MST3K 1304 "Munchie"

[NotRichBatman]

There's a real irony to be found in a bunch of people who don't pay for things complaining about the cost of things...

Yeah, but there's a greater irony to be found in a person who has an apparent hangup about file sharing that hangs out in a forum wherein fans share files and makes it their business to leave supercilious remarks about people who share files.

I've got no hangups about file sharing, but I also don't find it surprising when creators have to charge more for their stuff.

There's also a severe lack of understanding from people in this thread about where the kickstarter money went to. Most of it went to building a streaming platform so they were no longer beholden to a network. That doesn't automatically mean that everyone who didn't donate suddenly gets the shows for free.

so you're going to double down with another straw-man? done with this troll

thanks for sharing, ocagwdwv

edit: I'm glad other people like season 13 of mst3k a lot. I wonder how many rifftrax features kevin, mike, and bill would put out for 5 million cash up front, and no obligation other than to make the riffs and sell them to everyone else? more than 13?

edit 2: lol, if that person below isn't Joel Hodgson himself, stop carrying his water

[tabascoman77]

I've got no hangups about file sharing, but I also don't find it surprising when creators have to charge more for their stuff.

There's also a severe lack of understanding from people in this thread about where the kickstarter money went to. Most of it went to building a streaming platform so they were no longer beholden to a network. That doesn't automatically mean that everyone who didn't donate suddenly gets the shows for free.

^This. I'm laughing my ass off at the person who called the latest Kickstarter effort "a con job" while chiding Joel for being worth just over a million dollars, like Joel is some greedy, corporate sell-out living high on the hog.

Half the parents I know in my son's circle are worth that, combined, and they don't exactly live like rock stars.

Dude is the father of what is, arguably, one of the most popular and longest-lasting cult TV shows since Doctor Who, doesn't seem to see a dime of the limited official merch associated with the show and, after 30+ years of that, he's ONLY worth a million dollars AND relies on a fairly devoted fanbase to finance something he can't afford on his own?

But, yeah...Joel is worth just over what my mom is probably worth after she worked all her life...whoa, what a flex.

[moondoggy1111]

I love that ocag posted both the premiere and short version of Munchie. I have the premiere versions of the first 3 but not the shorter versions. Does anyone have them?

[evltoonz]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but... if you like the show... support the show and buy the episode? 

Personally... I want more MST3k to continue to be made... it seems like the only way that's going to happen is by continuing to support it monetarily.  The whole "circulate the tapes" thing was a different time when you couldn't exactly just go out and buy your favorite episodes... it was a time of recording it off of comedy central or whoever happened to have the rights to it at the time on a VHS tape and sharing that tape with a friend.  They were already being paid by the network they were on...

There's no need to apologize for a totally reasonable position.
I got a chance to see the first few episodes, I'd like to see the rest, but..I'm good.

6.3 million raised in the kickstarter. cough.
I don't know how this thing is structured, is Joel the owner ceo of mst3k inc?
It sure seems like that money has been wasted. What did people get, access to the first season and paraphernalia/schwag?
How much went into the platform? Why not create something new where one arguably has strengths? Actual new characters or puppets or scenarios or dynamics, something anything.
Is there something I'm fundamentally misunderstanding here? Other than, making a show is expensive, creating an entire streaming platform is expensive?
Who asked for the gizmoplex? There's a forum member, looking at Helles, who puts out funny riffs of 50's movies with no studio. How much does that cost?
I don't hear the anger I'd expect so maybe I'm off.
I get it, I keep coming back for the making fun of bad movies, community, and nostalgia. I wonder if Joel thinks we keep coming back for his creation?
I skip all the host segments, everything but the riffing.
Everything but the riffing (and too often including, looking at the Emily crew in particular), is cringe. I don't blame them, it's someone else's creation. How many years has it been?
Kickstarter, where one can get all the thrills of being an investor without becoming an actual stakeholder.

tldr: I feel like Joel ripped off everyone who donated to the campaign, I'd like to think otherwise.

I have to AGREE with you 100%! and you're absolutely correct about the chick crew with Emily and the horrid group. IT SUCKED on a molecular level....

[JusSonic]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but... if you like the show... support the show and buy the episode? 

Personally... I want more MST3k to continue to be made... it seems like the only way that's going to happen is by continuing to support it monetarily.  The whole "circulate the tapes" thing was a different time when you couldn't exactly just go out and buy your favorite episodes... it was a time of recording it off of comedy central or whoever happened to have the rights to it at the time on a VHS tape and sharing that tape with a friend.  They were already being paid by the network they were on...

There's no need to apologize for a totally reasonable position.
I got a chance to see the first few episodes, I'd like to see the rest, but..I'm good.

6.3 million raised in the kickstarter. cough.
I don't know how this thing is structured, is Joel the owner ceo of mst3k inc?
It sure seems like that money has been wasted. What did people get, access to the first season and paraphernalia/schwag?
How much went into the platform? Why not create something new where one arguably has strengths? Actual new characters or puppets or scenarios or dynamics, something anything.
Is there something I'm fundamentally misunderstanding here? Other than, making a show is expensive, creating an entire streaming platform is expensive?
Who asked for the gizmoplex? There's a forum member, looking at Helles, who puts out funny riffs of 50's movies with no studio. How much does that cost?
I don't hear the anger I'd expect so maybe I'm off.
I get it, I keep coming back for the making fun of bad movies, community, and nostalgia. I wonder if Joel thinks we keep coming back for his creation?
I skip all the host segments, everything but the riffing.
Everything but the riffing (and too often including, looking at the Emily crew in particular), is cringe. I don't blame them, it's someone else's creation. How many years has it been?
Kickstarter, where one can get all the thrills of being an investor without becoming an actual stakeholder.

tldr: I feel like Joel ripped off everyone who donated to the campaign, I'd like to think otherwise.

I have to AGREE with you 100%! and you're absolutely correct about the chick crew with Emily and the horrid group. IT SUCKED on a molecular level....

Once again, I gotta disagree with you haters. I believe the new season is great and Emily and Jonah did great as always. I don't see why people has to make a big deal out of everything.

It's just a show, you should really just relax.

[tabascoman77]

I have to AGREE with you 100%! and you're absolutely correct about the chick crew with Emily and the horrid group. IT SUCKED on a molecular level.

The "chick crew" comment is pure cringe and smacks of an immature mind.

---

It sure seems like that money has been wasted. What did people get, access to the first season and paraphernalia/schwag?

Wasted?!

6 million paid for:

All on-screen talent
Writers
Producers
Directors
Various crew members
Equipment
Sets
13 newly produced episodes
Kickstarter rewards for the thousands that donated
Home media of the new season
Soundtrack pressings
A brand new streaming service which means even more salaries paid for server cost, maintenance, and upkeep

And I'm sure I'm missing a ton more stuff. The money wasn't "wasted".

Actual new characters or puppets or scenarios or dynamics, something anything.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Besides Max, Kinga, Synthia, Jonah, the two new puppets (M. Waverly and Growler), and Emily, and the new Gizmoplex scenario with the new dynamic that includes, they need some new ideas and people.  

Do you even watch this show?

Who asked for the gizmoplex?

The streaming service is there because the show has been constantly fucked over by every network it's been with. The service is there for a reason and I am happy to see it if it means access to the show into the future.

There's a forum member, looking at Helles, who puts out funny riffs of 50's movies with no studio. How much does that cost?

I've never heard of this person. Even Googling the name "Helles", I can't find them which, I would assume, means:

1) They don't have an actual TV show or series
2) They don't have any server costs
3) They don't have a full cast and crew with several writers and producers and sets

So, in short, they're not this show and, thus, irrelevant and incomparable.

I wonder if Joel thinks we keep coming back for his creation?

He doesn't have to "think" they do. They do. There are thousands of fans of this show who put their weight behind it to help keep it going.

tldr: I feel like Joel ripped off everyone who donated to the campaign, I'd like to think otherwise.

Considering you and the rest of the fans got 32 new episodes over the course of the last decade, plus a bunch of perks, and all you're doing is scoffing because it's not up to your "standards" (which you don't even seem to comprehend in the first place), I'd say you're wrong.

Personally, I don't think you donated and now you're just bitching, kinda like the person who shows up to a dinner, doesn't contribute a dime to the check and then whines about the food the rest of the table ordered.

[mst3k4ever]

I donated to the first KS.  I thought season 11 was pretty good but uneven and WAY overproduced.  Season 12 was a pile of turd and I didn't watch any after ep 1.  The 2nd KS is total BS.  He had two seasons to start up and solidify a working  business model.  He didn't.  Instead he milked his biggest supporters for more money.  I watched all of 1301 and laughed a lot.  Watched very little of 1302 as I've seen the movie before riffed and unriffed and didn't feel like watching it again.  1303, the new crow is HORRENDOUS, I couldn't even try and watch it.

I am a huge MST3K fan, but this new version is pretty miss with me.

Having said all that, that's why I'm here.  I want to check out new eps to keep up, but I will probably not watch all or even most of the ep.

Plus, I wouldn't worry about Joel's  bank account.  He apparently has 30,000 hard core followers that will give him hundreds of dollars (or more) every other year or so.


Oh and THANKS ocagwdwv!!

[sarlacc222]

Since this thread has become a discussion of the new season's pros and cons, I will add that "Munchie" is the first new episode in quite some time to make me laugh out loud. The riffing is very strong in this episode, although for me, the host segments continue to be excruciating.

I've supported the MST3K teams in all their iterations for many years now and gave to the initial Bring Back MST3K Kickstarter. I started to question Joel's approach after the first new season, which was overproduced and just not funny. I remember that at some point, someone tweeted Joel to ask whether Mike's bots had returned to the SOL or if they were new robots, and he responded with a snarky "You should really just relax." Sorry, but you can't have it both ways: You can't be flippant while still asking your fans to care about the universe you've created. He lost me further when he admitted to never having seen the Hobgoblins episode, despite it being a fan favorite for many years and even appearing on one of his Turkey Day marathons. It just doesn't seem like he cares about the fanbase's desires anymore and is willing to be dismissive and petty when we disagree with his choices.

[ageekyguy]

Since this thread has become a discussion of the new season's pros and cons, I will add that "Munchie" is the first new episode in quite some time to make me laugh out loud. The riffing is very strong in this episode, although for me, the host segments continue to be excruciating.

I've supported the MST3K teams in all their iterations for many years now and gave to the initial Bring Back MST3K Kickstarter. I started to question Joel's approach after the first new season, which was overproduced and just not funny. I remember that at some point, someone tweeted Joel to ask whether Mike's bots had returned to the SOL or if they were new robots, and he responded with a snarky "You should really just relax." Sorry, but you can't have it both ways: You can't be flippant while still asking your fans to care about the universe you've created. He lost me further when he admitted to never having seen the Hobgoblins episode, despite it being a fan favorite for many years and even appearing on one of his Turkey Day marathons. It just doesn't seem like he cares about the fanbase's desires anymore and is willing to be dismissive and petty when we disagree with his choices.

Joel's made it pretty clear that he only really considers his MST to be the real one.  He completely stopped watching the show once he was done with it and when you listen to him talk about it, it sounds like he's talking about some entirely unrelated thing.

What bugs me is that MST was always hugely collaborative.  Yeah, it was Joel's baby, but even that original run would have been nowhere near what it was without Mike in charge of the writers' room and all the others involved.

[diadra_u]

Although I found s13 to be a big drop in quality so far over the Netflix version, it's still very watchable and worth supporting in my opinion. More riffs is always a good thing!