Mystery Science Theater 3000

[Naga Viper]

My first thread! Which I thought would be appropriate for me to start, since I don't see another one for the show and so far my avatars have all come from the featured movies and shorts.

I actually came to the show fairly late—friends introduced me to it in ’96, in the lull between Comedy Central and Sci-Fi. Actually, they just showed a group of us A Date With Your Family one night, which had us on the floor laughing, and yet I was the only one who really expressed interest in the show beyond that. Fortunately, those friends had already started their own collection and kept me solidly in hometapes for years after. Probably because of that late starting point, I'm unabashedly a Mike fan—even though Joel's only a few years older, his humor's always seemed a little retro to me, and I just came to prefer the snappier, edgier riffing of the later seasons. (I know Mike's politics are ass-backwards, but I've always been under the impression that he and Bridget were a definite minority on the staff. Maybe somebody can disabuse me of that notion, although I know Bill and Frank are pronouncedly liberal.)

Accordingly, my Top 10 eps are almost all Season 6 or later:

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank

Hobgoblins

The Final Sacrifice

Girl in Gold Boots

Angels Revenge

Werewolf

Space Mutiny

Puma Man

Santa Claus

The Screaming Skull (the most random one, I suppose)

Honorable mentions to Hamlet (the great polarizer!) and Track of the Moon Beast, which would totally be Top 10 except the movie pretty much dies in the last act and the riffing goes with it. The highest-ranking Joel movie, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, is somewhere in the teens. Least favorite...maybe Gorgo. That one's boring as fuck and I never remember anything about it even after I watch it.

I know there are other MSTies on FJ. Anyone else care to geek out with me on our virtual Satellite of Love?

[B5SnowDog]

One of my all-time favorites is Mitchell. The riffs still make me giggle, you get both Joel and Mike, and it was a nice good-bye to Joel.

[PraiseSeitan]

MANOS!

For a less obvious answer, Cave Dwellers cracks my shit up every time. The snark is good, the references are obscure, the movie is made of weapons grade WTF.

[dawbs]

Manos hands of fate is up there, although I have a fondness for "Devil Doll" :)

[Naga Viper]

Mitchell, Cave Dwellers, and Pod People are my other favorite Joel episodes. Mitchell's just great all around (in fact, I prefer it to Final Justice). Cave Dwellers was the first full episode I ever watched, and while it's slow in spots, the hang glider is one of the best payoffs ever. And Pod People is also extremely solid, and one of the best ones for recruiting people, I think.

Manos isn't a personal favorite—I actually got a headache watching it the first time and had to stop halfway—but it's definitely one of the canonical greats. As horribly executed as it is, there's something I find genuinely creepy about it, like it reminds me of a childhood nightmare or something.

[shesinsane]

Love the show, I follow TV's Frank on Twitter*. My personal favorite out of all that I've seen (which is most but not all, I came to the show late because my cable systemw as slow to get Comedy Central) is the short "Mr. B Natural".

Some of the guys are still doing their thing, only now it's called Riff Trax. Riff Trax actually made Twilight an enjoyable movie.

*Earlier this week @frankconniff had a great tweet about how this week George W. Bush finally gets to hear his name mentioned at national convention.

[B5SnowDog]

Cave Dwellers was the first full episode I ever watched, and while it's slow in spots, the hang glider is one of the best payoffs ever.

"Gomez, I've invented the wheel!"

My personal favorite out of all that I've seen (which is most but not all, I came to the show late because my cable systemw as slow to get Comedy Central) is the short "Mr. B Natural".

My favorite short is "The Home Economics Story".

[Glass Cowcatcher]

I just watched Werewolf the other day.

What was the name of the Japanese one, where they kept riffing on how the kids kept running around and were apparently fitter than the army?

[wildcatgrrl]

Mitchell, Cave Dwellers, and Pod People are my other favorite Joel episodes. Mitchell's just great all around (in fact, I prefer it to Final Justice). Cave Dwellers was the first full episode I ever watched, and while it's slow in spots, the hang glider is one of the best payoffs ever. And Pod People is also extremely solid, and one of the best ones for recruiting people, I think.

Trumpy! You can do magic!

It's called evil, kid.

[Seven Severn]

MANOS!

For a less obvious answer, Cave Dwellers cracks my shit up every time. The snark is good, the references are obscure, the movie is made of weapons grade WTF.

The SO contributed to the restoration of Manos. He received a t-shirt for his contribution. The first time he washed it it fell apart. It seemed apropos. :lol:

[PraiseSeitan]

Oh, and my favorite Mike episode is probably The Giant Spider Invasion.

My kid went through a phase when he was abut four where he watched Pod People every day for a week. I was getting awfully sick of Trumpy before little dude saw a new shiny object.

[bluestockings]

"Mr. B. Natural" makes me snort-laugh until I cry.

Also, it's my first post. Hi, there!

[krusso]

I think my favorite full length MST3K has to be the Delta Knights one. The shorts are great too. Have you ever seen any of the Rifftrax stuff? It's like MST3K but you have to buy the movie and sync it up yourself.

[synchroswimr]

I think my favorite full length MST3K has to be the Delta Knights one. The shorts are great too. Have you ever seen any of the Rifftrax stuff? It's like MST3K but you have to buy the movie and sync it up yourself.

I also like Delta Knights. Great show. I have some of the Rifftrax stuff and have seen a couple of their live shows. So funny

[tingeofginge]

I was only introduced to it maybe 6 or so years ago, so I don't have an attachment to it and actually prefer Riff Trax. Not that MST3K isn't hilarious. My favorite one is Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. Husband and I laugh our asses off at the "Not that deep!" line and work it into everyday conversation as much as possible. lol

The Riff Trax shorts are awesome--everyone should watch One Got Fat. Just remember, what is seen can not be unseen. lol

[skythetowel]

The Truck Farmers short is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. Seriously.

[krusso]

My favorite Rifftrax short is Shake Hands With Danger. Who would have thought of all the creative ways to injure yourselfvon a building site.

[doe]

My husband and I have two MST3K favorites that we watch a couple times a year. Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (which is a pieced together Ernest Borgnine film) and Boggy Creek 2: And The Legend Continues (which is worth watching for Old Man Crenshaw alone). For Christmas last year we watched the Santa Claus one with Satan's demons. We also enjoyed Overdrawn At The Memory Bank.

It seems now that no matter what we are watching, we have our own MST3K moments.

By the way, how do you embed a Youtube link? I want to share Old Man Crenshaw with everyone.

[B5SnowDog]

Copy the portion of the youtube address after the / and paste it in between the youtube tags.

[doe]

Thanks, but that didn't work so I did some digging on here and found out it's what comes after the v=. But I appreciate you getting back to me on that. Behold the sexiness that is Old Man Crenshaw. Begins at 5:35. There used to be a video of just him but I can't seem to find it. My husband even used to run a FB page for him.

yxV9I0GXDHU

[NoQuiverNoCry]

Devil Doll is my most memorable--it actually creeped me out in a big way; I had nightmares of that caged mannequin. I like the Mike shows over the Joel ones also. Joel's funny, but Mike's funnier. LOVE Pearl, in any of them!

[B5SnowDog]

I think my favorite line from Boggy Creek is "It's Lucy Braless!"

[FaustianSlip]

My favorite short is "The Home Economics Story".

Mine too! I also have a soft spot in my heart for "Mr. B Natural" and the two-parter about that salesman, the title of which I can't remember. Oh, and "Last Clear Chance!" Almost all of the shorts are pretty hilarious.

I'm torn between Joel and Mike. I used to prefer Mike for sure, but Joel has kind of grown on me. His riffs are a little more off-beat, but I find them really funny, and he did the riffing for most of the shorts I like. As far as movies, my two all-time favorites would have to be Space Mutiny (probably the best one ever- every single scene is just priceless) and Girl In Gold Boots, although I also love The Horror at Party Beach, The Horrors of Spider Island ("They'll cover her coffin with a flag slit real high!"), Time Chasers and Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. Was Screaming Skull the one with the severed head that controlled people's minds, and the crazy old lady the riffers referred to as "Aunt Flava Flav"?

I actually went to see one of those Rifftrax Presents things at a movie theater in DC, and it was awesome. If one happens near you, I can't recommend it enough. The one I went to was The House On Haunted Hill, preceded by a short ("Magical Disappearing Money"). It was a great time, and the audience was really into it. I'd love to see one of the Cinematic Titanic live shows, as well, but I haven't had the chance yet.

My secret dream is for Rifftrax to riff State Department File 649, a completely ridiculous old movie all about the adventurous life of State Department employees. It's prime riffing material- totally over the top. Worth watching on its own, actually, but riffing would only make it more entertaining.

[B5SnowDog]

I saw one of the groups (can't remember the name) at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. They riffed on Friday the 13th and it was great.

[Naga Viper]

As far as movies, my two all-time favorites would have to be Space Mutiny (probably the best one ever- every single scene is just priceless) and Girl In Gold Boots, although I also love The Horror at Party Beach, The Horrors of Spider Island ("They'll cover her coffin with a flag slit real high!"), Time Chasers and Overdrawn at the Memory Bank. Was Screaming Skull the one with the severed head that controlled people's minds, and the crazy old lady the riffers referred to as "Aunt Flava Flav"?

Get out of my head. Why are you and I not planning a weekend marathon, considering we like all the same episodes? Aside from the fact that you're in China and I'm not, I mean.

The one with the severed head and Aunt Flava Flav is the The Thing That Couldn't Die, another of my favorites. "You're all evil and I hope you have snacks!" is just one of those lines that makes a great non sequitur IRL.