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Post by kmorgan on Feb 1, 2017 23:00:39 GMT -5
I waaaay late this time, but I have an excuse. I was sick over the weekend, and I'm still getting over it. I even got a doctor's note. Anyway...
I have to admit I didn't follow "Freaks & Geeks" when it was originally broadcast. I just never got around to it. I've since seen some of the series and it's pretty good. This particular episode, which turned out to be the series closer, was good, as well. I was a bit lost in that I wasn't really up on the characters or ongoing plot, but I just rolled with it. I at least could identify with the show's time period (although I was in middle school circa 1980, rather than high school). As for the MST3K connection, Joel briefly appears as a disco DJ and he's great; his expression when we first see him is hilarious. Trace has a brief but funny appearance as a teacher, and Gruber shows up, as well. I liked this one; I'll have to check out the rest of the series. By the way, I wasn't much of a disco fan. And the one time I and a few of my classmates tried "D&D", it took us so long to get it set up that we decided, "Forget this," and never went further with it.
As for "Phantom Planet", it has the disadvantage of having a real jerk as a "hero". ChapmanFrankChapman is unpleasant and intolerant in a John Agar-ish way. The people of the titular Phantom Planet aren't much better, but they're tolerable. And let's not discuss the so-called science involved in the whole miniaturization process. And, you know, Captain, every year of my life, I become more and more convinced that they should've let McKonnen be the hero. The episode turned out OK, as we get settled in at Castle Forrester. The riffing was good, especially the ones early in the movie during the spaceship scenes. I liked the host segments, particularly Mike's rendition of the "Star Hustler" theme.
This turned out OK in both instances. So, let's move on to week 91. The Outsiders selection is..."The History of MST3K (Pt. 1)"... - How come David McCullough didn't narrate this? ...and the Originals selection is..."Boggy Creek II" (Show 1006). - I'll see the little creature. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 5, 2017 22:29:33 GMT -5
So, how'd things go this time?
The first part of "The History of MST3K" is from the 20th Anniversary set from Shout; specifically, it's from the "First Spaceship on Venus" DVD. It runs about 25 minutes and is a good intro to the show's beginnings at KTMA, featuring comments from Joel, Jim, Trace, Josh and Kevin. I was quite familiar with the story, but I still enjoyed the retelling. It also brought back nice memories of that period. At around the same time, I was working for a radio station and volunteering for local-access cable, both in NJ. Those were the days when there was still some creative freedom and true local spirit in such outlets, before the big companies stepped in and broke out the cookie cutters.
As for "Boggy Creek II", the movie suffers from the low budget and the somewhat annoying characters. There's potential there, and some good atmosphere at times, but it isn't enough. (I understand the original movie is good, though.) The riffing is fine, and the host segments are pretty much OK. (Regarding the opening, I was never in Cub Scouts, though I was in Christian Service Brigade; pretty similar, actually.)
Not too bad this time, I figure. So, on to week 92. The Outsiders selection is..."The History of MST3K (Pt. II)"... - I swear this was randomly selected. ...and the Originals selection is..."The Corpse Vanishes" (Show 105). - Featuring the SOL's first encounter with Karloff's sidekick.
Don't touch that dial...
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
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Post by Torgo on Feb 5, 2017 23:16:32 GMT -5
- Featuring the SOL's first encounter with Karloff's sidekick.
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Post by Afgncaap5 on Feb 6, 2017 3:11:12 GMT -5
There's something wonderful about that GIF.
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 13, 2017 0:01:43 GMT -5
So, how'd week 92 go? I'm glad you asked.
Part II of "The History of MST3K" runs about 25 minutes and covers a lot of ground. It includes to move to TFNWSRN, Mike's arrival, Josh's departure, Kevin's promotion, the arrival of Bridget, Mary Jo and Paul; Joel's departure, and Mike's promotion. Even for someone who knows a lot about the show's history, this is a very informative feature. Between this and the later "Return to Eden Prairie", I'd say Shout gave us a near-definitive record of the original series. At least until the 10-part Ken Burns documentary.
As for "The Corpse Vanishes", Bela delivers his usual interesting performance, though his character isn't as commanding as we're used to. On the other hand, his villainous plot is needlessly complicated, the "romance" between the female reporter and the male doctor is thoroughly unconvincing, the film's print quality is bad, and the comedy doesn't work. The plot was pretty much re-made, and done better, in the later "Voodoo Man", which RT took care of. Oh, and the "Radar Men from the Moon" chapter was pretty good, with the usual gunplay, fist fights and cheating cliffhanger resolution. The episode turned out OK. The Brains are still adjusting to the scripted format, but the riffing is good. The re-use some ideas from the KTMA era for a couple of host segments, but they're done well. And Trace must've had nerves of steel to get through the flaming flower bit.
I think things turned out OK this time. So, on to week 93. The Outsiders selection is..."RT: Grey's Anatomy (Episode 2)"... - Featuring Mike & Bridget & not James Brolin or George Clooney. ...and the Originals selection is... "Poopie! (Vol. 1)" - Maybe they'll include the Uncle Don clip.
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 13, 2017 0:36:19 GMT -5
I feel like a bigger idiot than usual. I forgot one other series highlight covered in part II of "History of MST3K": the arrival of Frank. How could I forget that? I'm filled with shame, and it serves me right.
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 18, 2017 21:55:04 GMT -5
Well, then, let's look at week 93.
I'm not part of the target audience for "Grey's Anatomy"; I'm a male and I was born before 1970. Thus, I'm not really able to get into the series. The episode had something of a scattershot approach, with plotlines involving the usual medical show crises. There's the new intern challenging a doctor's diagnosis, another performing clandestine treatment outside of regulations, doctors jockeying for a big position, and balancing professionalism and emotion. And it all happens to the tune of, to use Bridget's words, "radio-friendly alt rock". I think she and Mike did a great job riffing on this one. And they're right; the bunch of new interns makes the Breakfast Club look grounded and mature, by comparison. I might watch further episodes of the show, provided we get more riffing of them. Otherwise, I'll keep my eyes open for when they resume "Medical Center" re-runs.
As for "Poopie! (Vol. 1)", it's top notch stuff. In many instances, the blown takes were just as funny as the printed ones. Great stuff! And I don't fink on soul brothers, either.
Two definite winners this time. So, let's move on the week 94. For the Outsiders selection, we have..."RT: Galaxy Invader"... - Do aliens find redneck stereotypes offensive, too? ...and the Originals selection is..."Mitchell" (Show 512). - So long, Joel! Hello, Mike! Oh, and you still here, Mitchell?
Don't touch that dial!
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 26, 2017 2:49:57 GMT -5
Slightly behind schedule, folks. Anyway...
"RT: Galaxy Invader" is from the writer/director who brought us "Alien Factor", which was memorably riffed on by CT. It turns out that "Galaxy Invader" is an even worse movie. The basic plot involves an alien who crashes on Earth and runs afoul of a bunch of stereotypical rednecks. We learn nothing about the alien, and about all we learn about the rednecks is that they're either appallingly stupid, pointlessly violent, or both. Really, there is maybe one person in the entire movie who acts with a bit of intelligence, and he gets knocked off early. Add in the low budget, slow pace (even with a run time of less than 90 minutes) and less than impressive acting, and it was a real slog. Mike, Kevin & Bill do a good job with the riffing, but it can only go so far with this lousy movie.
As for "Mitchell", well, its reputation speaks for itself. The movie isn't too bad, actually. And while Mitchell is certainly uncouth, you have to admit he's certainly determined. The movie also has a good cast and some nice action. I've certainly seen worse "tough cop with an attitude" flicks. The riffing is top notch throughout. And the host segments, detailing Joel's departure and Mike's arrival, are classics. I only wish they'd riffed on John Saxon's departure from the movie. It would've been great to see that during the reunion show last year.
Definitely a split decision. So, on to week 95. For the Outsiders selection, it's..."Life After MST3K: Frank Conniff"... - Eeyukgahee! (Did I spell that right?) ...and for the Originals, since tonight is Oscar Night (when the stars salute themselves!), I'm going outside the rotation for..."The Academy of Robots Choice Awards Special". - And the winner isn't... And since this one lasts less than 30 minutes, I'm exercising my option for a second feature. And, keeping with the Oscar theme, I'm going with..."The Oscar", a really overwrought potboiler with Stephen Boyd. Very campy, very riffable (when they get around to it).
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 4, 2017 20:27:09 GMT -5
Well, I'm a bit closer to schedule this time. Anyway, week 95...
"Life After MST3K: Frank Conniff" was just that: Frank talking about the work he's done since leaving the show. The segment only ran about 11 minutes, but it was pretty informative. He mentioned some work I knew he'd done (like writing for "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and "Invader Zim"), and some podcasts I hadn't heard about. He also mentioned becoming one of the Cinematic Titans. While hoping to work on his own projects, he still spoke fondly of his work on MST3K. This was recorded before his most recent effort: working with Trace on the "Movie Sign with the Mads" podcast (which is very good) and their "The Mads are Back" touring show (which I have yet to see).
The show's second Oscar special is primarily memorable for it being done at the command of Al Gore (back when he had some authority) and for featuring the guys first attempt at riffing on "Titanic" and "Starship Troopers". The jokes were very funny; I just wish they had more time to riff on the movies. Now let's hope the new crew can get the chance to do another Oscar preview for next year. As for "The Oscar", it's something of a notorious movie. Well, actually it's pretty bad. The dialogue is overblown, the plot is real potboiler stuff, and Stephen Boyd goes waaaaay over the top as thoroughly unpleasant jerk Frank Fane. The movie features a big plot twist at the end, and, I promise you, I didn't know about the real Oscar unpleasantness this year when I picked this movie. You have to figure RT may just get ahold of this someday.
Well, things turned out OK. So, on to week 96. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Super Secret Movie Rules: Slashers" (featuring Mike)... - Well, briefly featuring Mike. ...and for the Originals, the selection is..."The Painted Hills" (Show 510). - Lassie on a Barking Rampage of Revenge!
We'll be right back...
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Torgo
Moderator Emeritus
-segment with Crow?
Posts: 15,420
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Post by Torgo on Mar 4, 2017 21:53:03 GMT -5
For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Super Secret Movie Rules: Slashers" (featuring Mike)... Oh hell, I remember this. This was back hen the show was off the air for about five years and we were so desperate for something barely resembling the show and they had one of those "has been celebrities watch clips" shows that had Mike on it and we totally latched onto it. Sadly, this is still the closest I've gotten to a Rifftrax on Friday the 13th, and after ten years of Rifftrax that's just inexcusable.
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 12, 2017 20:43:53 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 96.
As noted above by Torgo, "Super Secret Movie Rules" was a VH-1 series where they focused on different movie genres and offered comments re: the "rules" for each. The only episode I've seen or recorded is the one on slasher movies. Mike (billed as a "critic/author") offers some funny comments. Other commentators included John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and a few stand-up comics I'm not familiar with. While the show covers some of the usual suspects ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre", "Halloween", "Friday the 13th"), it also makes a few odd choices (it classifies "Hellraiser" as a slasher movie, but makes no mention of the original "Psycho"). It was OK, but, like Torgo, I mainly kept it because it had Mike and we were in the middle of the Great Drought.
As for "Painted Hills", the short on "Body Care & Grooming" was OK; like Crow, I preferred the girl before she was spiffed up. The main feature, even though it features Lassie, was actually pretty dark. Murder, attempted murder, greed, revenge, depression...this movie has it all. It's also OK, though it's disturbing to see our favorite collie chasing a bad guy to his death. The riffing is great, and I liked the host segments, too. One question: in this one, Joel says Crow is made of Kevlar, while Crow, in a later episode, says he's made of molybdenum. Which is it? (Okay, I know it's irrelevant; just humor me briefly.) And the Invention Exchange was funny, though recent events have made me wince somewhat at Frank's situation.
Well, one passable item and one better one. Not too bad. So, on to week 97. The Outsiders selection is..."CT: Danger on Tiki Island"... - Do they take Amex there? ...and the Originals selection is..."The Green Slime" (Show K-00). - And so it begins...
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 19, 2017 19:54:15 GMT -5
Okay, folks, let's look at week 97.
"CT: Danger on Tiki Island" involves a slightly edited, apparently public domain print of a Philippine-made horror movie, "Brides of Blood". We have the standard issue village with a dark secret on a secluded island, the frightened and secretive natives, the mysterious figure on the other side of the island, the unknowing Caucasians who show up...it's been seen a lot of other times. This one looks pretty cheap and exploitative, and I understand the latter was amped up in the uncut version. And they throw in radioactive mutation, too. Sure, the llllllllladies are attractive, but they're not treated very well. The riffing by the Titans is great, though. Given some of the sleazy goings on, especially in regard to the oversexed female lead (played by Beverly Hills), a fair amount of the material ranges into double entendres. Oh, and Wild West Tom Servo makes an appearance.
As for K-00, the version I saw was on YouTube and runs about 20 minutes. It's a fan recording from a convention, salvaged by the DAP. Joel gives an introduction, followed by the clips they did basically to show the basic idea of the show. It's pretty primitive, and there isn't much actual riffing of "The Green Slime". But, it does give a good idea of what they were aiming for and would eventually accomplish. And we get to see Beeper, who Josh referred to as "the Pete Best of MST3K".
That turned out pretty well. So, let's move on to week 98. The Outsiders selection is..."ConventioCon II Highlights: Autographs & Props"... - I'll see if I made a brief cameo. ...and the Originals selection is..."The Deadly Mantis" (Show 804). - Break out the economy-sized can of Raid.
Keep those cards & letters coming in, folks...
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 26, 2017 22:28:50 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late, folks. Had a combination of computer troubles and a working weekend. Anyway, week 98...
"Autographs & Props" consists of two segments from a pretty extensive bunch of video highlights from ConventioCon II I picked up a while back. They were each rather short, so I combined them. The first is just a brief look at the cast signing autographs. I wasn't in that line; I got my autographs at ConventioCon I. The second is a video record of the prop display room. Whoever shot this video did a fine job in showing the details in each prop, like the tiny Joel figure in the Deus Ex Machina escape pod. And the prop selection was pretty extensive, from a demon dog from KTMA to the giant monolith/videocassette from "Laserblast" Good stuff.
As for "Deadly Mantis", the movie is pretty good. The acting is OK, as are the VFX. However, they also shoehorn in a typical love story between two characters who barely knew each other. It's distracting and unneeded. Basically, it's an obvious attempt to cash in on the success of "Them!", and it doesn't quite work as well as it should. As for the episode, we see the start of the "endless chase", Mike's first bit of planet killing, and the beginning of Bobo's slide away from intelligence. The host segments are funny; I par'Statical ticularly liked the country songs on the radio. And the riffing, of course, was fine.
So, with that good result, let's move on to week 99. (Oh, Max.) The Outsiders selection is..."TV Wheel (HBO Version) & 'Statical Planets' Trailer"... - Hey, Joel wasn't idle between "Mitchell" and CT. ...and the Originals selection is..."Robot Monster" (Show 107). - To live like the hu-man!
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 2, 2017 20:31:50 GMT -5
So, how'd week 99 go?
I combined the HBO version of "TV Wheel" and the "Statical Planets" trailer simply because the latter only lasted about five minutes, and they were both included on the fan-recorded disc I got a while back. Anyway, as I've previously posted, "TV Wheel" is a pretty clever concept. Some of the bits are funny, and others are just weird. It is worth a look, though. As for "Statical Planets", it's...um...uh...just watch it for yourself. One note: I once read a book about noteworthy movies that were planned, but never made, and "Statical Planets" was included. I'll let you know which book it was.
As for "Robot Monster", it lives down to its reputation as one lousy movie. It's also a rather dark movie, what with kids getting killed (maybe). I will say that it has a good musical score from Elmer Bernstein. Beyond that...gorilla suit? Really? I watched this on the Shout DVD, which includes Josh's intro, where he talks about how it fits into the show's early development. While they're clearly still adjusting to the scripted format, and the riffs are noticeably thinner than standard, it's still a good effort. And the host segments are pretty good, as well. As for the two "Commando Cody" chapters, I can understand the Brains getting tired of riffing on the serial. But, look at it this way: the serials provided an involving storyline with lots of action, and they were done in twelve weeks. Compare that to the DCU or MU movies, where you need to see, what, ten or so movies over the course of over more than a decade to get the story. Plus, in their heyday, you could see the whole story in a serial for less money than the admission price for one DCU or MU movie.
Anyway...
Not too bad for week 99. So, onward to week 100. (WOW! How'd we get to this point?) The Outsiders selection is..."RT Live: Reefer Madness"... - Faster! Play faster! ...and the Original selection is..."Gamera vs. Zigra" (Show K-07). - So, what we saw on TFNWSRN was a cover version?
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 9, 2017 15:16:33 GMT -5
Aaaaaand, let's look at week 100.
The live RT version of "Reefer Madness" is one of their better efforts. First, they open with three of their best shorts: "More Dangerous than Dynamite" (the "washing with gasoline" one), "At Your Fingertips: Grasses" (the "is corn grass?" one) and "Aesop's Frozen Frolics" (the "what does this have to do with Aesop?" one). They also have a couple of pretty odd shorts from Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka and his ten-five year old daughter. As for the movie itself, what more can I say about this exploitative, ill-informed, overbearing sermon against marihuana (with an "h"), featuring the pinched, stiff, joyless, Woodrow Wilson clone Dr. Carroll. The guys are firing on all cylinders as the give this lousy movie a memorable riffing.
As for the first go-round on "Gamera vs. Zigra", it has the same problem as other KTMA shows, in that the ad-lib format results in several quiet riffless sections. Still, the jokes they do make are good. Also, this ep features the first on-screen appearance of the Mads beyond the opening titles (with Trace doing his Gregory Peck voice for Clay). I did have one problem: my fan-made disc of K-07 malfunctioned, so I didn't see the whole episode. I'll have to see about fixing it for the next time. On the plus side, it meant I didn't have to suffer through more of the movie, especially the ultra-annoying kids.
Things worked out pretty well, I guess. So, let's move to week 101. In a rare action, I'm going outside the rotation both times this week. For the Outsiders selection, we've got..."RT Live: Samurai Cop"... - I doubt John Belushi is in this. ...and the Originals selection is..."? (Show 1101)". - Yes, the Relaunch is here, and I've avoided seeing just what they'll lead off with.
And awaaaaaaay we go!
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