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Posted by Kenneth Morgan
on 3/30/2009, 10:03 pm
Today, Kenneth Morgan takes his annual opportunity to check on his progress…or lack, thereof.
*****
A few years ago, ever since MST3K ceased production and I placed myself on Great Drought restrictions, and invited you to come along, I’ve stopped at around the anniversary mark to take stock of the situation. Well, we passed said anniversary mark earlier this month. So, how’s it all going?
Of course, the big news over the past year was the whole reclassification of the situation. At that time, we no longer had to rely on the archives and fan-created riffing. Now, the pros had returned to the scene. The Film Crew had released some well-received discs. Its successor, Rifftrax, was up and running, providing commentary to both major movies and the old shorts we’d come to know and love (or cringe at, if you will). Meanwhile, the official website from BBI was putting up classic clips and newly-animated bits with the ‘bots. And, last but by no possible means least, Cinematic Titanic had launched, focusing on the sort of movie cheesiness that was perfect riff-fodder. Thus, I unilaterally declared the Great Drought over (well, as far as my own little world it was) and started anew. I kept up with the original show viewings on Sunday nights, adding selections of the Outside Stuff (pretty much anything not from the actual eps) on Saturday.
Okay, that’s the backstory. So, again, how’s it all going?
Actually, things are pretty good. Regarding the Original Stuff, I’ve recovered pretty well from the unexpected and nearly-disastrous flooding my house got a little over a year ago. I’ve been transferring the eps from the damaged tapes onto DVD, with some good results. A few of the shows were in pretty bad shape, but I suspect that was more from the original condition of the tape (like dubs of dubs) than from water damage. There are a couple that were incomplete, so I broke down, stuck a crowbar in my wallet and got new copies from outside sources. I have hit a bit of a stall, though. My DVD recorder broke down, so I’ve had to see about a replacement. So, I broke out my old but still usable DVD player and its working fine.
Regarding the Outside Stuff, that was a problem at first. Unlike the show, which provided me with literally years worth of material, I had comparably little Outside Stuff in my collection. Thus, I had to wait months before I had enough selections to make it worthwhile. But, I did manage to put together enough items to form a rotation, including Mike’s solo commentary efforts, the Film Crew DVDs and as many of the CT discs as I could access. I also had some rarities, like “People Traps” and “TV Wheel”, along with some convention footage. The only real problem I had was with Rifftrax; as yet, I haven’t been able to get any of the commentaries. That’s not so much a problem with availability as it is with technology. More specifically, my lack of knowledge of technology. I’m still trying to figure out how to make it work, but I hope to have that taken care of very soon.
The only really big change, so far as I can tell, is that BBI has stopped providing the animated segments with the ‘bots. I’m still disappointed over this. While the bits got some heavy criticism from some vocal fans (who, from what I could tell, were more venting their views towards Jim Mallon than the actual material), I thought they were OK. I had hoped they’d reappear, but I haven’t heard anything new about them. Still, the official site does still feature classic clips. Also, reportedly, it’ll soon feature rare footage from the KTMA era. While I haven’t included this material in the official rotation, it’s nice to have it there.
Okay, that’s where we are. So, where are we going?
Actually, I’d say were still on track to…wherever. There’s been a strong positive reaction to both Rifftrax and CT, minus a few curmudgeons, so those both look OK. The switch from Rhino to Shout Factory for the official episode releases has gone smoothly, and we’re getting some good extra material, to boot. And, regarding those rarities that are unavailable anywhere else, the MSTies are still circulating that stuff, so it can be had.
All in all, I’d say this whole thing seems to be working. And I’m still willing to go along with it, if for no other reason that I can always rely on this stuff for a laugh. And, over the last year or so, I’ve really needed a laugh from time to time.
Well, that’s about it. I know where I’ve been, I know where I am, and I’m fairly confident of where I’m going, at least as far as MST3K is concerned. I hope those of you travelling with me (there are those travelling with me, right?) are enjoying the experience. Feel free to pass along your views.
Now, which should I go for next? “Blood of the Vampires” from CT, a fan-made disc of Joel’s stand-up act, the “Edward the Less” audio production, or should I wait for the inevitable Rifftrax take of “Twilight”? Any suggestions?
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