The return of Mystery Science Theater 3000

kamenriderzero1

OK folks, let's just give the nice man your money and get this over with

On November 11th, Joel Hodgson, the show's creator and orignal star, opened a kickstarter page to bring back the classic series.

So far, he has reached the itnital goal of $2 million to make three new epsiodes, with the overall goal of $5.5 Million to fund a 12 epsiode season (3.3 million gets 6, 4.4 gets 9). In the time it took me to start writing this post, stop to answer an email and then finish, they made a jump of over $20,000 jump and have passed the $2.5 Million mark.

The cast is being fully refresed, though past cast members are all invited back, most of the work load will be on the following new faces:

New host- Jonah Ray from "The Nerdist" as "Jonah Heston"

New Mad- the one and only (if you don't know who she is, you don't live on the net) Felicia Day as "Kinga Forrester"

New Crow- Hampton Yount

New Servo- Baron Vaughn


Now I'm going to skip over the swag crud (shirts, key chains, what have you) and get to the meat and potatios:

Pledges at $35 or over get the pilot for the new season on download, plus three classic episodes. If the project can get to $2.75 Million by thursday, three more classics will be added. total of seven

Pledges $100 or over get all new episodes plus the classics on download. (total of six at the moiment, 9 if the 72 hours challenge is met, if 5.5 is reached, as it stands that's 18 epsiodes.)

Pledges $200 or over can have the new season on disk (DVD or Blu-ray) plus above

Pledges $250 or over get the pilot...on VHS! (plus above again)


They are also having a marathon online on Thanksgiving (a tradition for the show which first aired on turkey day 1988). If by the end of that stream, if the projects reaches $3.3 million, then they say the plan to release the first three episodes of the orginal UHF KTMA season, which have enver been repeated. EVER. (two Gerry Anderson compliation films [Stingray and Captain Scarlet] plus "Star Force 2")

Project ends 12/12/15 1AM Eastern- 12/11/15 10PM pacific.

rattler2

Tou Boat. Toy Boat. Toy Boat. Toy Boat.

Couldn't resist. One thing I loved about MST3K was the commentary. Made those bad B Movies actually fun to watch.

duncanidaho11

I'm a huge fan of rifftrax (and like Cinematic titanic) but I really like the fact that they're bringing in a whole new cast (see. Joel's explanation.) Here's hoping this gets somewhere good.

rattler2

Oh I'm sure the MST3K crew would just LOVE to do some of Syfy Channel's movies. There have been a few stinkers that would benefit from the commentary. *Glares at Raptor Island*

kamenriderzero1

In the less than 8 hours or so since I wrote that first posr, they have added another $100,000. only $150,000 to the next set of free classic series epsiodes (and half way to the full goal), and just another $700,000 to finaince another three new ones.

rattler2

I have a feeling they'll hit the goal, and then some. MST3K was awesome.

stonewbie

rattler2 wrote: »

Tou Boat. Toy Boat. Toy Boat. Toy Boat.

Couldn't resist. One thing I loved about MST3K was the commentary. Made those bad B Movies actually fun to watch.

I remember watching that every Friday as a kid...just me, a can of toffee peanuts and something to drink. Turn the lights in my room off and kick back. I dont know how i would like a reboot though. When i watched it back in the day Joel was the main host but when Mike became the new host i didnt watch his episodes. I preferred Joel because he seemed like he didnt want to be there on the Satellite of Love. I dont know if that was part of the act or if that was how he felt IRL and he just didnt try to conceal it but i liked it.

kamenriderzero1

So... you missed the momments where Mike activley tried to escape (most notibly 904: Werewolf where he was inches from thr ground), activley tried to call for help, and actively tried to get one over on the Mads (great examples 907: Hobgoblins and 1009: Hamlet)...

markhawkman

Mmm yeah Syfy movies can be ok... or utter crud. Then there's Sharknado....

rattler2

markhawkman wrote: »

Mmm yeah Syfy movies can be ok... or utter crud. Then there's Sharknado....

Ooo... just imagine the commentary on that!

kamenriderzero1

update: the project is now 50% funded to the $5.5 Million 12 epsiode goal.

There are two sets of two rewards that cost more than the team is allowed to ask for, so there are $40K in "hidden money" not listed. currently the total on the site reads as $2,741,119, white the total pledged is actually $2.78 million. Basicly someone just bought themsevels an exectuive producer credit.

kamenriderzero1

Update for Monday 11/30
including the background funds (online downloads over the weekend and the extra pledge money), we've past the $3.3 Million dollar mark, so at least six episodes will be made (which is equal to season 7). the actual one screen tote (which we've taken to calling "Magic Tote") reads at about $3,207,000.


But the big, big news: Joining Felecia's Kinga as her evil henchman, playing "TV's Son of TV's Frank"... is actor and comedian... Patton Oswald!

stonewbie

3.3mil and only 6 episodes? which actors are they hiring? Brad Pitt to be the human, RDJ to voice Crow, Hugh Jackman to voice Servo and Jennifer Lawrence to voice Gypsy?

I actually preferred the early seasons of MST3K as I mentioned for Joels acting, but also because of how "crude" the set and picture looked...crude but in a good way. Made it seem like they were trying to stretch their budget by making their set out of pieces of uncooked macaroni, a plastic model of the Millennium Falcon, a couple of plastic bowling pins, a bottle of glue and some spray paint. The set looked amateurish but it still looked good.

gulberat

I don't really have a dog in this hunt, but if you go on the Kickstarter page, there is a detailed budget explaining what all of the costs are (overhead, per-episode, rewards, money owed to Kickstarter, etc.).

kamenriderzero1

each episode will ideally cost about $250K. Like before, most of that will be going to licensing the movies. Startup costs are incudled in the first $2 Million.
They have to pay 8% to Kickstarter and the credit card company
and a good 1/4 has to be spend making and shipping the rewards.

kamenriderzero1

With one week to go, here is the most recent update.



The total amount collected, which includes pledged money and Add on money is $3.85 million. 3.7 in pledges and 150K in add-ons.


To push forward, the following rewards will be added if the total passes a certain level buy 11AM eastern time Tuesday.



$3.96M Everyone $35 and higher gets a free download copy of "the Songs of MST3K


$4.07M Everyone $50 and up gets a second choice of t-shirt design (and can buy the other as an add-on)



$4.18M Everyone $150 or higher gets a double sided poster instead of the current one side.


$.29M $200, everyone at the $200 plus level gets their name on a slip in the disk box set.



if the project reaches $4.4M in the allotted time, not only will this unlock the new episodes 7-9, everyone $85 or higher gets four more bonus free episodes. that brings the total in the package to 19 episodes (10 classics, 9 new), with the possible total of $22.




Even if you are not a fan, but know someone who is, you can buy them a gift at the add-on site and the money will count to the kickstarter total.


http://mst3k.com/kickstarter/addons

kamenriderzero1

Well, there are only 4 days left to the finish line. The total pledges have reached $3,964,000 and the add-on sales have added another $240,000, for a grand total of $4,204,000.

kamenriderzero1

OK folks,
we're at just about 26 hours to go. Yesterday (Wednesday) we finally crossed the $4.4 Million mark, and actually it's been going up.. down... Which means things are going great?

We now stand at just over $5 Million in total dontations ($4,625,000 on kickstarter and at least $375,000 in add on reward purchase, although that number was from around lunchtime today and we could be much higher, won't know until the next update).

Anyway the last few days have brought the announcement of several nice famous folks who want to help out. Instead of having to copy a gajillion names, here's joel himself to tell you all about them.

writters,
Dan Harmon is the big name in this bunch, plus original MST3K writer Paul Chaplin (probably better know for playing Pitch the devil)

Artist and production peoples
Pendleton Ward (My sister named one of our cats after one of his characters, and not the one in my avatar, sadly) and the Sugar siblings from "Steven Universe". Adam Savage has also agreed to consult on practical effects.

Guest star cameos

Jack Black, Joel McHale, Bill Hader, Neil Patrick Harris, Joel's dear old friend Jerry Seinfeld and...

MARK HAMILL!!!

kamenriderzero1

On behalf of the MST3K Revival League, of which I am a member in good standing, we can happily announce the project has surpassed it's goal of $5.5 Million. Anyone who pledged $85 or higher is now entitled to 12 new episodes and 13 classics.

Since we have a few hours left, and Mr. Hodgson had already set up a telethon event to end the project, he deiced to add a surprise extra stretch goal. $5.9 million to make a 13th episode, a holiday special. this would put season 11 up there with season 1,2, 9 and 10 at 13 episodes.

kamenriderzero1

project is locked and funded.

Our grand total is over $6.3 million, enough for 14 episodes. btw, their livestream telethon was such a technical cluster-f it makes a season launch her look smooth and simple.