The world needs a book about the history of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Worst We Can Find is a good one, but I think there could and should be a better one.
Author Dale Sherman certainly did his research. He knows and is obviously fond of his subject. His writing style is engaging and easy to read. However, The Worst We Can Find feels like an unauthorized account. All the content is gathered from old interviews. I would have liked to see current thoughts from the MST3K principles.
An oral history might be best. Get new interviews with Joel, Jim, Josh, Kevin, Trace, Mike, Bridget, Mary Jo, Bill, and other Best Brain luminaries.
Another thing I disliked is the subtitle. Riffing, as I have come to understand the term, is far different than heckling. Heckling is derisive, while riffing is a loving way to laugh through bad movies.
Small caveats aside, The Worst We Can Find is an enjoyable read. It's a loving look back at a show that is dear to the hearts of many people.
The book starts with precedents to the show. Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily, It Came From Hollywood, and other movies and shows that lampooned bad movies. There's also a lot of informative detail about Joel Hodgson's pre-MST3K activities.
The chapters dealing with the inception of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the Comedy Central years are the best parts. They brought me a lot of nostalgic joy. I learned some things and was reminded of tidbits about the show I already knew.
The tone gets much more somber after that. The show began to unravel over the years. Cast members jumped ship, and many viewers felt it all slipping away. I know I did.
Of course the show was revived on the Sci Fi Channel. I liked it, but I never quite took to Bill Corbett. I didn't hate him, but I prefer Trace Beaulieu by a wide margin. The host segments, always a joy in the Comedy Central years, were awful. It lasted a few years, and was cancelled.
The gang moved on. Joel attempted more goofy ideas for shows and other projects, but none caught on. Lightning only strikes once for some of us. Mike, Kevin, and Bill continued to try things. A comedy website, Tommy Big Hands, never really jelled.
Trace and Frank Coniff worked on some TV shows, and later started riffing again with The Mads are Back. I watched a couple of episodes and lost interest. I felt like the shows was forced and that it lacked spontaneity. Frank, who appeared to be such a nice guy, came off as rather bitter. As with so many people, politics seems to have decreased his humanity. I unfollowed his Instagram when he posted a pic of himself sticking out his middle finger, saying "Eat Shit, Conservatives". I'm no Conservative, but I see enough ugliness as it is. That kind of thing does not make the world a better place.
The most successful post MST project is Rifftrax. Much of the childlike innocence is present, and it's always good to see Mike, Kevin, and Bill in fine form. I'd still rather see Trace instead of Bill, but you can't have everything.
Of course Mystery Science Theater has been revived twice. I generously donated to the crowdfund drives, but I don't really watch the shows. What I've seen makes me sad. Jonah Ray seems like a good guy, and his does well in the test subject role, but my heart lies in the past.
I was down all day after finishing The Worst We Can Find this morning. It hurt to read about the hard times the cast and crew went through. Half my life has been spend with the show and its performers. I'll always treasure the old days, when I watched the episodes as they came out.
I recently bought twenty or thirty used MST3K DVDs for a quarter each at a library sale. I will continue to watch the old shows that way, and on You Tube. I plan to spend my old age with them, reliving the early nineties with Joel, Mike, Tom Servo, and Crow. I will bask in memories of times when I wasn't preoccupied with annuities, HMOs, and final expenses.
I'll go back to the days when a bright, talented, funny and charismatic man-child had a harebrained idea about watching bad movies in space with his robot pals. A wild, weird idea that turned into an empire that brought, and continues to bring, so much joy and laughter to oddballs like me.
Written by Mark Sieber
Author Dale Sherman certainly did his research. He knows and is obviously fond of his subject. His writing style is engaging and easy to read. However, The Worst We Can Find feels like an unauthorized account. All the content is gathered from old interviews. I would have liked to see current thoughts from the MST3K principles.
An oral history might be best. Get new interviews with Joel, Jim, Josh, Kevin, Trace, Mike, Bridget, Mary Jo, Bill, and other Best Brain luminaries.
Another thing I disliked is the subtitle. Riffing, as I have come to understand the term, is far different than heckling. Heckling is derisive, while riffing is a loving way to laugh through bad movies.
Small caveats aside, The Worst We Can Find is an enjoyable read. It's a loving look back at a show that is dear to the hearts of many people.
The book starts with precedents to the show. Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily, It Came From Hollywood, and other movies and shows that lampooned bad movies. There's also a lot of informative detail about Joel Hodgson's pre-MST3K activities.
The chapters dealing with the inception of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the Comedy Central years are the best parts. They brought me a lot of nostalgic joy. I learned some things and was reminded of tidbits about the show I already knew.
The tone gets much more somber after that. The show began to unravel over the years. Cast members jumped ship, and many viewers felt it all slipping away. I know I did.
Of course the show was revived on the Sci Fi Channel. I liked it, but I never quite took to Bill Corbett. I didn't hate him, but I prefer Trace Beaulieu by a wide margin. The host segments, always a joy in the Comedy Central years, were awful. It lasted a few years, and was cancelled.
The gang moved on. Joel attempted more goofy ideas for shows and other projects, but none caught on. Lightning only strikes once for some of us. Mike, Kevin, and Bill continued to try things. A comedy website, Tommy Big Hands, never really jelled.
Trace and Frank Coniff worked on some TV shows, and later started riffing again with The Mads are Back. I watched a couple of episodes and lost interest. I felt like the shows was forced and that it lacked spontaneity. Frank, who appeared to be such a nice guy, came off as rather bitter. As with so many people, politics seems to have decreased his humanity. I unfollowed his Instagram when he posted a pic of himself sticking out his middle finger, saying "Eat Shit, Conservatives". I'm no Conservative, but I see enough ugliness as it is. That kind of thing does not make the world a better place.
The most successful post MST project is Rifftrax. Much of the childlike innocence is present, and it's always good to see Mike, Kevin, and Bill in fine form. I'd still rather see Trace instead of Bill, but you can't have everything.
Of course Mystery Science Theater has been revived twice. I generously donated to the crowdfund drives, but I don't really watch the shows. What I've seen makes me sad. Jonah Ray seems like a good guy, and his does well in the test subject role, but my heart lies in the past.
I was down all day after finishing The Worst We Can Find this morning. It hurt to read about the hard times the cast and crew went through. Half my life has been spend with the show and its performers. I'll always treasure the old days, when I watched the episodes as they came out.
I recently bought twenty or thirty used MST3K DVDs for a quarter each at a library sale. I will continue to watch the old shows that way, and on You Tube. I plan to spend my old age with them, reliving the early nineties with Joel, Mike, Tom Servo, and Crow. I will bask in memories of times when I wasn't preoccupied with annuities, HMOs, and final expenses.
I'll go back to the days when a bright, talented, funny and charismatic man-child had a harebrained idea about watching bad movies in space with his robot pals. A wild, weird idea that turned into an empire that brought, and continues to bring, so much joy and laughter to oddballs like me.
Written by Mark Sieber
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