Rhino Individual DVD Reviews

[vanhagar3000]

512-Mitchell
CAST: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, and Jim Mallon.
GUESTS: Mike Nelson as Mike Nelson
MST3K DIRECTOR: Kevin Murphy
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 10/23/93
DVD RELEASED: November 2001

Episode Review: A pivotal episode of MST3K as creator Joel Hodgson has his final show as host. He leaves with a bang in this classic episode. The movie is Joe Don Baker as Dirty Harry or Popeye Doyle or any cop on the edge from the 1970s. It also features a loser bouquet of actors with Merlin Olsen, Linda Evans, John Saxon, and Martin Balsam. Baker doesn’t fit in at all as a action hero and the gang of the SOL really dig into his unappealing character. He’s a fat violent boorish slob, and that’s his good side. The host segments all deal with Gypsy trying to get Joel off of the SOL. They sneak in many sly Kubrick references giving it a bit of a theme. I personally enjoyed these segments and they may be the best host segment arc of the series. This episode is a classic, not only for Joel leaving, but also produced some great riffs in the theater segments. *****

DVD Review: The DVD is nothing to write home about. From what’s been reviewed (and it’s all been reviewed in order of DVD release) was easily the weakest DVD release. We get our standard mono sound. The video quality is good, but not up to the level of Eegah. We only get one extra in the form of the trailer for the motion picture. This is a pretty short overview, but there’s not a ton to write about. ***

Final Word: While the DVD is lacking in extras, it’s still worth going out to get because it’s Joel’s final episode and it’s truly a classic. It is a bit overpriced for only one episode, but they all really are overpriced. ****

UP NEXT: 507- I Accuse My Parents

[vanhagar3000]

507- I Accuse My Parents
With Short: Truck Farming
CAST: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, and Jim Mallon.
GUESTS: Bradley J. Keely as Rodney
MST3K DIRECTOR: Trace Beaulieu
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 9/4/93
DVD RELEASED: March 2002

Episode Review: Joel had few, if any, weak episodes during his run in season five, this is no exception. This is a hilarious episode with a cheesy outdated movies from the 1940s that involves a poor young sap getting involved with the wrong side of the law while trying to get the girl. This movie was sent oversees during the war, and after the soldiers saw it they took it out on Germany, and the rest is history. The MST3K gang riffs the film to near perfection, but I felt something was lacking watching it, it was a little less funny that some others from around this time. The short is also a gas as they usually are, this time it’s an informational short about truck farming, and seems to explain little behind the concept. Good invention exchange, as Forrester and Frank do a funny little bit in theirs. Some good host segments really complete this episode. Rhino made a good choice in releasing this episode and it’s hard to go wrong with anything Joel did in season five. ****½ [S: *****| F:****1/2]

DVD Review: Rhino put forth no effort for this one other than introducing music playing during the animated menus. Not one extra feature. Typical mono track from the Comedy Central episodes. The video quality is not on Eegah’s level. This is pretty short, but there was little offered from Rhino. **½

Final Word: While a very good episode, Rhino just didn’t care. So it all averaged out to an average outing. ***½

UP NEXT: 619- Red Zone Cuba

[vanhagar3000]

619- Red Zone Cuba
With Short- Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance
CAST: Mike Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, and Jim Mallon.
MST3K DIRECTOR: Trace Beaulieu
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 12/17/94
DVD RELEASED: March 2002

Episode Review: This is one of Mike’s best Comedy Central episode. The short is about how to appear when giving speeches, including a bizarre exercise holding your hands on your knees and swivelling your hips. (Crow: Don’t do this exercise DURING the speech) Another short that is trashed to perfection. The feature is a dreary Coleman Francis film (Coleman makes a dreary movie? I’m as shocked as you are!) about three idiots (Francis, Tony Cardoza, Harold Saunders) getting involved in an eight man Bay of Pigs like invasion of Cuba. It’s neo-noir trash. This was Francis’ final directorial movie. It also features an appearance by John Carradine (who also sings, yes sings, the title track). Francis’ filmmaking is easy to destroy, so they have no trouble giving it a pummeling. The host segments focus on Dr. F on his death bed, after Frank accidentally on purpose had the mob beat him up. Of note, this is the first episode in which Frank is credited as a “script consultant” instead of a regular writer. It’s a title he would hold until he left the series. All in all a good episode with some good riffs and a classically bad movie. ***** [S: ***** | F: *****]

DVD Review: The DVD has no extra features. Mono for audio which is how the episodes were recorded. Video quality is alright. Nothing to really write about this time, just this DVD lacks bigtime, beyond the actual episode. **½

Final Word: Basically take what I said last episode, and apply here. Not wasting time to reexplain it. ***½

UP NEXT: 106- The Crawling Hand

[vanhagar3000]

106- The Crawling Hand
CAST: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, and Jim Mallon.
MST3K DIRECTOR: Jim Mallon
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: December 26, 1989
DVD RELEASED: June 2002

Episode Review: The only offering from Rhino of the first season, and it’s not the best choice. I liked this episode, the first few times around, but my most recent viewing I just didn’t find that funny. The movie is about a rouge hand of an astronaut tormenting some dopey teenager who looks like “Beaver (Jerry Mathers) without a Cause” as Crow said. It also features the Skipper Alan Hale Jr., and a gorgeous Swedish girl, who did a nude scene for International markets (anyone got a print of that?). One problem with this episode is that a lot of what was wrong with MST3K in season one is prevalent here. There are unrefined riffs, for example they just say “Skipper” when Alan Hale Jr. is on screen, instead of making a good joke. By the time you hear a good joke about the Skipper, you’re just tired of it anyway. There is a pretty good invention exchanges from both sides as it always is in season one. Like most season one we get one or two good segments, (Shatner acting being parodied is a good segment) and a bunch of others not worth talking about. A relatively weak choice by Rhino for release. **

DVD Review: Rhino gives us the uncut version of the movie again and the trailer. The film is not too bad on it’s own, and has some of it’s own funny scenes. The video quality is not at Eegah, but not terrible as it would become. The audio was recorded in mono, and it’s released here in mono. I have to give Rhino credit for releasing a DVD better than the episode for once. They also returned to old form by offering some extras after not offering any in the last two releases. ***½

Final Word: If you’re interested in getting a season one episode, and want it in good condition...well, go to skyroniter, but if you need this episode in your collection here it is. Rhino threw on a good extra feature, and the episode isn’t that bad. ***

UP NEXT: Finish the single disc series with 209- The Hellcats

[jjb3k]

Out of curiosity, do you plan on doing the box sets after this? I think I'd like to read what you have to say about some of them.

[vanhagar3000]

Yeah, I'll start a new thread. It'll have a different format. I don't have all of them, but plan to get them, and hopefully the other DVDs. I should probably post Hellcats today.

[vanhagar3000]

209- The Hellcats
CAST: Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Frank Conniff, and Jim Mallon.
MST3K DIRECTOR: Jim Mallon
ORIGINAL AIRDATE: December 8, 1989
DVD RELEASED: June 2002

Episode Review: The production of the episode the Hellcats was cut short because the staffers had to be flown out to meet Comedy Central people. It sure shows here, and they couldn’t have picked a worse movie to do it with. The Hellcats is a dark psuedo counter-culture film about a gang of bikers called the Hellcats, there is a “plotline” of Ross Hagen trying to get revenge for his dead brother, but plot isn’t a strong point of the film. This one is up there with the Coleman Francis films in dark boring ugly movies. Kevin Murphy even says they shouldn’t have done the movie. The lack of time and terrible movie to begin with help make this a weak episode. The laughs are still much more than an average to good sitcom, but it’s below par for MST3K. The host segments were written around the fact that they had to be out of town, so we get some flashback segments. A funny little tribute to Family Ties, but it doesn’t provide any huge laughs. This episode shows what happens when Best Brains doesn’t have ten days to smooth everything out. **

DVD Review: The DVD extra features are the uncut verison of Hellcats and the trailer. The video quality is the worst yet, but nothing terrible or hugely evident. I wouldn’t want to watch the uncut version of the Hellcats with an MST3K version available to be honest, but it’s cool they put it on the DVD. While there are extra features, they do me little good and the video quality is lacking. **½

Final Word: Rhino started with the strongest offering on DVD, and ended with their weakest. A lame episode coupled with an almost as lame DVD, hardly make this one your time. I’d pass on this until the end. **

UP NEXT- Volume 1 (with a new format, and possibly new thread)

[pablo]

where can I find your box set reviews? thanks

[Torgo]

Van Hagar is long gone, my friend. But here is the link you asked for.

[docsteve]

Mar 4, 2007 1:16:51 GMT -5 MSTie500 said:

Don't worry Van. It's more of the forum itself that your feedback problem originates from. I second jjb3k's assessment. You do a good job, keep it up. The reviews are highly enjoyable to read and I can't smell the slightest hint of overpowering bias that might taint your reviews. Nice job.

I've written reviews of entire seasons without any feedback whatsoever. This is why I stopped.