“Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXXIX” available on DVD November 21, 2017 from Shout! Factory

Big news for all of us MST3K fans; Shout! Factory has just announced that the upcoming release of 'Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXXIX will almost certainly (okay, probably definitely, maybe unquestionably) be the final collection of never-before-released episodes from the initial run of the groundbreaking series. Read on...

Mystery Science Theater 3000:Vol. XXXIX

Four DVD Box Set Features Previously Unreleased Episodes

                                      Girls Town, The Amazing Transparent Man, and Diabolik,  

              and a disc of unreleased host segments, Satellite Dishes

            Available on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 from Shout! Factory

And in the end, the laughs you take are equal to the jokes they make. On November 21, 2017, Shout! Factory will release the almost certainly, probably definitely, maybe unquestionably final collection of never-before-released classic episodes of our favorite cowtown puppet show, Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The slings and arrows of outrageous licenses have resulted in only three episodes, so Vol. XXXIX also includes Satellite Dishes, a disc featuring the host segments of all the remaining unreleased episodes. The collection also includes a bevy of bonus features, including Chuck Love and the Anatomy of a Theme, Beyond Transparency, a new featurette about The Amazing Transparent Man, Showdown In Eden Prairie: Their Final Experiment, The Last Dance, a documentary special that  chronicles the final days shooting the last episode of the original run ofMST3K, Diabolik, Behind the Scream: Daniel Griffith on Ballyhoo, mini posters from artist Steve Vance, and theatrical trailers. But final has a way of not being final, and one need only turn to Netflix to appreciate that. So take one plausibly last ride of the classic series with our heroes on the Satellite of Love, and keep circulating the tapes!

Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com. The first 1,500 fans who order directly from Shout! Factory will also receive the exclusive bonus disc The Complete Poopie, a collection of MST3K bloopers and outtakes.

MGM’s 1959 film Girls Town is not a feminist follow up to MGM’s 1938 Boys Town, though to be fair, both are set in towns.  B-movie siren Mamie Van Doren stars as a juvenile delinquent trying to survive in the eponymous nun-run reform school after she is wrongly accused of murder. It’s a feast of drag races, catfights, sexy dresses and Mel Tormé, who turns in a Blue Velvet Fog performance as the blackmailing troublemaker. The oddly child-of-star studded cast includes the offspring of Charlie Chaplin, Robert Mitchum and Harold Lloyd. Paul Anka makes his feature debut, and this may be one of his regrets that does bear mentioning. Fortunately for us, those very juvenile delinquents aboard the SoL upgrade a B movie into A+ television and reform us all. 

In The Amazing Transparent Man, an ex-military sociopath plans to raise an army of invisible soldiers, but first he needs to perfect his captive scientist’s invisibilizing device by stealing necessary nuclear materials from a government vault. He engineers the prison break of a notorious thief, leveraging his wanted status to force him to do the heist. This amazing transparent tax shelter provides no dearth of fodder for Mike, Tom and Crow, who see right through the film to the riffs that ultimately make it a joy to behold.  

The celebrated Italian filmmaker Mario Bava must have needed his bathroom redone. In the 1968 spy spoof Diabolik, he takes John Philip Law into his own hands and delivers an exploitation schlock-fest replete with super-criminals, underground lairs, and gadgets that would have Q scratching his head. It’s supposed to be a comedy, but it only turns into one after Mike and the bots riff it good. This film was, of course, the last one Mike and the bots were forced to endure. We thank them for their service!

Satellite Dishes

The best laid plans of mice and licensees often go astray. Despite best efforts to include the remaining unreleased episodes, the hard truth is that they may never see the legitimate light of day. So here is the next best thing: all their host segments. What these delectable dishes from the Satellite of Love lack in riffs, they make up for in irreverent, silly and delightfully nerdy sketch comedy. It's the best we can do, so we are doing it!

Includes:
Ep #201 Rocketship X-M

Ep #213 Godzilla Vs. The Sea Monster
Ep #309 The Amazing Colossal Man

Ep #311 It Conquered the World

Ep #416 Fire Maidens from Outer Space

Ep #418 The Eye Creatures

Ep #807 Terror from the Year 5000

Ep #809 I Was A Teenage Werewolf

Ep #905 The Deadly Bees

Ep #906 The Space Children

Ep #913 Quest of the Delta Knights

MST3K: Volume XXXIX Bonus Features

·         Chuck Love and the Anatomy of a Theme

·         Beyond Transparency--new featurette about The Amazing Transparent Man

·         Showdown In Eden Prairie: Their Final Experiment

·         The Last Dance-- a documentary special that  chronicles the final days shooting the last episode of the original run of MST3K, Diabolik.

·         Behind the Scream: Daniel Griffith on Ballyhoo

·         Theatrical Trailers

·         Four Exclusive Mini-Posters by artist Steve Vance

About Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network which delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Factory Productions, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

Cult Icons Collide: 'RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors’ thrills; returns on Thursday, Aug. 24

‘RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors’

WHO: Fathom Events, RiffTrax.com^® and BBC Worldwide North America
 

WHEN: Thursday, August 17

NEXT: Thursday, August 24; 7:30 p.m. local time      
 

WHERE: Tickets for “RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

The recent high-profile, successful return of Mystery Science Theater 3000 - better known as MST3K – is no surprise. When the original series ended in 1999 after more than a decade of thrilling television audiences, three of the key members of the original groundbreaking series carried on the brash brand of "riffing" (where they humorously comment on movies with well-timed digs and asides that are usually more entertaining than the films themselves) via the developing ability for audiences to stream video and complete downloads at home.

RiffTrax has been so successful, that the celebrated RiffTrax team featuring Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett has been featured in a series of more than two dozen special movie theater screenings .

Most recently, the trio are featured in "RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors" that was shown in movie theaters across North America last night (Aug. 17, 2017), and returns for a repeat performance to movie houses across the continent at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017.

From left, Bill Corbett, Michael J. Nelson and
Kevin Murphy behind-the-scenes at the Belcourt
Theater in Nashville, Tennessee on Aug. 17, 2017.

Yours truly was at the screening last night, and this was truly an entertainment experience that is the perfect blend of sci-fi heaven and smart comedy that was established during MST3K's initial run. With the cooperation of BBC, RiffTrax is able to riff throughout a theaterical showing of a special 1983 episode produced to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the enduring British sci-fi series "Doctor Who." The full-length episode is beloved by fans of the BBC series, but that doesn't mean Nelson, Murphy and Corbett can't get in plenty of their witty commentary in during the screening. In fact, you wouldn't have to be familiar with RiffTrax or Doctor Who to enjoy this experience.

I didn't take detailed notes during the screening; it was dark and I was having far too much fun laughing (and I am thankfully not one of those idiots who turn on their cell phone when I am in a darkened theater...). But any screening where the far-flung likes of "Dark Shadows," "Buddy Holly," the Cleveland Browns' struggles (the team hasn't had a winning season since 2007), Christopher Lee, The Three Stooges, "Downton Abbey" and even Neville Chamberlain fit nicely into the comedic arc is a good reason to catch this in theaters next Thursday (Aug. 24, 2017).

Oh, and arrive early. For the 30 minutes preceeding the film there were funny title cards blending more of the intelligent RiffTrax humor amidst a mixtape featuring songs from not only the RiffTrax cast, but "Weird Al" Yankovic and They Might Be Giants. 

Robert Kinsler

'Doctor Who' to get RiffTrax Live treatment on August 17, with repeated showing on August 24

I know where I'll be on Thursday night, August 17th! I am a long-time fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the RiffTrax, and I couldn't be more excited by this news. I have caught several of the other screened RiffTrax Live events and they are fantastic...Robert Kinsler

Beloved British Sci-Fi Show Gets the Full RiffTrax Treatment as ‘RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors’ Hits Big

Screens Nationwide for Two Nights This August

 

WHAT: Moviegoers should get ready to “exterminate” their boredom as the men of RiffTrax (Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett, of MST3K fame) take on one of the most thrilling Doctor Who adventures ever, “The Five Doctors.” Originally released in celebration of the British television series’ 20^th anniversary in 1983, this special feature-length episode is set to get the full riff treatment live in cinemas nationwide with “RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors.”
 

Someone is taking the Doctor's past selves out of time and space, placing them in a vast wilderness – a battle arena with a sinister tower at its center. As the various incarnations of the Doctor join forces, they learn they are in the Death Zone on their home world of Gallifrey, fighting Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti – and a devious Time Lord Traitor who is using the Doctor and his companions to discover the ancient secrets of Rassilon, the first and most powerful ruler of Gallifrey.

 

WHO: Fathom Events, RiffTrax.com^® and BBC Worldwide North America
 

WHEN: Thursday, August 17; 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT and tape-delayed to 7:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. PT
Thursday, August 24; 7:30 p.m. local time      
 

WHERE: Tickets for “RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

New Releases: MST3K, John Lee Hooker, Derrick Anderson

MSTies, blues lovers and power pop devotees will all find something to love via a trio of epic new titles available now.

Title: Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXXVIII (Shout! Factory)
You might like if you enjoy: RiffTrax, Cinematic Titantic, Mystery Science Theater 3000
Tell me more: Make no mistake, Mystery Science Theater 3000 is back. The cult series that ran for 10 years (first at a UHF station in Minneapolis, before moving to Comedy Central and finally the Sci-Fi Channel) is returning with 14 new episodes to Netflix beginning April 14. The great news is before catching the new revival starring Jonah Ray, Patton Oswalt and Felicia Day, new and long-time fans of the series (better known as "MSTies") can pick up Mystery Science Theater 3000: Vol. XXXVIII, a box set featuring four episodes hosted by Mike Nelson and originally aired in the late 1990s. While the overall theme of the show involves poking fun at some of the worst movies of all time, the wide range of references will delight everyone including music fans. Take "Track of the Moon Beast," one of the four compelling clunkers featured on the new set. There are no fewer than two dozen musical references ranging from the Eagles and Jim Morrison to Nine Inch Nails, Elvis Costello and the Beatles; there is even a great bit of David Bowie's "Fame" sung to enhance the film (which features special effects by legendary Rick Baker). Other titles include "Invasion USA," "Colossus and the Headhunters" and "High School Big Shot." How kind of MST3K to save (and salvage) these cinematic duds from obscurity. A special note: the first 1,500 fans who order directly from ShoutFactory.com will receive an exclusive bonus disc, MST3K: Play MSTie For Me Triple Decker, which gathers 39 of the finest MST3K musical moments onto a single disc. Information: shoutfactory.com.

Artist: John Lee Hooker
Title: Whiskey & Wimmen: John Lee Hooker's Finest (Vee-Jay Records / Concord Bicycle Music)
You might like if you enjoy: John Lee Hooker, Will Moore
Tell me more: Although John Lee Hooker died in June 2001, the bluesman's legacy looms large. With 2017 marking what would have been the influential Mississippi native's 100th birthday, a top-tier celebration featuring 16 of his beloved tracks has been collected on Whiskey & Wimmen: John Lee Hooker's Finest. A casual listener might mistake the so-called "King of the Boogie" as having played a simple style of blues. But discerning listeners will hear Hooker's masterful touch as a storyteller and dynamic guitar player able to add emotional punch in the service of an original style that fused Delta and Chicago styles together into something special and all his own. The classic "Boom Boom," joyful "Dimples," and speedy shuffle-styled "Big Legs, Tight Skirt" are among the timeless songs featured on the winning set. Information: bicyclemusic.com or johnleehooker.com.

Artist: Derrick Anderson
Title: A World Of My Own (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: The Smithereens, Matthew Sweet, the Bangles, Robby Rist
Tell me more: As a member of the Andersons from 1995-2004, and more recently serving as bassist with the Bangles since 2008, Derrick Anderson has a long history of performing melodic rock and power pop. On his outstanding new solo debut album A World Of My Own, the talented singer-songwriter proves his talent vastly outdistances that of a mere supporting player. His 13-track album is bona fide triumph, and the fact that so many famed musical greats join him is icing on the sonic cake. Matthew Sweet provides some sharp Beatles-inspired guitar work on the buoyant "Happiness," while Kim Shattuck (of the Muffs) and Bangles members Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson provide stellar firepower elsewhere. This writer's favorite offering is "Waiting For You," which teams Anderson with the four members of New Jersey's Smithereens; the results are glorious with the moody rocker fully capturing the melancholy-adorned melodic style of the Smithereens. Elsewhere, Anderson's own stamp carries the day, as evidenced by the driving melodic rocker "Phyllis & Sharon" and rollicking "Checking Out" (featuring some great drumming from Robbie Rist). Information: omnivorerecordings.com.

Robert Kinsler

'Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume Two' available on DVD May 24th, 2016 from Shout! Factory

Whew, with Coachella coming up I've been busy writing my annual festival preview. So this media release slipped through the countless cracks in my inbox. But going into the weekend, very good news for all of us "MSTies" out here!

Mystery Science Theater 3000:

Volume Two

Fan-Favorite Collection is Back in Print May 24^th, 2016

from Shout! Factory

It's Mystery Science Theater 3000, America's only television show that makes fun of really bad B-movies from the comfort of a spaceship floating above Earth. On May 24, 2016, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume Two is back in print and better than ever!  In addition to the episodes Cave Dwellers, Pod People, Angels Revenge and the Shorts Collection Volume 1, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume Two also includes the MST Hour wraps for Cave Dwellers and Pod People. Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume Two brings us Cave Dwellers, in which an evil overlord seeking knowledge of a powerful weapon imprisons a wise man, and Ator the barbarian and his pals come to the rescue;  Pod People,  the tale of a little boy, his pet alien Trumpy, and the alien mother who will stop at nothing to reclaim her son;  Angels Revenge, the story of seven beauties who form a paramilitary vigilante squad to shut down a gang that is selling drugs to teens; and Shorts Collection Volume 1, featuring The Home Economics Story, Junior Rodeo Daredevils, Body Care & Grooming, Cheating, A Date With Your Family, Why Study Industrial Arts? and Chicken of Tomorrow.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume II Bonus Feature

·         MST Hour Wraps for Cave Dwellers and Pod People

About Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY®-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America.  Shout! Factory also owns and operates Shout! Factory TV, Scream Factory, Westchester Films, Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit www.shoutfactory.com

RiffTrax Live: ‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate in Movie Theaters on August 16

One of the worst movies in the world returns to the theaters for one night only. I will definitely be there, thanks to the involvement of the talented RiffTrax crew...

NCM^® Fathom Events and RiffTrax present “RiffTrax Live: ‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate” in theaters for only one night on Thursday, August 16 at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT and tape delayed 7:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. PT. Featuring the same comedians from the cult classic “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (MST3K), Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett will reunite on the big screen to fire off their wisecracking commentary on the 1966 American horror feature “‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate.” The event will be broadcast LIVE from Nashville to participating movie theaters across the country. Attendees will be treated not only to “Manos’” infamous abysmal acting, outdated effects and seemingly endless cat fights featuring ‘The Master’s’ many girdle-clad wives, but also a selection of free digital goodies.

 

Tickets for “RiffTrax Live: ‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate” are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

 

"Revisiting ‘Manos’ again after 19 years will be like running into a dear old friend—a friend who drinks all your beer and hits you up for money,” said Michael J. Nelson, RiffTrax creator and former host of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000.’ “Still, we're thrilled to be able to bring this timeless classic to the big screen. (Don't tell anyone but I seriously love this film.)"

 

Previous successful Fathom and RiffTrax events have included “RiffTrax Live: Jack the Giant Killer” in August 2011, a hilarious riff of the cheesy 1962 fantasy epic featuring giant rubber monsters and a leprechaun in a jar; “RiffTrax Live: House on Haunted Hill” in October 2010, which took on the Vincent Price horror classic just in time for Halloween; “RiffTrax Live: Reefer Madness” in August 2010, parodying the legendary cult classic; “RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 From Outer Space” in August 2009, skewering what is widely considered to be the ‘worst film ever made’; and “RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza” in December 2009, featuring “Weird Al” Yankovic.

 

“Fathom’s live in-theater events with the RiffTrax gang have been tremendously popular with theater audiences,” said Shelly Maxwell, executive vice president of NCM Fathom Events. “With ‘Manos,’ Mike, Kevin and Bill are sure to deliver yet another side-splitting evening of fun, packed with their signature brand of wisecracks.”

 

Infamous for its significant technical deficiencies and continuity flaws, “‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate,” written, directed, produced by and starring Harold P. Warren, is widely believed to be one of the worst films ever made. The plot revolves around a vacationing family who lose their way on a road trip in Texas, and find themselves trapped at a lodge maintained by a polygamous pagan cult. In 1993 “Mystery Science Theater 3000” featured “‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate,” launching the film’s cult status.

 

Tickets for RiffTrax Live: ‘Manos’ The Hands of Fate are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.