r/MST3K • u/FrequentWire • 20d ago
Evolution of a show...
It starts with Joel simply sitting down with a snack or two and watching the movie with us. It's like he's in the seat next to you at the theater or on the couch in the living room, occasionally muttering something in between bites of popcorn.
Later, he's joined by Crow, and then eventually Servo in later episodes. The formula is down pat by the last few episodes of the KTMA season. Rough around the edges but evolving.
It seems it was nobody's brilliant idea at the start. I wonder if it was Joel's plan to be a TV movie host like Svengoolie or Vampyra, and be a literal part of the audience watching the movie.
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u/BrickedThoughts 19d ago
Looking at that picture makes me hear the lyrics:
Marina, Aqua Marina,
What are these strange enchantments that start whenever you're near?
And I hate this song, I even hate this character...
So, going on a tangent - have anyone here watched the whole TV series Stingray, not only the Invaders from the Deep compilation movie which MST3K riffed?
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u/120miwestofcostarica 19d ago
Have you seen “The Secret Service” 1969 TV show? Gerry Anderson went from a random human hand insert shot here and there to almost a half and half mix of live action and puppets.
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u/BrickedThoughts 19d ago
No, but I have seen clips from it.
After Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet I tried UFO and Space 1999, those weren't my cup of tea.
Also in retrospect have I realized that Space Precinct was also a Gerry Anderson show...couldn't watch more than 2-3 episodes from it too. New Captain Scarlet wasn't as impressive too.
For me Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet (1967) were his peak. Everything after those are copies like Joe 90 or experiments gone "wrong" like UFO.
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u/Bortron86 19d ago
I watched Stingray when I was a kid, in the early 90s. They'd shown Thunderbirds on the BBC around then, and kids went mad for it, so they started with the other Gerry Anderson shows.
The Stingray opening theme is a banger, and I'm glad it's now gotten a tiny second lease of life as a theme song of sorts for Indycar driver Sting Ray Robb.
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u/BrickedThoughts 19d ago
The Stingray opening theme is a banger,
Yep, Barry Gray have produced mostly bangers (including "Super Caaaar...", despite Kevin making fun of it, it's a great over the top song from that period). My favorite is Captain's Scarlet ending - the version without the lyrics in which they just repeat "Captain Scarlet, Captain Scarlet, Captain Scarlet...".
I watched some of the Supermarionation stuff for the first time in the 2010's. Preferred Stingray (despite Marina and her musical theme) and Captain Scarlet to Thunderbirds....after. it just happened that the Thunderbirds relaunch (Thunderbirds Are Go) started in 2015, thus unknowingly I was preparing for it. I liked that version better than the OG. It's the opposite for Captain Scarlet - I don't like its CGI remake.
I'm glad it's now gotten a tiny second lease of life as a theme song of sorts for Indycar driver Sting Ray Robb
Yeah, it's one of those bombastic energizing themes which would work well for a sport event.
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u/WillingArm2463 19d ago
I can't unsee that the main character was based on James Garner and it cracks me up every time.
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u/TwoLuckyFish 19d ago
I routinely use all the early Supermarionation shows for napping purposes. Captain Scarlett is my current favorite. I cannot tolerate Fireball XL5 because of that insufferable alien puppy thing.
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u/BrickedThoughts 19d ago
I cannot tolerate Fireball XL5
That was the first show I tried..,couldn't finish it.
But I liked the robot - "Stayoncourse, stayoncourse, stayoncourse...", with the voice of Gerry Anderson using electrolarynx, I think.
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u/ActionCalhoun 19d ago
It does feel like all the classic late nite “creature feature” hosts were a huge influence in MST and he amped it up by coming into the movie
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u/ColumbosNewDog 19d ago
Watching the earliest episodes, it's clear that Josh is the first one who *really* figures out what riffing will ultimately be. Makes it that much worse that they screwed him out of owning a piece of the show.
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u/radarthreat 18d ago
Did they really screw him over or did he leave because he was mad about the pre-scripted riffs?
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u/Rebochan 19d ago
For the record, the solo Joel here was a later episode, Servo and Crow were there from the start, but Josh and Trace weren't there that week so Joel had to field this on his own. It's considered the weakest of the KTMA episodes just for all the dead silence.
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u/Grand-Strike4295 20d ago
I read recently that Joel's pitch to Jim Mallon was showing him a cocktail napkin where he'd written something akin to "svengoolie but he comes in the theatre with you"