Introduction

News

Jollyfilter & Cinematic Titanic #3

Remember when writers actually had to write about things and struggle to describe events in a way that would bring them to life in the reader's imagination?

Thank God for YouTube! Now I just paste the embed code.

Deep Ape brought to my attention Jollyfilter, a five minute test pilot for an idea of Joel and his brother Jim Hodgson. Sit through two minutes of the mind-numbing opening to Rollercoaster (1977), then laugh and clap in glee as those digital wizards at Digital Filmworks work their magic on the film, spicing things up with frogs and electronic brains and things. Whee!

It's too bad Jollyfilter never caught on, though I can see how it'd be a lot more work to animate a feature length film worth of 3D jokes instead of just riffing on 'em in a theater.

I also clicked on Cinematic Titanic's YouTube profile and guess what? They released a trailer for CT #3: Wasp Woman four days ago? Who knew? (I mean aside from everyone but me.)

Yes, thanks to video, I never have to write about anyth -- hey, what's that? The MST3K 20th Anniversary DVD's special features have been announced, and there's no video to fall back on? Guess I'll just have to do some writing... er, um, hey, what's that behind you?

Cinematic Titanic Episode #2: Doomsday Machine

The second episode of Cinematic Titanic, titled Doomsday Machine, was released as a DVD and digital download on June 19, 2008.

No, not that Doomsday Machine, this one:

My favorite gag is when J. Elvis says, "A gumball machine head on a robot? I'm sorry, that is lame."

This episode looks like it's going to be great. Much more rewatchable than The Oozing Brain, which I love, but there's a part of me that likes seeing gore-filled horror films and a part of me that likes relaxing and watching MST3K, and rarely do the two parts overlap.

Doomsday Machine is sold as a $14.99 DVD or $9.99 download.

Now go buy me a copy!

Max The Hero

An animated short, written by Mike Nelson, Bill Corbette and Kevin Murphy, can be viewed online at Crackle.

This humorous short parodies super heroes and, since it doesn't star the bots, hasn't got nearly as much crap said about it as those The Bots Are Back! cartoons.

Giant Gila is here!

Huzzah! Giant Gila Monster is finally here!

The DVD arrived today, shipped in what appears to be a piece of cardboard. Not a cardboard box -- a brown piece of cardboard.

A pull tab split the cardboard in two and revealed that Gila is packaged in a sleeve, much like a dollar store "Relaxation" CD. (Sort of like Cinematic Titanic, only without the charming underdog smell.)

Strengthening the Relaxation CD vibe -- there's a chapter list on the back, with such soothing tracks as "The Bot With Two Heads" and "I Towed You So."

But not even a questionable lack of a proper case can bum my MSTie high. After a month and a half, it's finally here! I'll probably post again later tonight, with screenshots and whatnot, so stay tuned.

The Terrible Truth (About DRM)

Anyone waiting for Rifftrax to be more easy and accessible, take note -- there's a new short called The Terrible Truth for $0.99, and it's DRM-free.

Update: Seems I promised the "truth" about DRM, then totally forgot to explain it. Digital Rights Managment is a particularly odious form of copy-protection that has caused law-abiding citizens innumerable problems. In Rifftrax's case, even after you legally buy a DRM-protected video, you still have to go online and sign in every time you view it.

In other words, it's the equivalent of a DVD that requires you to call a 1-800 number and verify your date of birth every time you hit play.

For a measly buck, you get the skit, video and all, in the following formats: iPod, Zune, DivX and MPEG2. (And, I assume, classic MP3). torgosPizza over at Rifftrax Forums called this an experiment, so let's make it a successful one!

RPM: Riffs Per Minute

Mad Genius Andrew has calculated the number of jokes per minute in every episode of MST3K (except for KTMA.)

Interesting to note is quantity does not guarantee quality, as several universal favorites have a relatively low RPM rating.

For instance, Werewolf, which Mighty Jack rated "Best in Show" and Kevin Murphy called "A gift from God," has a "bad" RPM rating of 8.699. Hercules Against the Moon Men, which pretty much tanked across the board, has the forth highest RPM, coming in just under Laserblast, Warrior of the Lost World, and the ultimate in rapid-fire riffing... (drum roll please)... The Day The Earth Froze.

I guess when it comes to comedy, timing really is everything.

Without further adu, the top ten MST3Ks sorted by RPMs.

Those seeking further data are encouraged to check out Andrew's burgeoning MST3K Review website.

Source: Satellite News

Giant Gila Single DVD Delayed

Thanks to Deep Ape for confirming my suspicions. It looks like the single DVD release of The Giant Gila Monster has been delayed (again) "until the end of February/early March." That's 2008, I think.

Here's what bugs me: Rhino never notified me about the new, indefinite delay. I only received the following email on the 4th, then again on the 11th, notifying me that they would, er, notify me of any new, indefinite delays.

"Your back/special order has not yet arrived. Please know that we are working on getting it for you as soon as possible. As soon as it arrives, your order will be shipped! In the event the product becomes unavailable, we will notify you. Thank you for your patience."

I guess Rhino figured, hey, why bother? We can't let people know every time we delay a product. Don't be a drag.

Or maybe it's not unavailable, it's just not not available... yet. Regardless, you can watch the DVD's mini-reunion on YouTube. Starring Joel, Trace, and Frank as Tom-Servo(!)

Giant Gila Monster Pre-Order... now!

Rhino is accepting pre-orders for the single-disc release of "The Giant Gila Monster" (MST3K #402). The disc, available only at Rhino for a limited time, is set for release February 11th, 2008.

According to Wired.com:

Joel and the robots return to the Satellite of Love to demonstrate how to insert the new DVD into the original set without upsetting Godzilla or copyright lawyers. Dr. Clayton Forrester (Trace Beaulieu) and TV's Frank (Frank Conniff) lend a hand from Deep 13.

So what's this all about? Well, due to a rights mixup, MST3K box set #10 was recalled and is now selling for $200 on eBay. The new release, dubbed #10.2, replaces Godzilla Vs. Megalon (#212) with a giant gila. As not to offend early adopters who are stuck with a $200 collectible, Rhino will also release The Giant Gila Monster as a single DVD.

Unless you plan on picking up the 10.2 box set, I recommend you (pre)order now. The price is $7.95, and it cost me $12.06 after shipping. Good deal!

Grand Re-Opening

Welcome. I started this project back in 2004, when the only thing happening was Mystery Fandom Theater. Since then we've got three cast reunions, including The Film Crew. Life After MST3K is good!

Please note that the buttons on the sidebar don't work yet (except for Everything You Need to Know). I haven't gotten around to writing up an in-depth review of each website, but my website looked like crud without them. So, I designed this website using the Wonderbra Principal: It's better to disappoint them later than lose 'em at first sight.

- Zeus

Push the button, Frank!

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