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Post by kmorgan on May 15, 2024 10:19:30 GMT -5
Well, at least John Carradine did a good job in the hour-and-a-half it took to film his part of the movie.
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Post by kmorgan on May 15, 2024 10:17:34 GMT -5
The post-show Q&A was very good, and I was glad to hear that the Mads are also fans of Old-Time Radio, especially "Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar". But that ultra-depressing British short on raising children must've made a lot of people consider birth control.
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Post by kmorgan on May 14, 2024 23:46:57 GMT -5
As promised, the recap of week 465. Drumroll, if you please... (BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUM!)
The latest "Chit Chat and Tid Bits" show with Chris & MJ was, once again, a good one. It was just a relaxed conversation between them and those of us on the chat. It included a review of the "Dating Game" show, and a fairly long response to an anonymous question re: having to get a subscription to the Clubhouse in particular and Dumb Industries in general to see the content. They expressed the need for some income to keep the shows going, while noting that it was fairly low-priced. And, as it happens, the game I was going to was rained out, so I was able to watch and participate. MJ even quoted a comment of mine from the chat (about how much of a bargain viewers got for their money from Dumb Industries) and they used one of my Q&A offerings: "Even though you like your current work, what would be your dream job, the one you'd really like to do?"
As for "American Scary", it's a really enjoyable documentary about horror hosts. It featured a pretty good cross-section of the classic early hosts (like Zacherley and Vampira) and the more recent hosts on the 'net and local access. It was also interesting as a look at how the first wave of hosts reflected the areas of the country they were based in (seems that a lot of them were from Ohio) and how it was all part of the now all-but-gone truly local TV industry. Joel was interviewed (apparently in a parking lot) during a segment looking at MST3K as a further development of horror hosting. Unfortunately, there's no footage or stills from the show featured. (I understand there was a miscommunication with BBi or Shout or somebody.) In addition, while the current incarnation of Svengoolie is noted, there's no footage of him, either. I'd really love for there to be an updated version of "American Scary", with footage of Sven and MST, and a whole second disc with surviving footage of all the hosts, past & present, along with others they missed (like Dr. Shock or "Uncle Ted's Ghoul School").
As for "Radar Secret Service", it's slow and dull, both in look and content. And it seems radar is just as good as the sensors on the Enterprise in telling you everything you need to know. And yet it still boils down to nondescript guys in suits & fedoras pulling guns on other nondescript guys in suits & fedoras. On the other hand, the episode includes "Last Clear Chance", one of the best shorts the guys ever riffed on. It informs you about how to avoid small problems and distractions that can cause accidents, yet has someone die from being incredibly stupid in ways anyone knows to refrain from. The riffing was top notch, though perhaps a bit better on the short than the feature. (Understandable, given how much of a slog they found the feature.) The host segments were funny, especially the one after the short, when we discover how horribly dangerous lint and sandwiches are.
Hey, I'm up to date now. That don't always happen.
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Post by kmorgan on May 14, 2024 13:27:40 GMT -5
OK, I'll post the recap of week 465 later tonight. (Honest, I will!) But, while we wait for that, here are the selections for week 466. The off-rotation Outsider selection is... "The Mads are Back LIVE: 'The Wizard of Mars'"... - That's live on-line tonight. Starring John Carradine, hopefully not singing. ... and the on-rotation Outsider selection is... "Joel & Mike NPR Interview (1992)"... - That'd place this around Season 3 or 4, if my calculations are correct. ... and the Originals selection is... "Quest of the Delta Knights" (Show 913). - Just how many David Warners are in this flick, anyway?
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on May 9, 2024 23:11:07 GMT -5
OK, now let's look at the delayed selections for week 465. The off-rotation Outsider for what's left of the week is... "The Mary Jo Pehl Show Clubhouse Bonus: Chit-Chat & Tid-Bits"... - I'd forgotten all about this. That's live on the Clubhouse tomorrow night, but I may have to catch it on tape delay, unless the baseball game is rained out. ... and the on-rotation Outsider is... "American Scary" (w/ Joel)... - It's a documentary on horror movie hosts, and it's a lot of fun. ... and the Originals selection is... "Radar Secret Service" (Show 520). - Not starring Gary Burghoff.
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on May 9, 2024 23:02:43 GMT -5
...and we're back. Let's continue:
As for week 463, MJ’s version of “The Dating Game” went pretty well. OK, Chris didn’t wear a mod tux like Jim Lange would, and there was no big kiss thrown to the audience at the end of the show. But the questions (taken from the original show) were good (like, “If you could be any famous man from history, who would you be?”) and it was all pleasant fun. And the date looked like it would result in a good time (a trip to Menards, actually). Turning to “Dark Alibi”, I’m a bit biased. My Dad liked watching the Charlie Chan movies, and I’d watch along with him. They weren’t as good as the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Homes movies we’d watch, but they were OK, to an extent. However, Dad preferred the early ones with Warner Oland, and this one is a later, low-budget effort with Sidney Toler, so my bias isn’t absolute. This one is pretty quick (just over an hour), and they aren’t as racially insensitive re: Chan and chauffer Birmingham Brown as they could’ve been. On the other hand, the mystery isn’t all that involving, Chan seems almost contemptuous of his own son, and there’s too much comedy that doesn’t work. The riffing by the guys is good, though. And I now know to never go within 100 yards of any THEATRICAL SUPPLY building.
And re: “The Projected Man”, this isn’t too bad of a flick. I was a bit confused as to why anyone would want Paul’s experiment to fail (supposedly, in a scene cut from the show, the Director wanted to steal the credit), but at least he doesn’t get seriously crazy until after he goes all Harvey Dent. The filmmakers gave it a good effort in trying to make the movie intelligent, though Sheila in her underwear kind of undercuts that idea. It is a bit surprising that this wasn’t made by either Hammer or Amicus, who pretty much dominated British sci-fi & horror at that time. The copy I watched of this experiment was from the initial broadcast on TSNWSRN. Thus, the audio was a bit off in the theater scenes. I didn’t really mind that; it was still fairly well audible. The riffing was good, and the host segments introduction Castle Forrester were OK. It felt like they were returning to a Deep 13 style of story, I guess. The zapping of Mike’s stuff was rather cruel, though.
Moving along to week 464, “The Devil’s Daughter”, as noted, was the third “unsuspecting woman encounters evil cult” movie that Chris & MJ have seen in as many months. Basically, an impossibly naïve young woman, after her mother’s mysterious death, is befriended by a group of late middle-aged/elderly people who are practically wearing signs reading, “We’re really evil, actually”. There are the expected deaths and near-deaths, which our young protagonist seems too dim to understand the source of. As if the demonic-looking painting in her benefactor’s home isn’t a giveaway. So…OK, let’s just say it’s “TV-movie ‘Rosemary’s Baby’” and leave it at that. Chris & MJ seemed to think this one was generally OK, but I just found it too predictable. Plus, like MJ, I was annoyed at how little agency and personality the young victim had. Anyone else, when confronted by transparently-helpful Shelley Winters, would be running for the hills or calling the cops. And, of course, the forces of Evil are remarkably well-organized, while the forces of Good are all but absent. I just tuned this one out several times. About the only really unexpected twist was when MJ’s ‘net connection failed about 3/4 of the way through, and Matt joined Chris to finish the commentary.
As for “Catwomen of the Moon”, it’s pretty misogynist in its viewpoint, when you consider it. I mean, sinister females out to conquer mankind by deception, followed by near-genocide. Certainly a textbook mid-late 50s type of thing, I guess. Fortunately, the movie is so cheap and dumb that you can push that aside and just enjoy it as a fortunately brief (less than 70 minutes) sci-fi flick. For the full effect, watch it and then watch the spoof “Amazon Women on the Moon”. They’re not too far apart. The riffing from Bridget & MJ is top notch. This was their first full-movie riff, and they did great. Once again, they have a relaxed attitude that works fine, and they really got a kick out of the standard office furniture that doubles as spacecraft equipment.
As for the KTMA version of “Gamera vs. Zigra”, it’s one of the more annoying Gamera movies, though it’s not as outright weird as “Gamera vs. Jiger” or the as-yet-unMSTed “Gamera vs. Viras”. Still, at least the Kenny in this one isn’t the mentally-disturbed one from the original movie. As usual for a KTMA ep, the riffing can be a bit sparse, but I’m pretty sure this is the first time they tried to put lyrics to the Gamera theme song. It also marked the first real appearance of the Mads, pre-Deep 13, and it was the show’s New Year’s episode, since it originally ran after the third Melon Drop special (the one with “fruit terrorism”). Not as good as the TFNWSRN version, but worth watching.
Well, now we're up to date. Stay tuned for more...
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Post by kmorgan on May 9, 2024 22:59:18 GMT -5
OK, folks. Let's get the outstanding recaps done. I don't want to overload things, so I'll split them into two posts. Here we go...
Looking back on week 461, “Night of Shorts 15” turned out pretty much OK. There were only four shorts, though: “Holidays: Your Neighbors Celebrate” (actually pretty interesting), “Your Children and You” (a UK-made short on raising kids that is depressing enough to make you buy birth control products in bulk), “Holiday From Rules?” (kids are vicious anarchists?), and “Safety: After School” (well, some kids are responsible). The riffing on all of them was great, of course. Afterwards, the guest was writer/program host/radio expert Steve Darnall. I really liked this Q&A, since it showed how much affection the Mads have for Old-Time Radio, especially “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar”. They also talked about the sorely-missed Joe Flaherty, the recent eclipse (Frank felt it was a let-down), and they even used by question re: movie trailers. Great stuff!
As for the April “Chit Chat & Tid Bits”, Chris & MJ had a nice conversation ranging from the recent NJ-centered earthquake, birthdays, starting events on time, and the upcoming “Dating Game” show. (More on that ASAP.) Once again, an engaging show.
And re: “The Amazing Colossal Man”, it’s actually one of the better B.I.G. movies. Yes, it doesn’t make much sense scientifically, but they were trying for something a bit better than usual in terms of character. Of course, Glen is still something of a dope, but that’s the way it goes. The riffing & host segments are good, though, including Mike’s first appearance as Glen.
Moving to week 462, the BBI tour footage was really interesting. I’d taken the tour during Con II, as I recall, and I remember how the sets seemed smaller in real life than on TV. (Of course, having worked in TV since the Reagan presidency, I expected such a thing.) The tour brought back memories of the staff room (with “FIRE PAUL” on the blackboard), as well as the fan art on the walls and the props that weren’t on display at the Convention Center. As usual for a fan-made tape, the audio & video weren’t top grade, but they were passable. And they included the video presentations with Mike & Kevin (showing off the sets) and MJ & Paul (talking about choosing the movies & writing the show).
As for “The Astral Factor”, it’s about a killer with a mother-fixation (no, Anthony Perkins ain’t in this) who uses astral projection to escape prison and go back to killing females who wronged him/reminded him of mom/whatever. It has a very TV-movie vibe, except for a couple of shots thrown in for theatrical release (overseas, I guess?). It’s not a very good flick. The rules for the killer’s powers vary a great deal, the lead detective (played by Robert Foxworth, of the recently-viewed “The Devil’s Daughter”) is a tantrum-throwing jerk, and the rest of the cops aren’t exactly swift, either. And the lead cop’s girlfriend, played by Stephanie Powers, is spectacularly non-intellectual. I’m pretty sure I saw this one live at NJPAC, during one of CT’s tours. We’re lucky to have this one available. For, I assume, budgetary reasons, this is one of the shows CT didn’t have videotaped. Fortunately, an enterprising fan merged a (rather bad) PD copy of the movie and a fan-recorded audio copy of the riffing, then posted the result on YouTube. It’s one of CT’s better efforts, and it preserves one of the shows where J. Elvis was away and Dave “Gruber” Allen filled in. Now, we just need someone to find audio of "The Doll Squad" show.
And re: “Manos”, what more needs to be said? I will note this: during this rewatch, as they were riffing on “Hired!”, Tom quips during a shot of guys in a Chevy, “Meanwhile, Eliot Ness and his Untouchables were heading to a speakeasy in Berwyn.” Hearing this, I actually went, “Huh?” and wound the recording back to confirm it. Back in the day, the reference meant nothing. Now, after years of watching Svengoolie, it’s another matter.
A brief pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on May 2, 2024 13:09:14 GMT -5
Oh, dear. I got home from a meeting late last night, so I couldn't do the next recap. And I was rushing today, so I'm not ready with the selections for week 464, either. Usual thing, actually. Anyway, here's what we have for week 464. The off-rotation Outsider is... "Movie Jo Night: 'The Devil's Daughter'"... - That's live on-line tonight. Another "innocent young woman blunders into secret nefarious cult" movie, it seems.... while our on-rotation Outsider and our Originals selections are... TBA. - What, me disorganized?Please stand by... Okay, I'm slowly getting my act together. The on-rotation Outsider for the week is... "RT: Catwomen of the Moon"... - Sadly, Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt and Lee Meriweather aren't in this one. ... and the Originals selection is... "Gamera vs. Zigra" (Show K-07). - Maybe it was less lousy on KTMA (but I doubt it).
We now return to your regularly scheduled program...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 30, 2024 16:19:00 GMT -5
Oh, dear. I got home from a meeting late last night, so I couldn't do the next recap. And I was rushing today, so I'm not ready with the selections for week 464, either. Usual thing, actually. Anyway, here's what we have for week 464. The off-rotation Outsider is... "Movie Jo Night: 'The Devil's Daughter'"... - That's live on-line tonight. Another "innocent young woman blunders into secret nefarious cult" movie, it seems. ... while our on-rotation Outsider and our Originals selections are... TBA. - What, me disorganized?
Please stand by...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 30, 2024 16:09:35 GMT -5
How much were the rooms at the Hampton? I made reservations for three nights. The first two were around $150, with the third closer to $200. All told, less taxes, it's around $500, but I signed up with Hilton Honors, so there's a bit of a discount. I took extra time so I could go to the Mall of America, and make a pilgrimage to the original KTMA location, and the former BBI site in Eden Prairie.
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 29, 2024 13:48:20 GMT -5
Well, it took a couple of days, and I had to go to great lengths to convince the Ticketmaster website that I was a human being and not a bot, but I got my ticket to the Minneapolis show. It's on the floor level, off to one side, but I don't mind. I also got my hotel reservation for a Hampton Inn only about a block away from the theater. I'll wait a bit before getting my plane tickets.
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 29, 2024 13:44:31 GMT -5
Okay, I was going to do recaps last week, as I posted. But I had a few access difficulties. So, let's try it now, starting with week 460: The first half of shorts on the "Shorts-a-Poppin'" DVD were, once again, good viewing. Not only did they provide an interesting look at the respective eras they were made in, but they made you, in some cases, wonder what the heck the filmmakers were thinking. They covered subjects like road safety ("The Case of Tommy Tucker", about how the whole world revolves around one future autocrat), personal shyness ("Shy Guy", and it's amazing they only made one joke about lead actor Dick York's most famous role), juvenile delinquency ("What About Juvenile Delinquency?" and how it's OK until your family is targeted), family communication ("You and Your Family", where family members talk to each other "Rashomon"-style, sort of), and racing ("Cork: Crashes and Curiosities", about auto racing, auto crashing, and IRISH SWEEP!!). As usual, the riffing was great. "Bride of the Gorilla" is set up to be about a man undergoing a bit of shapeshifting, primate style. But, actually, it's more of a psychological suspense thriller. The overseer of a jungle plantation lets his boss die so he can take his wife. It seems like a perfect crime, until the guy starts believing he's turning into a killer gorilla. Is he, or isn't he? There's some good, humid atmosphere in this one, and Raymond Burr delivers a good performance of mounting tension. Familiar faces Tom Conway and Paul Kavanaugh show up, and Lon Chaney plays an unconvincing cop/former jungle resident. It's a reasonably good, if off-kilter, movie from Kurt "Donovan's Brain" Siodmak. Once again, Bridget & MJ do a great job of riffing in their friendly, relaxed way. As for "Phase IV", this is just plain odd. Ants, apparently affected by a solar storm, gain intelligence start going after humans in the desert southwest. They're opposed by an obsessed scientist, an easygoing scientist, and a young survivor who's basically the Load. The ants totally confound the humans, and it ends with...I'm not sure. Yes, the photography is good, and director Saul Bass throws in a lot of neat visual touches. On the other hand, the humans were too stupid, and I'm not a big fan of ants, anyway. As for the episode, the riffing could get sparse at times, but that's to be expected for a KTMA show. The host segments were good, with the pre-Deep 13 Mads worried about their boss ("Old Leadbottom"? They worked for Binghamton?), and some well-deserved jokes aimed at Isaac Asimov. (Three Laws, my eye.) Not one of my favorite KTMAs, but OK.
I'll get to week 461 later...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 23, 2024 14:27:37 GMT -5
My apologies, folks. I've had a major allergy flareup, and that has thoroughly discombobulated me in terms of getting things done. Well, I'll do the outstanding recaps tonight. As for selections, I'll have to combine Weeks 462 and 463, and hope I'm not seriously messing up whomever is following this. In any case, for the delayed week 462, the first on-rotation Outsider is... "ConventioCon II Hightlights: BBI Tour"... - I wonder if there's a historical marker on the former BBI site. ... and the second on-rotation Outsider is... "CT: The Astral Factor"... - Not to be confused with "The Alien Factor". Or "The Alternative Factor". Or "The Neptune Factor". ... while the Originals selection is... "Manos, the Hands of Fate" (Show 424) - Oh, dear.
And, moving to week 463, the off-rotation Outsider is... "The Mary Jo Pehl Show: The Dating Game"... - That's live on-line tonight, and I'm NOT one of the Eligible Bachelors (for which we are all thankful). ... while the on-rotation Outsider is... "RT: Charlie Chan: Dark Alibi"... - Does it count as "yellowface" if the movie is in black & white? ... and the Originals selection is... "The Projected Man" (Show 901). - Let's hope Lembach stays this time.
Please stand by...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 9, 2024 7:27:36 GMT -5
Good morning! I've got to get ready for work, so I'll do the recap of week 460 later. But I do have time to post the selections for week 461. This week, we have two off-rotation Outsiders. The first one is... "The Mads are Back LIVE: Night of Shorts 15"... - That's live on-line tonight. Did anyone actually see these shorts in school? ... while the second one is... "Chit-Chat and Tid-Bits"... - Another Clubhouse Exclusive from MJ's show live on-line this Friday. By then, I'll need relaxing conversation. ... while the Originals selection is... "The Amazing Colossal Man" (Show 309). - Did Susan Hart OK this?
We now pause for station identification...
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Post by kmorgan on Apr 8, 2024 14:35:10 GMT -5
Do any of your categories include other riffers? Have you ever tried ICWXP or QuipTrax? Both are worthwhile riff products. No, not at this time. I have heard good things about other riffing groups, but I haven't had the time to check them out. At present, the Originals means anything from MST where they are in-character (episodes, shorts, live shows). Outsiders means anything from the alumni projects (Film Crew, CT, RT, Mads, MJ's shows) or live cast appearances. Some of them are a bit tough to categorize, like the "Poopie!" tapes.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give the other groups a look.
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