Rating: 
Summary: Well, Dopple my Fingle!
Review: One can't help but feel sorry for accomplished, talented, (and now deceased) Raul Julia, in the PBS Stinker "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank". However, the host segments and riffing by Mike and the Bots is top notch and will help ease the pain. Using "state of the art technology" (in 1980), this movie is about a bleak, futuristic world where our "hero" Aram Fingal, (Raul Julia) fantasizes about an alternate reality Casablanca. The pseudo-science and bogus techie talk really makes this one a laugh - it really dates this movie! Just lay off the anteaters, OK?Girl in the Golden Boots - Naive country girl and drippy draft dodger get mixed up in the strip club underworld. Hilarity ensues. Space Mutiny - Cheesy Canadian Sci-Fi "action" film. Look out for the stock footage from Battlestar Galactica! Continuity errors abound! Best running joke: anything with the Ballerians! Hamlet - Well, if you ever have to do a report on Hamlet, watch this and at least get some laughs out of it. Overall, another solid release from Rhino. Let's hope that they continue!
Rating: 
Summary: Finally New DVDs
Review: I have been waiting forever for new MST3K DVDs, and it was well worth the wait. Overdrawn at the Memory Bank and Space Mutiny are absolutely brilliantly skewered, and two of the funniest episodes during the entire series. Hamlet and The Girl With Gold Boots are just OK, but well worth watching once or twice. I only wish that the original films were on the DVDs by themselves, sans MST3K; because I always enjoyed watching those a little on the older DVDs.
Rating:
Summary: 2 great episodes, 2 pretty good ones.
Review: This fourth collection of episodes from the classic TV comedy show, "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (which, if you don't already know, is the program where a silhouette of a man and his two robots sitting in theater seat provide running comedic commentary to rotten movies), contains four episodes from the later seasons that appeared on the Sci-Fi Channel. That means Mike Nelson is the host, Billy Corbett is doing Crow's voice instead of Trace Beaulieu, and Pearl Forrester is now the evil scientist holding the crew of the Satellite of Love hostage. The early DVD collections were all focused on the Comedy Central years of MST3K, so this is a nice shift in Rhino's marketing. Some fans aren't fond of the host segments in these later years, but there are some occasional funny ones. The riffing, however, is as good as ever, and has changed to an angry, sarcastic style different than the Joel and early Mike years. I love both styles, but some fans prefer one or the other. Just be aware that in this package you're getting a full-assault of the later, Sci-Fi Channel episodes. (Rhino is about release another package of Sci-Fi Channel episodes, after which I hope they'll return to some of the early seasons to maintain balance.) Of the four episodes on this collection, two are superb, while the others are entertaining but more average. Here's what you'll find: GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS: A really sleazy 'go-go' film from the late 60s with some disturbing similarities to "Showgirls" (except it's better). Sleazy 'elf boy' picks up a girl in a greasy spoon restaurant with the promise of making her a dancer in Los Angeles at the club where his drug-addled sister works. Unfortunately, Elf Boy is a bit psychotic, the boss at the club is oily and sleazy, and a poetic spouting dude named Critter (or "Yak Boy") tries to lure our girl from her plunge into a life of...(gasp!)...SIN! Oh, and there's lots of cameras leering at girls in skimpy go-go outfits dancing to lousy music. The film is similar to early MST3K episodes like "Hellcats" and "Wild Rebels" in its greasy ugliness, but the film is mostly slow and boring. Mike and the 'Bots do a decent job with it, but this is only an average episode. There is a funny host segment where Mike sings a syrupy guitar ballad while the ship burns. HAMLET. A 60s German TV production of the play, horribly dubbed into English, and starring Maximilian Schell. It's bleak, drab, slow, and shot entirely on a single very uninteresting set of black curtains and granite furniture. The amusement of this episode is watching Mike and the 'Bots take on a classic of literature, and riff off of famous lines, some of which is hysterical. But the production is so ponderous and slow that you'll be screaming along with the hosts for Hamlet to just shut up and die at the end ("Is there a word in English language he hasn't said?" one of them asks). There's a funny host segment called "Alas Poor Who?" set up as gameshow, where contestants must identify celebrities based on pieces of their bones. An intriguing, if not fantastic, episode. SPACE MUTINY. Ah, here's the gravy! An awful South African-produced sci-fi stinker that rips off the plot of "Battlestar Galactica" - as well as all of its effects footage! (I'm not sure this was legally done.) The inhabitants of the giant space cruiser 'The Southern Sun' - which is mostly a large basement and boiler room - face a mutiny by guys in marching band outfits. A chunky loser and his love interest (old enough to be his mother) must save the ship. There are loads of people flipping over railings as they get shot (railing kill!), mutineers who can't aim worthy a damn, a chase on vehicles that go slower than golf carts, and a hero who screeches like a woman at odd moments. Mike and the 'Bots really let this film have it, and the result is one of the funniest episodes of the Sci-Fi Channel years. OVERDRAWN AT THE MEMORY BANK. Just as great an episode as "Space Mutiny" is this horrendous Public Television-produced film. Acutally, it isn't a film: it was shot on VIDEO! Cheap and flat looking, and filled with cheesy video toaster effects, the film blows any chance of succeeding it might have had. And it had potential. It has a real star, Raul Julia, and an early cyberpunk and proto-'Matrix' idea of a man whose mind is lost inside a giant corporate computer in a dystopian future. But none of it makes the least bit of sense, and it reaches hysterical levels of incomprehensibility by the end. Mike and the 'Bots are in top form, and there's plenty to laugh at here. The end sequence, where they call the tech-support line for the movie to complain, is a classic! In addition to the films, Mike Nelson makes brief introductions to each episode, describing a bit of the behind-the-scenes torture the writers went going through. It's a nice feature, and I hope Rhino continues it. Unlike some earlier Rhino discs, there are no "un-cut, un-MST3K" versions of the films available. Frankly, I never watched the un-cut films on the discs where is WAS available, and I don't think anyone would want to watch any of these film without Mike and the 'Bots. They change awful entertainment into great entertainment - and that's a magic feat all on it's own, and why "Mystery Science Theater 3000" will live forever as one of comedy greats. Come on, JUST PUSH THE BUTTON, FRANK, and buy this collection!
Rating: 
Summary: Not What I Was Waiting For
Review: The best episodes are still unreleased. First Sci-Fi Channel grabs the show, then makes them ONLY do sci-fi films, then puts it on at horrible times. Some say the host segs aren't important, like heck! The host segs were put in as part of the package, but with Brain Guy, the departure of Trace, and the unexplained ape, host segs to me meant "bathroom time." Those of us over 30 prefer the baby-boomer humor and pop culture references, that's what critics loved about the show. Anyone can make snide comments at bad movies, and I remember Joel speaking about the pop culture references. He said he wasn't worrying about people getting it, and that the right people will get it!
Sorry Rhino, until you release things like B Natural, only fairly-newbies to the show will buy it.
Rating:
Summary: Best set? Maybe.
Review: MST3K has got to be one of, if not, the funniest shows ever created!!! This box set has some of their finest episodes.
Girl in Gold Boots - 5/5 Hilarious
In this 1969 drama that would make Nancy Sinatra and her walkin' boots proud, sexy Leslie McRae (DEATH RACE 2000) stars as Michele, an aspiring professional dancer. When she takes a chance and moves to L.A. with just a pair of gold boots to her name, she ended up entangled in fame's crime-filled underbelly.
However, Mike, Crow, and Tom Servo are here to save this piece of feces, and this one turns out to be one of the funniest episodes ever. Keep your eye out for the icky elf guy. I'd have to say the funniest part was the end were Tom starts singing "You're living a lie, you dance like a clown, I hope that you die!!!"
Hamlet - 2/5
You know the story. However this movie doesn't have much to work with. It's pretty boring and the film appears to be shot in someone's garage. It's just not that good, so moving on.
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank - 5/5
A man refusing to submit to the mindless monotony of his world punches up endless re-runs of "Casablanca" on his video display terminal until, in a strange mechanical mix-up, his identity and Rick Blaine's become fused within Novacorp's computer bank. Now, what was just a flickering fiction on his screen, becomes a reality. Wow this one is hilarious!!! The big fat guy and teh constant rifing of this one makes this one of the funniest episodes ever! "Oh I'm fartin monopoly cards!" - Tom Servo
Space Mutiny - 5/5
A brave crewmember takes charge when a mutinous revolt threatens his spacecraft. He leads the rest of the crew in a battle against evil space pirates. This is possibly the best episode ever! The movie practically makes fun of itself. Keep an eye out for the beefy guy who screams like a woman, and the daughter he falls for whom is like 70!!! It's a bad movie, saved by the MST3K briliance!!!
Rating:
Summary: a great collection for mst3k fans
Review: I have been a big fan of MST3K for years. I am not really into the Mike/Joel debate, but suffice it to say that any episode I have seen has brought a lot of laughter, regardless of the host. I would rate these episodes, from very good to good as:
Space Mutiny, Girl in the Gold Boots, Hamlet, Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. Actually a true mstie fan can find some humor in any episode. I just wish that more episodes would be released on DVD, preferably some that were not previously released on VHS. I have all of the Rhino VHS episodes and a few DVDs. To me this is just a very funny show that you can watch over and over and still find a funny line you missed. I would buy just about any of the episodes from either the Comedy central or SciFi eras.
What is really funny is that people actually watched these movies when they were released theatrically or on tv. And the MST3K riffs represent only a small percentage of the horrible movies released to the public.
Rating:
Summary: All MST3K DVDs are worth owning; thoughts on Joel vs. Mike
Review: I think Boxed Set #4 is worth owning, but definitely the weakest of the four yet released (however, I haven't seen "Space Mutiny" and "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank," which one reviewer said are the stronger of the four, so perhaps I will change my mind when I see them later this week). The release of an all-Mike DVD collection naturally opens up the Joel vs. Mike controversy, which I think is very much overblown. I see it as more of a thankfully long Trace Bealieu (sic?) era and the shorter post-Trace Bealieu era. Trace, in addition to playing Dr. Clayton Forrester and providing the really excellent voice of Crow T. Robot, was also the most important writer the show had. When he left, the quality of the writing went way down, and hence did the quality of the show. I don't think Mike can be blamed for that; bringing back Joel wouldn't have helped in the post-Bealieu era. His contribution to the show (evident in how far the quality of writing fell immediately upon his departure) has been sorely underestimated, in my humble opinion. I feel like some sort of fanatical cultist to even HAVE such specific opinions on a t.v. show I started watching nearly 15 years ago, and which has been off the air for 5, but that's what MST3K does to a fellow....I wish Rhino Records would release "Gamera vs. Guiron" and "Earth vs. the Spider." And "The Magic Sword." 'Its King Grady!'
Rating:
Summary: Please Rhino !!! More Joel Episodes !!! Come On !!
Review: I have been a huge fan of MST3K since the very beginning of the series. Watching the evolution of the series has been incredible and I truly believe that the originality / sharp witted commentary of the episodes place the series in a class by itself. However, I simply love the episodes with Joel as the host. I can appreciate Mike and his humor. However, I feel Joel appeals more to my generation and pop culture in general. Please Rhino !! Now that you have released two sets with "Mike only" episodes (by two I mean the 4th and the upcoming 5th set) PLEASE release a set with "Joel only" episodes. There are simply countless episodes from the Joel era that should be on DVD that the fans deserve them.
Rating:
Summary: So it's come to this.
Review: Maybe it's because the Sci-Fi series ends in early 2004. Maybe it's because Sci-Fi released the rights for these four eps early. Maybe they're just having trouble securing those older Comedy Central eps. For whatever reason, Season 4 is comprised entirely of Sci-Fi channel episodes. Many MSTies make the upfront caveat that Sci-Fi's framework never matched that of Comedy Central. The sitcom-style sketches often fell flat, and Pearl sometimes seemed bored and apathetic even being on the show. None of her minions could touch the charm of TV's Frank, though Kevin Murphy did an admirable job as Bobo. That being said, however, Crow's new voice was a subtle evolution, and the actual film riffing was still well-done much of the time. Since that's the meat of the show, that's also the criteria of this review. 1) Space Mutiny: Battlestar Galactica's stock footage must have been cheap, because this ep had it by the pantload. A bizarre cruise to the end of the universe (for sweet monkey-lovin', no less) is halted by the mutinous Kalgan. The hero Dave Ryder (aka. Pec Boulderdome, Crunch Buttsteak, etc.) must defeat Kalgan while simultaneously scoring with the captain's daughter. The ep starts out slow, but picks up about the time the hero appears, and ends up being one of the stronger Sci-Fi era episodes. 2) Girl in the Golden Boots: "Girl Leaves Home to Become a Star" is the basic premise of this film, with some greasy young men dueling for her affections along the way (and by "young" I mean "fortysomething"). To be honest, all the characters in this film are "seasoned", though it doesn't help their acting. There's some okay riffing in this episode -- funny enough to manage some chuckles, but not enough to justify 1/4 of a $50 DVD in my opinion. 3) Overdrawn at the Memory Bank: Since it was a PBS production, I guess there was supposed to be some educational value, but the film I saw involved Raul Julia pretending to be a monkey for the first 15 minutes. Its premise is similar to The Matrix (a programmer mind-links to a computer mainframe to fight evil), but Julia's adventures come across more like a low-budget Holodeck than anything, notably in some Casablanca scenes. Some great riffing, on the same level with Space Mutiny and many Comedy Central classics. Raul Julia even seems a little embarrassed in the film, as though he knew it would be famously ridiculed someday. 4) Hamlet: This is the sort of film you enter with high hopes. Mike and the 'bots take on Shakespeare - what's not to like? Sadly, the answer is "pretty much everything". The crew makes an honest effort, but there's little to work with in this plodding German dub, and the whole episode fails miserably. (perhaps the worst MST3K episode...ever?) Why Rhino included it is a mystery. I'd call it a tragedy, but that would be redundant. MST3K, Vol. 4 is like the whole Sci-Fi run in a nutshell. On the one hand, you feel like some bad choices were made, and some important elements were left missing. On the other hand, you know they remember the fans, and they're still trying. Ultimately, it could be (and has been) better, but it's still better than nothing.
Rating:
Summary: great, just simply great
Review: This DVD collection is impecable, the show itself is halarious and is full of good times, the movies in this collection are so bad that its perfect for MST3K. First, there's the awful "Girl in Gold Boots". This movie is so bad, not as bad as other movies such as "Manos the Hands of Fate" which is also an MST3K must see. This movie starts out seeming as though it could get better despite the name of the diner is "Eat". This movie gets worse and worse as it progresses, a lady who wants to become a famous dancer can't dance if her life depended on it. There are scenes that are just spliced together and noticably so. It gets so stupid and boring and it has an ending that is so stupid its nullifying. The second movie in the DVD set is "Hamlet", and I know what you're thinking, I thought it too, how can they make fun of one of the greatest plays ever? Well, you see, it's quite simple, this is a version of "Hamlet" that is German and dubbed and very very boring. This movie is so boring it makes you want to go to a Kenny G concert more than watch it. I can't possibly see how anyone can actually enjoy it. The third movie, and my favorite out of the four is "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" this movie stars Raul Julia who plays Gomez in "The Adams Family", why in the world did he do this? This is the worst movie out of all 4 of them but probably the most entertaining because it's not that boring and there's so much to make fun of. Nothing about this movie is truly entertaining, it has an incoherent plot, nothing short of terrible acting, and some of the worst special effects i've seen in a movie. This makes a great MST3K episode. The fourth movie is "Space Mutiny", I love this one too. It's an obvious try at a heroic and epic space adventure but it falls drastically short. There's nothing epic or entertaining about this either except how bad it is. This movie is made worse by a love story between a young brute hero and an actress that seems to be at least twice his age. These four DVD's make for good viewing, and as they say, "I'll see you on the dark side of Raul".
|
