I've spoken at length about how much I've always loved Mystery Science Theater 3000. I like Rifftrax. However, I haven't been very impressed with the extracurricular projects the guys have attempted.
The Mystery Science team were in a kind of limbo around the turn of the century. This was post MST3K and pre-Rifftrax. There was a website by them, ostensibly created for humorous purposes, but cursory examination yielded no reason why it should exist.
I read a thin nonfiction book by T.V.'s Frank Coniff. It kind of sucked. Not funny, nothing that provoked thought.
I did like Mike Nelson's Death Rat novel.
Kevin Murphy, known to the world as Tom Servo, wrote a book with an intriguing premise. He endeavored to see a movie a day for a year. He accomplished it, and he did so in theaters that ranged from typical multiplexes to ones in exotic locations.
The point of it all was to demonstrate how homogenized the movie-going process was in 2002. I like the sentiment and I figured I would like the book. It only took me twenty years to buy a copy.
I remember the great independent theaters of my youth and young adulthood. This was before the multiplexes tore the guts out of the experience. Theaters were unique. They had heart and they had soul. Workers seemed happier. The movies seemed better and the snacks weren't ultra processed.
By 2002 going to the movies was like walking into a Panera Bread, a Wal-Mart, or, yes, a Barnes and Noble today. No individuality, no diversity, no heart.
All that is great stuff, and Kevin's words about the loss of personality in most movie theaters resounded in my soul.
But then there were the attempts at humor.
Forced bits about the gastronomical delights of, gag, Tater Tots. A labored diatribe about the neckache-inducing front row movie theater experience. Hoo hoo, ha ha, a lot of shots at film festival blowhards.
Frankly, after fifty-or-so pages of it, I had enough. It wasn't funny or entertaining. At least I didn't think so. It was frustrating, because his insights about seeing movies are valid and smart, but they are surrounded in too much tired humor.
It didn't help my disposition when Murphy said he dislikes depressing German movies by Fassbinder, Herzog, and Wenders. It oddly seems like he is a middle-ground snob, hating both bad movies and also great ones.
Apparently the riffgang are more successful with punchy quips made during bad movies than extended attempts at humor.
I still love the guys, but I think I'll stick to the shows from now on.
Did. Not. Finish.
Written by Mark Sieber
The Mystery Science team were in a kind of limbo around the turn of the century. This was post MST3K and pre-Rifftrax. There was a website by them, ostensibly created for humorous purposes, but cursory examination yielded no reason why it should exist.
I read a thin nonfiction book by T.V.'s Frank Coniff. It kind of sucked. Not funny, nothing that provoked thought.
I did like Mike Nelson's Death Rat novel.
Kevin Murphy, known to the world as Tom Servo, wrote a book with an intriguing premise. He endeavored to see a movie a day for a year. He accomplished it, and he did so in theaters that ranged from typical multiplexes to ones in exotic locations.
The point of it all was to demonstrate how homogenized the movie-going process was in 2002. I like the sentiment and I figured I would like the book. It only took me twenty years to buy a copy.
I remember the great independent theaters of my youth and young adulthood. This was before the multiplexes tore the guts out of the experience. Theaters were unique. They had heart and they had soul. Workers seemed happier. The movies seemed better and the snacks weren't ultra processed.
By 2002 going to the movies was like walking into a Panera Bread, a Wal-Mart, or, yes, a Barnes and Noble today. No individuality, no diversity, no heart.
All that is great stuff, and Kevin's words about the loss of personality in most movie theaters resounded in my soul.
But then there were the attempts at humor.
Forced bits about the gastronomical delights of, gag, Tater Tots. A labored diatribe about the neckache-inducing front row movie theater experience. Hoo hoo, ha ha, a lot of shots at film festival blowhards.
Frankly, after fifty-or-so pages of it, I had enough. It wasn't funny or entertaining. At least I didn't think so. It was frustrating, because his insights about seeing movies are valid and smart, but they are surrounded in too much tired humor.
It didn't help my disposition when Murphy said he dislikes depressing German movies by Fassbinder, Herzog, and Wenders. It oddly seems like he is a middle-ground snob, hating both bad movies and also great ones.
Apparently the riffgang are more successful with punchy quips made during bad movies than extended attempts at humor.
I still love the guys, but I think I'll stick to the shows from now on.
Did. Not. Finish.
Written by Mark Sieber
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