Normally I wouldn't do this sort of thing, but Peter Graves held a special place in the heart of us at Movie Sign. The actor, who appeared in four MST episodes (It Conquered the World, Beginning of the End, Parts: The Clonus Horror, and SST Death Flight (KTMA season)) grew to be beloved by us.
Graves is noted for his television roles, but to us, we shall fondly remember him as the host of A&E's Biography, upon which the show crafted a running joke that became a Callback to us.
As of now, details of his death are largely unknown, though the reported reasoning is a heart attack. Graves was 83.
If you're willing to cough up the price difference, Newbury Comics is offering a little something extra to go with the release of the next boxset. Preorder from them and Joel Hodgson himself will sign one of the mini-posters released along with the set.
They say that it's a limited time offer, and I'm assuming it only applies to the pre-order period. The set is due for release on March 16th.
[Link]
Well, sort of. A random outing to Amazon has revealed that four of the five boxsets release by Shout! Factory are listed for at least 45% off. Currently, you can nab:
- Volume XVII for $32.99, to be released on March 16th. This set has The Crawling Eye, The Beatniks, The Final Sacrifice, and Blood Waters of Doctor Z.
- Volume XVI, Limited Edition, for $34.99. Episodes are The Corpse Vanishes, Warrior of the Lost World, Santa Claus, and Night of the Bloodbeast. This set also includes a Tom Servo figurine.
- Volume XV for $31.99. On this set are The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy, The Girl In Lovers Lane, Zombie Nightmare, and Racket Girls.
- Finally, there's the 20th Anniversary Set for $32.49. Although this doesn't include the Crow figurine, it does have First Spaceship on Venus, Laserblast, Werewolf, and Future War.
All these sets have a MSRP of $60 (except for the 16th set LE, which goes for $65). Dunno why Volume XIV is not on a larger discount, but still, if you were thinking about getting one of these sets, I'd highly suggest doing it now.
First off, iTunes has a special on download-to-own episodes. For the next two weeks, you can purchase the episodes they have up for $4.99 each. I'm not exactly sure when this two weeks is up, but to be safe I'd check it out ASAP if you're interested.
Secondly, we've got a press release for the 17th boxset!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The loyal MSTies asked for it, and now they’ve finally got it!
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: VOLUME XVII
featuring the very first nationally aired episode,
THE CRAWLING EYE,
and three side-splitting episodes
THE BEATNIKS, THE FINAL SACRIFICE, and BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z
along with 4 limited-edition mini-posters and bountiful bonus features
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!
(There's a bit more that includes a summary of the series, but I figured we were good with this.)
Like I've said before, this is quite an epic set. There is nostalgic value from having The Crawling Eye, while The Final Sacrifice is, as they said, one of the most requested episodes ever, and the fact that we're going to get it makes me just squee in delight. Plus the extras are looking very epic - particularly the chance to see Trace Beaulieu and Bill Corbett bounce off of one another as the two personas of Crow.
Roger Corman is a producer of over 350 films and a director of 50 more, and a good handful of those movies - fifteen total that he's affiliated with - have made appearances on MST3K throughout the seasons. He, however, is not a fan of the treatment, and the few of his movies that have been released are due to their being in the public domain.
Recently, Shout! Factory (the company currently distributing boxsets) reached an agreement to release Corman's movies on DVD and Blu-ray. Keep in mind, this isn't totally out of nowhere, as Corman is responsible for some fairly reputable films. But MSTies are greatly interested in whether Shout! distributing the films will help pave the way for getting episodes with his movies released onto future boxsets.
Of course, this relationship is still in its first steps, so only time will tell. Still, there's now a bit more hope to hang onto.
