It’s been almost 10 years since the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 aired, but I’m happy to report that the legacy lives on. Not just through a dedicated community of fans trading episodes, but through the creative forces behind the series. There are actually two post-MST3K projects kicking around these days – Cinematic Titanic features MST3K originals Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu (Crow #1 & Dr. Clayton Forrester), J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo #1), and Frank Conniff (TV’s Frank), as well as later addition Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester). I’ve never seen any of their stuff to be honest, but then again I was never a huge Joel fan.
I have seen a fair number of works by RiffTrax, headed by former MST3K host and head writer Michael J. Nelson, as well as Kevin Murphy (Tom Servo #2 & Observer) and Bill Corbett (Crow #2 & Professor Bobo). It’s pretty much a continuation of latter-day MST3K in terms of humor, just without the iconic silhouettes and skits.
RiffTrax also differs from both MST3K and Cinematic Titanic in that it is available as audio-only tracks, which means they don’t have to pay any licensing fees for the movies they make fun of. This gives them the freedom to stray from the usual B-movie fare riff on more mainstream films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy or, more recently, Twilight. But during last night’s special live performance of RiffTrax, the gang went back to their roots and brought forth a colorized version of the godfather of all awful movies – Ed Wood’s immortal Plan 9 from Outer Space.
Read on Daddy-O…