Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

The relative popularity of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and the diehard loyalty of its fans, prompted the cast and crew of the show to pursue a movie for theatrical release. Like the show itself, the film showcases the mocking of a B-movie, although the host segments are considerably expanded and the characterization is more frequent, to help inform uninitiated moviegoers. While the idea of an MST3k movie was cherished by fans, it must be said that many episodes (mainly ones to be produced later) are simply funnier.

Initial test audiences had no idea what the movie was supposed to be about, further demonstrating that it takes a certain class of person to fully appreciate the uniqueness of the show. Critical reviews, however, were generally positive, if not superlative.

While fans celebrated the release of the film, the distributor (Gramercy Films) chose to use a 'limited release' method of distribution, airing the movie at only about 30 theaters at a time and gradually moving to new ones after runs of up to three weeks. This was a great disappointment for many fans, but was not the choice of Best Brains, Inc.

The choice of movie also proved unexpectedly controversial: the film This Island Earth, more or less just another Cold War sci-fi B-movie, turned out to be liked by more people than anyone had expected. While this was not a major problem, some fans - and reviewers - felt that the choice of this film was inappropriate. Still, even compared to other MSTied movies, This Island Earth is intermediate in quality.

Record 1372 - film - Last update 28 Jul 2007, 19:44:50

Entry written by: Torvus

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