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‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ Tours With A Mind Blowing Live Show Riffing On ‘The Brain’ and ‘Deathstalker II’

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“We’ve got movie sign!”

Hard to believe, but it’s been 30 years of riffing for the Minnesotan puppet show Mystery Science Theater 3000 that has since become a cult phenomenon. Having returned to the airwaves with Netflix last year along with a live nation-wide tour, they are re-returning to the airwaves and doing another live tour! This time around, comedian Jonah Ray will be uniting with series creator/original host Joel Hodgson to riff on some B-Movies together.

Jonah, Joel, and The Bots

The tour includes shows based on two different movies. Deathstalker II, the sequel to the wacky swords-and-sorcery action fantasy franchise from the 80’s. The other bing The Brain, a Canadian sci-fi horror monster movie from 1988 (funnily enough, meaning it’s also celebrating 30 years!). Needless to say, I made sure to go to The Brain version of the show! I’ve been a life-long MST3K fan for as long as I can remember, and some of my favorite episodes were the sci-fi horror episodes, such as WerewolfThe Final Sacrifice, and Manos: The Hands Of Fate.

Image via IMDB

The set-up involves Jonah and the bots, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, being subjected to a riffing contest by Sinthia Forrester (Rebecca Hanson) with Joel. Points being marked by certain riffs (brand names, call-backs, etc.) but all in good fun, even if Crow makes threats. The movie itself was a blast. The Brain follows bad boy prankster high school student Jim Majelewski (Tom Bresnahan) who’s sent to the institute of psychologist/TV show host/cult leader Dr. Anthony Blakely (David Gale of Re-Animator!) following a stunt involving pure sodium and the bathroom. Jim soon discover that a rash of murders and suicides are being cause by a giant, alien brain that Blakely is growing in his lab and will only grow bigger and stronger wiht the more minds it controls. Now, Jim must race against the clock alongside his girlfriend Janet (Cynthia Preston) to stop Blakely from broadcasting nationally and taking over the world!

David Gale and The Brain
Image via IMDB

Needless to say, the movie is ripe for the MST3K treatment. With a big, weird monster brain, the leads being rather cartoonish, and with plenty of call-back jokes. My personal favorite being a ‘Rowsdower’ line directed at Verna (George Buza), Dr. Blakely’s henchman. Mystery Science Theater 3000 has always been a great group event. Be it with friends or with a crowd, so a live theatrical show was an absolute blast! The show continues now until the final show in Minneapolis, Minnesota November 17th. And for more MST3K action, Season 12 will be dropping on Netflix this Turkey day/Thanksgiving!

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Spirit Halloween Unleashes Life-Size ‘Ghostbusters’ Terror Dog

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Halfway to Halloween and the licensed merch is already being released for the holiday. For instance, the seasonal retailer giant Spirit Halloween unveiled their giant Ghostbusters Terror Dog for the first time this year.

The one-of-a-kind demonic dog has eyes that light up in a glowing, terrifying red. It’s going to set you back a whopping $599.99.

Since this year we saw the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, it’s probably going to be a popular theme come October. Spirit Halloween is embracing their inner Venkman with other releases tied to the franchise such as the LED Ghostbuster Ghost Trap, Ghostbusters Walkie Talkie, Life-Size Replica Proton Pack.

We saw the release of other horror props today. Home Depot unveiled a few pieces from their line which includes the signature giant skeleton and separate dog companion.

For the latest Halloween merch and updates get on over to Spirit Halloween and see what else they have to offer to make your neighbors jealous this season. But for now, enjoy a small video that features scenes from this classic cinematic canine.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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