A couple of people have mentioned how “Riding With Death” had a second half that didn’t relate to the first half. That’s because it was actually two pilot episodes of a TV show that never made it to air. There were a couple others they did that were the same thing. “Master Ninja,” for instance.
<insert pitworthy cursing of hamsters here>
Oh goodie, I get to retype all this…
[sub]Boy, have I not missed that the past few months.[/sub]
I’m in Lucki’s camp as far as the Golden Age of the show. Joel, TV’s Frank, and Kevin as Tom Servo. Joel was, despite (or quite possibly because of) his prudish attitude towards humor, the only mainstream acceptable stoner. Mr. Rogers meets Tommy Chong, if you will. I kept expecting him to whip out copious amounts of munchies about halfway through any given flick.
So, in some semblance of order…
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Joel, by far. But Mike was by no means horrible.
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I share the feeling that the sketches were hit or miss. The best ones actually had me rolling on the floor, but there were more than a couple that were just groan worthy.
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I can’t think of any episodes I really disliked, but the last Gamera movie was one of my favorites. It starts with the “last Gamera movie” party, and IIRC, ended with the interperative versions of the theme song. The Candid Gamera mini-thon is the tape I rewatch most often. But Teenagers From Outer Space gave us “Torture!” so I dig that one a bunch, too.
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I watched, and liked, a fair number of the flicks before I ever saw them on MST. But, I’m a huge fan of bad cinema, so I may not be a statistically significant data point on this one.
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Crow, voiced by Trace. The whole Santa Claus vs The Martians sketch cracks me up. “Patrick Swayze Christmas” was amusing, but “I want the power to decide who lives and who dies,” slays me every time.
Thanks, Lucki! I could use some escape from reality lately, and I’m all nostalgic about circulating some tapes from the shelf to the VCR, now. Just what the doctor ordered.
[sub]“The high council may well sentence you to torture!”[/sub]
Another vote for Joel, his shows had a kind of amature charm to them that I really liked. Funny, I actually enjoy Joel’s “sleepy” schtick. Reminds me of Bob & Ray.
My favorite episode, and also the fave of my 13-year old son, is The Day the Earth Froze. We watch that together at least once every other month! We drive my wife crazy quoting it! I wish I could find more videos, I’ll look for some more selections.
No, no, the proper spelling in this context is “TORCHAAAAA!” 
BTW, am I the only one whose favorite bot is Servo? 
Sorry, I’m all about Crow. Servo is great–especially his singing–but I’ll never forget Crow freaking out and demanding his Underoos.
I’ve got a question to add in to the general MST3K love-in…The Movie or not The Movie? All the fans I know seem to be split, but I loved The Movie.
GMRyujin, I watched it a while ago and I’ve never seen any reason to go back to it. It was, as I recall, profoundly boring and not at all as funny as many of the episodes. If most of the episodes were as bad as the movie, I suspect we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
No, you’re not. Me too.
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Joel. I miss that man with the sleepy eyes and pop-and-folk sensibilities.
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Yes, generally. When they were good, they were very, very good. I still sing some of the songs (“A Patrick Swayze Christmas,” “Creepy Girl,” “Pants!”) all these years later.
Of course, when they were lame… eh.
- My favorite show was The Amazing Colossal Man, but the Gamera and Godzilla movies also have a special place in my heart.
How can you guys pick a bot? I mean, Gypsy and Cambot are out of the running, but I could never choose between Crow and Servo… they both have their own crucial thing going on. I refuse to make a call there.
As far as the movie goes, I thought it was kind of a waste. They didn’t take advantage of the lack of TV rules, and the whole thing looks way to good for an MST3K episode, which is all that it was. An average, way overdone episode. There are, of course, some good jokes in there, but no better than in any other episode.
Here in Austin, the owners of a local independent movie theater got sick of people turning the midnight movies in to MST3K, so they got together a crew of professional comedians to do it. We now have “Mr. Sinus Theater 3000” every week, but I’ve never been. Anyone else have tribute groups in their city?
LC
I am flabbergasted that Attack Of The The Eye Creatures has yet to be mentioned.
The entire “They just didn’t care montage” is enough to convert any viewer into an MST3K fan.
I think the best part was being surrounded by hardcore MST fans. Although I went with a more casual viewer and had to explain the more obsure references. There were a lot of nods to die-hard fans. The Manos theme and Sci-Fi channel reference (ohpleaseohpleaseohpleeeeease) were a big hit.
Only once or twice did the gratuitously throw a curse in. Mike’s “Whoop-dee-shit” line comes to mind.
Anyone have a favorite stinger? Tor Johnson’s primal meshugana grandpa scream? Oily man in pajama-dress slowly hanging up the phone? Laserblast’s “Faaaaaaar Out” guy?
“Is that stud coming?”
—From the very last MST3K, Diabolique
I’m a very strong Joel supporter. I loved MST3K as long as he was the star, and began to loathe it as soon as Mike took over. Now, before I go on my anti-Mike rant, let me acknowledge that:
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Since I don’t know either Mike or Joel personally, I have NO idea what either of them is really like. I can only judge them by the persona that each adopted on the show. It’s entirely possible I’d find Mike a charming and entertaining guy, one on one.
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Mike WAS the head writer during Joel’s tenure, so it stands to reason that many, maybe MOST of the jokes I laughed at during Joel’s stint were actually written by Mike. Clearly, Mike IS talented and funny.
And yet, I couldn’t stand Mike Nelson as an on-air personality. I think it comes down to this: Joel Hodgson was much, much better at playing a laid-back, amiable doofus. Now, for all I know, Hodgson’s REAL personality could be totally different (maybe in REAL life, he’s an elitist, cerebral snob!)… but on-air, he effectively gave the impression that he was a mellow goofball who got some real enjoyment out of kicking back with a cheesey movie and having a few laughs. Joel was very believable as a likeable dim bulb. IF Joel is genuinely a smart guy, he kept that well hidden.
Mike, on the other hand, was NEVER effective at playing an amiable goofball. It was always too obvious that he was a smart guy putting on a dumb act. Joel’s character SEEMED to get a genuine kick out of watching movies he regarded as ridiculous. But Mike Nelson always seemed to have a sneer on his face, and a mean streak that clashed with the nature of the show.
There was always a look on Joel’s face that said, “Show biz is so silly, sometimes, you can’t take it too seriously. Let’s just laugh at it.” But Mike’s face always had a look that said, “I’m way smarter than my audience, I’m way cooler than my audience… heck, the mainstream movies my audience likes are only slightly better than the schlock this show makes fun of. Heck, the average American is an idiot who DESERVES schlocky movies like this”
Joel could deliver biting lines in a likeable manner. Mike delivered them with an unmistakeable edge. And that edge took almost all the fun out of the show, for me at least.
Just repeat to yourself, it’s just a show. You should really just relax.
Yay, I love MST3K threads! So here’s my answers to the many queries that have been posed:
1: Don’t make me choose! I won’t do it! Comparing Mike and Joel is like comparing apples and oranges. Only funnier. I like Joel’s sleepy, relaxed delivery, but there’s a lot to be said for the energy Mike brought to the show. So, I love them both, and I love them equally.
2: I think a lot of the host segments are hilarious. Especially the songs; Servo’s Creepy Girl song will always have a special place in my heart. What girl wouldn’t fall for a 'bot that promised her “scrolls, and fish, and tinker toys, and wine”? Will you all laugh at me if I admit that this song made me cry? Because it did.
Granted some of the host segments were kind of goofy, or seemed to be inside jokes that only the writers got, but I like 'em anyway.
The Invention Exchanges did sometimes seem like belabored puns, but I think that’s part of their charm… Plus they gave us some great lines; “If you’re like me, and I know I am, you wake up some mornings and realize you have a Halloween party to go to!” (or however that line went.)
Add-on questions -
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Favorite ep?
Ooh, tough one. Pod People, I think. I adore The Brain that Wouldn’t Die… -
Ep where I kinda liked the movie?
Can’t think of one… Definitely NOT one of the Coleman Francis ones! -
Favorite 'Bot?
Gotta go with Gypsy. She’s big and silly, but she’s clearly very smart (she runs the ship, after all), and she’s tough. You go, girl!
Though I certainly wouldn’t want to disparage the other bots; I’ve mentioned my love of Servo’s musical genius, and Crow is freaking hilarious; I especially like his impressions (“By that time, my lungs were aching for air.”)
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What’s with the Anti-Pehl stuff?
Erm… I dunno. I like her. -
The Movie or Not?
Uh, oh. I’ve never seen the Movie. Bad MSTie, no treat! -
Fave stinger?
From Eegah:
Roxy’s Dad: “Fake it”
Roxy: “I have been. Now I’m getting sick.”
Here’s another question to consider (if I may presume to ask it):
My favorite MST song is, of course, Creepy Girl. What’s yours?
I’m gonna have to go with A Clown In The Sky
LC
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i refuse to choose.
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some of th skits were the best things ever to be shown on TV. Attack of the the eye creature’s “they just didn’t care” had me falling off the couch laughing. The song parody in Pod People (it stinks!), Gamera songs, the end of Cave Dwellers, mike’s song in the rain during Girl in Gold boots, Timmy, all golden.
I’ve been going throught the KTMA episodes for the first time lately, and have noticed their steadily improving each episode (though still bad compared to the rest of the series, they still beat most of regular TV)
I think one of my favorite songs has to be “Sidehackin’ is one big gas…”
** Joel or Mike:** Yes, please. 
I liked them both, for different reasons - but have prob re-watched more Mike eps than Joel eps.
Host Segments - when they’re good, they’re very good, but when they’re bad… (shudder) The songs & skits are probably my favorites. The acronym-shirts one fell kinda flat for me.
My favorite segment(s) would have to be the bits around the two-parter short “Hired!” Joel HAS to have been in show choir … (Heck - they were ALL probably in show choir!)
Favorite Episode - hard to choose - but The Brain that Wouldn’t Die is the first one to come to mind. “So much for the semaphore lessons” And Space Mutiny is so god-awful bad, it’s almost good again!
Episode where the movie wasn’t so bad - would have to go with the MST3K movie itself - “This Island Earth” is really quite watchable, for a 50’s sci-fi movie. I also have a soft spot for “Overdrawn at the Memory Bank”
Favorite 'bot - again, I can’t choose between Crow & Servo. Servo can sing, but Crow can get seriously surreal at times… (plus he blows up good!)
**Anti Mary Jo? ** Personally, no - but I think the over-exposure on the Sci-Fi channel is part of what’s fueling the general attitude.
The Movie - I’d put it in the upper third of my favorites.
Favorite Stinger – nothing jumps to mind
** Favorite Song** – oh boy… can I put together a medley of the “Hired!” songs? “Tubular Boobular Joy” is another fave, even if I still can’t quite sing along!
Is there indeed anywhere—any way—to get copies of the pre-Sci Fi episodes? I have a few on tape, but am missing huge amounts of episodes I would love to see again . . .