| Cinematic Titanic | |
|---|---|
Cinematic Titanic logo |
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| Written by | Joel Hodgson Trace Beaulieu Frank Conniff Mary Jo Pehl J. Elvis Weinstein |
| Starring | Joel Hodgson Trace Beaulieu Frank Conniff Mary Jo Pehl J. Elvis Weinstein |
| Distributed by | Cinematic Titanic |
| Release date(s) | December 22, 2007 |
| Running time | Approx. 90 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cinematic Titanic is a project by Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) creator and original host, Joel Hodgson.[1] The project involves "riffing" B-movies, in a manner similar to that of MST3K.[2] Joining Hodgson are many of the original MST3K cast, as well as some cast members who joined later in the show's run.[3] These include Trace Beaulieu, J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff and Mary Jo Pehl.[4] It was first performed live on December 7, 2007 and first aired on December 22, 2007.
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Like Mystery Science Theater 3000, the series uses black silhouettes of the riffers placed over the films, but in the case of Cinematic Titanic they sit on both sides of the screen rather than just on the lower right.[5] Visual gags are frequent (such as Beaulieu's use of a cherry picker in The Oozing Skull), and there are two or three host segments per episode, all performed in silhouette.
The actors essentially play themselves as they participate in an experiment for some unknown (possibly shadowy) corporation or military force. The story currently provided to the cast is that there is a tear in the "electron scaffolding" that threatens all digital media in the world.[6] Their experience doing MST3K is key to the organization's plans. The riffing for each film is recorded to a "nanotated disc" and inserted into a "Time Tube" by Hodgson that descends into the frame at the end of every episode. The unknown organization is very firm on keeping the cast focused on their duties, providing no time frame for completion and requiring them to stay within the facilities at all times. They apparently have massive resources and an autonomous military force, which they use to keep the cast in line. As of now, the cast is inquisitive of the true purpose of the experiments but have no major problems as, aside from having to watch bad movies, they are well-treated.
Michael J. Nelson, who took over as the star of MST3K upon Hodgson's departure from the show, has his own movie-riff series, titled RiffTrax. Nelson's project produces riffs for a wide variety of films, including many current and well-known movies, such as Twilight, The Matrix and Lord of the Rings.[3] He then posts the audio for sale on the RiffTrax website.
The fact that Cinematic Titanic involves almost every MST3K writer and performer aside from Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett, who happen to be the regular cast of RiffTrax, has prompted fan speculation about a rivalry between Hodgson and Nelson surrounding the two projects, but the pair have consistently denied that such a rift exists and expressed praise for each other's projects, pointing out that they fill different niches and there is more than enough room for both of them. Speaking with Associated Content in 2009, Mary Jo Pehl, who has worked in both projects, denied knowledge of any animosity between the Cinematic Titanic and RiffTrax groups. "I have no idea if there's some sort of family feud between the Joel vs. Mike factions. If there is, people ought to find better things to do with their time, like debating which way the toilet paper should hang on the spindle, or if the opening of pillow cases should face the outside of the bed or the inside when placed. RT does their thing, and Cinematic Titanic does theirs."
When asked about potential collaborations with those involved in RiffTrax, Hodgson told New York magazine, "I don’t know. I think those guys — Bill, Kevin and Mike — are really talented, obviously. I think anything’s possible, but I thought it might get confusing to try to merge them together or do crossover projects. I would never rule it out because it’s all kind of the same universe. But RiffTrax, the idea of riffing on topical movies, is a different thing. And I like that the movie-riffing universe got bigger when they decided to do that, but we just do weird movies you’ve never seen before."[7]
In a question and answer session at the Tivoli Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri, it was announced that Cinematic Titanic would begin to release recordings from their live shows as "Live" DVDs in an effort to bring the energy of their on stage antics into people's living rooms and further promote the stage show. When asked if this meant the demise of the studio produced DVDs, J. Elvis Weinstein said, "No, studio releases will return at some point in the future." The first of these "Live" DVDs to be released was East Meets Watts, which was recorded in front of a live audience during one of the group's performances in Los Angeles.
The first live performance was a private show for employees of Industrial Light & Magic on December 7, 2007.[4] After the live show, the cast reworked some jokes, delaying the original December 10 release date. The first episode of Cinematic Titanic was released on DVD to the public at midnight on December 21, via the download-to-burn company EZTakes. According to the Cinematic Titanic website, due to rights issues, the episode was not available for download until April 2, 2008.
Both the private show and the first release feature the B-movie Brain of Blood.[5] One of the original film's producers, concerned that creating multiple versions of the film could create marketplace confusion, requested that Cinematic Titanic's version have a different name. To alleviate his concerns, Cinematic Titanic re-entitled their release The Oozing Skull.[8]
Releases have been available to purchase as a physical DVD, and also as a download and burned DVD version.
| Movie | CT Released | Original Release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Oozing Skull | December 21, 2007 | 1972 | Original release called Brain of Blood, changed per producer's request. |
| The Doomsday Machine | June 19, 2008 | 1972 | [9] |
| The Wasp Woman | August 7, 2008 | October 30, 1959 | A film by the "B-Movie King" Roger Corman[10] |
| Legacy of Blood | October 9, 2008 | March 17, 1971 | Original release called Blood Legacy. |
| Santa Claus Conquers the Martians | November 20, 2008 | November 14, 1964 | The film had previously appeared on an episode of MST3K. |
| Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks | January 8, 2009 | February 19, 1974 | |
| Blood of the Vampires | March 19, 2009 | 1966 | Original release called Whisper to the Wind. |
| East Meets Watts | December 16, 2009 | May 1974 | First DVD featuring a live performance rather than a studio version.[11] The film was titled The Dynamite Brothers at the live shows. |
| The Alien Factor | February 23, 2010 | 1976 | Second DVD to feature a live performance.[12] |
| Danger on Tiki Island | June 15, 2010[13] | 1968 | Third live DVD; originally titled Brides of Blood. |
| War of the Insects | December 2, 2011 | November 9, 1968 | Also known as Genocide.[14] |
| Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World | TBA | October 31, 1961 | Original release called Maciste alla corte del Gran Khan. |
| Rattlers | TBA | April 23, 1976 | Riffed under its original title, Rattlers.[15] |
| The Astral Factor | TBA | 1976 | Riffed under its original title, The Astral Factor.[16] |
The following is an incomplete list of live performances by Cinematic Titanic.
| Date | Movie | City | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 7, 2007 | The Oozing Skull | San Francisco | CA | Private show for Industrial Light & Magic employees.[4] |
| April 26, 2008 | The Wasp Woman | Dallas | TX | Public show (sold out) as part of the 2008 USA Film Festival in Dallas, Texas, at the Angelika Film Center, Dallas. Movie shown: The Wasp Woman. The crew, sitting in the front row of the theater, with microphones and scripts, announced that the performance was being recorded for an upcoming DVD release. They signed autographs for the enthusiastic crowd after the show. |
| June 21, 2008 | The Doomsday Machine | Hollywood | CA | Public show (sold out) as part of the 2008 LA Film Festival in Hollywood, California, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre. Movie shown was scheduled to beThe Wasp Woman, but changed without prior announcement to The Doomsday Machine. No screen interaction, the team sat onstage with their scripts. |
| October 25, 2008 | Blood of the Vampires | Minneapolis | MN | Public show at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The movie Blood of the Vampires was shown for the first time. Dave (Gruber) Allen was the warm-up act. |
| November 1, 2008 | Santa Claus Conquers the Martians | St. Charles | MO | Public show at the Family Arena in St. Charles, MO. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was the film shown, and Dave (Gruber) Allen performed as the warm-up act. |
| December 18, 2008 | Santa Claus Conquers the Martians | Chicago | IL | Public three-night series in Chicago, IL at the Lakeshore Theater. The December 18 show at 7:30pm featured Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, the December 19 shows at 7:30pm and 10:30pm featured Blood of the Vampires, and the December 20 shows at 7:30pm and 10:30pm featured Frankenstein’s Castle of Freaks. The latter two movies were promoted as 'Unreleased Titles' until a few days before their Chicago appearance. All five shows were reportedly sold out, according to J. Elvis Weinstein through the Cinematic Titanic email Newsletter. Dave (Gruber) Allen performed as the warm-up act. As this appearance marked the first anniversary of Cinematic Titanic, a "Best of" reel was shown after each performance. |
| December 19, 2008 | Blood of the Vampires | Chicago | IL | 7:30 pm show |
| December 19, 2008 | Blood of the Vampires | Chicago | IL | 10:30 pm show |
| December 20, 2008 | Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks | Chicago | IL | 7:30 pm show |
| December 20, 2008 | Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks | Chicago | IL | 10:30 pm show |
| February 13, 2009 | San Francisco | CA | Two public shows at the Marine's Memorial Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. The February 14 show featured Dynamite Brothers. Dave (Gruber) Allen performed as the warm-up act, the "Best of" reel was shown. | |
| February 14, 2009 | East Meets Watts | San Francisco | CA | |
| February 19, 2009 | War of the Insects | Royal Oak | MI | Two public shows at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak, MI. The first show was War of The Insects, followed by Samson and The Seven Miracles of The World. 30 minutes into the first film, the screen went black. Music Theatre staff scrambled for 5 minutes or so to re-establish visuals, giving the group time to ad-lib (most commonly at Detroit's expense). Dave (Gruber) Allen performed as the warm-up act. |
| February 19, 2009 | Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World | Royal Oak | MI | |
| February 20, 2009 | Blood of the Vampires | Somerville | MA | Two public shows at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA. The February 20 show featured Blood of the Vampires. The February 21 show featured Dynamite Brothers. Both shows were sold out, according to an on-stage announcement. Dave (Gruber) Allen] performed as the warm-up act, the "Best of" reel was shown. |
| February 21, 2009 | East Meets Watts | Somerville | MA | |
| May 22, 2009 | East Meets Watts | Mesa | AZ | Two public shows at the Mesa Arts Center, Dynamite Brothers billed as East Meets Watts, and Brides of Blood billed as Danger on Tiki Island, with Dave (Gruber) Allen and the "Best of" reel. |
| May 23, 2009 | Danger on Tiki Island | Mesa | AZ | |
| June 12, 2009 | The Alien Factor | Philadelphia | PA | Two public shows at the Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia, PA, with The Alien Factor and Brides of Blood billed as Danger on Tiki Island, with Dave (Gruber) Allen and the "Best of" reel. |
| June 13, 2009 | Danger on Tiki Island | Philadelphia | PA | |
| September 10, 2009 | East Meets Watts | Chicago | IL | Three public shows at the Lakeshore Theater in Chicago, IL, with East Meets Watts (movie title of Dynamite Brothers), The Alien Factor, and Brides of Blood billed as Danger on Tiki Island, with Dave (Gruber) Allen and the "Best of" reel. |
| September 11, 2009 | The Alien Factor | Chicago | IL | |
| September 12, 2009 | Danger on Tiki Island | Chicago | IL | |
| December 31, 2009 | War of the Insects/Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World/Legacy of Blood | Glenside | PA | A 3 movie marathon performed in Glenside, PA at the Keswick Theatre. Performed on New Year's Eve, the first two movies were performed before midnight, and the third after midnight. Dave (Gruver) Allen opened. |
| February 20, 2010 | War of the Insects | Milwaukee | WI | Two public shows in Milwaukee, WI at Turner Hall. The 7:00pm show featured Genocide [1] billed as War of the Insects, and was sold out, according to the Turner Hall website, and an announcement at the start of the show. This show is notable not only as a return for Joel to his home state of Wisconsin (he was born in Stevens Point, and grew up in Fort Atkinson and Green Bay,) but also because it was his 50th birthday. The enthusiastic crowd sang "Happy Birthday to You" for him. The 10:30pm show featured Samson and the 7 Miracles [2]. Dave (Gruber) Allen performed as the warm-up act, with a special appearance at the 10:30pm show by actor/comedian Patton Oswalt, who had just finished performing in town, and was recommended to come see the performance. Oswalt gave a short opener prior to the start of the film. Cast members were on hand to sign autographs after both shows. |
| February 20, 2010 | Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World | Milwaukee | WI | |
| April 15, 2010 | Danger on Tiki Island | Northampton | MA | One public show at the Calvin Theater in Northampton, MA with Brides of Blood billed as Danger on Tiki Island, Dave (Gruber) Allen performed as the warm-up act. |
| April 16, 2010 | War of the Insects | Princeton | NJ | One sold-out public shows at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ, with Genocide [3] billed as War of the Insects. |
| April 17, 2010 | Danger on Tiki Island | Manhattan, New York City | NY | One sold out public show at the Nokia Theater in Manhattan, NY, with Brides of Blood billed as Danger on Tiki Island, with Dave (Gruber). |
| October 29, 2010 | Rattlers | Boston | MA | One public show at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston, MA, where they premiered their treatment of the movie Rattlers. |
| January 29, 2011 | The Alien Factor | Concord | NH | Two public shows at the Chubb Theatre in Concord, NH, where patrons could buy tickets for either an early (7:00PM) show or a late (9:30PM) show. There was a discounted "double feature" price for those wanting to see both shows. The early show was the movie The Alien Factor and the late show was the movie Genocide [4] billed as War of the Insects. J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff, Trace Beaulieu and Mary Jo Pehl, in that order, all performed warmup material. |
| January 29, 2011 | War of the Insects | Concord | NH | |
| February 19, 2011 | Rattlers | Milwaukee | WI | One public show at the Pabst Theater |
| March 30, 2011 | Blood of the Vampires | Newark | NJ | One public show at the Victoria Theatre. |
| March 31, 2011 | The Doomsday Machine | Newark | NJ | Two public shows at the Victoria Theatre. |
| March 31, 2011 | The Astral Factor | Newark | NJ | |
| April 19, 2011 | The Alien Factor | Princeton | NJ | One public show at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ with The Alien Factor and warmup material from the cast, including a live performance of the Mystery Science Theater theme song. |
| May 6, 2011 | Samson and the Seven Miracles of the World | San Francisco | CA | Two public shows at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, CA. The early show was Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World; the late show was Rattlers. Warmup material by Mary Jo Pehl & Dave Gruber, Frank Conniff, and Trace Beaulieu & J. Elvis Weinstein, finishing up with a performance of the MST theme song by Hodgson and Weinstein. |
| May 6, 2011 | Rattlers | San Francisco | CA |
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