"Mystery Science Theater 3000" does what we'd all love to do when watching a bad movie, but hesitate due to courtesy or our own lack of wit: Offer our own biting commentary on the wretchedness before us. For 12 seasons, this sleeper cult TV hit used this idea (one that can never grow old because there will always be bad movies) to hilarious advantage. The plot was as follows: mad scientists Dr. Clayton Forrester and Dr. Larry Earhart (who was replaced one year later by doofy henchmen TV's Frank, who proved much more popular) run Gizmonics Institute. They have such an irrational dislike to quirky, sleepy-eyed custodian Joel Robinson (Joel Hodgson, the show's creator), that they blast him into space on the "Satellite of Love". As if that weren't bad enough, they force poor Joel to sit through bad movie day after day to study their effects on our hero's brain. Well, space gets pretty lonely, so Joel builds himself four robot companions (according to the show's theme, they're built from parts that could have helped him "control when the movies begin and end"). The main robots are suave smart-ass and occasional crooner Tom Servo (who is made from a gumball machine) and abrasive pop culture fiend Crow, a bizarre, gold, bird-like thing. There's also Gypsy, who controls the main functions of the ship and has a girlish crush on B-actor Richard Basehart, and Cambot, who tapes the show. Every week our hapless captives were sent an awful movie (just a reminder, these are REAL movies, and they have to be seen to be believed), each more horrendous than the last. Bad acting, cheesy scenery, plots that range from silly to reprehensible, lame special effects, laughable fashion, stilted dialogue, these movies have it all. Yet Joel and his plucky pals have a secret weapon: their never-ending supply of wisecracks at the rubbish they're forced to watch. Everything that comes out these guys' mouths is a comedic gem. Example?
Servo: What do you think the lesson of the movie was? Crow: Don't watch it.
Like all long running shows, "MST3K" went through many changes. Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank moved from Gizmonics to Deep 13, a lair located at the core of the Earth. Joel Hodgson left the show in 1993 and was replaced by one of the show's writers, Michael J. Nelson. Like the fictional Joel Robinson, "Mike Nelson" was an affable, All-American temp working in Deep 13 who was much disliked by the mad scientists (Dr. Forrester called him a "mild-mannered boob"). When Joel miraculously escapes after seeing the Joe Don Baker crapfest "Mitchell", Mike was immediately blasted into the Satellite of Love in Joel's place, and stayed for the rest of the show's run. Mike was an excellent replacement, having a slightly different comedic style than Joel, but still getting plenty of laughs. While Joel was more laid back and wry, Mike tended to be more blunt with his remarks during movies ("Did ANYONE know how to run in the '50s?" he quips during a horror film). Five years and one movie later, Dr. Forrester's mother Pearl was the main villain, along with her henchmen: Bobo, a simian professor, and the Observer, or "Brain Guy", a cloaked genius who transported movies with the power of his mind. No show has ever had one formula that stayed fresh for so long, and it's still a cult favorite that's a hit on DVD. Mike Nelson even keeps it up with Riff Trax, a web site where you can download his skewers of bad mainstream films like "Road House" and "The Phantom Menace". Yet the fine art of making fun of cheesy movies will belong to those silhouetted three chaps who tear sub par movies a new one. Yup, I stand by my statement: Best. Cult show. EVER!!
Servo: What do you think the lesson of the movie was? Crow: Don't watch it.
Like all long running shows, "MST3K" went through many changes. Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank moved from Gizmonics to Deep 13, a lair located at the core of the Earth. Joel Hodgson left the show in 1993 and was replaced by one of the show's writers, Michael J. Nelson. Like the fictional Joel Robinson, "Mike Nelson" was an affable, All-American temp working in Deep 13 who was much disliked by the mad scientists (Dr. Forrester called him a "mild-mannered boob"). When Joel miraculously escapes after seeing the Joe Don Baker crapfest "Mitchell", Mike was immediately blasted into the Satellite of Love in Joel's place, and stayed for the rest of the show's run. Mike was an excellent replacement, having a slightly different comedic style than Joel, but still getting plenty of laughs. While Joel was more laid back and wry, Mike tended to be more blunt with his remarks during movies ("Did ANYONE know how to run in the '50s?" he quips during a horror film). Five years and one movie later, Dr. Forrester's mother Pearl was the main villain, along with her henchmen: Bobo, a simian professor, and the Observer, or "Brain Guy", a cloaked genius who transported movies with the power of his mind. No show has ever had one formula that stayed fresh for so long, and it's still a cult favorite that's a hit on DVD. Mike Nelson even keeps it up with Riff Trax, a web site where you can download his skewers of bad mainstream films like "Road House" and "The Phantom Menace". Yet the fine art of making fun of cheesy movies will belong to those silhouetted three chaps who tear sub par movies a new one. Yup, I stand by my statement: Best. Cult show. EVER!!