Note from Review
HP Lovecraft
reply:
____________________
Take my word for it, I recognize the references. But the occasional
mentioning of Hubert Humphrey or some book we all should have read in High
School does not change the fact that Mystery Science Theater is part of the
Beevis and Buttheadization of American culture, rather than a reaction to it.
You must understand that I have been watching the "bad" movies that MST
screens for years, without the benefit of commentary from Joel/Mike and his
robots pals (although I did enjoy the less-obtrusive commercial-break
digressions of such hosts as The Ghoul and Zacherly). In fact, if you are a
regular reader of "It's All True" (the column on which our Best-and-Worst
listings are based), or have attended our "Channel Zero" film fests in
Cambridge, , you know that we go way out of our way to find films far more
off beat than the "cheesy" films shown on Mystery Science Theater on Comedy
Central.
Just this summer, we have screened "Alyas Batman and Robin," a musical
version of Batman from the Phillipeans, "The Dragon Lives Again," a movie
chronicling the adventures of Bruce Lee in the afterlife (where Hell is
inexplicably populated by fictional characters such as The Exorcist, Popeye
the Sailor and Clint Eastwood's "Man with no Name"), "Mom and Dad," the
classic sexual-hygiene exploitation film that made it's makers over
$100,000,000 and "Godzilla vs. King Ghidra" where the high-strung dinosaur
trashed a platoon of American soldiers supposedly led by Stephen Speilberg's
dad.
Are these films any good? Hell, some of them make the pix shown on MST3K's
look like Citizen Kane! But just on their own, these movies are so weird, so
bizarre, so offbeat that it takes all of my effort to keep from cracking up
as I list them in this note. When Godzilla (in "Terror of Mecha-Godzilla")
manages -- through sheer force of will -- to reverse his own personal
polarity, thus turning himself into a reptilian electromagnet with which to
capture his mechanical doppleganger, who needs Joel/Mike and his robot
friends to tell me that this is funny (especially since they are more likely
to talk over the funniest parts of the picture to tell us how much a female
actress on the screen reminds them of Punky Brewster).
Now, if you peel back the layers a bit further and learn a little bit about
the folks who made these "bad," "cheesy" movies by reading some
highly-entertaining periodicals like FilmFax of Video Watchdog, you'd realize
that these stories too are truly enthralling and hilarious. Those films had
to come from somewhere. Some were made by schlockmeisters and con artists
(remember the producer in "Ed Wood," "I don't make movies, I make crap!").
Others were put together by would-be auteurs who never let their complete
lack of talent get in the way of limitless artistic ambition. Even the worst
of them have a story far more intriguing and amusing than seven seasons of
"Invention Exchange."
None of this, of course, has any impact on MST3K whose jokes are as
interchangeable as it's human host. (OK here is where we make fun of
people's names on the credits. Now we do shadow gags against the screen.
Now we hum a little song. Now we compare the guy on screen to someone on
"Rozanne," and -- oh yes -- here we make a literary or political reference to
show how high-minded our satire is. Give me a break.)
Take my word for it, there is a whole world out there not only more
interesting, but miles funnier than the attempted humor of Mystery Science
Theater, a show offering little more than slightly higher-brow Beevis and
Butthead style commentary, directed at movies they know nothing about, for an
audience that does not want to come up with its own jokes.
If audience numbers reflected quality, MST3K would be cult-show numero uno,
Rush Limbaugh would be president and "Bridges of Madison County" would be
taught in university literature courses. So please continue to enjoy the
pre-digested film weirdness and lame gags of Mystery Science Theater at the
countless midnight beer and giggles sessions around the country. (I suppose
any kind of exposure to Gamera can't be all bad.) But if you ever decide to
do your own exploration of the bizarre, you can start with the stores listed
in our "Best Video" section of last week's Best of Boston (or drop me a line
and I'll be happy to send you some titles I suspect you may dig).
See you in the funny papers.
Jon Haber
______________________________
Hmm.. interesting. Maybe we should refer him to Tom Shales.
Chris. TMS...@Delphi.Com; TMS...@KSU.KSU.EDU
"I hope that was a good nighty night." - Tori Amos
Nanciewel
tms...@delphi.com (HP Lovecraft) writes:
>
>Hmm.. interesting. Maybe we should refer him to Tom Shales.
Hey, I got the same letter you did! (...and I thought I was special..)
nanciewel ;)
(Blessed be the name of Tom Shales!)
Petrea Mitchell
: Ok, I wrote our friend from Boston, and recieved an interesting
: reply:
: ____________________
: Take my word for it, I recognize the references. But the occasional
: mentioning of Hubert Humphrey or some book we all should have read in High
: School does not change the fact that Mystery Science Theater is part of the
: Beevis and Buttheadization of American culture, rather than a reaction to it.
Hey, that's the exact same response I got! (And after simply asking
which episode(s) the review was based, too.) I want my two cents back!
You'd think he could at least spell "Beavis" correctly...
--
/ <|> <|> <pr...@mvp.com> <pr...@gm.dev.com>
Petrea Mitchell ** GO NINERS ** <pem...@is.nyu.edu>
Do you know of a MOO with a few dozen K of unused database space and a need
for a bunch of bizarre and miscellaneous puzzles? Wanna give me its address?
*** Push the button... someone. :~( *** eWorks!
Soundwave [Chad Gould]
same reaction to shows that rely on cultural humor: That includes The
Simpsons, MST3K, Beavis and Butthead, and on down to documentaries like
TV Nation, and comedies like The Critic, RIP. Many people either
absolutely love these type of shows, or absolutely hate them. I'm not
sure quite why, personally. Maybe some people are too far emerged into
the culture that they can't stand people making fun of it. Maybe some
people see the culture imitating the actions rather then laughing at
them (not the case in MST3K; but certainly in The Simpsons and Beavis
and Butthead until in both shows the humor became less subtle). Maybe
some people just can't get over personal dislike of this form of humor.
In this person's case, I'm afraid that he's got the sort of snobbery
attitude that some critics possess. This snobbery attitude causes people
to reject such things that are not on the high level of artsy playing
field, or, in this particular case, rejecting things that he actually
LIKES (ie he's one of those who would probably claim any movie does not
deserve to be made fun of). Oh, well.
--
Chad Gould aka Soundwave (aka Mike) |--X5/D50/DX27/1202/GUS SAMPLE!--|
internet: cgo...@gate.net (Hell Inc.) |-----"MOVE YOUR CAR!!!!!!!"-----|
Have you hugged your llama today? |Make Happy the Harmonica Happy!!|
http://www.webcom.com/~cgould/ - MST3K, MIDI, Pinball, Emusic, etc...
KillDozer
<standard intro sequence>
3...2...1...G
<Tom and Crow are wearing Masonic tuxes. Crow has a
cigar hanging from his mouth.>
TOM: So after the raffle, motion to start the auction for the
fisffry dinner for two.
CROW: Second.
TOM: Motion carried. Motion to then invite the ladies...
<enter Mike>
MIKE: Hey guys, what's with the tails? Is there something you
want to tell me?
<silence from the 'bots>
MIKE: What?! What's going on? Come on, I want to do something.
<silence>
MAGIC VOICE: It's a secret, Mike. Commercial sign in 15 seconds.
<Crow raises his arm and slowly rubs elbow.>
MIKE: HEY! That was a secret signal! What are you guys, Masons?
<Tom slowly turns back and forth, then hops twice. Crow laughs.>
MIKE: This happens to me at every job. And I never get in.
<Commercial>
<Return. Crow and Tom are huddled next to each other, whispering, while
Mike slumps on the desk.>
MIKE: How'd you guys get in, anyway?
<CUT to Deep 13>
FRANK: Well, my chapter's a little thin right now, so - DOH!
DR. F: Nice work, Bond. Listen, there's nothing wrong with a little
elitism for the common man, Dimples. Where would we be without fraternal
organizations? Would we have the atomic bomb?
FRANK: You know, George Wahington was a Mason.
MIKE: Yeah, but there's only three of us up here! At least I've got
Gypsy.
<Enter Gypsy with Eastern Star emblem on snout. She makes random head
gestures at Crow and Tom. Tom shakes his head.>
DR. F: So, since we're on the topic, your experiment is a nice little
slice of elitism pie from of all people, a television critic. It's
e-mail, but it's been posted so we can all be enlightened. I think
you'll find it very special, Wondertwins, since it's all about YOU. Send
them the posting, Frank.
<FRANK is standing on his head, waving and kicking his legs. He falls.>
DR. F:*sigh*
MIKE: WE'VE GOT POSTING SIGN!
G...1...2...3...4...5...6
MIKE: So, are you guys gonna help me out here?
TOM: Sure. Why wouldn't we?
CROW: Yeah, what're you talking about, Mike?
MIKE: Here it comes.
>Take my word for it, I recognize the references.
TOM: Really! I can play!
>But the occasional mentioning of Hubert Humphrey
MIKE: Shame on you, Crow.
>or some book we all should have read in High School
CROW: Copyright 1995. All rights reserved.
>does not change the fact that Mystery Science Theater is part of the
>Beevis and Buttheadization of American culture, rather than a reaction >to it.
MIKE: I had a reaction to bad yogurt cultures once.
TOM: Hey, is inventing words rather than finding real English ones part
of the Buttheadization, too?
>You must understand that I have been watching the "bad" movies that MST
>screens for years,
<APPLAUSE, cheers>
>without the benefit of commentary from Joel/Mike and his robots pals
MIKE: Hey, we're not here for YOUR benfit, Sunshine.
>(although I did enjoy the less-obtrusive commercial-break
>digressions of such hosts as The Ghoul and Zacherly).
CROW:Well, who didn't?
TOM:Well, who are they?
>In fact, if you are a regular reader of "It's All True" (the column on
TOM:Never heard of it.
MIKE:Nope.
>which our Best-and-Worst listings are based), or have attended our
CROW: Unlike us, Best-and-Worst listings encourage independent thought
and intelligent critique.
>"Channel Zero" film fests in Cambridge, , you know that we go way out of
>our way to find films far more off beat than the "cheesy" films shown on
>Mystery Science Theater on Comedy Central.
CROW: Some people LIKE these movies?
MIKE: Yeah, well it's hard to explain.
>Just this summer, we have screened "Alyas Batman and Robin," a musical
>version of Batman from the Phillipeans, "The Dragon Lives Again," a
>movie chronicling the adventures of Bruce Lee in the afterlife (where
>Hell is inexplicably populated by fictional characters such as The
>Exorcist, Popeye the Sailor and Clint Eastwood's "Man with no Name"),
>"Mom and Dad," the classic sexual-hygiene exploitation film that made
>it's makers over $100,000,000 and "Godzilla vs. King Ghidra" where the
>high-strung dinosaur trashed a platoon of American soldiers supposedly
>led by Stephen Speilberg's dad.
TOM: Put that in your pipe and smoke it, hippies!
MIKE: Geez, I never knew you could be a bad movie SNOB.
TOM: Well, it is Cambridge.
CROW: Periods. Read about them at your local library.
>Are these films any good?
<all shrug>
>Hell, some of them make the pix shown on MST3K's look like Citizen Kane!
MIKE: But not by much.
TOM: Really, we're lucky then, huh?
>But just on their own, these movies are so weird, so bizarre, so offbeat
TOM: One word, fella. MANOS.
CROW: Two words. BITE ME.
>that it takes all of my effort to keep from cracking up as I list them
>in this note.
CROW:<Herc voice> I'm so sleepy I can hardly keep awake!
>When Godzilla (in "Terror of Mecha-Godzilla") manages -- through sheer
>force of will -- to reverse his own personal polarity,
TOM: Sort of like Bill Clinton.
>thus turning himself into a reptilian electromagnet with which to
>capture his mechanical doppleganger, who needs Joel/Mike and his robot
>friends to tell me that this is funny
CROW: You GO, girl!
>(especially since they are more likely to talk over the funniest parts
MIKE: Yeah, we're ruining it for everybody.
>of the picture to tell us how much a female actress on the screen
>reminds them of Punky Brewster).
CROW:That was me, sorry.
>Now, if you peel back the layers a bit further
ALL: Eeaw!
>and learn a little bit about the folks who made these "bad," "cheesy"
>movies by reading
TOM: Duuhhhhhh...read?
>some highly-entertaining periodicals like FilmFax of Video Watchdog,
>you'd realize that these stories too are truly enthralling
MIKE: Oh, I don't know.
CROW: He changes gears between highbrow and FilmFax pretty easily, huh?
>and hilarious. Those films had to come from somewhere.
TOM: Well, they didn't HAVE to, but they did.
>Some were made by schlockmeisters and con artists (remember the producer
>in "Ed Wood," "I don't make movies, I make crap!").
MIKE: 'I don't write a Best-and-Worst list, I write crap!'
>Others were put together by would-be auteurs who never let their
>complete lack of talent get in the way of limitless artistic ambition.
CROW:I'm not gonna say it.
>Even the worst of them have a story far more intriguing and amusing than
>seven seasons of "Invention Exchange."
MIKE: Hey, now that's just mean!
>None of this, of course, has any impact on MST3K whose jokes are as
>interchangeable as it's human host.
CROW: Yeah, Mike.
>(OK here is where we make fun of people's names on the credits.
TOM: Jon "Muffin" Haber
>Now we do shadow gags against the screen.
CROW: Hey, Jon, recognize THIS shadow gag?
>Now we hum a little song.
ALL:<silly humming>
>Now we compare the guy on screen to someone on "Rozanne,"
MIKE: Um...never saw it.
>and -- oh yes --
CROW: He almost forgot.
>here we make a literary or political reference to show how high-minded
>our satire is. Give me a break.)
TOM: Yeah, we don't even make THOSE up.
MIKE: We're on the National Review's Best Quip mailing list.
>Take my word for it, there is a whole world out there
CROW: Outside of Boston.
>not only more interesting,
MIKE: Than anything on TV.
>but miles funnier than the attempted humor of Mystery Science
>Theater, a show offering little more than slightly higher-brow Beevis
TOM: I thought it was "high-brower"
CROW: "Highbrower III - The Snobbering."
>and Butthead style commentary, directed at movies they know nothing
>about, for an audience that does not want to come up with its own jokes.
TOM: BOOM!
MIKE: Boy, he really knows his stuff, huh?
>If audience numbers reflected quality,
CROW: E.R. would still stink.
>MST3K would be cult-show numero uno,Rush Limbaugh would be president
MIKE: Hey, how come HE can do it?
CROW: You know what they say, "if it bends, it's funny..."
TOM: I'd like to bend THIS guy.
>and "Bridges of Madison County" would be taught in university literature
>courses.
CROW: He's not a Academy voter, is he?
>So please continue to enjoy the pre-digested film weirdness and lame
>gags
ALL: HEY!!
CROW: Most of the movies I've seen are more like POST-digested film.
>of Mystery Science Theater at the countless midnight beer and giggles
>sessions around the country.
TOM: That he's never invited to.
>(I suppose any kind of exposure to Gamera can't be all bad.)
CROW: There he goes again.
MIKE: Shh. He doesn't know any better.
CROW: But...
MIKE: Let him finish.
>But if you ever decide to do your own exploration of the bizarre,
TOM: You empty-headed toad.
>you can start with the stores listed in our "Best Video" section of last
>week's Best of Boston
MIKE: Gee, I think I'll pass.
>(or drop me a line and I'll be happy to send you some titles I suspect >you may dig).
CROW:Only if he predigests it for everyone.
>See you in the funny papers.
>
>Jon Haber
TOM: I don't THINK so.
6...5...4...3...2...1...G
TOM: Man, what was that guy's problem?
MIKE: He has some elitism issues.
TOM: Translation - he got beat up a lot.
CROW: Yeah, Mike. Why did he stereotype and generalize and lump so many
people together like that?
TOM: It's a defense mechanism.
MIKE: No, well, maybe. He sure did have a holier-than-thou-ness about
him.
TOM: Yeah, a real I-like-bad-movies-more-than-you-itude.
CROW: I don't know, I found the dichotomy between his attitudes most
perplexing, at once condescending and snobbish, yet intermixed with words
like Gamera and Clint Eastwood in a cynically-too-cool-for-you-y way.
TOM: Sort of like Dante's Inferno.
MIKE: And he assumes that no one who watches could POSSIBLY like bad
movies by themselves as well.
TOM: Like Newt Gingrich.
CROW: Mostly, I think he just doesn't get it.
MIKE: Whaddya think, sirs?
<Deep 13. Frank is waving semaphore flags behind Dr. Forrester.>
DR. F: Well, Mother, Jugs, and Speed, rest assured we'll be picking up
his Best-and-Worst list soon... so we can send it to you!
ALL: NO!
DR. F: Push the button, Frank.
<Frank continues, oblivious.>
<DR. F picks up megaphone and shouts in Frank's ear>
DR. F: THE BUTTON!?!
<Frank jumps and falls forward on the button.>
Bill Livingston
Hilariously done! Bravissimo!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
bi...@Traveller.COM
Best if Used by Date on Label
M Sampo
>Mystery Science Theater is part of the Beevis and Buttheadization of
American
>culture, rather than a reaction to it.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! What a maroon.
So THOSE are our only two choices?
First of all, this guy undermines his own argument by displaying a
painfully obvious misunderstanding of the history and context of the
things he's talking about. To complain that MST is part of the Beavis &
Buttheadization of culture, is a lot like complaining that Woody Allen is
part of the Andrew Dice Clayization of culture.
His argument also implies that commentary and deconstruction is somehow a
new thing (Groucho Marx, Shakespeare and Euripides would be interested to
hear that). Neither MST nor B&B invented mockery of pompousity. They only
carry on a proud tradition that should not be disdained.
What we have here, folks, is something we have seen before. A lot of
insecure critics have a problem with the MST3K because, consciously or
unconsciously, they sense an intrusion onto what they see as their turf
(and they are struck with terror when they see that MST does what they do
better). Such an attitude betrays a small person who is privately
frightened of being exposed as the fraud they very likely are.
Sampo
=======================================================
I've undergone a complex personal evolution wherein painful confusion has
given way to what I like to think of as some degree of wisdom, culminating
in my current Zarathustrian sense of self. Is that it?
=======================================================
Jamie Plummer
argument I'd like to point out.
--
Be seeing you... Jamie Plummer jc...@fermi.clas.virginia.edu
"If left isn't right, then right is the only thing left, right?"
-that dog from Grape Ape cartoons.
BRAND NEW!! Jamie's home page! http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~jcp9j/
SVKeeley
writes:
><standard intro sequence>
>
>3...2...1...G
>
><Tom and Crow are wearing Masonic tuxes. Crow has a
> cigar hanging from his mouth.>
<snip>
>DR. F: THE BUTTON!?!
>
><Frank jumps and falls forward on the button.>
I almost skipped this, having seen enough lame attempts at MSTing, but I'm
glad I didn't. Good work!
____________________
Steve Keeley
SVKe...@aol.com
HP Lovecraft
of getting this done..
Great riffing. Truly deserved. Oh well, maybe he's one
of those that held out Hoop Dreams.. <G>
Chris.
TMS...@Delphi.Com;
TMS...@KSU.KSU.EDU
102775,14...@Compuserv.com
"It's all equal amongst feminists until you get into the bathroom,
and one has the brighter lipstick & the bigger boyfriend." - Tori Amos
Steven Kent Munger
In article <4470jh$1d...@news.gate.net>, cgo...@gate.net (Soundwave [Chad
Gould]) writes:
> You know, it's sometimes strange (at least to me) that people give the
> same reaction to shows that rely on cultural humor: That includes The
> Simpsons, MST3K, Beavis and Butthead, and on down to documentaries like
> TV Nation, and comedies like The Critic, RIP. Many people either
> absolutely love these type of shows, or absolutely hate them. I'm not
> sure quite why, personally. Maybe some people are too far emerged into
> the culture that they can't stand people making fun of it. Maybe some
> people see the culture imitating the actions rather then laughing at
> them (not the case in MST3K; but certainly in The Simpsons and Beavis
> and Butthead until in both shows the humor became less subtle). Maybe
> some people just can't get over personal dislike of this form of humor.
>
> In this person's case, I'm afraid that he's got the sort of snobbery
> attitude that some critics possess. This snobbery attitude causes people
> to reject such things that are not on the high level of artsy playing
> field, or, in this particular case, rejecting things that he actually
> LIKES (ie he's one of those who would probably claim any movie does not
> deserve to be made fun of). Oh, well.
I gotta agree with you there. I mean, is it just me, or does this guy
sound like that lame kind of Birkenstock wearing, haven't bathed in a
month English major who refers to movies as "Film" (always with the
capital F to reflect on the dignity of the
genre) who thinks that if something doesn't carry some 'message', or was
made in America, than it's no good? I think somebody _really_ needs to
lighten up, and enjoy things more, i.e. "repeat to your self-it's just a
show, I should really just relax" Words to live by, ne?
Steven 'that Japanese 'ne' just seemed right' Munger
-insert cool .sig here
Alan Brandt
> The pompous dickweed in Boston wrote:
>
> >Mystery Science Theater is part of the Beevis and Buttheadization of
> American
> >culture, rather than a reaction to it.
>
> BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! What a maroon.
> So THOSE are our only two choices?
>
> First of all, this guy undermines his own argument by displaying a
> painfully obvious misunderstanding of the history and context of the
> things he's talking about. To complain that MST is part of the Beavis &
> Buttheadization of culture, is a lot like complaining that Woody Allen is
> part of the Andrew Dice Clayization of culture.
>
> His argument also implies that commentary and deconstruction is somehow a
> new thing (Groucho Marx, Shakespeare and Euripides would be interested to
> hear that). Neither MST nor B&B invented mockery of pompousity. They only
> carry on a proud tradition that should not be disdained.
>
> What we have here, folks, is something we have seen before. A lot of
> insecure critics have a problem with the MST3K because, consciously or
> unconsciously, they sense an intrusion onto what they see as their turf
> (and they are struck with terror when they see that MST does what they do
> better). Such an attitude betrays a small person who is privately
> frightened of being exposed as the fraud they very likely are.
>
>
> Sampo
Good analysis, S. But the answer may be much simpler: This idiot doesn't
"get" MST's humor. It alludes his feeble grasp of satire. People are
uncomfortable with, and many times attack, things they don't understand.
This is probably one such case.
And to equate Beavis and Butthead's humor with the quality of MST3K is an
insult in itself. (although I enjoy BandB on its own limited level)
Just throwing that out for discussion.
Alanbran
Guardian Angel: "I wouldn't say Joe was lookin' for trouble..."
Crow: "...but I found him down at the waterfront dressed in a Spartan
costume saying, 'Kitty, kitty!'"
Robt_Martin
: Take my word for it, I recognize the references. But the occasional
: mentioning of Hubert Humphrey or some book we all should have read in High
: School does not change the fact that Mystery Science Theater is part of the
: Beevis and Buttheadization of American culture, rather than a reaction to it.
FilmFax? Video Watchdog? Don't let him fool ya, he's a Fangoria
subscribers, I saw his name in the letter column.
Soundwave [Chad Gould]
: Great! Now we've got to find a way of getting it to this guy!
I hate servers that are slow. Can someone please email the note to me? I
know it will probably show up here three weeks later or something...
Rick Hodge
>> What we have here, folks, is something we have seen before. A lot of
>> insecure critics have a problem with the MST3K because, consciously or
>> unconsciously, they sense an intrusion onto what they see as their turf
>> (and they are struck with terror when they see that MST does what they do
>> better). Such an attitude betrays a small person who is privately
>> frightened of being exposed as the fraud they very likely are.
>>
>>
>> Sampo
>Good analysis, S. But the answer may be much simpler: This idiot doesn't
>"get" MST's humor. It alludes his feeble grasp of satire. People are
>uncomfortable with, and many times attack, things they don't understand.
>This is probably one such case.
Actually, I think both points are the major reasons why some
people hate MST3K. Notice I didn't say didn't like, I said hate.
I agree with the second point entirely. But I feel the first
point is closer in this case, but not in the same way. The critic's
review and response reminded me of a time I went to a comic book
convention and I came across a guy who was selling obscure and
foreign videos. I asked him if he had any MST3K videos. He said no
because he couldn't stand the show.
His reaction was similar to other responses to the show I have
seen in the so-called Alternative Market (because I couldn't think of
a better name for it). Primarily in magazines like Oriental Cinema
and Phantom of the (I forget the name of it, now. I think it was
Cinema). These groups all make their living from the popularity of
such movies and videos and they probably don't like to see all their
time and investment trashed (as they think, not necessarily as we
think). Kind of like not biting the hand that feeds you.
I have noticed that the fan magazines that tend to have more
variety to them like Starlog, Cinefantastique, and several of the
various generalized movie mags (I'm drawing a blank, again. Sorry.)
tend to be more favorable to the show. I'm not sure what that means
except that maybe these people get the joke.
Of course, I wonder how that critic (as well as the others I
mentioned) who hated MST3K so much reacted to such things as:
"What's Up, Tiger Lily?", "Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection",
"Fractured Flickers", "Dynaman", Elvira's "Movie Macabre", "It Came
From Hollywood", and even "Attack of the Killer-B Movies". I myself
liked all but the last one and wish I had some of these on video.
regards,
Rick Hodge
"See the dizzy spell. I would like a dizzy spell, too."
--Paul Merton, "Whose Line is It, Anyway?"
Claye Hodge
and can only be Torgo, from Manos; The Hands of Fate.
Claye Hodge
Eric Wilson
> Of course, I wonder how that critic (as well as the others I
>mentioned) who hated MST3K so much reacted to such things as:
>"What's Up, Tiger Lily?", "Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection",
>"Fractured Flickers", "Dynaman", Elvira's "Movie Macabre", "It Came
>From Hollywood", and even "Attack of the Killer-B Movies". I myself
>liked all but the last one and wish I had some of these on video.
Bill "Keep Watching the Skies" Warren has gone so far as to compare MST3K's
treatment of films to a certain bedsheet-wearing hate group. And according to
his book, he can't stand jokey "Movie Macabre"-type hosts either.
Apart from all of that, though, "Keep Watching The Skies" is probably the
best book you can find to delve into the '50s-early '60s sci-fi scene. It'll
give you more information about "Teenagers From Outer Space" than you'll find
anywhere else, for one thing.
Eric W. (
Eric Wilson :Sorry, it's the best we could do.--KTMA News Team slogan.
ewi...@nr.infi.net:AARON BURR FOR PRESIDENT IN '96...Let the man who killed
Occupation-Foole :Alexander Hamilton lead this country into the millenium.
Bruce Wright
> treatment of films to a certain bedsheet-wearing hate group.
Say it ain't so, Bill!
> Apart from all of that, though, "Keep Watching The Skies" is probably the
> best book you can find to delve into the '50s-early '60s sci-fi scene. It'll
> give you more information about "Teenagers From Outer Space" than you'll find
> anywhere else, for one thing.
>
Unfortunately, more recent scholarship has proven him wrong. Warren
thought "David Love," the sensitive lad who plays Derek, was actually the
"Tom Graeff" who made the thing. More recent spadework in Filmfax indicates
that Mr. Love and Mr. Graeff were separate individuals who, ah, had a
deep, deep regard for one another.
Months ago, I mentioned here that a clot o' film fans I'd met here in
Austin hate the show...and again, I think they miss the point:
MST is NOT about bad movies. Bad movies are simply used as a springboard
for lively and extremely dense free-associational humor. You wonder
what these constipated types thought about Firesign Theater, which is
the true spiritual parent of the show.
Middleton
> Of course, I wonder how that critic (as well as the others I
> mentioned) who hated MST3K so much reacted to such things as:
> "What's Up, Tiger Lily?", "Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection",
> "Fractured Flickers", "Dynaman", Elvira's "Movie Macabre", "It Came
> From Hollywood", and even "Attack of the Killer-B Movies". I myself
> liked all but the last one and wish I had some of these on video.
Ohmygod! Someone besides me remembers Mad Movies? I think I was about 9
or 10 and amajor Nick at Nite junkie when I saw this! I still have some
eps. I checked 'em out about a month ago, and they're still funny!
Jay Middleton
Who also has Lancelot Link, and some other stuff, too.
Mark Hughes
> Of course, I wonder how that critic (as well as the others I
>mentioned) who hated MST3K so much reacted to such things as:
>"What's Up, Tiger Lily?", "Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection",
>"Fractured Flickers", "Dynaman", Elvira's "Movie Macabre", "It Came
>From Hollywood", and even "Attack of the Killer-B Movies". I myself
>liked all but the last one and wish I had some of these on video.
Add to that "USA Up All Night". Rhonda Schierer(sp?!) and Gilbert Gottfried
don't spend much time analyzing the shows, but the "skits" in the commercial
breaks are occasionally (not always) VERY good.
-Mark Hughes
"In headlines today, the dreaded killfile virus spread across the country
adding aol.com to peoples usenet kill files everywhere. The programmer of
the virus still remains anonymous, but has been nominated several times for
a Nobel peace prize." -Mark Atkinson
Eric Wilson
Bruce Wright <bruce....@cpa.state.tx.us> wrote:
>> Bill "Keep Watching the Skies" Warren has gone so far as to compare
MST3K's
>> treatment of films to a certain bedsheet-wearing hate group.
>
>Say it ain't so, Bill!
Okay..."It ain't so, Bill." But I don't see...waitaminnit...
I'm sorry, but we have evidence in back issues of the Rocket #9 Reader
(ObPlug: Availble at clover.cleaf.com /pub/mst3k/RN9R/...the August issue may
be coming out soon. <G>) He's the resident expert over on the Fidonet film
area.
>Unfortunately, more recent scholarship has proven him wrong. Warren
>thought "David Love," the sensitive lad who plays Derek, was actually the
>"Tom Graeff" who made the thing. More recent spadework in Filmfax indicates
>that Mr. Love and Mr. Graeff were separate individuals who, ah, had a
>deep, deep regard for one another.
Whoooo is Meritt Stoooooone???
Anyway, it makes a pretty nice read if you have a few days and are so
inclined.
>MST is NOT about bad movies. Bad movies are simply used as a springboard
>for lively and extremely dense free-associational humor. You wonder
>what these constipated types thought about Firesign Theater, which is
>the true spiritual parent of the show.
Bill W. still thinks that bad movies is the ONLY point...he was at a
screening of a GOOD '50s sci-fi movie, and I think the Creepy Guy was there
with HIS robots. If it wasn't THE Creepy Guy, it was A Creepy Guy...
Eric W.