# mystery science theater 3000

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 20, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628 "2001-10-20T21:00:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/21 "2001-10-21T03:30:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by The Raven \*  
> \*\*
> 
> After Sci Fi stops running the series, are they planning to put any of them out on tape or DVD? All I want to know is what scenes if any they cut from those movies. \*\*

Check out Rhino’s website. They are about a couple of two dozen eps on VHS (as the rights expire, so do the tapes’ availability). Currently only four (#506 - Eegah, #513 - The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, #515 - Wild Wild World of Batwoman, #517 - Beginning of the End) along with _MST3K - The Movie_ are available on DVD. #424 - Manos, the Hands of Fate and #512 - Mitchell are supposed to be coming soon!

As for the uncut versions:

#506 not only has the uncut version on the same side, it allows you to switch between the MSTied version to the scenes that were cut.

#512 has the uncut movie on side 2

#515 & 517 have the uncut movie on the same side (these also have the packaging error showing Joel on the cover instead of Mike)

Note: MST3K: The Movie has gone out of print. If you’re lucky you’ll find one in a video store and not have to go to E-Bay where they can get expensive.

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**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/22 "2001-10-21T04:00:30Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \*  
> \*\*Hehehehe…or Mike challenging Pearl with Joe Don Baker’s famous tagline-“You think you can take me? Well, go ahead on. It’s your move.”  
> \*\*

Oh, yeah – that cracked me up. And I loved the series of riffs on Laertes “I’ll cut his throat i’the church!”

BTW, was Claudius’ voice actually dubbed by Ricardo Montalban, or just an incredible simulation?

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**Author:** ![ScriptAnalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@ScriptAnalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScriptAnalyst)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/23 "2001-10-21T06:31:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by The Raven \*  
> \*\*The last one, Diabolik, seemed to be missing about half the plot (but perhaps that was just a really really bad movie), but I’d like to know if there is any explanation for that 'Is that stud coming?" line… (if you’ve seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about…) \*\*

I can’t help you with the line of dialogue, but I will say that this is one of several MST3K episodes from the Sci Fi Channel years that I was not able to finish. DIABOLIK is actually a very funny, somewhat campy spoof of '60s James Bond-style movies. I can’t believe the MST3K crew ever thought this was an appropriate target. Strangely enough, the film was directed by Mario Bava, a cult figure with quite a following. I think several of his other films would have been more appropriate, like PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES or HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD. When I first saw DIABOLIK, I expected it to be as bad as those, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. (Apprently, so did Quentin Tarantino, who was at the same American Cinematheque screening.)

Anyway, I never saw their take on GORGO either, another film not really bad enough to warrant the MST3K treatment. Some of the characterization may be simplistic and the special effects are perhaps dated, but really, it’s nowhere near on the same level as something like CAVE DWELLERS.

Also, I never made it through REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. A somewhat dull movie, but not really terrible.

Steve Biodrowski  
[http://www.thescriptanalyst.com](http://www.thescriptanalyst.com)

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**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/24 "2001-10-21T18:53:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \*  
> \*\*  
> Note: MST3K: The Movie has gone out of print. If you’re lucky you’ll find one in a video store and not have to go to E-Bay where they can get expensive. \*\*

Really? I paid $7.99 for it on [Half.com](http://Half.com) about 2 months ago.

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**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/25 "2001-10-21T19:05:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ScriptAnalyst \*  
> **Anyway, I never saw their take on GORGO either, another film not really bad enough to warrant the MST3K treatment. Some of the characterization may be simplistic and the special effects are perhaps dated, but really, it’s nowhere near on the same level as something like CAVE DWELLERS.**

Actually, I thought the _Gorgo_ episode was great.

Mike referring to the title creature:  
“Y’know, the poor Irish. When they’re not being invaded by Cromwell or infested with Leprechauns they’ve got _this_ guy.”

While the British Army fights Gorgo in London:  
“Meanwhile the Soviets sneak in the backdoor and rename it Kruschevgrad.”  
and  
“Pacifist or not Ghandi’s gotta be chuckling about now.”

and my favorite:  
“They’re trying to exhume William Howard Taft!”

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**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/26 "2001-10-21T19:52:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by brianjedi \*  
> Crunchy, it was a German version of the Shakespeare classic. Just think: English to German and back to English. It was black and white, boring, and ugly. M&TB (Mike and the Bots) had a bad time dealing with it.

Well, I believe the dubbing was done from the original English play, because I didn’t notice any translation problems. I’d say the production itself really wasn’t too bad for a TV movie either, and the episode was basically an exercise in MSTing Shakespeare. I agree though, it was a fairly dull episode.

> [@](#):
>
> P.S.-As an aside, was anyone here on the Sci-Fi MST3K board a couple of years ago? If so, you might remember me as either mst3kfan31 or brianjedi.

Nope, can’t say I remeber you. 🙂 Seriously though, I registered there, but I don’t recall ever actually posting anything so I’m not really in a position to remeber anyone from there. (I registered mostly to play _Caption This!_).

I wonder if anyone here ever posted on any of the MST3K newsgroups. I used to post there a lot, under the same name (Jet Jaguar). That’s how I got my online handle, in fact.

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**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/27 "2001-10-21T20:51:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ScriptAnalyst \*  
> **Also, I never made it through REVENGE OF THE CREATURE. A somewhat dull movie, but not really terrible.**

I agree with you, but you missed some extremely funny stuff if you shut it off early.  
(heroine is outside the motel in the nighttime, searching for her faithful pooch. Cut to the Creature, watching her from the shadows)

Crow: “Hey lady! Your dog tasted TERRIBLE!”

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**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/28 "2001-10-21T21:40:55Z")

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Incidentally, there’s a group of people devoted to digitally archiving _all_ the episodes and distributing them through the internet. I’m pretty sure it’s all legal, since the copyright holders encourage it, but just in case, I won’t post information here. Email me if you want it.

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**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-science-theater-3000/88628/29 "2001-10-28T03:38:05Z")

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When Sci-Fi bought the show, they did not purchase the rights to the older episodes from Comedy Central and do not show them. As mentioned above, MST3K is currently shown on on Sci-Fi Saturday mornings, I think at 10:00 AM. But check your local listings.

–Cliffy

P.S. Man, I used to waste whole days at work playing Caption This!

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