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Post by kmorgan on Dec 8, 2019 21:04:59 GMT -5
Okay, let's look at week 235.
RT's "Christmas Shorts-stravaganza" was only the second live show they'd done, but it turned out pretty well. Highlights include the near-surreal stop-motion animation in "A Christmas Dream" (which teaches us to never throw away ANYTHING), the narration of "Christmas Rhapsody" (the one with the tree of no account) which tries to make it sound more highbrow, and the vintage toy commercials. Weird Al Yankovick guest-stars during the riffing of "Three Magic Words", where the wonders of pork are revealed by three non-stooges. The "Parade of Aquatic Wizards" short is both non-Christmas-based and a bit of a weak point. But the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" cartoon is a real riffing classic, especially for the moment when Santa...no, I won't reveal it, in case you haven't seen it. Great stuff.
As for the deleted scenes from MST3K-TM, watching them makes you realize again how foolish the suits at Universal/Grammercy were. The riffing segments are funny, and wouldn't have added too much to the running time, as well as better presenting the plot. The original ending, with the ant farm and Interocitor, is also good, but was dropped for being "too scary"(?). And the storm shelter sequence is one of the best scenes in the movie. The only problem is that the video quality is a bit lacking, given that the segments weren't as well-preserved. Well, maybe we can get TCM to fund a restoration effort someday.
As for "The Unearthly", the movie itself is generally OK, I guess. John Carradine is fine as yet another mad scientist, with Tor Johnson playing another monosyllabic flunky. (At least he got actual lines in "Plan 9".) The plot is pretty familiar, too, but I really didn't mind that. As for the shorts, "Posture Pals" and "Appreciating Our Parents" are perfect riff-fodder. I'm just glad nobody tried to turn me into posture royalty back in grade school. The riffing was very good throughout. The host segments were OK, particularly the "Appreciating Gypsy" sketch. And the Mads' Invention Exchange, Hard Pills to Swallow, is one of the best ones in the series. Now, I admit, this episode has a special place in my memories. It was the first one I saw after getting home following a month-long stay in the hospital for ostomy surgery, and related problems. You know the phrase, "It only hurts when I laugh"? Well, it did. My healed incision was still tender, so I was laughing and pressing a pillow against my abdomen as I went through hilarious discomfort, especially during the shorts.
Well, let's move on to week 236. For the Outsiders, we're continuing the run-up to the Holidays with... "Movie Sign with the Mads: 'A Christmas Story'"... - I hope they don't shoot my eye out. ... and the Originals selection is... "Teenage Crime Wave" (Show 522). - Has there ever been an elderly crime wave?
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 15, 2019 20:54:18 GMT -5
Time to look at week 236.
The review of "A Christmas Story" on "Movie Sign with the Mads" was very interesting. They enjoyed the movie a lot, and they expressed their general admiration for Jean Shepherd. Frank, in fact, mentioned how he'd listen to Shep on WOR, just as my family did. They talked about how the movie accurately relates a kid's view of Christmas and wanting that one special gift. (For example, Trace was big on G.I. Joe stuff back in the day. I can certainly relate to that.) They also talked about the way Christmas is treated today, including the overcommercialization that has somewhat soured Trace on the season. I liked this segment, and I wouldn't mind if they reviewed the TV-movies Shep did for PBS, featuring an older Ralphie dealing with things like his junior prom (that's in "Phantom of the Open Hearth") and marching band (that's "The Great American Fourth of July...and Other Disasters").
"Teenage Crime Wave" is another matter. I really dislike this movie. It's mainly because it's a hostage melodrama, a genre I'm not a fan of, since it basically amounts to a lot of bullying of helpless people. (There are a couple of exceptions, like the original "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" and "The Inside Man", since both are well-written and have neat twists that change the field.) There's also the problem of Jane, the good girl, being pretty stupid to get involved with the real crooks, and the combat-vet son being rather useless. I was just irritated by the whole movie, even more than "Castle of Fu Manchu". (That one's confusing and poorly made, but I wasn't seriously annoyed.) The riffing was good, though it didn't fully dim the movie. The host segments were good, especially the Mystos commercial. And the Mace Mousse gag is hilarious. I wonder how many cans of Silly String were exhausted in that one.
Split decision this time. So, let's move on to week 237. For the Outsiders, we're continuing our focus on the Holiday Season with... "CT: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"... - And he didn't need Earth germs to do it. ... and the Originals selection is... "Future War" (Show 1004). - Starring Jean-Claude Gosh Darn.
And I hope you're all having a Happy & Safe Holiday Season.
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 23, 2019 0:07:17 GMT -5
Well, as we near the end of this year and this Holiday season, let's look at week 237.
"Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", as bad as it is, still elicits some warm feelings for me. It's a reminder of the more carefree days of my youth, when I didn't much care about filmmaking quality. I just wanted to watch a fun movie while eagerly awaiting whatever G.I. Joe toys I'd find under the tree. (Back then, it was a real tree, too.) And there's an appealing innocence about it. Yes, Droppo is still as funny as an ice cream headache, but the movie as a whole doesn't grate as other Christmas movies can (like the horrid Jim Carrey version of "The Grinch"). It's a tribute to the talent of CT that they could come up with a very funny bit of riffing on this movie even after MST did such a fine job of it. They also throw in some nice gags referencing the time gap between the two attempts. The mid-movie host segment was OK, and I really wouldn't mind finding that laser cannon-equipped time machine under the tree. And Trace's initial reaction to the movie is just hilarious.
As for "Future War", it's just as cheap-looking, but not as charming. In trying to rip off "Terminator", "Jurassic Park" and maybe "Predator", it just gets too confusing. (Like, how did our would-be nun end up developing so many underworld contacts?) They try to distract us with some action, but it's just not enough. Given what's been revealed of the movie's problem-plagued filming, I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Well, at least it has a cameo by Forrest J. Ackerman. The riffing is good, though. The host segments are generally OK, though we have to wonder what made Pearl suddenly want to blast the S.O.L. out of the sky.
Not too bad this week, I guess. So, let's move to week 238. With Christmas only a couple of days away, I'm going outside the rotation for both categories. For the Outsiders, the selection is... "RT: A Very Merry Riff-Mas"... - It's this year's newly-released Holiday offering from Bridget & Mary Jo. ... and for the Originals selection, the Christmas rotation has come around to... "Santa Claus" (Show 521). - No, Lupita!
Merry Christmas!
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 30, 2019 0:22:21 GMT -5
So, let's see how week 238 turned out, with two Yuletide selections.
Bridget & Mary Jo's offering turned out well, in terms of riffing. As far as the programs...eh? The first one was a crudely animated story from the 70s, "Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus". It purports to be the story behind the famous newspaper editorial. Featuring animation by Bill Melendez (who did better work on the "Peanuts" specials), this also has narration from Jim Backus, who doesn't go full Mr. Howell. Still, the characters are poorly designed and, in a couple of instances, go against current standards of political correctness. It's pretty annoying, even to the point of nearly driving Mary Jo to quit. And it never seemed to end! There was also a non-Rankin-Bass animated version of "Frosty the Snowman", and a short about Christmas for an 1890s family (like giving a real, live pony for a Christmas gift). It's all very funny, and Bridget & MJ do a great job on the riffing. They even include a couple of 1970s commercials. It was definitely worth missing "Dragnet" and "Ironside".
As for "Santa Claus", what more needs to be said about St. Nick's struggle against Pitch, and Lupita's struggle with temptation and self-doubt. Fortunately, Lupita has a stronger conscience that many elected governments, and is rewarded for her honesty. And Santa manages to triumph over the disturbingly fey and rather inept Pitch. Still, I prefer the Rankin-Bass-Rooney interpretation, or Edmund Gwen. The riffing is top notch as the guys try to figure out this off-kilter mythology pasted onto the Claus story. The host segments were also good, with two great Christmas songs, not Mike's family, and Krusher Kringle. I ended up watching this on Christmas night, just before Charlie Brown.
Well, my Christmas turned out well with these. So, let's finish out 2019 with week 239. The season-appropriate selection for the Outsiders is..."KTMA Melon Drop Special (1987)"... - It's the three-hour extravaganza hosted by Bob Bagadonuts. ... while the final Originals selection for 2019 is... "Crash of the Moons" (Show 417). - I got a BannerGram for the New Year.
Should auld acquaintance...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 7, 2020 0:19:29 GMT -5
I'm a little late this time. Well, Happy New Year!
The 1987 Melon Drop was very good. Kevin, as Bob Bagadonuts, hosted from Club 23, introducing a melon-carving contest, prizes from Comb (The Authorized Liquidators) and a meaningless toteboard. Some taped bits were repeated from the previous year (like the history of melon dropping and a couple of "Fifteen Minutes" reports), but I didn't mind. The show also served as a debut for a new comedy show the station did, "Team 23", a spoof of the evening news. (I know very little about this one; I'll have to do some research.) And, of course, the melon drop at midnight. One thing: a mistaken camera cut during the drop resulted in the actual impact not getting aired. Kevin gave director Jim (who also did an earlier on-screen cameo) some grief for this, until they figured out a solution that would now be called "timey wimey". Thing is, Jim was overall director, but Vince Rodriguez was Technical Director, so he may have been the one who hit the wrong button on the board, with Jim taking the rap. In any case, as a longtime TV crewmember, I can sympathize; losing a shot during a live event is a real pain. I wonder if there's a plaque at KTMA (now CW23) commemorating the Melon Drop site.
As for "Crash of Moons", I think it's a bit better than "Manhunt in Space", but only a bit. I'm not going to even try and figure out the science involved; it's not that big a deal anyway. I was impressed, though, over how Bavarro, after his initial outrage, accepts his planet's fate and works to aid his people's survival. It's a very responsible action from a leader, and it's matched by the immediate aid offered by the people of the other moon. Meanwhile, Cleolanta and Amperstand and breaking out the missiles and being unreasonable. Well, at least Winky doesn't sing this time. And there's the third "General Hospital" segment, with more of the most depressing party since my 10-year high school reunion. The riffing is very good in this one. The host segments were OK, especially Mike's appearance as John Banner. And it featured one of the credit gags that TFNWSRN didn't seem to like. Oh, well.
So, let's move into 2020 and week 240. The Outsiders selection is... "CT: Blood of the Vampires"... - Let's hope they don't sparkle. ... while the Originals selection is... "The Girl in Lovers Lane" (Show 509). - To live like the Elam!
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 17, 2020 21:48:28 GMT -5
Sorry, everybody. I got bogged down with a bunch of stuff and really lost track of time. Let's try and get back on schedule.
I dimly remember seeing "Blood of the Vampires" years ago on "Fright Night" on Channel 9 (WOR-TV), back when they still broadcast Mets games and SCTV. And I first saw CT do this one live at the State Theater in Minneapolis. Now, here's the in-studio version. And it's always lousy, no matter the venue. Beyond the overwrought acting, the disturbing plot leanings towards incest, and the unfathomable use of white actors in blackface, there's the utter stupidity of the characters. I mean, you don't leave a crazed, hungry vampire free to scream and run around a reasonably accessible cellar. The appearance of the Elvis/Wayne Newton/Johnny Cash-looking ghost is an interesting idea, but they don't do as much with it as they could've. The riffing was OK, though the religion-directed jokes near the end bothered me a little.
As for "Girl in Lovers Lane", I guess they were trying for a dark, semi-JD feel for this one. I will say that they made an honest attempt at drama, and maybe some character development. And there are the obvious exploitative moments put in to keep the audience interested. But the needlessly dark and rough ending overshadows the whole thing. And I have a question: why did the townsfolk immediately figure Big Stupid killed Carrie, and completely forgot about Jack Elam, the incredibly obvious psycho who'd frequently expressed an unhealthy desire for her in front of witnesses? I mean, he should've been Suspect #1. Hey, he should've been locked up long before the fatal moment. With any luck, they'll fix this if they ever remake it. The riffing was good in this one. I liked the host segments, too. "A Pleasant Journey" is fairly catchy, and I wouldn't mind seeing Tom & Crow's revised ending for the movie actually used. On the other hand, even though I know people involved in the management of my local minor league baseball team (The Somerset Patriots, based near Bridgewater, NJ), I'm not about to suggest Colorless Odorless Toxic Gas Night for the 2020 schedule. Oh, and many times in recent years, as my fellow "Star Wars" fans have complained over how Disney has messed with "canon" in the saga, I've tried to remind people not to get overwrought. Just say to yourself, "Girl in Lovers Lane" and take Joel's advice.
Okay, since I royally fouled up, I'm going to combine weeks 241 & 242. (That's OK with you, right?) So, our Outsiders selections are... "Mike Interviews on 'Dead Pan' (4/2006) and 'Jawbone Radio' (6/2006)"... - It's basically Mike promoting this new Rifftrax thing. ...and "RT: Angels Revenge". - Featuring Bridget & Mary Jo enduring the pain. Meanwhile, the Originals selections are... "Humanoid Woman" (Show K-11)... - This is one of the very few episodes I've never seen. I hope it's worth the wait. ... and "Eegah!" (Show 506). - So, if I see a snake, what then?
Keep those cards & letters coming in, folks.
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 28, 2020 6:05:55 GMT -5
Well, let's get caught up. Weeks 241 and 242...
I was incorrect re: the audio interviews. They were both pre-Rifftrax. In fact, they were pre-Film Crew, in that Mike gives a brief mention about their upcoming DVDs. In both, Mike talks about what he'd been doing at the time, mainly his solo commentary tracks for Legend films. He also talks about his books, and how his more favorable editor left, leaving less favorable ones to step in. (Sounds like MST's relationship with the networks.) Both interviews are very interesting listening. They also ran longer than I remembered, with the former running about 23 min. and the latter running nearly 45 min.
As for the "Angels Revenge" re-do, they used the uncut version, which includes the montage of the Angels fixing up the van, and dealing with Neville Brand as the gruff police captain. At least Brand and Jack Palance sort-of kept their dignity, unlike Jim Backus. And seeing Peter Lawford like that was just sad. One other thing: did anyone else think Arthur Godfrey inviting Michelle to his hotel room (at 3AM!) to meet entertainment bigwigs just plain creepy? Fortunately, Bridget & Mary Jo's riffing of this lamentable movie was top-notch, as always.
Re: "Humanoid Woman", I knew nothing about this movie going in. It's a Czech-made sci-fi movie about an extraterrestrial female clone found on an alien spaceship. She stays with a nice Earth family for a while learning about how to be human, then joins an expedition to fix the environmental damage on her home planet. At least, that's what I think happened; it's tough to tell. I understand at least half-an-hour was cut from the movie by Sandy Frank. In any case, it has a very weird vibe to it, as they tried for a more-"2001"/"Solaris" style for the movie. I guess it was sort-of OK, though I didn't get what was happening for much of the time. The riffing could be sparse at times, as could be expected for a KTMA, but they were getting there. The host segments were good, with all of them, I believe, being redone for the cable shows.
As for "Eegah!", I watched out for snakes, and tried to endure this lousy movie. And I still can't figure out why Arch's character is singing a love song to a girl named Vicki, when his girlfriend is named Roxy. Shouldn't she be jealous? Well, the riffing was great, though. And I did like the host segments, especially their talk about how we're constantly heading off the encroachment of Hell (like how theaters ran a whopping 30 minutes of trailers & commercials before showing "Rise of Skywalker").
Okay, let's try going back to one week at a time. For week 243, the Outsiders selection is..."CT: The Astral Factor"... - Well, it was still on YouTube last time I checked. ... while the Originals selection is..."Mr. B's Lost Shorts". - Did anyone look in the dryer?
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 5, 2020 12:26:19 GMT -5
We're a little late folks. Let's get caught up.
I saw "The Astral Factor" show performed live at Princeton, and it was very funny. Unfortunately, it was one of the shows they didn't preserve on video. (If they'd asked, I'm sure I and many others would've chipped in towards production costs.) Fortunately, an enterprising fan managed to make an audio recording of the riffing, and another enterprising fan synched it up with a copy of the movie and put it up on YouTube. The result turned out very well. Sure, the print of the movie they used is truly awful, but it fits because the movie is lousy. It's about a psycho killer who, somehow, gains the ability to turn invisible and have telekinesis (some of the time) from reading self-help books. He escapes custody and starts killing women, as per custom. A tempermental detective (Robert Foxworth) tries to track him down, while dealing with a beautiful, ill-tempered intended victim (Elke Sommers) and his oversexed, ditzy girlfriend (Stephanie Powers). It ends up making very little sense, really. However, the riffing is top notch. One note: as it was with the performance I saw, J/J.E. wasn't present (I suspect this was during his dark alley encounter with cancer), so Dave "Gruber" Allen fills in. He even gets arguably the best-received riff (it's in the scene where Foxworth visits the ESP lab). While I agree that bootlegs can be a serious legal matter, I hope somebody turns up copies of the other CT performances that would otherwise be lost to history. ("The Doll Squad" was too good to fade away.)
Meanwhile, "Mr. B's Lost Shorts" is a great collection. It was originally intended to release the shorts linked up with episodes that, it seemed, might not ever get legally released. (So far as I know, that currently only applies to "War of the Colossal Beast", which was paired with "Mr. B Natural".) Originally available via BBI on VHS, then from Rhino on DVD, it includes "Mr. B Natural", "X Marks the Spot", "Hired, pt. 1", "Design for Dreaming", "Johnny at the Fair" and "Are You Ready for Marriage?" While any related host segments aren't included, it still provides a lot of laughs.
Two good one this time. So, let's belatedly look at the selections for week 244. The Outsiders selection is... "DarkStar: The Motion Picture"... - Starring several MST alumni in dramatic roles. Unusual, eh? ... and the Originals selection is.. "MST Alive!" - Featuring "World Without End". Well, part of it, anyway.
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 9, 2020 19:34:39 GMT -5
Well, let's look at week 244.
"Darkstar" is a bit tough to judge. The DVD is a movie adapted from an interactive movie/video game created by J. Allen Williams and filmed over several years. The story involves astronaut John O'Neill (Clive Robertson), who awakens after centuries of hibernation. Unfortunately, this has left him with memory loss, so he has to explore his ship, the Westwick, and figure out what he's doing and what connection he has to the possible destruction of the human race. It's actually pretty interesting, based on what I saw. The problem is that the original game, as I understand it, had several hours of available content, while the movie only runs about 90 minutes. Thus, I feel like I'm missing something. What's there is OK, but I think I have to track down the actual game to truly experience it. Still, the computer animation, while now appearing primitive (the game was released in 2010, and was produced for a lot less than today's CGI fests), looks good, and the work by several MST alumni is OK. (Trace, Frank & Beez have more prominent roles than Joel, Josh and Mary Jo.) All in all, I liked this one, but I'm going to have to track down the original. Any ideas on that?
As for "MST Alive!", this was the first big live show, produced in Minneapolis in 1992. Joel & the 'bots riffed on "World Without End", an early 60s post-apocalypse flick starring Rod Taylor. From what I saw, the show was great, with some top-notch riffing. The problem is that I didn't see the whole thing. The fan copy I got includes a TV commercial for the show, a segment of the "MST Scrapbook" that had footage, and a fan-made tape of about half the show. As with most fan copies, the single-camera video is a bit lacking and the audio a bit tough to understand. Still, what I could hear and see were great. And it included a curtain call and brief Q&A with the cast. Yet another thing I'll do when I get a time/space machine: get permission to do a professional video recording of this event, with multiple cameras and audio from the building's sound system. Sure, I'll need money and maybe some psychic paper to swing it, but I can try. Or maybe we can just urge Joel to re-riff the movie, with much of the live show's script, for season 13.
Two good, if incomplete, items this time. So, let's move on to week 245. For the Outsiders, the selection is... "RT: Shortstoberfest" (2nd half)... - Where'd I put my lederhosen? ... and for the Originals, I'm going outside the rotation for Oscar night, The Night the Stars Salute Themselves (!), with... "The MST3K Little Gold Statue Preview Special"... - Special appearance by Not-Ed Asner. ... and since that runs less than 30 minutes, I'm adding, as a second feature... "SCTV: The People's Golden Global Choice Awards". - Anyone else rooting for "Vikings & Beekeepers"?
And the winner is...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 18, 2020 2:21:15 GMT -5
Well, let's look back at Week 245.
The 2nd half of "Shortstoberfest" included four shorts I hadn't seen before, plain or riffed. It was a pretty good selection. There's "Drawing for Beginners: The Rectangle" (by beginners, they mean those who have no knowledge of shapes whatsoever), "Families: Food and Eating" (featuring three families from, respectively, Tokyo, Mexico and San Francisco and how they prepare and eat their respective dinners), "Beginning Responsibility: Taking Care of Your Own Things" (a kid learns to keep his room clean from his creepily-animated possessions) and "Geography of Your Community" (explaining maps and geography to those who have no knowledge of them whatsoever). The first & fourth shorts seem to be from the 40s, while the middle two are aggressively from the 70s. The riffing is good, particularly in "Families", as they compare & contrast the abundance of the U.S. household compared to the Mexican one. And, yes, there is a Gamera joke during the Tokyo section.
As for "The Little Gold Statue Preview Special", it was the first of the two MST Oscar previews. While they don't actually riff on any clips, the commentary from Crow & Tom is very funny, especially their obsession with Rrrrrrrrrobert Redforrrrrrrd (swoon!). And Tom's rant about "Forrest Gump" is even funnier now that we know Kevin dislikes the movie for real. I always enjoy both of the Oscar specials, and I still hope that they'll do another one someday. As for "The People's Global Golden Choice Awards" (corrected title), it's one of the better sequences from SCTV's 90-minute era. Basically, SCTV and the sleazy National Midnight Star conspire to give SCTV all of the awards, until Bob "Boy, Dave Thomas Is Funny As Me" Hope blows the whistle. Some of the jokes work better if you have a knowledge of the era it was made (or actually lived through it), but it's still really good. And it even features another Not-Ed Asner.
Well, let's move on to week 246, and a return to the rotation. The Outsiders selection is..."CT: The Wasp Woman"... - No, this isn't an Ant-Man spin-off. ... while the Originals selection is... "The Deadly Mantis" (Show 804). - You're going to need a bigger can of Raid.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Feb 25, 2020 23:30:44 GMT -5
So, how did week 246 go?
"The Wasp Woman" has pretty much the same plot as "The Leech Woman": middle-aged woman uses nefarious means to recapture her youth and beauty. The difference is the former uses chemical injections derived from queen wasps, while the latter uses the pineal juice/rare pollen combo. "Wasp Woman" is pretty much standard early Corman: entertaining, though cheaply-made. The initial CT riff of the movie is OK, with good host segments. I was lucky enough to see them riff this live as part of their (to date) farewell performance at the Keswick Theater. Sadly, that riff wasn't videotaped, so unless somebody has a bootleg, it's lost to the ages. (Well, at least until I get a functioning TARDIS.) One interesting note: this is the only CT video that carries a disclaimer on the cover, and before and after the movie, about how the feature has been altered without the filmmaker's consent or participation.
As for "Deadly Mantis", it's an OK entry in the 50s giant insect movie genre. It lacks the tension of "Them!", but it's fairly well-made. At least they don't go the B.I.G. route and use a mantis and a postcard for VFX. On the other hand, they shoehorn in a thoroughly unneeded romance; that just distracts from the story. The riffing is good, and this was the first episode with the "endless chase" story arc, as well as the beginning of Bobo's creeping stupidity. The host segments were good, especially the C&W songs on the radio. I wonder if they actally wrote the full songs, or just the segments.
Well, that was good. Onward to week 247. The Outsiders selection is... "ConventioCon II Highlights: Autographs/Props"... - It's two-two-two segments in one! ... and since thus one lasts less than 30 minutes, I'm exercising my second feature option with... "FC: Killers from Space"... - Starring Peter Graves, before the smoky tapes. ... and the Originals selection is... "Viking Women and the Sea Serpent" (Show 317). - Another Corman this week, folks.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 4, 2020 22:46:41 GMT -5
Okay, this time I have a good reason I'm late. I'll get to it momentarily, First, week 247...
The Con II highlights were good. There was only about a minute or so of the cast autograph line. I don't think I went to this one, since I got cast autographs at Con I. Then again, maybe I did. I can't remember. I did go to the prop room, though. The video was very good in showing the considerable detail of each item. However, since these were only from the show up to MST3K-TM, they didn't have the tossable foam brain I got at the Ebay auction.
As for "Killers from Space", it doesn't last very long, but it is slow going. Peter Graves plays an atomic scientist who is saved from a plane crash by really goofy-looking, conquest-minded aliens. Thus, he has to overcome both their brainwashing and his colleagues doubts over his sanity. The print was in lousy shape, there's a bunch of padding in a couple of sequences, and there are several bits of nonsense. (Like Peter complaining that an atomic test was held just a few miles away without his even knowing about it. He didn't notice an A-bomb explosion?) Peter does his usual good job, but it's really not worth it. And there are the limbo shots of various characters. The FC presentation is good, with some great riffs. The lunch break sketch is OK, and the "deleted scenes" (voiced by Mike) were pretty funny.
As for "Viking Women and the Sea Serpent", it has the blandest, weakest bunch of Vikings in movie history. Yes, a couple of the girls are fairly resolute, and young Todd at least tries to put up a fight (though he loses), but the others are total wusses. Compared to Kirk Douglas in "The Vikings", or even Lee Majors in "The Norseman", they are unimpressive. Add in the familiar California scenery from "Teenage Caveman", the not-so-great script, the whiny "prince", and the lackluster sea serpent, and it's really not too good. On the other hand, "The Home Economics Story" is actually pretty interesting. Yes, it's very dated, but at least we see several women working to improve themselves and start a career. And there's no preachiness, either; it just matter of fact. The riffing was great throughout, though I wasn't too thrilled over how the guys looked down on the notion of a woman choosing to be a housewife. Hey, my Mom is a college graduate, and she chose to be a housewife until we were old enough to look after ourselves, to an extent. And she did a great job. (Sorry, that just gets to me.) This is also the episode with the well-remembered waffle fixation. (Personally, I prefer blueberry pancakes, but that's just me.)
So, let's move on to week 248. I had to wait to post because I wasn't sure if things would work out for the outside-of-the-rotation Outsiders selection. But, as of yesterday, they did, so we have... "MST3K Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour"... - They're back in NJ, and I'm seeing two of the last three shows in the tour. ... meanwhile, the Originals selection is... "The Magic Voyage of Sinbad" (Show 505). - Should we call him SINO (Sinbad In Name Only)?
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 8, 2020 19:27:09 GMT -5
I'm an idiot. But, then, maybe you already knew that.
I've only just realized after the fact that the MST Live shows are NOT Outsiders. They are official parts of the show (and I still really hope they've been preserved for future re-viewing). So, I'm making a very last minute adjustment to week 248. The Live Shows, which I'll write about soon, are moved to Originals, SINO is put back into the rotation for later, and the Outsiders selection is... "RT: Catwomen of the Moon" (with Bridget & Mary Jo). - Unfortunately not starring Julie Newman, Lee Meriweather and Eartha Kitt.
This is OK with you, right?
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 11, 2020 23:12:46 GMT -5
Well, let's look at how week 248 went.
"Catwomen of the Moon" is one bad movie. A group of white male explorers, with one token female, sets out for the moon and lands there. Quickly, questions come up over how the token female navigated the ship to a specific location on the unseen far side of the moon. Soon after, we find an underground pocket of atmosphere, a couple of giant spiders, and the titular catwomen. Then there's the obligatory sudden romances and nefarious plots. For those familiar with this sort of movie, it's pretty much the trial run for "Missile to the Moon" (later riffed on by Mike, Kevin & Bill), but with a lower budget and only running around 70 minutes. The riffing by Bridget & Mary Jo is great. Once again, they sound like they're having a good time joking about this flick, and hearing them crack up over the spaceship's office chairs (on casters!) was hilarious.
As for the live shows, the respective Red Bank and Montclair shows were just as good as the New Brunswick shows from months ago. "No Retreat, No Surrender" is marginally worse than "Circus of Fear", but both provided prime riffing material. (For example, Joel's riff from "NR,NS" as the family station wagon drives past a cemetery: "National Lampoon's Final Vacation".) I thought the circus-themed sketches for "NR,NS" worked better than the butterfly-themed ones for "COF", but both were good. And I liked the new puppetry tricks they tried, including the sometimes-visible operators. The touring cast was good (and I suspect we'll be seeing them again), and Joel opened each show with his new rendition of the theme song. The respective venues were good, as well. The Count Basie in Red Bank and the Wellmont in Montclair are each restored, old-style theaters, with a balcony and a rotunda over the audience. It was a bit easier for me to get to Red Bank than to Montclair (I prefer Rt. 18 over the GSP, and the streets near the GSP exit were confusing), but I'd taken test drives to each place and knew what to expect. And the respective theater staffs were very nice to the moron who printed out his parking pass but not his event ticket (Red Bank) and didn't fully clean out his pockets for the metal detectors (both Red Bank and Montclair). As I've posted before, I just hope these shows were recorded in some fashion. Comedy this good must be preserved, especially since this is Joel's touring swan song (thus far).
Well, that was actually fun. And here's the selections for what's left of week 249. For the Outsiders, it's..."RT: Shortstoberfest (1st half)"... - Better get some bratwurst for this. ... and for the Originals it's... "Werewolf" (Show 904). - Dis iss absoludely fassinatin.
What's your opinion? We'd like to know...
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Post by kmorgan on Mar 18, 2020 22:00:06 GMT -5
Well, let's take a late look at week 249. (Sure, it's late, but it still takes your mind off self-quarantine.)
I'd never seen the shorts in the first half of "Shortstoberfest", either. And they're all pretty good. We've got "Back to School with Joan Miller" (a look at college-age back to school fashions from 1959, featuring a cute kitten, long skirts, and loads & loads of plaid), "Call It Free" (a customer service short about better service at a gas station, including dealing with scatter-brained wives and irate husbands), "Little Lost Scent" (a nature short about an adventurous and near-bullying skunk), and "An Aquarium in Action" (a 1972 short where kids watch the fish in an aquarium and learn about them). The riffing was great in all four, and none of them were really bad. I will admit I preferred the skunk in that one episode of "Too Cute" over the one featured here, but the aquarium short was actually kind of interesting. Once again, we see that RT does a particularly good job with short subjects.
As for "Warwilf", I agree with Kevin that this movie was a gift from God for MST. Inept movie, great riffs. A while back, I wrote an article for the old Even Deeper Blurting board about the scenes from this movie that BBI cut out. Believe me, they wouldn't have helped. If you like, I can put the article up, if anyone's interested.
And so we reach week 250. Ye gods, we'vebeen at this for a while. So, let's welcome this milestone (or millstone, as the case may be) with the Outsiders selection of... "Life After MST3K: Mary Jo Pehl"... - Well, life between MST and RT. ... and, since this lasts less than 30 minutes, the second feature of... "Gateway Con 2000 Panels (Pt. 1)"... - Witnessed, though not videotaped, by your humble correspondent. ... and the Originals selection of... "Stranded in Space" (Show 305). - All Hail the Perfect Order!
Don't panic...
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