Rating: 
Summary: Mike Fans Rejoice!!
Review: It seems that the greatest debate over MST3K is the Joel/Mike debate. When Joel left the show I was convinced that no one person could ever fill his shoes. I could not have been more wrong.Enter Mike Nelson and the happy go lucky charm of his often confused, often tortured (by the bots) character. I have to say I loved Joel, but Mike is the kind of guy that could easily be your dimwitted older brother who hung around drinking Old Milwaukee on the porch with his friends, pontificating on the differences between David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. But I digress.. Here we have a whole new collection of gems from the folks at Rhino. These do happen to be the later versions of the show with Mike in them. As I said previously, I could have dealt with either of them but these episodes are top notch. First we have Time Chasers: A very sad movie from the early 90s in which a pathetically geeky young man donning an ubiquitous "Castleton" T shirt creates a time machine and basically screws everything up. Nice goin stud. Secondly we have Boggy Creek 2 and the GENIUS that is Charles B Pierce as a college professor in Arkansas. This movie basically stars Charles B Pierce, his family, a few of his families friends and a couple of cute girls. (I will not speculate on their relationship). Anyway there is a monster, he's hairy. There is a wimpy kid who never wears a shirt and a fat, smelly backwoods guy. There are woods and lots and lots of mud. Servo gets especially excited about the possibilty of mudwrestling, then becomes ashamed when it almost comes off. Don't miss this. Thirdly, A Touch of Satan: Another not-so-bright guy driving an old Maverick gets stuck on a walnut farm with a witch. I could tell you more but thats basically the whole thing. Don't miss the scene with "Grandma withered apple head". I give this one two thumbs up. Last, but in NO means least: Merlins Mystical Shop of Wonders. There are really no words for this beauty. Actually there are two. Ernest Borgnine. Just think Borgnine and you have this film down pat. To explain more would cause great pain to myself and you gentle reader. I will have to leave this one alone. In conclusion... if you are an MST3K fan.. BUY THIS!! If you are a Joel fan and miss his his drowsy yet deeply philosophical way, I do share your pain. Rejoice, however, in Mike. He rips these bad boys a new one with great aplomb. There is also the bonus of seeing Mike's smarter yet much more bitter brother in Time Chasers!! Don't miss it!! :)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent collection, but....
Review: I must agree with another reviewer, Rhino would really be best served to release these sets by year, and thus have each collection be either a Joel or Mike only set. From what I've seen over the years, most MSTies have a strong preference for either Joel or Mike. As for myself, I can enjoy both, but I greatly prefer the Mike years. Joel is just too blah and droll for me at times, whereas Mike's humor really hits a chord with me. I also greatly prefer the host segments from the years with Pearl/Bobo/Brainguy, because I don't find the Dr. and Frank funny at all, but I'm sure that's a matter of taste too. So, I obviously loved this set, since it is all Mike episodes. Time Chasers is one of my all time favorites and Boggy Creek 2 has tons of great lines. Touch of Satan is also very good, with Merlin probably being the weakest of this bunch.
Let's face it, if you loved the later years of MST3K, you will love this collection, plain and simple, but if you're a fan of the early years with Joel, you probably won't like it as much.
Rating: 
Summary: I love MST3K... but what the heck !!
Review: Let me start by saying MST3K has been and always will be one of my favorite programs. It was pure genious to come up with the concept of having three hecklers rain hilarious comments at B-movies. The writing (especially the first few years) was always solid and appealed to me personally due to the fact that it always contained a large element of pop culture. However... I'm sorry, but the show just wasn't the same or as good once Joel left. Mike is good at times but the show just isn't the MST3K that made me such a huge fan without Joel as the host. Why doesn't Rhino come out with a season by season boxed set? I think it would make most people happy if they did. Anyways... the last two sets have been purely Mike episodes. Come on... give credit where credit is due... the only episodes I am interested in purchasing are the Joel episodes. We need more Joel... period. Come on Rhino!! Get with the program!!
Rating:
Summary: Every movie here is bad enough to be good enough
Review: I grew up with Joel but I am a huge fan of Mike, Kevin and Bill. I think it is a matter of edginess. Joel was lovable, but Mike is saucier and with Kevin as Servo and Bill as Crow, these movies and the riffs heaped upon them are hilarious. Not just clever or amusing but really hilarious .. Boggy Creek 2 is my favorite. It is a home-grown production with family members as stars and it is truly dreck. This movie would be unwatchable if not for the company of Mike and the bots. "Time Chasers" almost is unwatchable, even with their help .. but there are some great riffs that make the enterprise worthwhile. All in all, a great season of MST3K is represented. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Joel was better
Review: I'm a big fan of MST3K but I gotta say we need some Joel Hodgson-hosted episodes mixed into the next box set. And some more documentary material wouldn't hurt, either. How about the BBI produced TV bumpers for the episodes? Thats an easy one, how come we don't get those? Anyway, you can't miss with MST3K. Even Mike can get a decent episode together.
Rating:
Summary: Rhino MST DVD's...easing the pain
Review: Any self respecting fan of this show has already seen these 4 fine selections of "Volume 5" time and again. "Touch of Satan" and "Boggy Creek 2" were released earlier on VHS and are both very funny episodes. "Merlin" is a new release and is filled with disturbing images and guys that look like John McEnroe. But hands down I'd say that "Time Chasers" is the gem in this pack. Not only is it a perfectly silly and quite weak time travel movie, but we get to meet Mike's brother Eddie because Crow and Servo decide to tamper with the space time continum of Mike's wasted life. Let me just say that it's a shame "Sex Factory" never really made it big. Basically just stop wasting time and pick up this set you MSTies out there, I know I will.
Rating:
Summary: New MST DVDs
Review: Rhino continues to release high-quality DVD transfers of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" episodes. Once a ubiquitous staple of the Comedy Central lineup during the 1990's, the show has left TV forever. Fortunately, Rhino is serving as the medieval monks sequestered in a monastery preserving and illuminating this fine show for future generations. "Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders." Who doesn't need a little Ernest Borgnine in their lives? Ernest stars as a grandfather reading fairy tales to his grandson. The stories serve as "chapters" in this anthology film. It sounds lovely, except the fairy tales are really horrific and frightening, and would normally serve as nightmare fodder. One story involves a book of magic spells in the wrong hands of a nosy reporter, who casts spells with unpredictable and gruesome results. The other story concerns an evil toy monkey. In any case, a grandfather telling stories like these to a young child ought to be arrested for abuse. Fortunately the movie is inept, and Mike and the 'Bots have fun with it. "Boggy Creek II...And The Legend Continues". Unfortunately, we didn't even want this legend to start. The movie is about a mythical creature that inhabits the forest in .....get this...Arkansas. There is some stock footage of a football game, and reference to lunatic razorbacks (no they're not talking about the director). There's a skinny guy who insists on running around without his shirt...turns out that it's the director's son. Ewww. But hilariously riffed by Mike, Tom, and Crow. "Time Chasers." This early '90s low-budget indie film was made by a director who "gets it". Haven't you always wondered what would happen if a bland scientist with a mullet made a time machine out of a Cessna and an Amiga? No? Well watch this and get ready to laugh. This movie hasn't been broadcast in ages, and it's a welcome addition to this set. "Touch of Satan" This movie also hasn't been broadcast in a while, so it's a fine addition to this set. This movie is a Godfather II -style flick set in two time periods, the 1670s and the 1970s. Two great decades that taste great together. Yes, it's a New England witch movie. The unpredictable part is that it's directed by Billy Jack himself, Tom Laughlin. The Mystery Science Theater Collections (Volumes II through IV) were nominated for Saturn Awards. They're hysterically funny, and hopefully a sign of future MST3K DVD releases. Buy it, won't you?
Rating:
Summary: A great selection from MST3K's Sci-Fi Channel years
Review: The four episodes contained in this set are all from MST3K's Sci-Fi Channel run after leaving Comedy Central. These are four strong episodes from that period of the show. New commentary material by Mike Nelson and Kevin Murphy are also included. Time Chasers: A goofy low-budget movie about a guy who turns a small single-engine plane into a time machine, then has to stop corporate bad guys from using his invention "for evil". The makers of this film were clearly more sincere about trying to make a good movie than in the other selections in the set, but it only makes it funnier when the movie fails. The film has pathos, a romantic interest for the hero, revolutionary war reenacters and lots of silly time paradoxes. Mike and the 'Bots give it their best! Merlin's Mystical Shop of Wonders: Ernest Borgnine must have wondered what the heck happened when he saw himself in this product after it was "finished". This film comprises pieced together scenes from DIFFERENT movies and it is as coherent as you would expect because of that. This is a HILARIOUS episode. Boggy Creek II: This is another work by a film "genius" who did almost all the work himself, including starring in it. The scenes where people are covered in mud are the most uplifting, because little else happens in this train wreck of a film. A dull, dull film but goofy enough to generate lots of good jokes from Mike and the 'Bots. Touch of Satan: Another film that makes little sense and that has a groaner of a hackneyed ending. It is little better or worse than the rash of films from the '70s and '80s about making "deals with the devil" except this one is lower budget than most, so there aren't even any funny monster or demon costumes to laugh at. Mike and the 'Bots provide ALL the entertainment. Like most fans of MST3K, I'm sorely wishing for more Comedy Central episodes to be released, like Rocketship X-M, Teenagers From Outerspace, Monster A-Go-Go and more. Nevertheless, the episodes in this set are great fun and I will buy it as soon as it is available. Movie sign!
Rating:
Summary: This is a great lineup
Review: I'm still waiting for the Comedy Central episodes but these are some great episodes from the Sci-Fi years. I'm estatic that Time Chasers was included because of the idea of Commodore 64-powered time-traveling Cessna is just nuts. Next to Space Mutiny, Time Chasers is one of the best efforts of the Sci-Fi years. And the best thing about the DVD's is that you can skip the Mary Jo Pehl parts and go straight to film.
Rating:
Summary: Another Sci-Fi Channel Only Release
Review: This will be another set of Sci-Fi Channel episodes: 851 Time Chasers, 908 Touch Of Satan, 1003 Merlin's Mystical Shop Of Wonders and 1006 Boggy Creek II. Rhino has made a statement that this doesn't mean they will no longer be releasing episodes from the Comedy Central years. Don't worry fans, more are coming. But hold on to your vhs ep tapes for now. You must admit this is 4 of the best MST3Ks, Sci-Fi Channel years or otherwise. Oddly, none of these films even touch the worst that Mike & The Bots (or Joel & The Bots) had to ordeal on the SOL. Sure, they're bad, but not Manos bad or Hobgoblins bad. Time Chasers and Merlin could be considered decent fare if you happened to be up late, bowl of popcorn in your lap because you couldn't sleep. They are made much better thanks to the guys and gals at Best Brains (the studio behind Mystery Science Theater 3000). I must say that if you've never watched the show before (which is now off the air, probably for all times) this set would be a great place to get to know the show. I've seen each of these more times than I remember and they never disappoint. Mike Nelson (co-host of MST3K) recorded new intros for these (much longer than the ones he did for Vol 4). Kevin Murphy also did some material for this release. I'm relieved to know that Rhino is dedicated to releasing Mystery Science Theater 3000. I'm a huge fan and would hate to see this show disappear. Finding episodes is difficult without these releases.
| 
