As always, we try to fulfill fan requests, and so for our BD/DVD release of MST3K The Movie, we asked Dave Alvin for help in locating any recording of his version of the MST3K theme song. He unearthed a 2″ tape, which we had baked and transferred. Sure enough, it contained a single 3 1/2 minute unmixed take (circled on the original engineering log sheet). We had it mixed at Chace Audio per Dave’s instructions, and it sounds incredible. By the time this all happened, however, our BD/DVD menus had been locked, so we couldn’t make it an official extra. Best we could do was to play the song in its entirety over the bonus menu. But it’s all there, and it’s every bit the rockin’ version of legend. Thanks, most of all, to Dave Alvin, who really came through for all of us.
Good enough for me!!
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That’s fantastic news. The amount of attention and work that Shout! puts into their releases really shines, so thanks so much for going the extra mile with the movie.
Bonus menu, main menu – the fact Shout went out of their way is more than appreciated. I hope the Blu-Ray is their biggest seller yet! :)
Now that’s what I call customer service.
Thanks Shout! You always show how much you care about the fans.
I’m freaking out! Ever since I heard the little bit of the song in the movie’s VHS trailer, I’ve wanted to hear the whole thing for ages. Now my itch will finally be scratched. Love ya, Shout Factory!
This is amazing news! I’m so glad it was included in some form!
Awesome! I’ve always wanted to hear the song in it’s entirety!
Maybe Shout could give it an offical release as a single though their music division. They already have some of Dave Alvin’s work there, so I bet it’s doable.
And I know I’ve been nagging Sampo & Erhardt about this recently (sorry), but since it’s relevent:
Shout Factory is also having a special screening of The Movie at San Diego Comic-Con this Thursday.
http://www.shoutfactory.com/SDCC13
If anyone happens to be going, tell us how it is!
what, the chipmunk guy?
You could always put the extra extras as Easter Eggs. In case anything else cool comes up.
@8: Uhh, no. He’s a gutairist and was a member of The Blasters.
Wikipedia is your friend.
THIS is why no fan has a bad word to say about Shout! Takes a special type of company to deal with raving fans who always want more but generally have a cynical take on stuff. Thank you Shout!
Thank you Shout. All I’ve ever heard of it was a few seconds on the movie screensaver. :)
Dare we hope for a soundtrack CD someday? Clowns in the Sky III?
Bonus menu. Bonus Menu! BONUS MENU!!!
Glad to hear Shout Factory has gone above the call of duty for this release of MST:TM!!
@11: I have something bad to say about Shout! They claim to be a factory that produces shouts, but everything that I’ve bought from them has be decidedly lacking in them. Lots of laughs, cackles, and guffaws, but very few shouts. Stupid false advertising.
Outstanding effort SHOUT!. We, the fans, appreciate the extra effort put into this release. Thanks many times over.
This is awesome! Thank you, Shout!
How about an iTunes download as well? Or is that asking too much?
Sounds like Shout! went through a lot of trouble and expense! Couldn’t have been cheap to have all that done from an old 2″ tape. Looking forward to hearing it. Thanks guys!
Repeating what’s already been said, but it’s important they know how appreciative the fanbase is: Way to go Shout!
Also love their Corman releases. I’d been trying to track down a VHS of Galaxy of Terror for ages before they released a remastered edition to DVD/BD.
The guitar player of one of my favorite bands of the 80’s doing a theme song to my favorite all time show? Excellent..Thanks Shout! And to Dave,as well..
I’m lazy and my keyboard is broken (spilt scampi on it) but I had to add: Thank you Shout Factory. I even buy the reprints of stuff I already have because you guys are that good!
Why did they bake the tape?
Wouldn’t that ruin it?
#10 Most likely little aimish boy was making a joke. I know I’ll regret making this point, it just feels too much like “I won’t explain, DIY and let Wikipedia or Google explain–it’s for your own good, you obtuse dork!” And it’s worse when perhaps no explanation was needed in the first place.
While I’m being crotchety, I don’t like DVD easter eggs cuz when I buy a DVD I want all the features at my fingertips…let’s face it, I’m not good at finding Waldo, much less easter eggs! Shout could put them in and I’d forgive them, though. They’re wonderful.
@ John,
I was thinking the same thing. They baked a tape an hour and 350!? Are they insane???
(I’m not trying to be snarky. I just don’t know what they mean by “baked the tape” ?:-) )
I actually think using Dave Allen’s MST3K theme song as a menu theme was suggested at one point.
Thanks again Shout Factory!
Was all of THIS ISLAND EARTH riffed for MST3K? I know of the deleted scenes for the host segments, but is it true there’s footage of them riffing the half hour cut from THIS ISLAND EARTH? Or was that false, and they didn’t riff the film until they cut it dwn to 55 minutes?
When tapes have sat and essentially rotted, they bake them to get them to unspool so they can be transferred to a digital medium before they deteriorate and are lost forever. That happens to alot of old movies and recordings.
Usually it’s the last ditch step before something is lost forever.
I remember reading a story when The Wizard Of Oz was remastered that they had to bake a print of the film to transfer it, and it immediately fell into pieces right after the transfer.
@ 26: From the announcement they had out a few weeks ago:
“* There may be more extras, but these are the extras that are definite:
– The Making of Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie (the EPK that fans have probably seen around)
– Two new docs from Ballyhoo: “Mystery Science Theater 3000 The Movie: The Motion Picture Odyssey” (including new interviews with cast and crew and never-before-seen behind the scenes footage) and “This Island Earth: 2 1/2 Years In the Making.”
– Original trailer.
Update: And for those who have been asking:
– Deleted scenes including the removed sequences from the riffed motion picture and the alternate ending.”
Mysticon has it pretty much right – tapes that have been sitting around can get humid and sticky, baking them gets them in a shape to be used on modern equipment. It won’t cure any deterioration that already occurred but it’s your best shot to get the tape transferred to a digital medium before it gets any worse.
And while I’m here, I also think Shout! is pretty nifty. that they go above and beyond the call so often speaks to their fanboy obsessions as much as ours. But as a greedy bastard, let me ask you guys this – what would you think of the packaging coming with a code that allows a digital download of the song?
Such great news.
Shout just knows how to please us. It’s great we’ll finally get to hear the entire intro at long last.
One thing I do wonder is if we’ll still get the deleted scenes or not.
None the less, keep up the good work, Shout.
Never understand why labels lock themselves into these schedules on things like this when they know there’s still the possibility of extras showing up.
And I’m definitely waiting for confirmation of deleted scenes before buying this movie for a third time (would really like an extended cut on the disc, that’s gotta be somewhere out there…)
@ 31 & 32 – Deleted scenes (both the in-theater riffed bits of TIE that were cut & the 2 legendary host segments) have already been confirmed for the Blu-Ray by both Shout & Ballyhoo (& reported on at our beloved Satellite News & by Creeping Death just a few comments above yours). An extended cut has yet to be confirmed, but there’s so much great stuff Shout is putting into this set that I’m planning on getting this the day it’s released.
Alright! Now THIS is gonna be a great menu song folks won’t mind listening to over and over because it doesn’t cut off partway through and it’s fun! Woo! Thank you, Shout! Factory!
I agree with 23. DVD easter eggs are tiresome. Some of my scorn is the term “easter eggs.” It ranks up there with “jewel cases” for your audio CDs and “cookies” for your computer.
But we saw all of this coming when they coined “mouse” for a computer peripheral.
I think overlaying the song in the bonus menu is brilliant.
Lesser companies would not have provided the complete song.
Anyone remember when DVDs first came out and everyone was bragging about the ability to put extra content on there? And yet, almost without fail, and often still today, they play an irritatingly short clip of music or video overlaying the main menu…. as if they were worried about memory. I’m waiting for any company to stand up and take it to the next level and show a complete short film as the background to a menu. Maybe 30 minutes long. That would rock.
Maybe it’s just me…
My psychiatrist says it mostly is… me.
One of the coolest things I’ve seen from Shout! was the official DVD release of STARCRASH. One of the bonuses was the entire script from the film, and not one, but two completely different commentaries by the same person! By the end of listening to it all and checking out the script, you feel like a scholar on the subject of bikini blaster movies.
Not to mention the transfer from film to DVD was breathtaking.
Shout! is a great company. All companies should have even half the pride and professionalism.
P.S.
(didn’t they bake the Dead Sea Scrolls, too? Or am I just projecting a PKD meme onto a non event? Maybe it’s just me …)
I remember reading about some remastered Wendy/Walter Carlos recordings around the turn of the century (2000/2001) that were baked before being given the 21st century treatment. Her early 70s stuff and score to Tron were the titles I remember.
I didn’t realize you could bake tapes!
Here’s some info on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sticky-shed_syndrome