Nearly ten years ago, we asked Joel 20 questions. Joel says he’s ready for another 20. Now, I can think of four or five I’ve wanted to ask him. Brian says he has a few. But 20 really good ones? We’re gonna need your help for that. So let’s hear ’em. Later next week, we’ll pick the best, combine them with what we come up with, and send ’em off to Joel. So have it!
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Weekend Discussion Thread: Questions for JoelI really wasn’t sure what this weekend’s thread would be, until last night, when I got an e-mail from Joel.
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If you can go back in time – when and where would you like to visit?
What celebrity do you wish you could meet?
Decribe a point in your youth that affects you even today?
I know that before you started up Cinematic Titanic you were mainly doing work with your brother Jim doing development on all sorts of projects out in L.A. through Visual Story Tools. You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that you are working on publishing a book that contains a lot of the projects you’ve worked on, since you recently reacquired the rights to them. Is there any more news on the book? A release date, perhaps?
Also, since you are so involved with Cinematic Titanic now, have you continued working with Jim on other projects through Visual Story Tools? Or is C.T. taking up most of your time and energy right now?
I could have swore that I asked 40 questions from fans to Joel just last year. Tempus Fugit, I guess.
RAD
Are there are particular MST3K episodes you were especially proud of, that you liked the end result of the show when you watched it
Surely you had some crappy jobs in the past – tell us about the worst one.
What is your dream car?
Is he married?’
What was his favorite invention for the invention exchange?
Crow or Servo?Admit,you all wanna know :wink:
Has he ever been stalked.Seriously,he’s like an icon in mystieland.
Favorite Mad?
what is one pearl of wisodom of your childhood that the local minnesota ladies or men told you,that you still remembe and use today?
What was your worst ever job before and after mst3k?
How does it feel to be a sex icon in the land of mystieism?I joke dont ask him that.
What was your favorite movie you mystied?Not episode,but movie,like before they ragged on it?
And i am incredibly jealous you got an EMAIL from JOEL!
If the movie “Earth Vs Soup” was to be made. Who would play the soup?
Also
Favorite-Movie,band,color,beatle,python(no pun intended).
Who was the most laid back on the set?
I agree,what frank conniff realy like?
regular or extra crispy?
I also second boxers or briefs :grin:
Third vote*and then ill leave i swear,im getting margaritas tossed at me?
Ever considered coming to the South.The deep south,cough Tennessee,cough.You have quite the fanbase here
“If I promise to bring at least a dozen friends and buy you all a pint in the pub afterwards, will you do a live show in the UK? Pretty please?”
YES. I second this. We MSTies who don’t live in Yank Land need our fix, too.
Hey Joel!
I heard in a recent interview that you moved from California to Pennsylvania. Since you had the luxury of Frank and Josh at your sides for writing CT when you were in California, why the (seemingly) sudden move?
Regular or extra crispy boxers or briefs?
What are some of the films that haven’t made the cut for Cinematic Titanic?
What was in your coffee cup and what were the little candies/snacks you popped in your mouth from time to time?
AHHHHH!!
I read your post Sampo and the first thing I think of is, “How many fish can you name?” AND SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY THOUGHT OF IT!!! AHHHH!
But on a more serious note, “You’ve created something that has had staying power, and means a lot to a lot of people. What is that like? What does it mean to you?”
As well, I second the question asking why Cambot never spoke (outside one of the unavailable first three KTMAs.)
I’m also curious if or when we will see Cinematic Titanic on television.
I second a question asked earlier…
Is there any chance we’ll ever see a Joel/Mike riff? It would be so genuinely appreciated by the fans!
Are you really a fan of 7 FACES OF DR. LAO?
Joel: With the Mike-Era episodes, did you ever feel bad that you left the show because you couldn’t have made officially riffed the movie yourself. Such as: ‘Ohh! He got to do Night of the Blood Beast? Man, I shouldn’t have quit!’
“Stop her; she’s got my keyboard!” from Gamera vs. Guiron is said to be the most obscure reference on the show. What is it a reference to?
Who is Merritt Stone? Just kidding :mrgreen:
I second Jeff’s #68 question about what it is like to create a show that has such a devoted following.
It seems like between the original 20 questions, and RAD’s 20 questions, as well as Patton Oswalt’s great set he had in SD, we have really covered a lot of ground. The only things I could come up with are
In what TV shows, past or present would you like to have had a creative part? Why? what would you have done?
What are TV and movies missing now, from your creative perspective?
Do you have time for hobbies or pasttimes, and if so, what are they?
in response to Hela #72:
the episode guide actually lists that as the first of the 50 most obscure references… it says: “This completely gratuitous remark refers to a girlfriend of Mike’s who broke the poor clod’s heart by leaving him without a word of explanation and stealing his only possession of value, a Roland keyboard his parents had given him. Poor dumb clod.”
what in your cd player right now?
After working w/Judd Apatow on Freeks and Geeks, along w/Trace, have you possibly planed on doing any other work w/him? or even in hollywood? i.e. writing, producing, maybe acting?
Will you really answer 20 questions this time?
and
You said you made the visual layout for the Cinematic Titanic site. Are you somewhat talented with computers, hardware or software?
and
I have five minutes to think of a question before I need to get back to my raid in World of Warcraft, so that’s made me ask: Mike was seen once playing Doom on the SOL. Have you ever played a computer game, or even play anything from Warcraft?
How does it feel to be a major pop icon and have contributed greatly to the pop culture of generations to come–Geesh–Did you ever SEE coming?
Also I would like to echo the question put forth by Ninjew:
You’ve suddenly been given an unlimited budget for three episodes of CT.
What three movies would you absolutely LOVE to riff to extinction?
Joel, do you think there’s a parallel universe somewhere with robots building puppets out of meat?
Any chance of any KTMA episodes being released on DVD commercially?
Just one question: Could he please solve the MST3K/South Park mystery? He would be the best person to ask.
Being sympathetic to Joel’s fame and knowing how the last 20 questions session ended, I’d ask something simple. Like, I’ve always wanted to know what his favorite dish is.
Tell us about Jollyfilter. Why set of circumstances led to it existing only as a test video, and do you think you’ll ever try to sell the idea again?
Were you ever stoned during taping? It’s okay to say now.
Were any of the following influences on your riffing and/or overall vision of the show, even if you saw them as examples of what NOT to do?
1. Statler and Waldorf on The Muppet Show
2. Jonathan Winters’ bizarre pop-in-from-heaven commentary in the film version of “Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad”
3. The Allegory of the Cave in Plato’s Republic
4. Old Popeye cartoons.
5. Any movies you’ve seen that were so badly dubbed the audio sounds more like commentary than dialogue.
(Someone yesterday told me about an interview where “What’s Up, Tiger Lily” was mentioned as ‘official’ inspiration for the Brains, so if any of this question has been answered elsewhere, someone please let me know)
Otherwise, I could just ask what other influences on the show you haven’t mentioned publicly in the past.
Of course, I got a question answered last year. But I’d like to optimistically throw some more in.
1. I was wondering if any Japanese movies are being considered for Cinematic Titanic. I know there were licensing problems with Toho for the Godzilla and Gamera movies, but do the same problems happen with other studios, or with Japanese/American co-productions such as Ed Wood’s The Venus Fly Trap?
2. Are the fans scary at all? If so, I’m pretty sure most of us are sorry bout that…
Would you rather be stranded on a deserted island with a MST3K fan who is willing to gather food for you and protect you from wild animals or a furry companion with at least 4 legs?
Joel, what are your top 10 movies of all time? (I’ll settle for 8, 6, 20, what have you).
All I’ve got that hasn’t already been asked:
Joel, why’d you cut off your jumpsuit at the knees in season 4? Was it especially hot in the studio and that helped out? Was it just to keep the whole thing from bunching up on the harness rigging for hanging around in “Tormented”? Or was it to give Kevin and Trace open access to take a chomp on your calf whenever you missed a cue?
What is a Hamdinger?
Any chance you will do a show in Michigan?
Serious question – What kind of current movies and tv related non reality programs do you like and or follow?
Non Serious “Joking” Question – Did you guys ever find and punch any of the crew of “Manos”?
Joel, at least three of the Cinematic Titanic episodes feature midgets: “The Oozing Skull,” “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,” & “Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks.” Would you say that the movies you are targeting happen to feature midgets, or do you openly target movies featuring midgets?
If you are targeting midget movies, is that a group decision or is pressure applied by one member of the cast? Who is that person?
Thank you for your time. Your answer will set my mind at ease.
==1==
During your tenure it seemed like MST3k shied away from overtly “adult” humor; there was an occasional wink-and-a-nod, but it never went any further. After you left it seemed like this restriction was gradually lifted; explicitly sexual jokes were plentiful by the Sci-Fi era. It doesn’t seem like Comedy Central would have mandated this, so it must have been self-imposed.
So my questions are:
1) Am I right, that there was a self-imposed edict of no explicit sexual material? If so, why?
2) In contrast, Cinematic Titanic gleefully indulges in adult material. Why the change?
==2==
How do you and the other Best Brainers refer to the show? Do you say “M S T” or “Mystery Science” or what? And what about “Cinematic Titanic”? I wanna get with the lingo.
==3==
With the exception of “Santa Claus Conquers The Martians”–a movie you and your crew has a history with–Cinematic Titanic’s releases so far have all been low-budget skeevy horror or sci-fi-horror movies from the 60s and 70s. Is that part of the Cinematic Titanic aesthetic, or is it just a coincidence?
==4==
I find the concept of KTMA utterly charming. But in this modern age of content overload, it seems like UHF channels have been given over to infomercials and first-run syndicated talk shows.
In this modern world of 500 cable channels, where can the bored children of today spend a sick day at home watching obscure old movies and made-for-TV movies from the 70s? How will they ever see “The Questor Tapes” or “Colossus: The Forbin Project”?
Since you retain ownership of the Gizmonics property, why not incorporate it into Cinematic Titanic? Yeah, it’d be a minor thing, but I missed the goofy pseudo-academic basis for MST3K when you left the show.
Here’s a question I’ve not seen asked anywhere. In the old days of MST3K, in the opening segments and bumpers, there are models of Gizmonic Institute that the camera pans around. I always loved those. Is there any story about their creation you could relate?
I was watching “Hercules Against the Moon Men” and I noticed that when the old guy is first showing Hercules the secret passage, one of the riffs you made was “It looks like they’re on a Dr. Who set.” So I was wondering: Did you ever watch Doctor Who?
I have a simple (but potentially stupid) question for Joel that’s been on my mind for a long while now.
When you were first designing the Crow T. Robot puppet, did you intend for it to have a strong resemblance to the robot version of Wile E. Coyote from the old Road Runner cartoons?
What was it like working for Man Or Astro-Man??
Just from perusing the questions so far it’s apparent that you are going to throw out all the “why don’t you come to the west/the east/India/Maine/my hometown/my basement and do a show?” questions (as well you should). I’m equally sure you won’t ask Joel about getting together with Mike — not only has that been answered many times around the web it’s probably something they are both sick and tired of hearing (although I’d still like them to consider it for the 25th Anniversary).
And the “cute” questions are just that — like the Monty Python “What is your favorite color?” “trick” question they are sorta funny in a sophomoric sort of way. But, let’s face it guys, this is a golden opportunity to get some real insight into one of the main minds behind our favorite show. Let’s get a little more real here.
I’m still thinking that asking Joel what he thinks about Mike’s contributions to the show Joel was hosting is a terrific question (maybe the wording is off, but somehow it would be very telling to know what Joel himself thinks Mike brought to the table and what he misses about him). I don’t really care about the politics of the breakup, but the questions about whether Joel thought a movie format of MST3K was a good idea is sound.
Perhaps you could ask Joel what he thinks is missing in Cinema Titanic — when he looks at the work does he feel there are areas they can improve or is he happy with it in the same manner he was happy with his work on MST3K? Artists are always more fond of talking about what they are currently doing than the past.
I just hit me that there could be a question or 2 for every Joel episode out there about some riff, or segment. Ask Joel if we can go way past 20 questions ? Like maybe about 300-400 ?
I can’t narrow it down to a specific question, but I know I’d love to hear more about his stand up and inventions, the other things I love about him besides MST3K and CT.