Cinematic Titanic

Last night, I was privileged to attend the premier party for Cinematic Titanic, the newest venture from Mystery Science Theater 3000 alumni Joel Hodgson, Mary Jo Pehl, Frank Conniff, Josh Weinstein, and Trace Beaulieu. Of course, by privileged, I mean I was allowed to pay for a $20 ticket, but, still, how often do you see so many of your heroes live on the same stage? Trust me, twelve year-old Eric’s heart would have exploded and twenty-five year-old Eric’s nearly did.

Cinematic Titanic is basically the same idea as MST3k: four men and one woman (instead of one guy and a pair of puppets) stand or sit on scaffolds in front of a movie screen and make fun of a z-grade picture. In the case of the first, and so far only Cinematic Titanic that movie is The Oozing Skull, a tale of bizarre brain transplantation going horribly wrong (who’d have guessed). I’d already seen the DVD and it is pretty funny. It’s not quite up to the standards of MST classics, but it does show a lot of potential. Anyway, last night’s festivities kicked off with a screening of this first episode. I found myself laughing at jokes I’d already heard, always a good sign, and the crowd was in great spirits.

Then, as the movie reached its opening credits, something strange happened. The sound of riffing dimmed, only to be replaced by the voices of Dr. Clayton Forester and TV’s Frank. “Frank! What is this?” asked Forester.

“I don’t know, doctor,” Frank replied, “some sort of cheap knock-off?” Frank then “pushes the button,” ending the screening and allowing the entire crew to take the stage.

After a few introductions, Trace (formerly Dr. Forester and Crow T. Robot) took up MC chores, introducing each of his friends and their stand-up acts. Mary Jo was first with a cute and funny routine that focused on odd jobs, being an aunt, and, to my delight, the death of Supergirl in Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Frank was up next, noting that he was definitely in front of a sci-fi geek crowd when his question, “Are you ready for Valentine’s Day?” was met with boos. Frank then went onto a somewhat raunchy, but terribly funny set, before ending with a pair of songs: a Christian country western number titled “I Suck up to Jesus Because He Is My Boss” and the theme song to a made up adventure series called “Convoluted Man,” who, incidentally, drives a Convoluto-car, which he couldn’t afford himself, so his uncle co-signed the loan, but now Convoluted Man has to drive his uncle around on errands, like going to the dry cleaners or the grocery store, which he really kind of resents because he should be out there fighting crime… Convoluted Man!

Josh Weinstein then took the stage. Josh, for those of you not in the know, was the voice of Tom Servo for MST3k’s first Comedy Channel season and the KTMA years. He also played Frank’s predecessor, Dr. Larry Earnhardt. Josh’s set was also damn funny and taught me the benefits of an in-chest defibrillator, why I shouldn’t buy a chimp (I still want one anyway), and why he thinks it’s okay to shoot a rogue tiger.

Saving the best for last, Joel himself finally took the stage. Now, I’d seen Joel before on a couple of old HBO specials and – as you might have gathered from MST3k’s invention exchanges – Joel’s a prop comic. To see Joel perform, however, is to make you rethink prop comedy. Maybe there isn’t so much something wrong with prop comedy as there is something wrong with Carrot Top himself. At any rate, Joel’s set really, really killed. It was the perfect cap to an already hilarious night. Joel, with trademark deadpan delivery, presented a whole series of props and inventions, such as a Jack-in-the-Box that opens in the bottom, instead of the top, sending the poor clown on a suicidal fall. At one point during his act, Joel reaches into his pocket and pulls out a straw. “When I was a kid,” he says, blowing the paper off the end, “I used to play with this.” He then produces a leaf blower with a giant plastic sleeve fit over the tube. “But now,” he begins as he fires up the leaf blower, launching the sleeve into the back rows of the club, “I am a man.”

The evening wound down with a little Q&A and a live rendition of the MST theme song, plus the revelation that the entire crew would be back for a live Cinematic Titanic in October. Needless to say, I’ll be there.

That’s all for now. Check back on Monday for some movie reviews and, if you haven’t watched my new video yet, it’s right below. Check it out. It’s awesome.