K10 Cosmic Princess: I really enjoy watching the characters slowly evolve into their roles. It can be very interesting seeing how they acted in the show's genesis. However, there is one exception. I practically dread seeing KTMA Gypsy. Now I have nothing but respect and admiration for Josh, Dr. Erhardt has his moments and I absolutely LOVE his Tom Servo. That being said, the voice that he did for Gypsy is painful, most notably the noise that she makes when she's upset *shudders*.
I've heard of "Space:1999" and, being a the Sci-fi lover that I am, I've had it on my list for quite some time now. The fact that "Cosmic Princess" is just two episodes stitched into one movie just gives me an excuse to be lazy. Why hunt down a show when you just watch it on another show? To be fair, I don't think that I got that good of a taste. I'm pretty sure that these where some of the later episodes because it feels like there's a bunch of things that I should know (like some of the character's relationships) and, to be honest that bugged the heck out of me. Aside from that the "movie" was just cheap, silly SCI-FI sholck, which I'm a bit of a sucker for.
Verdict: 3/4-Watchable! It's silly, cheap, and the acting ranges form decent to REALLY crappy. Sadly, there are some dull moments, and some confusing parts.
Once again, much like the majority of KTMA episodes, there are a bundle of giggles, a few out-right laughs, patches of silence, and missed opportunities in the theater. There are a few really funny riffs early on, but it soon devolves into the standard KTMA giggle fest.
Opener: The mads have fun with their no-D glasses.
Seg1: Crow gives Joel a haircut.
Seg2: The bots try to evolve, ending with Servo jumping off the desk and losing his head.
seg3: While doing Joel's taxes the bots notice that they are listed as Business Expenses and they are not happy about it.
End: Joel and the bots play football.
Overall: The host segs are just sorta forgettable , but seg 2 did get a chuckle out of me. That would certainly not be the last time that Tom's head would take some punishment.
Verdict: 2/6-Meh! A bunch of giggles, some blank moments, and a couple of laughs. It's nothing to write home about.
This is a weekly updated blog, wherein I (Asterisk Dan) post reviews of episodes from the cult hit Mystery Science Theater 3000 in chronological order. So, as Dr. Erhardt would say, Enjoy!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
K09 Phase IV
K09 Phase IV: Something that I've noticed throughout these early episodes was Crow's evolution. In the earlier episodes Crow had a very artificial sounding voice, he only called Joel by his full name (he had yet to take the Robinson surname), and he felt more reserved than the other cast members. Ironically, he acted very robotic, which is a stark difference from the sarcastic, energetic, and somewhat childlike Crow that we would come to know and love in the later seasons. Well, at least while Trace was in the role.
Not a lot of people like this movie from what I've seen/read. I've heard that it's boring and/or pretentious, but I really liked it. Yeah, the idea of a huge colony of super smart ants is a bit silly, but the film makes it pretty interesting. The cinematography was also pretty impressive. But, I had a mixed reaction to the ending.
Verdict: 4/4-Fun! the premise was silly, and there are some kinda dumb parts, but it's well made and overall pretty interesting.
Joel and the bots have a lot of fun with the idea of super smart ants, which results in some good laughs in the theater. There is a lot of cute wordplay involving ants and Josh seemed to have fun with the "Math is the universal language" idea that the film seems to love so much.
Opener the mads talking about needing a huge amount of money so they sold Joel's car, which actually had $30,000 in it!
Seg1: Joel and the bots discuss Asimov's three robotic laws.
Seg2: Joel and the bot talking about what they'll do when/if they ever get on earth.
Seg3 the boys play I Spy and Joel "sings" "Whipeout".
End: Crow and Gypsy reciting Joel's fourth robotic law.
Overall: I liked the opener, and the end of seg 2 gave me a good laugh. The rest where meh.
Verdict: 3/6-Fine! There where some pretty funny moments, but the dead spots kept it from being really funny.
Not a lot of people like this movie from what I've seen/read. I've heard that it's boring and/or pretentious, but I really liked it. Yeah, the idea of a huge colony of super smart ants is a bit silly, but the film makes it pretty interesting. The cinematography was also pretty impressive. But, I had a mixed reaction to the ending.
Verdict: 4/4-Fun! the premise was silly, and there are some kinda dumb parts, but it's well made and overall pretty interesting.
Joel and the bots have a lot of fun with the idea of super smart ants, which results in some good laughs in the theater. There is a lot of cute wordplay involving ants and Josh seemed to have fun with the "Math is the universal language" idea that the film seems to love so much.
Opener the mads talking about needing a huge amount of money so they sold Joel's car, which actually had $30,000 in it!
Seg1: Joel and the bots discuss Asimov's three robotic laws.
Seg2: Joel and the bot talking about what they'll do when/if they ever get on earth.
Seg3 the boys play I Spy and Joel "sings" "Whipeout".
End: Crow and Gypsy reciting Joel's fourth robotic law.
Overall: I liked the opener, and the end of seg 2 gave me a good laugh. The rest where meh.
Verdict: 3/6-Fine! There where some pretty funny moments, but the dead spots kept it from being really funny.
K08 Gamera vs Gurion
K08 Gamera vs Gurion: The Gamera films where show completely out of order this season (2-1-3-5-4), and after four Gamera flicks, I'm kinda glad that it's over. For now...
This is THE Gamera movie. It's the one that pretty much every b-movie lover has seen. It's one of the Goofiest movies ever made. The plot is INSANE, the Kenny replacements are improbably smart for being seven years old, and Gurion is a walking knife for Pete's sake!
Verdict:4/4-Fun! It's so silly and insane, that it's pant loads of fun!
With a movie this silly, it's almost impossible to not have fun riffing it! The riffing was fast paced (well, for KTMA, anyway) and there where some big laugh's to be had. The boys did a pretty good job with this one. I especially loved it when ever Servo would point out How the kids seem to know how everything one the alien plant works, when they've only been there for about twelve minuets.
Opener: It seems like the mads are out of bad movies, until they find the last Gamera movie (that they had anyway).
Seg1: Crow is accidently K.Oed by Gypsy and has a dream in which he switches place with the mads and forces them to watch "A Planet of the Apes Christmas".
Seg2: Crow and Sevro discussing their dreams, only to get them confused with sitcoms and fantasies.
Seg3: J and the bot talking about their dreams. We end with Joel, Crow, and Gypsy singing Satellite of Love.
Overall: The host segs are pretty fun.I really liked segments one and two. Most notably, was Josh's reaction to "A Planet of the Apes Christmas".
Verdict: 4/6-Good! This is proof that the KTMA era can produce some actually decent episodes . The riffing was pretty good, the host segments where original, and come on, "A Planet of the Apes Christmas"!
This is THE Gamera movie. It's the one that pretty much every b-movie lover has seen. It's one of the Goofiest movies ever made. The plot is INSANE, the Kenny replacements are improbably smart for being seven years old, and Gurion is a walking knife for Pete's sake!
Verdict:4/4-Fun! It's so silly and insane, that it's pant loads of fun!
With a movie this silly, it's almost impossible to not have fun riffing it! The riffing was fast paced (well, for KTMA, anyway) and there where some big laugh's to be had. The boys did a pretty good job with this one. I especially loved it when ever Servo would point out How the kids seem to know how everything one the alien plant works, when they've only been there for about twelve minuets.
Opener: It seems like the mads are out of bad movies, until they find the last Gamera movie (that they had anyway).
Seg1: Crow is accidently K.Oed by Gypsy and has a dream in which he switches place with the mads and forces them to watch "A Planet of the Apes Christmas".
Seg2: Crow and Sevro discussing their dreams, only to get them confused with sitcoms and fantasies.
Seg3: J and the bot talking about their dreams. We end with Joel, Crow, and Gypsy singing Satellite of Love.
Overall: The host segs are pretty fun.I really liked segments one and two. Most notably, was Josh's reaction to "A Planet of the Apes Christmas".
Verdict: 4/6-Good! This is proof that the KTMA era can produce some actually decent episodes . The riffing was pretty good, the host segments where original, and come on, "A Planet of the Apes Christmas"!
K07 Gamera vs Zigera
K07 Gamera vs Zigera: I have to admit, while it's far the funniest season, the KTMA era is starting to really grow on me. It has a very unique charm with it's ultra-low budget, ad-libbing, and the feeling that everybody is just there to have some fun. In a way, the un-professionalism is the reason why I find it so charming.
It's hard to find something new to say about the Gamera flicks. This one is even sillier than than the last! This time, the monster is an evil, eco-terrorist shark-thing from space! The two kids that obsess over Gamera in this one aren't as annoying as Kenny, but they aren't even necessary. At least Itchy moved the plot along, all that these kid really do is whine. The battles are meh, so it doesn't even hold up it's own in that regard. It's not as bad as "Gamera", but it's not as fun as "Gamera vs Gaos".
Verdict: 2/4-Bad! It's silly, but a bit bland and annoying.
Finally! The cast is complete once more! With Crow finally unfrozen, Trace can finally bring his flare back to the show. However, the theater segments aren't that great. They are still better than last week, but all that I really got from it where a bundle of giggles, and little, if any, out-loud laughs.
Opener: Crow gets unfrozen.
Seg1: The first appearance of the mads! Unhappy with the ratings, they threaten Joel with the prospect of being sent under water and forced to watch a bunch of Jacques Cousteau movies.
Seg2: The bots try to cheer Joel up with some messages.
Seg3: has J/the bots talking about thier new year's resolutions.
End: Crow and Tom's reviews of the movie.
Overall: The Host segs are also just sorta Ok.
Verdict: 2/5-Meh! There where some giggles to be had, but that's about it.
It's hard to find something new to say about the Gamera flicks. This one is even sillier than than the last! This time, the monster is an evil, eco-terrorist shark-thing from space! The two kids that obsess over Gamera in this one aren't as annoying as Kenny, but they aren't even necessary. At least Itchy moved the plot along, all that these kid really do is whine. The battles are meh, so it doesn't even hold up it's own in that regard. It's not as bad as "Gamera", but it's not as fun as "Gamera vs Gaos".
Verdict: 2/4-Bad! It's silly, but a bit bland and annoying.
Finally! The cast is complete once more! With Crow finally unfrozen, Trace can finally bring his flare back to the show. However, the theater segments aren't that great. They are still better than last week, but all that I really got from it where a bundle of giggles, and little, if any, out-loud laughs.
Opener: Crow gets unfrozen.
Seg1: The first appearance of the mads! Unhappy with the ratings, they threaten Joel with the prospect of being sent under water and forced to watch a bunch of Jacques Cousteau movies.
Seg2: The bots try to cheer Joel up with some messages.
Seg3: has J/the bots talking about thier new year's resolutions.
End: Crow and Tom's reviews of the movie.
Overall: The Host segs are also just sorta Ok.
Verdict: 2/5-Meh! There where some giggles to be had, but that's about it.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
K06 Gamera vs Gaos
K06 Gamera vs Gaos: One of my favorite things about the KTMA era is that it feels like a bunch of friends just having a good time with a bad movie. It feels very genuine, less like a TV show and more like a visit with some very funny buddies. That's another reason why I really don't like it when a cast member is MIA They all bring something unique to the show and when one of them is gone the show feels very incomplete.
The third Gamera film is even sillier that the last (Gamera vs Barugan was the 2nd, with Gamera being the first)! The dubbing is still silly as ever, the fights are pretty fun (and bloody to boot), and the plot is goofy enough to make Kenny embarrassed. Speaking of the shorts-loving dweeb, we have a new Gamera loving kid, the chunky Itchy. I like Itchy much more than Kenny. Yeah, he's still annoying, but he's leagues more competent than any of the adults in this movie, which I found pretty funny.
Verdict: 3/4-Watchable! Silly and Violent, it can be fun, but it's still a bit annoying.
Josh is back in the theater and right off it's much better than last week's rather large Ack! Josh and Joel have fun with this very silly movie and it makes for some pretty good moments (I really liked Joel's reading of the credits in the beginning). But Trace's absence takes is still pretty noticeable. There where a lot of giggles to be had, but I never really laughed out loud. I can't help but to feel that, with crow in there, it could have been a bit of a harder hitter.
Opener: a message from a guy that's getting tired of Gamera calls in and Joel asks that no more scary guys with low IQs call in, they're scaring Gypsy.
Seg1: Joel switches Tom's voice, ending with a large amount of Josh's impressions, until he reaches the familiar mighty voice!
Seg2: has a caller that want's Crow to be back, and Gypsy eats Crow's tensile.
Seg3: we get an adorable call from a little boy that invites the crew to his birthday party. They can't come, but servo does give some pretty epic advice.
End: with an announcement about a special new year's MST3K episode.
Overall: The host segments are pretty enjoyable, but Gypsy's scream when the mad's picture is shown in the opener is quite possibly the most terrifying thing that I've ever heard. In seg one we said goodbye to Servo's Kermit voice and hello to his iconic baritone voice. This would not be the last time that Tom Servo's would change...
Verdict: 2/6-Meh! The host segments where okay, but the theater segments left something to be desired.
The third Gamera film is even sillier that the last (Gamera vs Barugan was the 2nd, with Gamera being the first)! The dubbing is still silly as ever, the fights are pretty fun (and bloody to boot), and the plot is goofy enough to make Kenny embarrassed. Speaking of the shorts-loving dweeb, we have a new Gamera loving kid, the chunky Itchy. I like Itchy much more than Kenny. Yeah, he's still annoying, but he's leagues more competent than any of the adults in this movie, which I found pretty funny.
Verdict: 3/4-Watchable! Silly and Violent, it can be fun, but it's still a bit annoying.
Josh is back in the theater and right off it's much better than last week's rather large Ack! Josh and Joel have fun with this very silly movie and it makes for some pretty good moments (I really liked Joel's reading of the credits in the beginning). But Trace's absence takes is still pretty noticeable. There where a lot of giggles to be had, but I never really laughed out loud. I can't help but to feel that, with crow in there, it could have been a bit of a harder hitter.
Opener: a message from a guy that's getting tired of Gamera calls in and Joel asks that no more scary guys with low IQs call in, they're scaring Gypsy.
Seg1: Joel switches Tom's voice, ending with a large amount of Josh's impressions, until he reaches the familiar mighty voice!
Seg2: has a caller that want's Crow to be back, and Gypsy eats Crow's tensile.
Seg3: we get an adorable call from a little boy that invites the crew to his birthday party. They can't come, but servo does give some pretty epic advice.
End: with an announcement about a special new year's MST3K episode.
Overall: The host segments are pretty enjoyable, but Gypsy's scream when the mad's picture is shown in the opener is quite possibly the most terrifying thing that I've ever heard. In seg one we said goodbye to Servo's Kermit voice and hello to his iconic baritone voice. This would not be the last time that Tom Servo's would change...
Verdict: 2/6-Meh! The host segments where okay, but the theater segments left something to be desired.
K05 Gamera
K05 Gamera: The crew didn't get paid very much during their time at KTMA. Because of this they had to keep doing other work on the side to make ends meat. Sadly, this meant that there where times when a cast member (or two) couldn't show up for the filming of an episode. This is one of those episodes. Trace had to be out of town and for some reason Josh was there for the host segments but not the theater segments.
You know how I said that last week's movie wasn't Gamera's worst? Well, I found a strong contender in this mess of a film. There exist two cuts of this movie, one that's not that bad, and the Sandy Frank version. To no man's surpise, this is the later. Gamera is actually a pretty cool Kaiju, and it is amusing to watch as the military comes up with failed plan after failed plan to take him down. The biggest problem with this movie can be spelled in five letters: Kenny. He's really, REALLY obnoxious and the whole "Gamera is a good Turtle" crap doesn't hold up, what with him killing hundreds and all.
Verdict:2/4-Bad! It's silly, but WAY to annoying.
Crow is frozen, so that the SOL can have a Christmas tree and Tom just isn't in the theater (maybe he had better things to do, I dunno), so Joel is left all by his lonesome with a very bad movie. Poor Joel tries to make this fun, but without anyone to bounce off of, he's only working at about half power this week. Tom and Crow are sorely missed, for in their place is utter, laughless, silence. Joel fought back, but Gamera won.
Opener: shows Crow getting Frozen and Joel announcing the film's title.
Seg1: We have a call that asks who does Joel's hair.
Seg2: Shows a kid who wants Godzilla on the show and the Ted Turner call-in contest.
Seg3: Even more messages, including a very pro-Gamera fellow and an anti-Gamera fellow. End: Joel telling Gypsy about the holidays.
Overall:The host segments are, meh. I swear that the pro-Gamera and Anti-Gamer fellows where the same guy...oh and I'm pretty sure that he didn't say ship! I did like the call-in contest questions though.
Verdict: 1/6-Ack! There is a huge amount of silence in theater, with a VERY annoying movie. Tom and Crow's absence means that we only have 1 third of the usual horse power and in the end I'm just relived to have been done with it.
You know how I said that last week's movie wasn't Gamera's worst? Well, I found a strong contender in this mess of a film. There exist two cuts of this movie, one that's not that bad, and the Sandy Frank version. To no man's surpise, this is the later. Gamera is actually a pretty cool Kaiju, and it is amusing to watch as the military comes up with failed plan after failed plan to take him down. The biggest problem with this movie can be spelled in five letters: Kenny. He's really, REALLY obnoxious and the whole "Gamera is a good Turtle" crap doesn't hold up, what with him killing hundreds and all.
Verdict:2/4-Bad! It's silly, but WAY to annoying.
Crow is frozen, so that the SOL can have a Christmas tree and Tom just isn't in the theater (maybe he had better things to do, I dunno), so Joel is left all by his lonesome with a very bad movie. Poor Joel tries to make this fun, but without anyone to bounce off of, he's only working at about half power this week. Tom and Crow are sorely missed, for in their place is utter, laughless, silence. Joel fought back, but Gamera won.
Opener: shows Crow getting Frozen and Joel announcing the film's title.
Seg1: We have a call that asks who does Joel's hair.
Seg2: Shows a kid who wants Godzilla on the show and the Ted Turner call-in contest.
Seg3: Even more messages, including a very pro-Gamera fellow and an anti-Gamera fellow. End: Joel telling Gypsy about the holidays.
Overall:The host segments are, meh. I swear that the pro-Gamera and Anti-Gamer fellows where the same guy...oh and I'm pretty sure that he didn't say ship! I did like the call-in contest questions though.
Verdict: 1/6-Ack! There is a huge amount of silence in theater, with a VERY annoying movie. Tom and Crow's absence means that we only have 1 third of the usual horse power and in the end I'm just relived to have been done with it.
K04 Gamera vs Barugon
K04 Gamera Vs Barugon: The first KTMA era epsiode avilble, K04 gives us our first taste of the primorial ooze that would one day become the greatest thing on TV. Tom Servo still talked in his strange Kermit vioce, and voice mail was played.
Movie: This isn't the worst Gamera movie out there . It's got some figgin' hilarious dubbing (that Joel and the bots never seem to take advantage of), some VERY strange plot elements ( Barugon has a rainbow death ray!) and a pretty nice monster brawl at the end. It dose have it's dull moments, but I thought that it was still a bit fun.
Verdict: 3/4-Watchable! Silly giant monster fun, but a bit dull at some points.
Riffing: This experiment is, much like the majority of the KTMA Episodes, very rough around the edges. The first half of the theater time is pretty silent, but after the monster Barugon attacks the city things pick up a bit. There are some very funny riffs ("Nothing disgraces a turtle more than getting shot with corn starch!"), but it takes a pretty long time for the riffing to pick up the pace.
Host segments:
Opener: Joel informs us on which flick will be shown and plays a rather positive message.
Seg1: We get the two most well known messages played; the guy that doesn't get it, and the famous "MORE MORE MORE!".
Seg2: we hear from a guy that thinks that the show needs more chalpstick(!?). This becomes a running joke in the episode.
Seg3:Crow's hygiene advice.
End: Crow and Servo's prank calls.
Overall: I LOVED the last two segment's. Crows advice of "Never stick something in your ear larger than a pirate " had me in stitches!
Verdict: 3/6-Fine! The silence in the first half was a bit awkward, but once it picked up it was pretty decent. I'd say that it's a soft 3/6.
Scoring system
Scoring System:
Rating system:
Experement-
1- Ack! Mildly amusing at best.
2- Meh! I Giggled a bit. Watchable, but not recomended.
3- Fine! Funny, but it could be alot funnier.
4- Good! Very funny.
5- Great! Extremely funny and spot on.
6- Amazing! I laughed untill my windpipe exploded!
Movie:
0-Deep hurting!
1-Awful!
2-Bad!
3-Watchable!
4- Fun!
Rating system:
Experement-
1- Ack! Mildly amusing at best.
2- Meh! I Giggled a bit. Watchable, but not recomended.
3- Fine! Funny, but it could be alot funnier.
4- Good! Very funny.
5- Great! Extremely funny and spot on.
6- Amazing! I laughed untill my windpipe exploded!
Movie:
0-Deep hurting!
1-Awful!
2-Bad!
3-Watchable!
4- Fun!
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