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(More customer reviews)In case you're new to the world of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST3K for short, that what us fans - "Misties" - call it), this is the famous TV show where a silhouette of a man and two robots sitting in theater seats provide running commentary for some of the worst movies ever made. The ninety-minute episodes are also scattered with sketches and songs and amount to some of the smartest, most pop-culture savvy, side-splitting comedy ever made.
This is the first of the four-episode collections of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" offered from Rhino (previously they had only offered them in single DVD editions). It contains an interesting mix of movies: a science-fiction horror flick, a drama about skydivers, a 60s beach comedy, and a thriller on a tropical island. Three of the episodes come from the excellent sixth season, when Mike Nelson was the human host and the wisecracks and comments had become razor sharp and fast and furious. One episode comes from the second season, when the show had a more laid-back, friendly humor when Joel Hodgson was the host. Although this collection skews toward the later seasons, it is still a good general introduction to the show for newcomers, since most of the episodes are terrific. Fans who favor Joel Hodgson's style won't enjoy this as much as the second and third box set, but for most fans the inclusion of "The Skydivers" and "The Creeping Terror" make it a must-own.
Here's what you get:
BLOODLUST! Episode #607. A rip-off of "The Most Dangerous Game," only with young college kids (one of whom is Robert Reed, future Brady Bunch dad!). The four dummies land on a jungle island to go exploring and become trapped by the rich but extremely wishy-washy maniac millionaire who owns the island. Apparently, he enjoys hunting down people to turn them into stuffed trophies. The film isn't really awful, just completely unoriginal and acted with total flatness. Robert Reed never seems more than mildly "cheesed" and "fed up" (to quote Mike and `Bots) with the life-threatening situation. But it's season six, and the show's writers couldn't do any wrong at this point, and the result is the usual hilarious romp.
CATALINA CAPER. Episode #204. This is the only Joel Hodgson episode in the collection, and it's an oddball entry in MST3K history: it's the only time the show took on an overt comedy. True, "Catalina Caper," a teen 60s bikini beach comedy, isn't funny at all, but since it doesn't take itself seriously it becomes a tough target to make fun off. Joel and the `Bots have a good time with the lousy `prat-fall' comic, the awful musical numbers (one featuring Little Richard, waaaay out of his element), skinny Tommy Kirk, and the famous `creepy girl,' but this is a spotty episode and the weakest in this pack. Don't form your opinions of Joel's episodes based on this one.
THE CREEPING TERROR. Episode #606. This is a classic, and one of the worst films the MST3K team ever took on. A big shag carpet (oh, excuse me, I meant `alien') starts eating the citizens of a quiet California town; or at least it gets close enough to them so they can hoist themselves into its mouth. And why is the town so quiet? Because while making the film, someone accidentally kicked the sound equipment into a lake, so the whole movie has almost NO DIRECT SOUND. Yep, we instead have a narrator telling us what the characters are saying, doing, discussing, and so on. You have to see it (or hear it) to believe it! Mike and the `Bots unload on this one, and it's a scream. One of the funniest episodes ever.
THE SKYDIVERS. Episode #609. One of the most beloved of all MST3K episodes. Writer Paul Chaplin said of it: "I don't want to criticize this movie. I'm too fond of the final result for our show...there's never been a better movie for our treatment." I'll drink to that. This drama about the loves and losses of people working at a parachuting school is so weird, so bizarrely scripted, so awfully acted, filled with so many inexplicably wack-o characters, and shot with such stunning ineptitude that it positively amazes. The riffing from the hosts is some of the best, sharpest commentary they ever did. This is the first of three movies MST3K did from director Coleman Francis (who makes Ed Wood look like Orson Welles!). The second one, "Red Zone Cuba" is available on its own DVD. The third, "The Beast of Yucca Flats" isn't out yet, and Rhino should really get this one on a future collection.
All four films are offered in "non-MST3K" versions on the flip side of their discs, which is a nice feature if you really want to see how much the show added to these awful films. "Bloodlust" and "Catalina Caper" are all right - although dull - on their own, but see how long you can sit through the other two without Mike and Robots before you tear your eyes out!
So there you have it, three of the most phenomenally funny episodes of MST3K, plus one of the most unusual. A great package for fans and newcomers alike! (Just watch out for acid in your parachute!)
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MST3K COLLECTION VOL 1 - DVD Movie
