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Episodes: “Boggy Creek II: And The Legend Continues”, “Merlin’s Shop Of Mystical Wonders”, “Time Chasers”, “The Touch Of Satan”
Stars: Michael J.
Nelson, Bill Corbett, Kevin Murphy, and Mary Jo Pehl
B-Movie Stars:
Charles B. Pierce, Cindy Butler, Chuck Pierce, Jimmy Clem, Serine Hedin, Ernest
Borgnine, Maximilian Schell, Hans Canineberg, Dunja Movar, Matthew Bruch, Bonnie
Pritchard, Peter Harrington, George Woodard, Michael J. Valentine, Michael
Berry, Emby Mellay, Lee Amber, Yvonne Winslow, and Jeanne Gerson
Writers: Michael
J. Nelson, Paul Chaplin, Bill Corbett, Bridget Jones, Kevin Murphy, and Mary Jo
Pehl
Created By: Joel
Hodgson
Director: Michael
J. Nelson
Producer: Kevin
Murphy
Executive
Producer: Jim Mallon
Feature length:
400 minutes
Extras: Original
Trailer For “The Touch Of Satan”, Exclusive Interview With Mike Nelson and
Kevin Murphy, Introductions With Mike Nelson
Languages: English
Stereo Sound
Subtitles: N/A
Packaging:
Four-Disc Digipack Gatefold Within A Cardboard Slipcase
Chapter Stops: 20
Per Episode
Sound: Stereo
Sound
Year of Theatrical
Release: 1996/DVD Release: 2004
Home Video
Distributor: Rhino Home Video
MPAA Rating: Not
Rated
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
The fifth volume
DVD box set of the ever-popular cult comedy series “Mystery Science Theater
3000” is now available with episodes never before released on DVD-Video from
the series later seasons when it aired on Sci-Fi. Basically viewers get more of
the same with four complete episodes presented in their original (1.33:1)
broadcast aspect ratio with English Stereo Sound. As far as picture quality
goes, the video segments featuring the cast of the series have never looked
better, but as is the case with many really bad films, the video quality is only
as good as the source materials used in the series. Yet no one watches MST3K on
DVD for jaw dropping picture quality and sound. People watch it to laugh as
Mike, Crow, and Tom Servo rip the films to shreds with jokes broad enough to
appeal to nearly anyone.
The films provided
this time offer plenty of inspired wisecracks from the Satellite of Love with
“Boggy Creak II: And The Legend Continues,” a film so bad the actors are
scarier than the monster. In fact in the introduction before the episode Mike
Nelson states that this was actually produced to be the third film in the
lackluster series, but unfortunately or fortunately, the second film was so bad
it was abandoned and lost. Thus number three become number two in more ways than
one. “Merlin’s Shop Of Mystical Wonders” is probably the most misguided
post Spielberg early 80s film ever produced. The film features Ernest Borgnine
as a grandfather trying to capture his grandson’s imagination with two
sadistic tales of horror where innocent people suffer the terrible wrath of the
mighty Merlin the magician who has arrived in the 20th century to
find his lost demonically possessed toy monkey. “Time Chasers” was given
directly by the filmmakers to the MST3K staff, who thought they would use it and
actually compliment how good the film really was. Unfortunately they were only
half right. Finally there is that 70s horror film that sounds like a cleaning
product used in Hell, “The Touch Of Satan.”
Extra features
include the original theatrical trailer for “The Touch Of Satan”, short
video introductions for all four episodes by Mike Nelson and very entertaining
interview with Mike Nelson and Kevin Murphy (29:11), who discuss the history of
the series from it’s inception on UHF community television through the Comedy
Central years and the Sci-Fi Channel. The changes in cast members are briefly
touched upon as well as what Nelson and Murphy have been doing since they
finished producing first run episodes of the series. If they have not already
done so, I’d like to see them interview Joel Hodgson and Trace Beaulieu as
well as other participants that made the series a reality in future volumes.
The interactive
menus are animated and feature full motion scene selections too. “The Mystery
Science Theater 3000 Collection: Volume 5” DVD box set is available at
retailers on and offline now from Rhino Home Video.
© Copyright 2004
By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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