The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 9

This is the ninth 4-disc MST3K collection from Rhino Video. It features two shows hosted by creator Joel Hodgson and two hosted by head writer Mike Nelson. This wonderful collection plumbs the creative depths of the show from its first season all the way to season eight. Three episodes come from the Comedy Central years, while the fourth show is from the first season of the show produced for the Sci-Fi Channel. Here is a synopsis of each episode:

104- WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET

"Hi-keeba!" This is the episode from which the most popular MST3K catch phrase of all time originates! It's a 1966 color science fiction (SF) film wherein a spaceship crashes on a primordial planet inhabited by primitive savages. Time dilation while traveling faster than light causes the rescue crew to arrive eighteen years later. By then, all of the crash survivors are dead, but one of their offspring, a young man named Tang, survives. One member of the rescue crew, Linda, meets Tang and falls in love.

This disc has a brief extra feature, wherein Irene Tsu, who played Linda in the movie, provides a short introduction to the film.

This is one of the best episodes from MST3K season one. If you haven't seen a season one show before, be warned that the show's sets were much cheaper looking than in later seasons and Josh Weinstein voiced Tom Servo; Kevin Murphy was still working only behind the scenes at this time. However, the cleverness of the MST3K concept, talent of the performers and the quality of the writing came together well for this episode and the results are quite hilarious. Listen for the terrific running gag, "Tang, it's not just for breakfast anymore."

207- WILD REBELS

In this 1967 biker film, a small motorcycle gang plans a bank heist. When they attempt to enlist a stock car racer to be their getaway car driver, the police recruit the racer to infiltrate the gang and inform on them. This movie has some premise issues to say the least. There are many hilarious plot oversights and credibility stretches in this film for you to discover.

This was the first episode of MST3K I ever saw and it is a real winner and still one of my favorites. Dialogue like "You're so square you're like a box, baby," will amuse you throughout. The movie is lively and entertaining compared to some of the slower films used on the show. The host segments are all top-notch and hilarious, especially the "Wild Rebels Cereal" commercial. Watch this one repeatedly "for the kicks, baby."

613- THE SINISTER URGE (with short: KEEPING CLEAN AND NEAT)

Ed Wood, who also directed Plan 9 From Outer Space and Bride of the Monster, directed this 1961 crime drama about the "smut" industry. It is very tame by today's standards. A series of young women are murdered and the police suspect the crimes are related to the "smut" (i.e., naked photographs) industry. Gloria, the front woman for the smut racketeers, figures prominently as she and her henchman continue to lure gullible, innocent young women to their dirty business and get rid of those who threaten retaliation. Look for Harvey B. Dunn (who played Grandpa in Teenagers From Outer Space and Capt. Tom Robbins in Bride of the Monster) as Mr. Romaine.

Conrad Brooks, who played Connie in the film, provided a brief introduction as an extra feature.

This episode also contains the fun hygiene short, "Keeping Neat and Clean." Host segments, possibly out of a sense of good taste, eschew the film in favor of other elements. In this case, they center on some antics concerning TV's Frank.

812- THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES

In this surprising surreal, slow low-budget picture from 1964, a young man named Jerry acquiesces to his girlfriend's request to visit the fortuneteller at a carnival. The fortuneteller gives him unhappy news, so he wanders off to see the fortuneteller's sister, who is an exotic dancer. During this visit Jerry is deliberately entranced into becoming an unwitting killer. Soon, Jerry's friends become suspicious and try to get to the bottom of the nefarious plot.

This film is legendary for it's "incredibly strange" and extremely long title. It used to make it onto UHF channel programming back when independent TV stations showed low-budget SF and horror movies to fill much of their airtime. Although at times dull, confusing, or both, there are a few elements of creativity in the film, mostly concerning the rich use of color and surreal imagery.

Host segments in this episode focus on the film, including a segment in which Crow and Tom try to read Mike's fortune.

In summary, there is GREAT comedy to be had in this set, with a wide variety of film genres and periods of MST3K being represented across four hilarious episodes. Don't be square; get it now "for the kicks!"

Rhino has put together an excellent mix of episodes for Volume Nine, including one from the series' first year that aired on the Comedy Channel (before it merged with Ha! to become Comedy Central). Unless you were a fan of the show at that time and had the Comedy Channel on your cable system or knew of someone who did and taped the episodes for you to borrow, chances are you never saw any episodes from that first year because Best Brains hated airing them. Besides, and collection that includes both Ed Wood and Ray Dennis Steckler is worth the money if only for the bots' comments. However, the most compelling reason to buy is that if you're a Mystie, you already have the eight other volumes, so why stop here?

104 - WOMEN OF THE PREHISTORIC PLANET - Ultra-cheesy low budget sci-fi flick about two astronauts (Wendell Corey and John Agar) who bring together Linda and Tang to populate the planet. Featuring shoddy sets, man-eating plants, giant lizards, a huge spider, Lyle Waggoner, and Stuart Margolin, it's produced by Jack Broder, the man who gave us "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla." This episode is where the famous MST phrase "Hi-Keeba!" comes from, uttered in the movie by one of the supporting cast. The film is introduced by Linda Tsu, who played Irene.

207 - THE WILD REBELS - An incoherent mess of a movie about a stock car driver who is talked into being the getaway car driver for a gang called Satan's Angels who are about to pull a bank job. The guy who talks out hero into this is a cop planning ac trap, but the rebels escape.

613 - THE SINISTER URGE - Ed Wood! A film about a fiend who goes berserk watching a sex film and stalks the leading lady. Detectives Kenne Duncan and James Moore seek to catch the fiend and destroy the film that caused the crime. Look for Ed himself in a fight scene. Conrad Brooks does the honors of the intro.

812 - THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES - A natural for MST 3000 based on the title alone, and the title says it all. From Ray Dennis Steckler (as hero Cash Flagg) comes the first monster musical about a gypsy fortune teller who hypnotizes patrons, turns them into ugly monsters by throwing acid in their faces, and collects them in cages in the basement. Of course the monsters break loose and kill everyone in sight until the police arrive. Mike and the bots do an excellent job keeping up with one.

I never thought that Rhino would release any Season 1 eps anymore,but was surprised to see Women of the Prehistoric Planet included in this set.All great choices from different seasons,so newcomers will get to see(if they haven't already)what the show was like before Frank and Servo's old voice.And how it was during the Sci-Fi channel era,too....Keep em coming Rhino,we're ready for more!!!! Will we get to see Volume 10 before this year is over?? Let's only hope.....

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