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Post by kmorgan on Oct 31, 2015 0:34:43 GMT -5
So, let's review week 26.
"Tom Servo vs. Tom Servo" is from a panel at DragonCon 2010. The production has some limitations; it looks like it was cut down a bit and there's no crowd mic. However, those are overruled by Josh and Kevin. They talk about the evolution of Servo's character (including Beeper), as well as the show's evolution from KTMA to cable. They also touch on the fan's response to the show, and the home video-inspired rediscovery of Josh's episodes. Both are clearly enjoying the appearance, and it's a lot of fun for the viewer. And, they echo the line from the "Crow vs. Crow" video: DON'T TAKE THE PUPPET HOME.
On the other hand, the movie part of "Fire Maidens of Outer Space" is an utter slog. Slow and sexist, it is sooooooo boring. And the constant repeats of "Stranger in Paradise", while inspiring some TV commercial nostalgia, get old real fast. And don't get me started on the traditional meteorite storm, the levers, the weapons, etc. The host segments, though, are fine. We get to meet Crow's creepy doppelganger Timmy, see one of the Mads' better inventions (the Big Checkbook), and Joel gets a great moment of heroism. And the riffing somehow manages to make the lousy movie at least tolerable.
Closer to a split decision this time. So, it's week 27. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for Halloween with..."Rifftrax Live: Halloween Party"... - Will it be at Violet's house again? ...and the Originals selection is..."Agent for h.a.r.m." (Show 815). - Judo range?
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 6, 2015 21:13:44 GMT -5
Hey, I'm actually posting before the last minute. Huh. Anyway, week 27:
"Halloween Party" was originally featured as the opening short for the live "Anaconda" show. (Good riffing, deeply unpleasant movie.) It's only about 7 minutes, but it's very funny. It's also a nice reminder of Halloween was before they decided that jack-o-lanterns were ecologically unsound. Great riffing, too. (For the record, I considered also getting the new Halloween special RT just riffed on, but I really wasn't in the mood for Judd Hirsch as Dracula.) For the holiday, I also watched "The Night that Panicked America" (a TV-movie about the "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast), "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein".
As far as "Agent for h.a.r.m." is concerned, it narrowly edges out "Million Eyes of Su-Maru" as the worst spy movie MST ever did. In addition to the low budget and lousy script, I just couldn't get past how many times I'd seen Peter Mark Richman as a villain on 70's TV, and doing it better than as a hero in this one. Throw in the lack of real action and a downbeat ending, it's a real stinker. Watching it, you get the impression that h.a.r.m. (an really nonsensical acronym) gets all the personnel who were turned down by the CIA, the FBI, UNIT, OSI, IMF and CONTROL. The host sgements were great, featuring Mike's trial for being the Destroyer of Worlds. Crow's bleeped-up deposition and Bobo's devastating cross-examination of Observer are big highlights. And the riffing, once again, is great. A question: when Mike is engaging in extreme rice, he tries to shout, "Bazmatti!" Um, what?
Well, Halloween weekend went well. So, on to week 28. The Outsiders selection is..."CT: Blood of the Vampires"... - You're a little late, guys. ...and the Originals selection is..."Women of the Prehistoric Planet" (Show 104). - Hikeeba!!
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 13, 2015 23:47:15 GMT -5
And...week 28.
A while back, "Blood of the Vampires" was the first CT live show I saw. I went to Minneapolis and saw the Titans perform it at the State Theater. Great stuff and a great response. This DVD, though, is the studio version, which is also good, though I could've done without the swipes at religion and Christianity. Still, I've heard worse. As for the movie, I remember seeing it years ago on Channel 9, I believe, back when local TV stations still showed late movies. It hasn't improved. It's a Philippine-made horror flick that tosses in a lot of pretty disturbing themes for empty shock value. And let's not go into the casting, where white actors in blackface appear as black servants. The Titans get a lot of mileage out of that bit of racial insensitivity, and rightly so.
As for "Women of the Prehistoric Planet", I didn't realize until later that this was the second Wendell Corey movie I'd seen in two weeks; I promise it was a random selection. Anyway, while the movie at least features some reference to time and relativistic speeds, it's a real mess otherwise. With low budget effects, casual racism and sexism, some pretty silly sequences (like the dangerous crossing of the acid pool, with dry land only a few feet away), and a too-cute romance. The final twist of the story can be spotted a mile away, and the supposed comic relief of Paul Gilbert (the Hikeeba guy) is painful. Still, John Agar is in a supporting role, so his smugness is turned down a bit. The episode, though, is great. Actually recorded as the last show of Season 1, the guys have everything nearly down pat. The riffing is great, and Joel does some very funny interaction with the screen. There are also some good digs at Isaac Asimov, Mike's first appearance (voice only) on the show, and the show's first original song (outside of the theme), the jingle for "Clay and Lar's Flesh Barn". Good stuff.
That went well. So, week 29. The Outsiders selection is..."RT: Casablanca"... - Not starring Raul Julia. ...and the Originals selection is..."Deathstalker and the Warriors of Hell" (Show 703). - Back to the Ren Fest, guys.
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 20, 2015 21:28:30 GMT -5
So, how was week 29? Glad you asked.
"Casablanca" is, of course, one of the best movies ever made. With a great script & direction, a top notch cast, and a perfect ending. And the Rifftrax commentary doesn't detract from it. It's good that they acknowledge that it's a great movie right at the start. The jokes are good, but they don't really blast the movie. This one was a good experience, I'd say. Two thoughts, though. First, I don't mind them joking about a classic movie like "Casablanca". I have no problem with jokes being made about good movies. One of Carol Burnett's funniest sketches was a spoof of "Gone with the Wind", "Your Show of Shows" did a memorable takeoff on "From Here to Eternity, and SNL parodied both "Citizen Kane" and "It's a Wonderful Life". As long as it's within reason, it's not a big deal. Second, in the "Casablanca" riff, they threw in some harsh jokes about the "Star Wars" prequels. Yes, guys, I understand that you seem to hate anything George Lucas has done since, probably, "Last Crusade". May I suggest that you move on. (I'll admit that I'm biased, in that I enjoyed the Prequels and "Crystal Skull".)
As for "Deathstalker", it is not a great movie. In fact, I really didn't like it at all. The low budget and nonsensical plot didn't bother me that much. My problem was that, except for the wilderness girl who ran off to follow Deathstalker (and got killed for her trouble), I didn't like any of the characters. I thought they were all annoying (especially supposed-hero Deathstalker) and didn't care who won. Quite painful, in its way. The riffing was just good enough to make me continue watching. The Ren Fest host segments were funny, and I thought the Deep 13 segs ("CLAYTON! CLAYTON! CLAYTON!") were, too. One nice touch: check out Crow & Servo's nametags.
Split decision this time. And, on to week 30. For the Outsiders, since Monday is Nov. 23rd, I'm going outside the rotation for..."RT: Dr. Who and the Daleks"... -Please don't say "timey wimey". ...and the Originals selection is..."Mighty Jack" (Show 314). -I'm going to need a flow chart & notes for this one.
And I'll be doing extra selections for Turkey Day. Details to follow. Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 25, 2015 13:37:14 GMT -5
And let's look at week 30, shall we?
I may be a longtime Whovian (since the Tom Baker/Howard DaSilva shows), but I have no problem with "Dr. Who and the Daleks". Yes, they make a lot of changes, some good (Susan is a lot more self-assured) and some not-so-good (Barbara is a lot less self-assured), but the movie works OK. Peter Cushing is fine as the Doctor; makes me wish he'd been on the TV at some point. Roy Castle's Ian can be over-the-top annoying, but he got a couple of brave moments. In addition, this was the first time (sort-of) the show was in color, the matte paintings worked OK, and the did a passable job boiling down seven 24-minute episodes to less than 90 minutes of movie time. As for the RT version, the riffing was great. I liked Bill's initial inability to understand the whole non-canonical aspect of the movie, while the jabs at the Daleks (especially their voices) were welcome. Now, if they can get around to riffing on "Vengeance on Varos".
As for "Mighty Jack", I'm going to have to check if the original series is available in its entirety. That's probably the only way I'll know just what was going on. There was some decent action once in a while, and the VFX were passable for the era. But, on the whole, it's a mess. The episode, though, is top notch. The riffing was plentiful and very funny. The show opening was one of the best ones, and the other segments were good, finishing with one of the better songs, "Slow the Plot Down".
Two good ones this time. Now for Turkey Day. Unfortunately, I can't do a whole marathon on my own, nor can I watch Joel's marathon on-line as it happens. But, I can fit in three episodes and a couple of other things in between dinner, football, Charlie Brown, WKRP and visiting my niece. So, the two random selections are..."Gunslinger" (Show 511).. - Roger Corman flicks of the Old West! ...and "Touch of Satan" (Show 908)... - This is where the cranberry sauce lives. ...and, for the third movie, I'm going outside the rotation for..."Riding with Death (Show 814). - Turkey Volume Guessing Man strikes again!
And I'll also watch the segments from Joel's marathon from last year, as well as a segment from Shout's Vol. 31 on how the Turkey Day tradition developed. I'll also be posting something else tomorrow.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 27, 2015 22:51:58 GMT -5
Well, I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Mine turned out pretty well. So, how did my Turkey Day mini-marathon turn out?
"Gunslinger" should be complimented for having two strong, fairly independent female characters, both well-played by, respectively, Beverly Garland and Allison Hayes. And John Ireland does well as a slightly-sympathetic gunman, and the moody opening credits were OK. Beyond that, the movie is a very downbeat, low budget mess. Nice try, Corman, but no cigar. The riffs were good, providing some needed levity. And the host segments were also OK, particularly Servo breaking the laws of time, space and dimension.
"Touch of Satan" at least tried to have a dark, mysterious atmosphere. And Emby Mellay was quite attractive as Melissa. But, Jody is just too dim to be believed, even for a disaffected young person in the 1970's. The plot has too many loose ends, and we have yet another downbeat ending. The riffing was good, with some nice 70's jokes (though not as many as the next feature). The host segments were alright, though Steffi makes a very good impression. Shame she wasn't brought back for an encore. Then, again, with the revival on the way...hmmmm.
First, a "Riding with Death" anecdote or two. First, I watched "Gemini Man" back when it was first run, just like I watched "The Invisible Man" with David McCallum, the show it sprang from. I thought both were OK at the time, when I was a pre-teen. Second, there are two prints of "Riding with Death" floating around. There's the version MST3K featured, and there's another one with a different opening sequence (providing Sam's backstory), and no awkward flashbacks. I saw, and helped riff on, the latter version at Gateway 2000; I also understand it was released on VHS. Seek it, if you dare. Now, as for the "movie", it's bland and uninspired in the way that only the 1970's TV could provide. Take away the invisibility gimmick and you could plug this script into nearly any action/adventure show of the period, with the exact same supporting cast. The awkward way the episodes are linked is pretty embarrassing. And let's not talk about Jim Stafford's character. This one was painful. The riffing was spot on, and, being a child of the 70's, I could easily remember all the things referenced in the decade-centric jokes. I liked Mike vapor-locking again as he prepared the planet killer, and Turkey Volume Guessing Man was perfect for the day.
As for the extras, I liked Joel's Turkey Day bumpers from last year, with Trace and Josh back as the 'bots. And the Turkey Day documentary from Ballyhoo ("Undercooked and Overstuffed") was very interesting, with nice comments from Joel, Trace and Frank.
On the whole, things worked out OK. And, who knows, I may be watching a brand new episode next Turkey Day. Now, let's continue on to Week 31. The Outsiders selection is..."A Year at the Movies (Pts.4-7)"... - It's a fan video of Kevin reading from his book. Haven't seen it all just yet. ...and the Originals selection is..."Devil Doll" (Show 818). - Or "The William Sylvester Trilogy, Part II".
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 3, 2015 12:24:03 GMT -5
Aaaaaand, let's look at Week 31.
The segments with Kevin, found on YouTube, were good. They're a fan taping of him reading from two chapters of "A Year at the Movies", answering questions from the audience, and signing a fan's Tom Servo puppet. The chapters he read from were about, respectively, his visit to a film festival in Lapland (which sounds like it was really fun) and meeting up with Mike to watch "Corky Romano" (which I reviewed a while back; it's as bad as Kevin says it is). The book is one of my favorites, and these segments were really enjoyable.
As far "Devil Doll", one question: was England so starved for entertainment that a creep like Vorelli would be a hit? I don't buy that for a second. Anyway, the movie was so dull, drab and unpleasant that it was really a slog. Add in a clueless hero and a cast that was collectively not all that bright, and I'm surprised Vorelli didn't end up winning. The riffing was great, which really helped. The host segments were OK, with the welcome return of Paul as Pitch, the amiable demon.
Well, I guess this one turned out good, with one balancing out the other. Anyway, let's move to Week 32. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside to rotation for tonight's performance of..."Rifftrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny"... - And my Holiday depression begins. ...and the Originals selection is..."Gamera" (Show 302). - Hey, it matches the icon I just got! I swear I didn't know it would.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 12, 2015 1:20:02 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 32.
As I noted on the Rifftrax board, the live show featuring "Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny" was really something. On the one hand, the riffing was top notch and the pre-show title cards and songs were very funny. On the other hand, the movie and the accompanying shorts were so weird I was left dumbfounded. I mean, were people actually entertained by such off-kilter, poorly-made Holiday Season offerings? At least "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" had some internal logic. Gads!
Regarding "Gamera", this one was one of the good ones. Psychotic Kenny aside, this one was a fairly good movie. While not the best Gamera movie (that's probably "Gamera vs. Barugon", the one with no "monster children"), it did try for something of a dark, "Gojira" atmosphere. It wasn't really successful at it, but they tried. (By the way, I have both the original Japanese version, and the non-Frank American release, featuring new footage. I'll have to check them out again soon.) The riffing was really good, especially the "Kenny is evil" running gag. The host segments were fine; I particularly liked Mike's appearance as an amiable Gamera, and the Tibby song is a classic.
Sort of a split decision. Anyway, let's move on to week 33. The Outsiders selection is...'Rifftrax Shorts, Vol. 2 (2nd Half)"... - Well, I'd rather not try the whole thing at once. ...and the Originals selection is..."Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders" (Show 1003). - Rock & Roll Martian!
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 19, 2015 10:21:20 GMT -5
Sorry again, folks. Between the Holiday prep, the TFA opening and my active lifestyle, I'm really late this week. Anyway...
The second half of "RT Shorts, Vol. 2" was good. There was "Harm Hides at Home" (a very late-70's safety film), "Coffee House Rendezvous" (which reminded me of the days in the early 70's when my middle-class Caucasian-focused church tried to be more relevant), "Are You Popular?" (so, scavenger sales are out and ice skating is hip now?), and "Good Health Practices" (which had an unhealthy focus on toilet habits for that era, I thought). The riffing was great, though it seems they only riffed on the first half of "Coffee House Rendezvous". (The full, unriffed version is over on YouTube.)
As for "Merlin's Shop...", so whose idea was it to sew these two, unrelated short movies together? And whose bright idea was it to market it as a family movie? And whose idea was it to make Merlin such a henpecked dunce? Oh, boy, was this thing a mess. And killing the pets was just plain uncalled for. The riffing, though, really worked great. The host segments were OK, though Mike in a diaper...*shudder*.
Well, on to week 34. With Christmas only a few days away, I'm going outside the rotation. So, this week's Outsiders selection is..."CT: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"... - Ho-Ho-Oh, dear. ...and the Originals selection is..."Gamera (Show K-05)". - Yes, Virginia, there is a third MST Christmas show.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 26, 2015 1:59:23 GMT -5
So, how was your Christmas? Things turned out OK for me, in general. And, how did week 34 turn out?
CT's version of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" is quite good. It was made back when they were still doing the Time Tube framing story, so there's a nice bit regarding Trace's reaction to the feature. They limited themselves to only one host segment, which was a good one, especially Trace's present. The riffing was fine, with a couple of callbacks to the original MST version. There's no song, but you can't have everything.
As for the KTMA version of "Gamera", the Christmas connection is limited to a couple of mentions during the host segments, particularly at the end. Not much, but it gives us a third Holiday show until the revival does one. The host segments also feature the original version of Gypsy, plus some calls to the station about the show, a couple of which were made specifically for a comedy bit. I'm sorely tempted to call the number and see if it still works. The riffing had several problems. Beyond the ad-lib style of KTMA, the ep has Joel riffing alone. (Reportedly, Trace was out of town, and Josh was only available for the host segments.) Joel does OK, though there are long stretches of silence. Appropriately, a good number of jokes are directed at psychotic turtle maniac Kenny. It's a good effort, but the second try during the TFNWSRN era was a major improvement.
It's was OK this time. So, week 35. For the Outsiders selection, I'm going outside the rotation for..."CW-23 Melon Drop 2015"... - It's last New Year's Eve revival of this pre-MST practice; I understand Kevin is mentioned. ...while the Originals selection is..."Horror of Party Beach" (Show 817). - Sodium!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 1, 2016 17:38:33 GMT -5
So, is everybody having a Happy New Year so far? Let's look at week 35.
The 2015 Melon Drop was pretty good. I figure it wasn't actually done live, seeing as how there were people on the roof of the building in shirt sleeves in Minnesota. Had it been actually Dec. 31st, frostbite would surely have followed. Anyway, it was pretty funny, with some nice linking to the previous drops, particularly clips of Kevin as Bob Bagadonuts (Sr. & Jr.). I didn't see the one ushering in 2016; I'll catch it eventually. And I'm still waiting for clips from the 1986 drop, which I assume actually happened.
"Horror of Party Beach" was...pretty lousy actually. The monsters were laughable, I agree that it seemed like the filmmakers went out of their way to victimize women, and it does seem that the only character who seemed to have good priorities in mind was Eullabelle. On the other hand, the Del-Aires music was pretty catchy, and Hank (the James Franciscus lookalike) had a really cool car. The host segments were funny, especially the closing sniping between Pearl and Flavia. I'm very, very happy we didn't see Mike in his manly swimsuit. And the riffing worked great, given how bad the movie was.
Things were OK on balance this time. One difficulty: I'm away from home today, so I can't post week 36's selection until tomorrow afternoon. I hope this doesn't cause any hassles.
And I hope your Holiday season has been happy and safe.
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 2, 2016 17:10:31 GMT -5
Aaaaaaand, we're back. So, for week 36, the first Outsiders selection for 2016 is..."RT Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space"... - Oh, dear. ...and the first Original selection of 2016 is..."Racket Girls" (Show 616). - Wrestling!!!!!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 9, 2016 11:17:50 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 36. Sorry to keep you waiting.
The RT Live version of "Plan 9" is an improvement over the version that Mike did alone. Beyond the greater number of riffs, they cut down on the jokes about Bela's drug problems, which I thought were pretty tasteless. The riffs in general were great, especially the ones regarding the lieutenant's interesting notions on gun safety. As for the movie, what more can be said. And the pre-feature short, "Flying Stewardesses", is one of the best. If I remember correctly, this was the first RT Live event beamed to theaters. They were still developing the format, as shown by the use of a host (Veronica Belmont), musical guest Jonathan Coulton, and the comedy bits from Rick "Lowtax" Kyanka. While they worked OK here, for future shows they wouldn't need a host or outside bits, and the music would be moved to the pre-show title cards, which worked just as well.
As for "Racket Girls", it's one lousy, sleazy movie. Fortunately, the great riffing saves it from being unwatchable. And to think there was once a time in our nation when ladies' wrassling was the only clean sport to be found. One thing: I'm surprised they didn't mention that Monk, the weasel of an accountant, looked a lot like Kenny Bania from "Seinfeld". Then again, I'm not sure if he first appeared before or after this episode first aired. Well, timing is everything. As for the host segments, I just think the whole Crow marrying Servo idea was....ugh. Bridget was funny as Lisa Loeb, though.
Good selections this time, I thought. And for week 37, the Outsiders selection is..."Life After MST3K: J. Elvis Weinstein"... - So, how you doing, Josh? ...and the Originals selection is..."The Rebel Set" (Show 419). - I am bugged!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 14, 2016 13:45:38 GMT -5
And, let's look at week 37.
The segment with Josh was very interesting. It was a bit longer than other, similar features, running nearly 20 minutes. He talked out his work in L.A. on various projects, particularly his work on "Later" and his efforts to somewhat re-tool "America's Funniest Home Videos". He seemed most proud of his work on "Freaks and Geeks", and talked about his efforts to move into feature films and projects of his own. This was recorded before CT ceased operations (I still hope it's just a hiatus), so he mentions how much he enjoyed working on the project, and re-connecting with his old friends from earlier days. It was also recorded before his more recent health problems, but last I heard he was doing OK. (Please correct me if I'm mistaken.) It was actually a very informative segment.
As for "The Rebel Set", the movie is actually pretty good. It's a fairly straightforward heist picture, which at least shows a little bit of beatnik culture. Ed Platt easily steals the movie as the fairly intelligent, very ruthless mastermind. Sure, the chase at the end goes a bit long, but it certainly doesn't challenge the "Final Justice" record. And the short "Johnny at the Fair" is one of the great ones, as long as you're not a parent. The riffing is great, especially during the aforementioned chase, while the host segments were good, too. (I only had a one-hour layover in Chicago a couple of years ago, and I spent it frantically racing from one side of O'Hare to the other to catch my connecting flight.) I can sympathize with Frank at the end; many times before I've agonized over, "Who was that guy in that movie?"
Two good ones this time. So, moving to week 38. For the Outsiders selection, I'm going outside the rotation for tonight's re-remote of..."RT Live: Starship Troopers"... - It's a bug hunt, man! ... and the Originals selection is..."Gorgo" (Show (909). - Is psycho Kenny in this one?
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 22, 2016 23:23:22 GMT -5
Well, I figured I'd post this before the last minute for a change. Anyway, week 38...
"Starship Troopers" is, on reflection, a pretty sharp satire wrapped in a jingoistic, ultra-violent sci-fi movie. It's certainly well-made, with some fun performances, but it seems to me that this bunch of humans will probably blow themselves up before the bugs do the job. And, no, I don't want to know more. The "RT Live" presentation turned out great, with fine riffing. I didn't mind the gorillagram; I figure it's RT's version of CT's Breast Blimp. Two questions: first, since they had the funds to repeat this one, is there any chance it'll end up on home video? And, second, regarding young Gabe, the Kickstarter VIP kid in the first row, did the graphic carnage and nudity damage him, or did his parents cover his eyes when necessary?
Turning to "Gorgo", it's actually a pretty good movie. The SPFX were OK, there's a sort-of good message presented (don't mess with things you don't understand), and Sean is one of the better Monster Children (he make reasonable suggestions, doesn't get people killed, and isn't given top security clearance). The movie's no "Gojira", or even "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", but it was OK. The episode worked well, with great riffing. I particularly liked "Waiting for Gorgot", and am waiting for the big Broadway production. And Leonard Maltin was a good sport to be on the show.
That seemed to go well. So, let's move to week 39. When I'm not shoveling snow, I'll be watching the Outsiders selection..."ConventioCon II Highlights: Costume Ball".. - There's a really noteworthy event here; I'll explain later. ...and the Originals selection..."The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies" (Show 812). - Featuring NotNicolas Cage.
We'll be right back...
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