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Post by kmorgan on Jul 24, 2015 23:59:17 GMT -5
Sorry I'm late, folks (assuming anyone is reading this). Anyway, week 12...
"Reefer Madness" is one of those movies that, it seems, everyone has riffed on. I remember watching Cheech & Chong joke about it in "It Came From Hollywood", one of several MST3K antecedents. And there is much to riff about, from the effects of the "marihuana" (I understand the current theory is they're actually smoking crystal meth) to the middle-aged "teenagers" to the stiff, repressed Woodrow Wilson-ish voice of authority. Like the previously noted "Carnival of Souls", Mike's solo work is both riffing and trivia commentary, though its balanced more on the riffing side. Fun stuff.
As for "The Undead", it has an interesting premise, being a rip-off of the Bridey Murphy thing (which was also the source of a great Stan Freberg routine, "The Search for Bridey Hammerschlagen"). And Roger Corman does put in some good atmosphere, plus the female leads are...somewhat attractive. Still, the Devil, while crafty, looks pretty comical. In addition, Quintas nearly reaches John Agar levels of smugness, while Pendragon, our so-called hero, is excessively dim. Good idea, but the result was lacking. The episode was fine though, with great riffing. I thought the intro, with Mike brooding, was well done. The host segments were funny, with the lovely & talented Bridget as Livia, Servo channeling Harpo and Curly, and the musical stylings of Smolken.
Good selections this time. So, on to week 13. For the Outsiders, the selection is..."Who Done It?"... -Featuring Abbott & Costello, with commentary by Frank. ...and for the Originals, it's..."Mystery Science Theater Hour Host Segments (Disc 2)". -Featuring "Jack Perkins".
Don't touch that dial...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 17, 2015 21:31:05 GMT -5
I would have loved to see M&tB have a go at a bad episode of old Doctor Who. Episodes that immediately come to mind are Warriors of the Deep, Paradise Towers, Timelash, and The Horns of Nimon. They're all roughly the same length as movies. I'd add "Vengeance on Varos" to that list. And as for NuWho, during the regeneration scene from "The End of Time", I can just hear the Doctor whining, "I don't want to go!", and Crow giving a Patton-like, "You don't belong in this place of honor, you lousy yellow coward! Send him to the front!"
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 17, 2015 21:24:19 GMT -5
Well, it certainly makes you feel smarter. And, if you take the trouble to look up the source of a riff, you can easily find yourself studying the subject even further.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 17, 2015 21:21:24 GMT -5
Okay, let's look at week 11.
"Sharknado 2", as I noted on Satellite News, was ridiculous in ways that stagger the imagination. But, it was still a pretty fun movie, in its way. I guess it was pretty much what I expected it would be. One interesting point: I noted to a couple of people I know that, considering the way the Mayor of New York puts the full resources of the city under Fin's authority just because he seems to know what he's doing made me realize that, in a way, "Sharknado 2" is a really strange, Americanized episode of "Doctor Who". As for the short, "Parents: Who Needs Them" was perfect riff fodder. I wonder if the kid's puppet was any relation to the notorious Mr. Bumble. The riffing by Mike, Kevin & Bill was great, as always. And that they did it with the AC not working in the theater warrants them some extra praise.
As for "Fugitive Alien", this is one of the best eps from the series. The riffing is great, the host segments were funny, the movie was off-the-wall, and we got to see "Jack Perkins" for the first time.
Good results this time. So, what's coming up for week 12? Well, for the Outsiders, the selection is..."Reefer Madness (Mike-Only Version)... - So, is this now Colorado's official state movie? ...and, for the Originals, it's..."The Undead" (Show 806). - STAY!!
We'll be right back...
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 8, 2015 23:14:24 GMT -5
Time to review week 10. I'm doing this a bit early, for reasons you'll soon see. Anyway...
"The Wasp Woman", while pretty low grade, was an OK movie. It uses the same basic plot as "The Leech Woman", but it's faster and avoided offensive racial stereotypes. The riffing by the Titans was fine, though I figure they'd have tossed in a few "Mad Men" jokes, has they done this one a couple of years later. Two other notes on this one: first, this DVD had to have a big disclaimer on the front label, and both before and after the feature, noting that the movie had been altered in a non-Corman approved way. (Sheesh, Roger, take it easy.) And second, this was one of the featured movies (the other being "The Doll Squad") on CT's last live performance to date, on December 30, 2013 at the Keswick Theater. I was there and enjoyed the show a lot. I just wish they'd recorded it for posterity. Still, I remain firmly convinced they'll get back together for an encore or something. Just bring the video cameras, please; I'll pay extra to fund it.
Anyway, on the other hand, "Master Ninja II" was a tough ride. It wasn't offensive, just really bland. It was a wholly unremarkable TV action show for the period, with all the expected clichés. (I will admit that David McCallum gave it a decent try.) The riffing and the host segments were good, though. But the "movie" was just...there. Still, I can look on the bright side. David McCallum is current co-starring in a highly-popular TV show. George Lazenby's best movie has been rediscovered and finally given some real respect. Timothy Van Patten is now an acclaimed director of acclaimed TV series. And we prefer to remember Lee Van Cleef for his more enjoyable westerns.
Split decision this time. So, moving on to week 11. For the Outsiders, I'm going outside the rotation for tomorrow night's presentation of..."RT Live: Sharknado 2- The Second One"... - I guess this will be SECOND TO NONE!
...and for the Originals, it's..."Fugitive Alien" (Show 310).
- Hahahahahahahahahahahaha I'M STUCK HERE!
Don't touch that dial...
Oh, a postscript: I also celebrated our nations birthday with a couple of RT shorts, "Patriotism" (starring Bob Crane) and "The Bill of Rights in Action" (starring some loner with a Hitler fixation).
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 4, 2015 19:23:34 GMT -5
Go from "Being from Another Planet" to "Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy", with the mummy as the connection. And, since they did some Martin & Lewis riffs in that one, go then to "Incredibly Strange Creatures...", where they do Jerry Lewis riffs when Jerry is running along the beach. Since Jerry is played by Ray Dennis Steckler, you go to "Eegah", where he has a small role. Since Richard Kiel stars in this one, that leads to "Human Duplicators", where he also stars. Since this also stars Hugh Beaumont, you then go to "Mole People". And since that stars John Agar, you stop because Agar is such a smug so-and-so that you need a break.
Well, that one way of looking at it.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 3, 2015 22:49:50 GMT -5
Okay, let's review week 9.
"Missile to the Moon" is a pretty bad movie (as was "Catwomen of the Moon", of which this movie is a remake, basically). In addition to the traditional BIG levers, meteorite storm, passive female lead and ineffectual male lead, there's the usual power struggle among the aliens, and even a guest appearance by that giant spider from "Gilligan's Island". The guys get a lot of good riffing out of this one, particularly how the shanghaied convicts are supposed to be "clever" and "too smart". And the menu screen of the DVD has a good song from Kevin. (By the way, this is another one I reviewed for Even Deeper Blurting. Interested in seeing it?)
And "MST Alive!" is both great and maddening. Great because the movie lends itself well to the fine riffing, and the cast Q&A afterwards was also good, especially Bridget's rendition of the "Wiener Man" song. It's maddening because the available fan copy only features less than half of "World Without End", and the audio can be iffy at times. I have no idea if a better, fuller copy is available somewhere; maybe Jim has one in all the archived BBI material. Anyway, this is one of those events where I'd like to get a functioning TARDIS and head back and see it first hand. Plus, I'd bring my cohorts from PCTV to make a good, full video copy. A man can dream, I guess...
So, this one worked OK. Onto week 10, where the Outsiders selection is..."CT: The Wasp Woman"... - Ever been stung by a dead wasp woman? ...and for the Originals its..."Master Ninja II" (Show 324). - wackachika-wackachika-wackachika MASTER NINJA THEME SONG!
We'll be right back...and keep those cards & letters coming in, folks.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 3, 2015 8:56:02 GMT -5
I'm disappointed that, it seems, the Rialto in Westfield, NJ is no longer showing Rifftrax events. So I'll be seeing it at the Regal Commerce multiplex on Rt. 1 in North Brunswick, NJ.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 1, 2015 12:20:36 GMT -5
I'd say the riffing of "Invasion of the Neptune Men" shows just how much contempt the Brains had for the movie.
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Post by kmorgan on Jul 1, 2015 12:14:55 GMT -5
Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 28, 2015 20:01:20 GMT -5
Might've been some retconning on the part of TheFirstNetworkWhichShallRemainNameless, like when some stations replaced the original, season 1 "Twilight Zone" theme with the more familiar one from season 2 on.
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 28, 2015 19:31:52 GMT -5
I still have the VHS copy I got from the Info Club. Wonder if it'll stay up on YouTube.
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 28, 2015 19:27:10 GMT -5
I'm not sure they ever gave a specific reason. I figure it was either one of the many, many rights issues they had to deal with, or maybe they just wanted to freshen up the titles. Does anyone else have an idea?
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 28, 2015 17:40:06 GMT -5
According to the "American Scary" documentary, Zacherly would occasionally riff on the movies he hosted. I'll have to look for any surviving footage of this.
By the way, "American Scary" is a fun documentary, with some good comments from Joel. I just wish they'd release a Special Edition DVD set with more classic clips from local horror movie host (including some from the KTMA-era shows).
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Post by kmorgan on Jun 26, 2015 17:34:45 GMT -5
Um...anybody?
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