Cinematic Titanic releases new “Santa Claus” trailer

Josh just sent out this hilarious trailer for the November 20th release of Cinematic Titanic’s take on the old MST3K classic, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Judging from the riffs included in the trailer, this episode is looking like a good one. (Especially the last line. Ell-oh-ell, indeed.) I can’t wait to see their take on it.

Deep Reviewing: Cinematic Titanic’s “The Wasp Woman”

In September, when DVD Talk reviewer King Stuart Elderberry Galbraith IV gave Cinematic Titanic’s The Wasp Woman a surprisingly vicious, scathing review, most of us reacted with appropriate rage. However, after spending some time with the crew’s take on Roger Corman’s 1959 snoozer, I have to admit that I’m not nearly as offended by Galbraith’s bile and ire as I used to be.

While I certainly don’t wish death and destruction upon the Brains and all their works now (as some seem to), Wasp Woman was definitely not the ideal DVD to show to someone who clearly has a bias against MST3K and its descendants. How bad is it? Well, it’s not “half-a-star” bad, I can tell you that much in the pre-review blurb. For the saucy, tantalizing specifics, hit the jump and read. You know you want to.

Cinematic Titanic to riff Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Looks like Trace’s vague hints weren’t red herrings: The CT cast will be riffing a movie previously featured on Mystery Science Theater. And it also looks like this episode and their Christmas episode will be one and the same, as they’ll be taking on Santa Claus Conquers the Martians once again. Joel and Trace  (and Frank, from the writing room) previously stared down this cinematic fever dream in season three of MST3K. (Mary Jo joined the cast right after the episode.)

When Joel announced it on the CT blog yesterday, he made it clear that this would be a fresh batch of riffs, and not a rehash. They seem to be treating it as an “experiment,” to see how different the modern version is. Admittedly, they’ve got some big shoes to fill, even though those shoes actually used to belong to some of them. The DVD will be available on November 20th, along with some e-cards.

If you’re in the St. Louis area, you can get a sneak peek at the episode: Cinematic Titanic will be performing it live at The Family Arena on Saturday.

Reminder: Shout Factory’s MST3K set is out now

Yeah, I know I just posted about it a few days ago, and I realize you probably already know about it, but this is big stuff! A new MST3K set! Not made by Rhino! That doesn’t suck! So, you should buy it. Right now. Yes, quickly, go. (And I’m still broke, so enjoy it extra, for me.) This new release also means that MST’s getting some publicity.

With this publicity, comes a fair amount of, as we say on the Internet, “lulz.” I would particularly like to point and laugh at Wired.com. One of their articles touts “MST3K Vets Talk[ing] Fan Faves From New DVD Set,” suggesting an interview in which the cast discusses the contents of the set, right? I believe one answer comes close to vaguely addressing one of the movies. They also think KTMA counts as season one.

I laugh at them.

Meanwhile, Ain’t It Cool News took a break from spoiling things to interview Joel. Entertainment Weekly dug the set, even if they’re nuts for not even mentioning Laserblast. The LA Times had a nice little article on the set/series. And lastly, Satellite News spotted a random few articles. As for McClatchy Newspapers, well…

If only they knew.

Weekend Backloggery: Here’s some stuff I missed

Hello. Happy Sunday to you, reader-person. I’m trying to get back in the swing of things, regular updates and the like. Consistancy and normalcy are not my strong points, obviously. But even when I’m not posting anything, I’m still keeping track of MST3K news and articles. So, I figure I may as well clear out the backlog on the weekends. And so…

One thing I’ve been trying to get out the door is my review of Cinematic Titanic’s Wasp Woman episode. I have Legacy of Blood sitting on my shelf staring at me as well, so hopefully you’ll see a couple of semi-back-to-back reviews in the near future. Other reviewers are more on top of their game, however, so here are some Legacy of Blood reviews to check out:

• ComiXtreme liked it… well, the riffing, at least.
• DVD Corner really liked it.
• DVD Talk recovers from a terrible (and terribly written) review of Wasp Woman, with Brian Orndorf returning to praise Legacy of Blood.
• Cinema Suicide… well, need I repeat myself?

Some reviews of the Shout Factory MST set are trickling in:

• DVDizzy likes the set, but wishes the original movies were included. Really? Other than that silly complaint, it’s a good, detailed review.
• Tucson Weekly reviews both the MST3K set and Legacy of Blood.

There have also been a handful of recent interviews, mostly involving the Cinematic Titanic cast. It seems like CT’s hype machine is peaking, much like Rifftrax’s did last year. In addition to Trace’s podcast appearance, there were also these:

• Nifty magazine Geek Monthly has an interview with Frank and Joel. It’s only available in papery form, but MSTie wonderwoman Robyn scanned the article. You can see it here. I haven’t read it yet, but the photos are brilliant.
• Trace and Joel were on TV. (Scroll through until you see their clip.)
• Newsarama also interviewed Trace and Joel.

And finally, I’ll point you towards Satellite News, where one of their readers reports on his experience at a recent Cinematic Titanic live show. Now, I’m off to go attempt to ward off this premature case of the Mondays that I seem to have…

MST3K.com bets you’ll pay extra for DVD sets with “Gypsy”‘s autograph inside

It what seems like an odd decision, MST3K.com has opted to try digging their money hooks into the collector’s market, offering special special editions of Shout Factory’s upcoming DVD set. These special special sets will come with, uh, an object that has been signed by Jim Mallon and “Gypsy.”

Now, Jim’s autograph probably isn’t as desirable as, say, Joel’s or Mike’s… or Bill’s, or Trace’s, or Frank’s, or… well, you get the idea. But hey, it’s still a nice thing to have, right? Here’s the catch: They expect you to pay $15-25 dollars more for this “Gypsy edition.” Yep, you’ll have to fork over $65 here. Is anyone going to bite at this?

Of course, for my money, you’d totally be better off buying it right here, where $48.99 sure feels a whole lot less offensive to one’s bank account. Or, you know, other places that are charging much less.

Shout Factory’s MST3K DVDs arriving Tuesday; not-so-special edition coming in November

It’s coooooooming!

MSTies are starting to receive notifications that their orders of Shout Factory’s upcoming 20th Anniversary Edition box sets of MST3K DVDs have shipped. It’s here, folks. You can finally enjoy high-quality Natalie Burke, in the comfort of your own home! These tin-box sets include the bonuses you see above: A small Crow T. Robot bust and a set of exclusive MST3K-oriented lobby cards for each of the set’s episodes. Interviews and Comic-Con reunion footage also abound.

One word of warning, though: Apparently, this edition is decidedly limited. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, reports Satellite News. This means no more Crow bust, lobby cards, or tin box, once supplies run out. The good news, though, is that a standard, discs-only edition will be hitting stores on November 18th, so you’ll only be missing out on the trimmings, if you choose to wait.

Sadly, the presumably-cheaper standard edition is what I’ll likely be stuck with, as I can’t quite justify shelling out $50 right now, even for this gorgeous package. Which one will you be getting?

Trace podcasts, reveals new Cinematic Titanic details

Puppeteer and Madman extraordinaire Trace Beaulieu was recently a guest on a Twin Cities-area podcast called The Well-Fed Guide To Life. Basically, the show’s hosts take their guest out to a local restaurant and record the interview right there. Interesting. The result, in this case, is an hour of fairly casual conversation about all things Cinematic Titanic, MST3K, and bear-related. Specifically, Trace revealed some interesting info about CT’s future plans.

First off, one of the crew’s upcoming targets will be Blood of the Vampire, an old porphyric hemophiliac flick that sounds deliciously awful. He also spoke of a “Frankenstein-like” movie, which has “Frankenstein” in the title, but not so much on-camera, and another movie that he refused to reveal. And he also confirmed that November will see the release of a Christmas edition of Cinematic Titanic.

Most interestingly, however, is that Trace almost seems to imply that the CT crew will be riffing a movie previously featured on MST3K. He doesn’t confirm it, but he’s just vague enough to make it a repeatable rumor. It’s a fun interview. They even ask him the dreaded “Mike vs. Joel” question, which Trace answers perfectly and hilariously. The podcast runs for an hour, and it’s definitely worth a listen.

Also, I’m loving the subtle commentary on the Flash-animated series…

New Cinematic Titanic: “Legacy of Blood”

In an email oddly dated October 16th, 2008 (from THE FUTURE!), Josh Weinstein announced that the fourth episode of Cinematic Titanic, and the last from the May recording session, would be titled Legacy of Blood. The 1971 horror flick is about a creepy family who must spend the night in a mansion, in order to recieve their inheritence. Murder and fake blood ensues.

According to its lone IMDB review, it’s “not even worth viewing.” Well, okay then. Should be fun. It comes out on DVD and download-to-burn formats on October 9th. You can see the trailer above.

DVD Talk pans Wasp Woman, screws pooch

Earlier this year, DVD Talk writer Brian Orndorf wrote a glowing review for Cinematic Titanic’s The Oozing Skull. He’s an MST3K fan, so he obviously understood the premise and enjoyed the episode. So, now that it’s time to review CT’s take on Roger Corman’s The Wasp Woman, you’d think they’d hand it over to their MST3K guy, right? Yeah, you’d think that, wouldn’t you?

Nope. Instead, they haul out the incredulously named Stuart Galbraith IV, a f*cking film historian, to write the review. As one might expect from a film historian who clearly isn’t a MSTie, he utterly hated the episode, giving it the absolute worst panning that I’ve ever seen an MST3K-related product receive.

Now, I recognize that MST3K isn’t for everyone, nor do I expect it to be for everyone. But when your site has one DVD reviewer who understands and enjoys a certain genre of film, then you don’t go and give the review to another reviewer who hates that genre of film. That’s like sending a vegetarian to a steakhouse. So, pay no mind to Sir Galbraith’s review. Wasp Woman isn’t exactly Manos, but it deserves better than 0.5/5.  Tsk, tsk, DVD Talk. (My review will be coming soon.)

UPDATE: According to this comment on Satellite News, the reviewer had no idea he was going to be reviewing the CT version of Wasp Woman. While this explains the situation a bit, I still don’t think it excuses what is an entirely inappropriate review. Also, you can read Bill Corbett’s thoughts in this comment.

UPDATE 2: And while we’re at it, it looks like most of the folks on DVD Talk’s forums don’t agree with Sir Stuart Hildebrandt Galbraith IV, M.D., either.

Deep Ape Review: Doomsday Machine

When I reviewed Cinematic Titanic’s first episode, The Oozing Skull, I ran into a bit of a dilemma: It was the first episode of the series, and I didn’t really have anything to compare it to. After all, it would be unfair to compare it to Mystery Science Theater, the pinnacle of movie riffing. So, I simply had to give it an arbitrary grade. Now, however, with three new episodes of Cinematic Titanic on the way, two of which have been released, we can finally start to gain some perspective.

For their second episode, the Titanic crew chose a late-’60s sci-fi clunker that makes it hard to believe that, while it was having its run in theaters, George Lucas was probably starting to dream up Star Wars. (The bulk of the movie was filmed in 1967, but it wasn’t finished until 1972.) Doomsday Machine is a bland, woeful film, salvaged only by… uh, Ruta Lee’s prettiness? Oh, I don’t know.

By now, you probably already own this episode, but in case you don’t, or in case you give a flip about my opinion, hit the jump for my overanalysis of the film and the episode, both of which have 100% fewer hippies than Oozing Skull.

Next Rifftrax: “Pirates of the Caribbean”

There’s been a noticeable lack of Rifftrax coverage here (though not purposefully) — but no longer! The next Rifftrax release has been announced, and it’s the first of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. As you know, the film is a loose adaptation of the Disney themepark ride, a concept that somehow managed to tickle Jerry Bruckheimer’s brain. It stars many well-liked, attractive people and that guy from the better version of The Office. The Rifftrax is out on September 9th.

You can pick up the DVD here, if you feel so inclined. And while you’re at it, you could pick up a copy of Spiderman 2 here, since Rifftrax Presents just released a commentary for the film (featuring Kevin, Bill, and The Comics Curmudgeon). Go ahead, buy a Rifftrax. Bill needs the money so he can write Meet Dave Again: Beyond Thunderdome. (Bill, you know I love you.)

SDCC: Final details on Shout Factory DVDs announced

As expected, the MST3K reunion panel at Comic-Con provided the answers to all our questions about the first Shout Factory box set. Though the details are relatively bare-bones, here they are.

First off, there are the extras that you’ve already heard about: A series retrospective, coupled with some new interviews with the cast, and also a recording of the reunion festivities. What you probably don’t know, however, is that there will also be a Crow T. Robot figurine and “collector’s cards.” Sweet! Now, the most important information: The episodes. The set will include:

• 0211 First Spaceship on Venus
• 0706 Laserblast
• 0904 Werewolf
• 1004 Future War

So, two solid episodes and two middle-of-the-road episodes. Sounds good to me. (And Werewolf! Natalie! SQUEE!) There should be more info on the way, as well as pictures. Queen Shadowrama was on-hand, so hopefully she’ll be able to share some of her fangirl wonderment.

New cast interviews on Shout Factory MST3K release

In the latest Cinematic Titanic email update, Joel makes mention of shooting some interviews this week, for Shout Factory’s upcoming 20th Anniversary MST3K DVD set. This might end up being for the aforementioned “History of MST3K” feature said to be included amongst the extras. Either way, it looks like Shout Factory is definitely putting some effort into this. Hopefully, the Rifftrax crew is also in on this.

Oddly, Shout Factory asked the CT crew to come “‘camera ready’ and dressed as ‘we’d want our children and grandchildren to see us’.” The latter phrasing makes it sound like they’re going to embalm them or something. Just in case, stay alert, guys.

Joel: “Wasp Woman,” site redesign on the way

Cinematic Titanic fans recently got a bundle of good news from Joel, in their inboxes. First and foremost is the news that the next episode of Cinematic Titanic will be Roger Corman’s The Wasp Woman, a film which they’ve already performed live a couple of times. The episode will be available on DVD and for download on August 7th.

Beyond that, Joel says that they’re trying to set up a production schedule of releasing a new episode every six weeks, which suggests that we could see the series’ fourth installment as soon as September. And as you can see above, the Cinematic Titanic site will also be getting a much-needed makeover soon. Very sleek.

Lastly, the Cinematic Titanic folks will be embarking on another live show, on November 1st. This one will be in St. Louis, otherwise known as “Once Again, Nowhere Near Hugh.” Anyway, hit the jump for the Wasp Woman trailer.