USA Film Fest brings off MST3K reunion (of sorts)

Minus one or two participants, that is.

by John P. Meyer

Saturday evening, April 26 found a slew of MST3K fans streaming into the Angelika for a pair of back-to-back events which threatened to resurrect in some terrifying transitory minimalist fashion the glamour, the glory, the spectacle which used to be Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Thanks to the USA Film Festival, the brain trust (such as it is) of Joel Hodgson's new Cinematic Titanic venture came to Dallas to participate in a panel discussion (ably mc'd by film critic Alonso Duralde). During this informal Q/A, folks in the audience - many of whom would later pitifully admit to having been deeply affected by the long-running, fun-making, movie-mocking humor extravaganza of a series - listened while Joel Hodgson and his mates discussed how MST3K got started and what went on behind the scenes.

Joining Joel on stage were Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Mary Jo Pehl and Josh (J. Elvis) Weinstein. Their associate, Kevin Murphy - who had been scheduled to attend - couldn't make it due to illness (as detailed here on the C.T. site).

Following a video tribute to the series (enthusiastically received by the appreciative audience), Joel revealed that he had done some standup comedy in L.A. before returning to his home in Minneapolis and hooking up with Trace and Josh to craft the early, crude MST3K prototypes. Speaking of prototypes, Hodgson was actually making model robots out of found objects even before the show - the concept for which he indicates was based loosely on the movie, Silent Running.

In response to an audience member's query, Joel also revealed that both Rocky Horror and What's Up, Tiger Lilly helped to inspire the film riffing format of MST3K.

Here are highlights of things said during the Q/A:

* "People used to send their mail through the mail back then. They were barbaric times." - Frank

* "At least they didn't put your ass on a milk carton." - Josh to Joel, re. the contrasting manners in which they left the show

* "Cult fame is the best." - Frank, re. the sort of fame where people only occasionally recognize him in public

* Alonso, attempting to see into the audience to select a questioner, says "the one behind the light." "God?", Frank asks.

* "TV is dead. The internet is the future. Join us." - Trace, re. a question from the audience about whether they had any plans to launch Cinematic Titanic via regular programming.

* "Manos was the movie where I had my dark moment," says Joel. "But Untamed Youth was the first time we sent out for liquor," responds Josh.

___________

Following a thirty-minute layover in the lobby while Angelika personnel set up the audio feed for the live riffing, those of us fortunate enough to have tickets to the next event were allowed to file back into the theater. Shortly thereafter, the C.T. crew resumed their places at the front of the auditorium, but this time facing the screen, and with microphones (and lighted scripts) in front of them.

They performed to the tune of Roger Corman's The Wasp Woman, and folks, I've got to tell you, I haven't laughed that hard (or that often) in a long time. The experience of being in the theater while these wiseacres are doing their thing is something I will treasure always. (Does this make me a big-time loser?)

Rather than attempt to review the movie (or their treatment of it), I'll simply leave you with the advisory that you should immediately purchase it from Cinematic Titanic as soon as it becomes available (as either a burnable download or a physical DVD via snail mail); it's one of several new productions in the works at C.T.

So as not to leave you entirely in the dark, here are a few selected outtakes. (Just keep in mind that I was too busy laughing my ass off to do much scribbling.)

* "Featuring the music of Sting!"

* "B-5: you sank my battleship."

* "Can you make me a hamburger that looks like this man?"

* "Finally, hot wasp-on-girl action."