DVD Review: Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXIX

DVD Reviews, Reviews

For April Fools Day, alumni of Mystery Science Theater 3000 took over the National Geographic Channel to riff over nature documentaries. While it was fun to hear the familiar voices mocking animals and insects, it just wasn’t quite as cool as them enhancing a really bad film. What the return experience really reminded us was how good things were back when their voices disrupted the cable dial in the ’90s. Mystery Science Theater: XXIX brings another four vintage episodes to your DVD player.

Untamed Youth (season one) isn’t the usual horror or science fiction. This is a tale of teenagers sent to a work farm in 1957. It’s not just any kids. Sentence by a misguided judge is sex kitten Mamie Van Doren. She rules the black and white screen while being forced to pick cotton. Joel, Crow and Tom Servo have a field day with this entry. The show gets rather sick as down in Deep 13, the mad scientists have invented tongue puppets. They get a peek inside Gypsy’s computer brain. What makes her tick? It’s one of best of the first year episodes although it’s also the second to last of that first cable season.

Hercules and the Captive Women (season four) is during a time when the mythical movies from Italy dominated the schedule. Hercules (Gian Maria Volonté) must battle in Atlantis. This will not be an easy fight since the island is ruled by a queen who has absolute control over her army. The invention exchange is shocking. Dr. Forrester gets upset that TV’s Frank has figured out a way to mow the lawn and watch a baby. The big surprise is that Gypsy joins Joel, Crow and Tom Servo in the theater. Can she come up with funny lines even though a majority of her computer brain is used to running the Satellite of Love?

The Thing That Couldn’t Die is what happens when your psychic powers go wrong. It’s time for a new well on the ranch so they bring out a woman to divine where the water is. Her divining stick ends up being attracted to the head of a buried devil worshipper. The evil head takes over all that stares at it. What does the head want? How will Mike and the Bots avoid making head jokes that will get them in trouble with parents? Crow makes his own documentary about the Civil War that won’t be playing on PBS.

Pumaman is just breathtaking in weirdness. A young paleontologist (Walter G. Alton Jr.) receives an ancient necklace that turns him into a flying super hero with an Aztec blend. There’s some mystical alien power source that puts him into the air. He has no time to rest since he needs to find deal with an evil Donald Pleasance (Halloween). Why does Pleasance appears in this cheaply made Italian pseudo-Superman? The producers must have paid him in advance with cash. This is true goofiness when you could mock a bad superhero film without wondering why they spend $200 million on the budget. The antics start with Tom Servo doing his best to look taller. There’s an amazing joke about singer Roger Whitaker.

The four films on Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXIX are another fine selection. They are a diverse lot. How can you refuse the joy found with a work farm, an Italian muscle man, a cursed head and a cheap superhero? The mixing of two Joel and two Mike episodes should please the devoted. It’s always a fun night when you don’t have to make fun of a bad film all by yourself. Volume XXX arrives on July 29 with The Black Scorpion, Outlaw, The Projected Man and It Lives By Night.

The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The standard definition transfers look fine. It’s not like you want too many details on Pumaman in the sky. The audio is Dolby Digital Stereo. You hear Joel, Mike and the Bots very clearly. No quip goes unheard.

Introduction by Joel Hodgson (1:43) for Untamed Youth. He talks about their time on Comedy Channel. He enjoyed the teen exploitation films that they ran.

Interview with Mamie Van Doren (7:04) has the legend sit down to talk about her life in Hollywood. Howard Hughes discovered her.

About Joel Hodgson’s “Riffing Myself” (5:40) breaks down his one man show that covers his life. He also talks about Cinema Titanic which features Gruber from his Comedy Channel days.

Trailer (1:55) shows all the swinging wildness of Untamed Youth.

Introduction by Joel Hodgson (3:09) gives a few details about when they had to riff on Hercules and the Captive Women.

MST3K Artist In Residence: Steve Vance (10:33) lets us meet the man who creates the mini-posters that have come with the Shout! Factory boxsets. He’s interviewed by the guy who does the fun dvd menus for MST3K. It’s a great sharing of information between the two artists.

Posters of MST3K lets you see all of Steve Vance’s fine mini-poster work.

Un-MST’D Pumaman (96:43) lets you face this superhero film without the protection of the Bots. Can you handle Pumaman in the raw?

Interview with Star Walter G. Alton, Jr (24:32) is the interesting tale of how he quit being a lawyer and found success in Hollywood (or Italy). He was also in 10.

Much Ado About Nanites (3:46) discusses the recurring bots on the SoL. What really matters is that Beez McKeever gets to talk on camera.

The Movie That Couldn’t Die (9:13) is a very enlightening piece about how this movie “saved” Universal Studios during a money crunch.

Original Trailer (1:53) warns us of the evil found in The Thing That Couldn’t Die.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXIX is another four movies that get the full treatment from Joel, Mike and the Bots. The bonus features really make you appreciate what these bad movies mean to the people who made them.

Shout! Factory presents Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXIX Starring: Joel Hodgson, Mike Nelson, Elvis Weinstein. Rated: G. Boxset Contents. 4 Episodes on 4 DVDs. Released: March 25, 2014.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.