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Mr. Beaks Interviews MST3K Mastermind Joel Hodgson!

Great interview, BUT by NeoMyers	Oct 28th, 2008 04:06:02 PM
...Can we stop giving Joel free press for Cinematic Titanic at the expense of Mike Nelson over at Rifftrax. I never saw any interviews with Mike when Rifftrax came out about 8 or 9 months before CT. Just sayin' if you like MST3k and moving riffing you'd like Rifftrax too, but apparently THAT isn't "Cool News."
Great interview... by TylerDurden3395	Oct 28th, 2008 04:06:07 PM
Gallagher IS a douche. I waited on him once. I brought him out a piece of watermelon and a ballpeen hammer and asked him for a demonstration. He yelled at me and said "I do more than just hit watermelons! I'm a comedian!" Joel is my hero and MST is my favorite show of all time. I haven't received the box set in the mail yet, but I can't wait. Laserblast is my favorite episode (besides Manos) and is even my handle on the MST boards. Hopefully Joel can put together a full fledged MST reboot instead of Cinematic Titanic. It's OK, but it's just not the same.
Not Slighting Rifftrax At All by mrbeaks	Oct 28th, 2008 04:07:55 PM
The fans know it's there, and it's great, too. Wasn't my intent to promote one at the expense of the other.
Nice, Beaks... by Read and Shut Up	Oct 28th, 2008 04:10:34 PM
...Joel is a class act all the way, funny and humble. Here's hoping he strikes it big with CT, but in the meantime thanks for a great interview.
Wasn't Rifftrax covered here a few years ago? by rev_skarekroe	Oct 28th, 2008 04:47:16 PM
When it first came out? In the Coaxial section maybe?
either CT or riff by 3rdrate	Oct 28th, 2008 04:54:18 PM
I find both pretty unwatchable, which is really really disappointing since I think MST is brilliant (with either Joel or Mike, for the record). You can clearly feel 1) the lack of refinement in the jokes and 2) the absence of different voices that made the show a huge mixture of types of humor. Lopping in half (or really pieces) just leaves a product that's pretty half-baked. I wish everyone a ton of success, but I think it's a lot harder than just coming up with 2 hours worth of jokes.
Sorry for my tone by NeoMyers	Oct 28th, 2008 05:24:56 PM
I feel like I scolded you, Mr. Beaks. Sorry. I'm a Mike Nelson guy, so I'm defensive about my guy. That's not to say I didn't think Joel was funny--Eegah! ranks at the top of my favorites (Mitchell, Manos, and Pod People, too), but ultimately I liked Mike's delivery, the more adversarial relationship with the Mads, and the slightly more adult/biting humor of Mike's tenure. And it should be said that not every Rifftrax is great, BUT the Star Wars prequels are hilarious and express my disappointment/anger at those films perfectly. Star Trek V is a must see for any MST fan since that movie had been rumored for a long time.
Oh and... by NeoMyers	Oct 28th, 2008 05:27:07 PM
As for seeing Rifftrax on this site, featured as an article, I visit this site daily (Yeah, I'm one of those guys) so unless I was on a vacation I never saw it.
I liked the Nelson/Corbett era the best by superunknown85	Oct 28th, 2008 05:40:26 PM
Space Mutiny, Future War, The Final Sacrifice, Hobgoblins, Agent for HARM, etc. The older episodes are great, but they lack the punchiness of the mid to late 90s episodes.
First Spaceship on Venus... by gamerawangi	Oct 28th, 2008 05:50:19 PM
Sorry to disagree... Wait, no, I'm not sorry. The "First Spaceship on Venus" episode is one of my favorites, and I've been waiting years for it to come out in a MST set. Some of my favorite lines come from that episode. Yet, I know A LOT of MST fans dislike it. Maybe it's because I saw the film (pre-MST) on TV as a kid and it kinda freaked me out. This is sort of my revenge for having been given the heebie-jeebies by a poorly made, Soviet-ear sci-fi film. I'm rambling, so I'll just shut up now...
Interview was okay but-- by thegreatwhatzit	Oct 28th, 2008 06:11:14 PM
I appreciated the insight into Hodgson's career; but, good God, where's the behind-the-scenes vignettes about MST3K? The deleted stuff, the acquisition of the movies, the show's cancellation, etc., etc. You did a sterling job but, Hot Congo, I wanted MST3K. And fuck the Sci-Fi Channel for cancelling one the best shows of the past millennium...
Thanks, Beaks. by 433	Oct 28th, 2008 06:52:37 PM
I was just at the Cinematic Titanic live show in Minneapolis on Saturday, and it just made me nostalgic for the early years of the show. Don't get me wrong, it was very entertaining, but I felt like finding my old Channel 23 tapes of nothing but Gamera.
Nice interview. I really miss that show. by Godovhellfire	Oct 28th, 2008 07:02:18 PM
Oh yeah, I had chili for lunch.
CT / Rifftrax by fastcars	Oct 28th, 2008 07:06:01 PM
I like Rifftrax because it's a nice twist on MST3K - doing commentary tracks that sync up with contemporary movies. It allows them to riff on stuff they could never riff on before. Whereas Cinematic Titanic looks just like Mystery Science Theater 3000, sans robots. What's the point?
Nice interview... by Roketopunch	Oct 28th, 2008 07:50:45 PM
I can't say whether I like Mike or Joel better. They both seem cool and are great in one of my favorite cable shows of all time. To this day. I miss the show and always want more of the bots. Sigh...
"A planet where men evolved from Apes?" We love you Joel! by Orionsangels	Oct 28th, 2008 07:57:31 PM
The show was never the same when you left Joel. Mike did a good job though, but Joel, you'll always be Mystery Science Theater 3000 to me.
Joel v. Mike by fastcars	Oct 28th, 2008 08:14:15 PM
They're equal. People just prefer who they saw first, methinks.
Mike vs Joel by BigSteve03	Oct 28th, 2008 08:27:46 PM
couldn't agree more with fastcars. Mike vs Joel is just like Kirk vs Picard, or Doctor Who 1-10 vs 1-10. Its a fun nerd arguement, but at the end of the day they all rock, and everyone just likes whoever they saw first. On the other hand CT totally sucks compared to Rifftrax. :P I think that's mainly because there's only been four CTs so far, vs tons of rifftrax. So CTs failures aren't covered up by volume like rifftrax's
Was Gallagher being hilariously sarcastic maybe? by SnapT	Oct 28th, 2008 08:32:10 PM
Poor misunderstood Gallagher.
Mitchell!!!!! by LordPorkington	Oct 28th, 2008 08:48:29 PM
Wow, what a small Talkback. I thought plenty of people would want to talk about MST3K. Maybe we have a younger bunch of Talkbackers these days who have absolutely no idea what this show is about? Or maybe they know what it is and just don't give a shit? Shame either way.
Rifftrax sample by NeoMyers	Oct 28th, 2008 08:55:56 PM
Here is the sample for the latest Rifftrax: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull http://tinyurl.com/5lvkgx Also, I think there was a definite difference between Mike and Joel that can be debated. Ultimately, I like Mike MORE, but as I mentioned above there are many Joel episodes I think are great. But it should be said that I like "Mitchell" a great deal because they really skewer the movie -- which is something Mike did far more, but I fully realize that some people prefer Joel's more easy going style. Check out the link above though, it looks funny.
Joel! by kafka07	Oct 28th, 2008 09:17:17 PM
Where have you been all these years, my man?!? You are my favorite facetious stoner of all time.
TylerDurden3395 by thecheesegrommit	Oct 28th, 2008 09:31:55 PM
Jeez You're like "that" friend in every group that doesn't realize how inappropriate they are. The idea that you think it was ok to approach a diner at the establishment you worked at and aske him to perform is the definition of gall! Just plain intrusive. The fact that you call HIM the douche amuses me.
I'M HUGE! but... by Bride of Mecha-Bill Pullman vs. Mecha-Bill Paxton	Oct 28th, 2008 10:03:09 PM
My Ovapositor is sooo small.
"Tat-toos...are pommy...pom pemmy-pot" by Nasty In The Pasty	Oct 28th, 2008 10:20:44 PM
"My face, everything the same except...no nose! Think about how scary THAT would be, ahhhhh...!!!!"
Fastcars...I disagree... by Banzai Rootskibango	Oct 28th, 2008 11:50:03 PM
...I used to watch the show when I was a kid...I'm talking 10 or 11 years old here...first guy I saw was Joel... Then one day this lunkhead Mike was on it and I was like...where the hell is the other dude? Over time however...I started to appreciate Mike and ended up enjoying his episodes far more than Joel's...so It's not just about who you saw first.
Agree with NeoMyers by Riff_Randell	Oct 29th, 2008 12:03:57 AM
Where's the Rifftrax love? I started watching during the Joel days, on CC, love those eps, but I prefer Mike. Agreed Banzai, it's not about who you saw first. Same thing happened with Angel/Buffy vs Spike/Buffy. Watched BtVS from the start. I much prefer Spike/Buffy. And I wonder why so many guys dislike Mike? Hm.
Why argue which one was better? by one_crazy_nagger	Oct 29th, 2008 12:20:48 AM
They both were hilarious in their own unique ways. In my opinion, Joel was great at the one-liners, and Mike was great with funny voices. If there should be any arguing, it should be directed at Comedy Central and Sci-Fi Channel for canceling one of the greatest shows ever.
I STILL miss Joel. by darwinmayflower	Oct 29th, 2008 12:32:36 AM
Mike seems like a really nice guy, but I am sorry, Joel shits bigger than him.
BTW by Riff_Randell	Oct 29th, 2008 12:33:38 AM
Where's the 'My Name is Bruce' Alamo Drafthouse review? That was three days ago.
That's Enough. Normal View. by G100	Oct 29th, 2008 01:38:13 AM
normal view. Normal View. NORMAL VIEW! NOOORMAAAL VIIIIEEEWWWWWWW!!!!! Some might think it heresy and I realise that an awful lot of work prolly went into the interstitial "sketches" but TBH I almost ALWAYS ignored or skip em. The Movies where the meat is, and usually a most amusing meat at that. [exit with the "haunting" Torgo theme playing]
The RiffTrax of "The Star Wars Holiday Special"... by Bob Loblaw Law Blog	Oct 29th, 2008 03:04:36 AM
is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Even funnier is how Mike and Co. suggest you get the "unavailable" on home video or DVD footage of the special: ""But, Rifftrax," you say, "Rifftrax, please - The Star Wars Holiday Special is not commercially available. How am I supposed to watch this?!" Well, we assume you taped it off the TV back in 1978 using your 130 pound top loading Panasonic NV-9300 U-Matic VCR, just like we did. If not, what were you thinking? Stop right now and GO Out and Get Looking for onE." "So ours is two hours long and has a descriptive scroll on the front end, just like the one you can Get frOm yOur friend Greg, in LakE VIDEO, Illinois. (Don't look it up, they don't like to draw attention to themselves in Lake Video.)"
Rifftrax blows!! by MaxTheSilent	Oct 29th, 2008 04:42:55 AM
Charging money for half-assed scripted commentaries on popular (often great) movies, purely to get downloads!?! Fuck that shit! Keep it real and subscribe to DVDPodBlast; the first, best and ONLY source you need of alternate commentaries. And unlike Rifftrax they Blast BAD movies. It's off-the-cuff, live and hilarious. That's dvdpodblast.com, or subscribe through iTunes. No. I'm not one of them, I'm just a fan who is apalled at the mediocrity dished out by the lame-asses at Rifftrax.
DVDPodBlast BLOWS!!! by Super Moo	Oct 29th, 2008 04:53:47 AM
Tried it once... never will again. Leave comedy to the professionals. But I agree with Bob about the Star Wars Holiday Special riffing by the Rifftrax crew. I don't think I've ever laughed harder!
I prefer Joel by Drunken Rage	Oct 29th, 2008 08:38:06 AM
but mostly because of "Daddy-O" and "Wear Your Pants Up High." Goddamn, that was a funny episode.
Sandy Frank, Sandy Frank likes to poop in his hand by krullboyisback	Oct 29th, 2008 09:10:36 AM

I loved Manos the Hands of Fate by krullboyisback	Oct 29th, 2008 09:14:09 AM
that movie was filmed in El Paso Texas, and I had the poor fortune of having been stationed there for 4 long, boring years. . . and Torgo was never in sight!
I've heard that line about Joel as the better host before... by NeoMyers	Oct 29th, 2008 09:58:44 AM
...but I really don't get it. It always looked like he was reading off cue cards (and probably was at times). So, maybe we're debating each host's merits when really what's going on is the style of the show changed. Joel's episodes are all very standalone (they all are except for Sci-Fi, I know, but follow this) he talked to the audience, explained the concept, and generally acted like he was inviting the audience in for a snap shot of an experiment. Mike's episodes, on the other hand, gradually started taking the "show" part out of it. Even though Mike addressed the audience and welcomed them, most of the story action started to portray life on the satellite as opposed to skits, movie related material, and Mads' experiments. Season 8 is the culmination of this as Mike welcomes the audience, but then transitions to dealing with the wormhole they're in or orbiting Ancient Rome. Joel (despite looking like he was reading off of cue cards) was genuinely hosting the events we watched, not in control of them obviously, but he was our gateway into the world. Mike, on the other hand, was more of a participant in the events, acknowledging the audience, but never seemingly ABOVE the action, rather than simply ushering us into this goofy world In the Not Too Distant Future... There. That's my thesis statement on the differences between two mid-western men that hosted a puppet show about making fun of bad movies.
The transition of Mike/Joel by ArcadianDS	Oct 29th, 2008 10:25:15 AM
I felt this was one of the smoothest transitions of any tv show wherein the feature performer is replaced. I enjoy both of them greatly, but you have to give extra credit to the one who actually built the temple over the one who moved in and polished the marble often.
yeah! by menstrual_blitz	Oct 29th, 2008 02:10:55 PM
joel! I had the biggest fake-crush on him back in junior high...sure, mike's funny and all, but joel's got that dry/low-key, world-weary-goofball delivery. missed cinematic titanic due to a longstanding curse wherein i find myself mysteriously bereft of cash whenever something cool-yet-costly happens (my sense of what constitutes "costly" is rooted firmly in the early-mid 90's)...favorites of the curse include any "special event(s)", preferably "long-awaited" and/or "one night only!", and pretty much all film festivals.
oh yeah... by menstrual_blitz	Oct 29th, 2008 02:13:07 PM
...and not that anybody's still on here or anything, but I thought I read awhile back that Joel was doing something or other relating to Ernie Kovacs? anybody know anything about that?
MST3K jumped the shark by tvs_frank	Oct 29th, 2008 02:41:06 PM
when they decided to make Dr.Forrester rather flaming and added Tv's Frank's mom to the cast. no wonder most of the originals left when they did. at least Joel's episodes were consistently funny and witty
Joel seemed to have a love for film by Samuel Fulmer	Oct 29th, 2008 03:01:12 PM
Mike (and still is) a little too mean spirited for my taste.
Ahh, the endless Joel v. Mike argument... by TheGreatHomsar	Oct 29th, 2008 03:35:36 PM
...gotta say, I love 'em both. Although having met Joel at a live CT event, I will say that he and the entire crew were extremely considerate of the (somewhat frightening) nerds who showed up to lavish adoration upon them. Very nice guy, wish him all the best. Oh, and can we please retire "jump the shark" already? Good god.
TheGreatHomsar by tvs_frank	Oct 29th, 2008 03:55:52 PM
how about,"nuked the fridge" instead?
by smallerdemon	Oct 30th, 2008 07:24:14 AM
I am with TheGreatHomsar, I love 'em both. Cinematic Titanic hasn't played a live show here in San Francisco yet (well, not for a public audience anyway), though, and RiffTrax has done several remarkable shows here (including the one movie MST3K often said was "too easy", Plan 9 - turns out the riffing was astounding). That said, I find that my back catalog of MST3K and converting from VHS to DVD (First Spaceship On Venus was like the third one I converted for my own amusement) has provided more than enough material that I rarely find myself buying either one of the new offerings (although I fully support going to see either RT or CT live shows since those can be amazing).

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Mr. Beaks Interviews MST3K Mastermind Joel Hodgson!

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