The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thread

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

Joel said in a 2013 appearance with Trace and Frank that when he decided to leave the show he got flak from Jim Mallon for wanting to stay on as a creative consultant and behind-the-scenes guy, and Mallon said things like "well, if you're not going to be the host and the guy in front of the camera then who are you?" Joel took offense to that, as if choosing to remain involved with the series but no longer as the weekly host and a main writer and character was some kind of ridiculous and impractical choice.

Things snowballed from there with the development of the MST3K movie and Joel became so frustrated that he bailed entirely, and after Frank left the series (on amicable and happy terms) the only original cast member left from the KTMA and Comedy Channel period was Trace, who stuck around long enough to see the movie completed and then left.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

As much as I hated to see Joel leave, and as much as I hated to see the breakup of the Mads, Trace's departure was what really hit me. I did kind of stop watching for a while. In a way, I'm almost glad for that because that means that there are still episodes I haven't seen today from the later seasons, and there's nothing more delightful than finding those gems.

I think it's funny that Mallon, the cause of so much friction, was also the voice of Gypsy, who was always my least favorite character on the show. I mean, I liked Cambot better than Gypsy. I must have been subconsciously picking up on his contentiousness. Also, his voice was annoying.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

I watched the Rifftrax of Highlander and the Room last night.

Great stuff, brilliant to heear Joel and the bots (even if they're not Tom Servo and Crow anymore) together again.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

If only one more movie gets the Rifftrax treatment, it has to be this one!

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1wmRW8ZmNs[/yt]

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

That was one awesome trailer. I hope he's still full of meat.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGRHqvC7f_o[/yt]

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

Joel isn't on Rifftrax and to date hasn't done a RT, he did however do his own downloadable riffed movies (B-movies, easily bought) as part of "Cinematic Titanic." Rifftrax is done by MST3K's head writer and second host, Mike Nelson.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

The stage probably couldn't handle both Joel and Mike riffing the same movie at the exact same time. That would be the kind of explosion that only the mixing of matter and antimatter could normally create and I don't know if a lot of fans could handle seeing and hearing that level of awesome.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

That's the way I want to go! "She died watching what she loved."

Watched Space Mutiny with friends tonight. Those golf carts! "They could walk on their hands and catch up with them." I wonder why they never mention the fact that the space footage is stolen directly from Battlestar Galactica? Oh well. This episode's main contribution is the 1,879 names they give the main character and the attention paid to the many, many railing deaths that inexplicably occur throughout the film. Also, why does the spaceship have a basement again?

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

I'm still impressed by the woman who gets killed then shows up at her console the next day as if nothing ever happened to her. Talk about having trouble filling a job position!

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

"It was really nice of you to give that dead woman another shot, sir."

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

"Look alive, everyone! Oh sorry, Suzie."

I just love their reaction when the actions picks up on the bridge and she's sitting there, "Hey! She's dead!"

Then during the credits they ask if the continuity supervisor can be legally arrested now.

I have a couple T-Shirts based on "the many names of David Ryder."

One looks like this:

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

I don't know who's funnier, though. Beef Brickcake or pink-shirt time-traveling guy from Time Chasers. Sadly, that's the better of the two films even though it had a budget that would make Space Mutiny look like it was bankrolled by Steven Spielberg.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

The "Time Chasers" riff kinda bugs me because I think it's their meanest. There really mean towards the main actor in it for no good reason.

I also had a problem with the "Birdemic" riff at first because I relate to amateur filmmakers like that. I've been in amateur films like that. Heck, I used that opening credits music in one of my own short films. It felt like such a zero-budget labor of love that I couldn't really fault any of the filmmakers... until the birds showed up. The CGI birds are just so bad and any filmmaker worth his salt would have judiciously edited his film to show them as little as possible once he saw that they looked that bad.

Meanwhile, my new quest is to get the Rifftrax guys to do Slipstream, a 1989 post-apocalyptic chase movie starring Bill Paxton, Mark Hamill, Bob Peck (Muldoon from Jurassic Park), and cameo appearances by F. Murray Abraham, Ben Kingsley, & Robbie Coltrane. It's actually got pretty good production values but makes some very bizarre artistic & editing choices. And it's already in the public domain!

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

They were, perhaps, a touch mean in Time Chasers but it's meanness from love and respect, really. Really, they're jokes and not done out of maliciousness. I found the jokes on the main actor to be funny because, really, he's a chinny guy with hockey hair. How is he our male lead?!

Time Chasers is one of my top episodes, personally, mostly because how mean they are. Generally the meaner they are the more they liked the movie, and I suspect it's done from love. (And not in an "abused spouse" type of love, more like casual insults and such at your best-friend sort of love.)

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

Well, considering Mike Nelson & Crow have both said at various points that Road House is their favorite movie, I guess maybe you have a point.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

Time Chasers has what just might be one of the greatest host segments in the entire series, as Crow goes back in time, changes history and accidentally creates a new timeline where Mike is killed in a stage accident as part of a rock band and his chain-smoking, dickweed bully of a brother replaces him aboard the Satellite of Love when Joel leaves. Watching Mike walk around inside the theater, smoke, drink cans of beer and make gross noises remains one of the funniest series of moments of the entire Mike Nelson era.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

Not to mention flicking ashes into Poor ol' Servo's bubble! That's just mean!

Sincerely,

Bill

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

And that fake facial hair he rocked. Juicy.

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

The Time Chasers host segments are indeed fantastic and I'd argue the best of the series, second might be "Last of the Wild Horses" where we switch between alternate dimensions whee, a'la "Mirror, Mirror" we visit the "Mirror Universe" where TV's Frank and Dr. Forrester are on the SOL watching terrible movies and a goatee'd Mike is on Earth subjecting them to the movies. "Prime Universe Gypsy and Crow" are trapped in the MU and in the Prime Universe we get to meet Mirror Tom.

The movie itself is okay, but the host segments are great and you can tell Nelson is having a lot of fun playing "Mirror Mike."

But, the TC segments are great, loved me some Eddie Nelson, poor Time was a simpering lackie, obviously overly abused by Eddie since "that sleepy-eyed guy left."

 

Re: The Official and Most Rifftastic Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thre

^
That was such a great throwaway reference.

In other news, yesterday marked the 22nd Anniversary of the first airing of Mitchell, and to this day it remains one of the funniest and best-written episodes of the series with some of the most memorable riffs and host segments. Relatively few MST3Ks come close to what we'd consider perfect riffs, but this is one of them.

Now, buzz off, kid!!!