For those of you who do not know, or have no taste in comedy (kidding…just kidding <3), Mystery Science Theater 3000 was a show that got its start on a very local, not-very-well-known TV channel sometime in the late 1980s. The premise is simple enough: a temporary worker is stranded on a satellite in space built by a mad scientist who forces the temp and his robot pals to watch woefully cheesy and stale movies with less publicity than most foreign films. And I say that with no feelings of injustice. In addition, the crew would come up with clever, often dangerous hijinks and skits to kill time after or before commercial breaks.
During each screening: the crew of the Satellite of Love take turns making wisecracks and tearing apart whole scenes, line reads, little set details, and the special effects which I am sure seemed dated even when the films were new. Some of the films included fan favorites like Godzilla vs Megalon and Gamera vs Gaos, and even a few movies some might consider guilty pleasures. We all have them, do not lie! If you were/are a fan of the show or just a casual viewer then I am sure I do not have to explain to you the joy of tuning in to Sci-Fi or Comedy Central to see what they would watch next. Even to this day a lot of the jokes and pop-culture references hold up just as well as they first did. But if you are a newcomer, I doubt I or anyone else could adequately sum up in mere words the fun to be had, so I think it is only fair that you too should share in the laughs and nostalgia of decades passed:
Best of MST3K Laserblast:
Best of MST3K Brain that Wouldn’t Die:
Also, here is a lovely review by the late Roger Ebert (may he rest in peace) on the 1996 theatrical release. You read that correctly; there was a theatrical release:
Roger Ebert – Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
Nowadays the former crew of MST3K are continuing their quest to make bad movies (relatively speaking) enjoyable for reasons other than a late Friday night of beer and horror movies. You know the ones I mean. I’m looking at you, Thirteen Ghosts… Anyway, their current range consists of some of the lesser-known cinematic…adventures…of Britney Spears and Jesse Ventura to modern day crtically and publicly acclaimed films like The Hunger Games and The Avengers. And if that notion makes you just a touch apprehensive well…I personally believe that no movie is abrove criticism or playful jabs; in fact, I think it sort of enriches the overall experience, because it is definitely ok to love a movie despite some obvious, or subtle, flaws.
So I’ll leave you on that note and with the posted video links.
I hope you enjoy, and just repeat to yourself, “It is just a show, I should really just relax!”
P.S. My next blog post will be another about console nostalgia.
