In the Not Too Distant Future (and Recent Past, Too): The MST3K Reboot and How You Can Go Home Again

The New Cast of MST3K
The New Cast of MST3K

When Joel Hodgson, the original creator and host of cult-classic TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 announced that he was crowd funding a new season of of the show, the crowd funded it. The Internet spoke, and it said loudly “WE WANT MORE MST3K! Please! If it’s not too much bother!” (MSTies are a generally polite bunch),  and Hodgson raised over $6 million, making his effort one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns ever and blowing through every stretch goal (Full Disclosure: I backed the MST3K Kickstarter).  With funding secured, the show went into production, and after a bit of shopping around, the crew of the Satellite of Love landed on Netflix, premiering April 14th, a.k.a. “This Friday A.D.”

Now those Kickstarter backers (including me) have had a chance to see the first episode of the new season. Joel and the team have asked (again, very politely) that we not disclose any of the movies that will be riffed for this new season before April 14th, so this is a review more on tone than content. With a new cast, including fan favorites Jonah Ray as Jonah Heston, Felicia Day as Kinga Forester (daughter of Dr. Clayton Forester, the original “Mad”), and Patton Oswalt as TV’s Son of TV’s Frank, along with some (very slightly) updated production value, the show looks a little different, but keeps to its core values intact. In this case, the core values of MST3K are generally lighthearted and genial riffing by Jonah and his robot friends at the expense of the cheesy movie meant to destroy their minds. MST3K has always excelled at presenting a less cynical version of the jokes people often make to anesthetize themselves to he horrors and madness of the world, and the new version is no exception, riffing its way through a truly terrible movie. The new crew of the Satellite of Love are charming and immediately likable, the Mads of Deep 13 are suitably ridiculous, and the riffs come fast and furious (minus Vin Diesel), so the show covers its bases and fulfills the wishes of longtime fans. I’m also glad to say that instead of trying to be a cookie cutter copy of the previous iterations, the new season plays to the strengths of the new cast, and that’s important, too.

I searched for a metaphor to describe the feeling of watching the new MST3K, and the closest I could come up with was the feeling of a new-old shoe. I realize this is a contradiction, but bear with me, I think it will make sense eventually. For me, I wear Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars almost every day; I own probably close to a dozen pairs of Chucks in various stages of wear. Because I wear them all the time, I know what size I need, and as they wear out, i just order a new pair. Every time I slip on a brand new pair of Chucks, it takes a little bit of time to get used to them and break them (even though it’s the same brand, there are always variations) but then they end up just as comfortable and familiar as the previous pair. That’s what it felt like watching the premiere episode of the new season: some new variations, but with a little time, it will feel comfortable and familiar in the best possible way.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return debuts Friday, April 14th on Netflix

Krish Mohan Live in The Nest, August 25th, 2016

 

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Comedy Night in The Nest is proud to present Krish Mohan for ONE NIGHT ONLY in The Nest Michigan City, featuring Patrick Fowler, with special guest Ben Duncan!

Tickets are $10 or $5 with a valid student ID. Showtime is at 8pm Central, doors open at 7:30.

Tickets are $10 at the door or $5 with a valid student ID.

Follow the Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1772887799607033/

Be sure to like our page for more upcoming shows, we’ve got some amazing talent in store for you all summer long! https://www.facebook.com/ComedyNightInTheNest/

Thursday, August 25th, 2016
8PM Central, doors at 7:30 PM.
803 Franklin St
Michgan City, IN

About Krish

Krish is an Indian standup comedian and writer who regularly performs at comedy clubs, colleges, bars, theaters, and coffee shops across the country. As an immigrant from India, he tells stories focused on adapting to life in the US and his experiences with race, religion, culture, and relationships. With his quirky attitude, charming personality, and intelligent humor, Krish captivates and engages audiences of all backgrounds. Mohan has opened for nationally touring headliners and has had a highly rated & hit IndyFringe show. He has been featured on NPR and in the Arch City Comedy Festival. Krish is a regular contributor to the Indie Bohemians, a radio show which airs on iHeartRadio and affiliates all across the country.

Krish is also the host, writer and creator of Fork Full that focuses on societal and political issues.

 

Peter-john Byrnes Live in The Nest, July 28th, 2016

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Comedy Night in The Nest is proud to present Peter-john Byrnes for ONE NIGHT ONLY in The Nest Michigan City, featuring Cody Melcher, with special guest Mike Hullinger!

Tickets are $10 or $5 with a valid student ID. Showtime is at 8pm Central, doors open at 7:30.

Tickets are $10 at the door or $5 with a valid student ID.

Follow the Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1735128986767963/

Be sure to like our page for more upcoming shows, we’ve got some amazing talent in store for you all summer long! https://www.facebook.com/ComedyNightInTheNest/

Thursday, July 28th, 2016
8PM Central, doors at 7:30 PM.
803 Franklin St
Michgan City, IN

About Peter

Peter-john Byrnes has been described as having “a voice both hilarious and at times uncomfortable in the best of ways.” He eschews typical subject matter in favor of informing audiences about the inevitability of human decline, the end of civilization, and other light-hearted fare. He also uses words like “eschews.” He averages about two H.P. Lovecraft references a show.

His album recording, “American History XXX,” played to sold-out audiences at the Indianapolis Fringe festival in 2014 and was listed as a top pick by both the alternative weekly NUVO and the Indianapolis Star newspaper.

Byrnes started performing stand-up professionally in 1985 at the age of seventeen. He has opened for the likes of Orlando Jones, Erin Foley, Cameron Esposito, Dan Telfer, and Hari Kondabolu. Festival appearances include Limestone Comedy Festival 2013 (Bloomington IN), Just For Laughs Chicago 2013, and the Arch City Comedy Festival 2015 (Columbus OH).

His comedy podcast, This Week in Despair (www.weekindespair.com), has listeners in over 45 countries. He is inexplicably popular in Finland.

About Cody

Cody Melcher is a witwanton gentleman who weaves a tapestry of obscure observations and personal proclivities.

Based in Chicago, he is the producer of 100 Proof Comedy at CSz Chicago, half of the celebrated sketch duo Melcher & Hauser, Co-Admiral of The Chicago Nerd Comedy Festival, and host of the critically-acclaimed podcast Tomefoolery. He has performed at SF Sketchfest, The Comedy Exposition, Arch City Comedy Festival, PrideFest Milwaukee, and more. He moderated panels for the 2015 Space City Comic Con, and was a Finalist in The Advocate’s National Queer Comedy Search and the 2016 Laughing Devil Comedy Festival.

The Chicago Tribune has called him “ridiculously zesty”.

Level-Up Your Playing with Tips from Geek & Sundry

Having an awesome and powerful tabletop RPG character is great, but the character is only as good as the person playing them.  It’s fairly easy to level up your D&D or Pathfinder character; you pick a new spell, or a new feat, maybe a stat increase, and then it’s back to gaming, but how do you level up as a player?  James Haeck over at Geek & Sundry came up with some excellent tips for being a better player, both at the table and in life.  Here’s a few of James’ suggestions on improving your game:

BEFORE THE GAME

  1. Be a good person.Wheaton’s Law: “Don’t be a dick.” You’re all friends here, and you should treat them that way. Don’t forget that the DM is your friend, too; they aren’t out to get you, even if it might seem like it sometimes. Is the roleplaying getting too heated and it looks like people are getting angry in Real Life? Take a step back and assess: are we still having fun?
  2. Make friends with your gaming buddies. Gamers in school don’t have to worry about this one as much; odds are your gaming group is already made up of close friends. But if you’re not, try and put in the effort to get to know your party members.
  3. Make your DM’s life easier. A good DM is more precious than gold. If you don’t know why, ask your DM how much they do to prep for the campaign, schedule game nights, get snacks… the list goes on. How can you give back? Look for little things you can do for the DM, things like showing up right on time, bringing snacks of your own (or offering to pay them back for food), and even taking over little tasks during the game, like tracking initiative. If you’re an artistic person, you might even want to make drawings, short stories, or songs about your campaign. Everyone (everyone!) loves fan art.

These are just a few of Haeck’s tips, all of which can help take your game, and yourself, to the next level.  Check out the full article over at Geek & Sundry for the rest.

Natale Jose Live in The Nest, April 28th 2016

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Chicago comedy comes to the southern shore starting this month! Comedy Night in The Nest is proud to present Natalie Jose, live for ONE NIGHT ONLY, April 28th, in The Nest Michigan City! Natalie is a fantastically funny comic featured on season 9 of Last Comic Standing, and she’s bringing her equally funny friend Bobby Condon with her, while South Bend’s own Jon Baldizon rounds out the night!

Tickets are $10 and available through ticketspice: https://thenest.ticketspice.com/natalie-jose-in-the-nest

Follow the Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/486988888171302/

Be sure to like our page for more upcoming shows, we’ve got some amazing talent in store for you all summer long! https://www.facebook.com/ComedyNightInTheNest/

Thursday, April 28th, 2016
8PM Central, doors at 7:30 PM.
803 Franklin St
Michgan City, IN

Third Thursday Comedy, Now on Fourth Thursdays!

We did the Third Thursday thing, but we had to move it to Fourth Thursday, because of reasons.  What hasn’t changed is that we have an awesome night of comedy lined up!

The lineup:

  • Jim Kliss
  • Ryan McGirr
  • Patrick Fowler
  • Ashley Stommen
  • Ben Duncan
  • Joe Jacobs
  • Daniel Janicki

Tickets are $5 at the door, and proceeds go to making sure the comics don’t run out of gas on the way home.

Doors open at 6:30pm Central Time, show is at 7pm Central Time.

Check out the Facebook Event Page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/913783338737934/

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Announcing the First Third Thursday Comedy Night at The Nest in Michigan City

If you’re a fan of 2 Guys, a Girl, and a Goblin or Green Light, Red Light and haven’t gotten completely sick of hearing me talk, then come out at 7pm on Thursday, January 21st to The Nest, 803 Franklin St, in Michigan City, Indiana.  I’m hosting a live stand-up showcase with 6 of the best comics in Michiana, so even if you can barely stand me, most of the show is someone else much funnier than me talking.   If we get the numbers we need for this show, we’ll be able to do more Third Thursday shows,  so come out, help us out, and have a great night of comedy!

The lineup:

  • Jim Kliss
  • Corey Courrielche
  • Jason Stapls
  • Zach Boyce
  • Amaris Quinlan
  • Jon Baldizon
  • Jake Wells

Tickets are $5 at the door, and proceeds go to making sure the comics don’t run out of gas on the way home.

Doors open at 6:30pm Central Time, show is at 7pm Central Time.

Check out the Facebook Event Page for more info: https://www.facebook.com/events/1743773515836065/

Nest-HaHa Jan FB

Stealing From Don Draper’s Playbook: The Force Awakens and the Power of Nostalgia

When the Star Wars: The Force Awakens final trailer debuted on Monday, I was hit with an emotional hammer that I didn’t expect and could’t understand.  I expected to feel something, but what I didn’t expect was to quite literally tear up during a two minute movie trailer.  I mean, of course I was and am excited about the new Star Wars movie. Who isn’t?  But the thing is, I’m not one of the obsessive Star Wars fans – I can’t tell you the name of the two scoundrels that confront Luke in the Mos Eisley cantina and end up losing some appendages (Thankfully, there’s Wookiepedia for that! Their names are Ponda Baba and Cornelius Evazan, in case you were wondering.) – but I’m still pretty steeped in the lore, nonetheless.  So why such an intense response?

I realized this morning that it comes down to a word that’s simple to say and infinitely more complex to explain: nostalgia.  Specifically, the sense of nostalgia that was so artfully explained by Don Draper in season 1 of Mad Men, as he was pitching to Kodak about their new Wheel slide projector.

In retrospect, the nostalgia I felt watching that trailer should be no surprise; J.J. Abrams’ obvious reverence for the early works of Steven Spielberg make it almost inevitable.  Spielberg’s films have so often invoked nostalgia of coming of age, or childhood, or just the past in general, but more importantly, they usually have a clear emotional thesis: you know how you feel at the end of a Spielberg film.  Abrams’ Star Wars Trailer, intentionally and clearly, evokes an intended emotion, and if the film is even half as successful as it’s trailer in that goal, it will be a great pleasure to watch.

To steal from Don myself: This trailer isn’t a space ship. It’s a time machine. It goes backwards, forwards. Takes us to a place where we ache to go again.  It lets us travel the way a child travels. Around and around and back home again to a place where we know we are loved.

Or in other words, it has successfully fired a proton torpedo into the un-shielded exhaust port of our collective hearts.