The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 2 (Angels' Revenge / Cave Dwellers / Pod People / Shorts, Vol. 1)

Customer Reviews:

Best or Second Best Collection (as of Volume 11).......2007-08-27

Briefly: this is my favorite collection, save perhaps volume 10 which is not available for any reasonable sum at this point (and I do not own, but remember the episodes). These aren't the watchable bad films like Manos, but they are so poorly conceived if produced competently enough as to be hilarious. The shorts hit a little close to home at times too. Enjoy!

A Starter Kit & Collector's Must-Have.......2007-04-16

This MST3K collection is the perfect set for both die-hard fans and viewers who are new to the show. The movies are bad in a ripe, juicy way, making it easy to squeeze every last drop of possible humor out of their horrendous dialogue, lame-duck plots, and trapped-in-a-paper-bag acting.

For collectors and afficianados, this collection is a no-brainer. For everyone else, it makes an excellent starter kit to get you into and hooked on this intelligent, delightful, and addictive show. This particular set contains the following:

CAVE DWELLERS - Miles (and miles) O'Keefe stars as Ator, the greasy, chesty hero who must travel to the ends of the earth in order to stop a strange and mystical device (the Geometric Nucleus -- never seen, never explained, never mind) from falling into the evil hands of some man with a black swan helmet. Along the way he fights invisible warriors (this film's version of cost-saving casting), a fiberglass cobra, and -- of course -- a few cave dwellers. Both well-read and beefy, Ator is assisted in his quest by his mostly mute sidekick, Dong (or is it Wong? Chong? Ba-da-bong?), and a hubcap-clad warrior woman whose name, I believe, is Linda. Joel and the bots discuss foley artist techniques, reprise the opening credits of the film in their own tongue-in-cheek fashion, and discuss ways bad movies make bad props sound better than they are. Delicious if for no other reason than the hang-glider scene.

ANGELS REVENGE - A thinly disguised rip-off of Charlie's Angels, this self-righteous dud treats us to feeble-minded drug dealers beating up school children and a typically-squinty Jack Palance doing as little acting as he possibly can. Other down-on-their-luck stars exploit their dwindling fame as well (Peter Lawford, Pat Burtrum, Alan hale, Jim Backus, and Arthur Godfrey), prompting Tom to invent a Shame-O-meter, just to gauge how pathetic the movie really is. A few of the host segments fall a little flat and seem short-changed, but that doesn't detract from Mike and the bots' able and always incisive commentary. Listen for KPLOT, watch for the scenes of young teens being instructed on proper gun use, cringe at the overly-excessive administration of groin torture, and laugh at eight women "sneaking" into a drug compound in broad daylight while wearing downy-white Evel Kineval jumpers.

POD PEOPLE - The filet mignon of MST3K episodes, "Pod People" features some of the best jokes and gags Joel and the bots have ever pitted against a film. This travesty of a movie concerns the deaths of a few brain-dead poachers (one of them is a Leslie Nielsen look-alike, the other looks like he belongs around the potato cauldron at a Renaissance Fair), the "antics" of a horrendous band (boasting a combined IQ of 12), and the machinations of a couple of murderous aliens that look like the love-children of Alf and an upright Hoover (with attachments). The plot also follows a precocious young boy as he deals with parental neglect, his uncaring and alcoholic grand/father, and a whole host of traumatizing sights. Featuring a hilarious spoof of one of the band's feature songs ("It stinks!") and a delightful recreation of Trumpy's abilities, this episode contains everything that made MST3K a brilliant show. If this one doesn't turn you into an fan, nothing will.

SHORTS, VOL. 1 - Okay, well, maybe this would be better for newbies. Hosted by Tom Servo, this disc provides viewers with 10 and 15 minute "shorts," brief, bite-sized educational clips hailing mostly from the 50s and designed -- primarily -- to teach suppression and the Great White Way to unsuspecting schoolchildren. A short on Home Economics (one of my all-time favorites) follows four girls through college as they major in various things like baby sitting, how to set a table, and (no fooling!) being a good wife. A short on good grooming encourages not just clean skin and hair, but also unswerving conformity to all traditional standards of clothing. Speaking of conformity, "A Date with Your Family" is one of the most frightening short films I've ever seen, a diatribe on familial duty that demands that children dress casually for a home meal, never ask dad for money, and always make sure dinner time conversations are as unemotional as possible. (Seriously. The narrator uses the word "unemotional.") Others include an industrial arts segment (much like the Home Economics clip, except here you have guys talking about how much they love the "smooth feel of wood pushing through a buzzing saw"), a piece on "The Chicken of Tomorrow" (a bizarre title for a boring subject), cheating (in which a young boy who cheats on a test is treated as a leperous pariah by rib-less students and teachers alike), and a Junior Rodeo in which young children risk their lives and spines for a fleeting moment of unbridled, bucking fame.

Unsettling Depression-era edutainment, 70's technicolor plaigarism, sci-fi/fantasy tomfoolery, and self-congratulatory heavy handedness: this collection harbors some of MST3K's worthiest (and cheesiest) foes. It's a treasure to be able to watch Mike, Joel, Tom and Crow chop them to bits with high-brow allusions, goofy witticisms, and hilarious insights. If you like watching bad movies with your best friends (or if you're the type who can't help making wise comments when you see something lame), MST3K should be a treat, making this collection the equivalent of a candy shop of humor.

Top Notch MST3k.......2007-03-23

I would recommend this box set for anyone who is new to Mystery Science Theater 3000; and if you're already a fan and you don't have this one, what are you waiting for? "Cave Dwellers" and "Pod People" are two of the finest episodes in the shows ten year history. The movies are just so goofy that they beg for commentary from Joel and his robot pals. And they deliver with some of their best and funniest commentary ever. (Though some fans who prefer the Sci-fi channel era may disagree). "Angels Revenge" is another fine episode because the movie is so terrible that you simply have to laugh. Also features "Shorts vol. 1, which contains several short films with classic commentary from Joel, Mike, Crow and Servo that will keep you laughing for hours. Also, the skits on the Satellite are very funny as well, with several parodies of scenes from the featured movies. For me, this is the best MST3k compilation from Rhino home video, along with volume five. They are a little high priced, but check out Amazon's new and used section for a good deal. It will be worth it.

Best of the collections.......2006-12-23

MST was pretty great throughout its run, but these flicks mark the apogee of the show's excellence.

"Cave Dwellers" and "Pod People" are the best. Both are, of course, horrid flicks, but even on their own are tremendously enjoyable. Joel and the Bots are completely on top of their riffing game, from their evisceration of Trumpy to Ator's hang-gliding performance (the latter answers the age-old question: How much Keefe is in this movie? The answer is obvious: Miles O'Keefe.

"Angel's Revenge" is a tremendous '70s/'80s homage/ripoff of "Charlie's Angels", with a nod to Russ Meyer. The cast reads like a who's-who of spent actors of the era: Peter Lawford, Jim Backus, Alan Hale Jr., Jack Palance. Only "Mitchell" comes close to replicating the latter phenomenon.

The shorts are good, but somewhat superfluous.

Any fan of the series should have this as part of their collection.

Now if we could just get "Master Ninja" I & II, "Alien from L.A.", "The Giant Gila Monster" amd "Warrior of the Lost World", my life would be complete. And "Puma Man".

Funny, Witty and just a bit (the good kind of ) Stupid!.......2006-08-07

This is a classic show! I used to watch these as a kid on the SciFi channel and they are just as funny now that I am an adult! The characters are great, and you will think that they made the movies up because they are just that bad... The best part about this, is that when my sister-in-law was a kid and these were on TV, she saw her favorite movie as the subject of one of them. I wont reveal which movie, but it is pretty funny when you recognise one of these!

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers)

Average customer rating:

Six Months and Still Waiting
Good one, but not the best set...
You Gotta Be Kidding Me....
Funny, Witty and just a bit (the good kind of ) Stupid!
One of the funniest shows on TV

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 1 (Bloodlust / Catalina Caper / The Creeping Terror / Skydivers)
Starring: Mike Nelson
Director: Joel Hodgson
Manufacturer: Rhino Theatrical
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00006RJCL
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Amazon.com

This four-disc set, bundled together in an appropriately cheesy but charming package that sports pop-up-book-styled artwork, compiles four episodes of the Peabody Award-winning comedy series. The "experiments" in question (Bloodlust, Catalina Caper, The Creeping Terror, and The Skydivers) aren't necessarily MST3K's finest hours--they don't hold a candle to the show's takes on The Magic Sword, The Atomic Brain, and The Brain That Wouldn't Die. But the barrage of verbal zingers and pop-culture references slung by hosts Joel Hodgson and Mike Nelson and their puppet pals Crow and Tom Servo are still quite funny, and should please both longtime fans and science fiction aficionados who don't take too much umbrage at having their beloved movies heckled.

The Collection is decidedly Mike-centric, with The Creeping Terror, Bloodlust, and The Skydivers all culled from his reign during the sixth season. Series creator Joel Hodgson's participation is relegated to season 2's Catalina Caper, a fan favorite that at one time was pulled from circulation over rights issues. As with most of Rhino's MST3K DVDs, each disc is dual-sided, with one side devoted to the original, uncut version of each film, and the other given over to the "MSTied" version. Theatrical trailers for each movie round out the remainder of the supplemental features. Given the size of this presentation, it might have been interesting to include some interviews with the show's writers and performers (Comedy Central once ran a passable special about the series), but fans will still appreciate having these four episodes together, each providing a wealth of laugh-out-loud moments. --Paul Gaita

Customer Reviews:

Six Months and Still Waiting.......2007-05-28

Have fun waiting to order this DVD. I ordered this back in January of 2007, and still have not received this DVD.

Good one, but not the best set..........2007-03-26

MST3K Volume 1 features three episodes with Mike Nelson and one with the show's creator Joel Hodgson. Three of these are funny while one is pretty lousy.

-The Skydivers: Not very clear what this one is totally about, but there's a couple trying to keep their marriage together, even though they both cheated also there's plenty of skydiving footage, some dancing and a lot of bad dialogue. Good lines throughout this one, like Mike's "Did the actors do their own skydiving?" followed by Crow's "No, the skydivers did their own acting", near the end when one guy is chasing the villains and driving fairly cautiously Mike pops "Whether chasing or being chased, remember drive defensively" and finally Mike's comment on the lack of action "Seems like they forgot to have things happen in this movie". Great comments on the bad acting too as well as the horrible editing, like Crow's shot at a bad jump cut, "Someone with attention deficit disorder edited this movie" and Servo's quip about a skydiver falling way too fast out of the plane, "Geez, the last 2000 feet are the quickest". Great episode overall, 10/10.

-The Creeping Terror: Some monster crash lands on earth, starts eating people and grows, but is nice enough to let the people he eats help him move along, as it's obvious that's what's happening. There's also a sherriff, his wife and his best friend trying to find the monster with the help of a proffesor of sorts and a branch of the military (seems like it's a broken branch, though). Loved the lines, "Did anyone in the 50's ever think of running?" as characters just stand there and let the monster eat them basically, when the monster tries to eat a couple of people in a car with the roof down, it looks like he's doing something well, nasty with the car, Mike's "Well you see when a monster and a small car love each other very much" and when the momster's done Servo says "Well, that was a new twist on an old trick huh", when the main guy tries to smash some spacship technology with the butt of a gun Mike comments "Hey, there are bullets in the other end of that thing". Loved this episode, so absurd and badly done, 10/10.

-Bloodlust-This one has Robert Reed (The Dad from "The Brady Bunch") and three other teens/20 somethings finding an island that houses a man who likes to hunt things including people for sport. The comments about Reed holding his gut in are funny, especially Crow's "Man, his shirt's so tight you can see his liver". Other funny lines include when a drunk man sees the four people Mike quips "All eight of 'em?" in a drunk voice, when two of the teens? are exploring the mansion one of the henchmen comes into the room their hiding not very well in and as he's about to leave he turns around and Crow says "When did I have teenagers installed?", my favorite is at the end when the villain gets his throat and hands pierced against spikes on a wall Servo says "Why this symbolism, did Christ hunt people on deserted islands?". There are some dead spots in the film and in the quips, but this is a funny episode, just not as good as other ones they've done, 8/10.

-Catalina Caper-Weird and pretty unfunny one here, something about a painting being stolen and some beach boys and girls try to find out who dunnit, I think. Not a lot of memorable lines here, but that's largely because the movie itself is a really bad comedy and Joel and the bots can only do so much. Skip this one unless you've seen other Joel episodes as this shouldn't be your first or even second or third introduction to him. 3/10.

The extras include the original un-cut movies, but trying to sit through them with the commentary is hard enough, if you try to pay attention to the film itself that is. Also there are original trailers for every movie, but "The Creeping Terror".

Good set overall, just skip "Catalina Caper" again unless you've seen other Joel episodes beforehand. 8/10.

You Gotta Be Kidding Me...........2006-11-13

I have got to agree with Jerika (Why did he get 4 not helpful votes?) 10.00+ per episode is way overpriced. I predict this will be re-released someday in a lower priced set or the off the air sellers will continue to have a field day selling the non Rhino complete sets (seasons 0-10) for $90.00. I guess its good that its out so you could rent it through Netflix, but collectors unless pretty well off, will probably pass at this price point. Hey I love the show, 5 stars for material, but 1 star for not being a complete season and for twice the price of the going rate for a complete season TV show on DVD now.

Funny, Witty and just a bit (the good kind of ) Stupid!.......2006-08-07

One of the funniest shows on TV.......2006-07-15

MST appealed to pretty much all levels of humor and thought. Brilliant concept, brilliantly (but cheesily) executed. The cheese was part of its charm. In college I used to stay up til 1:00 to record the episodes on Comedy Central and cut out the commercials. The one and only thing holding me back from buying this box set (and others) is the PRICE!!!!!! Fifty bucks for four stinkin' films that everyone knows are not that great to begin with? And no extras, no interviews, no nothin' but 4 movies they did a long time ago? You can't convince me they had to pay that much for the rights to Catalina Caper, or any of these other stinkburgers. It may just be that the boys are trying to profit as much as they can, since the series is no more (many of them left it early to puruse individual careers, and were never heard from again--the medical term for this is the M*A*S*H Syndrome, btw). Still, greed is a poor motivator, and it's alienating die-hard MSTies in the fan base, like me. No pun intended.

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