Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 13, 2011 13:53:57 GMT -5
Yesterday I did a trifecta of surprisingly watchable movies on the show, starting with Manhunt in Space. Don't know why, but I totally dig the Rocky Jones advenures, so much that I may very well see if I can track more down. The Riffing plays with the campy fun of the movie, and even though Servo says "this movie hurts" at one point, their attitude towards it is entirely the opposite. Also enjoyable is the General Hospital short...the riffing, not the series. Soap Operas are so drab, silly, and melodramatic that they're actually quite perfect for the show. Unfortunately I seem to be the only one who thinks this. But oh well.
Followed it up with Tormented, a movie with a promising premise that mucks it up in execution. This movie might have made a better psycological thriller instead of a cheesy ghost story. Unfortunately with Bert I. Gordon at the helm you can tell instantly it's going to be the latter.
Still preferable to the Ring, though.
I didn't remember much about this episode, much like many of the episodes on volume 11 (except Horrors of Spider Island, which I had seen several times prior to the set). I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's a pretty solid episode with plenty of laughs.
And finally is the Beatnicks which, despite not having an actual Beatnick in it, is pretty watchable without ever being good. Riffing is average, and the General Hospital short is just as funny as the previous one.
"I'm gonna moon ya'!"
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Post by ArtCrow on Sept 13, 2011 18:18:29 GMT -5
And finally is the Beatnicks which, despite not having an actual Beatnick in it, is pretty watchable without ever being good. Riffing is average, and the General Hospital short is just as funny as the previous one. "I'm gonna moon ya'!" Ah The Beatniks. Every time I happen to catch an episode of The Big Valley and see Peter Breck, I can't help but yell out, "I killed that fat barkeep!" It's too hard to resist.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 14, 2011 2:02:23 GMT -5
Breezed through quite a few today.
First off, more Rocky Jones awesomeness with Crash of the Moons. Not as entertaining as Manhunt, but guffaws are had. Ditto that for the General Hospital short. Definitely the weakest of the three.
After that came the Rebel Set, and I have to wonder if this and the Beatniks accidentally switched titles. This features more beatniks than the Beatniks! However, after a brief group of watchable movies, this drab and dull drama hit me like a sack of bricks. Always good seeing Edward Platt in anything, though. The boys try their best, but they rarely penetrate this thing.
And after that, one of the very worst movies featured on the show, Monster A-Go-Go. But thankfully the Rebel Set cushioned the blow before we sunk this low, otherwise I wouldn't have survived the quality drop. However, the riffing is pretty good in this one, making a more enjoyable effort. Surprising, considering what they had to work with.
"There was no monster." And by the time we got to this point, there was no audience, either.
Finished up with Bride of the Monster. Not the crap classic that Plan 9 From Outer Space is, but this other Ed Wood opus is funny enough on its own. Good riffing makes another good episode for the group.
The end of season four looms! My favorite era of the show is near!
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 15, 2011 1:15:31 GMT -5
And Torgo returns to that which gave hi, his screenname. I remember when I held a contest years ago, it was a trivia challenge and my final question was "What is my favorite episode of MST3K?" The answer was Prince of Space, which half of our fellow MSTies got right, bit the other half of you picked "Manos" The Hands of Fate due to my screenname.
You were WRONG! And you all suck.
The honest to god truth is I chose the screenname Torgo for brand reccognition. That's about it. Not to knock "Manos," which is a great episode, but it doesn't make my top ten. But rewatching it today, I find myself impressed with what the boys did with it. This could have been a disaster of Hindenberg scale, but ended up a laugh riot. Kudos boys! Great job!
And so ends season four. Of the fourth season episodes I've seen that haven't been released, Fire Maidens from Outer Space is the best. Also seen City Limits and Being From Another Planet.
And alas, we're on Joel's home stretch. It just occured to me that I don't think I've ever watched this many Joel episodes in a row (not only in this marathon, but the last two sets were Joel, Joel, and more Joel). I grew up in the Sci-Fi era, so Mike has always been my main man. Joel has been fun, but a Mike episode would sure hit the spot right about now. (Not to knock you Joel. I appreciate you now more than ever. And I must say CT>RT)
My beloved season five starts with Warrior of the Lost World, a movie so silly that it would have been funny even without MST3K. Donald Pleasance is a plus as well, love him. And Persis Khambatta, grrrrrrooooowl. Riffing really enhances the experience. I've always been a fan of the way the 80's look on the show (except Pod Poeple). It's probably my favorite decade for them to riff on.
Moved on to the Coreman classic Swamp Diamonds. Great short, tedious movie, middle ground riffing.
And ending the broadcast day with Secret Agent Super Dragon. I remember hating this one when I first saw it, but I'm kind of diggin it now. The movie bores me to tears, but the boys are sharp enough to help me endure it.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 16, 2011 11:57:42 GMT -5
Watched a set of Joel episodes yesterday that might as well have been a "best of Joel" reel. It was pretty much my favorite episodes of this era all lumped together.
Russo-Finnish always makes for a good episode (haven't seen the Day the Earth Froze) and Magic Voyage of Sinbad doesn't disappoint. Colorful and goofy movie makes for a wacky episode.
Up next is a nostalgic favorite, my very first Joel episode (though I had seen Joel and Frank in Soultaker and Trace in the Movie), and that would be Eegah. But not only does the episode hold fond memories, but it's genuinely hilarious. Awful but strangely enjoyable movie paired up with riffs and host segments that symbioticly merge with it to make a perfect episode.
After that is I Accuse My Parents, which was a slight quality dip, but not glaringly so. Dimwited, but watchable, movie with a confusing moral, and our boys give it hell.
I rounded out with my all time favorite Joel era episode the Girl in Lover's Lane. An incompetantly made but honestly unhatable movie (the plot twist at the end, while poorly done, does make me tear up a little). The riffing is playful with it, which hits jist the right notes to make it hilarious.
And todays the big day. Last two Joel episodes. I'm guaranteed to at least get through Mitchell by sunset, so we've reached the end of an era.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 17, 2011 2:46:57 GMT -5
And it is done. Goodbye Joel. You've been great
Started off with the epic Corman western Gunslinger. Not a western fan, so mocking one is of great appeal to me. I prefer Last of the Wild Horses, though.
Then came the biggie...no not Joe Don Baker...well, yes Joe Don Baker...but not the movie the episode...Mitchell. This episode is as close to perfect as you can possibly get. Obnoxious cop film about an obnoxious cop gets a superb commentary. Host segments are as fitting a send off (though one can't help but see the irony that Jim Mallon overqhelms them, and his character Gypsy is desperate to get Joel off the ship). I love how Mike helps with Joel's escape, making the joe instantly likeable to the audience.
I decided to celebrate Joel's tenure by finishing with the shorts from the compilations that weren't featured in any of the episodes I watched. Turned out there were five (there would have been seven, but I skipped out on volume three).
The Home Economics Story - Over long and boring. Riffing is decent but not strong enough to make me want to sit through this.
Body Care and Grooming - Decent short with solid laughs. Nothing special.
Catching Trouble - Angering short gets well deserved criticism from our boys. The highlight of this small short marathon.
Mr. B Natural - Wonky short and good riffing. Overrated but it has appeal.
X Marks the Spot - Driver's safety short which gets its point across in a rathar long winded way. Riffing is pretty solid.
Of the season five Joel episodes that weren't viewed, Hercules is the best. Hope it gets a DVD in the future! Tomorrow, the era of Mike Nelson begins! Dun-dun-dun!
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Post by katrinka on Sept 17, 2011 7:42:29 GMT -5
Since today is Saturday, I've decided to watch a bunch of Mst3k. I'll probably watch some of the KTMA Gamera. Yesterday I watched Godzilla vrs. The Sea Monster. my favorite MST3K are the Japanese Sandy Frank horrible dubs.
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Post by TheNewMads on Sept 17, 2011 12:42:44 GMT -5
Bride of the Monster. Gotta love the Crow question to the Faith Popcorn popcorn. "What's the next trend? Neo-fascism? Bank bailouts?" Um, yeah, actually. Nailed it.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 18, 2011 2:22:10 GMT -5
And Mike bolts right out of the gate with three solid episodes.
First up, the Head Brain That Wouldn't Die. Interesting premise muddled by uncaring execution makes the movie an uneven timewaster, but the riffing is solid enough to sell the viewer on the new host. A lot of the best lines are saved for Mike and many of them will get you to laugh out load.
But the Mads weren't afraid of unleashing some of the very worst in their movie locker on the new guy. Up next is Teen-Age Strangler, a movie made by people who had no idea how to make a movie or even had an idea for a movie to make. This tedious drivel hurts, but the quips are sharp and they hit their mark more often than not (Mikey is a scream).
"Doin' the butt! Uh-uh! Doin' the butt!"
We follow up one of the worst movies ever seen on the show with...one of the worst movies ever seen on the show. The Wild Wild World of Batwoman is the most obnoxious aspects of the 60's all rolled up into a single film. It tries to save itself with cute chicks in bikinis, but as much eye candy as this movie has, it's not nearly enough to save this turd. Unlike the previous episode, the riffing struggles to make this movie watchable. It has its moments, but the highlight of the episode is the Cheating short and the host segments that go with it.
I will say I enjoy Mike's newbie-quirks in his early episodes. His bringing popcorn into the theater was a delightful opening to the episode.
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Post by angilasman on Sept 18, 2011 19:40:37 GMT -5
Monster A-Go GoHey, Tom references Krazy Kat! (Has someone ever made a list of MST references to comic strips from the first half of the 20th century? Do they ever mention Pogo?) I actually tried to pay attention to the movie itself in order to observe the slapdash nature it was made. I don't think I was successful. Monster A-Go Go is like a movie vacuum and it's hard to pay attention to it when you're watching it. Loved both Trace and Joel almost cracking up in the final host segment.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 19, 2011 2:24:06 GMT -5
Season five continues with a teenage favorite of mine, Beginning of the End. The movie is pretty fun on its own and the riffing elevates it to higher status on the wild-o-meter.
Slipping into something less comfortable, the Atomic Brain follows. The short is great, the rest of the episode sinks. Maybe the movie is too dreary, though. Much like the Brain That Wouldn't Die, it's a promising idea taken in the wrong direction. The movie is hard to watch and the riffing is stuck in neutral. Even the host segments kind of suck.
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Post by pinkfully on Sept 19, 2011 12:35:54 GMT -5
Watched the interview on the new Manos DVD, but couldn't bring myself to watch the movie. Instead, I saw The Sword and the Dragon.
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Post by continosbuckle on Sept 19, 2011 16:08:07 GMT -5
Slipping into something less comfortable, the Atomic Brain follows. The short is great, the rest of the episode sinks. Maybe the movie is too dreary, though. Much like the Brain That Wouldn't Die, it's a promising idea taken in the wrong direction. The movie is hard to watch and the riffing is stuck in neutral. Even the host segments kind of suck. Not even WEATHER SERVO NINE? Harsh! I watched Danger!! Death Ray recently and as I believe I've already mentioned, I'm amazed at how Bart Fargo does nothing to push the plot after initially invading the hideout, the location of which was revealed in his convenient dossier. After that, he encounters a series of being attacked and finding out further information which he would never had discovered had the bad guys not attacked him in the first place. I also loved the moments that could best be described as "the filmmakers saw this trope in a James Bond movie so they're including it in their movie even though they have no idea what function it's supposed to be playing." Plus, it also features one of my most favorite moments ever, the Ole! moment. I also saw The Incredibly Melting Man and it left me fairly cold. The only thing I noticed upon this viewing is that the musical style oddly and subtly changes in the third act, and I have no idea why it did so. They could have reused the music from earlier in the film to no ill effect, but they decided not to, and it's baffling me. It's definitely not for dramatic purposes though. (ie, it becomes more intense as it gets closer to the payoff) It was a casual episode though. Definitely gave me the impression that the Brains played their writing where it lay, so to speak.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 19, 2011 16:10:38 GMT -5
Weather Servo Nine was mediocre at best, IMO. Still was probably the best segment of the episode.
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Torgo
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Post by Torgo on Sept 19, 2011 22:17:45 GMT -5
Concluded the fifth season DVD releases with the very much overrated Santa Claus. It's a cute episode, but there's nothing particularly strong about it. The movie is obnoxious, the riffing is merely servicable, and the host segments are lacking, especially compared to the ones featured in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
Sad that Mike's half of the season is so underrepresented on DVD. Especially since his strongest episodes, Teenage Crime Wave, Outlaw, and 12 to the Moon, are untouched by both Rhino and Shout. Oh well.
Mike's first full season begins, and it's a bit bittersweet considering it's also Frank's last (with Trace on his home stretch too). Skipping over the first two episodes, we start with the Dead Talk Back. A silly, almost lost film that would have been better off unfound. Event the short is rather lackluster.
Then we crash straight back into the 80's! Wooooooooo! Zombie Nightmare is the typre of horror film that lends itself well into the premise. This cheap, lazy slasher pick offers plenty of opportunities for our crew, and they certainly take it.
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