Mystery Science Theater The Return (Season 11)

[clockworkcanary]

So, I'm sure I'm not the only one to binge watch the new season of MST3k.

My overall thoughts: I love it so far.

First, some minor issues:

The intro with the live/fake band singing was a bit over produced for me. There's something I like about the mads being in an isolated, smaller/intimate area, where this was like they had an entire moon base space station celebrating (which, to be fair, it is something to celebrate). Lots of bots breaking out into song, which is popular with some folks I hear (not a fan of musicals).

The first few episodes, the pacing was quick. It's like they just snorted coffee, with rapid-fire jokes (which is a good thing, but they need to let some breathing time in there between the jokes).

The voices take some getting used to (and they are good), but it was annoying having Gypsy drop in and out of the screen and with Servo floating around.

Again, these points are so minor.

Now the good:
Jonah: the new host. I dig him.

The mads: Kinga and Max are pretty great.

The bots: voices might have changed (they have a few times before) but they are the same personalities.

The invention exchanges! Yay!

The spirit: jokes are updated with today's topics, yet it still felt like the same spirit, which is great. It made props to the Joel and Mike years.

The "commercial breaks" -loved that!

The cameos: the non-MST cameos were interesting but really liked seeing old MST characters show up. Grandma, Brain Guy, and Prof Bo Bo showing up was pretty cool, for example.

The movies: out of the couple that I watched all the way through and the others I random-sampled, these movie selections are great! Reptilicus, Avalanche, Starcrash, Yongary, and Cry Wilderness just to name a few.

Overall, as an MST3k fan, I was not disappointed. I hope they continue this show, season after season and generation after generation.

[clockworkcanary]

Just watched the finale and all I can say is "well done!" - won't spoil anything, but I can't wait for season 12!

[javakoala]

Overall, they have done a good job of bringing the series back from the dead. Each episode has been fairly funny to pretty damn funny, so far.

The biggest issues I have are the non-stop barrage of riffs (often close to being stacked on top of each other, with lesser riffs being used in front of better riffs) and the constantly missed opportunities the movies themselves set up (open-ended dialogue that BEGS for a riff, but these guys just sit there waiting for another chance to reference Game of Thrones or Twitter).

Other than that, no major complaints. It would be nice to hear Tom and Crow reference classic riffs from the previous versions, and let Jonah be confused. He is a noob, so he wouldn't know the history those two characters have, yet they have him chime in on references from episodes he would have no knowledge of. Doesn't happen often enough to be an issue, but you'd think they could have sorted that problem before finalizing the scripts.

[Rev. Powell]

I guess I'll put my individual episode comments here instead of the other thread.

1102 - CRY WILDERNESS

This is a perfect type of movie for MST3K: incompetent, badly acted, cheap production values, bizarre plotting, but not too busy with lots of empty places to insert riffs. The plot involves a kid who's friends with Bigfoot, who psychically calls him from boarding school because Dad is in trouble, but it's really more Bigfoot that's in trouble because there's a government-sponsored big game hunter squatting in Dad's cabin. Oh, and there's a tiger on the loose and a wise old Indian ghost, too. In fact, the movie is nearly perfect--just needed a breakout character like Rowsdower or a great running joke to make it into an MST3K classic. Unfortunately, although the movie is much better making the episode more watchable, I didn't laugh much more than I did at the pilot episode. I do suspect this one will have greater replay value and will probably grow on me.

Other thoughts:

*The host segments seem very Joel-inspired: charts and maps explaining the movie, general "wackiness" (bots dressed as raccoons knocking over cereal boxes). Mike host segments tended to be more dialogue based.
*Pearl, Brain Guy and Observer's cameo was welcome, but not really gut-busting, and I was a little disappointed that it didn't add to the backstory about how we got from the end of Season 10 to Season 11. What have Pearl and company been doing all this time (and how long has it been?)
*The movie ends with one of the worst theme songs ever---a country-tinged 80s power ballad. Yuck. Jonah and the bots can't even make it through the credits.

I'd rank the episode overall a little higher than 1101-Reptillicus. It didn't change my opinion of Season 111: it's clearly better than Season 1, but not nearly as good as the sweet spot seasons from Comedy Central (3-6) or the Sci-Fi channel (2nd half of Season 8 - 10). But the pieces are in place for them to take a big leap forward if they get a Season 12.

[Sitting Duck]

A very apt description I've heard given to Cry Wilderness is Pod People crossed with Boggy Creek 2, and a dash of The Final Sacrifice.

*The host segments seem very Joel-inspired: charts and maps explaining the movie, general "wackiness" (bots dressed as raccoons knocking over cereal boxes). Mike host segments tended to be more dialogue based.

Though the final Red Crow host segment had a definite Mike era tone to it.

*Pearl, Brain Guy and Observer's cameo was welcome, but not really gut-busting, and I was a little disappointed that it didn't add to the backstory about how we got from the end of Season 10 to Season 11. What have Pearl and company been doing all this time (and how long has it been?)

Though it's amusing to see that her son isn't the only relative she treats in a callous manner.

[Rev. Powell]

1103 - TIME TRAVELERS

Three scientists and a janitor stupidly step through a time travel portal and are trapped in the post-apocalyptic future. There's no running theme to the host segments, which are frankly kind of mediocre, but we do get a (silent) cameo from Joel as one of the scientists from the movie.

Three episodes in, I think I know what I'm going to get with the riffing from Jonah, Baron and Hampton. It's serviceable, although sometimes the delivery is a bit stiff or forced---they don't seem as natural as the classic teams, but that's to be expected since they're learning on the job. It looks like my enjoyment of these episodes is going to depend on the strength/craziness of the movie. And TIME TRAVELERS, unfortunately, is a weak, cliched flick. Just a bunch of white scientists encountering an "alien" civilization (it struck me that the plot was similar to the also-bland PHANTOM PLANET, with "the future" substituting for "another planet.") This is the weakest of the three episodes I've seen so far.

One thing that was odd was the violence in the fight scene. I remember a hatchet getting buried in a mutants chest. I think that's the goriest scene I've ever seen on MST3K.

I hope there's a Season 12 because I do see a lot of promise here, and I think once they have a chance to refine it they'll be back to where they were when the show left off.

[Rev. Powell]

I missed this joke somehow when I watched the episode. Good one!

[Rev. Powell]

1104 - AVALANCHE

A nice change-of-pace movie: a (relatively) star-studded (a paunchy Rock Hudson and a scrawny Mia Farroe) 70s disaster movie. The movie itself was just mediocre---it had a made-for-TV quality about it, even though it was a theatrical release---but it's easy to follow and causes no major pain.

Everything continues to have a real "Joel" feeling about it. Lots of gizmos and gimmicks (liquid technology, new bit features, sight gags) that were always in his wheelhouse. The tone of this season reminds me most of Season 2.

I always wondered how they were going to handle nudity if it ever came up. I like the solution.

I didn't think the musical number was especially funny, but it was very well-done.

Glad they took at shot at SHARKNADO and imitators. I'll have to go back and pause the screen for those titles.

Apparently this is a season 11 favorite on the MST3K fan sites. I'd rank it below CRY WILDERNESS, in line with REPTILLICUS, ahead of TIME TRAVELERS. The riffing is still not up to classic levels, in my opinion, but it is better than the worst episodes. Still waiting to see my personal breakthrough episode, but I'm generally pleased.

[javakoala]

I have stalled on the Hercules episode. I'm losing my interest in general, and this steaming turd of a boring film is NOT helping. I've managed to watch all but the last 15 minutes of this episode, and it has taken me nearly three weeks to push myself this far.

Still stunned by all the missed opportunities given by dialogue in the films, yet they fill dead air with cliche squeaky noises when someone walks. Snap out of it, guys. I know you can do better!

[clockworkcanary]

At the moment, I'm enjoying Wizards of the Lost Kingdom I and II a lot. Our whole family was reacting well (even the always bored 13 year old). Even the kids were enjoying it, which is something I was curious about.

[Sitting Duck]

Everything continues to have a real "Joel" feeling about it.

There are some Mike-style bits. As well as Red Crow mentioned previously, there's the Never Have I Ever sketch and the Time Portal Safety Lecture. Having had to sit through many a workplace lecture that employed tortured acronyms, the latter was a particular favorite.

I have stalled on the Hercules episode. I'm losing my interest in general, and this steaming turd of a boring film is NOT helping. I've managed to watch all but the last 15 minutes of this episode, and it has taken me nearly three weeks to push myself this far.

I'm pacing myself at one episode every Sunday afternoon, so I can't speak from experience yet. However, the buzz I've been hearing other places is that the Hercules episode is the low point of the season.

[HappyGilmore]

I just finished Carnival Magic, episode 12. Fantastic. Really hit their stride here. Riff wise, and some plot points with the Forrester clan, don't wanna say more.

Started episode 13. Seems to be setting up another season. 🤔

[Rev. Powell]

1105 - BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN

Mexican ranchers discover a beast has been eating their cattle. The beast, however, is nowhere to be found for half the movie: instead we have a romantic subplot and the antics of a comic drunk and his cute kid.

This is the low point of the season for me so far. Very boring movie; it picks up when the monster shows up for the last 20 minutes but it was too late for me to care much. I barely laughed at all and the host segments did nothing for me. I am still looking forward to STARCRASH next week, though.

Here's a bonus for ya:

http://youtu.be/Ot6NEtlwkRI
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Netflix made more of these little Tom & Crow skits, which I think is a good sign for a possible Season 12.

[Sitting Duck]

We have Road Tour Sign!

http://youtu.be/n-knOUtUQ9Q
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[Rev. Powell]

STARCRASH: Space bikini-clad Stella Star goes on galaxy saving missions while her much more competent psychic navigator stays behind in the spaceship so he can come in and save her ass; when he dies, David Hosselhoff fills in. Not too much going on outside the movie, but Jerry Seinfeld shows up for the (not especially funny) cameo. I think the riffing was actually a little weak on this one, not up to the levels of CRY WILDERNESS or AVALANCHE, but this is my personal favorite so far because of the underlying movie (I can watch Caroline Munro in a bikini all day).

Complaint of the week: the theater is getting too busy with the silhouettes. Gypsy dropping in twice an episode is OK, but she hasn't gotten a funny line yet. Tom flying hasn't added anything, and now they've got Crow standing up, and several times the bots get up and start walking to the exits. It's all distracting. Sit still and watch the movie!