John's 'MST3K' Appreciation/Discussion thread. (1 Viewer)

[Inspector Hammer!]

It occured to me today that of every show that I find funny on tv, none of them make me laugh harder and more frequently than 'Myster Science Theater 3000'. I watch it every Saturday morning, and for the rest of the day I keep on laughing because I can't stop thinking about some comment that was said during the show by Crow T Robot, Tom Servo (the coolest of the gang IMO), and Mike Nelson.
To those that have never watched it, you've probably flipped past it on the dial before. It's that funny looking show that has the silloette(sp) of a guy and two robots at the bottom of the screen and it looks as if they're sitting in a theater. Yeah, that one.
I've watched this show from the beginning on 'Comedy Central', well back then it was called just 'The Comedy Channel', and I was like a junkie with this show, as soon as it went off, I wanted more and more, so I was in Nirvana every Thanksgiving day when they did the annual 'Turkey Day' marathon! What an inspired idea this show was, taking something that we all do from time to time (making wise cracks at a movie that is just god aweful) and turning it into a series where that's all they do week after week.
Poor Mike Nelson, he get's the unfortunate job of taking Joel's place on the 'Satellite of Love' and is sadistically forced to watch some of the worst crap on this planet as part of an experiment to amuse a rather large and obnoxious woman named 'Pearl'. To cope, Joel created two robtic pals to help him get through it all, and the result is one of the funniest shows ever created. Why this show never won an Emmy is beyond me, the writing has not been matched since by any other show so far.
The show moved to the 'Sci-Fi Channel' and remained their until it's cancellation a couple of years ago. That was a sad day for me, I still found the show hilarious right up until it's demise!
Where are the SEASON dvd sets!? :frowning:
So come all fellow 'Misties', and pay your respects to the best comedy show ever!

 

[Mike Hutman]

I love this show.

 

[Bruce Hedtke]

I remember watching MST3K before it moved to Comedy Central, but only a few episodes. I stumbled onto it about 2 months before the switch. I lost track of it because the town I used to live in didn't carry C.C. Well, I moved to a town that did carry Comedy Central and this was the one show I looked up right away. Well, then I couldn't find it. I was like....what the hell happened? We also didn't get the Sci-Fi in my previous town, so I really started watching that channel. Well, the promos about MST3K's move started showing up and I did back-flips. I've been watching devotedly ever since. I still haven't seen any of the C.C. episodes, but I am still in Mistie heaven.
Bruce

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

You know what I still find impossible to believe even though it's true? Is the fact that a good majority of the movies they watch are honest to goodness real movies and not something created specifically for this show!

I'll look at most of the stuff they watch and think to myself "No way actual humans made this movie and expected people to actually get some level of enjoyment out of it! Their are NO redeeming qualities about this movie!"

I really cannot imagine anyone wanting to watch any of the movies they feature, without having them making fun of it.

 

[Dennis Reno]

Back in '93 or '94 my girlfriend and I (now my wife) were sitting around watching TV. I had had a long week at work and I dozed off on her lap. An hour or so later I woke up because she was shaking violently. I looked up and noticed she had tears running down her face. When I asked her what was wrong, she burst out laughing! She had stumbled across MST3K on Comedy Central. Ever since then I try to catch the show whenever possible. I still can't believe Sci-Fi cancelled it

Where are the SEASON dvd sets!?

I finally stopped waiting and began purchasing single episodes on DVD a few months ago. The quality is so-so, but I don't watch MST3K for the image and audio quality! You can order them through Amazon. Its not the best deal price wise, but I'll do nearly anything to keep MST3K on my TV!

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Its on even Saturday mornings on Sci-Fi. I have some tapes of old episodes (like Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and The Pod People) so I can watch them when I want.

 

[JeremySt]

Wheeeee! MST3K is my favorite tvv show of all time, no contest. I caught a few episodes at my grandmother's house throughout the early 90's (she had a satelitte) And always found it amusing. But it wasnt until it was on the the sci fi channel that I really got hooked. I remember the first episode I watched when it started on sci -fi. THE MOLE PEOPLE. I had never laughed so hard in my life. I began watching and recording regulary. As my interest in the show grew, I did research and discovered all the facts around the show's history. (Joel, Comedy Central, cast changes, etc.) After much searching, I discovered that most of the show would NEVER be commercially released. So that meant I had to obtain episodes by trading with other fans. Fast forward to today; I HAVE EVERY EPISODE!
I the division among fans over which host was better, Joel or Mike, I must confess I am a Mike fan. I think Seasons 6-10 are by far the best, but still LOVE every episode from all seasons. The episode SPACE MUTINY makes me laugh so hard that I cry
Some favorites are
SPACE MUTINY
STARFIGHTERS
THE CREEPING TERROR
LASERBLAST
RIDING WITH DEATH
PRINCE OF SPACE
TIME OF THE APES
GAMERA VS GUIRON
FINAL SACRIFICE
MITCHELL
INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN
GIANT SPIDER INVASION

http://www.geocities.com/nostromo777/mst3kindex.html

 

[Jason_H]

Definately one of the greatest shows ever to grace the small screen. I cannot tell you how many hundreds of hours I've spent watching (and re-re-re-watching) many of the episodes. I've personally exposed many people to the show who also went on to become loyal followers (and this is AFTER the show is off the air).

You will NEVER EVER see season-by-season sets of this show on DVD. Why? Best Brains (the production company that made MST3K) no longer has the rights to many of the movies that they featured on the show. It would just take too much money to get them all back. Also, if you can believe it, some of the original filmmakers did not appreciate what was done to their movies by the MST3K crew, and will not sell the rights back to them for any price. To make things even more complicated, AFAIK Comedy Central still has the rights to seasons 1-7, and Sci-Fi to seasons 8-10.

I have lots of episodes on tape, and all of the officially released DVDs. That being said, there are people out there offering all of the episodes on DVD-R. These do NOT fall under the category of bootlegs, they have the blessing of Best Brains as long as they don't distribute any episodes that are available for sale and that they do it at roughly cost, or just above cost, of making the DVDs. I plan to obtain as many of these as I can, otherwise I will never get to see them.

 

[JeremySt]

The subject over weather or not fan copies of MST3K are bootlegs is sketchy. I happen to think that they are not. For one, fans trading and selling copies does not infringe upon anyone's rights, because you CANT buy them commercially. The copies that are available from rhino are NOT traded by fans. The studios are not loosing a sale when someone buys a fan copy. Considering the fact that most of this show will NEVER be released, what fans are doing is is preservation.

A while ago, I posted a link to MST site that offered episodes. It was promptly deleted by a moderator.

Even though I have every episode, iff it was released in season box sets, I would be first in line to buy it.

 

[Jason_H]

And I don't hold the moderator at fault for doing so. MST3K is truly a unique situation, for any other show I would agree that it would be a bootleg situation. But as it is, MST3K is just more like a "gray area." I agree, I would shell out hundreds of dollars if they released all of the episodes tomorrow (and I do everytime a new one is officially released), but I know that is not going to happen.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

It's like fansubs. Best Brains may grant the rights to distribute their HOST SEGMENTS, but NOT THE MOVIE
I went a bit farther in my MSTie fandom. I belong to a group of players that MSTies anime live I'm Gypsy's performer and builder.
Our Crow and Gypsy are 95% authentic original parts, Tom looks about 75% of the way there. The head is right, the shoulders are right, so are the bumps on the hoverskirt. We just don't have the right body or hands (but who cares when the closest person is 20ft away )
Gypsy cost me about $150, Crow was closer to $300 out of Bernhard's wallet (the hockey mask alone is $100 and very rare)

 

[JeremySt]

I wish I lived in an area where I could participate in such random acts of fandom. My little town of 40,000 doesnt have such clubs.

Keep MST alive! keep circulating the tapes!

 

[Micah Cohen]

"I'd like a table a little closer to the plot, please."
I have not seen the show in a while. I watched all the early ones, I'm a Joel & original Crow fan, and have the first three major seasons (not the original season) on VHS tapes. I used to be a member of their fan club, and I even have a Crow T. Robot "BITE ME" t-shirt somewhere in the house.
Joel: "What do you want for Christmas, Crow?"
Crow: "I want the power over who lives and who dies."
Great lines from the early shows haunt me all the time (even from Joel's early appearances on SNL). I was introduced to some doozies thru MST, too: who can forget MANOS HANDS OF FATE or "Jan in the pan"? And I can't watch a bad rainy saturday b-movie without resorting to MST-isms.
I love how much of an influence they've been on pop culture themselves. Note the visual commentary track on the GHOSTBUSTERS DVD! MST all the way!
MC

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Jeremy, we don't have random acts of fandom We're quite organized This article was from the second year, and has the OLD Tom & Crow (before rebuilds) and is from before my time with the troupe
http://www.atanime.com/v1/i2/13_mat3k1.html
http://www.otakon.com

 

[Kevin M]

Why, by the way, is this in After Hours? Wouldn't this be more suited to TV & HDTV Programming?

Just asking.

 

[Matthew Watson]

As a happy owner of about 170 episodes on tape, I wanted to chime in here. This is probably my favorite show ever.

The Brains are incredibly savvy about so much high and low culture, especially film. In fact, during The Projected Man (season nine premiere), Tom Servo was commenting on the pan/scan picture during one scene. He'd be a great mascot for OAR, eh?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Matt, I'll see if I can convince Kazin to do one. DOn't keep your hopes up tho

 

[JeremySt]

I remeber in several Gamera movies, whenever a jarring "pan" would occur, Joel and the 'bots would let out a "Whoa!" or "Ahhh!"

Or they would ask "Who's talking?" when a person was out of frame in what was originally a two-shot.