I grew up watching this when we got cable around 1995 or so, so I only knew the Mike Nelson Comedy Central years. F-ing CLASSIC in every way. Recently after discovering the Rifftrax I started seeking out old episodes to watch. Right now I'm working through season 3, which has Joel, and I had never seen before. To be honest the riffs aren't quite as fast-paced as I would've hoped. The movies I've seen so far (Cave Dwellers, Pod People) are so god-awfully bad it makes up for it when that's the case.
Joel does the interacting-with-movie via his silhouette more than Mike. I'm loving the skits more than I thought I would...Joel is a real funny guy and has a nice Intelligent Stoner look to him that kinda suits the show.
― Adam Bruneau, Friday, 26 February 2010 18:05 (fourteen years ago) link
Pretty much sums up how I feel about the Joel vs. Mike thing. Mike's episodes were generally better written with faster riffs inside the theater, but almost too slick. Joel was a much more likable host, but some of those really early episodes are way draggy.
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 18:34 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah, I can get with this. and I grew up watching the mike eps too.
― original bgm, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:03 (fourteen years ago) link
just re-watched WURRWULF last weekend. was dying at the werewolf driving a car.
― original bgm, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:04 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsFGo5sHrwA
― original bgm, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:05 (fourteen years ago) link
I do prefer the joel skits in general. the mike ones could sometimes get a little too... corny?
― original bgm, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:06 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, I'm watching the Pod People one right now. At the second skit break they setup a wall of keyboards and started making fun of New Age music and minimalism, and played a couple minutes of "bay area" ambient jams! The next break was simply them jumping around in Pee Wee-inspired hysterics, with really silly synth music playing. Brilliant and hilarious!
― Adam Bruneau, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Jesus demonoid has the complete collection as a 142 GB download!!
― Adam Bruneau, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:14 (fourteen years ago) link
I really loved it when Joel would act all butthurt over the 'Bots not playing along during skits. Or the few times he came off as scary discipline parent.
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 19:30 (fourteen years ago) link
There was a nice meanspirited nastiness to some of those earlier skits (the Orville Redenbacher one, for instance) that was just missing in the era of Mike.
"GOVERNMENT cheese!"
Was rocking First Spaceship to Venus the other night. The "Thanks, LEN!" riff makes me laugh way too much. (But the guy really does look like a Len. There could be nobody more Len than him.)
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 19:31 (fourteen years ago) link
I really liked Joel.. he was so sullen. Quit watching not long after Mike took over.
― daria-g, Friday, 26 February 2010 20:27 (fourteen years ago) link
man i'm excited to see the beatniks again
― da croupier, Friday, 26 February 2010 20:34 (fourteen years ago) link
I always liked that the bots more or less had the upper hand over Mike. And they did have some classic host bits, like the one where Crow goes back in time to tell Mike not to take the job at Deep 13, changing the future and leaving them with Mike's abusive brother Eddie.
― El Poopo Loco (Pancakes Hackman), Friday, 26 February 2010 20:45 (fourteen years ago) link
I am one of those weird people that likes Joel and Mike.
― ô_o (Nicole), Friday, 26 February 2010 20:47 (fourteen years ago) link
I think most folks like em both! just that people usually have a pretty strong preference. but they're both cool.
― original bgm, Friday, 26 February 2010 20:48 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, I like them both too. I really, really liked Mike in bit parts before hosting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__0C1lxp1Q4
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 20:55 (fourteen years ago) link
Cosign.
I really, really liked Mike in bit parts before hosting.
He was great at those, it's the one regret I had with the host shift since he couldn't very well play against himself. I love him as JC from The Sidehackers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTKWAgiZs5M
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 20:59 (fourteen years ago) link
And of course:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R88T3ZHbvDM
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 21:02 (fourteen years ago) link
"Well, we seem to have caught you at a bad time..."
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 21:03 (fourteen years ago) link
Been too long for me as well.
"Shuddup Iris."
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 21:04 (fourteen years ago) link
torgo's theme = instant lols
― original bgm, Friday, 26 February 2010 21:09 (fourteen years ago) link
currently watching 'the leech woman' on youtube. "now...ACT!"
― i am a big fan of japanese women (donna rouge), Friday, 26 February 2010 21:22 (fourteen years ago) link
Google vid searching MST3K unleashes quite the treasure trove of full length, DL-able eps, btw.
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 21:26 (fourteen years ago) link
currently watching 'the leech woman' on youtube.
I love whenever actors recur in movies. The oily dude she offs in the last half hour or so was the guy in The Unearthly who kept using too much Noo Yawk attitude and slang and so Joel and the Bots piled on the Dead End Kids lingo.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 21:32 (fourteen years ago) link
"one word to anyone and I'M GONNA MOON YOU!""you're gonna what?!?""MOOOOOOOOOOON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!"
(from the movie, not a riff)
― there can be only but steam that smells of shit and weaklingness (Eisbaer), Friday, 26 February 2010 23:26 (fourteen years ago) link
anyway, i caught onto the show during the Joel era. i stopped watching just after Mike replaced Joel (for reasons that had nothing to do w/ whether or not i liked Mike more than Joel). over the years, i've caught up w/ the Mike-era episodes which have been quite revelatory & enjoyable when i finally get around to seeing them.
― there can be only but steam that smells of shit and weaklingness (Eisbaer), Friday, 26 February 2010 23:29 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38MVSgCtF0k
― there can be only but steam that smells of shit and weaklingness (Eisbaer), Friday, 26 February 2010 23:30 (fourteen years ago) link
Based solely on in-theater riffing, I'm almost positive I could make a list of my top 5 episodes from Mike's episodes in season 5 and season 6 alone.
One of the many classics.
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 23:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Haha the whole end of season 5 is one hit after another. Even the completely ridiculous Radar Secret Service.
"The director's mistress, ladies and gentlemen."
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 23:36 (fourteen years ago) link
At least Santa Claus finally got the official nod but there's Radar Secret Service as mentioned, Alien from LA, Village of the Giants, Teenage Crimewave, 12 to the Moon...
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 23:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Ugh, Kathy Ireland's voice!
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 23:44 (fourteen years ago) link
Man, every. single. joke in Village of the Giants's Whiskey-a-Go-Go scene is killer!
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Friday, 26 February 2010 23:45 (fourteen years ago) link
"Whuh-whuh-where DID THEY COME FROM?!!?"
"OBVIOUSLY the TURTLE GAMERA can't BE FAR BEHIND!"
There were never enough Willow jokes for me.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 26 February 2010 23:53 (fourteen years ago) link
i still know all the lyrics to the sidehackers song, by heart XD
there is/was a hilarious torgo screensaver created like 12 years ago that plays the theme as he walks around sweeping up your screen, it's really cheesy and great.. still out there on the internets, says google, but afaik not in any updated version i can use
― daria-g, Friday, 26 February 2010 23:59 (fourteen years ago) link
"Hi, I'm the adult child of an alcoholic and I've got great big thighs."
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Saturday, 27 February 2010 00:03 (fourteen years ago) link
sidehackin is the thing to do, and it doesn't hurt to have a low IQ..
― daria-g, Saturday, 27 February 2010 00:05 (fourteen years ago) link
from season 6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2f0nfrgaK4
― there can be only but steam that smells of shit and weaklingness (Eisbaer), Saturday, 27 February 2010 01:02 (fourteen years ago) link
All the skits on the Pod People episode make me so happy.
― A Memorable Fancy (Abbott), Saturday, 27 February 2010 01:24 (fourteen years ago) link
otm, greatest skit ratio of any episode probably. Adam Bruneau was talking earlier about the "You are magic, aren't you Trumpy?" sequence which is just so dead-on perfect, in and out of the theater. "What, did he come from the Planet Goofball? Did he come here in a little clown car?! Criminy."
Also, of course, HIDEOUS CONTROL NOW.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3CDX3Q5UxY
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 27 February 2010 02:30 (fourteen years ago) link
Speaking of MST3K Bergman parodies, is their "Death and Taxes" Turkey Day ad online somewhere?
― I Am Curious (The Yellow Kid), Saturday, 27 February 2010 03:08 (fourteen years ago) link
back when i first saw pod people, i seriously considered making my own "im a virgin" tshirt. didn't go through with it. for better or worse.
― andrew m., Saturday, 27 February 2010 03:12 (fourteen years ago) link
Idiot control, yes!!! Sooooo much fun.
― Adam Bruneau, Saturday, 27 February 2010 03:34 (fourteen years ago) link
Mike's episodes were generally better written with faster riffs inside the theater, but almost too slick.
You and comedy! Not everything can be as shabby and uneven as Hellzapoppin!
― Fusty Moralizer (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 27 February 2010 03:42 (fourteen years ago) link
Wow I hadn't seen one of Mike's episodes in a long long time. Joel kills Mike in everything but the riffs. From villains to theme music to skits to the way he interacts w the robots.
― Adam Bruneau, Wednesday, 3 March 2010 18:37 (fourteen years ago) link
You're talking about Village of the Giants? Much as I love the end of the fifth season I do see it as essentially transitional -- I think he came into his own with the sixth season.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 March 2010 18:41 (fourteen years ago) link
I sort of thought Mike was one of the main guys behind all the songs, not Joel.
― queen frostine (Eric H.), Wednesday, 3 March 2010 18:58 (fourteen years ago) link
The original theme song was a Joel/Josh/Charlie Erickson cowrite. But Mike ended up doing most of the songs once he joined.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 March 2010 18:59 (fourteen years ago) link
The credits of the Joel episodes always attributed the theme song to Joel & the Joels. I never bnothered to see if Mike & the Mikes took over.
― How to Make an American Quit (Abbott), Wednesday, 3 March 2010 19:18 (fourteen years ago) link
The 'Joel and the Joels' thing was the first season or two, I think -- a performance credit!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 March 2010 19:28 (fourteen years ago) link