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Weekend Discussion Thread: MST3K Live — thoughts?

Tonight, in Atlanta, is the final stop on the “MST3K Live: Watch Out for Snakes” national tour, so if you’re headed there tonight, you might want to wait till tomorrow to join us.

I saw the show in Philadelphia (or, rather, in a leafy Philadelphia suburb north of the city called Glenside), in a lovely old movie house called the Keswick.

The show was terrific and I laughed and laughed all night long. Joel was, of course, great, and Jonah was cool and relaxed and very funny. But I expected that. I want to praise Tim Ryder, who filled in for Hampton Baron and did splendidly, but especially Rebecca Hanson, who was, really a standout and who was completely unflummoxed by a couple line flubs (I’m sure Joel had some notes for his cast after the show was over).

The first movie was, as advertised “Eegah!” and the riffing was very very good, and I liked that in four or five places they just accepted that the funniest possible riff had already been written and just went ahead and used them, but mostly offered a brand new take on that terrible movie.

The “surprise” second movie was 1967’s “Argoman the Fantastic Superman,” sort of “”Secret Agent Super Dragon” meets “The Pumaman.” Again the riffing was very strong and I loved it.

One negative thought: I’m not sure “Clowns in the Sky” is the optimal choice for a big closer. I miss Lou Reed’s “Satellite of Love.”

My grade: A.

Your thoughts?

54 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: MST3K Live — thoughts?”

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  1. Too bad at least one of those shows couldn’t be videoed for those of us who would never get a chance to see them otherwise.

    (Kind of the same issue with Cinema Titanic on a couple of their own shows). Even if rights issues were a problem now, you never know what could happen in the future (as Shout has proven).

       10 likes

  2. Laura says:

    They never came to New Jersey and I live too far from Glenside when they came in July. Taping it would’ve been wonderful for people like me who don’t have easy access to theater halls.

       5 likes

  3. We saw the show last night in Nashville. We saw the first show (“Eegah!” of course), and the the Polk Theater was packed. (Joel said there were still some good seats for the second show, and my bet is that many stayed for it.) We went nuts when Joel came out, and the energy in the house never flagged. The riffing was very, very solid, and I thought everyone did great in the live situation. I’m with Sampo — Tim Ryder did an excellent job, and so did Rebecca Hanson. In fact, Rebecca was key to keeping it all going (as far as I’m concerned). Hampton was there (Tim was filling in for Baron, Sampo!), and I have to say that while I have been impressed with him from the word go, I am now a HUGE Hampton Yount fan. He WAS Crow last night for me!

    Too much to say, but I loved it, and I am so grateful I got a chance to see them live!

    My grade — A+ (because I’m a nerd, and was just so happy to be there)!

       4 likes

  4. ripmcstudly says:

    We saw the show in Baltimore. I guess we were pretty badly undersold: they moved all of the second level tickets down to the first floor, and there was still a sizeable number of empty seats. The show wasn’t bad, and didn’t seem to be as badly rifflogged as season 11 was at its worst moments. They fed Crow some pretty cringey “The Wire” jokes, but I can’t believe they spent too much time working on them, so I wouldn’t complain. I would still very much have preferred a simulcast event, as a joke or two about local food isn’t really worth the number of riffs I missed because of the crowd. Jonah seems to have grown his hair out a bit, which I think makes his silhouette more expressive. All in all, the show went a good ways towards making me like season 11 again, but I’d still like to see better riff pacing and an explanation of how aware they were of the very similar 2016 Rifftrax version of Wizards of the Lost Kingdom before I’d support another Kickstarter.

       3 likes

  5. majorjoe23 says:

    Mike “ex-genius” Kelley:
    Too bad at least one of those shows couldn’t be videoed for those of us who would never get a chance to see them otherwise.

    (Kind of the same issue with Cinema Titanic on a couple of their own shows).Even if rights issues were a problem now, you never know what could happen in the future (as Shout has proven).

    They have videoed several of the performances and at one of the shows Joel said they hoped to release one. If I had to guess, they’ll release the live Eegah and use the other film’s live script for a season 12 episode.

       6 likes

  6. Danzilla "Cornjob" McLargeHuge, Student of Kaijuology says:

    I saw both shows in a little Chicago theater nearly a month ago. After years of being a MSTie, watching the entire series multiple times through, catching four Cinematic Titanic riffs, and seeing nearly every Rifftrax show in theaters… that night was probably the hardest I have ever laughed in my entire life.

    They nailed it. The riffing was truly brilliant on both films. The host segments were hysterical as well, and the feeling truly was that of being on the SOL during an episode. Both riffs were equally funny, so I don’t truly have a favorite, but I have to give props to Argoman for simply being a weird movie that I had never seen or heard of before, and the PERFECT movie for MST3K.

    The cast was brilliant. Jonah was a sweaty mess after two straight shows, but he never lost an ounce of infectious energy. Hampton, as mentioned above, was incredible. The man is some kind of mad comic genius, and if he wasn’t Crow before, he darn well is now. He was born to do this role.

    And then there is Tim Ryder as Tom Servo! AMAZING!!!! He fit the role like a glove, and (no offense to my man Baron), there were many moments during both the host segments and riffing when I preferred his performance to Baron’s. Already many fans are calling for Tim to take over the role for the still up in the air Season 12. Should he? I ask YOU, Morton Kondracke!

    Rebecca and Grant Baciocco deserve mad props as well for so wonderfully portraying a much funnier and likable Synthia and a goofy Bonehead, respectively. During the invention exchange at the Chicago Argoman showing, she accidentally called up a random audience member that wasn’t the “trained in” plant to the stage, prompting Joel to come out and correct the situation before the random guy got sprayed with snakes. Rebecca handled it like a pro, improving her way through the gaff and killing the audience with laughter. Jonah and the bots got in on the damage control, and what would otherwise have been a showstopping snafu turned into an hysterical hilight.

    I think one of the reasons these two shows say so well with me was the technical aspect of it. It just felt so perfectly and comfortingly like MST3K, I was immediately at home. The live aspect meant that the “there was a problem… they kept going” aspect of so many episodes was present here. Servo’s arm and head even fell off during one of the shows! The crowd went nuts! Also, I’m not going to lie… seeing Gypsy back in her classic design was a joy. The crowd went INSAnE when she popped up from behind the desk like the old days. (I had a balcony seat, and could see that it was actually Joel puppetering her! He kept himself busy during the shows!)

    One of the biggest of these comforting aspects was actually the performances of the bots. Unlike the Season 11 episodes, in which two or three puppeteers were used to control each bot, the live shows actually had Hampton and Tim on the floor operating their own bots! The theater setup was another breath of fresh air. Season 11’s setup was pretty, but seemed needlessly complicated. Crisp black images, moving to pre-recorded dialogue, digital touch ups. The live shows felt a little more familiar: the guys would appear behind what was essentially a sheet, through which their sillouettes could be seen. It was awesome to see the guys in a very traditional MST3K setup: no digital flying Tom (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), no crowded floor with multiple puppeteers for each bot… just the host and two painted black bots sitting in front of a movie screen like the good ol’ days. The fact that they were delivering their lines live didn’t hurt either! I hope Season 12 takes a similar approach.

    (How do I know the bots are painted black? Rebecca recently tweeted a behind the scenes pic of the guys behind the screen, and it’s easy to see that the bots are indeed black! One other interesting thing to note about the picture: it appears as though the cast is actually facing the audience, with Crow sitting to Jonah’s left and Tom on his right. The sillouettes appear reversed to the correct positions (Tom on left, Crow on right) from the audience’s perspective. A cool little detail I thought I’d share!)

    All in all, the live shows were a triumph. It took the wonderful cast and aesthetics of Season 11, combined it with the old school technical aspects of the original MST3K that the new season was missing, threw in a live audience, and created legitimate magic. As much as I enjoyed Season 11, these two live episodes were funnier by far. I hope the cast and crew take what was learned during this live tour and apply it to any potential future seasons.

    Also, for those of you who missed one or both of the shows and are lamenting not being able to have seen them, there may be hope. While no plans to release the shows on DVD or digitally have been announced, Joel has said that they ARE recording shows, and recently let slip that they are trying to get the rights to release ONE of the shows! Which one, I don’t know, but it’s better than nothing! I expect a live show release announcement to follow soon after tonight’s show; announcing it earlier might have heart ticket sales. Who knows… if Eegah ends up getting released, maybe Argoman will return for Season 12! Keep your fingers crossed!

       11 likes

  7. Yeti of Great Danger says:

    Can’t comment on something I have no access to. So…. ” .”

    Also, I’d like to vote — if voting is possible — that Satellite News go back to WDTs that encompass all of MST3K, not just Season 11. Seems like the discussion was much livelier then. A lot of us enjoyed Season 11, but now let’s move on, or back, as the case may be.

       10 likes

  8. Here’s what I wrote at the discussion board:

    Saw the show last night in Seattle, and had a blast!

    I got to ask Joel two questions during the 2 Q&As gives (one was done for the VIPs, and another for the regular show). I got to ask Joel something, I had wondered for many years about if the Wizard of Oz references came from him, since they were common while he was the host, then seemed to disappear mostly during Mike’s time as host, and then seem to have returned for the reboot. Joel seemed surprised that I saw that kind of connection, and implied that it may have been just coincidence.

    The other question I had asked was if there’s a Season 12 if more would be done with Rebecca Hansen’s character Cynthia (the clone of Pearl). He didn’t really answer (likely because Season 12 isn’t a go yet), except stating it depended on Rebecca’s availability.
    I kinda hope they expand her character in Season 12, as I think she’s a more interesting sidekick than Max. Although I think Patton Oswald has done a funny job, I feel Max is kind of a one-joke character in that he’s just a bumbling guy who feels like always bragging he’s the song of TV’s Frank. Cynthia, to me, is like Brain Guy, in the sense that she’s clearly more intelligent than her boss Kinga, but due to being low on the totem pole she’s forced to be subservient, which adds for some comedic interaction.

    there was a funny moment when Joel was answering questions, and two people came in late, sat down and Joel acted annoyed by it. He walked up to where they were sitting, leaned on the chair in front of them, glared at them and said, ‘I’m so glad you could make it to the show…’

    Haha. Funny, scary Joel.

    While in line for the photo op, I couldn’t help but peak behind the theater screen, and it was intriguing seeing the robot puppets just laying there on tables.

    Something I found odd was Hampton Young (Crow) was present for the actual show (he appeared for the cast roll call at the end), but was not present for the photo op before the show. Hmmmm….

    Servo’s stand-in Tim Ryder did very good. I thought he sounded a lot like Baron Vaughn (I don’t really know if that’s a good thing or bad thing though). I almost wonder if they’re grooming him up to be some kind of replacement in case Vaughn doesn’t return.

    The riffing itself was top-notch as always. The “Bill O’Reily” riff got the biggest reaction I think. And, they did something, I didn’t think they could do. Topping the “They’re telling secrets” riff for the infamous shot of the two lizards (“Text me later?”)

    I hadn’t seen Eegah in several years so I don’t fully remember what most of the original riffs were, but I did catch a few jokes that were repeat. For example, they repeated the joke about Eegah finding a dead animal in Roxy’s car engine.

    I also love that they made more jokes related to the fact that Arch hall Jr. is essentially being bossed around by his father, the director throughout the film. Something that they didn’t really do in the original riff of Eegah.

    I really wish they had retained the joke about Arch Hall Jr. slicing his hand on the propellers to his father’s helicopter, as its taking off. The riff they used in place of it was NOT funny whatsoever (in fact, i’m kinda surprised they weren’t booed for it).

    Overall, awesome night, and so cool to meet the cast (Jonah is a GIANT by the way, in fact out of all the celebrities I’ve met, I think he’s the tallest. Hell, he appeared to be taller than Christopher Lloyd whom I met back in 2013), and it’s always nice watching MST3K with a large group of people, something I rarely get to experience.

       6 likes

  9. Kenneth Morgan says:

    I was at the Glenside show. (Well, at the second one. I could only afford one, and I figured I’d already seen “Eeghah!” Silly me.) I was there for the last (to date) CT show, so I knew drive was manageable.

    Great show! When I saw the new MST title graphics, I could recognize clips from “Argoman”. I knew the movie would be perfect for riffing, and it was. (I did notice they used a cut that didn’t include a pre-title sequence where Argoman escapes death in China by being a monumental jerk.) The host segments were also great, especially the robes. They’ve gotta do this one for Season 12.

    The only downside was lack of parking. At least it was in a fairly well-lit residential area, so parking two blocks away wasn’t that big a problem. All in all, things turned out very well. And I know now to splurge for both shows.

       1 likes

  10. ety3rd says:

    I saw Argoman in Richmond and I truly hope that it can be riffed on in season 12. It will be an instant classic. (“Hallway, cover me!” being my favorite riff.)

    I managed to keep my son in the dark. We went for a walk after dinner and stopped at the theater and said, “Huh. I wonder what the line is for.” Then he saw the marquee and said, “Wait.” I pulled out the tickets and he jumped up and down.

    As we waited for it to begin, he indicated that he thought it was a simulcast, much like Rifftrax Live. I knew his fool mind was going to be blown.

    Sure enough, Joel walked out on stage. My son jerked his head back and his mouth fell open. He screamed, “HE’S HERE?! WHAT THE ****?!” Thankfully, the rest of the audience was loud enough to conceal that outburst. (And we talked later about the appropriateness of his language.)

    A very good time was had by all.

       15 likes

  11. If Tim Ryder is as good a Servo as people are saying then I’m all for him replacing Baron in a twelfth season of MST3K. Baron’s Servo voice is good in the host segments, but I think he’s too soft on the theater.

    However, if Baron was a part of these live shows he might be able to hone his performance. I haven’t seen any of these live shows, but this venture seems like a good way for everyone to get better.

       4 likes

  12. gf120581 says:

    Glad to see the tour was such a success. Hopefully it will soon be followed by news on upcoming seasons.

    I’m curious if the “surprise” movie will be done for Season 12 or if it was just for the live show. From what I’ve heard it sounds hilarious.

       1 likes

  13. Sampo says:

    Professor Gunther: (Tim was filling in for Baron, Sampo!)

    D’oh! I wrote that late at night after a long week at work. I meant Baron!

       4 likes

  14. Droppo says:

    Saw both shows, they were fantastic. A+.

    I personally loved Clown in the Sky as the closer. It’s the most iconic closing song of the show’s run and having Joel up there singing with everyone made it feel just perfect.

    I thought the pace of riffs was significantly improved from Season 11.

    Hoping against hope for Season 12 for a million reasons, but, the strength of these shows is a major one. I believe it would be much better than Season 11 (which I loved).

       5 likes

  15. majorjoe23 says:

    ripmcstudly:
    All in all, the show went a good ways towards making me like season 11 again, but I’d still like to see better riff pacing and an explanation of how aware they were of the very similar 2016 Rifftrax version of Wizards of the Lost Kingdom before I’d support another Kickstarter.

    If the answer is either that Rifftrax screwed up in some way or MST3K paid Rifftrax to take it down, neither makes either looks great and it seems unlikely either would want to chime in to give those answers.

       3 likes

  16. Lisa H. says:

    We did not see both shows (in SF Eegah was Wednesday, Argoman was Thursday) partly because of the cost and partly because I couldn’t take off work two evenings in a row. I decided I’d rather see a movie I hadn’t seen before and basically laughed the whole way through. As I mentioned in another comment, the Warfield seemed packed that night. I did enjoy Tim as Servo.

    majorjoe23: They have videoed several of the performances and at one of the shows Joel said they hoped to release one. If I had to guess, they’ll release the live Eegah and use the other film’s live script for a season 12 episode.

    Hm. I dunno if they’d want to do a straight repeat like that. But then “This Island Earth” turned up again, so maybe. (Is the riffing in the movie different than the live show was?)

    Danzilla “Cornjob” McLargeHuge, Student of Kaijuology: Jonah was a sweaty mess after two straight shows

    Did they do both movies on the same day where you were?

       2 likes

  17. privateiron says:

    If it was the 1968 movie, then Rifftrax already did an amazing version of it. If it was the 1966 movie, then it has not already been done. The title you used sounds closer to the alternate/foreign titles for the 1968 film.

       0 likes

  18. One negative thought: I’m not sure “Clowns in the Sky” is the optimal choice for a big closer. I miss Lou Reed’s “Satellite of Love.”

    Yes, the original show seg of “Clowns in the Sky” just had mercilessly-overacted Frank Conniff corny-retro-cliche’ gag, about sappy Broadway songs and TV-variety closers, written all over it, which is why it was a perfect drive-by gag for the TV show.
    Here, sounds like it was trotted out for Joel’s new “Hello, fellow young MSTie cult fans!” attempt to keep all the old and new series fan lines fresh and marketable. Not the way RiffTrax exploits them, of course, since MST3K is now a brand name that he wants to keep secure, after twenty years away from a mass-market distribution.

    (And yes, I made an RT joke. C’mon, just live with it, there’s nobody standing outside the site saying “Kill each other…Kill each other…”) ;)

    And, they did something, I didn’t think they could do. Topping the “They’re telling secrets” riff for the infamous shot of the two lizards (“Text me later?”)

    Since they could never top “…YES? Can I HELP you??”, what riff did we get when the lizard turns to glare at the camera?

    (Nope, didn’t get to see it, the show decided to skip Amherst/Springfield this tour around, so no more CT jokes about what a little one-street college town Northampton, MA is.
    So now I’ll just have to wait to see whether they do Argoman for S12, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7GE44MsQlA , although he’ll probably keep it as a live-exclusive if he wants to keep the tours going as a regular thing. Even if RT had to go ahead and already do “Supersonic Man”, at least this was close enough for J/JN&tB.)

    Yeti of Great Danger:
    Can’t comment on something I have no access to.So….”.”
    Also, I’d like to vote — if voting is possible — that Satellite News go back to WDTs that encompass all of MST3K, not just Season 11.Seems like the discussion was much livelier then.A lot of us enjoyed Season 11, but now let’s move on, or back, as the case may be.

    I think “So, how was it?” threads about shows other people paid to see should usually be their own threads, but it’s timely, so I’ll go with it. And it continues the post-series wrap-up of how Joel thinks the show went down, how he’s approaching the next stage, and what he thinks need fixing. We can learn a lot about S11 and 12 just from listening to the Q&A.

       1 likes

  19. Sitting Duck says:

    Caught it in Richmond last Thursday. I’d say we were at least 80% full. It was great to actually see Joel et al live. Unfortunately, our seats were right next to the speakers, so I spent much of the evening with a minor but persistent headache. It also made understanding the riffs more difficult, so I didn’t laugh as frequently as I might have if I had been sitting in a more central area.

    Personally, I find Argoman more comparable to Diabolik. As well as both being Italian productions, they both have that smug dickweed vibe.

       2 likes

  20. waverly says:

    Providing a view from the other side, I just want to say that these shows have been a ton of fun and every single audience has been so warm and so welcoming. It’s truly been a dream come true to make this summer trip and I, very much, hope it happens again next year (and I am lucky enough to be involved). I hope those who were able to come to the shows had a blast. It’s been fun watching the shows grow. The shows we are doing tonight in Atlanta are different that the shows we started with in that riffs have been constantly perfected and tweaked. New bits have been added. It’s definitely a ‘living’ show, if that makes sense.

    As a fan, I have to say that while Eegah is great, the Super Secret show really does live up there with some of the best MST3K. The absurdity and tone of the movie is a perfect launching place for comedy.

    Again, thank you to all who came to the show!

       19 likes

  21. Danzilla "Cornjob" McLargeHuge, Student of Kaijuology says:

    Lisa H.:
    Did they do both movies on the same day where you were?

    They did! One at 7:00 PM, and one at 9:00 PM. It must have been exhausting, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell looking at the performances. They were all troopers.

    And Waverly, my man, take a bow. You and Team MST3K created something truly special. My only regret is that I never got to finish my Waverly and get him to Chicago for the shows. I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to examine the real Waverly that night to see what I got wrong. ;) Be sure to keep an eye on the Bot Builders forum to see progress on the various Waverly clones that are sure to continue popping up!

       3 likes

  22. Droppo says:

    The Original EricJ: Yes, the original show seg of “Clowns in the Sky” just had mercilessly-overacted Frank Conniff corny-retro-cliche’ gag, about sappy Broadway songs and TV-variety closers, written all over it, which is why it was a perfect drive-by gag for the TV show.
    Here, sounds like it was trotted out for Joel’s new “Hello, fellow young MSTie cult fans!” attempt to keep all the old and new series fan lines fresh and marketable.Not the way RiffTrax exploits them, of course, since MST3K is now a brand name that he wants to keep secure, after twenty years away from a mass-market distribution.

    Reliably awful take.

       27 likes

  23. Droppo: Reliably awful take.

    Yes, it’s typically annoying to hear me snipe once again on the way Joel cynically merchandizes the….waiwhah-HUH?? ;)

    Sitting Duck:
    Personally, I find Argoman more comparable to Diabolik. As well as both being Italian productions, they both have that smug dickweed vibe.

    That’s….a good comparison, and for the right reasons, especially for those who threw in the Secret Agent Super Dragon and Operation Double 007 comparisons.
    Seems to be a cultural thing, that the Italians, in their 60’s-movie prime, did seem to be attracted to the universal Dickweed Hero, as long as he got in bed with the entire female cast.

       2 likes

  24. 346436 . says:

    The Original EricJ: Yes, the original show seg of “Clowns in the Sky” just had mercilessly-overacted Frank Conniff corny-retro-cliche’ gag, about sappy Broadway songs and TV-variety closers, written all over it, which is why it was a perfect drive-by gag for the TV show.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clowns_in_the_Sky “A Clown in the Sky (The Pod People)” (Written by) Kevin Murphy , Michael J. Nelson

       13 likes

  25. Danzilla “Cornjob” McLargeHuge, Student of Kaijuology: And Waverly, my man, take a bow.You and Team MST3K created something truly special.My only regret is that I never got to finish my Waverly and get him to Chicago for the shows.I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to examine the real Waverly that night to see what I got wrong. ;) Be sure to keep an eye on the Bot Builders forum to see progress on the various Waverly clones that are sure to continue popping up!

    Although, given S11’s generational fetish for Jim Henson/Muppets references, I’ve got a crackpot theory wondering whether all the Kickstarter fan-cult pre-marketing of Waverly was actually intended to be just an elaborate fellow-puppet parody of the Muppets’ early hyper-marketing of, um…(checks IMDB)…Walter as the “next new classic Muppet character”, and who only turned out to be a generic one-shot script character for the ’11 Disney movie.
    Hence Waverly’s quick and similarly anticlimactic (and enthusiastic) dispatch in the TV episode.

    As for “Mr. Waverly”‘s name from the old Man From UNCLE series, haven’t got anything for that one, sorry.

       0 likes

  26. Kenneth Morgan says:

    Mr. Waverly’s first name was Alexander. And, as villain Jonathan Sefrin (Anthony Zerbe) put it in the reunion TV movie, he was a man of true style.

       0 likes

  27. PJ says:

    Brandon Pierce:

    there was a funny moment when Joel was answering questions, and two people came in late, sat down and Joel acted annoyed by it. He walked up to where they were sitting, leaned on the chair in front of them, glared at them and said, ‘I’m so glad you could make it to the show…’

    Haha. Funny, scary Joel.

    Was he seriously annoyed and decided to have some evil fun or was he just having Joel-Joel fun? Because it just doesn’t sound like his nature. I mean I know he can be brisk but I can’t see him doing that.

       0 likes

  28. PJ says:

    346436 .: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clowns_in_the_Sky“A Clown in the Sky (The Pod People)”(Written by) Kevin Murphy , Michael J. Nelson

    And EricJ is going down pullup pullup oh no Eric!!! :P

       15 likes

  29. dakotaboy says:

    Argoman: the Fantastic Superman. Picture a mix of James Bond and Superman – that’s Argoman, a superhero who flies and saves people, but also always gets the girl and actually kills the bad guys, all while wearing a skin-tight body suit with his underwear on the outside. In other words, the movie was perfect for MST3K.

    The riffing was top-notch. I literally doubled over in laughter when they referenced the Konami Code.

    The host segments were also hilarious. This superhero, he wears about six different bathrobes throughout the movie. They even show him changing from one bathrobe into another. So, one of the host segments had Jonah wearing several layers of bathrobes. Servo narrated it like a fashion show, and Crow threw in with smart comments. Then Jonah would quick-change into another bathrobe, and continue.

    In short, it was an instant classic, as good as anything from Seasons 3 or 4. I do hope it sees a wider release at some point, for the benefit of those who were not able to attend.

       4 likes

  30. aron craig says:

    majorjoe23: Wizard

    I would caution a guess it wasn’t so much any kind of direct attempt on either side, but simply that when Joel MST licensed the film for streaming it was setup as an exclusive rights situation which pulled it out of whatever pool RiffTrax was drawing from. That *is* just a guess, but I think it’s a likely one given what I’ve seen watching lots of rights issues hash out over the years on MST and many others.

       2 likes

  31. jay says:

    Living on the “Third Coast” my opportunities to see a live show have been few and far between. I did get to see Cinematic Titanic at the Paramount theater in Austin back in 2008-9 which was a marvelous experience. As enjoyable as that show was the chances of my taking a cross country trip to see another one are pretty slim. Live shows are a limited opportunity by their very nature, so if you have the opportunity to attend one please do.

       0 likes

  32. privateiron says:

    So was it the second movie from 1968 or the original from 1966? There is no 1967 film on IMDB and the “Invincible Superman” subtitle suggests it was the 1968 offering. If so, RT did an amazing job with that one. Not surprising. The movie is an almost perfect target.

       0 likes

  33. PJ: Was he seriously annoyed and decided to have some evil fun or was he just having Joel-Joel fun? Because it just doesn’t sound like his nature. I mean I know he can be brisk but I can’t see him doing that.

    I’m fairly certain he was just messing around.

       1 likes

  34. Vultar says:

    PJ: Was he seriously annoyed and decided to have some evil fun or was he just having Joel-Joel fun? Because it just doesn’t sound like his nature. I mean I know he can be brisk but I can’t see him doing that.

    I don’t remember the comment particularly but I can’t imagine Joel was really annoyed. They closed the area around the theater down because of the Seafair parade and the Torchlight Run so so if you didn’t get there ridiculously early (we were down there around noon) or knew enough about that part of Seattle to get around the mess, good luck getting there (I know some people didn’t). I think there was also a Mariners game going on too. The Moore is also very small, so it took awhile for people to even get into the theater to start with. Joel did reference the mess outside, so he knew what people had to get through to be there.

       2 likes

  35. Colossus Prime says:

    Saw both show in Milwaukee, WI which made Joel’s openings so much fun. I can only imagine it was more heartfelt in Green Bay where he actually grew up (as opposed to simply visiting a lot). In any case, he seemed to feel very much at home.

    A great “this show only” moment: I’ve already forgotten what Jonah’s invention exchange from Eegah was (and am so angry at myself) involving a cheese grater, but as he took out the item he gave it a playful toss in the air and nicked himself when he caught it. He tried to laugh it off as best as he could, and without missing a beat he looked over and said, “Hey, Tom. Remember earlier today when I said it’d be funny if I really hurt myself doing this.” I was impressed that he didn’t even trip over saying Tom instead of Tim.

    I gasped when Joel announced the second movie was Argoman (not Superargo as many here are asking about. I know, I keep confusing them as well). Also the friend I went with and I gasped very loudly when they made a Porcupine Racetrack riff.

    Even if they redo one or both of these in Season 12 (at this point they’d be crazy not to green light it, right?), I hope they release videos of both. Mostly because Argoman was sometimes hard to hear due to the print, which unlike Eegah has not been remastered. Side Note: Eegah looked and sounded great.

       3 likes

  36. Colossus Prime says:

    Oh, also for those trying to find the IMDB for the second movie:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061500/?ref_=nv_sr_1

    Yay foreign films with multiple titles.

       4 likes

  37. Vultar: I don’t remember the comment particularly but I can’t imagine Joel was really annoyed.They closed the area around the theater down because of the Seafair parade and the Torchlight Run so so if you didn’t get there ridiculously early (we were down there around noon) or knew enough about that part of Seattle to get around the mess, good luck getting there (I know some people didn’t).I think there was also a Mariners game going on too. The Moore is also very small, so it took awhile for people to even get into the theater to start with.Joel did reference the mess outside, so he knew what people had to get through to be there.

    It’s pretty routine with standup comics–You’re not allowed to walk in late to a stage play, so as not to disrupt the actors, but you’re allowed to walk in late to a standup club, and disrupt the comics and audience…And the comic’s nastily going to take the audience’s side, for an extra bit of snark.

    Only time I’ve ever seen Joel rattled, or at least openly annoyed, onstage was when hardcore MSTie fans would shout out S5-6 Mike refs he didn’t get during the CT shows’ Q&A (’cause, c’mon, you gotta shout them out everywhere in public, especially if nobody around you gets them), and he thought he had drunk college kids in the audience.

       1 likes

  38. My friend Adam and I went to both shows in Atlanta on Saturday night.

    It was very odd — we got to the theater a little before 5, and had dinner at a Thai place a couple blocks away. It was very sparse on the streets, especially for a Saturday, I thought. After dinner we walked over, and came in via the side door, right at the merch table. They were still setting up, but that meant we were like 2 from the front. Still very few people milling about, maybe twenty not counting Center staff or Tour staff. Anyway, about ten to 6 they start selling merch, Adam buys a shirt and a poster, and I buy a button (I got the moon design, though the Kinga chopsticks design was very tempting), and we decide to go drop the stuff of at the car since they did not have bags. By the time we got back (maybe quarter after), it had EXPLODED. I guess everyone was planning to show up right at 6!

    Anyway, I have been an MST3K fan dating back to season 1 (The Crawling Hand), so this night was surreal and wonderful. I had not seen Eegah in a long time, but the new riff had my sides aching. “Tonight, I break that promise!” and “Have you considered switching to Geico?!” were some of my favorites. I had heard of Argoman, but had not actually seen it, so the second show was a huge treat for me. There’s something about inane Italian movies which works so well in this format! “Johnny Quest: The Bachelor Years” and the pair of Soundgarden riffs were among my favorites for that show.

    We sat in the Orchestra for Eegah and the Loge (balcony) for the second show — the Orchestra was the better choice as far as sight lines. But sitting up high and getting some of the “behind the scenes” stuff with how the Bots were manipulated as cool as well. And as Danzilla said above, Joel was working Gypsy, at least in the second show!

    The cast was fantastic, great energy and the live presence really made for a unique and enjoyable pair of shows. Rebecca Hanson was a revelation, her “Vicki” dance in the first show was hilarious, as was her breaking down in the Containment Ceremony, crying over Roxie’s sad fate. Her tipsy bathrobe modelling was great as well. Grant Baciocco was hard to hear in the first show, but they fixed his mic issue by the second one — his threat to Jonah about leaving the stage because of the velvet rope was great, and he had a great local joke about not finding his birth parents because they lived on “Peachtree” but he didn’t know which one.

    Tim Ryder’s Servo was very good, honestly I would be happy with either him or Baron being Tom in Season 12 (*fingers crossed*). The bathrobe segment was a perfect showcase for him, and I think he really captured Servo, who to me will always be as Joel described Josh Weinstein back in the day — a 19 year old kid drinking a Scotch and smoking a cigar. He’s concern for the half naked girl was also quite funny, “Guys, I’m really concerned about her, is she okay?” The dueling Servos in the invention exchange on Argoman was great. Hampton Yount’s Crow was manic and snide, he had a lot of best ad libs in the host segments. In the aforementioned dueling Servos bit, he did a wild take which was one of the funniest moments of the evening, without saying a word.

    These shows, to me, were Jonah at his best. He was looser than he was on Season 11, able to be more physical in the host segments, and still sharp in the theater. He is also responsible for what will be my favorite, lasting image from these shows: At the first invention exchange, when Cynthia and Bonehead #1 draw snake guns at him, he pulls out a pair of snake guns right back at them… then grabs Servo as a hostage and points a snake gun at his head… then changes tactics, and points the snake gun at his OWN head, screaming “I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” That had me laughing so hard I had trouble breathing, it set the tone so perfectly for the night. Great stuff.

    I am so glad that I made it down to these shows (Atlanta is about 2 hours from Adam’s house), they were an amazing experience. Here is to season 12 and a second Live tour!

       5 likes

  39. Mr. Sack says:

    Absolutely phenomenal shows. I thought that the theater segments would be pre-recorded, maybe name drop a regional gag here and there, but the more I watched, the more it felt as spontaneous as a seasonal show, and everyone was just on fire. I was convinced of the show’s justified return from the first minute of Reptilicus (I’m not that hard to please as long as the right people are involved and their intent is genuine), but I hope those who were not happy or were simply just okay with Season 11 got to see the tour and, more importantly, were won over by the new crew. It all feels superbly genuine, and that accounts for something.

    To Season 12 and beyond!

       3 likes

  40. Joe Boltonn says:

    Laura:
    They never came to New Jersey and I live too far from Glenside when they came in July.Taping it would’ve been wonderful for people like me who don’t have easy access to theater halls.

    I was surprised they didn’t come here, as Cinematic Titanic appeared in NJ at least three times (once Joel moved to PA). Hopefully, there will be a Season 2 and a new tour.

       3 likes

  41. 346436 . says:

    The Original EricJ:

    Only time I’ve ever seen Joel rattled, or at least openly annoyed, onstage was when hardcore MSTie fans would shout out S5-6 Mike refs he didn’t get during the CT shows’ Q&A (’cause, c’mon, you gotta shout them out everywhere in public, especially if nobody around you gets them), and he thought he had drunk college kids in the audience.

    I’ve seen you post this story before but I am a little doubtful on this information considering at various points in time you’ve misquoted people, got facts wrong(To the point where people who knew the cast have called you out on it), twisted facts to fit an agenda, posted blatant lies, and praising Joel for something that you would later put down Mike for doing the same thing(or if you do criticize Joel you’ll then turn it into an insult to Mike like you did in this discussion).

    If you have evidence of this happening (like anything on video)then please post it because that would help your case better otherwise I would suggest you refrain from posting potential misinformation again.

       18 likes

  42. privateiron says:

    Colossus Prime: thanks for pointing out the distinction. I’d feel like an idiot, except how in the world can there be an Argoman and a Superargo in the same decade in the same country? What kind of loving deity would allow that?

       3 likes

  43. Luke Jaconetti: These shows, to me, were Jonah at his best.He was looser than he was on Season 11, able to be more physical in the host segments, and still sharp in the theater. He is also responsible for what will be my favorite, lasting image from these shows: At the first invention exchange, when Cynthia and Bonehead #1 draw snake guns at him, he pulls out a pair of snake guns right back at them… then grabs Servo as a hostage and points a snake gun at his head… then changes tactics, and points the snake gun at his OWN head, screaming “I’ll do it! I’ll do it!” That had me laughing so hard I had trouble breathing, it set the tone so perfectly for the night. Great stuff.

    “Isn’t anybody going to help that poor man?” ;)
    (Although the Eighth Doctor Who did it better.)

    346436 .: I’ve seen you post this story before but I am a little doubtful on this information considering at various points in time you’ve misquoted people, got facts wrong(To the point where people who knew the cast have called you out on it), twisted facts to fit an agenda, posted blatant lies,
    and praising Joel for something that you would later put down Mike for doing the same thing(or if you do criticize Joel you’ll then turn it into an insult to Mike like you did in this discussion).

    (Yeah, I’ve always wondered about that:
    Every time M&tB make a “mean”, inappropriate or bullying comment, “Yeah, well, J&tB made one in the classic CC episodes too!”…And yet, if J&tB do something brilliantly funny/ier in the old CC episodes, “Yeah, well, Mike was head writer back then!”
    How do those BOTH work?? ‘Cause, putting the two together, sounds an awful lot like “In the CC years, you took the good with the bad, and after Joel, Trace & Frank left, we were stuck with the bad.” At least if I’m interpreting it logically.)

    If you have evidence of this happening (like anything on video)then please post it because that would help your case better otherwise I would suggest you refrain from posting potential misinformation again.

    If anyone else saw the last CT tour, during Joel’s Q&A session at the “Astral Factor” show in Northampton, MA (and I know somebody must’ve, since there was a reasonably packed house), they’re free to chime in with supporting testimony as to Joel’s cranky/baffled reaction to the Mike fan in the audience who shouted out “Girls Town!” without phrasing it in the form of a question, but since I didn’t have a bootleg camera with me, take it or leave it.
    “It’s probably wrong because it’s YOU!” does not quite hold up in court as a valid counter-argument. ;)

    On the subject of “Mis-spun facts”, think you’re also overestimating “Haha, Frank called you out!”…Well, if you mean “Hey, who’s this guy you’re always cult-site talking about who says he hates the show, he’s wrong, y’know” that he posted once, I tend to categorize that more as “Kissing up” to the net-fans, without really knowing what they were talking about, than “Calling out” in the bar-brawl sense. Wishful thinking is a bad thing on bothsides.

    As for the late-walk-in quip we got, Joel might have a few old standup demons with audiences, but he seems professional enough that he’s not going to snap and turn psycho on them for acting up like Richard Pryor used to.

       2 likes

  44. 346436 . says:

    The Original EricJ: (Yeah, I’ve always wondered about that:
    Every time M&tB make a “mean”, inappropriate or bullying comment, “Yeah, well, J&tB made one in the classic CC episodes too!”…And yet, if J&tB do something brilliantly funny/ier in the old CC episodes, “Yeah, well, Mike was head writer back then!”
    How do those BOTH work??‘Cause, putting the two together, sounds an awful lot like “In the CC years, you took the good with the bad, and after Joel, Trace & Frank left, we were stuck with the bad.”At least if I’m interpreting it logically.)

    If anyone else saw the last CT tour, during Joel’s Q&A session at the “Astral Factor” show in Northampton, MA, they’re free to chime in with supporting testimony as to Joel’s baffled reaction to the Mike fan in the audience who shouted out “Girls Town!” without phrasing it in the form of a question, but since I didn’t have a bootleg camera with me, take it or leave it.
    “It’s probably wrong because it’s YOU!” does not quite hold up in court as a valid counter-argument.;)

    On the subject of “Mis-spun facts”, think you’re also overestimating “Haha, Frank called you out!”…Well, if you mean “Hey, who’s this guy you’re always cult-site talking about who says he hates the show, he’s wrong, y’know” that he posted once, I tend to categorize that more as “Kissing up” to the net-fans, without really knowing what they were talking about, than “Calling out” in the bar-brawl sense.Wishful thinking is a bad thing on bothsides.

    As for the heckler-quip we got, Joel might have a few old standup demons with audiences, but he seems professional enough that he’s not going to snap and turn psycho on them for acting up like Richard Pryor used to.

    And after reading all this nonsense I can confirm you’re better off with someone else covering for you because not only do you not refute your past accusations of misinformation but it looks like you are confirming them. I could care less if this story is true or not since I have no stake in this made up Joelvs.Mikevs.jonah war I just rather hear it from a better source since you are not a good source of information. I tried giving you a chance but you blew it so back to the ignore list you go.

       15 likes

  45. PJ says:

    Vultar: I don’t remember the comment particularly but I can’t imagine Joel was really annoyed. They closed the area around the theater down because of the Seafair parade and the Torchlight Run so so if you didn’t get there ridiculously early (we were down there around noon) or knew enough about that part of Seattle to get around the mess, good luck getting there (I know some people didn’t). I think there was also a Mariners game going on too. The Moore is also very small, so it took awhile for people to even get into the theater to start with. Joel did reference the mess outside, so he knew what people had to get through to be there.

    Ahh, yeah it didn’t sound like our Joely-Joel.

       2 likes

  46. PJ says:

    346436 .: And after reading all this nonsense I can confirm you’re better off with someone else covering for you because not only do you not refute your past accusations of misinformation but it looks like you are confirming them. I could care less if this story is true or not since I have no stake in this made up Joelvs.Mikevs.jonah war I just rather hear it from a better source since you are not a good source of information. I tried giving you a chance but you blew it so back to the ignore list you go.

    346436 .: I’ve seen you post this story before but I am a little doubtful on this information considering at various points in time you’ve misquoted people, got facts wrong(To the point where people who knew the cast have called you out on it), twisted facts to fit an agenda, posted blatant lies, and praising Joel for something that you would later put down Mike for doing the same thing(or if you do criticize Joel you’ll then turn it into an insult to Mike like you did in this discussion).

    If you have evidence of this happening (like anything on video)then please post it because that would help your case better otherwise I would suggest you refrain from posting potential misinformation again.

    Heh, remember those urban legends of Japanese soldiers after WWII stranded on islands in the Pacific who had no idea that the war was over? :P

       11 likes

  47. Trumpys Dad says:

    We saw both shows in Washington and Eegah in Baltimore exactly one month later. Really impressed with Jonah live for keeping up the energy and his lines straight. Argoman is a perfect movie for MST3K and I was impressed by how much funnier Eegah was in Baltimore than Washington. They did freshen it up quite a bit. Loved singing along to “Clowns in the Sky”. I thought Kinga was more consistently funny than she had been during the season. Tim really did good but I’m not unhappy with Baron once I could identify which voice was his. I am now so hoping for season 12.
    Joel was asked about a new season and he said he had just talked to Netflix and they are happy but no guarantees.

       1 likes

  48. docskippy says:

    PJ: Heh, remember those urban legends of Japanese soldiers after WWII stranded on islands in the Pacific who had no idea that the war was over? :P

    I get your joke (who doesn’t love a good gibberish bot post?), but those stories AREN’T urban legends. Hiroo Onoda surrendered in March 1974 and Teruo Nakamura surrendered in December 1974, nearly 20 years after the end of WWII.

       3 likes

  49. docskippy says:

    Oh how funny; I just scanned those quoted posts and thought they were gibberish when in point of fact they were perfectly intelligible. I guess my old brain must have been fooled by the numbers or something. That, or I’m just old and of compromised cognitive ability.

       1 likes

  50. You got to see BOTH movies in one night???
    What a rip.
    Saw it here in San Diego during COmic-con and they showed one movie Friday and our show, Argoman,
    on Saturday. Different shows and you had to pay twice to see them both.
    Good energy (even if some of the snakes were a bit droopy) and funny all the way through.
    Only one flub I noticed, and it was just that much more enjoyable.
    I agree with Mike Kelly on this one. It would be a great “Live” show to offer on DVD after the run.
    Can the rights to Argoman be THAT out of reach??

       0 likes

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