Mystery Science Theater 3000 premiered on KTMA (a UHF station in Hopkins Minnesota) at 6:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1988. The premise was (and still is) fairly simple. An average Joe… or Joel in this case… is shot into space by his evil bosses and forced to watch bad movies as part of an experiment. Joel can’t choose where the movie begins or ends. Because he used those parts to make his robot friends Cambot, CPC, Tom Servo and Crow. Servo and Crow aid Joel as they sit through bad movies making snide comments and quips which is now commonly referred to as “movie riffing”.   It’s a show you either get or you don’t get. For those of us who DO get it, it taps into something we all do naturally while watching a bad movie. Making comments on how bad the movie is. And that’s why we find it so funny. Because the crew at Mystery Science Theater 3000 has perfected the art of “movie riffing” There must be something in the water in Minnesota that makes them so good at it.   The original run of MST3K ended in 1999. Since then the original cast has not been quiet. They’ve started other movie riffing projects such as the Film Crew, RiffTrax, Cinematic Titanic and The Mads are Back, But most recently MST3K has made a triumphant return with original showrunner Joel Hodgeson. First on Netflix and most recently launching their own streaming platform called The Gizmoplex. Both were funded through record breaking Kickstarter Campaigns.    Join Bret and Andrew as they talk about their love for MST3K, their favorite episodes and characters. And if you’re wondering how they eat or breathe. Or other scientific facts. Just repeat to yourself it’s just a podcast. I really should relax.

WLVIII TV Channel 58 might be a station serving the Florida/Peru/Massachusetts area with towers located in a cow field in Barre.. we think. With quality programming like Dick Prostate Gynecologist PI, Uncle Greg's Boatload of Gosh Darn Fun, The Jerry Warbler Sings A Bunch Of Crap With These Other Jerks Hour, Friday Night Frightening Flick with Dr. Deadmeat,  Entertaining Barre with Buford Tums, as well as popular sitcoms like Father on the Sex Offender Registry and That's Not Livestock That's My Wife… and it's Livestock. And of course, the hit cop drama Camaro Man.  On today’s episode Channel 58 looks at some amazing music video mashups. Groups you would never think would sound so good together and yet they do. Hey!! You got your Black Sabbath in my Doors!! You got your Doors in my Black Sabbath!! Why not have both and shut up? You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel  

Many times in history comedy has been one of the best things to get us through our darkest times. Not only do they make us laugh, but sometimes they make us think as well as inspire us. It may seem strange that the people whose jobs are to make us laugh are the most passionate about politics. The other thing we’ve learned from history is fascists have no sense of humor and can’t take a joke. Hitler wanted to kill the Three Stooges because they lampooned him in a film. Need I say more? Today Bret and Scott discuss classic films that had a profound effect on people in very different ways. From the Marx Brothers lighthearted send up in Duck Soup to Charlie Chaplin’s more serious minded comedy in the Great Dictator to the end of the world being heralded in by the soothing sound of Vera Lynn in Dr. Strangelove starring Peter Sellers in three roles including the title character. Each film makes the powers that be look like ridiculous children squabbling over who won the most marbles.  In the case of the Great Dictator, Chaplin gives his iconic character of the Little Tramp, silent for all these years, something very profound to say. Words that still ring true in 2022 as they did back in 1940.  For those unfamiliar with Chaplin's speech, the Mental Suppository highly recommends you watch it here on YouTube. If you wish to find out more about Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx and Peter Sellers we recommend this further reading: My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx by Stefan Kanfer Mr. Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers by Ed Sikov

Neal Adams was the most influential artist in comic books for over 50 years. From his work on the X-Men at Marvel to the ground breaking work he did with Dennis O'Neil on Batman as well as Green Lantern and Green Arrow, his style has influenced many young artists in the business. He would bring Batman back to his grim and gritty roots as well as bring emotional personal and social issues onto the pages of Green Lantern and Green Arrow ranging from racism to drug addiction. Revealing in dramatic fashion that the Green Arrows own sidekick had become addicted to heroin.  Neal Adams was also an advocate for the rights of his fellow creators leading the charge in the 1970s to get the creators of Superman the credit as well as the financial compensation they had been long overdue to receive.  In this episode Bret and Andrew look back and celebrate the career of a unique artist that changed the landscape of comics as we know it today.

The Kids in the Hall first invaded airwaves on Canadian television with an one hour pilot episode on October 16th 1988. It’s regular series debut on CBC and HBO October 24th 1989. It would soon become a staple on the Comedy Channel. Later to be rebranded Comedy Central (or referred to as the South Park/Daily Show Channel by most people today).   The KITH themselves were formed by members Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald. They were joined by Bruce McCullough and Mark McKinney with Scott Thompson in 1985. They broke up for a short time when McCullough and McKinney were invited to write for Saturday Night Live. They reunited in 1986 when Lorne Michaels saw them perform as a troupe and plans began for  a television show.  One could see the show as the closest Michaels really ever came to producing a version of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Although he had attempted that previously with SNL, KITH came the closest by not replicating the “ American variety show” format as well as relying heavily on musical guests and celebrity impersonations SNL does. While being very similar to Python’s surreal style of comedy, KITH left its own thumbprint with a brand of surreal comedy that was unique and different from the series that inspired them.   With Dave, Bruce, Mark, Kevin and Scott ready to bring the band back together for a brand new series on Amazon Prime in May, our own Kids in the… um… basement… Bret, Jame and Andrew discuss their memories of watching the show. What they enjoyed about it, some of their favorite characters, sketches and how KITH inspired their own sense of humor.   They’ll also discuss they’re thoughts about the KITH returning to the screen for the first time since their 2010 miniseries DEATH COMES TO TOWN. A series that blended sketch comedy with an ongoing narrative successfully in a way their movie BRAIN CANDY was not able to do so.    So it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a cabbage for a head, you’re a chicken lady, the king of empty promises or you’re hip, cool and 45. This show is just for you. And if you don’t listen… I’LL CRUSH YOUR HEAD!!

Most people don’t realize Doctor Who’s popularity in the United States started long before the series’s return in 2005. Back in the early 1980s the program gained a cult following when PBS  stations started broadcasting episodes from the classic series. For some areas, it started with episodes from Jon Pertwee’s time as the Third Doctor. In other areas it started with the episode from Tom Baker’s time as the Fourth Doctor. His manic eyes, grin, endlessly long scarf and mad hatter-like persona has made him to some fans the definitive incarnation of the Timelord. And in fact, there were some that thought for the longest time Tom Baker was the first actor to portray the eccentric character traveling through time in a spaceship stuck in the physical form of a London Police Telephone Box. Imagine many young American fans' surprise (including myself) when they discovered there were three actors who portrayed the Doctor before him. Or when we discovered that he had turned into a fair haired younger man who fancied cricket and wore a stick of celery on his lapel. And for a generation, it was the initial fear of the series that turned to intrigue which eventually turned to obsession as we rediscovered this eccentric show once more in our late teens and early twenties thanks to it being released on home media in the late 80s and early 1990s.   In today’s episode Bret and guest Murphy Grumbar discuss their first exposure to this unique British institution that has long since developed a loyal following here in the States. And Murphy discusses the Doctor Who group he started where he and the members get stoned and watch classic episodes. So join the discussion. You don’t have to get stoned to enjoy this episode. But if you choose to, we support your rights to do so. And do have a Jelly Baby, won’t you?

Movie riffing is not easy and you should leave it to the professionals… but we did it anyway. Having previously enjoyed riffing an episode of the New Monkees on a previous podcast, the guys decided to sit through BMX BANDITS. A little Australian film that gave the gift of Nicole Kidman to the world. Which, much like Michael Chiklis in the movie WIRED, proved you can do a really terrible, terrible film and STILL manage to have a career. This film has everything going for it in the wrong direction. So the boys from the Mental Suppository are in for quite a ride. The same can't be said for the movie because it barely has BMX bikes in the entire film. As well as a plot that feels like they tried filming five different movies and then just stuck them together. And if you happen to find yourself a copy of BMX Bandits, you can try and sync up the film with the audio commentary from this episode with this episode. So sit back, relax and get ready for excitement bigger than Nicole Kidman's hair in the film!!

Spider-Man: Far From Home is the latest in the line of Spidey movies starring Tom Holland as everybody’s friendly neighborhood webslinger. And fans can’t get enough of Holland’s take on both the hero as well as Spidey’s alter ego Peter Parker. The success of the film proved that people are still going to the movies and the MCU still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Spider-Man’s success in the movies really didn’t happen until the beginning of the 21st Century when special effects finally caught up in a way that you could have Spidey swinging around New York City and have it look believable. Much in the same way the 1978 Superman and the 1989 Batman broke grounds in the way audiences look at superhero movies.  Marvel didn’t always have success in the movies. The only big success they had was on the small screen with the Incredible Hulk television series. Their first attempts at adapting Spidey to the small screen were not… how shall we put it… nearly as successful as what we saw after 2000. A 1978 attempt at a live action series bore very little resemblance to the character and the Spidey featured on the Electric Company around that time was… unique. The only successful and entertaining Spider-Man live action series at that point was actually produced in Japan. And they gave Spidey a giant robot to fight evil with!! In this episode, Andrew and Bret talk about Spider-Man in the movies. What has worked. What has fallen flat. And why the current MCU version of Spidey might be the most entertaining version of the character on screen to date. So sit back, relax and check out our all Spider-Man episode, true believers!!

Series finales are never an easy thing. Some series finales are classics such as the cases of Newhart or M*A*S*H or they are complete duds… we’re looking right at YOU Jerry Seinfeld!! And in the case of shows like Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched or Mork and Mindy, they were canceled without being given a proper resolution. In the case of many long running series, by the time the last episode comes along the series has been so worn and drawn out and many of the main characters in the series become exaggerated caricatures of themselves. So I shouldn’t be surprised that the final episode doesn’t live up to potential a lot of the time.  In this episode Bret, Jamie, Andrew and Wayne choose a few classic (and not so classic series) and discuss how they think a series should have ended. So sit back and relax and look into the alternate reality the Mental Suppository has created.

Some movies are so bad they're good. Others are just plain bad. Bad with no redeeming qualities to them whatsoever. So bad that they're not good enough to be classified as B Movies. These movies are so incompetent and poorly produced they've been relegated to the status of Z MOVIES. In this installment Bret and Andrew discuss two of the more infamous Z Movie directors Coleman Francis and Hal Warren. Both men whose films were featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 after decades of obscurity. And both the best in their category of completely incompetent filmmakers. Join us for some DEEP HURTING!!