Post by doctorz on Mar 9, 2009 14:42:11 GMT -5
Mitchell, Truck Farmer and DoctorZ were all at the Austin, TX Paramount Theater Saturday night for the 8 pm CT show. I don’t think I can add a whole lot that is new about the experience from previous posts about the shows they’ve done so far, but here goes.
The first person I met in the theater was RAD. He was gracious as always and recognized me right away. This was a good start.
"Gruber" is growing his own fan base through the live shows. I noticed a lot of fans getting their picture taken with him and I think he may already have some that will kill for him. He was an excellent warm up act and had the crowd laughing in no time. His routine has been documented in other posts so I’m not going to repeat much here. He and J.Elvis did the parts of your favorite music radio show.
Frank was next up. His moment came when during his monologue he noted that everybody he knew in L.A. that heard he was going to Texas had the exact same reaction. “Where are you going this week, Frank?” “Texas.” “Oh (somber tone of voice)…where?” “Austin.” “Oh, (brighter tone of voice), Austin’s cool!” That one got a big laugh.
After that the other members of the cast (who we all know and love) were introduced and got applause from the crowd. We then settled down for the show. It was the terrible Blaxploitation movie from that decade of decadence, the 1970’s: “The Dynamite Brothers!” The great "spit take" that everybody's been posting about was there and got a big reaction. There was lots of horrible Kung Fu fighting from the Z team out of Hong Kong and a plot so shallow a mosquito couldn’t breed in it. There were also extended moments at the Austin show where the Titan’s couldn't riff and just had to let the crowd howl with laughter at the sheer ineptitude of the cinematography. Mary Jo probably got the loudest laugh of the night outside of the spit take with her line over an appalling scene where she quipped "This is what your dad would look like making out with a hooker." Buy this one when it comes out later this year. It’s a hoot!
Now for some personal reflections: I will echo the sentiment that if at all possible you need to see C.T. live. Most of us labor alone in the wilderness, our fanatic devotion to movie riffing misunderstood or ignored by family and friends. We watch our DVD’s by ourselves and chuckle now and then. Sometimes we wonder in back of our minds if there is something really wrong with us for loving a puppet show that was canceled a decade ago.
Then, you go to one of these shows.
Sooner or later it will dawn on you that you are in a theater full of people with whom you share a similar devotion. You overcome your shyness and speak with a person you never met before. I struck up a conversation with at U.T. astronomy professor sitting next to me who had watched MST3K with his son long ago. We spoke of favorite episodes and would have continued the conversation but the show started.
After-wards I stood in line for over an hour to meet the Titans. It seemed much shorter because all around me were animated conversations about MST3K, CT and Rifftrax. You could interject yourself into any one of them and be recognized as a true fan.
Meeting the Titans up close was akin to being a little kid and meeting 5 Santa’s all at once! I could only blurt out inanity's like, “I Loved the show.” "I laughed a lot." "Time for go to bed." (not the last one. )I was stunned, overwhelmed, and felt like a true fan boy in the presence of so much greatness.
It’s been said before in better posts, but it bears repeating: Each and every fan that stood in that long line got to take pictures, share a personal moment and get whatever they had signed by each and every one of the Titans. I did theater when I was in college and believe me when I say that a performance drains you to your marrow. To do that just for the fans for over an hour and a half and be gracious about it is going way beyond any expectations. These people are true professionals in every way.
Yeah, I was impressed. Can you tell? ;D
Now for the Pictures:
Me & Rad
Me & Trace (with J.Elvis in the background)
J.Elvis, MJ and Frank. (Remember, I was almost at the end of the line and they're pretty tired)
The first person I met in the theater was RAD. He was gracious as always and recognized me right away. This was a good start.
"Gruber" is growing his own fan base through the live shows. I noticed a lot of fans getting their picture taken with him and I think he may already have some that will kill for him. He was an excellent warm up act and had the crowd laughing in no time. His routine has been documented in other posts so I’m not going to repeat much here. He and J.Elvis did the parts of your favorite music radio show.
Frank was next up. His moment came when during his monologue he noted that everybody he knew in L.A. that heard he was going to Texas had the exact same reaction. “Where are you going this week, Frank?” “Texas.” “Oh (somber tone of voice)…where?” “Austin.” “Oh, (brighter tone of voice), Austin’s cool!” That one got a big laugh.
After that the other members of the cast (who we all know and love) were introduced and got applause from the crowd. We then settled down for the show. It was the terrible Blaxploitation movie from that decade of decadence, the 1970’s: “The Dynamite Brothers!” The great "spit take" that everybody's been posting about was there and got a big reaction. There was lots of horrible Kung Fu fighting from the Z team out of Hong Kong and a plot so shallow a mosquito couldn’t breed in it. There were also extended moments at the Austin show where the Titan’s couldn't riff and just had to let the crowd howl with laughter at the sheer ineptitude of the cinematography. Mary Jo probably got the loudest laugh of the night outside of the spit take with her line over an appalling scene where she quipped "This is what your dad would look like making out with a hooker." Buy this one when it comes out later this year. It’s a hoot!
Now for some personal reflections: I will echo the sentiment that if at all possible you need to see C.T. live. Most of us labor alone in the wilderness, our fanatic devotion to movie riffing misunderstood or ignored by family and friends. We watch our DVD’s by ourselves and chuckle now and then. Sometimes we wonder in back of our minds if there is something really wrong with us for loving a puppet show that was canceled a decade ago.
Then, you go to one of these shows.
Sooner or later it will dawn on you that you are in a theater full of people with whom you share a similar devotion. You overcome your shyness and speak with a person you never met before. I struck up a conversation with at U.T. astronomy professor sitting next to me who had watched MST3K with his son long ago. We spoke of favorite episodes and would have continued the conversation but the show started.
After-wards I stood in line for over an hour to meet the Titans. It seemed much shorter because all around me were animated conversations about MST3K, CT and Rifftrax. You could interject yourself into any one of them and be recognized as a true fan.
Meeting the Titans up close was akin to being a little kid and meeting 5 Santa’s all at once! I could only blurt out inanity's like, “I Loved the show.” "I laughed a lot." "Time for go to bed." (not the last one. )I was stunned, overwhelmed, and felt like a true fan boy in the presence of so much greatness.
It’s been said before in better posts, but it bears repeating: Each and every fan that stood in that long line got to take pictures, share a personal moment and get whatever they had signed by each and every one of the Titans. I did theater when I was in college and believe me when I say that a performance drains you to your marrow. To do that just for the fans for over an hour and a half and be gracious about it is going way beyond any expectations. These people are true professionals in every way.
Yeah, I was impressed. Can you tell? ;D
Now for the Pictures:
Me & Rad
Me & Trace (with J.Elvis in the background)
J.Elvis, MJ and Frank. (Remember, I was almost at the end of the line and they're pretty tired)