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Ask MST3k Creator Joel Hodgson
As turkey day approaches, we have the chance to ask Joel Hodgson whatever you can think of. If you've lived without electricity since the 80s, you might not be aware that he was the creator and original host of what may be the funniest show in history - Mystery Science Theater 3000, as well as the upcoming Cinematic Titanic. I've still got my fan club membership card even after nearly 2 decades. Standard Slashdot interview rules apply: ask your questions here, and we'll pass a bunch of the highest scoring ones for Joel to answer.
HA! No one will ever know that!
What do you think about the other efforts led by Mike Nelson like Rifftrax & The Film Crew? Is there a reason that you, Pearl, TV's Frank & Dr. Forester have split from Mike, Brain Guy & Tom Servo? I'm overjoyed that there are multiple efforts but why?
My work here is dung.
My frustrations abound with my attempts to collect the Licensed DVDs of your MST3K material. Currently I have no method of acquiring the tenth box set ($250 on eBay?!) and Rhino has some insane pricing scheme which amounts to $10-$15 a disc. Why did Best Brains Inc. go with Rhino? Why after all that effort to make this material free online (at one time I think there was a dedicated server) are they so expensive and hard to get a hold of? Will Rhino go after me if I continue to own and share tapes and files of MST3K? The mantra always was to keep on circulating the tapes--and with the advent of bittorrent, that's never been easier--but now that they are one by one becoming licensed by Rhino, is that legal?
My work here is dung.
Ah hell, forgot to AC this.
Praise Fucking Jesus.
Trolling is a art,
Did the idea for the show come from a single inspiration, or was it a process?
Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
I had heard rumors that Sci-Fi was the end of MST3K. I know people that have argued whether it was quality or requirements of a story arc in Sci-Fi's contract that caused the show's viewership to fall, why do you think the show eventually went off the air? What was your opinion of it at the end? What was the biggest mistake MST3K made?
My work here is dung.
Really, there's no shortage of bad movies still being made that deserve the MST3K treatment. Did you just get tired of mocking bad movies?
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
This guy could use a shrub, or heck, even a twig would cheer him up!
Physics is nothing like religion. If it was, we'd have an easier time trying to raise money!
What is your opinion on public domain laws? As someone who creates content but also relies on making derivative works of other content, do you support it? What do you think is a desirable length for something to become public domain?
My work here is dung.
Roofle owned scrub.
What trends have you seen in new movies that you feel are positive? Is there anything about movies today that you utterly detest? Do you ever notice similarities between new movies today and the MST3K movies? What are your feelings about today's movies? I've always wondered if you are capable of watching a movie today without making hilarious jokes in your head, is watching film a major part of your life?
My work here is dung.
We've all laughed at the choice of just inane productions you guys have lambasted over the years. However, there's new choices for great commentary being made every day (skipping personal suggestions). What sort of licensing issues do you guys run up against for acquiring certain content? Is there a "sweet spot" for movies to be in for it to be worth fighting for? How do you choose?
So, what year did you wire the cave, Calibanos?
To err is human. To arr is pirate.
So then your reason for posting that was what?
MST3K is still popular with its fans after all this time: people still watch the show, mimic it, repeat the jokes, build robots, etc. What I'd like to know is, how does that feel? Is it fun to think that people enjoyed something you did enough to stick with it after so long, or is it just strange to think that people fixate on it?
Bow-ties are cool.
So who which writer was the model rocket fan? I loved the reference to teh Cherokee D in Marroned.
Also if you could could give the MS3K treatment to any move which movie would it be?
My vote would go to the original Star Trek movie.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
Without a doubt - Joel.
Mike, obviously.
who ate all those Hamdingers anyways?
I'm sure "SlashdotMedia" will improve on all the wonders that Dice Holdings blessed us all with
Did you ever watch Cheap Seats (kind of like MST3k but featuring sports) when it was on ESPN Classic? I'm a huge fan of it and whenever I watched it I thought of 3k and how much it probably inspired the writers of Cheap Seats. It wasn't really a show for the typical Slashdot reader but the Sklar brothers are mighty hilarious in my book.
Cheap Seats
Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
Obviously, a huge amount of energy went into writing a typical MST3K show so that it recreated the feel of a bunch of sharp-witted pals staying up late at night over beers and pizza making fun of a bad movie. Nevertheless, it seems like as a group of talented comedian/actors, after watching so many campy movies with such vast bounties of ripe, low hanging fruit, it would be just too tempting to blurt out something amusing that deviated from the script. How many of the remarks made during a typical MST3K show (i.e. during the featured movies) would you say were improvised and how many were scripted?
i\hbar\dot{\psi}=\hat{H}\psi
why did you go?
I came to the datacenter drunk with a fake ID, don't you want to be just like me?
The only two songs that I've been able to remember word for word in their entirety for my whole life have been the national anthem and the MST3K theme song.
Does it contain a subliminal message?
Just disrupt the deflector shield with a tachyon burst.
"Don't turn your backs on Jesus."
Cause he'll stick a shiv in it!
Seriously people, I think he was trying to be funny..he wasn't, but he doesn't deserve flamebait.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Has this caused limitations of content for your treatment?
What movie(s) did you really want to review but were denied for some reason?
One of my favorite parts of the show was the creative use of inexpensive materials for the set (except that Millenium Falcon on the door might be worth something now). Will your current project use the same creativity, or will it be more funded and "polished?"
What makes *you* laugh?
Allovertheworld!
Hikeeba!
MITCHELL!
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
Did you guys ever find the first couple of episodes, and how did you lose them anyway?
I'm a little surprised no one else has asked this yet.
;-) What do you do when you're not lampooning bad movies? What do you do in the way of hobbies or relaxation? Favorite books? Heck, for that matter, what do you LIKE to see in terms of movies or animation?
We all know what a great job you did with MST3K, what the show was about, etc. HOWEVER -- I'm more curious about you!
And, perhaps most interestingly, are there any particular movies that you wouldn't dare lampoon?
Inquiring knows want to mind!
Bruce Lane, KC7GR,
Blue Feather Technologies
*sings* "Iiiiiidiot control now!"
(from "Pod People")
All of the on-line biographies of you gloss over your "formative years" and seem to concentrate on your prop comedy stand-up work in the Twin Cities as being the impetus for MST3K. However, having grown up in the Green Bay area myself, I can't help but think that some of MST3K (especially its connection to irresistibly awful movies) was inspired in part by WLUK's TJ and the ANT show. Can you comment or elaborate on whether you enjoyed this show as a teenager?
Man, your attention span is so short. This is Joel, you are trying to ask questions about MST3K. I hope you aren't Meth'd up.
Nah, I'd have to say that qualifies as deserving a flame, or at least offtopic (which it also got). Funny still has to be somewhat relevant to the story; that was nothing but troll, and the only part even remotely on topic was the word science. It deserved the downmod because thats what moderation's for; keeping the crap separate from the stuff worth reading.
Eh, just my 2 cents.
"So, has /. fully changed over to infomercial stories already? never heard of this show, or the movie, and frankly don't care"
Your ignorance is not Slashdot's fault.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Allovertheworld!
Hikeeba!
MITCHELL!
...And some French-fried potatoes! 'Cause the giant turtle called Gamera is destroying the city! In the... Robot Holocaust.See also this XKCD Comic. We love when somebody does something cool, original, and funny - are we missing the point by fixating on it like this?
Bow-ties are cool.
Did you suffer any significant loss of bone mass as a result of your long-term spaceflight? (Are you aware that you currently hold the record for the longest continuous space flight? By a human I mean. Some would give that credit to Valeri Polyakov but you seem to have her beat by about four years...)
Bow-ties are cool.
While you were at MST3K, was there ever a mis-interpreted gag that caused an uproar with some of the fans? Maybe something that sounded unintentionally naughty? Just curious. I remember all those nice letters that were read at the end of each show. Made me wonder if you ever got nastygrams.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
on sites like the Digital Archive Project. I know many current and former MST3k staffers have shown support, but I am interested in what you think about the early stuff(KTMA era and season 1 era) episodes being available for all to see. In the Amazing Colossal Episode Guide there are a couple of statements telling us not to go seek those out because they aren't very good, but fans have encoded them anyway. Does it still bother you? And also, can we please have the master tapes for the first 3 KTMA episodes? Please!
Monstar L
I heard that Mike Nelson came out of the closet as a Republican, which is sort of odd considering that a large number of MSTies are "stoned slackers". Maybe he wants to put all his fans in jail?
My question to you is: What is your horrible closet political ideology?
This is the question I came here to ask, but someone beat me to it. The copyright issues involved in getting the show done were probably pretty complex.
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
Can you fill us in on your projects and work after MST3K? Also, it seems everybody focuses on a show that you left many years ago... does that irritate you or gratify you?
How do you all eat and breathe on the satellite?
Has any actor/writer/director been legitimately peeved by your often acrid, yet so very accurate commentary?
MST3K made me laugh so hard, I would get asthma attacks. Why did you do this to me?
Not at all, but most of the people who don't like it don't post in fan-friendly discussions professing their indifference.
It always seemed like a giant waste of time to me to pop in and say, "Hey, guys, I don't like this thing that you all do."
Bill Griffith, the creator of Zippy the Pinhead, often complained that Hollywood wouldn't let him make a Zippy movie the way he wanted. But when I saw MST3K, especially the host segments, I thought cable TV would be the best place for Zippy because MST3K had a similar style of humor and was thriving in the cable world. Did Bill Griffith ever tell you what he thought of MST3K, or if he wanted Zippy to follow a similar model?
Recently on my college campus there has been a huge rise in popularity of MST3K among people who have never seen an episode before. I think this is due to the ease of illegally watching episodes online. Do you think that this trend is good or bad?
Alternate question: What is it like to watch regular movies with those jokes going on inside your head?
I remember seeing you as a judge in one of the "Robot Wars" competitions in San Francisco a few years back. How did you end up in that role? Did you ever dream about beefing up Crow/Tom/Gypsy and throwing them into the pits?
When my friends and I watched your shows, we learned how to be comical critics and make fun of shows that we watched. Entertainment never had to be grade A when my friends were around because we'd lampoon the show if it got boring or worse. This type of freestyle joking at movies is great for kids with a sharp sense of humor. I was wondering if you ever thought of the impact you have on people's method of watching shows?
God spoke to me.
Also, there have been some new introductions to the DVDs licensed by Rhino and I've watched them all. At the beginning, they often talk with or about trying to contact the actors/directors of the films. Oftentimes, it's kind of sad when they show the actors or actresses as they really poured their heart into the movie. For Time Chasers, Mike opens up saying that they invited the original cast to see the movie together with them. I guess they thought it was going to be more friendly
That said, I have spent considerable amount of time and resources researching Manos and although this is off-topic from your question, I must point out that it was written, directed, produced and starred in by the same man. Hal P. Warren, a fertilizer salesman from El Paso Texas. You can find considerable material on that movie including that the camera had no sound function and couldn't hold more than 60 seconds worth of film which resulted in many cuts and bad editing and three people doing the voices. The film crew was not allowed to do anything artsy and soon dubbed the production "Mangos: Cans of Fruit." The unfortunate story of Torgo is that he was supposed to look like a Satyr but instead put the metal leg inserts in backwards (supposed to make his legs look like that of a goat's) and, as a result, had hilariously large knees. This caused him great pain and, whether he was addicted to pain killers or shamed from the movie I can't say, but he committed suicide shortly there after. Rest in peace, Torgo. After I found out about that, I did feel a touch bad for him, considering his short life.
My work here is dung.
That you're willing to leech off the success of RIffTraks in a pathetic attempt to try and recapture some past glory. You remember Mike, Kevin, and Bill - the guys who DIDN'T turn their backs on the fans in order to seek out so-called greener pastures that never materialized? (Freaks and Geeks notwithstanding. *snicker*)
Dear Joel... I'd imagine that the show was a lot of fun at times, especially in the gag-writing. But as the laws of averages goes, not every movie that comes down the pike is as ripe for jokes as others. They can't all be gems, which became more obvious after you left the show (I mean it seems there were more "blah" movies to work with, not a statement about the MST3k actors). Some you can just look at and come up with a hundred things to say, others are just kind of "meh" and you have to work harder to come up with something others would find funny to say about. What tricks did you employ to get through the mediocre films, beside musical numbers at intermissions or talking about something unrelated to what was happening onscreen at the time? Bigger question, what films did you have the hardest time riffing on because of so-so content?
Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
First off, thanks for a great show... Were you ever hassled by any of the actors/directors who may have seen their movies on an episode of MST3K? You must have met a few of them at some point, I wonder how they handled it.
In creating Cinematic Titanic, particularly in coming up with the basic format and premise, how often do you find yourselves saying 'we can't do this, it's too much like mst' or 'here's something we always wanted to do, but couldn't inside the mst framework'?
what's your favorite episode? why?
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent - Isaac Asimov
Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
Hi Joel,
Always liked you more than Mike.
Live action facsimiles of MST3K have been popping up (most notably, at least for Austin, Mr. Sinus Theater (which had to change its name)) lately, and with technology improving, have you considered doing a live action tour? Perhaps with a Jazz band opening act? or TMBG?
now I understand.
Clearly I was being funny, cause Jesus has been dead for a long time. A long with the thousand of other people claiming to be 'Sons of God' that where walking around then.
Take that, Bitch.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
I know many fans like myself enjoyed your warm sense of humor, and the relaxed sense of family-like togetherness you brought to the show. In my case, I stopped watching after you left because I missed that feeling...things became too cynical and cerebral for my taste...it had lost your special ability to give the viewer a sense of comfort and belonging.
I remember reading an interview in which you said you felt uncomfortable in front of the camera, and that you left MST3k primarily for that reason. Do you ever regret making that decision?
The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky
"Timmarhy has been nominated in three categories for this year's Dotty awards. Most Annoying, Most Likely to Entirely Miss the Point, and the perennial fan-favorite Most Oblivious"
</Announcer Voice>
Some MST3k fans have given unofficial MST3k treatments of fan fiction, called MSTings, and even of a cheesy Jack Chick tract. What do you think of those?
A number of folks who have made MST3K episodes, ranging from original sets and characters to using their own Joel Robinson/Mike Nelson. Have you seen any, what is your opinion of these productions, and do you have a favorite?
Hey Joel, Is it true you had a stalker name of Johnny B in college and he is still haunted in his dreams with a half finished picture of Eraser Head chasing him around and screaming GET A LIFE? I keep having these flash back memories as if I knew ya once and those images come to mind. But to be honest I've been doing a lot of pumpkin pie lately, on sale at the local Choke and Puke and it has done more than simply color my droppings. So hey hope you still got the old fry baby cookin' sliced potatoes for you and yours. I'll be out your way so if you crave a small piece of nostagia drop me a line if you want... we can eat something vegetarian you me and the wife. Might not be fried in coconut oil but then so little is these days. It was just a fad. Bob
Damn you! I do remember all the words, but I'd forgotten about them until you brought it up.
What movies would you like to lampoon if you had your choice of any movies out there ?
"can we please have the master tapes for the first 3 KTMA episodes? Please!"
Screw the holy grail & stupid ol ark of the covenant.... i want those episodes!!
Dont make us bring out the hypno-helio-static-stasis Joeley-poley
is this standing order still valid in todays world of dvds/blurays/hddvds and illegal/legal downloads?
Accept any challenge, No matter the odds.
So, what was it like growing up watching the Teletubbies?
I didn't think your generation was big enough to be on the net yet. Welcome!
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
Hi Joel!
;)
In an interview with the Onion AV Club in 1999, you said that you and Jim Mallon had had creative differences over how MST3K was to develop. You also said in a press release when you left that you didn't want to be a movie star. Why was there interest in turning MST3K into a movie when it was a successful TV series? If The Movie wasn't to be made would you still have left the series when you did? Jim Mallon has been painted by some fans as one of the reasons why you left the series, is there any validity to this?
And whatever happened to Statical Planets? MSTies have wondered about it for over a decade.
Oh, and I've always wondered: did Microsoft seek your approval for the name Xbox for this gaming console (after your TV pilot), or was it a coincidence?
Can't wait to see what Cinematic Titanic is going to be like. Really happy to see more projects from the great Joel Hodgson.
--Reverend Raven
Desperate days demand dire deeds.
Cut the guy some slack here, Joel hasn't any fine control over Rhino's business.
You need to consider a couple of factors like Niche market DVD vendors being lying weasels who can't compete on the level of say a big budget hollywood action-porn for distribution. And the fact that the nitch market has way lower margins then bulk retailers to being with. I used to own a record store, the reason for the prices was mostly scarcity. Your coming up against that and thats why someone is selling on ebay for $250.
Rhino isn't as big as they once were. Given the state of production I doubt they are going to reissue it anytime soon.The only thing he could do was void the contract (maybe) or give them reason to reissue. I would suspect that this project is a good a reason as any. Joel has talent, it's nice to see him swinging again. Well have to wait for digital downloads once the they (Rhino) figure out how.
Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
Mike and others have said that there's really no way that anyone will ever be able to "afford" to put MST3k back on the air.
Yet we now have Best Brains, Riffraxx/The Film Crew, and Cinematic Titanic all obviously spending relative wads of cash to bring product to the teeming masses.
So I again pose the question:
Do you think there will ever again be a television show MST3k? Has any studio or network even hinted at the possibility? If you feel that it won't ever happen as well, why? Is it purely because none of you can work for "minimum wage" anymore?
Thanks for all the laughs.
JL
Even casual involvement excludes total freedom by it's inherent nature. John Valby
It seems that cable channels are becoming just as timid as network stations (who of course own nearly all of them). Could MST3K get on the air today?
http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
How did you eat and breathe, and other science facts?
I'll be honest, we're throwing science against the wall to see what sticks. -Cave Johnson
Which do YOU prefer, Joel or Mike?
____________________
Clouds in the Sky,
Water in a bottle
And they say TV isn't educational.
All I know about it is some jokes about it I've seen on websites like slashdot.
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
Why did they send the movies on U-Matic tapes? That format only has a running time of up to an hour and no way to increase that by long-play. It wouldn't make sense as someone would need to exchange the tape in the middle of most movies.
In post-Soviet Russia, "Valeri" (vah-LAY-ri) is man's name to YOU!
On a slightly broader note, has Internet based media made you want to retry any of your stranger concepts?
Hi Joel. Would you care to speculate on why RiffTrax is completely unfunny? I hope Cinematic Titanic doesn't make the same mistakes... namely trying to make fun of films that are good movies and don't have anything to make fun of, then forcing "witty" comments down the throats of your audience.
What was your favorite movie riffed on the show? Were they any bad movies you wanted to riff that MST3K never aired?
Joel, do you ever get sick of questions from people who try to relate MST3K and something that they are interested in but has nothing in common with the show?
Also, what's better - Sprite or 7up?
I really wish sci fi or some other channel would run some mst3k on occasion.
What is up with sci fi showing marathons all the time.
Nov 22
Sightings: Heartland Ghost
Phantom Force
3 hours of Paid Programming
16 hours of Ghost Hunters
Would it hurt to throw in some mst3k or even some godzilla every once in awhile?
Come to think of it, the only thing I ever watch on it anymore is BSG.
What are your dreams?
Where do you want to be in five years?
Would there be any interest at all in doing an MST3K for video games? There's so much potential.
holy freak out, I was gonna remind you not to stay logged in at work when you leave your desk -- either that or you finally decided to sell that user ID to the highest bidder.
I love the series, and I get the feeling that most of the jokes were done affectionately, but sometimes MST gets a bit personal ("Here is the girl known throughout the dorm as horseface!"). Did you every get contacted by someone who was really hurt by the comments, and did you regret the jokes?
Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die
Were you inspired or influenced by firesign theatre's short voiceover parodies of public domain serials?
(that predate MTV shorts too and appeared on Night Flight and similar shows)
What would happen if you and Mike Nelson were, presumably in some freakish scientific experiment gone horribly awry, fused together so you both became one entity? Mike Hodgson? Joel Nelson? Miel? Or simply just Joke?
Would the simple, deceptively naive but witty humor of Mike be combined with the dry, sophisticated, and well-timed comedy of yourself, and create the most impeccable source of funny the world has ever seen? Or would the worst aspects be merged and instead wreak havoc upon the general populace, with puns thrown about with reckless abandon, slapstick applied to serious scientific and political debate, and Carrot Top-like displays of outlandish props popping up all over the countryside? Would this power be used for good or for evil?
And, most importantly, would it be televised?
It was originally a public access show out in the minneapolis area.
I used to live about 10 miles away from Best Brains back in my college days, but never had a chance to visit. A friend of mine back then did actually manage to get a tour of the place and got quite a few photos of the original set and "the ball". The set wasn't much more than sheets of plywood with dozens of rubber dog toys glued to them, covered in a matte grey paint. (Kind of explains why the SOL was always depicted as a bone in the show.)
Anyway, there are some photos of the tour online somewhere, but it's been years since I last saw the site he hosted them on.
(btw... anyone else miss the 24hr turkey day marathons?)
8==8 Bones 8==8
Hello Joel, I am curious to know how you feel about Mike Nelson's new project, RiffTrax. Friendly competition? Deep hatred and resentment? or something in-between?
Have you ever met Sandy Frank?
You know what? My daughter used watch Teletubbies many years back. That gives you a clue to my age.
I have never heard of MST3k either. It must be a Yank thing.
This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
Do you know about http://www.badfilmsociety.org/
and how do you feel about them and similar off-shoots of your idea? I hope you feel you've made a cultural impact and you're not pissed at them. re your cultural impact, I'm in the UK, my US wife started me watching your stuff (on YouTube, but that another question) and I'm hooked. I need more! Its a really nice common thready of humour between our two cultures.
Because you can - or because you should?
Nah, I just like trolling once in a while. Karma is still "Excellent"
Trolling is a art,
For years I desperately wanted a Crow doll (still do) but you didn't seem to do a lot of merchandising back in the day. What's the story? (I asked you this in an AOL live chat in 1996 or so, and even logged in as Belinda Carlisle, hoping that would get me a Crow doll.)
A lot of these questions can be answered on my uncle's website. http://www.mst3ktemple.com/
There was a very funny Austin Texas comedy group called Mr. Sinus Theatre, an obvious omage to your creation, but different enough that they stood on their own.
Like the spaceship crew, they roasted really bad movies with running commentary, but that was about the only similarity. For one thing, they were live, and made no effort to dress up in costumes or appear as anything but human. They didn't even appear on the screen, using mikes off to the side feeding into the P.A.
The 3-man group would perform at a local theater (sometimes "on the road" as well; I saw them roast "Xanadu" at a roller rink, and afterwards we all went in to skate for a bit).
Just curious why MST3K felt it necessary to legally force them to change their name?
Thank you!
I can think of a bunch that would have been killer... Last Year At Marienbad, Tarkovsky's Solaris (heck the remake was even more unwatchable...) the list is long. but what ones were "left on the table"?
RS
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Are there still any plans for Statical Planets, like a webcast, or has that totally been scrapped? Do you still have independent creative projects going on or is it mostly about playing the Hollywood game and being a producer these days?
"The hippopotamus emerged from a grotto made of shells. 'Fly at once!' he said. 'All is discovered.'"--Edward Gorey
After MST3k left us, some of my friends thought about doing a diner theater version, live. Kinda like a comedy dinner club style. What do you think?
If you were a movie, what movie would you be? Kurt from Frostbite Falls, MN
Journal
I have never heard of MST3k either. It must be a Yank thing.
It was. That show and imports of the original UK version of "Who's Line Is It Anyway?" helped establish Comedy Central as a TV network in its early days. Basically, the show was a bunch of people making fun of really bad movies. It varied between being occasionally funny and nothing short of awesome. An awful lot of jokes from the show are a huge part of American geek culture.
I was just being trollish to the original poster who said "never heard of it" in that belittling internet manner that suggests "must not be important/good." No biggie if you haven't because you're from across the pond.
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
Joel, what do you think of the people that thought you/the charater Joel was a stoner?
I think it must be a yank thing. I've watched a few episodes and it always comes across as three loudmouths in a movie theatre poking jibes at the (usually old) movie on screen. There's very little variation in the jokes and after a while you can often guess what kind comment an upcoming scene is going to elicit.
I guess that appeals to some peoples sense of humour but I find it rather obnoxious and rude. I suppose it reminds me of the kind of people who actually do sit in movie theatres and talk loudly.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
Since you've recently struck up a relationship with the folks at Lucasfilm, how likely do you think it is to get a hold of "The Star Wars Holiday Special"? That, certainly, would be the pinnacle of movie riffing (especially the Jefferson Starship scene), and those of us old enough to remember when the show first aired 29 years ago would love to see it dusted off and given a proper thrashing.
What would you say is the biggest obstacle between having a great idea and actually getting an artifact from it?
"The hippopotamus emerged from a grotto made of shells. 'Fly at once!' he said. 'All is discovered.'"--Edward Gorey
Glad to see that you've got some stuff going, can' wait to see the finished product! My question is are these going to be going straight to DVD ro will these be posted on a website that you ahve to subscribe to? Also, are the movies you pick going to be the uncut versions (IE R-Rated versions with the swearing etc)? There is a movie you guys should check out called Ax' Em. It makes Manos look like an oscar winner. If you need a copy i would be willing to give mine up for the sake of comedy.
Hi, Mr. Hodgson! First let me say it's been a blast seeing your image, hearing new stories, an everything, around the net these past weeks. We've all missed you and look forward to you new projects! Now my question: I know when MST3K was new, the idea of "riffing" a movie received complainants from people, like it interfered with them watching the - all be it crappy - movie. So, compared to the days of mst3k, do you think overall, people who may be new to it, are more open of the "riffing' concept? I know there are maybe more interesting questions people are asking, but what the hay? Thank you, Jessica
Hey Joel, "Manos" The Hands of Fate is widely considered to be the worst movie of all time, and it is mostly thanks to you and the 'Bots that it is so well known. However, you have undoubtedly viewed several movies while trying to find ones to put on the show that ultimately didn't make it on the air. My question for you is this: do you recall ever thinking that any of those unaired movies were actually worse than "Manos" and, if so, do you remember the names? Thanks! Shaakra434
Thanks for MST3K. It was and is a lot of fun. The MST-ied version of "The Day the Earth Froze" is one of my favorite movies all time.
So, on to the question: if you had to do it all over again, right back to the KTMA pilot, what would you do differently?
And by that, I don't mean, "Would you still hire _x_?" I'm really referring to creative decisions. Would you have fought harder to include certain movies? Would you have started your own distribution company and at least released some of the public domain material you riffed? Would you have used Creative Commons licenses for host segments? Same set, props, costumes, etc?
Bow-ties are cool.