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Post by kmorgan on Jan 22, 2016 23:23:22 GMT -5
Well, I figured I'd post this before the last minute for a change. Anyway, week 38...
"Starship Troopers" is, on reflection, a pretty sharp satire wrapped in a jingoistic, ultra-violent sci-fi movie. It's certainly well-made, with some fun performances, but it seems to me that this bunch of humans will probably blow themselves up before the bugs do the job. And, no, I don't want to know more. The "RT Live" presentation turned out great, with fine riffing. I didn't mind the gorillagram; I figure it's RT's version of CT's Breast Blimp. Two questions: first, since they had the funds to repeat this one, is there any chance it'll end up on home video? And, second, regarding young Gabe, the Kickstarter VIP kid in the first row, did the graphic carnage and nudity damage him, or did his parents cover his eyes when necessary?
Turning to "Gorgo", it's actually a pretty good movie. The SPFX were OK, there's a sort-of good message presented (don't mess with things you don't understand), and Sean is one of the better Monster Children (he make reasonable suggestions, doesn't get people killed, and isn't given top security clearance). The movie's no "Gojira", or even "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", but it was OK. The episode worked well, with great riffing. I particularly liked "Waiting for Gorgot", and am waiting for the big Broadway production. And Leonard Maltin was a good sport to be on the show.
That seemed to go well. So, let's move to week 39. When I'm not shoveling snow, I'll be watching the Outsiders selection..."ConventioCon II Highlights: Costume Ball".. - There's a really noteworthy event here; I'll explain later. ...and the Originals selection..."The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies" (Show 812). - Featuring NotNicolas Cage.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 22, 2016 17:21:42 GMT -5
Now, maybe BBI cut a scene explaining this, but here's one from "Space Mutiny": when Slab Bulkhead's ship crashes, a big deal was briefly made over how Prof. Spooner was killed. Um, who was this guy? Why was he so important? And why was he forgotten about ten minutes later?
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 22, 2016 17:05:57 GMT -5
Okay, getting death threats was certainly not warranted. But the guy acted like a jerk towards the MSTies, and took apart a lot of what made The First Network Which Shall Remain Nameless so good in the first place. And he used the same routine that Bonnie Hammer would later use at The Second Network Which Shall Remain Nameless: if I wasn't a part of a show, it's gone.
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 15, 2016 13:33:40 GMT -5
Saw the repeat of "RT Live: Starship Troopers" last night. Anyone else here see it?
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 14, 2016 13:45:38 GMT -5
And, let's look at week 37.
The segment with Josh was very interesting. It was a bit longer than other, similar features, running nearly 20 minutes. He talked out his work in L.A. on various projects, particularly his work on "Later" and his efforts to somewhat re-tool "America's Funniest Home Videos". He seemed most proud of his work on "Freaks and Geeks", and talked about his efforts to move into feature films and projects of his own. This was recorded before CT ceased operations (I still hope it's just a hiatus), so he mentions how much he enjoyed working on the project, and re-connecting with his old friends from earlier days. It was also recorded before his more recent health problems, but last I heard he was doing OK. (Please correct me if I'm mistaken.) It was actually a very informative segment.
As for "The Rebel Set", the movie is actually pretty good. It's a fairly straightforward heist picture, which at least shows a little bit of beatnik culture. Ed Platt easily steals the movie as the fairly intelligent, very ruthless mastermind. Sure, the chase at the end goes a bit long, but it certainly doesn't challenge the "Final Justice" record. And the short "Johnny at the Fair" is one of the great ones, as long as you're not a parent. The riffing is great, especially during the aforementioned chase, while the host segments were good, too. (I only had a one-hour layover in Chicago a couple of years ago, and I spent it frantically racing from one side of O'Hare to the other to catch my connecting flight.) I can sympathize with Frank at the end; many times before I've agonized over, "Who was that guy in that movie?"
Two good ones this time. So, moving to week 38. For the Outsiders selection, I'm going outside the rotation for tonight's re-remote of..."RT Live: Starship Troopers"... - It's a bug hunt, man! ... and the Originals selection is..."Gorgo" (Show (909). - Is psycho Kenny in this one?
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 9, 2016 11:17:50 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 36. Sorry to keep you waiting.
The RT Live version of "Plan 9" is an improvement over the version that Mike did alone. Beyond the greater number of riffs, they cut down on the jokes about Bela's drug problems, which I thought were pretty tasteless. The riffs in general were great, especially the ones regarding the lieutenant's interesting notions on gun safety. As for the movie, what more can be said. And the pre-feature short, "Flying Stewardesses", is one of the best. If I remember correctly, this was the first RT Live event beamed to theaters. They were still developing the format, as shown by the use of a host (Veronica Belmont), musical guest Jonathan Coulton, and the comedy bits from Rick "Lowtax" Kyanka. While they worked OK here, for future shows they wouldn't need a host or outside bits, and the music would be moved to the pre-show title cards, which worked just as well.
As for "Racket Girls", it's one lousy, sleazy movie. Fortunately, the great riffing saves it from being unwatchable. And to think there was once a time in our nation when ladies' wrassling was the only clean sport to be found. One thing: I'm surprised they didn't mention that Monk, the weasel of an accountant, looked a lot like Kenny Bania from "Seinfeld". Then again, I'm not sure if he first appeared before or after this episode first aired. Well, timing is everything. As for the host segments, I just think the whole Crow marrying Servo idea was....ugh. Bridget was funny as Lisa Loeb, though.
Good selections this time, I thought. And for week 37, the Outsiders selection is..."Life After MST3K: J. Elvis Weinstein"... - So, how you doing, Josh? ...and the Originals selection is..."The Rebel Set" (Show 419). - I am bugged!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 2, 2016 17:10:31 GMT -5
Aaaaaaand, we're back. So, for week 36, the first Outsiders selection for 2016 is..."RT Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space"... - Oh, dear. ...and the first Original selection of 2016 is..."Racket Girls" (Show 616). - Wrestling!!!!!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jan 1, 2016 17:38:33 GMT -5
So, is everybody having a Happy New Year so far? Let's look at week 35.
The 2015 Melon Drop was pretty good. I figure it wasn't actually done live, seeing as how there were people on the roof of the building in shirt sleeves in Minnesota. Had it been actually Dec. 31st, frostbite would surely have followed. Anyway, it was pretty funny, with some nice linking to the previous drops, particularly clips of Kevin as Bob Bagadonuts (Sr. & Jr.). I didn't see the one ushering in 2016; I'll catch it eventually. And I'm still waiting for clips from the 1986 drop, which I assume actually happened.
"Horror of Party Beach" was...pretty lousy actually. The monsters were laughable, I agree that it seemed like the filmmakers went out of their way to victimize women, and it does seem that the only character who seemed to have good priorities in mind was Eullabelle. On the other hand, the Del-Aires music was pretty catchy, and Hank (the James Franciscus lookalike) had a really cool car. The host segments were funny, especially the closing sniping between Pearl and Flavia. I'm very, very happy we didn't see Mike in his manly swimsuit. And the riffing worked great, given how bad the movie was.
Things were OK on balance this time. One difficulty: I'm away from home today, so I can't post week 36's selection until tomorrow afternoon. I hope this doesn't cause any hassles.
And I hope your Holiday season has been happy and safe.
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 26, 2015 1:59:23 GMT -5
So, how was your Christmas? Things turned out OK for me, in general. And, how did week 34 turn out?
CT's version of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" is quite good. It was made back when they were still doing the Time Tube framing story, so there's a nice bit regarding Trace's reaction to the feature. They limited themselves to only one host segment, which was a good one, especially Trace's present. The riffing was fine, with a couple of callbacks to the original MST version. There's no song, but you can't have everything.
As for the KTMA version of "Gamera", the Christmas connection is limited to a couple of mentions during the host segments, particularly at the end. Not much, but it gives us a third Holiday show until the revival does one. The host segments also feature the original version of Gypsy, plus some calls to the station about the show, a couple of which were made specifically for a comedy bit. I'm sorely tempted to call the number and see if it still works. The riffing had several problems. Beyond the ad-lib style of KTMA, the ep has Joel riffing alone. (Reportedly, Trace was out of town, and Josh was only available for the host segments.) Joel does OK, though there are long stretches of silence. Appropriately, a good number of jokes are directed at psychotic turtle maniac Kenny. It's a good effort, but the second try during the TFNWSRN era was a major improvement.
It's was OK this time. So, week 35. For the Outsiders selection, I'm going outside the rotation for..."CW-23 Melon Drop 2015"... - It's last New Year's Eve revival of this pre-MST practice; I understand Kevin is mentioned. ...while the Originals selection is..."Horror of Party Beach" (Show 817). - Sodium!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 19, 2015 10:21:20 GMT -5
Sorry again, folks. Between the Holiday prep, the TFA opening and my active lifestyle, I'm really late this week. Anyway...
The second half of "RT Shorts, Vol. 2" was good. There was "Harm Hides at Home" (a very late-70's safety film), "Coffee House Rendezvous" (which reminded me of the days in the early 70's when my middle-class Caucasian-focused church tried to be more relevant), "Are You Popular?" (so, scavenger sales are out and ice skating is hip now?), and "Good Health Practices" (which had an unhealthy focus on toilet habits for that era, I thought). The riffing was great, though it seems they only riffed on the first half of "Coffee House Rendezvous". (The full, unriffed version is over on YouTube.)
As for "Merlin's Shop...", so whose idea was it to sew these two, unrelated short movies together? And whose bright idea was it to market it as a family movie? And whose idea was it to make Merlin such a henpecked dunce? Oh, boy, was this thing a mess. And killing the pets was just plain uncalled for. The riffing, though, really worked great. The host segments were OK, though Mike in a diaper...*shudder*.
Well, on to week 34. With Christmas only a few days away, I'm going outside the rotation. So, this week's Outsiders selection is..."CT: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians"... - Ho-Ho-Oh, dear. ...and the Originals selection is..."Gamera (Show K-05)". - Yes, Virginia, there is a third MST Christmas show.
Stay tuned...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 12, 2015 1:20:02 GMT -5
So, let's look at week 32.
As I noted on the Rifftrax board, the live show featuring "Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny" was really something. On the one hand, the riffing was top notch and the pre-show title cards and songs were very funny. On the other hand, the movie and the accompanying shorts were so weird I was left dumbfounded. I mean, were people actually entertained by such off-kilter, poorly-made Holiday Season offerings? At least "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" had some internal logic. Gads!
Regarding "Gamera", this one was one of the good ones. Psychotic Kenny aside, this one was a fairly good movie. While not the best Gamera movie (that's probably "Gamera vs. Barugon", the one with no "monster children"), it did try for something of a dark, "Gojira" atmosphere. It wasn't really successful at it, but they tried. (By the way, I have both the original Japanese version, and the non-Frank American release, featuring new footage. I'll have to check them out again soon.) The riffing was really good, especially the "Kenny is evil" running gag. The host segments were fine; I particularly liked Mike's appearance as an amiable Gamera, and the Tibby song is a classic.
Sort of a split decision. Anyway, let's move on to week 33. The Outsiders selection is...'Rifftrax Shorts, Vol. 2 (2nd Half)"... - Well, I'd rather not try the whole thing at once. ...and the Originals selection is..."Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders" (Show 1003). - Rock & Roll Martian!
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 3, 2015 22:51:46 GMT -5
The riffing was hilarious, but the movie and the shorts were...um...uh...well...oh, dear. You'll just have to see them yourself.
And Bill looked great with a beard.
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Post by kmorgan on Dec 3, 2015 12:24:03 GMT -5
Aaaaaand, let's look at Week 31.
The segments with Kevin, found on YouTube, were good. They're a fan taping of him reading from two chapters of "A Year at the Movies", answering questions from the audience, and signing a fan's Tom Servo puppet. The chapters he read from were about, respectively, his visit to a film festival in Lapland (which sounds like it was really fun) and meeting up with Mike to watch "Corky Romano" (which I reviewed a while back; it's as bad as Kevin says it is). The book is one of my favorites, and these segments were really enjoyable.
As far "Devil Doll", one question: was England so starved for entertainment that a creep like Vorelli would be a hit? I don't buy that for a second. Anyway, the movie was so dull, drab and unpleasant that it was really a slog. Add in a clueless hero and a cast that was collectively not all that bright, and I'm surprised Vorelli didn't end up winning. The riffing was great, which really helped. The host segments were OK, with the welcome return of Paul as Pitch, the amiable demon.
Well, I guess this one turned out good, with one balancing out the other. Anyway, let's move to Week 32. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside to rotation for tonight's performance of..."Rifftrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny"... - And my Holiday depression begins. ...and the Originals selection is..."Gamera" (Show 302). - Hey, it matches the icon I just got! I swear I didn't know it would.
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 28, 2015 13:08:52 GMT -5
I'd prefer one of the Hercules movies Lou Ferrigno did. Those would probably be easier to get the rights to. This is based solely on Jeremy Jahns' YouTube review (as I've never seen this movie) but it sounds like 2014's The Legend of Hercules would be perfect. Horrible costumes, over the top acting, ridiculous slow-mo, and a completely botched "spear under the arm" scene (watch his review if you don't know what I'm talking about). It sounds like a movie that was made for MST3K.
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Post by kmorgan on Nov 27, 2015 22:51:58 GMT -5
Well, I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Mine turned out pretty well. So, how did my Turkey Day mini-marathon turn out?
"Gunslinger" should be complimented for having two strong, fairly independent female characters, both well-played by, respectively, Beverly Garland and Allison Hayes. And John Ireland does well as a slightly-sympathetic gunman, and the moody opening credits were OK. Beyond that, the movie is a very downbeat, low budget mess. Nice try, Corman, but no cigar. The riffs were good, providing some needed levity. And the host segments were also OK, particularly Servo breaking the laws of time, space and dimension.
"Touch of Satan" at least tried to have a dark, mysterious atmosphere. And Emby Mellay was quite attractive as Melissa. But, Jody is just too dim to be believed, even for a disaffected young person in the 1970's. The plot has too many loose ends, and we have yet another downbeat ending. The riffing was good, with some nice 70's jokes (though not as many as the next feature). The host segments were alright, though Steffi makes a very good impression. Shame she wasn't brought back for an encore. Then, again, with the revival on the way...hmmmm.
First, a "Riding with Death" anecdote or two. First, I watched "Gemini Man" back when it was first run, just like I watched "The Invisible Man" with David McCallum, the show it sprang from. I thought both were OK at the time, when I was a pre-teen. Second, there are two prints of "Riding with Death" floating around. There's the version MST3K featured, and there's another one with a different opening sequence (providing Sam's backstory), and no awkward flashbacks. I saw, and helped riff on, the latter version at Gateway 2000; I also understand it was released on VHS. Seek it, if you dare. Now, as for the "movie", it's bland and uninspired in the way that only the 1970's TV could provide. Take away the invisibility gimmick and you could plug this script into nearly any action/adventure show of the period, with the exact same supporting cast. The awkward way the episodes are linked is pretty embarrassing. And let's not talk about Jim Stafford's character. This one was painful. The riffing was spot on, and, being a child of the 70's, I could easily remember all the things referenced in the decade-centric jokes. I liked Mike vapor-locking again as he prepared the planet killer, and Turkey Volume Guessing Man was perfect for the day.
As for the extras, I liked Joel's Turkey Day bumpers from last year, with Trace and Josh back as the 'bots. And the Turkey Day documentary from Ballyhoo ("Undercooked and Overstuffed") was very interesting, with nice comments from Joel, Trace and Frank.
On the whole, things worked out OK. And, who knows, I may be watching a brand new episode next Turkey Day. Now, let's continue on to Week 31. The Outsiders selection is..."A Year at the Movies (Pts.4-7)"... - It's a fan video of Kevin reading from his book. Haven't seen it all just yet. ...and the Originals selection is..."Devil Doll" (Show 818). - Or "The William Sylvester Trilogy, Part II".
We now pause for station identification...
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