Mystery Science Theater 3000: C/D, S/D.

I actually think it's the best one in terms of sheer budget-on-screen spectacle -- over the top and overacted at points but beats the fuck out of just about every sort of 'epic fantasy' movie after it (in the non-sci fi trappings sense) until recent days.

the Sampo movie

THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE

"Oh yah, I remember that day..." < / Minnesota grandma twang >

Yes, Sci-Fi Channel episodes are still rerun on Saturday mornings for the time being. Catch them while you can!

"TDTEF" invests its plot with a bit more motivation and reason.

The minor fact that it's based on the Finnish national epic the Kalevala doesn't hurt (and believe it or not, that whole joke about the sampo is straight from the source tales in a way -- nobody really DOES know what a sampo is!).

The movie is about as funny as an average episode, but was designed to be seen in the theaters (which is to say, to be seen with a big group of people). The two times I saw it in the theater, it worked very well. (But yeah, the sketches from the movie aren't all that classic, and the single-camera approach of the TV show just works soooo much better... still, it was nice to see them have a modest budget for once.)

Can anyone ID this episode for me? Sadly, my cable company has some malevolent policy of not providing the sci-fi channel. :-(

During a preview of Contact "From The Producer of Forrest Gump" appears on the screen.

Mike: "So you can't say we didn't warn you."

Volume 1: Bloodlust, Catalina Caper, Creeping Terror, Skydivers
Volume 2: Angels Revenge, Cave Dwellers, Pod People, Shorts vol.1
Volume 3: Atomic Brain, Unearthly, Sidehackers, Shorts vol.2
Volume 4: Girl In Gold Boots, Hamlet, Overdrawn at Memory Bank, Space Mutiny

And I'm thinking of getting her "Manos" to boot...

As for which one, well, if she's a fan of the later seasons when Pearl was in charge, then definitely number 4 (and as it is I think all four of those episodes are among their finest). Volume 1 is mostly Mike as opposed to Joel (if that matters), who just does Catalina Caper, but that and Skydivers are both great, Creeping Terror not far off. But all that said, I'd go with volume 2 for starters -- a fantastic Mike episode, two of Joel's best and some of the best shorts they did. No Mr. B Natural though, which is a crime. (Volume 3 I'd get last -- good episodes but none that immediately standout as spectacular, a couple of the shorts aside).

"Catalina Caper" is a must.

Space Mutiny, fucking Space Mutiny. I have been present to see three or four board regulars see that for The First Time Ever and their glee was uncontrolled. My god, so bad, so wonderfully wonderfully bad. I think I'll watch that one first!

"Whaddaya got me, Rick Astley?"

"The death of Rick Springfield."

"Shake it Ralph Macchio!"

"The Home Economics Story"
"Junior Rodeo Daredevils"
"Body Care & Grooming"
"Cheating"
"A Date With Your Family"
"Why Study Industrial Arts?"
"Chicken of Tomorrow"

A fine selection (even if two of them unfortunately recur from episodes also on DVD).

Angel's Revenge is just insane, especially thanks to the 'special guest stars.' Jack Palance, Peter Lawford, Pat Buttram, Alan Hale, Jim Backus, Arthur Godfrey! What the fuck!

You are dead to me.

"Overdrawn" was fantastic

You live again!

Dan is right about The Girl With Gold Boots just being plain nuts. I'm trying to dig up this brilliant picture from the film that was from a scene *cut* from the MST3K version of all things...

http://www.jabootu.com/images/ggbundercover.JPG

(Stolen from Jabootu.com's brilliant review of the whole ridiculous thing.)

EAT, I'm afraid, does not excite my palate. But they do have tacos.

Suddenly, due to an apparent splice in the master print from which this video was taken, Buz magically appears at the table in the middle of the conversation. (This kind of stuff never happens when they transfer Martin Scorsese’s films to video.) )

"Hey Malta... GET A TREE!"

"oh come on, nobody's THAT Southern!"

The final final ever TV broadcast of a MST episode is later this month -- The Screaming Skull of all things, but it does have that great Gumby short to go with it. Sci-Fi Channel decided not to renew the repeat contract alas, so after five years of a half-life the show will be permanently a tape/filetrade/DVD experience.