and I liked the host segments, particularly Mike's appearance as one of the White Devils. It is strange, though, to see Forrester experiment on himself rather than Frank, and they still hadn't gotten the Hexfield right. And, of course, this is the episode where the "Art Crow" joke was born.
All three features worked well, I thought. And at least I remembered the RT showing in time; I'm embarrassed that I briefly forgot about it. Anyway, let's move on to week 220. The Outsiders selection is..."Paul & Mary Jo on NPR"... - These are audio segments they did for the network. My tax dollars at work. ... and the Originals selection is... "Godzilla vs. Megalon" (Show 212). - Don't tell Toho about this!
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 26, 2019 20:50:18 GMT -5
Time to look back at week 220.
The NPR segments with Paul (billed under his real name) and Mary Jo each run around four minutes. Paul talks about his dissatisfaction with stadium and company names, while Mary Jo has three segments on her move away from MN to NYC. They're all pretty funny, and it was nice to hear their work outside of movie riffing. Paul's segment struck a particular chord with me. A few years ago, Rutgers Stadium, home of the Scarlet Knights football team, was re-named for High Point Solutions, a company that I'm still unfamiliar with that gave the University a bit of money and little else. Starting this year, though, the place is now named for an information technology firm: SHI Stadium. You can imagine the jokes that have started, and, if RU's record continues to be lackluster, it'll just get worse.
As for "Godzilla vs. Megalon", it seems this movie was originally supposed to be a vehicle for Jet Jaguar, but the G-Man was brought in when Toho figured JJ couldn't carry a movie alone. And it shows. Godzilla's more like a Special Guest Star than a lead character. In fact, the tone of this movie is closer to a Gamera flick than a Godzilla movie, what with the annoying kid and the near-comical monster fight. Not one of Godzilla's better efforts. The riffing is good, though I was surprised at the harsh slam on Linda McCartney. The host segments were good, especially the downright mean and very funny Orville Popcorn sketch. One thing: Crow, Corn is not a fruit. CORN IS GRASS!!
It worked out pretty good this time. So, on to week 221. The Outsiders selection is..."No Dialogue Necessary" (w/ Frank)... - It's a documentary about the making of "Beast of Yucca Flats". Maybe they'll explain the "flag on the moon". ... and the Originals selection is... "The Day the Earth Froze" (Show 422). - Where can I get a Sampo at this hour?
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 3, 2019 12:44:35 GMT -5
Sorry, Labor Day threw me off. So, let's look at week 221.
"No Dialogue Necessary" was a pretty interesting documentary. Along with Frank, it includes comments from filmmakers Bob Burns and Larry Blamire, and Lee Strosnider, one of the movie's editors. They talked about how, even though the movie was lousy, Coleman Francis was fairly well-prepared in terms of filmmaking. It seems he actually made the effort (they made note of the good Foley work), but the results weren't there. There was also talk about the out-of-place pre-title sequence, the post-production dubbing of everything, and the film's reception. Two points I particularly liked were a very atmospheric publicity head shot of Francis they used, and how the style of the narration echoed that of the movie. Nice touch, I thought.
As for "Day the Earth Froze", I agree that the movie itself is quite good. They obviously made a real effort to have decent production values, and there's some very imaginative filmmaking on display. I wouldn't mind seeing this one unriffed. And the fact that it is just plain goofy enough to allow for riffing doesn't detract from the experience. It's a very good example that a movie doesn't have to be bad to be MSTed. As for the "Here Comes the Circus" short, I don't think I've ever actually been to a circus, so I can't comment on accuracy. But it does provide good riffing material, even as it wastes the presence of Emmet Kelly. The riffing, of course, is great, especially the "He's a Failure" song. The host segments are good, as well. Even though there is a bit of fan division on the subject, I thought "Gypsy Rose Me" was good. Nice to see the character get the spotlight once in a while. And I'm sure somebody would be in the market for those Unhappy Meals.
We got another couple of good ones this time. So, let's move to week 222. (Or should that be Room 222?) Anyway, the Outsiders selection is... "RT: Road House (Mike-Only Version)"... - It's the first official Rifftrax, so let's be nice...until it's time not to be nice. ... and the Originals selection is... "Amazing Colossal Man" (Show 309). - So, this movie is one single cell, right?
Stay tuned...
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