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Post by Mr. Atari on May 20, 2012 21:39:18 GMT -5
Loving this thread, MJ. I'm really looking forward to '89 and '94, two of my favorite years for movies and both years when the Academy really got it wrong.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 20, 2012 21:09:57 GMT -5
First Spaceship on Venus. The whole episode. Servo's sarcasm sequencer gets annoying, but he's also got some great lines.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 20, 2012 15:25:50 GMT -5
I go in phases. I've found that after a break, certain MST titles appeal to me in ways they hadn't before. I haven't had any interest in watching Space Children, for example, since I saw it the first time many years ago. After a few months off, I thought, "That would be a fun way to spend an hour and a half."
And it was.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 6, 2012 14:49:13 GMT -5
(this image hosted by Photobucket)
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 6, 2012 14:38:32 GMT -5
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 5, 2012 10:28:45 GMT -5
Ahem. I need to rant.
I get so sick of the talking heads and ignoramuses whining about the "Coors Field effect", and how it taints the stats of Rockies players, and how the increased offense is somehow illegitimate baseball. Last night, Chipper Jones said that games in Denver are "always roller coasters. I'm exhausted after 3 games here, Helton has to play 81!"
The other night, Scott Hairston of the Mets hit for the cycle here, but the Mets lost by 6 or 7 runs, prompting Dan Plesac on the MLB Network to bemoan for an hour how unfair it is that such a real accomplishment would be overshadowed by such phony baseball in Denver. "Only at Coors Field can you hit for the cycle and still lose like that," opined the blathering idiot.
AARRRGHH! Okay, 1) Look at the stats. Since the humidor era started, Coors Field is barely in the top 10 in runs scored per year and HRs hit. Have you seen Texas's ballpark? The new Yankee Stadium? No one doubts the legitimacy of Josh Hamilton's or Mark Teixeira's numbers. 2) Even if there was a mile-high effect, you can't simultaneously credit one hitter/team while bitching about the other. They played on the same field!. 3) Neither can you discredit offense without also crediting defense and pitching. There are two sides to the game. If you're going to whine about one side, then give weight to the other. It never happens. 4) Todd Helton should be a hall of famer. He probably won't get in because people will dismiss his numbers as tainted. "No, he didn't take steroids, but he DID play half his games at Coors Field". If Chipper is right, then Helton should be honored for his long tenure here, not punished. Of course, Chipper isn't right, and Helton would be a HoF'er in any uniform, but the narrative has already been set. And it's utter crap.
[/rant]
Of course, this year's games feel like those old Coors Field carnivals of the '90s, but it's not because of the thin air. It's because our pitching is that terrible and our offense is that good.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 4, 2012 13:44:40 GMT -5
Okay, so we've done this a thousand times, but not this way. I thought it might be fun to compile a list of everyone's favorite episodes so that MST3K neophytes can read this thread and decide where to start watching.
List your top 3 episodes. That's it. We're not looking for debate or discussion about riffing vs. movie quality vs. host segments or anything like that. All we're looking for is your legitimate favorite 3 episodes to help newcomers know where to start.
I'd like to sticky the thread as a handy reference guide showing what we, the viewers at home, think.
I'll start:
1. Girls Town 2. The Rebel Set 3. Night of the Blood Beast
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 4, 2012 12:33:06 GMT -5
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 2, 2012 22:48:05 GMT -5
Pet Sounds deserves all of the acclaim it gets. It's one of those great works of art that is immediately enjoyable on the surface, but gets immeasurably more impressive the more you analyze it. The melodies are fun, the harmonies are unreal, and the "everything-in-the-box" instrumental arrangements stand the test of time. Overall, there's a very specific feel to the whole thing-- sort of a beautiful melancholy. And for a real mind-screw, sit down and try to figure out the chords in "God Only Knows".
Then again, I love their surfin' tunes, too.
I think of Smile the way I think of Orson Welles's The Magnificent Ambersons. Brian Wilson made a masterpiece with Pet Sounds, then went off the rails before completing the follow-up. Had he finished it and released it before going crazy, it might have been what everyone imagined it to be. Instead, the legend of the follow-up made the imaginary work better than it actually is. To release it now, it's like a director's cut of ...Ambersons with a tacked on ending. It's more of a curiosity than a classic.
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Post by Mr. Atari on May 2, 2012 22:22:51 GMT -5
They write great melodies, and they have a good sense of songwriting and arranging. They get a lot of crap for how obviously derivative they are (Radiohead lite with U2's tricks). I liked their first and third albums a lot ("Parachutes" and "X & Y"), but the more albums they release, the more they sound like a one-trick soft-rock cliche.
My take is that there's nothing cutting edge about them, but they're respectably talented. There are a lot of popular acts out there that are much worse and far more deserving of the hate.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Apr 14, 2012 15:15:36 GMT -5
13. Rise 'n ShineWhen we last left the story, the singer was in desperation about life, the universe, and everything. He feared that God was either dead or had abandoned him, and despair overwhelmed him. "Rise 'N Shine" is the pivot song of the album, and moves the grand finale into hopeful territory. It opens with a music box, playing a pretty melody (that establishes the main musical theme of the upcoming "Who Cares?"). It dramatically shifts from the direness of Act II and brings an optimism both in the lyrics and in the major-key orchestration. It also lays the groundwork for the other two songs in the finale, drawing the listener into honest, but hopeful introspection and answers. The Music:After the music box intro, the song fades in nicely with acoustic guitar, simple stick-click drums, and voice. It sounds like the first few moments of a new, sunny day. Gradually, the arrangement grows and the 76-piece orchestra works its way in, bringing drama and majesty to the proceedings. Nuno did all of the composing for the orchestra, and it's as good as any movie composer working today and far better than any rock guitarist has ever done. The flutes sound like birds, the contrary motion in the violins swirl around the guitar, and the low end strings give great power to the choruses. Instead of a traditional bridge, there is a quiet break where the music goes back to solo acoustic guitar, played with a straight quarter note rhythm that builds and builds. Eventually, the cellos come in with a riff underneath, feed into the drum kicks and violin runs, and finally back into the majestic chorus. It's really stunning. In my previous post, I compared this 3-song finale to the second side of Abbey Road. This is especially true on this song in how the main musical idea works with the bridge and the orchestration. Like they mashed up two great songs into one that feeds itself coming and going. George Martin would be proud. The Lyrics:The lyrics here are loaded with Biblical allusions, but still strongly support the narrative of the album. It starts with the idea of a new day and new hope. But it also includes a criticism of the anti-God sentiment expressed in Act II. The pre-chorus quotes Jesus from Luke 12, when he points out to the people that while they can recognize weather patterns and predict atmospheric events, they refuse to recognize the winds of spiritual movement and fail to interpret the signs of the times because of their hard-heartedness. In the second verse, there is an allusion to the Old Testament prophet Daniel (you know, the one with the lion's den). The story goes that Daniel interpreted a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar's, where he saw a statue with gold on the top, then silver, then bronze in the middle, and then iron, but with feet of clay. Daniel gave a specific interpretation of future kingdoms and Nebuchadnezzar's successors, but the general idea is that Nebuchadnezzar wasn't as strong/smart/powerful as he thought he was. A statue is only as strong as its foundations, and standing on sand is where arrogant humans often find themselves. Recurring throughout the song is the phrase "Everything's under the sun", a refrain from the book of Ecclesiastes, written by King Solomon at the end of his life. Solomon had gained everything possible for a human to gain and concluded in the end that it was all vanity. To everything there is a season - a time for being born, a time for dying, a time for peace, and a time for war. It doesn't explain the reason for suffering, but it provides an honest assessment of the patterns of human existence and at the very least says that while we as humans might not get our answers, trying to force answers or put ourselves in the place of God to judge him will always lead to the wrong answers. See also the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn" or Kansas's "Dust in the Wind", dude. All of these allusions seem to tell the tale that there is hope, but it isn't to be found in nihilism or humanism. It would seem that there is a new day coming when all will be put to right, but until then, we live out the seasons of our existence. It doesn't answer all the questions, but it does put us in a better framework for the asking. Favorite Moment:I don't know if I can pick just one, as the greatness of this song lies in how it grows into the next two. I like the harp sweeps, the flute & oboe highlights, the cello lines, and the moving bass line. But probably my favorite part of the song is that, as a Bible scholar, I love that it references so many obscure passages (and references them correctly) and then synthesizes them into such a powerful lyrical theme.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Apr 11, 2012 17:02:04 GMT -5
My two teams will win 70 games this year. Combined. If they're lucky.
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Post by Mr. Atari on Apr 1, 2012 15:41:21 GMT -5
Crow's perfect, "huh huh huh, no you don't" at the 7:45 mark:
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Post by Mr. Atari on Mar 29, 2012 14:36:09 GMT -5
13-15. Everything Under the Sun (in 3 parts)
I've been reticent to finish this annotated review because I simply can't find the words to describe this final piece. There's no way to communicate my thoughts without sounding like an irrational or emotional freak. But I promise you I'm quite sane, still as snarky and snobbish as ever, and completely able to laugh at myself. With that caveat, here goes...
I know people who cry when they listen to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or Mozart's Requiem, just at the mere beauty and power of the music. I've seen people weep when certain Bible verses are read because the words so perfectly encapsulate what they are feeling spiritually in that moment. This piece of music makes me cry every time I hear it for both of those reasons. It is perhaps my favorite 20 minutes of music ever written. I identify with the lyrics and I'm overcome by the music. For me, every listen is cathartic and true.
The piece is divided into 3 sections ("Rise N' Shine", "Am I Ever Gonna Change", and "Who Cares?"). The musical themes of each are interwoven into the others. The ebb and flow of musical intensity is perfectly executed, as is the incredible orchestration. The lyrics are written and sung with sincere, visceral passion.
Taken on its own, this is a masterpiece. But its genius is magnified in that it is merely the conclusion to an already amazing concept album. It's like if The Who decided, after writing the rest of Tommy, to close it out with side 2 of Abbey Road. Or if Pink Floyd decided at the end of The Wall to wrap it up with Bohemian Rhapsody. That is, if those finales also impeccably wrapped up the theme of those albums, as well.
This is Act III of the opera and it functions (like all good third acts) to resolve the conflict, bring resolution, and provide a powerful release for the audience. I'm going to go through each song/movement, but in general, it finally seeks to answer the question about what's wrong with the world and if it can be fixed. Is God dead? Why can't we find peace? It moves beyond the anger of Act I and the introspection of Act II and into an attempt at cohesion and solution. Frankly, the whole thing should have collapsed under its own audacity. But it absolutely works because of 1) the unbelievable musical acumen and 2) the humble tone of the lyrics.
Don't believe me? Turn down the lights, put on some headphones, and give it a listen:
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Post by Mr. Atari on Mar 26, 2012 20:22:30 GMT -5
HE'S AWESOME, BABY, WITH A CAPITAL A!!!!! I'm sure you intended that to be read in Dick Vitale's voice. Because I totally did.
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