OK, so five years ago at B-Fest I finally met the amazing Jessica Ritchey in person. Many of our readers probably remember her pithy reviews for The Agony Booth. I told Jessica that any time she wanted to contribute a guest review to Braineater.com, I’d be honored to run it.
And Jessica did send me a review. That, apparently, was the cue for me to leave my brain soaking in a pan in the basement… and I left it there so long I forgot I don’t even have a basement. It wasn’t until The Brain that Wouldn’t Die came up in the comments today that the re-animated monster of memory broke through the cellar door of my subconscious. And lit a fire under me.
So here it is, at long long last: Jessica’s account of the movie that was her gateway drug to B-movie depravity. Enjoy!
#1 by lyzard on February 3, 2010 - 4:01 pm
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Heh! Glad to be of service!
#2 by Braineater on February 3, 2010 - 4:14 pm
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Actually, I was just about to to post it last year. But then somebody else posted a review of the same movie, so I thought I’d wait a little while…
… and down went the ol’ noggin back into the basement. “The brain that wouldn’t live”, that’s me.
#3 by lyzard on February 3, 2010 - 4:24 pm
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I can sympathise. My short-term memory… [*shudder*]
Oddly enough, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die was my MST3K introduction too. We never got the show here; we were late getting cable. (The DVDs are, finally, starting to get a release.) In fact, I had never so much as heard off it in those far-off distant days when I was sent to the US to attend a conference. Having my first encounter with this thing called “cable”, I of course sat down to some serious channel-flicking, when all of a sudden—
“Hey, that looks like The Brain That Wouldn’t Die! – but who are those guys?”
My introduction thus included what I still think is one of the funniest MST lines ever: “You know, I’m beginning not to like this guy.” I laughed so hard at that, I thought I was either going to wet myself or rupture something, or both. That episode is still the one I watch most often. (Well – that, or Mitchell.)
#4 by Braineater on February 3, 2010 - 6:34 pm
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My first MST3K was Being from Another Planet. Probably not the best place to start; but then again, is there really a bad one?
The “Mr. B-Natural” short from before War of the Colossal Beast is my personal pants-wetting/rupture experience.
#5 by El Santo on February 3, 2010 - 8:13 pm
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“is there really a bad one?”
I’d nominate every episode after the departure of TV’s Frank, but my relationship with “Mystery Science Theater 3000” was really more of a tawdry short-term fling than a love affair to begin with. In the final assessment, I’d always rather just watch the movies.
#6 by JessicaR on February 3, 2010 - 9:32 pm
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Lovely format job Will, thank you! And even on Sci-Fi MST3K could still bring it for me. I would feel poorer without such episodes as Pumaman, The Final Sacrifice, or Space Mutiny.
And seriously Lyz I wish I could send you a fruit basket for your insights and the films you introduced me to. It was reading about an intriguing film called “Cronos” caused me to give The Devil’s Backbone a shot and I don’t want to think about not being a Del Toro fan. Of course I also tracked down a copy of King Kong Lives because of your review but every silver lining has a cloud and all that.
#7 by The Rev. D.D. on February 3, 2010 - 9:37 pm
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The only episode I saw during its CC run was Gamera vs. Guiron, on a trip somewhere or other. (My first access to CC came a couple of years too late. I did at least get to see the SFC years.)
We’d stopped at a hotel for the night, and while everyone else was sleeping, I was too fascinated with all the channels to go to bed, so I turned it toward a corner to reduce the effect of the glow. I flip around and come upon what is obviously a giant monster movie (my first exposure to Gamera, as well, come to think of it), so I’m set. I then realize I’m hearing voices…and not just the ones from the movie. I sit for a minute trying to figure out where the hell they’re coming from, and finally notice the silhouettes. Then I realize that they’re saying very funny things, remember a blurb from a video game magazine about this show, and settle in.
Then I get chewed out five minutes later when I can no longer stifle my laughter.
I don’t think I can pick a personal wetting/rupture moment; there’s been a few (“Mr. B-Natural” is definitely on the list), but I think this post is lengthy enough as it is.
#8 by The Beerman on February 4, 2010 - 12:54 am
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“Mr. B Natural” and “War of the Colossal Beasts” was my introduction to MST3k. No idea what it was, just interested in the movie, but when they made a [brown] joke about passing the bread truck I knew then and there I was a fan for life. (Though it wasn’t until the Sci-Fi channel episodes did I finally start warming up to Pearl.)
#9 by Ed on February 6, 2010 - 5:47 pm
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Splendid work as always, Jessica.
I think my first MST3K episode was Werewolf. I remember glancing at some episodes when it was on Comedy Central but I’ve always been a compulsive channel surfer so I can’t remember what I saw.