Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

UPC: 014381428223

Studio: Image Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Adult Humor, Profanity]

Summary: The cult television series Mystery Science Theatre 3000 transfers its brand of science-fiction wisecracking to the big screen with relatively few changes. The concept is the same in series and film: an innocent man (Michael J. Nelson, playing Mike Nelson) is stranded in outer space by a mad scientist, who subjects the poor slob to "experiments" that involve watching the worst movies ever made. In order to survive this cinematic torture, Mike and his two companions, sarcastic robots Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot, mercilessly heckle the film in self-defense. In this case, the target is This Island Earth, a 1950s sci-fi opus that, despite its silly makeup effects and stilted dialogue, actually stands slightly above the usual Mystery Science Theatre fare. Otherwise, despite the larger budget, the film plays as a shorter version of the television show, with the robots and sets purposefully maintaining their ingenious, homemade look. Despite its loyalty to the original concept, many long-time fans found the film less sharp than the series, and the cinematic version failed to attract many viewers beyond the original audience. Nevertheless, it serves as a good introduction for the uninitiated, demonstrating the show's combination of pop culture deconstruction and intelligent, playful humor. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Category: Comedy

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

Release Date: 01/01/1899

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: 2 PCM stereo

Runtime: 74 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Chapters
0. Chapters
1. The Mad Doctor [1:29]
2. Main Title; Good Morning Mike [5:52]
3. This Island Earth [4:19]
4. Trouble at the Airfield [5:45]
5. The Service Manual [3:24]
6. The Amazing Technicolor Cheese Wedge [4:31]
7. Pilot Error [2:37]
8. Back to the Movie [3:31]
9. Aliens in Hooterville? [12:28]
10. A Strange Journey [3:27]
11. Servo's Interociter [7:47]
12. The Butt-Ugly Planet [3:25]
13. Meet the Mutant [8:41]
14. The Flaming Hat [1:34]
15. A Little Metaluna Mixer [1:08]
16. End Credits [3:12]

Perry Seibert

As Mike and the 'bots watch the opening credits of the Universal-International production This Island Earth, someone has the foresight to ask, "Doesn't the fact that it's universal make it international?" The pleasure of watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 on television was much the same as watching Dennis Miller -- the attitude was hip, the references were obscure, and the jokes were intelligent. The film succeeds in duplicating the charm of the series. The humor flies fast and furious from the three heroes throughout the film's 73 minutes. Crow's rendition of "It's a Long Way to Tipperary," a sly reference to the walking around the spaceship in a circle scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the appearance of Dr. Clayton Forrester explaining the "experiment" are just a couple of highlights. The fact that they both appear within the first five minutes is not a case of a movie using up its best material right in the beginning; there is a consistently high level of comedy maintained throughout. "Misties" will enjoy the references to the classic episodes, and people new to this world will get a generous helping of what made Mystery Science Theater 3000 a television cult classic. The only thing missing is the theme song. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Billy Barber  Composer (Music Score) 
Kevin Murphy  Screenwriter 
Trace Beaulieu  Screenwriter 
Paul Chaplin  Screenwriter 
Joel Hodgson  Composer (Music Score) 
Bridget Jones  Screenwriter 
Jim Mallon  Director 
Jim Mallon  Producer 
Jim Mallon  Screenwriter 
Michael J. Nelson  Screenwriter 
Mary Jo Pehl  Screenwriter 
Michael J. Nelson  Actor 
Trace Beaulieu  Actor 
Kevin Murphy  Actor 
Jim Mallon  Actor 
John Brady  Actor 

Country: USA