3/20 newsletter

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This and older newsletters can be found at the Crowmistie! news page
Information here was found at MST3KINFO.COM
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The Golden Torgo Award
Before you continue on to my newsletter, please apply your MST3K site for the Golden Torgo award at http://www.oocities.org/TelevisionCity/2888/torgo.html this great award used to be at Crooooooow@aol.com's Brains in a Dish site.

News for 3/8-3/20 1998

Let's Bowl
In the not-too-distant past, a little television show premiered on Channel 23 in Minneapolis/St. Paul. No, we're not talking about MST3K...we mean "Let's Bowl" -- a show created and produced by Tim Scott, former Editor of MST3K and best known to long-time MSTies as the "Miracle Growth Baby" from episodes 306- TIME OF THE APES and 307- DADDY-O. The show premiered on February 1, 1998 and can be seen on KLGT-TV 23 every Sunday at 12:30pm.

We now present a brief review of "Let's Bowl" submitted by Steve Manfred, one of those lucky few who started watching MST3K way back in 1988 on KTMA-TV 23: I had an extraordinary feeling of deja vu while watching Tim Scott's new half-hour comedy series, "Let's Bowl." Maybe it was the somewhat clunky production, maybe it was the absurd premise, or maybe it was the address that came up in the lower right hand corner for a show fan club with an address in Hopkins, or maybe it was that I was watching it on channel 23 in a year ending in "8", or maybe it was Joel Hodgson's name in the thank yous in the credits along with a couple of more minor familiar names that made me think I'd seen this all somewhere before, about 10 years ago. If I didn't know better, I'd say Tim Scott is trying to duplicate the same road to success that Jim Mallon and Co. did ten years ago with MST3K. Hmm.

In show terms, however, "Let's Bowl" would be better compared with the "Melon Drop" comedy specials that Kevin Murphy and Jim Mallon did shortly before MST3K. It opens and closes with live bowling segments complete with a live audience at a bowling alley somewhere in St. Paul. The somewhat odd proceedings are announced by two very greasy looking and sounding announcers wearing blue polyester leisure suits. Most of the time during these segments they are rambling on trying to fill time during the bowling, but occasionally they say something funny like, "I don't know why you'd ask me. I hate bowling," in much the same way that Kevin Murphy had to ad lib during the live segments of the Melon Drops. This particular episode featured a match between a professional bowler and a little six year old boy named Sammy. The pro bowler hit eight strikes in a row while little Sammy did his best to avoid the gutter every time he threw the ball down onto the surface. Sammy rarely succeeded in that. At the end, each were presented with trophies and some odd prizes like a giant can of salted beans. Also present during the bowling segments are some silent cast members who are either refugees from the Letterman show (like the guy in the pig suit) or are spirits from the Hexfield Viewscreen's past.

The show's two interior segments are very different. The first of these was the best and was very reminiscent of the news exposes that Kevin did in the Melon Drops, except that it was our sleazy greasy bowling announcers doing the reporting. This report was an exposé on how a top bowler, played by Tim Scott himself, had faked an injury while baking pizzas at work and they had the tape to prove it to him and his lawyer, who was pretending to be his physical therapist even though he was dressed like a barber. This pre-taped sequence had good laughs and great timing, which the live segments did not, also precisely like the Melon Drop. The second interior segment was a live music segment featuring a local band I've never heard of myself playing the sort of music that could be cool or could be awful depending on your personal musical sub-culture of preference. By the way, their performance was at the bowling alley.

Overall, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give "Let's Bowl" about a 5. Half of it was quite amusing, while the other half stumbled over the fact that it was being improvised on the spot. I'll reserve final judgement until after I've seen a few more episodes in the hopes that other opponents may provide funnier bowling segments. It's not great yet, but it may have the same potential early MST3K had.

Steve Manfred
stevenma@pressenter.com

And Steve recently sent us this addendum:

The second episode I've seen (which appeared to be a rerun) wasn't as good as the first as the "Inside Bowling" comedy segment in the middle wasn't there and was replaced by "A Flock of Seagulls" video. The bowling match-up with a Boy Scout Den Mother vs. a Creepy Gothic Chick from Uptown, known as "Weirdo" on her score card, was a bit better this time.

Be sure to visit Steve's web site at http://www.pressenter.com/~stevenma

EPISODE 901 SOUND PROBLEM UPDATE
I am happy to report that BBI has informed mst3kinfo.com that the sound glitch in episode 901- THE PROJECTED MAN WILL be corrected by the next time it airs (possibly this summer).

For those who missed the explanation for the glitch when we first posted it on March 2nd, here it is again:

We could make stuff up and say BBI was experimenting with a bold new audio idea, but it was quite simply the unavoidable result of breaking in some new equipment at BBI (Brad, who's something of a perfectionist, has been quite grumpy about it). The riffing is definitely audible, but the effect is very different from what we're used to. All we can say it is a one-episode deal, and in episode 902, the sound in the theater is back to what we're all used to. Both Sci-Fi and BBI are aware of the situation. They both extend their apologies to anybody who finds the sound in theater sequences bothersome. Again, everything is back to normal in episode 902.This is only a one-time occurence!

NEWS FROM NEW YORK
NEW YORK CITY--Several members of the cast of MST3K hit The Big Apple this week as part of a Sci-Fi Channel publicity tour. On Tuesday night, TV writers and journalists from the city and elsewhere (including the maintainers of the Satellite News) packed the "Mark Goodson Theater" at the Museum of TV and Radio here to hear Mike Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl, Kevin Murphy, Paul Chaplin and Patrick Brantseg hold forth about the new season. (Jim Mallon had not planned to make the trip, and Bill Corbett, who *was* scheduled to attend the event, was also not present. When asked about Bill's absence, Mary Jo said Bill had to go home on personal business at the very last minute. Despite our digging a bit to find out what happened, the Brains were mum on the subject. We hope whatever called Bill away was not too serious.)

At the event, a bit of the upcoming Oscar© Special was previewed, and we can now report that those who've been hoping that the Brains would take on the movie "Titanic" are going to have their prayers answered. An *extensive* riffing of a surprisingly large amount (for a half-hour program) of footage from the movie apparently dominates the special.

Also screened at the event were clips from episode 903- PUMA MAN and episode 904- WEREWOLF. We can report that these clips (like the Oscar special clips) had this room full of jaded and world-weary New York journalists roaring with laughter. Before and after the event, Sci-Fi Channel staffers could not stop raving about episode 904- WEREWOLF in particular, and, during the question and answer period, Kevin referred to the movie as a gift from God.

Among the announcements at the event:

A Sci-Fi Channel official said the MST3K areas of the Sci-Fi Channel's Dominion web site are *the* most popular areas on the entire Dominion. The first of the much-discussed MST3K comic books (in which Mike and the bots will riff on bad comic books from the past) are due from Acclaim Comics in July. For comic book afficionados, Kevin said that among the comics being chosen for riffing are the old Gold Key comics. Merchandising of the MST3K brand name looks as if it will swing into high gear this year. Look for a line of collectible figurines from a company called Janus, and limited-edition signed and unsigned lithographs to be offered within the next few months. Sci-Fi Channel officials say all manner of other merchandising ideas are being explored, including action figures and a line of greeting cards. Asked about the likelihood of a new theme song later on in the season, reflecting the new Castle Forrester premise, Kevin gave us a definite

Kevin .)

Asked about the fate of "Quest of the Delta Knights" which was announced and then unannounced as a title to be riffed this season, Kevin said they were still struggling with the rights issues and could not say for sure whether it would make it to the schedule for season nine. On his first press tour, Patrick remained a quiet, low-key presence, visibly uncomfortable with all the media hoopla at some points, happily soaking up the attention at others. When Kevin noted to the assembled group that Patrick had done such a good job of replicating Gypsy's voice that few fans had even noticed he'd taken over the role, there were murmurings of astonishment from the crowd, many of whom apparently had not heard that Jim Mallon had stepped down from the role. When we offered our positive reactions to his performance as Gypsy, Patrick seemed much more interested in our reactions to the Castle Forrester set he'd slaved over for months. (An interesting footnote we learned: When viewed from the top, the Castle Forrester model forms an "F" shape.)

All in all, the cast handled the event with its usual grace and aplomb, and we're guessing you're going to see some pretty positive press about the series in the coming days!

Saturday's Episode
902- Phantom Planet
5pm and 11pm on the Sci-Fi Channel

Info-
not yet aired!

Survey Results
You can see them here

This week's sound
This week's sound is mstwacky.wav

Crowmistie@aol.com
Welcome to the Future
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"They're on a collision course to wackyness!" Crow T. Robot

3/6 newsletter

This newsletter brought to you by Crowmistie! the best of MST3K
This and Old newsletters can be found at the Crowmistie! news page
Information here was found at mst3kinfo.com

News Recap for 2/28-3/6
This week has a LOT of news, unlike last week which had none.

TITLE FOR EPISODE 907 ANNOUNCED
The kind folks at BBI have passed on to us the title for episode 907:

HOBGOBLINS (1985, color)

Directed by Rick Sloane (who went on to direct lots of soft-core porn including ALL FIVE of the "Vice Academy" movies). Starring Tom Bartlett, Jeffrey Culver.

The All Movie Guide says:
Hobgoblins is set in a dusty old movie studio. Years earlier, a horror film had been in the works, but production had suddenly and mysteriously shut down. The reason becomes obvious when the title characters escape from the studio vaults. Chaos ensues, not to mention panic and havoc. Say, this sounds an awful lot like Gremlins, doesn't it?

VideoLog says:
Old McCreedy warned Kevin to keep his nose out of the vault, but curiosity has killed more than a few cats and if Kevin doesn't round up the hobgoblins he set loose, he and everyone else may end up very, very dead as well.

BRAINS TO PERFORM "RADIO PLAY"
The cast of MST3K will take part in a "broadcast" (via RealAudio on the internet) of a radio play on the Sci-Fi Channel's Seeing Ear Theater. (Read more about Seeing Ear Theater at http://www.scifi.com/set/).

The play, by Kurtis Roth, is called Herd Mentality and is something Roth calls a "comic sci-fi/western." Kurt is a science fiction writer who has had his short stories appear in anthologies and magazines. The recording will reportedly take place next week, and word is the broadcast will take place towards the end of this month.

On Roth's own website at http://www.sff.net/people/kroth/news.htm, he says:

The friendly folks at Sci-Fi's Seeing Ear Theater got who they wanted to star in Herd Mentality. Who would that be? Oh, none other than the entire cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- that's who! Mike Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl (Mrs. Pearl Forrester), Bill Corbett (Crow), and Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo) will star. A couple of days ago I said, "If they get who they're going for, it would be a dream come true." Well, here it is, folks. A dream come true. I've been a great admirer of MST3K for a long time, going back to its earliest days. Comedy demands a special touch on the part of its performers AND its writers. These folks are both, performers and writers, and exceptional ones at that. So the idea of having them perform my work... well, let's just say it's a real kick in the pants.

MST3K: TM GOES TO DVD
Image Entertainment, the largest licensee and distributor of laserdiscs in North America, has announced that beginning this month it will be making Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie available on DVD at a cost of $29.99. For a list of retailers and web sites that will be offering the DVD, visit Image's web site at http://www.image-entertainment.com.

To visit Image's MST3K: TM page, go to http://www.image-entertainment.com/preview/398/mst3k.html.

Our thanks to Christopher and Jennifer Beckett for pointing this out to us!

OSCAR SPECIAL GETS A NAME
BBI and The Sci-Fi Channel have informed us that a name has finally been given to this year's Oscar Awards© show, and leave it to the Brains to come up with a doozy! The official title is MST3K's Academy of Robots' Choice Awards Special. (Whew!)

The special is set to air on the following dates:

(All times given are EST)

Thursday, March 19 -- 7:30pm and 11:30pm
Friday, March 20 -- 6:30pm and 12:00am
Saturday, March 21 -- 4:30pm
Sunday, March 22 -- 9:00am
Monday, March 23 -- 8:01pm & 12:01am (don't ask)

SEASON NINE NEWS!
The editors of Satellite News have obtained copies of episodes 901- THE PROJECTED MAN and 902- THE PHANTOM PLANET, and mst3kinfo.com has received permission from all sides to reveal a bit of what's in store for season nine.

Here is the info from mst3kinfo.com

Before we get to the big stuff, let's get something else out of the way. In the grand scale of things, this is not a big deal, but in the short run we're guessing it will cause some consternation, so we thought we'd get out in front of it now. It's also a bit of a reminder that this show is still a small-time, garage operation: a good old fashioned technical snafu. In episode 901, you will, we're sure, notice a difference in the audio during the show's theater sequences. Simply put, the quality is not quite what we're used to. We could make stuff up and say BBI was experimenting with a bold new audio idea, but as near as we can gather from talking to all parties, it was quite simply the unavoidable result of breaking in some new equipment at BBI (Brad, who's something of a perfectionist, has been quite grumpy about it). The riffing is definitely audible, but the effect is very different from what we're used to. All we can say it is a one-episode deal, and in episode 902, the sound in the theater is back to what we're all used to. Both Sci-Fi and BBI are aware of the situation. They both extend their apologies to anybody who finds the sound in theater sequences bothersome. Again, everything is back to normal in episode 902.

CHAT WITH THE BRAINS!
Thursday, March 12 @ 7pm EST/4pm PST/12 am GMT (Friday)

March is finally upon us, and with it comes great MSTie joy in the form of a brand-new season (3/14) and an even-newer Movie Awards special (3/19). But kicking it all off is a fun filled hour of mirth, merriment and inadvertantly answered questions with the cast of cable television's favorite live-action puppet show. Join Mike, Kevin, Bill, Mary Jo, Paul and possibly Ringo as they invade The Sci-Fi Channel's IRC server and face the best questions Internet MSTies have to offer.

To join the chat, point your IRC client to events.scifi.com and join channel #auditorium at the appointed date and time. Netscape 3.01+ users can access the chat via the java chat applet, found at:

http://www.scifi.com/chat/chatnow.html

For more information on other upcoming Dominion events, check out:

http://www.scifi.com/chat/

MST3K:THE MOVIE AIRDATES FOR MARCH
STARZ!
Mar. 5 - 3:15PM EST
Mar. 9 - 3:15PM EST
Mar. 10 - 1:30PM EST
Mar. 15 - 5AM EST, 5PM EST
Mar. 16 - 1:30PM EST
Mar. 20 - 3:15PM EST
Mar. 29 - 11:45AM EST

Survey Results
You can see them here

Saturday's Episode
Giant Spider Invasion will air at 5pm and 11pm on the Sci-Fi channel March 7th

To see info, click here

Sound Included
This week's sound timmy5.wav

Crowmistie@aol.com
Welcome to the Future
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"I think Timmy's trying to kill Tom Servo!"- Crow T. Robot

© 1997 crowmistie@aol.com

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