Product Details

• Actors: Joel Hodgson, Michael J. Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy, Marjorie Eaton
• Directors: Boris Petroff, Gus Trikonis, Jack Pollexfen, Jim Mallon, Joseph V. Mascelli
• Writers: Bridget Jones, Colleen Henjum, Dean Dillman Jr.
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 4
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Rhino Theatrical
• DVD Release Date: April 8, 2003
• Run Time: 429 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008DDI5
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,261 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 3 (The Atomic Brain / The Sidehackers / The Unearthly / Shorts, Vol. 2)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

MST3K COLLECTION VOL 3 - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

144 of 146 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Giving Bad Movies What They Deserve, April 20, 2003

By 

Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 3 (The Atomic Brain / The Sidehackers / The Unearthly / Shorts, Vol. 2) (DVD)

They could have given MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER VOLUME 3 the subheading of "Shorts", as there are more short films on offer here than in any previous box set, and most likely any future releases simply won't contain as many as there are here. There are nine short features here, six from the Shorts Vol. 2 disc, and three more scattered throughout the other three discs. I love the heckling that the MST3k crew give to those short packets of hilarity. While some films are able to transcend their time, the short films are intrinsically tied to the sillier aspects of decades past.

Here are some quick comments on each of the discs:

THE ATOMIC BRAIN: This is a film from that era of bad science fiction films where filmmakers put the word "atomic" in front of any dubious sounding scientific technobabble, hoping that this would somehow make the whole endeavor appear to be more scientific. In this film, a mad atomic scientist attempts to harness the power of the atom to atomically put an old woman's atomic brain into the atomic body of a young, sassy, atomic blonde. Features the short film WHAT ABOUT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY?, which only provokes me to wonder, "Well, what about it?"

THE UNEARTHLY: More scientists here. This time they're trying to insert a new gland into human bodies so that people will live forever. Or something. If the back of the DVD box hadn't told me that this was a horror flick, I really wouldn't have noticed. Maybe someone forgot that "horror" and "boring" are different things. Also features the shorts, POSTURE PALS (teaches kids to mock the posture of their peers), and APPRECIATING OUR PARENTS (teaches kids to obey). Strangely, every film in this episode seemed to be filmed in Blue and White, rather than Black and White.

THE SIDEHACKERS: Truly hilarious fare here. Grown-up idiots decide to risk life and limb by attaching shopping carts to the sides of their motorbikes and run them around in circles. There are also some subplots involving jealous lovers and mentally unstable cyclists. No sidehackers were harmed during the making of this movie, unfortunately.

SHORTS, Vol. 2. Features the following short films: CATCHING TROUBLE (a 50's sadistic version of the Crocodile Hunter inflicts pain on helpless animals), WHAT TO DO ON A DATE (no, it's not what you think, and when you see who will be doing the dating, you'll be glad it's not what you think), LAST CLEAR CHANCE (teens + cars + moody cops = death), A DAY AT THE FAIR (old men like to show off their corn at the fair), KEEPING CLEAN & NEAT (teaches kids to clean their bedrooms by employing clever camera tricks; any kids without a film camera will remain unenlightened), and THE DAYS OF OUR YEARS (tells us why it's always the worker's fault when someone ends up dying on the job).

Unfortunately, the original, uncut films aren't available as extras on this box set. To make up for this, those folks at Best Brains Inc. have included raw unedited footage and bloopers from the various host segments that appear in these episodes.

53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the best Collection of MST3K, but great nonetheless!, March 7, 2004

By 

Claude Avary "West Coast Reader" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 3 (The Atomic Brain / The Sidehackers / The Unearthly / Shorts, Vol. 2) (DVD)

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

This is Rhino's third MST3K collection of four DVDs. It's a bit weaker than the first two volumes (as well the next two), and probably not the greatest place to start if you're new to the show, but it's still hilarious stuff and worth four stars. It has three episodes from widely separated seasons, and a fourth disc that's a compilation of short subjects from various episodes.

Two episodes feature Joel Hodgson as the host. The first one is from extremely early in the second season, when MST3K first started to air on Comedy Central and the writers and performers were still developing the show's style. The second Joel episode comes from the late days of the excellent third season. The third DVD features Mike Nelson as host, late in the fifth season soon after he replaced Joel; he's very fresh and still learning the ropes of being host. The Shorts on the last DVD are brief films that the MST3K boys would sometimes make fun of before the movie. Originally, they watched episodes of old movie serials, but when those became tiresome, they turned to educational, commercial, and industrial filmstrips (you know, those annoying things you had to watch at school assemblies in sixth grade?). They contain some of the funniest riffing in the series, and are favorites of the fans.

Here's what's in this collection:

THE ATOMIC BRAIN. Episode #518. Mike Nelson had only recently become host when this episode was shot, so the show is in the middle of a re-adjustment, but nonetheless, Mike gets into the swing of things pretty quickly, and the show is already developing the more sarcastic style of the later seasons. This cheap science-fiction movie has an old lady and a mad scientist capturing foreign beauties in their creepy mansion so they can transplant the old lady's brain into one their bodies. There's no atomic brain, but there are sick scenes of the old lady pawing her intended new bodies. The film is fairly sluggish, but the hosts have a load of fun with the "plink-plink-plink" music and the ludicrously fake accents of the leading ladies. There is also a very funny educational short before the movie, "What About Juvenile Delinquency?" which shows just how wimpy teen gangs were back in the 1950s. (THEY STEAL PENS!) A good, solid episode.

THE UNEARTHLY. Episode #320. The Joel Hodgson years were in high gear when this episode was shot, and it's the best of the three full episodes in this set. "The Unearthly" has a lot in common with "The Atomic Brain," with a mad scientist capturing people in his lonely mansion so he can conduct experiments on them. But "The Unearthly" has real B-movie snap, with such stars as John Carradine (the world's greatest mad scientist), the incomprehensible Tor Johson (from Ed Wood's films), and smug Myron Healy. There's also a perky blonde and a wisecracking palooka, and a lot of scenes of people walking up and down stairs. Adding to the enjoyment are not one, but two hilarious 1950s education shorts shown before the film: "Posture Pals" (elementary school kids, STAND UP STRAIGHT OR ELSE!) and "Appreciating Our Parents" (elementary school kids, OBEY OBEY OBEY!). A great episode all around.

THE SIDEHACKERS. Episode #202. This is only the second episode of the years that the show was on Comedy Central. Kevin Murphy had just taken over the role of Tom Servo, and the show was still a bit wobbly, but they were rapidly improving. This is one of the best episodes from this season, but isn't as sharp as anything from seasons three or four. The movie, however, is a wonderful stinker: a sleazy, icky 60s biker revenge flick centered on the odd sport of `sidehacking' (motorcycle racing with a man in a side car balancing out the bike on turns). This is an important episode for fans because it provided many of the show's running gags: "He Hit Big Jake!" , "Chili Peppers Burn My Gut!" and "That Was Number Nine!" Some good stuff here, and a promise of the terrific stuff to come.

SHORTS, VOL. 2. These short films come from many seasons, and all are great. "Catching Trouble" (from episode #315) is a reprehensible documentary from the 30s about a wild game trapper who cruelly torments baby animals. The hosts are frankly disgusted by the whole thing, but this is a great episode for satiric humor. "What to Do on a Date" (from episode #503) teaches teens of the 50s how to save money on dates by showing how a loser named Nick lures Kay to a...gasp...scavenger sale for their first date. Kiss the second date goodbye, Nick! "Last Clear Chance" (from episode #520) is aimed at farm kids getting their drivers' licenses. A cruel cop explains the many ways a train can kill you, and despite his lectures, people die anyway. "A Day at the Fair" (from episode #608) is sponsored by the Four-H Club to tell you how much fun visiting the local fair can be. It all looks pretty bleak. "Keeping Neat and Clean" (from episode #613) explains to elementary school kids how to conform to 1950s beauty standards through relentless grooming. "The Days of Our Years" (from episode #623) is similar to "Last Clear Chance," only instead of a cop, it's the minister of a small railroad town who wonders why people keeping maiming and killing themselves around trains. This is a great short, with bitter and sharp commentary. Overall, the funniest disc in this collection!

This is another fine collection from Rhino. There's more comedy in this package than you'll find in almost anything made in the last ten years, but first-time MST3K viewers should look at Volumes 1 and 2 first before picking up this one.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Indispensible Collection from Rhino and Best Brains, April 8, 2003

By 

Edward Garea "Edward Garea" (Branchville, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 3 (The Atomic Brain / The Sidehackers / The Unearthly / Shorts, Vol. 2) (DVD)

Rhino seems to be in somewhat of a hurry these days, releasing the latest MST3000 collection a scant two months after the release of the last collection. Usually they release new episodes at a leisurely pace, but who's complaining? Certainly not myself; I can't get enough of MST on DVD.

This collection contains nothing that was not previously released on video. As there still remain a few video "stragglers" out there, such as "The Gunslinger" and Shorts, Vol. 3," I would expect these to be part of the next collection.

Here is what you'll find in this volume:
* Episode 202- THE SIDEHACKERS (a really lousy motorcycle actioner, made watchable only through the presence of Joel and company.)
* Episode 320- THE UNEARTHLY (with shorts: Posture Pals and Appreciating Our Parents). John Carradine is an evil scientist. Tor Johnson is his helper. For all Tor Johnson fanatics everywhere. This contains Tor's memorable line, "Time for to go to bed."
* Episode 518- THE ATOMIC BRAIN (with short: What About Juvenile Delinquency?) Wonderful nonsense made even better by the MST crew. Imagine a mad scientist (no, not Dr. Forrester) placing the brain of a woman inside a cat. Has to bee sen to be fully appreciated.
*MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER: THE SHORTS, VOLUME 2 (featuring Catching Trouble, What To Do On A Date, Last Clear Chance, A Day At The Fair, Keeping Clean & Neat and The Days of Our Years). I always loved the shorts, as there was far more funny wise cracking - being that the shorts only lasted 10-15 minutes, not enough time to wear the gang down. These are also included in their own volume as a subtle remainder that you won't see the accompanying feature film in a future collection, mostly due to rights disputes. Check your handy MST Episode Guide to see what you'll be missing.

Like the other collections, a bit pricey, but well worth it to avoid the agony when this goes out of print. I learneed my lesson when I didn't purchase "The Amazing Colossal Man." I could have gotten it when it contained "Mr. B Natural." Nope, I had to be cheap and wait around. I'll never make that mistake again, especially with something as valuable as this series.