MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 - EEGAH!

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 - EEGAH!
(1988)

Starring: Michael J. Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, et al.
Director: Michael J. Nelson, Trace Beaulieu
(Region 1 DVD)

Movie: * * * *
Disc: * * ½

Often I'm surprised by how few people have heard of the now defunct TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000, affectionately known to fans as MST3K. People who should have, but never did. To them I usually lend my VHS copy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 - the Movie without any further explanations and tell them to watch it. I bought the tape for more or less the price of a movie ticket at a second-hand pawnshop, and consider it one of the best bargains I have ever picked up.

Such people, who have watched the tape, usually come back with two questions: where can I get some more, and why have I never heard of this show before? Let's answer the second question first: the chances are that you have never heard of this show if you live outside the United States or Canada. Here in South Africa the show ran briefly on the Sci-Fi Channel, one of the multitude of channels to which satellite TV subscribers have access. (This is the same version of the channel that can be accessed in Europe.) Unfortunately the Sci-Fi Channel has cancelled the show and isn't even showing re-runs anymore. Why it would want to do that when it endlessly runs episodes of crap like The Six Million Dollar Man and Hulk episodes is a complete, erm, mystery.

For the uninitiated: the show is a lampoon of incredibly dreadful science fiction and horror movies. It ran for the greater part of a decade on both the Comedy Channel and the Sci-Fi Channel. If you're a fan of The Simpsons, Futurama, and South Park then the odds are that you'll also like the type of humour in Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The show consists of the silhouettes of a human and two robots against a cinema screen making funny jokes and remarks about the movie being shown. The results are hilarious. Jokes come fast and furious. Some of the pop cultural references are obscure (in this particular episode the cinematographer of Citizen Kane is referred to - I had to go look it up) and of the type that will make you pat yourself on the back for spotting them. Like the other TV shows I mentioned MST3K is cleverer that you'd think at first glance.

Now for the second question: where do I get more episodes? If you live in the States you should have no problem. Step into any major DVD or CD shop and you'll find one. (A friend brought me a DVD copy which he bought in a shop in New Orleans.) If you live outside the States or Canada, the answer is simple: you can't. (!!! - - - See the important update at the bottom of this review - - - !!!)

Thanks to one of the more absurd Catch-22 situations you won't be able to buy any MST3K episodes on DVD. It goes like this: to protect markets (not consumers), the world DVD market is divided into various "regions" or "zones." This you probably already know. If you live in Europe or South Africa, then you fall under Region 2. America and Canada is Region 1. And so on. MST3K DVDs are only Region 1.

"No problem," you say. "That is why I bought an all-region or multi-zone DVD player, a practice the big companies would like to do their best to squash." Sure, no problem. My multi-zone player plays the Eegah Region 1 encoded disc with no problems. The problem is that if you want to buy any MST3K DVDs from Amazon.com then they won't let you. This is despite the fact that only Region 1 MST3K discs exist!

You read that right: you can't buy any Region 2 discs because they don't exist! Try Amazon in the UK or HMV in London - they don't stock any of the DVDs. I e-mailed Rhino, the direct suppliers of the DVDs with my dilemma: I want more MST3K DVDs, but stupid trade agreements are preventing me from doing this! Their response? The following e-mail message:

"I'm sorry, but we are not licensed for direct sales outside the U.S. Also, we only have the Region 1 DVDs available. You may want to try ebay."

In other words, we don't want to do business with you. We don't want your money. Is it just me or am I missing the point of capitalism and free markets here? How about just getting Amazon to de-restrict whom they sell their MST3K DVDs to? Or make them all multi-zone DVDs since, well, one can't get them anywhere else? Lots of other DVD suppliers do this . . .

Maybe I am missing something here. A company deliberately losing out on profits? How about Amazon selling the DVDs with a disclaimer that they won't work on region limited players then? Anything! We're desperate here!

Anyway, if you know of any alternative way of obtaining MST3K DVDs or tapes, then let me know at scifimoviepage@hotmail.com.

THE DISC: Oh, what's Eegah like? Very very funny. But be warned that the original movie itself is very very bad, one of the worst I've ever seen. Despite the usual features like chapter selection there isn't much to the disc. You can watch the original movie with the jokes (but you'd have to be a devout masochist to want to do that). Some scenes deleted from the movie for length purposes can be accessed. And that's about it.

WORTH IT? If you're new to the whole MST3K phenomenon then check out Mystery Science Theater 3000 - the Movie instead as an introduction. (No, I don't know where you can find the DVDs if you live outside the States/Canada). If you're one of the converted, then what are you waiting for?

RECOMMENDATION: E-mail me if you know where I can find any Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes on DVD. I know that Amazon.com will probably sell me some NTSC VHS tapes, but what's the point of a DVD player then?! Besides I'll rewatch them so often that they'll just get worn . . .

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Since posting this review, Amazon has reversed its policy on shipping Region 1 discs outside the States and Canada. In fact if you live anywhere outside these territories, you can also use the bottom link to order MST3K DVDs - quantities are limited to one per customer (which is fine) and although the discs are Region 1 encoded, this is not a problem if you have a region-free DVD player. Remember kids, existence without one would be perfectly pointless . . .