Finally the proper start to greatest movie series about robots talking over robots is coming to DVD. Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVII features the first episode to have aired on Comedy Central. The extra special bonus feature is Crow Vs. Crow from Dragon Con. All of this bad movie joy is slated for March 16. Here’s the press release from Shout! Factory:
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVII
In Stores Nationwide March 16, 2010 from Shout! Factory
Welcome to the Satellite of Love, the orbiting home of legendary hosts Joel Robinson and Mike Nelson, along with their robotic companions — Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo and Gypsy. Join them as they embark on their 17th, and perhaps most impressive, volume of gut-busting riffs on the classic cinematic missteps of yesteryear when Shout Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc., proudly presents Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVII 4-DVD box set on March 16, 2010. The 17th DVD collection of the famed MST3K features the long-awaited episodes The Crawling Eye, The Final Sacrifice, The Beatniks and Blood Waters of Dr. Z, along with a wealth of bonus content including The Crawling Eye special introduction by Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater Hours wraps on The Beatniks, The Main Event: Crow Vs. Crow at Dragon*Con ’09, a brand-new interview with The Final Sacrifice star Bruce J. Mitchell, Blood Waters of Dr. Z photo gallery, original theatrical trailers and more! This collectible 4-DVD box set is priced to own at $59.97.
MST3K: THE CRAWLING EYE
Things start to look eerily familiar to scientists Crevett and Brooks when mountain climbers begin losing their heads in the Trollenberg Mountains. Can the two investigators finally uncover the answers they’ve been seeking since encountering similar tragic accidents in the Andes?
The loyal MSTies asked for it, and now they’ve finally got it! The very first episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 following its departure from KTMA is now on DVD, complete with the introductions of Doctors Forrester and Erhardt, Deep 13 and Joel’s very first Invention Exchange seen on the Comedy Channel!
MST3K: THE BEATNIKS
When a hold-up carried out by his two-bit hoodlum friends goes tragically awry, Eddie Crane’s bright future as a recording artist from the mean streets could be in jeopardy.
With a sadistically hilarious game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, a Tony Travis-themed slumber party and a full-fledged dramatization of a nobody’s transformation into a 1950s rock star (and back) starring none other than Tom Servo — Joel and the crew of the SOL certainly know how to usher in this Turkey Day favorite’s DVD debut!
Also includes the second segment of the short “General Hospital.”
MST3K: THE FINAL SACRIFICE
With the help of a mysterious map and a truck-driving drifter named Rowsdower, young Troy McGreggor sets out on a dark adventure across Alberta in search of the answers behind the hooded cult responsible for his father’s grisly murder.
MSTies have long believed they’d never see this Tjardus Greidanus–directed student-film-turned-MST3K masterpiece on DVD, so we’re especially proud to serve it up! This long-awaited episode also features “The Canada Song,” a treasured song by Tom Servo in one of the host segments. Join Mike and the ‘bots of the Satellite of Love as they skewer the beloved “cult” classic that became one of the most requested episodes in the history of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
MST3K: BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z
Seeking revenge against those responsible for stripping him of his tenure and the denial of human research subjects, Dr. Z mutates himself into a hideous — and murderous — half-human-half-fish-like creature!
Mike Nelson and the crew of the Satellite of Love — Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo and Gypsy — take on one of the most laughable treasures ever to grace the MST3K screen with a disgusting new habit for Crow, a day of fishing for the crew and — GASP — an unforgettable appearance by Brain Guy and Bobo!
The Mystery Science Theater 3000 series was created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Jim Mallon. After a year on KTMA TV in Minneapolis, its national broadcast life began in 1989 on the Comedy Channel (later to become Comedy Central), where it ran for seven seasons. The show’s final three seasons aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. The premise of the series features a hapless man who is trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space and forced to watch old B-movies of questionable worth. To keep sane, he’s built two robot sidekicks, and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired wisecracks and acting as a demented movie theater peanut gallery. Series creator Hodgson originally played the stranded man, Joel Robinson. When he left in 1993, series head writer Mike Nelson replaced him as the new B-movie victim Mike Nelson, and continued in the role for the rest of the show’s run. The format proved to be popular. During its eleven years and 198 episodes (including one feature film), MST3K attained a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993, and was nominated for writing Emmys® in 1994 and 1995.
