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.

Comments

Rifftrax & The Film Crew

[eldavojohn]

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?

Box Set Frustrations

[eldavojohn]

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?

Re:Box Set Frustrations

[ConceptJunkie]

It has nothing to do with Joel or Best Brains for a majority of the episodes. It's all about the expiration of the rights for the original movies. Now I can never understand why someone who owns the rights to a total stinkturd of a movie, which most (but not all!) MST3K movies were would choose to leave their work to congeal in obscurity when they could sell thousands more copies of it, but IP is all about control you know.

Robert Fiveson, the director of "Parts: The Clonus Horror" which appeared in MST3K Volume 12 Set was smart about it appeared in an interview clip on the DVD. He said he'd originally realized that while MST3K would certainly mock his movie, which despite its low budget and cheesy production was actually a decent movie, so decent it was totally ripped off to create the recent "The Island" directed by Michael Bay. Fiveson went on to say that he received tremendous support from the MST3K fanbase when he pursued a lawsuit against the makers of "The Island", which ended in a settlement, IIRC. Fiveson said he's very glad to have been associated with the show.

All that said, however, there are still a large number of unreleased episodes of the show based on movies whose copyrights have lapsed or are otherwise in the public domain, and here's hoping Jim Mallon and everyone else in a position to do so will work with Rhino to continue these quality releases of the best TV show ever.

Expensive or not, I'm more than happy to support Best Brains and everyone who made this wonderful treasure of TV. Yes, that means I'd bought them all on VHS originally, but I think all those have subsequently been re-released by Rhino, and sadly, the rights have expired again on some movies meaning they can no longer sell Volumes 1 and 10 (I think those are the two).

Push the button, Frank!

How did MST3k come about?

[TJ_Phazerhacki]

Did the idea for the show come from a single inspiration, or was it a process?

Sci-Fi Channel Years

[eldavojohn]

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?

Re:Sci-Fi Channel Years

[theMerovingian]

I had heard rumors that Sci-Fi was the end of MST3K.

Sci-Fi is where shows go to die. I have never seen a concept so promising completely fail to deliver in all respects, but the Sci-Fi channel is the penultimate failure of cable television. I love science fiction as much as anyone, but I intentionally and actively avoid that channel because the vast majority of the stuff they air is total crap.

Allowing your show to be put on Sci-Fi channel is the death knell of your intellectual property (prime example-- Highlander: The Source).

Why'd you stop?

[damn_registrars]

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?

Public Domain

[eldavojohn]

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?

Hollywood Trends

[eldavojohn]

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?

New Content

[mugnyte]

  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?

Cherokee D

[LWATCDR]

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.

How much improv?

[xPsi]

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?

why

[trybywrench]

why did you go?

Permission and Sets

[Avatar8]

Do you have to get permission from the target movie's owning company to use/abuse it?
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?"

Dear Joel,

[Anonymous Coward]

What makes *you* laugh?

The first

[ChromeAeonium]

Did you guys ever find the first couple of episodes, and how did you lose them anyway?

What do you do in your own off-time?

[KC7GR]

I'm a little surprised no one else has asked this yet.

We all know what a great job you did with MST3K, what the show was about, etc. HOWEVER -- I'm more curious about you! ;-) 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?

And, perhaps most interestingly, are there any particular movies that you wouldn't dare lampoon?

Inquiring knows want to mind!

Earlier-than-documented influences?

[sh00z]

Joel,

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?

Hey Joel

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

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.

Pissed off any target?

[sammyo]

Has any actor/writer/director been legitimately peeved by your often acrid, yet so very accurate commentary?

Zippy TV show?

[Vegan Pagan]

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?

Could you make it today?

[bigbigbison]

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?