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How Was the Show?

An open thread for reports from this weekend’s Cinematic Titanic shows in Philadelphia (I’ll be there tonight and will post a report tomorrow).

Photos from Robert Weiss:

More photos from yours truly:

27 Replies to “How Was the Show?”

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  1. Mr. B(ob) says:

    Just got back to our room at the Hilton one block from the Trocadero. The show was fantastic! Here’s a brief report:

    – Frank C. and Gruber both came outside before the show and chatted with people who were waiting in the line to get in. Thanks to both of them for that. Lot’s of fun chin wagging with them.
    – The new pre-show film montage of old theater service announcements, show trivia , etc. was well produced and entertaining. This was not part of the show when we saw them in Minneapolis in Oct. 2008. It was a great addition to the show. It added polish and was very enjoyable.
    – The usual stand-up warm-up by Gruber and various Titans was great. Frank did Convoluted Man, Gruber and Josh did the bits of songs radio bit. Good stuff as usual. The running gag about “10 more minutes” killed.
    – The Alien Factor was one of those movies that you’d watch on your own for a laugh and it worked extremely well for the live show. Lame monsters, low budget, lots of walking scenes for padding. Can you say “shades of Robert Lippert”?
    – The usual autograph signing and polite “meet and greet” after the show was cordial and enjoyable as always. Joel and crew know how to treat their fans!

    CT just keeps getting better with each episode. Can’t wait to get this one on DVD.

    So glad the Titans finally did a show in the Mid-Atlantic area. We’re going to the show tomorrow night as well, then driving back to Maryland immediately after.

    Sampo, I was hoping to run into you and meet you finally. Maybe another time. I hope you and all the other MSTies enjoyed the show tonight.

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  2. Mr. B(ob) says:

    Additional fun about tonight’s show:
    – This was a general admission show. I thought that would be a bad thing at first, but we got there early and got front row seats!
    – I got my picture taken with Joel Hodgson. Mary Jo Pehl remembered our son from when we went to the show in Minnesota in October 2008.
    – Met some really nice MSTies in line and in the theater. MST3K fans are the best.

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  3. Kenneth Morgan says:

    Awful movie, but great show, with the cast really firing on all cylinders.

    I’d say the biggest laugh in the movie was the appearance of the second monster. I couldn’t hear whatever riffs were used, since we were all in hysterics anyway, but I figure there had to be at least one Torgo reference.

    As for the riffs, probably the two biggest laugh-getters were:
    (The mayor has his big ACTING scene in the sheriff’s office.)
    TRACE: Okay, put the Oscar back in the box.

    And:

    (The smug “hero” of the movie asks to see the mayor at his home.)
    JOEL:(as the mayor) Well, I was just in the middle of my Chevy Chase lessons…

    All in all, a great time.

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  4. Matt D. says:

    First I actually did see “Sampo” there at one point, but I was in line (on line?) for the meet and greet and didn’t want to lose my spot.

    The preshow was good, especially the W-ADD song bit. I’ll be looking for “Convoluted Man” this fall.

    The movie was even better than I had expected. They were all good, but I have to admit that Josh was amazing. His vocal technique and delivery were top notch.

    My favorite line (as four teenagers went into the woods to find the alien, and I am paraphrasing):

    “Ah good, they are using the single-file monster buffet formation.”

    There were too many other lines that killed me, but this was worth the money and the 6 DOLLAR single Jack and Coke. Plus, I got to be the lookout and sorta help someone steal one of the CT posters. Good times.

    After the show, I didn’t even know whether to get my shirt or DVD signed, so I asked Trace (he was first in line) which one, and he quickly said, “why not both?” Good man that Trace.

    Overall, this was a fantastic experience and I thank them again for their terrific work.

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  5. Jonathan S says:

    I Sat next to Sampo at Friday night’s show. I didn’t know it was him until he mentioned Satellite News, I was shocked as I love this website and check it out at least once a week. Great job again on this website Sampo!! I can’t live without this website and all the news. Can’t wait to see some pictures i saw you taking either.

    Joel was so right when he said Alien Factor was a horrible horrible movie, he was right. But they made it very entertaining to watch.

    I felt like a little kid meeting the cast from MST3K and now Cinematic Titanic amazing to meet them in person. They were so nice and talked to everyone for a few minutes.

    I still have to take it all in, amazing experience.

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  6. Shawn says:

    Loved the show! The cast was fantastic – this is the first time I’ve gotten the chance to see a live riffing show (from any MST alums) and was not disappointed in the movie AT ALL. According to my friends, I was laughing so loud that I was getting some stares from people, and I apologize if you sat near me. The meet-n’-greet afterwards was excellent as well – so friendly! Mary Jo complimented my messenger bag! But I got all tongue-tied and fan-y, which I hate myself for. Anyway.

    The Gruber opening… I’m probably not a fan. I dunno, I just didn’t find it that funny. What can I say, I’m a terrible person. Though there was one point when he went across the stage before the show and muttered something along the lines of “They’re still there…” to the audience, and it gave me a chance to quip “He must be talking about the spiders from his acid flashbacks” to a friend.

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  7. Dennis says:

    Can someone tell how the attendance was? Did it seem like enough fans showed to bring them back again.

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  8. fathermushroom says:

    I can’t add much to all the good stuff everyone else has said already. The movie was perfect for the occasion — 1970’s camp sprawled out in all directions. One of the biggest laughs came when the Brains identified a young posse as “Three Dog Night,” which was right on the money.

    The meet-n-greet was very pleasant, and though the Brains all looked tired they were genial and made sure to shake everyone’s hand, share a few words, and sign anything put before them. The fellow next to me brought a self-made Tom Servo which he actually located all the parts for individually, and they signed that. I tried not to devolve into fanboy-dom (don’t know if I succeeded) and restricted my lines to “Thanks for all the years of great laughs.” Mary Jo was surprised when I said I had just ordered her book from the publisher, because she thought it was out of print. But they’ve accepted payment on it, by God, so I hope it’s on its way.

    I had a fantastic time and though I’m not going back Saturday I will certainly make the trip from the NYC area to do it again.

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  9. fathermushroom says:

    Oh, one thing I DO wanna add: When my friend and I met up at the Trocadero around 5:00, there was no one outside, so we went for dinner. When we came back out, the line extended a couple blocks down the street! We thought we’d be listening to the show from the 4th floor men’s room, but to our astonishment when we finally got inside there were seats EVERYWHERE!!!! We found a pair of empties in, like, the 10th row and we had a great view of the show. The place did eventually fill out pretty well, but from outside on line you’d never have guessed there’d be anything but SRO when you got in. Funny.

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  10. Fudge Connors says:

    I’ve never seen lower level seating @ the Troc . My son & I were lucky enough to grab a table behind the sound booth . I heard @ the box office that tonights show is sold out . I’ll be there . As for last nights show : Fantastic . There were a few times that I laughed so hard that I cried . No sound problems ( noted @ previous shows ) . Not really an active member of the community ; I was shocked by how many of ” us ” are out there . I’ve been to countless concerts @ the Troc but that was the longest line that I can recall . Well worth it though .

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  11. Mr. B(ob) says:

    Our first time at the Trocadero. When I heard a conversation about Star Trek and saw a Doctor Who Cyberman T-shirt within moments of arriving at the theater door, I knew we were in the right place for an MST3K related event.

    Looking forward to tonight’s show and lots of fun memories to take back to Maryland with us. Movie Sign!

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  12. Too Thin to Hear says:

    What were they selling last night?

    I’ll be there tonight wearing my ‘You Know You Want Me Baby’ Crow shirt so say hi.

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  13. Mr. B(ob) says:

    There are three different tour T-shirts with movie posters on the front for each of the three films they are doing on this tour. The CT logo with “2009 tour” is on the back of each shirt. They are $20 each. There’s a poster for each film, $15 each and a cast photo (I think $10). DVDs of the seven existing episodes are also on sale for $20.

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  14. Arthur Pod says:

    I got there late and sat in the back. Great view of the pole. I could still see CT, but unfortunately, I could still see the movie.

    This is the same club where I saw Man or Astro Man back in ’95.

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  15. TV's Adam says:

    I’ll be there tonight. Glad I read these posts first, too; seems like I should get there a bit earlier than I’d planned.

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  16. Sampo says:

    Got this email from Robert Weiss:

    “Just got back to our room at the Hilton one block from the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia. The Cinematic Titanic show was fantastic! Cinematic Titanic is the successor to Mystery Science Theater 3000 from creator Joel Hodgson with cast from that show. Here’s a brief report:
    – Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank) and Gruber (formerly of Higgins Boys and Gruber comedy team) both came outside before the show and chatted with people who were waiting in the line to get in. Thanks to both of them for that. Lot’s of fun chin wagging with them.
    – The new pre-show film montage of old theater service announcements, show trivia , etc. was well produced and entertaining. This was not part of the show when we saw them in Minneapolis in Oct. 2008. It was a great addition to the show. It added polish and was very enjoyable.
    – The usual stand-up warm-up by Gruber and various Titans was great. Frank did Convoluted Man, Gruber and Josh did the bits of songs radio bit. Good stuff as usual. The running gag about “10 more minutes” killed.
    – The Alien Factor was one of those movies that you’d watch on your own for a laugh and it worked extremely well for the live show. Lame monsters, low budget, lots of walking scenes for padding. Can you say “shades of Robert Lippert”?
    – The usual autograph signing and polite “meet and greet” after the show was cordial and enjoyable as always. Joel and crew know how to treat their fans!
    So glad the Titans finally did a show in the Mid-Atlantic area. We’re going to the show tomorrow night as well, then driving back to Maryland immediately after.
    – This was a general admission show. We got there early and got front row seats!
    – I got my picture taken with Joel Hodgson too. Mary Jo Pehl remembered our son, Jacob, from when we went to the show in Minnesota in October 2008.
    – Looking forward to tomorrow night’s show too. The movies they are doing in these shows are The Alien Factor (tonight) and then Horror of Blood Island (renamed Danger on Tikki Island for their show). Really lame, funny movies. You can look them up on Amazon or IMDB if you’re curious.

    He sent some photos too: see above.

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  17. I loved every second of the show. It was my first time hearing “Convoluted Man”, and I hope it won’t be my last. Hilarious! And the Josh/Grubar “W-ADD” skit killed. Josh has a heck of a voice, both singing and riffing. He sounds nothing at all like Season One Tom Servo.

    Trace had the best delivery of the night with his exasperated cry of “That’s the worst roller coaster EVER!”.

    But the best riff of the night was the following: (after an exasperating “walking through the woods” scene): “I never want to hear the phrase ‘director’s cut’ again, unless it’s his wrists.”

    Mary Jo was the only cast member I’d met previously, so it was wonderful to meet and bask in the presence of Trace, Frank, Josh, and Joel. (Joel wore a suit, and chatted pleasantly with people as they left the theater.)

    -AJ

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  18. NordicT says:

    The show was great…I had an awesome time. The evening started out on a pretty fantastic note when the CT guys (and gal!) walked right past us on the other side of Arch Street as my wife and I stood and gaped at the line outside the Troc. I thought I recognized Trace first, then Joel and Mary Jo, but I was in shock and didn’t say anything. They looked all-business at the time, anyway.

    As noted above, the movie was wonderfully terrible, and at times I was chuckling even when there wasn’t any riffing going on. Too many good riffs to single out as my favorite, but the laughs were constant. It was nice to be laughing along with a lot of people instead of me sitting alone in my living room with the DVD.

    The meet-and-greet afterwards was cool, too. We waited about 30 minutes (we were on the wrong side of the theater when the line formed) and I was nervous when we got to the front. But Trace was the first to greet us and he was super nice. I got autographs and a couple pics and left a happy man. Can’t wait for tonight’s show!

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  19. Andrew says:

    I was there, and it was spectacular. My first exposure to MST3K was in a public setting (it was a 1994 showing of “Zombie Nightmare” on the Penn campus), and I forgot how much more fun it is to see that style of comedy with several hundred other people. The opening act was good if a bit long, and the movie itself was wonderfully awful. The CT crew were terrific signing autographs.

    I’ll be there tonight too!

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  20. Mr. B(ob) says:

    We were in the front row again for the Saturday show, forever changing my formerly negative opinion of general admission. I’m sure we’d never have been lucky enough to get front row seats once much less for both shows otherwise.

    Just got back home to Maryland a few minutes ago after driving home from Philadelphia. Danger On Tiki Island was every bit as funny as Friday night’s Alien Factor show. The movie was truly terrible-yet-great material for the show. In spite of the upcoming long ride home we decided to go through the autograph line again before leaving town. The Titans are so much fun to talk to and so kind to their fans. Mary Jo was especially nice to our 12-year-old son.

    We were lucky enough to get one of the promotional lobby posters from the theater and get that signed by the Titans. My wife asked the staff if it was okay and they said yes, so thanks to them for that bonus extra.

    Again, we met so many nice MSTies in line waiting for the doors to open and many people I chatted with last night were extra friendly when I saw them again this evening. I hope you all enjoyed the show as much as we did.

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  21. Leslie B. says:

    I dare say it was the most fun I’ve had in a very, very long time. I had no idea what to expect going into it, but wow. I drove two hours from Baltimore and stood in line for over an hour (thank you to Gruber and Frank for talking to me in line, btw) and it was all worth it. I was the girl in the Fawlty Towers t-shirt, if anyone saw me. Frank and Trace complimented it :D The show was amazing. I knew what they did with the movie, but I had no clue they were going to do the skits before hand. That was brilliant. From start to finish, it was one of the most memorable nights of my life. At the end, I got a stagehand to give me one of Joel’s water bottles off the stage and I got him to sign it later, along with a picture. I got pictures of everyone, and one with Joel and Trace. Oh man, I was shaking. I’m still on cloud 9.

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  22. My Cheesesteak says:

    I’m not one to throw around the term “magical,” but I must say that that was a magical evening. The opening bits and the riffing were absolutely hilarious, and the cast was so friendly–especially Trace and Joel. My friend gave Trace a “Beginning of the End” DVD to sign, and Trace looked at it, shook his head, and said, “He tampered in God’s domain.” Classic.

    I have met celebrities before, but I was never truly star-struck until last night when I found myself in a state of complete befuddlement when confronted with the cast. I wanted to thank each of them for providing me with hundreds of hours of amusement and congratulate them on an entertaining show, but instead all I could muster was a stammering, “Th-th-thanks for coming to Philly.”

    If these guys go on tour again, I strongly recommend seeing them because it was a real blast.

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  23. Well, the Saturday show was my first CT live show so one can say I was “deflowered” :razz: The show was great and at the RUSHED meet and greet (those who were there will know what I’m talking about) I told J-Elvis and Mary Jo that “We came, we saw and they kicked ass!”.

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  24. Robyniwitz says:

    It was fabulous! Sold-out crowd, awesome riffing, and a long, long sought-after hug and picture with Joel. I blogged about it, if you want to hear a more long-winded account, but I’m so very glad I went!

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  25. Eightk says:

    It was FANTASTIC. I had such a good time; I laughed until I cried. My stomach was hurting from laughing so hard. What a great experience. I got to meet the Titans afterwards, and they were all so kind and friendly, despite the fact that I was a giant goober and couldn’t think of anything interesting to say.

    I also got to meet a few fellow MSTies and reconnect with some old friends who happened to be at the show. I love this fandom.

    Dennis, to answer you: the show was sold out on Saturday night and I’m assuming it was on Friday as well. So I think they might make Philly a regular touring stop.

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  26. ReptilianSamurai says:

    Alas, I couldn’t find anyone to go with me, and ended up waiting too long to grab tickets. I hope they’ll be playing in the Mid-Atlantic area again sometime! (Maybe closer to DC or Baltimore next time?) Sorry I missed the show. :-(

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  27. Mark says:

    Unfortunately I couldn’t go :( Hope I’ll be able to go next time though.

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