MYSTERY
SCIENCE THEATER 3000: THE MOVIE
STARRING: Trace Beaulieu, Michael J. Nelson,
Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, John Brady
1996, 73 Minutes, Directed by: Jim Mallon
 Description:
Have you ever seen a movie so bad that you had to shout back at the screen?
So have the ingenious creators of "Mystery Science Theater 3000." The
award-winning series is now a major motion picture, complete with all the hip
wisecracks and explosively funny barbs that fans have come to expect. Your movie
today: 1955's "This Island Earth." —
Amazon.com
If you
live outside the States or have never even heard of Mystery
Science Theater 3000, then here is the rundown: a mad
scientist (is there any other sort?) subjugates a Mr. Average sort
of guy and his two robot sidekicks to the worst movies ever made
in order to drive them mad. (And they are indeed the worst movies
made - usually incredibly crappy 1950s science fiction movies.)
He then plans to use the movie that does the trick on Earth to
take it over. But the plot is incidental: what we get is three
figures silhouetted against a large cinema screen making wise
cracks about whatever piece of celluloid excrement they have to
endure.
Mystery
Science Theater 3000 (or MST3K as fans refer to it) is a
regular show on the Sci-Fi channel and has a huge fan base on the
Internet. It is obvious why: this movie, which is a full-length
version of the television show, is one of the funniest movies I
have seen in quite a while. Wise cracks and jokes fly at
lightening speed and while some of them may work for you and some
won't, they come in such a barrage that sooner or later something
will hit home. The weakest points of the movie are when Mr.
Average and his sidekicks stop watching the movie and snoop
around the spaceship they're held captive in. Then things
degenerate into a juvenile mode. But stick with this movie - it's
silly fun and you'll no doubt be wanting more when it's all over.
If
you're a fan then you've no doubt already seen the movie. If
you're not, then dash out and rent it now! You'll probably become
one . . .
(The
movie lambasted in Mystery Science Theater 3000 - the Movie
is This Island Earth, which I have thankfully never seen
before.)
Sci-Fi Movie Page Pick: This extremely funny spin-off of the "cult" television show may start off
unpromisingly, but soon you'll find yourself rewinding the tape and watching it again
because you couldn't hear all the dialogue because everybody watching it
were laughing so loud.
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