Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In case you're new to the world of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST3K for short, that what us fans - "Misties" - call it), this is the famous TV show where a silhouette of a man and two robots sitting in theater seats provide running commentary for some of the worst movies ever made. The ninety-minute episodes are also scattered with sketches and songs and amount to some of the smartest, most pop-culture savvy, side-splitting comedy ever made.

This is the first of the four-episode collections of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" offered from Rhino (previously they had only offered them in single DVD editions). It contains an interesting mix of movies: a science-fiction horror flick, a drama about skydivers, a 60s beach comedy, and a thriller on a tropical island. Three of the episodes come from the excellent sixth season, when Mike Nelson was the human host and the wisecracks and comments had become razor sharp and fast and furious. One episode comes from the second season, when the show had a more laid-back, friendly humor when Joel Hodgson was the host. Although this collection skews toward the later seasons, it is still a good general introduction to the show for newcomers, since most of the episodes are terrific. Fans who favor Joel Hodgson's style won't enjoy this as much as the second and third box set, but for most fans the inclusion of "The Skydivers" and "The Creeping Terror" make it a must-own.

Here's what you get:

BLOODLUST! Episode #607. A rip-off of "The Most Dangerous Game," only with young college kids (one of whom is Robert Reed, future Brady Bunch dad!). The four dummies land on a jungle island to go exploring and become trapped by the rich but extremely wishy-washy maniac millionaire who owns the island. Apparently, he enjoys hunting down people to turn them into stuffed trophies. The film isn't really awful, just completely unoriginal and acted with total flatness. Robert Reed never seems more than mildly "cheesed" and "fed up" (to quote Mike and `Bots) with the life-threatening situation. But it's season six, and the show's writers couldn't do any wrong at this point, and the result is the usual hilarious romp.

CATALINA CAPER. Episode #204. This is the only Joel Hodgson episode in the collection, and it's an oddball entry in MST3K history: it's the only time the show took on an overt comedy. True, "Catalina Caper," a teen 60s bikini beach comedy, isn't funny at all, but since it doesn't take itself seriously it becomes a tough target to make fun off. Joel and the `Bots have a good time with the lousy `prat-fall' comic, the awful musical numbers (one featuring Little Richard, waaaay out of his element), skinny Tommy Kirk, and the famous `creepy girl,' but this is a spotty episode and the weakest in this pack. Don't form your opinions of Joel's episodes based on this one.

THE CREEPING TERROR. Episode #606. This is a classic, and one of the worst films the MST3K team ever took on. A big shag carpet (oh, excuse me, I meant `alien') starts eating the citizens of a quiet California town; or at least it gets close enough to them so they can hoist themselves into its mouth. And why is the town so quiet? Because while making the film, someone accidentally kicked the sound equipment into a lake, so the whole movie has almost NO DIRECT SOUND. Yep, we instead have a narrator telling us what the characters are saying, doing, discussing, and so on. You have to see it (or hear it) to believe it! Mike and the `Bots unload on this one, and it's a scream. One of the funniest episodes ever.

THE SKYDIVERS. Episode #609. One of the most beloved of all MST3K episodes. Writer Paul Chaplin said of it: "I don't want to criticize this movie. I'm too fond of the final result for our show...there's never been a better movie for our treatment." I'll drink to that. This drama about the loves and losses of people working at a parachuting school is so weird, so bizarrely scripted, so awfully acted, filled with so many inexplicably wack-o characters, and shot with such stunning ineptitude that it positively amazes. The riffing from the hosts is some of the best, sharpest commentary they ever did. This is the first of three movies MST3K did from director Coleman Francis (who makes Ed Wood look like Orson Welles!). The second one, "Red Zone Cuba" is available on its own DVD. The third, "The Beast of Yucca Flats" isn't out yet, and Rhino should really get this one on a future collection.

All four films are offered in "non-MST3K" versions on the flip side of their discs, which is a nice feature if you really want to see how much the show added to these awful films. "Bloodlust" and "Catalina Caper" are all right - although dull - on their own, but see how long you can sit through the other two without Mike and Robots before you tear your eyes out!

So there you have it, three of the most phenomenally funny episodes of MST3K, plus one of the most unusual. A great package for fans and newcomers alike! (Just watch out for acid in your parachute!)

Thank you Rhino for finally getting us the box sets we've been clamoring for. In this box set are the episodes "Catalina Caper", "The Creeping Terror", "Bloodlust (with short- A Visit to Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm)", and "The Sky Divers (with short- Why Study Industrial Arts)".
Catalina Caper: 1960's era beach movie with a plot that goes something like this: stolen scroll, lil' Richard singing, dancing, dancing, volleyball, dancing, scuba diving, & dancing. Also appearing in this stink-burger was Lyle Waggoner, from the Carol Burnett show, as a scuba diving hood. Servo's song to Creepy Girl is a classic.
The Creeping Terror: Wow! Can that monster creep! Probably one of the most hilarious movie monsters ever. An old woman with a motorized cart could easily get a way from this creature, and yet dozens of fit young folk get gobbled up by this overgrown shag carpet. Apparently nobody ever figured out the concept of running away during the 50's.
Bloodlust: Robert Reed (Mike Brady from the Brady Bunch) stars as a studly young man vacationing on a yacht with his friends. He wears a T-shirt so tight you'd swear it was painted on. The plot is basically a ripoff of the Most Dangerous Game.
The Sky Divers: Another piece of flotsam from Coleman Francis. With acting preformances so tepid that you wonder if the actors have a pulse. Watch for the truly bizzare dance party with a woman of Amazonian proportions. Also look for Petey the plane.
The Episodes I hope they release soon are "Pod People, "Angels Revenge", "The Puma Man", "Werewolf", and "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians"

If you've never watched Mystery Science Theatre 3000, then you are missing out on one of the funniest television shows of all time. This excellent four-disc set contains four episodes, as well as including the original movies that they were derived from. DVD is a great format for this show; the episodes lose nothing on multiple viewings, and there are loads of jokes that aren't obvious until the third or fourth viewing. One simply can't catch all of the pop culture references and comments the first time around, and subsequent viewings can turn a mildly amusing episode into an uproarious one.

Here are some short comments on each of the four episodes.

BLOODLUST: Starring Robert "The Brady Dad" Reed in the tightest tee-shirt you're ever likely to see, this film has a bunch of young people running around an island inhabited by an enigmatic homicidal maniac. In case you hadn't figured it out, it's the homicidal maniac who has the bloodlust. Also on this disc is the short film: UNCLE JIM'S DAIRY FARM, "the farm of secrets and lies", where two city folks drop off their two annoying kids on their country relatives. Poor kids. Poor audience.

CATALINA CAPER: It has Little Richard! And precious little else. A film that isn't sure whether it wants to be serious or funny. I'd settle on "funny", except that none of the jokes are. It's sort of like what you'd expect Gilligan's Island to be like if you crossed it with a bad episode of Dragnet and threw in some random musical numbers (and God help me, but I actually like some of the songs; I think I need help). "Join me in my Bath of Death!"

THE CREEPING TERROR: You won't believe how bad this movie is. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have imagined that something like this could have been made. Allegedly, during the production of this low-budget thriller, they accidentally dropped the sound equipment into a pond. Anyone else would have said fair enough and taken this as a hint from above as to the quality of the film. But, no, they go ahead anyway... without sound. The majority of the talking scenes are completed by having a narrator tell us what the people are discussing. You see characters' lips moving, but all you hear is the strange voice of the narrator imparting random information. You couldn't make this sort of thing up. There's a simply wonderful scene where one cop talks to another one about the joys of marriage and settling down. The narrator, with all the subtlety of a slow-moving monster, takes great pains to point out exactly what lessons the cops are learning. Unbelievable!

The monster itself is the epitome of all bad movie creatures. It moves along at the slowest pace imaginable and relies on its victims to not only avoid running away but to actually pull themselves up into its mouth. Strangely enough, most of the monster's dinners manage to show off a lot of leg during the process of being horribly devoured. So much silliness in one film makes this an ideal candidate for MST3k, and this is one of their stronger efforts.

THE SKYDIVERS: This movie is about skydivers - and nothing else. People repeatedly throw themselves out of airplanes, and when they aren't actually skydiving, they're talking about skydiving, or drinking in skydiving themed bars. There may have been some sort of plot, but I must have blinked and missed it. Shame. This episode comes with a short feature, WHY STUDY INDUSTRIAL ARTS. A frankly disturbing look at why kids in the '50s should have signed up for their High School Industrial Arts class. Lots of great opportunities for mocking, and the gang don't miss any.

Each of these discs contains the original, uncut, unMST3ked versions of the films on the flip side. Approach these editions with extreme caution.

It's about time! First of all, the four films ("Bloodlust", "The Creeping Terror", "Catalina Caper", and "The Skydivers") included in this Volume 1 Box Set were not previously available for purchase on DVD. That alone makes this set worth its weight in gold.

Secondly, the packaging is fun and stellar. I will enjoy collecting the rest of these volumes as they begin to hit the shelves. The discs are double-sided, with "MST-ied" versions on side A and the original films in tact on the B side. You'll probably never want to watch the B side, but it's still great to own and was probably a condition of securing the rights to reprint and make a mockery of these movies. The other feature is an original theatrical trailer included for each of the films.

Thirdly, the content. While these certainly aren't the classic episodes that are frequently mentioned in all of MST3K lore (nothing on here quite reaches the level of "Manos, Hands of Fate" or "Mitchell"), they are absolutely hilarious and a must-own for any fan. For instance, in "The Skydivers", a man is offered a cup of coffee. He curtly replies, "I like coffee." MST3K host Mike Nelson casually quips, "Thus we peer into the complexity of the character that is Joe."

Great stuff that can't be missed -- and at a reasonable price!

Thank you Rhino!!!! This collection features four episodes of the most inventive, hilarious show to ever hit the airwaves! The first 3 are Mike Nelson episodes. "The Skydivers" must rank as one of the worst films the SOL crew ever was forced to endure, but as is always the case on MST3K...the worse the movie, the funnier the show. "Bloodlust" is one of those underrated shows from Season 6 that not a lot of people talk about, but it really is extremely enjoyable. The short is hilarious. "The Creeping Terror" features two of the funniest Mike Nelson sketches I've ever seen on the show: the parody of "Love American Style" and Mike's EXTREMELY long listen to the "Creeping Terror" theme song on his stereo system. The fourth movie in the set might be the best! "Catalina Caper" is an early episode, featuring the beloved Joel Hodgson! It's a beach movie from the 60's featuring Tommy Kirk, Little Richard and..."Creepy Girl!!!" Rhino did a great job on the packaging for the DVD. It looks great and really captures the quirky spirit of MST3K. The picture quality is top notch and the audio sounds great. Thank you, Rhino! For letting us laugh at love...again. More! More! More!!!!!!! Rhino, if you are reading this...I beg of you to issue the following episodes on DVD: "Master Ninja I", "Master Ninja II", "Time of the Apes", "Village of the Giants", "Santa Claus", "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" and "The Lost Continent." Everyone else, buy this collection! You won't regret it.

Ok, I'm a big Mistie from way back, so I was all set to start buying all of these like a Star Wars fan who hears a new movie's coming out.

However, Rhino is missing a great chance. First off, having acquired the rights to the movies, they feel compelled to include the original versions of all the movies on the other sides of the discs. That would be great as an extra, except that it limits the box sets to only four movies each. At that rate, the whole run will cost $1500-$2000! Moreover, there are no extras at all! How about more shorts? The Poopie? Making Ofs? Interviews? Commentary, for Chrissakes? Just look at The Simpsons box sets to see how it should be done. Oh, on top of all that, they're not starting at the beginning of Season One or even going in any chronological order at all. It's not even a Best Of based on anything. GRR!

Your best move is to pick and choose your favorite episodes, not to collect all of these as they come out; go for some of the single episodes instead.

This has to be the best release of MST3K by Rhino, and I have a bunch (they didn't confuse Mike for Joel on the back cover). This set is definitely all about Mike, but one of the episodes does feature Joel. Right down to the packaging, they made it great. The case has a pop-up book feel to it, as you can use a little pull tab to pull the original SOL across the top of the package, and in the center above the planet logo is a wheel you can turn to show funny comments from various characters. Unfortunately, there aren't any bonus goodies--unless you count the trailers--but it's still a required piece of any devoted MiSTie's collection. As with other Rhino DVDs in the collection, the flip side of the disc has the un-MiSTied version, for those masochists out there who enjoy bad, smelly cinema.

Catalina Caper has to be one of the stupidest films I have ever sat through, and its alternate title "Never Steal Anything Wet" should tell you all you need to know. Short form: a very painted napkin gets stolen from a pegboard museum, and the thieves are out to doublecross their patron by convincing him to buy their designer impostor! But they LOSE the real thing--in a water-tight tube in the middle of the ocean, and now they have to retrieve it. OOPSIE! This is yet another of the obtuse beach movies the inhabitants of the SOL ripped on with great success. Servo's ode to Creepy Girl will have your side hurting, and fans of Mork & Mindy will quickly recognize Exodor (Robert Donner) as the hapless klutz whose function in the film is to remain unnamed,unspeaking, and to do water-soaked pratfalls every time he's in the frame. Be amazed when you see Little Richard's mercifully brief cameo...

Bloodlust is another hilarious sendup about a freak with a penchant for hunting--hunting PEOPLE, that is. Brace yourself to see Robert Reed (yes, Mr. Brady) in the world's tightest t-shirt and sucking in his gut every time he knows the camera is on him. Pay special attention to the continuity (or lack thereof), especially in the fight scene between one of the girls and one of the doctor's henchmen. The ending makes you wish it could've come just a short 10 minutes into this smelly celluloid...

The Skydivers is another jumbled presentation from one of the SOL's favorite (using the term loosely) directors/writers/actors Coleman Francis. People do actually jump out of planes; there's a dance scene with some strange unnamed, giant woman and the chick on skates looks on, and the mean bimbo sabotages some 'chutes. What's it all about? Who knows!?!? This is one of the 3 Coleman Francis film-flams that was MiSTied. Francis's Red Zone Cuba is also available on DVD from Rhino, but at this time, The Beast of Yucca Flats isn't. HEY RHINO--hint, hint!

The Creeping Terror features almost no dialogue and a hilarious slow-moving monster who has a taste for necking couples. Not really more to say....

Rhino did this set up just perfectly, and there is talk that more sets will be forthcoming. Let's hope so!

Finally, boxed sets of "Mystery Science Theater 3000"! This set has "Catalina Caper," "Creeping Terror," "Bloodlust!", and "Skydivers." They're absolutely hysterical (especially the shorts, "Why Study Industrial Arts?" and "Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm.")
The DVD presentation is just about the same as any of the MST3K videos. The movie segments look terrible, but that's how they've always looked. The host segments are sharp, show good colours, and sound fine too.
The real value are the extras. Each one of these has the uncut version (something I don't exactly advise you to watch) and the theatrical trailers, which are all, and this is putting it mildly, very goofy.
So buy this, just for "Why Study Industrial Arts?"

Whoever at Rhino decided to package these four MST episodes into one DVD collection did a really nice job, because they comprise an excellent cross-section of the show: one from the early years (I've said in other Amazon.com reviews that I think seasons 3 and 4 were probably the best of the show's entire run) plus some from the later Comedy Central years; bad horror films combined with a bad comedy film and one that's just, well, bad (how *would* you classify "The Skydivers"? "Drama" doesn't seem like quite the right word.). If anything, the collection may be -- as one of the institutional reviews put it -- a little "Mike-centric." But the volume two collection balances this out by including two Joel-era episodes.

The magic of DVD technology brings many other interesting benefits to this collection, including complete, uncut versions of the original films without the benefit of "Shadowrama" technology. But the real value, of course, is far more in the MST riffing than in the films themselves. So pop up the popcorn and settle in for a long weekend of great entertainment. Even this many years after the show's final season, an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 is still really hard to beat.

I bought this and was very pleased. I used to watch it on the sc-fi channel but now they do not show it on there anymore. I decided to buy this and loved it so much I bought all seven volumes. This is such a creative idea for a show. It is so funny I was almost crying with some of the comments these characters made on these corny movies. This is almost like Espn Classic's Cheap Seats. Cheap Seats makes fun of funny sporting events. Mstk3 is way funnier though. Buy it if you love comedy. God bless you and have a great day.