Download it here. Here’s a sample.

BORN TODAY
1898: MEL RUICK, who had a role in episode 420- THE HUMAN DUPLICATORS.
1900: PAUL WEATHERWAX, editor for the movie in episode 801- REVENGE OF THE CREATURE.
1917: GLENN LANGAN, who portrayed Lt. Col Glenn Manning in episode 309- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN and also appeared in episode 104- WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET. Langan was married to ADELE JERGENS, performer in 520- RADAR SECRET SERVICE and THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED (MST3K: The Home Game).
1918: CRAIG STEVENS, who played Col. Joe Parkman in episode 804- THE DEADLY MANTIS.
1928: MARK HERRON, who portrayed the greasy Leo in episode 1002- GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS.
1957: ALAN STOCK, who portrayed a kissing boy in episode 405- BEING FROM ANOTHER PLANET.

DIED TODAY
1986: BABE STAFFORD (age 81), chief set electrician for the movie in episode 319- WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST.
1991: JAMES FRANCISCUS (age 57), who portrayed Jimbo in episode K16- CITY ON FIRE and astronaut Clayton Stone in episode 401- SPACE TRAVELERS.
1991: BEN CHAPMAN (age 82), program manager for the movies in episodes 402- THE GIANT GILA MONSTER and 407- THE KILLER SHREWS.  He also played a moleman in episode 803- THE MOLE PEOPLE. 
1994: DICK SARGENT (age 64), who played Dr. Jameson in episode 811- PARTS: THE CLONUS HORROR.

I was going to wait until tomorrow with this, but what the heck, it’s a holiday weekend, so let’s get started.

Here are my top 10, mostly based on how funny the bit was. You are welcome to use whatever criterion you like.

• 201- ROCKETSHIP X-M: the BGC-19, if only for the sheer work that went into building it.
• 307- DADDY-O: Alien teething nook. Why doesn’t somebody make them? This picture went around on the net recently, but this is not a pacifier, it’s just a plushy somebody put on the kid’s face. I bet the real thing would sell.
• 309- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN: A plant that reviews music, aka “Robert Plant,” as he was later known. Kevin channels every pompous NPR announcer he’s ever heard.
• 317- VIKING WOMEN VS. THE SEA SERPENT: Meat re-animator. One weird mamajama.
• 318- STAR FORCE-FUGITIVE ALIEN II: the big head. Big as all outdoors.
• 320- THE UNEARTHLY: Hard pills to swallow. Probably my all-time favorite, because Dr. F seems to enjoy it so much.
• 402- THE GIANT GILA MONSTER: Renaissance festival punching bags. Bite me, Frodo.
• 505- MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD: Chin-der wear. At last those obscene chin butts can be covered.
• 518- THE ATOMIC BRAIN: The Mads, Crow and Tom Servo. A memorable moment of self-parody.
• 519- OUTLAW: Fabio kit. Probably the funniest invention of the short Mike invention era.

Bill Corbett is the guest on Len Peralta’s “Jawbone Radio.”

Len interviewed Mike Nelson a few years ago.

He says he’s angling for a Kevin Murphy interview, too. We’ll announce that if/when it happens.

Rifftrax’s “Eat Our Shorts” July continues today with:

Download it here. Here’s a sample.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie will be shown several times throughout the months of July and August, and into September, on HBO and Cinemax. Check the schedule for a complete list of dates. You can also view it on HBO On Demand July 28-August 24.

Thanks to Matthew Green for the info!

By the way, “MST3K the Movie” will be shown Friday, Sept. 12, at midnight at the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles. For more information call (310) 281-8223 or visit www.LandmarkTheatres.com.

Thanks Alonso for the heads up.

First shown: 7/17/93
Opening: Casual day on the SOL
Invention exchange: Cellular desk, instant karma
Host segment 1: Constellations for the ’90s
Host segment 2: Wondering about a ’70s rock band
Host segment 3: Crow does the ‘Match Game’ by himself
End: The bots discuss Amazons, then some visit on the Hexfield, Frank is now at the desk
Stinger: “He’s like something out of a bad dream!”
(56 votes, average: 4.02 out of 5)

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• Pardon if it seems like I’m channeling Leonard Maltin, but I’d give this one two-and-a-half stars. The host segments are fair at best, and the movie is so cut up that it’s almost impossible to follow. It’s clear that the Brains chose to make most of their cuts at the commercial breaks, but the result is that half the time the characters are in the midst of one plot development before the commercial and by the time we get back they’re somewhere else entirely. Important plot information was apparently cut as well. Why does the floor make a sound when Jason crosses it? We’re never told, but it seems an important point to everyone in the movie. How does Herc go from retrieving a discus to fighting a lion? No idea. How do Herc and his pals escape the Amazons? One minute they’re being fed sleeping potions and watching dancers; after the commercial break they’re back on the ship. You almost have to treat each of the eight movie segments separately. The riffing is good, and they have plenty of weird stuff to work with, but I’m afraid this episode is less than the sum of its parts.
• As noted, despite being episode 502, this was the first episode shown in season 5. No idea why.
• Trivia, courtesy of Daddy-O: Besides being behind the camera this movie and its sequel HERCULES UNCHAINED, Italian cinematographer MARIO BAVA (1914-1980) directed such jems as 1963’s Atom Age Vampire; 1965’s Planet of Blood; 1966’s Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (with Vincent Price and 1967’s DANGER: DIABOLIK. His son, LAMBERTO BAVA, was the assistant director on DIABOLIK as well as the director of the movie in episode 911-DEVIL FISH.
• Annoying commercials (Those who don’t like this feature, cover your eyes and go “la-la-la!” for a moment): My tape is from the fall of ’94, and has that irritating VW commercial with the faux hipster saying: “Oh, man! You don’t drive on it! Delivery boys drive on it!”
• During the invention exchange, the third “instant karma” bag leaks. They go right on…
• Many of the riffs in this episode were used in that MST3K program for Windows 3.1 somebody created. For those who weren’t computing then, it put shadowrama at the bottom of your screen and played one of only about 15 quick sound bites every so often. It got very old very fast and, worse, it turned out to be a very invasive program that was hard to remove. Anybody remember that?
• The first host segment is clever but creating modern constellations that make about as much sense as the old ones do is really not an original idea. That said, they put a great spin on it.
• Arcane reference: something is said to resemble a Jim Dine sculpture.
• Speaking of arcane, there are a couple of riffs in this one you’ll only get if you know your Greek mythology: (Example: “Do you have a reservation for Hercules? It might be under Pericles…”)
• Tom Servo channels every naughty third-grader with: “Claude Balls, ladies and gentlemen…”
• Note the completely unremarked-upon box of Capt’n Ron cereal sitting on the desk in the second segment.
• If you’re wondering, they were a trio, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, composed of Dan Hamilton, Joe Frank Carollo and Tommy Reynolds.
• One I don’t get: When the Amazons surround our heroes and raise their arrows, Crow says, in a very stilted voice, “even the archers are beautiful!” What the heck?
• The Match Game bit, while funny, is another one of those “huh?” sketches.
• One of the cleverest bits comes right at the end, as they sit through the closing credits and Tom explains what happened to the characters after the story. Pretty funny stuff, but why do they sit through the credits when large chunks of the film were excised?
• Mary Jo makes her first physical appearance on the show and Bridget makes her first appearance since season three as the Minnesota amazons.
• Fave riff: “Stay away from their powerful hind legs!” Honorable mention: “It’s the Andrea Dworkin memorial cemetery!”

Nice review of the latest CT effort at PopMatters.

Rifftrax has announced “Eat Our Shorts Month,” promising two shorts a week throughout July. Kewl!

It starts with…

Download it here. Here’s a sample.

Joel Hodgson makes a guest appearance in the third episode of the web show “Water and Power.” There’s some strong language used–not by Joel, of course–so parental and/or workplace discretion is advised.