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Post by kmorgan on Jul 30, 2016 22:29:35 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 65.
The episode of "Talk Soup" was from 7/14/1997. Host John Henson was joined by co-host Tom as they reviewed clips from that week's talk shows. They ranged from the pretty good (Paul McCartney on Conan O'Brien's show) to the horribly bad (an oft-bleeped clip from Jerry Springer's freak show). I thought it was pretty funny, though it reinforced why I shy away from daytime talk shows. My copy also features ads featuring a contest to win the Burgermobile from the then-upcoming "Good Burger", and George Clooney promoting "Batman & Robin", poor guy.
Meanwhile, "Code Name: Diamond Head" is just about what you'd expect from a late 70's TV movie/failed pilot. Lots of recognizable actors, a fairly basic plot, some action. Like Frank wrote about "Stranded in Space", it was meant to fill a time slot, and it did it well. Ian McShane was good as the villain, but I preferred him as Lovejoy. And I preferred Roy Thinnes hunting aliens or surviving on counter-Earth. Oh, well. And the short, "A Day at the Fair", brought back lots of memories of my visits to the Wayne County Fair (where I'll be going next week, in fact). The riffing was good, though I'm still surprised at no "Invaders" riffs. The host segments, with the alternate Mikes, were pretty funny, though those unfamiliar with "This Boy's Life" might be confused by the first bit. (Mike does a pretty good DeNiro, though.)
Things turned out OK, this time. So, let's move to week 66. The Outsiders selection is..."Invention Exchange: Joel Hodgson Reflects"... - How did he make those wonderful toys? ...and the Originals selection is..."Jack Frost" (Show 813). - Maybe he'll end the heat wave around here?
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 6, 2016 11:15:55 GMT -5
So, how did week 66 go?
The "Invention Exchange" segment is a Ballyhoo extra on the "Bride of the Monster" DVD. Joel just talks about the Invention Exchange idea, as well as the show's one-camera set-up. He focuses on one favorite: the Tough Love Seat/Microwave Faith Popcorn exchange from "Bride of the Monster". It's actually pretty interesting, if brief.
As for "Jack Frost", it's like the other MSTed Russo-Finnish fantasies. It has a lot of imagination and creativity, and a generally good-natured tone. And it's thoroughly off-the-wall goofy. It's a good movie for watching and riffing, and Nastya is adorable. The host segments were generally OK, with Mike's Lord of the Dance opening a classic. The riffing was very good.
A good combination this time, I'd say. So, this week I'm on vacation at my Ancestral Home somewhere in PA, but I can still pass along choices for week 67. So, the Outsiders selection is..."RT: Wide World of Shorts" (1st Half).. - Is Jim McKay announcing this? ...and the Original selection is..."Ring of Terror" (Show 206). - Puma? Puma?
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 13, 2016 23:21:04 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 67.
"Wide World of Shorts" (1st half) presents a problem. The riffing is great, as always. And two of the shorts really lend themselves to great riffing, as well as being reminiscent of earlier MST/RT shorts ("Snap Out of It" for "Act Your Age", and "Aqua Frolics" for "Aquatic Wizards"). The problem is the other three. "Alcohol Trigger Films" and "Why Vandalism?" are just too darn depressing, while "Carnivorous Plants" tries to expound on God's Creation via the example of truly creepy plant life. There's only so much that riffing can do, and these shorts just go too far.
"Ring of Terror" is one on the better, early episodes. The movie is OK, though the students advanced age is a problem. However, had they pared away the lame frat bits, it could've made for a pretty good story on "Inner Sanctum" or "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". As for part 3 of "Phantom Creeps", Bela is great. The riffing is fine, as the crew have truly hit their stride. The host segments are good, and Frank's "If Chauffeurs Ruled the World" one of the better songs.
I guess this one balances out. Anyway, week 68. The Outsiders selection is "Return to Eden Prairie" (Pt. 2)... - I didn't even know I'd left it. ...and the Originals selection is..."Human Duplicators" (Show 420). - That must take one huge Xerox machine.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 14, 2016 20:45:13 GMT -5
WHOOPS! There's a slight problem. I had a slight memory lapse, so "Return to Eden Prairie" will go back into the rotation. Actually, for this week's Outsiders selection, I'm going outside the rotation for..."RT Live: Mothra". - I hope he stays away from my suits.
Sorry about that, Chief.
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 20, 2016 22:25:19 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 68, shall we?
"RT Live: Mothra" turned out fine. The movie is one of the better Toho kaiju movies, with one of the better monsters. They also try to do some work with the human characters, especially the comic yet heroic Bulldog. The short, "Soapy, the Germ Fighter", did the usual thing of presenting a positive message in a rather disturbing way. I mean, a disembodied, pantsless bar of soap? The guys did a great job with the riffing, especially during the slower, pre-destruction parts of the movie. And the pre-show title cards were, as always, really funny.
As for "Human Duplicators", it's obviously low budget, but it's not too bad. It has some interesting ideas, Richard Kiel does OK with an unusually important role, and George MacCready is good as Von Dornheimer (yeah, it is a funny name) and his twin. And George Nader is a lot less insufferable than he was in "Million Eyes of Su-Maru". I'll just overlook the cheap, ceramic heads. The guys did a great job riffing, and the host segments were good, especially Hugh Beaumont's return ("HOW'S HUGH, HUH?"). And it features one of my favorite Mad inventions, the really silly Fridge Alert.
Definitely a good pairing this time. So, on to week 69. The Outsiders selection is..."Attack of the Killer B-Movies"... - Written by Frank "I did it for the money" Conniff. ...and the Originals selection is... "I was a Teenage Werewolf" (Show 809). - No, no warwilf. That's later.
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Aug 28, 2016 20:53:23 GMT -5
Sorry, running late again. Anyway, week 69.
"Attack of the Killer B-Movies" is a bit tough to consider. I know Frank wrote it, but I suspect it was more of an NBC project than something Frank had much control over. For those unfamiliar, it features four movies ("Wasp Woman", "Killers from Space", "Monster from Green Hell" and "Navy vs. the Night Monsters") that have been cut down, colorized, and given new VFX and lousy synth music. The riffs are provided via quick cut-aways, and are provided by Elvira and cast members from the network's teen-oriented sit-coms (which I known nothing about). The riffs are sort-of OK, though there aren't very much of them. (Think KTMA.) Fiddling with the movies to that extent violates the MST standard, and don't add much to the humor. Finally, while Elvira does OK, the other cast members aren't all that great delivering the riffs. The whole thing didn't turn out too well, I think. But, fortunately, the Film Crew, CT and RT came along soon afterwards.
As for "I Was a Teenage Werewolf", the title alone justifies riffing. The movie is fairly well-made, and Whit Bissell does OK as the mad scientist. Sure, the song is lousy (what sort of tempo is that?), Michael Landon is way over the top, and Tony's girlfriend should've ditched him long ago. Still, not too bad of a flick. The host segments were OK, with an extended "Alien" spoof on the SOL, and our intro to the Camping Planet. And the riffs were fine, though I'm surprised they didn't ask if the cop's Venusian invasion had failed. One of the better TSNWSRN shows.
So, we're up to week 70, following a split decision. The Outsiders selection is..."Citizen Wood: Making the Bride, Unmaking the 'Legend'... - Featuring Joel, not featuring Depp. ...and the Originals selection is..."Horrors of Spider Island" (Show 1011). - I'd better practice crossing my legs.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 3, 2016 15:45:50 GMT -5
Hey, I'm relatively early this time. Anyway, week 70...
"Citizen Wood" is another Ballyhoo feature. It gives details on the making of "Bride of the Monster", and the MST3K treatment of same. It was a very interesting segment, with commentators including Joel, filmmaker Larry Blamire, horror host Mr. Lobo and wrestler/actor George "The Animal" Steele. They all have some affection for the movie and those who made it, while maintaining that the movie itself is...somewhat lacking. I particularly liked the segment's "Citizen Kane" style of presentation.
As for "Horrors of Spider Island", could this be the smarmisest movie they ever did? I'm not sure, but it's in the top/bottom five of the list. Sexist and rather misogynist, with the sensibility of a 1980's slasher flick, it's pretty lousy. The riffing was great, with some comments really pushing the PG-TV envelope. The host segments were OK, I thought, though I agree the "Mike in the web" and "plane crash" segments should've been switched in order.
Another split decision, I guess. Anyway, week 71. The Outsiders selection is..."Life After MST3K: Mary Jo Pehl"... - Well, after MST3K, pre-teaming with Bridget. ...and the Originals selection is..."Revenge of the Creature" (Show 801) - Welcome to the TSNWSRN era!
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 11, 2016 20:08:14 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late...again. Anyway, week 71...
The segment with Mary Jo is a special feature on the "Leech Woman" DVD. It only runs about 8 minutes, but I thought it was very interesting. In addition to talking about her post-MST activities (travel, writing, CT), she talks about the difficulty in seeing the show end, and some goals she still has for her life. I thought this turned out very well.
As for "Revenge of the Creature", the movie has some great underwater photography, an attractive female lead, some good production values and, briefly, an unarmed Clint Eastwood. Unfortunately, it also has smug John Agar torturing the Gill Man with a cattle prod, and a dog getting needlessly killed. Definitely inferior to the first Creature movie. The episode was OK, with fine riffing and good host segs. It's very unusual to see an intelligent Bobo, and Bill is still getting a handle on Crow, but it was good.
Well, that was good. Now for week 72. The Outsiders selection is..."CT: The Alien Factor"... - Trust me, bring your walking shoes. ...and the Originals selection is..."Cave Dwellers" (Show 301). - Where'd I put my Geometric Nucleus? I think it's on my desk.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 18, 2016 23:32:02 GMT -5
You could set your watch by me...and always be late for appointments. Anyway, week 72...
"CT: The Alien Factor" is a highly-riffable, very low-budget, very 70's movie. It has a look that really makes you think of monster movies on channel 9 late on Saturday night. (Channel 11 and 5 showed them on Saturday afternoon.) It's also heavily padded (long walks, kids playing, the band number) with a script and acting that are lacking. And Zachary, the "hero", combines the worst qualities of the Doctor and any John Agar sci-fi character (i.e. overwhelming smugness and condescension). They did try a couple of interesting VFX items, though. The riffing was fine, with some great interplay between the Titans. I remember first seeing this one at a live show in Princeton (or was it NJPAC?), and it's good to see the live experience again.
As for "Cave Dwellers", I know it's a fan favorite, but it's very, very dull. So many pauses, so much slow pacing, so little real action. And then there's the FVI treatment with the credits. And the hang glider. The riffing was good, though. And I liked the host segments. Nice reminder of back in the day when good talk shows like "The Mike Douglas Show" were on daytime TV.
Well, I survived this one. Anyway, on to week 73. The Outsiders selection is..."RT Shorts, Vol. 2 (1st 1/2)"... - Wonder what I'll learn this time. ...and the Originals selection is..."High School Big Shot" (Show 618). - For those who enjoy clinical depression.
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Sept 25, 2016 20:31:43 GMT -5
Well, let's review week 73.
"RT Shorts, Vol. 2 (1st 1/2)" is a pretty good selection, for the most part. "One Got Fat", the bike safety film with the odd monkey masks, benefits from great narration by Edward Everett Horton. "Lunchroom Manners" is fun, though I'm surprised they didn't mention Mr. Bungle's resemblance to the Joker. "Each Child is Different" is darn-near unbearably downbeat. "Why Doesn't Cathy Eat Breakfast/Petaluma Chicken" left me baffled, since we never find out why Cathy doesn't eat breakfast, or what the blazes the whole giant omelette thing was about. And "Act Your Age" taught me to never use a mechanical pencil, for writing or vandalism. In each case, the riffing works very well.
As for "High School Big Shot", I preferred the opening short, "Out of This World". It's a fun look at the metaphysical side of the sale of baked goods. On the other hand, "High School Big Shot" is just as depressing as "Each Child is Different", with a higher body count. The only bright spot is the team of the liquor store owner and the safe cracker; like Mike, I wish the movie had been about them. Still, the riffs were good, and the host segments were OK.
A bit of a mixed bag, this time. So, on to week 74. The Outsiders selection is..."ConventioCon II Highlights: MST3K-TM Panel"... - I'll have to look for myself in the audience. ...and the Originals selection is..."Being from Another Planet" (Show 405). - Because of those crystals!
We'll be right back...
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Post by LetGoOfItSlappy on Sept 26, 2016 17:59:04 GMT -5
Still going strong...awesome! I am having a blast reading your entries so keep up the great work. And, as others have said, I am getting ideas from you as to which eps to watch next.
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 2, 2016 22:00:56 GMT -5
Aaaaaaand we're back, late as usual. Anyway...
"ConventioCon II Highlights: MST3K-TM Panel" was an event I was very happy to attend. Just before showing the movie, the cast talked about how it was made, highlighted by behind-the-scenes photos. All in all, everybody expressed that the actual making of the movie was fun, while the execs at Universal/Grammercy were a major pain. There were a lot of funny comments, particularly Trace's efforts to see the screen and Mike's food fixation. And we also got to see the "storm shelter" sequence and the original ending, plus some audience Q&A. I have a fan-shot copy (not shot by me) where the audio & video are sometimes tough to follow, but I didn't mind it much. It's a really enjoyable segment. And I got a kick out of Jim saying that Universal probably wouldn't allow a home video release of the deleted scenes. A few years and a new company later...
As for "Being from Another Planet", it's nowhere near the worst movie they'd ever done at that point. (Sorry, Tom.) It's really not too bad, actually. Yes, some characters are real dopes, and the college students are very annoying. But the movie is fairly well-made and acted, and Ben Murphy is a reassuring presence. And you have to love that final shot. The riffing was fine, of course. I liked the host segments, including the pre-B5 Bill Mumy retrospective and our first look at the Holo Clowns. I used to watch "Believe It or Not", so I got a kick out of the Palance masks. And I agree with Joel; the Mads' figurines are really sick.
Well, I had a pretty good time. So, week 75. The Outsiders selection is..."Dragon Con 2002 Masquerade (w/ Mike & Kevin)"... - When does Norton show up as "The Man from Space"? ...and the Originals selection is..."Secret Agent Super Dragon" (Show 504). - What, both Sean and Neil were busy?
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 9, 2016 20:32:32 GMT -5
So, how'd things go?
The "DragonCon 2002 Masquerade" was OK. The participants certainly showed a lot of creativity. As with other costume shows, I note how they've become something of a talent competition as well. The contestants frequently have elaborate intros and sketches to go with the costumes. By comparison, when I dressed up for the costume show at ConventioCon II, I introduced myself, went to the front of the stage for a moment, and walked off. (No, I didn't win.) Mike & Kevin did a fine job hosting, with a great entrance accompanied by the 501st. Mike had some audio problems, but those were straightened out. The show ran a bit long, but it worked out fine.
As for "Secret Agent Super Dragon", it's not my favorite MSTed spy movie. (That would be "Operation Double 007".) It's not really exciting and our hero just doesn't make much of an impression. It's not the worst (that would be "Agent for h.a.r.m."), but it's just...there. The riffing is good, though, and the host segments turned out OK. I liked the Invention Exchange, too. One interesting thing: Joel's invention is Micro Golf, and today's "Frank & Ernest" cartoon is about...microscopic golf. Weird, huh?
Anyway, on to week 76. The Outsiders selection is..."A Year at the Movies" (Pts. 1-3)... - Kevin, you magnificent so-and-so, you're reading your book! ...and the Originals selection is..."Killer Shrews" (Show 407). - somethingsomething Dixieland Jazz somethingsomething.
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 16, 2016 20:46:07 GMT -5
So, how did week 76 go?
The "A Year at the Movies" segments are in YouTube. They're from a reading Kevin did at, I believe, a library, though I'm too lazy to double-check. The segments feature his introduction, his chapter on drive-ins, and one on cinema grills. They're all very interesting and he does a good job reading his stuff and offering a few updates. (Oh, by the way, if Kevin is reading this: I can recommend three drive-ins in PA. There's Becky's, a fine two-screen near Walnutport; Shankweiler's, the oldest still-running drive-in, over near Orefield; and the Circle, a two-screener on Business Rt. 6 in Dickson City.)
As for "Killer Shrews", it starts out pretty slow, and features lots of padding and drinking and talking and drinking. Still there are some effective scenes when the shrews actually arrive, and Festus has a memorable breakdown. Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous, but I can go with it. And the short, "Junior Rodeo Daredevils", is enjoyable, though you know the organizers would get tagged today for multiple safety violations. The riffing is great, and I liked the Mads salute to "Crack in the World" for the Invention Exchange. I liked the host segments, especially Joel's Will Rogers routine. Oh, and I don't have the guts to mix up a killer shrew.
Not too bad this time. So, on to week 77. The Outsiders selection is..."RT: Voodoo Man"... - Featuring the comedy team of Lugosi, Atwill and Carradine. ...and the Originals selection is..."Time Chasers" (Show 821). - Bow before Castleton!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Oct 22, 2016 6:41:16 GMT -5
There's been a family bereavement, so I'm putting things on hold for a bit. I'll let you know when things are running again.
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