Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXIX (DVD Box Set Review)
Directed By: Kevin Murphy
Starring: Joel Hodgson, Michael J. Nelson
Rated: UR/Region: 1/1:33/Number of disc: 4
Available from Shout! Factory
Ahead of its time in many ways, the beloved comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000 used social media before there was social media. Consider: a creative team of actors and writers put on a puppet show and shared with us not just cheesy old movies, but how they felt about them. They sent their show into the ether, hoping to find kindred spirits to join in the fun and pain. The comments were delivered verbally in snarky one-liners called riffs, the spiritual father of funny tweets. The initial popularity of the show mushroomed as fans made tapes and traded them…viral videos before they turned digital. Is it any wonder, then, that the first MST fans were drawn to the burgeoning internet, using it to find each other and share the love? All the above notwithstanding, this new DVD collection is the only way to own these four never before released episodes with fun extras.
Titles include: Untamed Youth, Hercules and the Captive Women, The Thing that Couldn’t Die, and The Pumaman
Anyone who knows anything about MST3K knows what you are getting in this set. Here, you don’t worry about the quality of the four movies you get. You actually hope for the movies to be awful because you know that means the jokes you get will be even more funny while our funny characters sit in front of the screen and rip on the film we are watching. They get some hilarious material to work with in this volume with Pumaman and The Thing that Couldn’t Die. All are funny, but those episodes really stick out. There is also stuff going on in between the movies, but I find that I never really got into that stuff much, but I did love the actual movies and the funny commentary running through the movies. You could say this show is an acquired taste, but all cult TV shows fall into that group regardless.
Any volume of this show is a must own in my eyes and while this one doesn’t come in a cool collector tin or with a small figure, I still think it is very much worth owning for the pure comedic gold you get from it. This is a very influential show and it appeals to people of all ages and can be a very nostalgic trip for anyone who grew up watching this show on the Comedy Channel, which later became Comedy Central. Even if you don’t own any of the other sets that are out there, I think Volume XXIX is an excellent place for you to start! The show was always awesome and so is the box set.
– Original version of The Pumaman
– New Interview With Untamed Youth Star Mamie Van Doren
– New Interview With The Pumaman Star Walter G. Alton, Jr.
– The Movie That Couldn’t Die
– New Introductions By Joel Hodsgon
– About Joel Hodgson’s Riffing Myself
– MST3K Artist In Residence: Steve Vance
– Theatrical Trailers
– 4 Exclusive Mini-Posters By Artist Steve Vance
