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Update: Reviews of Vol. XXVII

Shout’s Vol. XXVII comes out in two weeks. Our pal Bruce Westbrook has a preview.

Erich Asperschlager of DVD Verdict weighs in.

As does Nick Lyons at DVD Corner.

And also Matt Hinrichs of DVD Talk.

61 Replies to “Update: Reviews of Vol. XXVII”

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  1. Gorn Captain says:

    Trace auditioned for Jar Jar? Mind blown! I hope we get to hear what voice he used…

    And where is Mr. Westbrook seeing SciFi era MST episodes in syndication?

       2 likes

  2. Goshzilla says:

    He probably meant they got jumbled in syndication.

    I’ve heard that Trace auditioned for Jar Jar, but it always falls right out of my head, like I can’t bring myself to imagine what could have been. I can see George saying, “No, not nearly offensive or irritating enough. I’m looking for more of a 1930s Looney Tunes feel. But more tasteless.”

       8 likes

  3. BIG61AL says:

    Nice review but I had to try hard not be a grammar nazi for the typos.
    Must be forgivefull, I really should just relax.
    I could see Trace as an opressive imperial officer in Star War but as Jar-Jar Binks – the horror, the horror.

       4 likes

  4. Luther Heggs aka Number 6 says:

    In a parallel universe, Trace did get the part. Fortunately, the almost identical character was fleshed out differently there and well loved by fans the world over, except in certain parts of Jersey, for obvious reasons.

    Interestingly, the Jer-Jer Zee character sported a sentient symbiotic Van Dyke parasite.

       5 likes

  5. snowdog says:

    Wow, I think they need to put a *SPOILER ALERT* on this review.

       5 likes

  6. ck says:

    I have to say, like the reviewer I liked the SciFi channel mandating a
    story line in Season 8. Of course, Mike et. al. seem to have felt differently,
    like many here. Think about it, won’t you?

       5 likes

  7. schippers says:

    As regards the Sci-Fi era storyline mandate – let’s NOT EVER forget that that mandate eventually birthed Roman Times.

    I love MST with a white-hot heat, but damn if Roman Times is not at the top of the list of the worst and most embarrassing garbage Best Brains ever put on cable TV.

    You know, apart from the embarrassing garbage they used for riff fodder. But that’s a different species of emabrrassing garbage, I’d say.

       5 likes

  8. Luther Heggs aka Number 6 says:

    Now wait a second…

    Wait a gosh… darn… second.

    Are we reviewing a review?

    If someone reviews our reviewing the review of Volume XXVII, will we wake from our lucid dream?

    :devil:

       8 likes

  9. Bill Haverchuck says:

    @7 – Agreed 100%. My fiancee & I have been watching the series in order over the past year (coincidentally, we’re finishing it up with Diabolik tonight!), & while she’s generally a fan of the Sci-Fi-era Mads (she started watching MST3K when it aired on Sci-Fi), even she had to admit that the majority of the Roman Times sketches stunk like hot garbage when we went through them. There IS a lot of fun to be had with the storylines in season 8 – the Mike Destroyer of Planets stories, the Observer planet, the wormhole, etc. – but that one just kinda arived DOA…

       4 likes

  10. Goshzilla says:

    Yup, the Roman Times bits were all clunkers, except maybe Callipygeas’ conquered grapes pun, and it’s a shame they weigh down otherwise classic experiments like Space Mutiny and Horror Of Party Beach. (Two of my all-time favorites despite the lousy sketches.)

    In other news, CNNdotcom has a rather non sequitur article about “bad movies” featuring the requisite misrepresentation of a certain puppet show…

       1 likes

  11. Professor Gunther says:

    I LIKE Roman Times. *Blush*

    I’ll never grow tired of watching Pearl and Brain Guy “jam,” and the fact that their jamming culminates (well, almost) in “We had joy, we had fun” (one of the VERY WORST songs ever written) makes it that much sweeter.

       7 likes

  12. ck says:

    Yeah, Roman Times had some good bits. And you got to
    see the REAL story of Rome’s fire and the unjust blame
    foisted on Nero.

       8 likes

  13. alex says:

    I can only image “Ohhhhh, this is going to get messy. Me no watchin.”

    No, I can’t.

    Rocket Attack U.S.A. ‘We can’t let this… be the end!”

    “Oh, yes we can.”

    One of my early MST3K experiences.
    “Help me.”

       3 likes

  14. I kinda like Roman times too, especially when Bobo refutes the notion that he swallowed a lady, by saying “I swallowed a wig” as if that was a normal thing to do. Stupid, maybe, but I laugh every time.

       11 likes

  15. Goshzilla says:

    Okay, fair enough. There were a few genuinely funny moments in Roman Times. How could there not? BUT, I proffer that almost all of them come from the intrinsic funniness of the characters we love, in spite of their situation. For example: “He swallowed a woman!” “I did not. I swallowed a wig.” I may be splitting hairs here, I admit.

    What it really comes down to is that an episode like Space Mutiny should be a perfect introductory episode to show a newbie based on the movie, but the host segments make no sense without context, and they’re not very funny to boot. (Plus, it feels better to blame the evil network than our worshipful Brains.)

       5 likes

  16. MikeK says:

    I like the Roman Times segments too. The Planet of the Apes stuff was fun. The Observer planet segments were a great homage to old sci-fi TV like The Outer Limits. Then there was the wandering around space and the wormhole which less to Roman Times. It all works when watched in order and there’s nothing wrong with it. Plus, after all of that, we get stand alone episodes with Time Chasers and the classic Public Pearl segments in Overdrawn at the Memory Bank.

       6 likes

  17. OnenuttyTanuki says:

    At #8
    Well either that or it becomes the Never Ending story of Reviews.

       2 likes

  18. Captn Ross Hagen says:

    #5 SNOWDOG—- I agree they should have put SPOILER ALERT on this review.
    I look forward to getting the sets when they come out and seeing the extras because it’s the only new stuff about the show/movie or MST cast.
    I know I didn’t have to read it ( DAMN THESE EYES OF MINE! ) but I did read it. Is there to be no surprises in our lives? We have to know about everything before it happens. While I was looking at the other posts my wife told me one of our Nieces had a baby boy. Like a bonehead I said “Oh that’s cool she waited to find out what she was having.” She says “No she knew she was having a boy, most people today know right from the start.”
    I said “Really,don’t people want to be surprised anymore?” I guess we need SPOILERS for everything today, like watching people text on their phones
    like every second of our lives has to be known and reported on as soon as it happens.
    Another rambling post from Ross Hagen.

       4 likes

  19. Tarlcabot says:

    The Roman Times bits are dreadful.
    However, I like exactly 2 things about them:
    1. The name Callipygeas is a pun on the word “callipygous”,Greek for “nice or big ass”.
    2. The conversion Pearl and Brain Guy have about what items would impress the Romans:
    “Riding lawnmower? JVC turntable?” Etc.
    The rest is junk.

       2 likes

  20. Savvy says:

    GIMME GIMME GIMME!

       2 likes

  21. bad wolf says:

    Is anyone going to buy direct from Shout! to get the bonus shorts disc? I’m kind of on the fence there.

       2 likes

  22. GizmonicTemp says:

    bad wolf #21 – I will NOT be. I believe all of the bonus shorts are already available on DVD except for Phantom Creeps 1 (Phantom Creeps 2 is shown with Rocket Attack USA, which is on THIS set).

    Tarlcabot #19 – Nice catch on “callipygous”. That’s awesome! I just realized that the Roman Times lasted just four episodes. I wonder if BBI thought they weren’t working, or they just wanted to try new stuff. I really enjoyed Flavia and Pearl duking it out and Bobo as the Mad Goth was GREAT!

       7 likes

  23. pondoscp says:

    So that means we’re only about a week away from the Vol. XXVIII announcement! Will Shout! Factory put out a set we’re expecting, or will they throw us a curveball?

       5 likes

  24. Mitchell Rowsdower Beardsley says:

    I really dislike most of the Mike era host segments, yet I love Season 8, so I’m really on my own in this strange world.

       1 likes

  25. Luther Heggs aka Number 6 says:

    @21 and 22

    For me to buy this volume direct from SHOUT!, the bonus disk would have to have significant bonus features that have nothing to do with the shorts being provided as a bonus.

    (Something along the lines of an hour long Ballyhoo documentary telling me how to exactly build MST3K props or an expose on Joel’s Secret Life At The Magic Castle or a special Cracking The Zodiac Killer’s Code with Tom Servo. You know. Bonus material that I can get excited about.)

       4 likes

  26. GizmonicTemp says:

    Mitchell Rowsdower Beardsley #24 – Joel and Mike host segs had two VERY different flavors. I believe I’ve heard it said that Joel was a college professor and Mike was a college boy when it came to host segments. Joel wanted to make a point, Mike wanted to take us on an adventure. On average, I lean ever so slightly towards Joel’s. That “charm” from Season 3 to early Season 5 is just so darn… comforting.

       6 likes

  27. TD says:

    I would like to buy through Shout for the bonus disc, I like the Radar Men one, but the last time I checked Amazon was $20 less. I think when Radar Men came out there was a $10 or less difference. I e-mailed Shout to see if they plan to come down again, but they did not respond.

       1 likes

  28. Duane Zykov says:

    I bought directly from Shout! because I like having every MST3K DVD that was made. I got a big collection, folks.

       3 likes

  29. Kenneth Morgan says:

    The lovely and talented Bridget as Flavia is reason enough to justify the Roman Times storyline.

       7 likes

  30. Steelhawk says:

    I ordered mine through Shout to get the bonus disc and as a bonus bonus, it arrived today. Now I just have to decide which episode to watch first. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

       6 likes

  31. schippers says:

    #21 – I wonder if the people who did not snap up Volumes and 9 and 10 (before there was a volume 10.2) asked themselves a similar question…

    But that’s just the psychotic collector in me talking.

       3 likes

  32. Bob Johnson says:

    im just waiting to see the announcement of volume 28 now :) which im sure will be out by Christmas time

       4 likes

  33. Jose Chung says:

    Anybody at the Comicon? Maybe they can go to the shout booth and ask when they plan to make the announcement for vol 28.

       3 likes

  34. Sugar Magnolia says:

    @ Bob Johnson. Me too! That’s part of the excitement for me with the release of each new volume, finding out what’s coming out next.

    Yeah, some of the Roman Times stuff was a bit clunky, but there were some really great moments too. I also loved Bobo’s indignation when Brain Guy accuses him of swallowing a woman.

       1 likes

  35. noplot says:

    Keep your eyes on your mailboxes: my set (though not the extra serial disk) arrived today, four days early! :-)) I’m guessing the serial disk was shipped separately.

       2 likes

  36. ToolAssist says:

    Got my set today too! I’m gonna go watch some “Slime People” as I’m curious as if the better print will help me understand the movie more. All those DAP copies have so much fog and the VHS artifacts, and my enjoyment will probably rise from a clean print.

       3 likes

  37. Goshzilla says:

    Spoiler alert: The Slime People is still foggy and nonsensical on DVD.

       5 likes

  38. Joseph Nebus says:

    My copy arrived today too! I haven’t taken it out of the mailing envelope because I want to respect the release date. Well and because I didn’t have time to watch it today because I was busy prying open the window that’s been sealed closed since the Ford administration and I am the greatest person ever because I succeeded thank you very much.

       4 likes

  39. Creepygirl says:

    Mine also arrived today (yesterday as I write) and already watched VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS. Great episode.

    The bonus disc is also cool.

    Anyone that did not order the bonus disc will probably regret it and have to buy it on ebay for like $1000 bucks in the future.

    Remember Vol. 10?

       2 likes

  40. Dr. Frankenkeister says:

    Just got mine today in the mail and with the bonus disc! Kudos and more kudos to Shout Factory for more than making up for the last time I ordered directly from them!

    Sadly I am not a respector of release dates and this set is going in straightaway!

       0 likes

  41. MikeK says:

    My set arrived in the mail today. It’s nice to finally get one of these sets a few days early. Anything I pre-order from Amazon arrives nearly a week later after the release date. Thanks Shout! Factory.

       0 likes

  42. pondoscp says:

    I ran outside after reading everyone saying their’s showed up early, and low and behold, there was mine in the mailbox! Yay!

       2 likes

  43. Goshzilla says:

    It’s about 200° F in my mailbox, so I’m glad I didn’t preorder one.

       1 likes

  44. Duane Zykov says:

    #43 It’s OK, melted MST3K works great as a cooking oil. Heck, I deep-fried my Hamlet DVD and used it as a pizza topping.

       4 likes

  45. Captn Ross Hagen says:

    I got my copy yesterday 7/20 as well. We live in a 4 family apt. and never use the front door unless to do laundry in the basement.
    I got behind with laundry so I went out the front door and when I got to the first floor saw my package ( the DVD set not my —well you know )
    leaning against the wall. I was a happy little clam when I saw that, and #43 Goshzilla I’m glad it wasn’t in the mail box out side. Not only because of the heat but also the mailman we have never closes the box and we had a huge downpour yesterday as well.

       1 likes

  46. Captn Ross Hagen says:

    SHOUT I would like to say thank you for all you do with these set’s of our favorite show. Each set is always a high point for me when it arrives. And in this case I thought I’d be seeing it Thursday or Friday so to have it at the end of a bad week of work was a sweet treat indeed. The bonus DVD is great as well, I was hoping to see more of the shorts on single discs and that’s what we got. Thanks again, and I only wish in the future you could do a shorts set with a disc of Joel and a disc of Mike. I know RIHINO did them and I only got Vol.1 and Vol. 2 on tape and DVD, I never got Vol.3. But if you could re-do them with intros by Tom ( like in Vol.1 ) and Crow and any cast members for that matter like even Jeff The Tool Master it would be so cool.

       4 likes

  47. me says:

    #3…I think it’s the how-dare-you-correct-me crowd that are the nazi’s…not the people pointing out there mangling of the language.

       1 likes

  48. ?????? says:

    I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own blog and was curious what all is needed to get setup? I’m assuming
    having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
    I’m not very web smart so I’m not 100% certain. Any suggestions
    or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

       0 likes

  49. GizmonicTemp says:

    Noooooo!!! I had my set mailed to my office!!! (I bang on office door yelling “Let me in!!” Police are called. Owner shows up and is impressed with my passion and thus gives me a promotion while asking that I work on my execution of said passion.) Oh well, at least Monday won’t be so Monday-ish if I have an MST3K box set waiting for me!

       5 likes

  50. Creeping-Death says:

    I’m glad Susan Hart wasn’t able to block The Slime People, which she appeared in, like she has blocked Amazing Colossal Man, Attack of The The Eye Creatures, It Conquered the World, Terror From The Year 5000 and I Was a Teenage Werewolf.

       1 likes

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