We recently received the news that Netflix was canceling Mystery Science Theater 3000. In one sense it's no skin off my back. I watched the very first experiment, which was for the movie, Reptilicus. I liked it well enough. Not as much as the classic Comedy Central days, but it was fun.
In other ways I find the news to be unutterably sad.
I know a lot of horror fans dislike the show. I get it. How could I not? You are looking at the guy who can't stand Star Wars, has no use for the Marvel Universe, and who finds the narration in A Christmas Story to be a lot worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.
Being the Internet, and the behavior all-too-often displayed here, some have been gloating and nasty about it. One individual in particular was sneering fuck-yous at the show and its fans, saying that MST3K fans were a bunch of crybabies. Yeah, grown babies suck. It was nice to see this person being so mature about it. If I were so inclined and had the opportunity, I have no doubt I could sneer at his music and movie collection all day long.
Sadly, this person is affiliated with an organization I admire. It's enough to give one second thoughts about financially supporting them.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 was critically important to me in the 1990's. I was a solitary person for a lot of that decade, and the show provided me with a sort of vicarious social life. I loved the childlike nature of Joel. The whole thing put me in mind of a group of kids making up songs, games, stories, all the while having fun watching rotten movies.
I guess some feel that the show disrespects the movies, but most of these productions are unworthy of undistracted attention.
Yes, sometimes the jokes fall flat. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to maintain a steady run of commentary for the running time of a motion picture. And on a weekly basis too.
The Joel years were the best to me. Having Mike take the reins was hard at first, but Mike Nelson is cool. A very funny and creative guy.
The Sci-Fi Channel years were tougher going. The movie commentaries were often well done, but the host segments were atrocious. I looked forward to seeing The Mads and the 'bots cutting up on the Satellite, but the Planet of the Apes motiff was unbearable.
Rifftrax is a nice extension of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I don't watch all the stuff, but I see the Live shows that are broadcast in theaters via Fathom Events.
I was fortunate enough to see Joel and new host Jonah do a live show in Norfolk, VA, and it was hysterical.
Joel remains the master, and for my money the man is a god of comedy.
Part of me wants to watch the Netflix shows, but my time is far more limited these days, and my life is rich and full. I rarely watch anything at home anymore.
I did watch a classic episode last weekend, courtesy of You Tube. It was for the Bert I. Gordon monsterpiece, Earth vs. the Spider. It was so damned nice to settle in with Joel again. I feel more in touch with cultural references to the early 90's than I do today. I didn't even mind the snippets of commercials I glimpsed here and there.
Joel and Jonah are optimistic about the future of Mystery Science Theater 3000. And why not? There are a legion of fans, and most of them turned out for the spectacularly successful Kickstarter drive to revive the show. There are certainly enough streaming choices to find a home for it. I'm thinking perhaps Shudder.
Mystery Science Theater 300 has managed to remain alive for a staggering thirty-one years. That's no mean feat for any television show. We have Rifftrax, and The Mads tour now and then with their version of movie riffing.
And best of all, we have all the old shows ready and waiting to enjoy all over again. Many are free through You Tube, and I don't mind the scratchy, dubbed off of VHS prints there. That's how I watched many of the shows in the first place. Episodes are available on physical media and in digital form for rental or purchase.
I give my humble thanks to Joel, Mike, Jonah, Trace, Frank, Kevin, Bill, and everyone else who has striven to keep the crazy notion of riffing bad movies alive for so long.
Written by Mark Sieber
In other ways I find the news to be unutterably sad.
I know a lot of horror fans dislike the show. I get it. How could I not? You are looking at the guy who can't stand Star Wars, has no use for the Marvel Universe, and who finds the narration in A Christmas Story to be a lot worse than fingernails on a chalkboard.
Being the Internet, and the behavior all-too-often displayed here, some have been gloating and nasty about it. One individual in particular was sneering fuck-yous at the show and its fans, saying that MST3K fans were a bunch of crybabies. Yeah, grown babies suck. It was nice to see this person being so mature about it. If I were so inclined and had the opportunity, I have no doubt I could sneer at his music and movie collection all day long.
Sadly, this person is affiliated with an organization I admire. It's enough to give one second thoughts about financially supporting them.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 was critically important to me in the 1990's. I was a solitary person for a lot of that decade, and the show provided me with a sort of vicarious social life. I loved the childlike nature of Joel. The whole thing put me in mind of a group of kids making up songs, games, stories, all the while having fun watching rotten movies.
I guess some feel that the show disrespects the movies, but most of these productions are unworthy of undistracted attention.
Yes, sometimes the jokes fall flat. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to maintain a steady run of commentary for the running time of a motion picture. And on a weekly basis too.
The Joel years were the best to me. Having Mike take the reins was hard at first, but Mike Nelson is cool. A very funny and creative guy.
The Sci-Fi Channel years were tougher going. The movie commentaries were often well done, but the host segments were atrocious. I looked forward to seeing The Mads and the 'bots cutting up on the Satellite, but the Planet of the Apes motiff was unbearable.Rifftrax is a nice extension of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I don't watch all the stuff, but I see the Live shows that are broadcast in theaters via Fathom Events.
I was fortunate enough to see Joel and new host Jonah do a live show in Norfolk, VA, and it was hysterical.
Joel remains the master, and for my money the man is a god of comedy.
Part of me wants to watch the Netflix shows, but my time is far more limited these days, and my life is rich and full. I rarely watch anything at home anymore.
I did watch a classic episode last weekend, courtesy of You Tube. It was for the Bert I. Gordon monsterpiece, Earth vs. the Spider. It was so damned nice to settle in with Joel again. I feel more in touch with cultural references to the early 90's than I do today. I didn't even mind the snippets of commercials I glimpsed here and there.
Joel and Jonah are optimistic about the future of Mystery Science Theater 3000. And why not? There are a legion of fans, and most of them turned out for the spectacularly successful Kickstarter drive to revive the show. There are certainly enough streaming choices to find a home for it. I'm thinking perhaps Shudder.
Mystery Science Theater 300 has managed to remain alive for a staggering thirty-one years. That's no mean feat for any television show. We have Rifftrax, and The Mads tour now and then with their version of movie riffing.
And best of all, we have all the old shows ready and waiting to enjoy all over again. Many are free through You Tube, and I don't mind the scratchy, dubbed off of VHS prints there. That's how I watched many of the shows in the first place. Episodes are available on physical media and in digital form for rental or purchase.
I give my humble thanks to Joel, Mike, Jonah, Trace, Frank, Kevin, Bill, and everyone else who has striven to keep the crazy notion of riffing bad movies alive for so long.
Written by Mark Sieber
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