Talking (and rating) volume 5

[Mighty Jack]

Last one for today (I may do more at a later date, I dunno)

Vote for your favorite, rank the rest and discuss

Rhino Bonus Material
Intro's by Mike
Interview with Mike & Kevin
Trailer for Touch of Satan

Nothing added for SHOUT release

[Mighty Jack]

My first re-buy, the SHOUT release doesn't add any new extras, but the prints are brighter, the darkness issues that marred Time Chasers and especially Merlin on the Rhino release have been fixed.

Really good release episode-wise, not a bummer in the box. So they were worthy of a double-dip if only to have them in solid shape (and the price was right). I'd rate the set like this...

#1. Touch of Satan
#2. Boggy Creek II
#3. Time Chasers
#4. Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders

Touch of Satan ranks 16th on my Top 100 – Brilliant work from the writing staff. The timing, delivery, and tone of the jokes are perfect.

Boggy Creek was 18th out of 100, Time Chasers #42, Merlin #77 - I only wish there were more extras - an interview with Beez perhaps, on Satan.

[crowschmo]

Time Chasers. One of my faves from the later years that actually got laughs from me. The other three are pretty meh. I don't remember laughing much at ALL during them, maybe a few times for Merlin's Shop. Don't know if I even sat through the whole episode of Boggy Creek II.

My aunt saw them filming Time Chasers from her office window at work. Thank you, people of Rutland, Vermont.


Edit: I just clicked on a link to YouTube from the thread about the Mad's Night of Shorts, and guess what popped up on my recommended? Time Chasers. That's scary. I didn't say the words "Time Chasers" out loud or look anything up. Just me clicking on this thread and typing Time Chasers on one web site, makes that pop up on another site. It could be a coincidence because clicking on the Mads would be MST3K related, but, come on. Every move we make is tracked. That's pretty unnerving.

[comedyc]

Again, Shout's versions have superior audio. Merlin has been corrected from the dark Rhino copy. But Time Chasers suffers from over-saturation of color again, making it look ugly. I'll stick with my Rhino of that episode.

[Mighty Jack]

Yeah, watching it today I noticed that over-saturation with SHOUTS Time Chasers. I remember the Rhino copy being a bit muddy, the shadowrama getting a little lost in darker scenes, but popping it in now, the colors are warmer, not so ugly, as you mentioned.

[foreign object]

Aaaaah you guys are making it hard for me to not think about double-dipping! Anyways, Time Chasers for the win, it's a gold standard ep. definitely in my top 20. I also have a soft spot for Vermont as my wife and I spent part of our honeymoon in that lovely state back in '86.

[StreetDreamer83]

Time Chasers
Merlin's Shop Of Mystical Wonders
Touch Of Satan
Boggy Creek II

[TV's Cowboy]

So far I am the only vote for Merlin. Too bad that is a fav one for me in general

[stingerreel1]

This is probably the best set that Rhino did, these are really all winners. As for the quality of these episodes from both Rhino and Shout!, I can't really comment, I don't own either. The closest that I own is the Shout! Select version of Touch of Satan, which did look very good last time I watched it. I did take a look at the clips of both Merlin and Time Chasers from the MST YouTube channel. I know how bad the Rhino print was, extremely dark even on the SOL set (from looking at clips). I remember someone saying that the Shout! version of Merlin looks low quality, like a YouTube video. After looking at a clip of it on YouTube, it looks great! As for Time Chasers, people said that the saturation was awful. It's not unwatchable, but it is annoying. I might have to say that Time Chasers is the best episode. Followed by Merlin and then Touch of Satan. I haven't seen Boggy Creek yet, but watching a best of, my dad burst out laughing at one riff, so I have high hopes.

EDIT: Might swap Touch of Satan into second place. I do love Merlin, I've just seen Touch of Satan more. It's the perfect episode to just have on and relax to.

[Mighty Jack]

Jan 24, 2021 7:57:59 GMT -5 TV's Cowboy said:

So far I am the only vote for Merlin. Too bad that is a fav one for me in general

It's an excellent episode, but they're all excellent eps in this set, IMHO - though I kind of figured Chasers would take the lead.

[hike'em'up]

821 Time Chasers (24th)
908 Touch of Satan (31st)
1003 Merlin's Mystical Shop of Wonders (34th)
1006 Boggy Creek II: The Legend Continues (52nd)

would have to go look through my volumes but this looks like perhaps the best available in terms of getting 4 instead of just 3 episodes and not a bad one among em.
Merlin's and Boggy Creek II taking 3rd and 4th, respectively, here would probably be 1st or 2nd if placed among several other volumes

[sol-survivor]

Love Time Chasers, don't care for the other three at all. Rarely watch them so video quality doesn't matter to me.

[CrowTrobotfan92]

Easily for me:

Time Chasers
The Touch of Satan
Boggy Creek 2
Merlin’s Shop

Merlin is just an absolute toughie to sit through, especially since literally half of the movie is stock footage.

[Mighty Jack]

I've been going through the set and after finishing Merlin's Shop I popped in my home copy... aaaand my that still looks better, than either the dark Rhino release or the washed-out Shout version. Odd that 2 attempts at a commercial release and they still can't better the picture quality of a homemade disc? I mean, on my TV copy the image is crisp & clean, colors are spot-on, the shadowrama doesn't look jagged or impossible to see (depending on the commercial release). No, I'm not getting hi-def with a TV copy, but I didn't get that with Rhino or Shout either.


BTW Touch of Satan was a hoot and a half. What I love about MST3K, which I don't always get from current Rifftrax, is the variety and the clever stuff. You got low brow material with MST, but also high brow. The esoteric references weren't just thrown out there to look hip, but -for the most part- suit the scene. And I love the phrasing of certain quips. When movie characters keep asking the father...
“What is it?" - Crow responds... "It's people saying "Burn the witch"! Do you have any deductive powers at all!" This is classic Bill Corbett Crow, mad as hell but phrased smartly (He could have just called her stupid, deaf etc, but the way the line is written adds wit to the anger).

Oh, and the host segments add so much character and fun to the eps. Steffi, Crow as Grandma, just love 'em.

I still have Boggy Creek to watch, but 3 in, and in hindsite, I could have skipped the re-buy.

[Afgncaap5]

I'm late to the party on this, but my retroactive preference order is...

Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders
Time Chasers
Touch of Satan
Boggy Creek II

I might switch those last two... I think I technically prefer Boggy Creek...technically... but it left such a small impression on me