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Sampo & Erhardt

Sci-Fi Archives


Visit our archives of the MST3K pages previously hosted by the Sci-Fi Channel's SCIFI.COM.

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Frank Hawks My 4Square Alibi

Yes, this is a real website that claims it will let you specify your check in location on FourSquare, Facebook and Twitter even though you’re really nowhere near that location (but it’s actually a joke). Check out the site for more hilarious videos from other comedians.

Thanks to alert reader Ben for the tip!

Weekend Discussion Thread: Your Contacts with the “Casual Fan”

I have a rap I sometimes fall into when talking about the show, and especially why it was repeatedly cancelled: I may have fallen into it here once or twice, so if you’ve heard it before, bear with me. It’s based on my observation that MST3K is the most fondly remembered show nobody (statistically, anyway) actually watched.

Walk up to a random stranger (over 25) and ask him or her about the show. They may not get it at first, but start talking about the bad movies and the robots and silhouettes and for, I would estimate, 7 or 8 out 10 people, a smile will suddenly break over his or her face and they’ll say something like “Oh yeah! I LOVED that show!”

But, I always ask, did they REALLY? Now ask the stranger how many episodes they saw. Does he or she remember the names of any of the movies? What is his or her favorite character? For about 8 out 10 of the people who remembered the show, I find, what you will learn is that the person saw it once, and maybe not even a whole episode. Maybe they were at a friend’s house. Or they channel surfed to it and watched for a while, then surfed away. Oh, they LIKED it. In fact, their brief experience with it left them with a WONDERFUL sense of what a great show it was. But they never sought it out or watched it again.

If you’ve ever encountered someone like this, you have encountered that special animal, the “casual fan.” Another observation about them: most of them have committed to memory EXACTLY ONE riff that made them laugh during that one viewing. They very likely will recite it to you and then laugh riotously as if they’d heard it for the first time (while most of the time you sit there chuckling politely because, out of context, it makes no sense).

Most MSTies have had a similar experience. I’ve had it many times. One I fondly remember is the case of a father of a friend of my daughter’s. We got to talking about the show once and the one thing he remembered about the show was that there was a character in a space movie called “crank whore.” He thought that was hilarious. I didn’t have the heart to correct him.

Tell us about your encounters with that strange creature, the “casual fan.”

New Computer Monitoring Software Leads to New Titles at RiffTrax…

The bottom line: Coming soon (no dates yet): “Highlander” (yay!), “Karate Kid 3” and (gulp!) “Birdemic.”

As for that hashtag game, how about “Litter Be.” Huh? Huh?

Updated List of Weekend Discussion Threads

To the folks who have been sending discussion thread suggestions, thanks. And if you think of one that might work, send it along to at msampo at a-o-l dot com.

But of course some of you are suggesting topics we’ve already done. And it’s completely understandable: We’ve done hundreds and you can’t be expected to remember them all.

So here’s an updated list (and I go with the idea somebody had: adding this list to Ward E for easy access.)

Your First Time (i.e. the your first episode experience)
Your Desert Island Episode
Favorite Host Segments–KTMA and Season 1
Fave Season 2 Host Segments
Season THREE Host Segments
Fave Season Four Host Segments
Top 12 Season 5 Host Segments
Fave Season Six Host Segments
Favorite Season Seven Segments
Fave Season 8 Host Segments
Favorite Season 9 Host Segments
Favorite Season 10 Host Segments
Top 15 Funniest Shorts
Favorite Songs
Top 5 “Actual Songs from the Actual Movies”
Introductory Movies
Top 5 Stingers
Lamest Heroes in a MSTed Movie
Favorite Inventions
Most-Used Catchphrases
Top 12 “Guest Starring Roles”
The Episodes for the 20th Anniversary Collection Are…
Goofiest Monster in a MSTed Movie
Memorable Dance Numbers
Top 10 Most Memorable Villains
Most Memorable Movie Theme Songs
Memorable ‘Bot Alterations
Fill In the Missing Stingers
Hotties/Hunks from MSTed Movies
Most Disgusting Movie Moments
Sleeping Pill Episodes
Two-Part Mike Discussion
Favorite Joel Moments
Favorite Trace Moments
Favorite Kevin Moments
Favorite Mary Jo Pehl Moments
Favorite Josh “J. Elvis” Weinstein Moments
Favorite Paul Chaplin Moments
Why MST3K Matters
Catchphrase T-Shirts Update
“Personal Riffs”
Christmas Movies that SHOULD Be Riffed
Best RiffTrax of 2008
Questions for Joel
The Grand Convergence
Shorts That Should Be Riffed
Joel Answers Your Questions
UnMSTed MST Movies You Own
Worst MSTed Movie
Mike’s Bacon “Stupidity”
Worst Performances
Worst Performance by an Actor
Worst Director
MST3K Viewing Habits
Favorite MSTed Movie Genre
Most Ridiculous Scene
Questions for Jordan Fields of Shout! Factory
Riffs that Got Run Into the Ground
Worst Ensemble Cast
The Taxonomy of Riffs
Your MST3K Projects
Riffs You Use in Daily Conversation
Most Annoying Movie Character
Episode Watching Memories
Favorite Callback
The Un-Sexiest Moment in a MSTed Movie
Favorite Farewells
“MST3K The Movie 2″–What Movie Would You Choose?
Your First “MST3K: The Movie” Experience
Best Pearl Moments
Drab and Dreary Movies
What’s Funny to You?
Lame Science
Favorite DVD Set
Episodes That Cheer You Up
Your Sci-Fi Channel “They’re Gonna Be Okay” Moment
MSTed Movies that Could Be Remade into GOOD Movies
Most Memorable Crow Moments
Instructional Shorts that Were Actually Informative
What Do We Do?
Your Favorite Rhino Extra
GOOD Performances by Actors in MSTed Movies
GOOD Performances by Actresses in MSTed Movies
Best WRITTEN MSTed movie
Alternate Actors in MSTed Movies?
Which Is the Best of the Russo-Finnish Quartet?
Roger Corman, bane or boon?
Ideas for Future Shout Factory Sets
Best Spy/Secret Agent Movies
Your Turkey Day Traditions
Worst Attitudes Toward Women in MSTed Movies
Blurting Out MST3Kisms
What’dja Get?
A Better Final Movie?
Action Figures
“Funny All By Itself” Movie Moments
Best Episodes for Kids
Deleted Scenes
Favorite Movie Sidekicks
Favorite Credit Sequences
Episodes That Grew on You
Favorite MST3K-Related Web Sites
Overrated/Underrated Episodes
Romance and MST3K
Good Host Segments/Not So Good Riffing (or vice versa)
Your Favorite Wimp
Riffing When You Shouldn’t
Worst Body of Work Among MSTed Producers
Continuity Errors in MSTed Movies
The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide
Favorite Frank Moments
Least Memorable Episodes
MSTed Movies That Would Have Worked Better on ‘LOST’
Your Collection
Worst Special Effects/Make-Up
Best and Worst Cops in MSTed Movies
Favorite Naughty Riffs
MSTed Movies You’d Like to See Redone
Movies They SHOULD Have Riffed
Worst Commercials
Worst/Dumbest Plan by a Hero or Villain in a MSTed Movie
Most Memorable Pesky Kid
Movie Posters
Most Memorable or Painful Deaths
Dumbest Comment You’ve Ever Heard about the Show
Sell Tape Scenes
Joel/Mike Double Features
Most Memorable Cinematic Titanic Moments So Far
Remembrances of the KTMA Days
Riffback!
Worst Comic Relief in a MSTed Movie
Remakes and Recastings
Least-Convincing Teenagers in a Movie or Short
Toughest Tough Guy/Gal in MSTed Movies
MST3K/RiffTrax/CT-related Things You’ve Made/Discovered
You Know You’re a MSTie When…
The Prop Auction–What Did You Get? What Did You Want?
Which Characters Would You Invite for Thanksgiving?
MSTed Movie Character Blind Dates
Best/Worst Bands in MSTed Movies
Riffable Holiday Specials
What Would You Get a Character in a MSTed Movie for Christmas?
What’dja Get?
Hall of Fame Inductees
Best/Worst KTMA Episode
Your Favorite Obscure Riff
Episodes You Just Can’t Sit Through

RIP Charlie Callas

LAS VEGAS–Rubber-faced comedian Charlie Callas died at a care center here Thursday, Jan. 27. He was 86.
In addition to being mentioned in riffs a number of times, MSTies will remember that his trademark jerky stage persona was put to good use in the “Charlie Callas massager,” an invention exchange in episode 320- THE UNEARTHLY.