Play MSTie For Me – On the Cheap!

If there’s one thing better than getting up Saturday morning, getting a big bowl of cereal, and popping in some ‘MST3K,’ it’s popping in some ‘MST3K’ that you got on sale.

As you’ve probably noticed by now – and you’ll continue to notice in the future – I’m a ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ fan. It just might be the funniest show ever on television, and it continues to entertain in its current incarnations as ‘Rifftrax’ and ‘Cinematic Titanic.’

The folks over at Shout! Factory currently hold the distribution rights to the old shows. They’ve been doing a pretty good job of it, starting with Volume 13, the ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000: 20th Anniversary Edition,’ which they currently have on sale in a bundle with four episodes of ‘The Film Crew’ at a nice discount.

The 20th anniversary set comes in a collectable tin, if you’re into that sort of thing. It includes ‘First Spaceship on Venus’ and ‘Laserblast’, as well as two of my absolute favorite episodes o all time.

‘Future War’ is a brilliant little flick that features absolutely no future and absolutely no war. That’s only the start of the greatness. In addition to cheesy dinosaur puppets and an alien slave who’s also a kickboxing expert, the movie features ham-handed biblical allusions and a moral lesson. The riffing on this movie is far above par, especially during the infamous box factory fight scenes.

As great as ‘Future War’ is, it just doesn’t hold a candle to ‘Werewolf’ – or, as the female lead would call it, ‘Warwilf’. This one features all the bad acting and plotholes you’d expect, but it’s also an incredibly recent film. It was shot just two years before getting riffed on the show. Oh, and it’s got an Estevez. No, not the good one – it’s uncle Joe Estevez.

In addition to the great ‘MST3K’ set, the deal includes four episodes of ‘The Film Crew’, which was a pre-Rifftrax project of Mike, Kevin and Bill. It’s funny as you’d expect, and features solid riffing from the crew. Among the four movies, you’ll find my favorite of the set: ‘Hollywood After Dark’, which is most notable for starring Rue McClanahan as a stripper. Yes, that Rue McClanahan. Even back in 1968, she still looks like Rue. It’s off-putting to say the least.

The 20th anniversary tin normally runs $60 on its own. It can be had with all four ‘Film Crew’ DVDs for just $69.99.

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