By: Darien Campo Designer
Everyone’s a critic these days.
The fine art of “riffing,” making fun of bad movies through biting commentary, is still alive. On the internet there is no shortage of critics and reviewers all vying for attention on the digital stage, but we must be careful not to forget the original show that taught us how to make fun of movies; the critics who inspired a thousand differs.
Netflix sure hasn’t, and on April 14, they released the long-awaited return of cult-classic “Mystery Science Theater 3000.”
For those not in the know: “Mystery Science Theater 3000” was a cult sci-fi comedy series in the ‘90s about a man and his two robot pals trapped on a spaceship, the Satellite of Love, where evil scientists force them to watch the worst movies ever made. In order to keep their sanity, the three resort to riffing on the terrible onslaught of low-budget films.
Watching the show was akin to hanging out with a group of friends and watching the Syfy channel late at night just so you could add your own commentary on top of the movies.
Netflix’s revival and next season of the show focuses on a new human subject, Jonah Heston, played by Jonah Ray, co-host of “The Nerdist Podcast.” Original creator Joel Hodgson personally picked Ray to host the show, while giving him the choice over who would be the new voices of the show’s robot co-hosts, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot, voiced by Baron Vaughn and Hampton Yount, respectively. Mad scientists Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank are replaced with their descendants, played by Felicia Day and Patton Oswald.
The show’s format hasn’t changed over the last 30 years, and still focuses on the three hosts riffing on a cacophony of film flops interspersed with short, goofy segments. Yes, the invention exchange is back.
I was amazed at just how similar the revival was to the original. The sets look cheaply made, the segments have a very loose “first-take” feel, some of the jokes are too obscure for anyone to get – it is everything that “Mystery Science Theater 3000” ever was and more.
For returning viewers, you’ll feel right at home from the silhouetted theater to the numbered hallway. For brand new viewers, jokes and references aren’t 30 years old anymore,making it possible to actually follow them, but luckily they never feel like they’re referencing modern pop culture in a pandering manner.
I only have minor gripes with the new season.
I, and other viewers, have noted that the speed that riffs are delivered is way faster than it was in the ‘90s. We’re not given as much time to absorb the film itself, and the rapid-fire jokes break the illusion that these three characters are improvising on the spot. But, for a modern audience’s short attention span, it makes sense.
The “Mystery Science Theater 3000” revival perfectly blends recreating the original show’s campy feel while bringing modern humor to a new audience. This is not just for returning fans, I would invite anyone who loves bad movies to take a look at season 11 of “Mystery Science Theater 3000,” exclusively on Netflix.
Keep circulating the tapes.
Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu
