The Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) Volume XXX DVD is out now from Shout Factory and as always, the packaging is beautiful. The individual box art for each movie is lovingly created and as is the norm, you get little mini posters of each. The box set XXX includes Black Scorpion, It Lives By Night, Outlaw of Gor, and The Projected Man. Each of these is fully deserving of the MSTing treatment. The best of the bunch was Outlaw (of Gor).
Bonus features once again focus upon behind the scenes and as I mentioned in my last review, the majority of bonus features seem like a waste to me. I’m much more interested in behind-the-scenes for each episode, a gag reel, basically anything to do with the show that I loved. The movies are mostly junk, maybe worse in hindsight than at the time of their respective releases, but I believe most fans of the show don’t care too much about the making of bad movies, particularly when the making ofs are handled this reverently.
One caveat with this set. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I had a difficult time hearing the movie audio on most of the discs. I don’t know if the mixing was off, but while the jokes were easy enough to make out, the audio of the flicks being lampooned were sometimes quite hard to make out. I compared the audio to the last set and found I had no issues with the sound from box 29.
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXX DVD disc breakdown:
Black Scorpion:
Episode 113 – Joel Hodgson vs. Dr. Forrester
Static Disc Menu – no animation
Stinger Of Death: Making “The Black Scorpion”
Theatrical Trailer
The movie itself is bizarrely slow in unfolding with lots of people sitting around doing nothing (which our friends on the SOL mention frequently) then the goofy looking giant scorpions put in their appearance and all is lost. The making of is mostly meh.
Outlaw of Gor:
Episode 519 – Mike Nelson vs. Dr. Forrester
Animated Disc Menu
Writer of Gor: The Novels of John Norman
Director or Gor: On Set with John “Bud” Cardos
Producer of Gor: Adventures with Harry Alan Towers
This was the best of the bunch. So incredibly bad in all the right ways. It feels like a low(er) budget Beastmaster or Conan the Barbarian sword and sandals flick from the 80s. It’s claim to fame, quite a few nut shots of the loin-clothed cast of men, including the dwarf!
It Lives By Night:
Episode 1010 – Mike Nelson vs. Pearl
Animated Disc Menu
Trailer For “The Frank”
*Possible spoilers*
The movie is forgettable, but what’s important here is the trailer for The Frank! I’m not sure if I’m out of the loop or what, but this could be a big deal here. We have Frank Conniff as “The Frank”! Some kind of Frankenstein parody? Be still my beating heart, tell me more! If some of the MSTie castmates are getting together on a new project, I’m very excited.
*End spoilers*
The Projected Man:
Episode 901 – Mike Nelson vs. Pearl
Animated Disc Menu
Shock To The System: Creating The Projected Man
Theatrical Trailer
There’s a few good laughs in this clunker, but it’s barely watchable. I’m curious if these movies made more sense before MST editing. I’m curious, but not enough to hunt down this flick and watch it in its full glory. Extras are nothing special.
For more on Mystery Science Theater 3000 Volume XXX visit:
http://www.shoutfactory.com/product/mystery-science-theater-3000-volume-30