HTP Episode 157 – Mary Jo Pehl

Mary Jo Pehl is a seasoned writer and performer on both Rifftrax and seasons 4-10 of Mystery Science Theater 3000. She joins me today to talk about her book Dumb Dumb Dumb: My Mother’s Book Reviews (also available on her website and Amazon). We start off with the difficult process of resolving grief and the sometimes necessity to do so with a bit of humor, and this rolls into a discussion of the mechanics of riffing… and some speculation about educational shorts in particular.

A lot of research is going to come from this discussion. At one point, I mention a quote from Bill Gates discussing what computers can’t do to save the world.

In addition to producing Rifftrax, Mary Jo hosts The Mary Jo Pehl Show and Movie Jo Night courtesy of Dumb Industries.

You can follow Mary Jo on her official website.

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Catch this episode on: YouTube – Apple – Spotify – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Audible – RSS Feed

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HTP Episode 129 – Jim Dirschberger

 

Jim Dirschberger is the creative director at Wide Right Games, the company behind Rifftrax: The Game. Jim and I discuss the game from a design perspective, but also from the perspectives of two fans who really, really want to see riffing in new and exciting ways.  The game is something of a spiritual sequel to the company’s earlier hit, What the Dub?

This was a really fun chat.  Jim talks about the VHS era of movie discovery, while I talked about my fondness for educational films and the one I remember most, The Magic House.  I’d also pointed out that Rifftrax: The Game seems to pull a lot from the SegaCD era of gaming, but done way better.

Rifftrax: The Game is available now on all major consoles, as well as Steam.  You can follow Wide Right Games on Twitter, Instagram, and on their YouTube Channel. 

This episode also introduces our collaboration with Sci-Fi Coffee.

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Catch this episode on: YouTube – Apple – Spotify – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Audible – RSS Feed

HTP Episode 093 – David Giancola

 

David Giancola is an independent film director who got his start with the movie Time Chasers, a flick that found its first home in the niche VHS bin and then its second in Season 8 of MST3K. He operates out of Edgewood Studios and continues to put out exciting projects to this day.

 

In this episode of Hungry Trilobyte, David and I talk about the life of Time Chasers both before and after MST3K, becoming Rifftrax rock stars, the different eras of indie film, and how old-fashioned movie fans can find what they’re looking for in this day and age.

David’s latest movie is Axcellerator!  Check it out on Facebook and Amazon Prime.  You can find Edgewood Studios on Facebook as well.

Oh, hey, and if you want that time travel story of mine, it’s here.

 

Catch this episode on: YouTube – Apple – Spotify – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Audible – RSS Feed

Podcast logo by MarcieLondon.com – @MarcLondonArt on Twitter and Instagram

HTP Episode 046 – John Lim and Andy Bray

John Lim and Andy Bray are the authors of the book “Making Fake Star Trek” and its sequel. The books chronicle their portrayals of Sulu and Chekov in the fan series Star Trek: New Voyages, also known as Star Trek: Phase II. In this episode, John and Andy join me for a discussion of the odd historical circumstances that made their show possible, and what it was like to step into the legendary roles.

You can follow John Lim on his official Twitter account. You can follow Andy Bray’s work on Twitter, as well. The book’s official website is MakingFakeStarTrek.com and the two operate a podcast, found here.

Catch this episode on: YouTube – iTunes – Google Play – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Podbean – RSS Feed

The Life Radio Show 5/12/2020

I had a great time discussing Hungry Trilobyte with Don Smith from The Life Radio Show, out of WWSU. We got to cover a lot of ground on why fandom helps people cope, and how to use it to prompt creativity and positivity. I cover my favorite Treks, analyze the newer Star Wars movies, and gush over MST3k in the 21st century.

HTP Episode 031 – Sampo Returns!

Chris Cornell, known to the internet as “Sampo,” is the Webmaster for Satellite News and was first on Hungry Trilobyte in Episode 19. This latest chat is a wild ride, fueled by COVID-19 and fan speculation. We discuss how to use MST3K as a “comfort food” in times of quarantine, Chris suggests using Pod People to go to sleep, I counter with Red Zone Cuba. Meanwhile, his favorite episode is The Violent Years, while I never get tired of Teenagers from Outer Space or I Accuse My Parents. And, of course, Manos comes up.

Chris breaks the news that Joel is doing the MST3K Live At-Home Show with Moon Zero Two. I reveal that I participated in the MST3K Home Game, while Chris was interviewing the cast prior to season 8.

Special request: Chris mentions that there was a special showing of I Accuse My Parents at the Colonial Theatre in Pennsylvania, in which he participated. Does anyone have a recording of this?

Here’s where you can check out Sampo’s legacy:

Twitter, Satellite News

Catch this episode on: YouTube – iTunes – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Podbean – RSS Feed

HTP Episode 023 – “Captain” Deana Dolphin

Deana Dolphin, MST3K’s “Fan Ambassador” has become a champion for the show and for getting MSTies around the world together– both online and in real life. Hosting watch parties, live events, and meet-ups, Deana reaches out to fans everywhere. In this episode, she and I talk about her adventures in the fan community, visiting the MST3k set, and her love of Agonywolf Media. Currently, she’s trying to organize the 5th Annual Turkey Day MSTie Meet Up.

Here’s where you can find Deana: Twitter, Instagram, Reddit

Deana’s Facebook page is open to new fans, and here are the groups she admins or in which she’s an active member:

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Mystery Singles Theater 3000

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Watch Together Group

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Postcard Exchange Group

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Secret Santa Group

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MSTies & More Group

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RiffTrax Group

Deana also supports MSTie Minute, another great collection of fans, and you can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Catch this episode on: YouTube – iTunes – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Podbean – RSS Feed

HTP Episode 021 – Zoe Plait

Zoe Plait is one of MST3K’s biggest “Professional Fans.” She worked with Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff on “The Mads are Back” live show, and in this episode of Hungry Trilobyte, she and I sit down and get to the heart of what makes the show great. More than that, we address how fandom can have a positive effect on mental illness, and ponder her future writing projects. During the episode, we also bring up the MST3K Playstation Underground issue.

Here’s where you can keep tabs on Zoe’s projects:

Twitter, Miss Misery (Official Site)

Geek Resource: National Alliance on Mental Illness – A great resource for getting a little extra help in life.

Catch this episode on: YouTube – iTunes – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Podbean – RSS Feed

HTP Episode 007 – Rick Sloane

Rick Sloane is the filmmaker behind such movies as Blood Theatre, Hobgoblins (and likewise the MST3K episode featuring it) , and the Vice Academy series. In this discussion, we get into the challenges of filmmaking with few resources, as well as the differences between film school and the real world.

Here’s where you can keep tabs on Rick and his work:

Facebook, RiffTrax, RickSloane.com (an unofficial site, but a very good one)

Catch this episode on: YouTube – iTunes – Soundcloud – Stitcher – Podbean – RSS Feed

Long Live Shiny Discs!

Like most MST3K fans, who still haven’t come to terms with the fact that their favorite TV show ended 15 years ago, I love RiffTrax.  While I can’t turn on the TV and see a new episode, I can at least download a movie or a short featuring the same talent.   So imagine my glee when RiffTrax decided to take on all 15 chapters of  the 1949 Batman serial.  Yes, even before Adam West was Batman, there was Robert Lowery in the cape and cowl (and truth be told, Lewis Wilson played the part prior to Lowery).  This serial has always been one of my favorite live-action iterations of Batman.

So I was excited to see RiffTrax tackle it, and the preview looked really promising.  However, I held off on buying the shorts, because for something I’d enjoy that much, I’d love to have it on an actual DVD.  I waited patiently for them to finish the whole series, and then longer for them to release a disc.  Then I decided to just ask if a disc was in the works.

That’s a little distressing.  Look, I know I can buy movies as downloads and streaming, but I don’t consider it to be as good.  Not only does the bitrate tend to be reduced, but when I have a physical disc, I don’t have to worry about my hard drive failing or losing the rights to play the movie because of a DRM issue.  In addition, I can make my own digital file from a disc, so by purchasing a disc, I get the best of both worlds.  By pushing us toward downloads and streaming only, I think content providers are ultimately going to be giving us less for more money.

This isn’t intended to pick on RiffTrax in particular, who are in fact releasing a DVD of the Batman shorts.  There are FAR worse offenders when it comes to trying to force consumers to adopt streaming as a standard.  And, to be honest, many consumers don’t need to be forced and are happy to give up discs for good.  I just don’t see a world without physical media as a total win.   If you saw my movie collection, you’d know why.  I have tons of obscure movies and TV shows, which might have been worth printing in a small run, but would never be worth keeping as content in a streaming service (it costs money to run servers, and to maintain distribution rights).  Why should I make my ability to watch something dependent on someone else’s ability to renew a contract?  With a movie on physical media, that’s never a concern.

So thank you, RiffTrax, for providing both options.   I’ll think of you the next time Netflix irritates a bunch of subscribers by dropping a popular show.