MST3K

[hippypants]

MST3K fans might want to take a look at this guy's blog. He runs down his Top 10 favorite eps. One for each season. http://romansreviews.blogspot.com/

[rcarlberg]

I watched MST3K once in a while but found the endless heckling about lack of budget to be mean-spirited and ill-informed. Lots of filmmakers, I daresay the MAJORITY of filmmakers start out dealing with budget woes and if your ambitions are big it's not always easy to hide the lack of funding. Making fun of it -- over and over and over -- is just crass.

Now big budget movies that flop gloriously, THAT's a different story. David Schmader's commentary to Paul Verhoeven's "Showgirls" is everything MST3K should have been!

[zombywoof]

MST3K were the best! Monster movies are great and it's great fun to have their brilliant commentary. Love them!

[trurl]

I'd been of the opinion that the show jumped the shark when they went to Sci-Fi Channel but in retrospect they did some really classic episodes in those seasons. The wrap-around stuff with Pearl and brain guy just couldn't compete with The Mads though.

[zombywoof]

I always preferred Bill Corbett's Crow to Trace's, but that could be because I was introduced to the show during the SciFi era. Corbett's Crow could be downright mean and I loved that!

[notallwhowander]

I really liked the Joel seasons. After Joel left, they had their moments, but I really felt the loss of Joel's sensibility, particularly in the continuity segments.

If all they did was mock the lack of budget, the show would have gotten boring pretty quickly. There was a lot more going on in their heckling than that. I never really felt they were "kicking down," at least not when Joel was at the helm. When Mike was leading, it's a bit of a different story. I thought they were low-budget media alchemists, turning dross into gold.

[zombywoof]

If you watch a lot of MST3K, you'll notice that their budget was pretty low. I think this humbled them and put them on a level playing field with the effects they were mocking.

[hippypants]

I thought they were low-budget media alchemists, turning dross into gold.

Yeah, I agree. They turned a lot of low budget B films (or worse), which might have been forgot in the ether, and made them watchable, hip and fun to watch.

[Wisdomview]

Big fan of the pre-Sci-Fi era. Loved it.

[walt]

Mitchell!!!

[zombywoof]

I thought they were low-budget media alchemists, turning dross into gold.

Yeah, I agree. They turned a lot of low budget B films (or worse), which might have been forgot in the ether, and made them watchable, hip and fun to watch.

And they introduced a lot of those movies to a new audience. Who would know Manos: The Hands of Fate, Mitchell, or Space Mutiny if not for MST3K?

[progeezer's ghost]

Unfortunately, I happened upon it after Joel had left, but I used to watch the 'Mike years' religiously. One of these days I'll check out the earlier seasons, as by all accounts those are the best.

[ThomasKDye]

Unfortunately, I happened upon it after Joel had left, but I used to watch the 'Mike years' religiously. One of these days I'll check out the earlier seasons, as by all accounts those are the best.

It's seriously a matter of opinion. The Joel vs. Mike thing is as supercharged as Kirk vs. Picard or Fish vs. H. I came in during the Joel era but I MUCH prefer the Mike era, especially during the Sci-Fi years.

[zombywoof]

It's seriously a matter of opinion. The Joel vs. Mike thing is as supercharged as Kirk vs. Picard or Fish vs. H. I came in during the Joel era but I MUCH prefer the Mike era, especially during the Sci-Fi years.

Joel has his charm, but I always preferred Mike. Joel would tease the films, Mike would ridicule them! And what many people don't seen to realize is that Mike was head writer as far back as season two!

[trurl]

And what many people don't seen to realize is that Mike was head writer as far back as season two!

Yeah, I was going to point that out. I like them both.

[Rune Blackwings]

I think the show was best with Joel/Mike, Trace and Frank. Once that chemistry was dissolved, it just was not the same. I loved Joel's deadpan deliveries a lot.

I recently saw a movie that was a spoof on the same movies MST3K poked fun at: Attack of the Brain People. It was among my favorite at the NJ Horrorfest.

[notallwhowander]

Well, after this thread, and a flurry of internet research, I picked up the MST3K box-set XXI: MST3K vs. Gamera which contains all five Gamera episodes they did, all with my favorite cast line-up. I'm looking forward to tucking in...

[Progbear]

I recently saw a movie that was a spoof on the same movies MST3K poked fun at: Attack of the Brain People. It was among my favorite at the NJ Horrorfest.

If you haven’t seen The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra yet, you need to, post-haste.

[trurl]

I SLEEP NOW!!

[zombywoof]

I SLEEP NOW!!

"TIME FOR GO TO BED!!"

[trurl]

Bend yourself in the middle!

[Progbear]

“I find myself strangely drawn to this inverted cloth funnel and its wonderful softness.”

[scags]

Fun stuff. One of my friends posts a lot of it on Facebook, and I've been watching for the first time in years.

[Bucka001]

Well, after this thread, and a flurry of internet research, I picked up the MST3K box-set XXI: MST3K vs. Gamera which contains all five Gamera episodes they did, all with my favorite cast line-up. I'm looking forward to tucking in...

MST3K is one of my fave shows ever. I got the Gamera box set, it's great to have them collected all together in pristine condition (I had them on old VHS tapes with hissy audio, etc).

Funny story about the Gamera eps... My five year old boy and I love giant Japanese monster movies (I've been a Godzilla fanatic for years, so he naturally is as well since he's been inundated with G toys, movies, etc since birth). The Gamera and Godzilla MST3Ks are great because I love the quips, and my son just loves them as straight monster movies (but he also loves Joel/Mike and the 'bots).

I explained to him the concept behind MST3K the first time we saw it, right before we popped in a Gamera installment: "The main guy and his two robot pals sit in the theater and make fun of cheesy movies!" To which my boy, who had been smiling in anticipation, suddenly got a confused look on his face and blurted out, "But... Gamera movies aren't cheesy! They're cool!"

I was like, "Uh... yeah... no, I know... they probably shouldn't have chosen those. But let's watch 'em anyway!"

[TheLoony]

Gamera is turtle meat, dontcha know?

While I dig Gamera, I've never understood the flying turtle premise. I guess there will always be a market for lousy movies, heck, they made one called Sharknado and that one CAN'T be good.

Sharks in a tornado, a flying turtle, seriously? Who the hell thinks up crap like that?

What movie do you guys have as worst ever made? I know my 1a/b picks(they are pretty much interchangeable) but I'm curious as to what others think.