With the course of study I'm teaching, this short came to mind, as riffed by Mike and the Bots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmjegYYYlUE&t=342s "What money?""Don't smart-mouth me, boy." Like most '50s educational shorts, this one's a stagey, stolid affair, but with some pretty solid information and a point that's hard to argue with: about keeping a budget and … Continue reading “You’re Not Talking to the Founding Fathers Again, Are You?”
MST3K
Because This is How My Mind Works
Review: The Screaming Skull
“It’s only a noise after all, and a noise never hurt anybody yet.” So says the narrator of F. Marion Crawford’s classic ghost story The Screaming Skull regarding the strange screams that sometimes sound in the night around his house on the Cornish coast. Screams that may be the wind, but are not quite that … Continue reading Review: The Screaming Skull
Friday Flotsam: Vita Nuova, Psych Matters, Rule of Life, and Killer Shrews
1. So incipit vita nuova. Of course it hasn't really begun; I don't start until Monday. But one phase is definitely over. 2. Today was mostly spent finishing up the transfer of files from my old computer to the new one. I'm trying to clear as many old projects or 'things that need to be … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Vita Nuova, Psych Matters, Rule of Life, and Killer Shrews
Kaiju Appreciations; Zigra
My latest appreciation video is up at last. This was kind of a tricky one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFum3UHzhCY I haven't done a full survey, but at the moment I want to call Gamera vs. Zigra the worst kaiju film to come out of either Toho or Daiei (well, Gamera Supermonster might top it from being mostly just … Continue reading Kaiju Appreciations; Zigra
Low-Effort Blogging: Mst3k Shorts
For your amusement, a few shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmjegYYYlUE&ab_channel=BoBalderson A spendthrift teenager gets financial advice from the ghost of Benjamin Franklin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEY9uRknRRc&ab_channel=Flaggboy42 A farm family spends the day at the fair (which is held on the fairgrounds, in case you were wondering) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNJdWWDkjOs&ab_channel=jjpistols Joe Doakes goes before the Eternal Judge to see … Continue reading Low-Effort Blogging: Mst3k Shorts
Mst3k Assignment Venezuela
Kind of busy right now, so for today's Saturday entertainment, here's a small Mst3k treat. This was a short that wasn't connected to any specific episode. Instead it was created for the planned 'Mst3k CD-Rom' project that was never completed. The short, however, found its way into the fan community and eventually onto DVD. I … Continue reading Mst3k Assignment Venezuela
San Francisco International
On Saturdays I like to offer some form of entertainment. Sometimes it's my own fiction, other times it's bringing attention to something that I think is worth your time. For today, I'm offering one of my favorite episodes of one of my favorite shows: Mystery Science Theater 3000, episode 614: San Francisco International. This, I … Continue reading San Francisco International
It Came From Rifftrax: You’re the Judge
I would call this one ‘charming;’ vintage 60s high school romance used to promote Crisco shortening (seriously). The plot has two high school girls trying to tempt the objects of their affections to a party by goading them into a cooking contest. The girls use Crisco and produce a sumptuous meal, while the boys use … Continue reading It Came From Rifftrax: You’re the Judge
It Came From Rifftrax: “Remember Me”
As a lifelong fan of 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' and its follow-up 'Rifftrax', I figured I'd start writing up a few of my thoughts on their various projects. "Remember Me" is a short designed to teach customer service practices. It focuses on the Customer: the Least Respected Man in America, as he runs a gauntlet … Continue reading It Came From Rifftrax: “Remember Me”
Serpent's Den 