The creator of the groundbreaking, snarf-inducing TV show (which featured robot-puppets adding a snarky running commentary to some of the worst movies ever made, ever) is bringing it back in its original form (as opposed to the side projects like Cinema Titanic and Rifftrax), assuming he can raise an eye-popping $2,000,000.
It's been nearly 30 years since the show's original run, and apparently most of that time has been spent trying to untangle some heroic legal issues that are, according to Hodgson, now done with (if you've ever wondered why the brilliant TVOntario show Prisoners of Gravity isn't available anymore, "legal issues" are a good shorthand for the hairball they're ensnarled within).
Making MST3K is apparently very expensive! $2,000,000 will get three new episodes made, and each new three will cost $1.1 million (!). $25 gets you a stream of the premiere, $35 gets you a DRM-free download.
I think it's because MST3K is more than just movie riffing. It's a stranger and denser recipe than just saying smart aleck things to a forgotten movie, but I think this is the secret ingredient: we believed that it's easiest to survive the cheesy movie that we're living in with friends who keep us from taking it all too seriously.
Now, I don't want to get too maudlin about it, because being too serious is the enemy of comedy. We weren't trying to send a message: job #1 was always to make a funny show. But while we were doing that, I hope we also helped show the kids that society, and the stupid things we say and do to each other, are "just a show, and you should really just relax."
Yeah, this is what I was afraid of.
Now I'm starting to sound like the Dr. Bronner's label. Next question?
Bring Back MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000
[Joel Hodgson/Kickstarter]
