Mystery Science Theater 3000 video releases
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The re-airing of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes on television and packaging of episodes for purchase are difficult because of rights issues involving the movies featured within the episodes. Long negotiations are involved, and some (if not many) episodes are not able to be re-aired or released on home video due to dissatisfaction with the mockery made of the film.[citation needed] According to the official website, one of the problems in releasing the episodes is the increased cost of the movie rights thanks to the exposure that MST3K has given them.[citation needed]
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[edit] VHS releases
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007) |
Rhino Home Video released several episodes from the Comedy Central era on VHS in the late 1990s. Although out of print, most are still readily available, except for the episode featuring The Amazing Colossal Man, which was pulled due to rights issues. All other episodes have since been re-released either on single DVDs or as part of the "Collection" series (see below).
Best Brains has produced VHS tapes and DVDs for independent sale through their info club newsletters, including the Play MSTie for Me series, the Tom Servo's Favorite Host Segments series, and the Poopie! series of outtake collections. They also released several Sci Fi era episodes that have since been re-released on DVD by Rhino. The last original Best Brains video product was The Last Dance - Raw!, containing behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the final episode of MST3K, Danger: Diabolik. The Poopie! series has since been resurrected as special feature on some of the Rhino DVD releases.
[edit] DVD
Since the show was taken off the air in 2004, much of MST3K's loyal fanbase has relied on DVD releases by Rhino. To date, all releases have been single episodes, or "Collection" sets consisting of four movies and/or "shorts" DVDs. The exception was the Essentials collection, which contained the previously released Manos: The Hands of Fate, fan favorite Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, and a Poopie! outtakes collection. Several Rhino releases (Beginning of the End, The Collection: Volume 9, The Collection, Volume 10) were discontinued due to the loss of rights to the movies in the included episodes. The Collection Volume 10 release was discontinued only months after its initial release for reasons unknown (though it is rumored that the Japanese film company Toho, producers of the Godzilla films, objected to the inclusion of the Godzilla vs. Megalon episode in the set). This rumor's validity was strengthened by a recent announcement by Rhino that Volume 10 will be reissued, with a new episode (The Giant Gila Monster) in place of Godzilla vs. Megalon. A complete listing of releases is shown in the table below.
Some Rhino Home Video releases were found to have glitches on discs in Collection Volumes 5, 7 and 8. In one of these cases, Rhino officially announced that the errors were from the original analog master tape and could not be fixed. This led to criticism from fans over Rhino releasing a DVD knowing it suffered highly noticeable audio and video errors. Rhino responded to these complaints by stating that choosing another film would result in another lengthy process of rights negotiation, further delaying the set's release. [1]
| Title | Episodes | Extras |
|---|---|---|
| The Brain That Wouldn't Die | 513 - The Brain That Wouldn't Die | Uncut version of the movie |
| Eegah | 506 - Eegah | Uncut version of the movie |
| The Wild World of Batwoman | 515 - The Wild World of Batwoman (with short: Cheating) | Uncut version of the movie |
| The Beginning of the End
(out of print) |
517 - The Beginning of the End | Uncut version of the movie |
| Manos: The Hands of Fate | 424 - Manos: The Hands of Fate (with short: Hired! Part II) | The original MST3K Poopie! blooper reel. |
| Mitchell | 512 - Mitchell | The movie's trailer |
| I Accuse My Parents | 507 - I Accuse My Parents (with short: The Truck Farmer) | none |
| Red Zone Cuba | 619 - Red Zone Cuba (with short: Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance') | none |
| The Crawling Hand | 106 - The Crawling Hand | The uncut version of the movie and the theatrical trailer |
| Hellcats | 209 - The Hellcats | The uncut version of the movie and the theatrical trailer |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 1 | 204 - Catalina Caper
606 - The Creeping Terror 607 - Bloodlust! (with short: Uncle Jim's Dairy Farm) 609 - The Skydivers (with short: Why Study Industrial Arts?) |
Uncut version of each movie and the theatrical trailer for 204, 607, and 609. |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 2 | 301 - Cave Dwellers
303 - Pod People 622 - Angels Revenge Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Shorts, Vol. 1 |
none |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 3 | 202 - The Sidehackers
320 - The Unearthly 518 - The Atomic Brain (with shorts: Posture Pals and Appreciating Your Parents) Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Shorts, Volume 2 |
Alternate takes of the host segments on 202, 320, and 518 |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 4 | 820 - Space Mutiny
822 - Overdrawn at the Memory Bank 1002 - Girl in Gold Boots 1009 - Hamlet |
Intros by Mike on all episodes and trailer and TV spot on 1002 |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 5 | 1006 - Boggy Creek II
1003 - Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders 821 - Time Chasers 908 - The Touch of Satan |
Intros by Mike on all episodes, interview with Mike and Kevin on 1003, and trailer for 908 |
| Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Essentials | 424 - 'Manos: The Hands of Fate' (with short: Hired! Part II)
321 - Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (a bonus disc of shorts (The Shorts, Volume 3) was included for people who ordered it through a special web site.) |
The original MST3K Poopie! blooper reel on 424. |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 6 | 404 - Teenagers From Outer Space
406 - Attack of the Giant Leeches(with short: The Undersea Kingdom Part I) 511 - Gunslinger Mr. B's Lost Shorts??!! |
none |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 7 | 408 - Hercules Unchained
410 - Hercules Against The Moon Men 816 - Prince of Space 407 - The Killer Shrews |
Bonus Shorts: Assignment: Venezuela, Century 21 Calling, and A Case of Spring Fever on 407 |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 8 | 907 - Hobgoblins
902 - The Phantom Planet 421 - Monster A-Go-Go (with short: Circus on Ice) 603 - The Dead Talk Back (with short: "The Selling Wizard") |
none |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 9
(Listing removed from Rhino's official website. Out of print) |
104 - Women of the Prehistoric Planet
207 - Wild Rebels 613 - The Sinister Urge 812 - The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies |
Intro by Irene Tsu on 104 and Intro by Conrad Brooks on 613 |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 10
(Shipped copies recalled by Rhino. Out of print) |
212 - Godzilla vs. Megalon
503 - Swamp Diamonds 514 - Teen-age Strangler |
Photo Gallery on 212, Poopie! II on 514, and Video Jukebox on 810. |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 10.2 | 402 - The Giant Gila Monster
503 - Swamp Diamonds 514 - Teen-age Strangler |
Photo Gallery, interview with Giant Gila Monster star Don Sullivan, two songs by Don Sullivan, "Volume 10.2 Upgrade" sketch featuring Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, and Frank Conniff on 402, Poopie! II on 514, Video Jukebox on 810. |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 11 | 206 - The Ring of Terror (with short: The Phantom Creeps Part III)
409 - The Indestructible Man (with short: The Undersea Kingdom Part II) 414 - Tormented 1011 - Horrors of Spider Island |
Original theatrical trailers (for all except 206), Tormented "Reunion" featurette, the MST3K Hour "Jack Perkins" wraps for 414, Video Jukebox II on 206. |
| The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Volume 12 | 419 - The Rebel Set (with short: Johnny At the Fair)
504 - Secret Agent Super Dragon 612 - The Starfighters 811 - Parts: The Clonus Horror |
Original Theatrical Trailers, Interview with The Rebel Set star Don Sullivan on 419, MST Hour "Jack Perkins" Wraps for 504, Video Jukebox III on 612, interview with Parts: The Clonus Horror director Robert Fiveson on 811. |
| Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie | This Island Earth | Original theatrical trailer, anamorphic widescreen transfer with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound mix and a French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track, English subtitles. |
| The Giant Gila Monster | 402 - The Giant Gila Monster | Single release of Gila Monster sold directly by Rhino for fans who already bought the original version of MST3K Collection: Vol. 10. Extras include "Volume 10.2 Upgrade" sketch featuring Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, and Frank Conniff; Interview with actor Don Sullivan, two songs by Don Sullivan, and Photo Gallery. |
In January 2008, Best Brains transferred the worldwide home entertainment and digital download license for MST3K from Rhino to Shout! Factory. [2]
[edit] Other official releases
The feature film Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie was released on VHS and DVD in 1998, but was taken out of print by MCA/Universal Home Video in 2000. A special edition, produced by an unknown Internet fan, was released in 2003 containing deleted scenes, trailers and other bonus features. Copies of the discontinued official release have sold on eBay or Amazon.com for upwards of $100.[3] David Lambert of TVGuide.com has announced that Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie will be rereleased by Universal on May 6, 2008. It will be another barebones release but "updated with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound mix and a French Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track. There will also be English subtitles." [4]
Best Brains have produced DVDs independently, including Play MSTie for Me Triple Decker (a collection of musical numbers from the show) and Tom Servo's All Time Favorite Host Segments Vol 1 (with bonus Poopie! 1). They were produced to be marketed directly to fans through the Satellite News web site and through mail order.
[edit] Fan trading
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007) |
Mystery Science Theater 3000 inspired widespread tape trading among fans, a practice that continues to this day. The catalyst for tape trades was the phrase "Keep circulating the tapes!" in the closing credits of episodes during seasons 2 through 4. Afterwards the catchphrase was discontinued when Best Brains lawyers questioned its support of piracy.
Episode trading continues to this day largely through Internet discussion boards and web rings. The Digital Archive Project is a noteworthy Internet activity that for years has dedicated itself to preserving and distributing the best copies of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. They are maintained in 700 megabyte Xvid AVI format which are traded on the site's own EDonkey2000 and BitTorrent networks. An offshoot project called DAP-DVD trades full-resolution native DVD formats built entirely from scratch, but as of April 2007 only 75 out of the 198 episodes have been completed. The Digital Archive Project adheres to a policy of not overstepping distribution rights, and does not allow any commercially-released episodes to be traded. Tapes are often sold on online auction sites; these sellers similarly abstain from selling any episodes that have been commercially released.
Many episodes are also available on flash-based video sharing sites such as YouTube and Google Video. YouTube usually splits the episodes into individual ten-minute clips, while Google Video has them in their entirety.
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