From 1988 to 1999, the crew of The Satellite of Love skewered bad movies and in the process made them masterworks of comedy. Now comes their awe-inspiring 14th collection of the most hilarious episodes from Mystery Science Theater 3000. Join Joel, Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot as they supply their own playful brand of commentaries on some of the most misunderstood masterpieces of cinema : Mad Monster, Manhunt in Space, Soultaker, and Final Justice.
Bonus Features:
* Brand new interview with Soultaker star and mst3k favorite Joe Estevez
* Brand new interiew with Final Justice star Greydon Clark
* Mike, Tom and Crow on the espn show Cheap Seats Without Ron Parker
* Original Mad Monster trailer
* 4 limited-edition mini-posters
Aside from reminding audiences just how unique and hilarious Mystery Science Theater 3000 was, the comedy series’ 20th anniversary in 2008 also kicked off a new round of DVD releases, the latest of which is compiled in Volume XIV. Longtime fans of the Peabody Award-winning show should be pleased to see that the set’s four episodes are split evenly between original host and creator Joel Hodgson and his replacement, head writer Mike Nelson. Joel rides herd on one of the earliest MST3K episodes, Season 1′s B&W chiller The Mad Monster, which also features writer J. Elvis Weinstein as both the voice of Tom Servo and Dr. Lawrence Erlich, assistant to Trace Beaulieu’s Dr. Forrester. It’s an enjoyable episode for hardcore fans and collectors, but nowhere near as polished as the work done by the original core lineup–Hodgson, Beaulieu as Crow and Kevin Murphy as Servo–in Season 4′s Manhunt in Space, a grisly mash-up of episodes from the ’50s TV sci-fi series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger. It’s by no means a classic from the Hodgson era, but definitely contains its shares of laughs and even some quirky host segments (the movie prompts an amusing debate on the use of the word “space” as a modifier). The Mike Nelson episodes, produced after the show shifted over to The Sci-Fi Channel, are equally solid efforts. Soultaker undergoes a punishing barrage of riffs from Mike and the ‘bots, and even features brief cameos from Hodgson and Frank Coniff as the much-loved TV’s Frank. Final Justice puts Joe Don Baker–star of the MST3K favorite Mitchell–in the line of fire again for a mostly funny show that focuses largely on the star’s beefy physique. Though none of the shows are high water marks for the series, you’re likely to find more laughs and creativity here than on most of the sitcoms plaguing the airwaves, and as such, are worthwhile investments for veteran MiSTies and first time viewers alike. The four DVD set includes all four complete episodes, as well as several extras – a slightly smaller batch than the 20th Anniversary Edition set, and less historically important, but entertaining all the same. Soultaker star Joe Estevez and Final Justice director Greydon Clark (Black Shampoo) show what good sports they are about being drubbed by the show in brief interviews, while Mike and the ‘bots reunite for an all-too-brief session of zingers on a 2005 excerpt from ESPN’s Cheap Seats Without Ron Parker. A trailer for Mad Monster rounds out the set. — Paul Gaita
Buy “Mystery Science Theater 3000, Vol. XIV “ For Only $27.72
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April 6, 2010
#1
I loved MST3K and watched it religiously for years, however a set with only 4 episodes is a ripoff, considering other TV programs are offering entire seasons for their shows priced similiarly. I will never buy any of this until entire seasons are available. Only one TV series is more of a ripoff DVD wise, and that is Bill Nye the Science Guy.
April 6, 2010
#2
As I long-time MST3K fan who watched the series in first run from its very first Comedy Channel showing (and I have seen all of the earlier KTMA-series as well), I can’t help but be disappointed in these Shout! Factory releases as compared to the Kino boxes. These are vastly inferior treatments both in the available extras on each disc and the almost laughable packaging of the box sets. Gone are the original MST episode reference numbers that Misties have reverently adhered to through the years. In place of the very informative packaging of old are garish cartoon covers that more closely resemble an old Archie & Jughead comic strip than anything remotely related to the series. They give zero information on the movies, stars or any other credits of either the originals or MST crew. The episodes themselves appear to be intact, but the individual discs skimp pathetically on any extras, most noticeably any of the original non-MST versions of the films. Granted, much of this may have been due to copyright restrictions, and it is tempting to just be grateful that any of these wonderful episodes area being re-released. On the other hand, I give a big thumbs down to this cheap and shoddy treatment by The Shout! Factory.
April 6, 2010
#3
I never tire of MST3K. And there are still a lot of good movies to issue! Bring ‘em on!
April 6, 2010
#4
What’s in store for you in Vol. XIV? Read on…
Mad Monster
A 1942 wannabe werewolf film shot in very badly fading black and white. The Plot? Well, a mad scientist, whose work was laughed out of his former university, uses a serum developed from wolves to turn his gardener into a mad monster and get back at those who wronged him. Lots of fog, lots of bad makeup effects, and a lot of terrifically bad acting. This is a Season One episode before TV’s Frank entered the picture, and includes a Commando Cody short. Joel Hosts.
Manhunt in Space
Made from three episodes of a TV show from the 1950s called “Rocky Jones, Space Ranger,” this is a generic tale of space pirates…IN SPACE! And a cloaking device. And a lot of people in capes, for some reason. I dunno. Rocky’s geeky sidekick bears the full brunt of Joel and the gang’s heckling. Some pure genius here, and there’s also a General Hospital short to start it all off.
Soul Taker
This episode from the final season finds Mike and crew dealing with a terrible life-after-death flick starring Joe Estevez as…the Soultaker. It’s so 80s, its hard to watch as the displaced souls of our heroes run around a town trying to outwit the Soultaker, who never seems to move faster than a brisk walk. And it’s written by one of the stars!
Final Justice
One of the my personal favorites, Joe Don Baker stars as a Texas sheriff who, by happenstance, finds himself chasing down a kingpin of crime in exotic . . . Malta? Another episode from the final season, Mike and the gang have a field day not only with Joe Don’s corpulent character, but also with the dismal portrayal of the island of Malta itself.
Enjoy!
April 6, 2010
#5
First of all, for everyone who keeps complaining that reviews/ratings of this Amazon.com product shouldn’t consider packaging and should only be about the episodes themselves: shut up. Of course we’re all buying the product because we KNOW we like the show. Hardcore fans have already seen all the episodes, so it’s not JUST about rating the episodes; it’s also about the treatment our beloved episodes are receiving. The show itself was on TV; there are websites you can go to if you want to rate JUST the show or an episode. Here, we’re rating a for-sale version of the show which people collect. As a collectible item, packaging matters, DVD extras matter, the way the scenes/chapters are marked matters. The price matters. The lame roman numerals on the front of the box matter. These ratings and reviews should be about a person’s opinion of the ENTIRE PRODUCT which includes, well, the entire product.
The episodes are great, maybe not the “classic” or “most requested” episodes that the distributor would have you believe, but they’re good solid episodes. What is disappointing to me about these newer sets is the packaging. Rhino had it right; I miss Rhino. I can really only repeat what others have said: The giant roman numerals on the front of the box are ugly and look like they were just put there because the graphic designer didn’t have any idea what the show was and got lazy. A little more time and effort on design would have been nice. The Rhino boxes were always really fun. I agree with other reviewers who have said that the scene selection isn’t what it should be, too. I hope they continue to put out these boxed sets though, and hopefully they’ll get better at it!