The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers)

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) Review

Let me get this out of the way. I'm a Mike guy. I find all the Mike episodes hilarious, but I can't stand Joel Hodgeson. The guy seemed constantly baked or at least half asleep the whole time and I don't find prop comedy funny (Carrot Top anyone?). That said the Mike episodes rank amongst the best of the Comedy Central era. "The Creeping Terror" is almost hilarious enough on it's own with arguably the worst Monster in cinema history, with its carpet-like body and Hobbit feet, and the commentary is spot-on. "Bloodlust" is a terrible "The Most Dangerous Game" rip-off with future Mr. Brady Robert Reed constantly sucking his gut in and the guys have a great time riffing it. Even with "Terror"'s god-awful creature, the movie can't compete with the sheer suckiness of Colman Francis's "The Skydivers," a movie whose major plot point is coffee. The editing and god-awful acting make the film unwatchable without Mike and the bots, so it's wonderful that they are along for the ride. So if you're like me and want great Mike episodes and can tolerate at least one Joel episode in your collection, buy this Volume. On a different note, the case itself is kinda cool, with a quote wheel and a rocket that you can make fly with a tug of a cord.

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) Overview

Presents a television program where space travelers Joel Hodgson, Crow, and Tom Servo watch really bad B movies and make fun of them for revenge.

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers) Specifications

This four-disc set, bundled together in an appropriately cheesy but charming package that sports pop-up-book-styled artwork, compiles four episodes of the Peabody Award-winning comedy series. The "experiments" in question (Bloodlust, Catalina Caper, The Creeping Terror, and The Skydivers) aren't necessarily MST3K's finest hours--they don't hold a candle to the show's takes on The Magic Sword, The Atomic Brain, and The Brain That Wouldn't Die. But the barrage of verbal zingers and pop-culture references slung by hosts Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson and their puppet pals Crow and Tom Servo are still quite funny, and should please both longtime fans and science fiction aficionados who don't take too much umbrage at having their beloved movies heckled.

The Collection is decidedly Mike-centric, with The Creeping Terror, Bloodlust, and The Skydivers all culled from his reign during the sixth season. Series creator Joel Hodgson's participation is relegated to season 2's Catalina Caper, a fan favorite that at one time was pulled from circulation over rights issues. As with most of Rhino's MST3K DVDs, each disc is dual-sided, with one side devoted to the original, uncut version of each film, and the other given over to the "MSTied" version. Theatrical trailers for each movie round out the remainder of the supplemental features. Given the size of this presentation, it might have been interesting to include some interviews with the show's writers and performers (Comedy Central once ran a passable special about the series), but fans will still appreciate having these four episodes together, each providing a wealth of laugh-out-loud moments. --Paul Gaita

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