Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVIII coming this July 2010

from Shout! Factory:

This summer, The Mads of Deep 13 and the hilarious crew of the Satellite of Love — Joel, Mike, Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot and Gypsy — cordially invite you to join them as they pay tribute to some of the finest-quality cheesefests this side of Gouda! On July 13, 2010, Shout! Factory, in association with Best Brains, Inc., present Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVIII in a collectible 4-DVD box set. The 18th laugh-filled edition of Mystery Science Theater 3000 features the DVD debut of four never-before-released episodes: Lost Continent, Crash of the Moons, The Beast of Yucca Flats and Jack Frost, four limited-edition mini-posters by artist Steve Vance, and new bonus content, including special introductions by Frank Conniff and Kevin Murphy, original Mystery Science Theater Hour wraps, a look back at The Beast of Yucca Flats featurettes, original trailers & promos and more! Poised to keep the fans as entertained as ever this summer, Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVIII 4-DVD set is priced to own at $59.97.

MST3K: Lost Continent
A military mission to recover a fallen American rocket turns into a fight for survival after the rescue team finds themselves faced with dangerous creatures long since believed to be extinct! Who knew Leave It to Beaver’s Hugh Beaumont was a harbinger of death? The gang onboard the Satellite of Love soon find out for themselves as they set out on their own hilarious investigation of Season Two’s Lost Continent!
Bonus Features:
• New introduction by Frank Conniff
• Original theatrical trailer

MST3K: Crash of the Moons
Two inhabited moons are doomed to collide with one another — unless they get the help of United Worlds space ranger Rocky Jones and his trusted navigator Winky! The only thing standing in Rocky’s way is Queen Cleolanta, a suspicious empress with plans of her own. Join Joel and the ’bots aboard the Satellite of Love as they celebrate the adventures of Rocky Jones — and the life of Hogan’s Heroes’ John Banner — with their own rendition of the “The Gypsy Moons,” riffs aplenty and, of course, Banner-grams! Also includes the third installment of the short General Hospital.
Bonus Feature:
Mystery Science Theater Hour Wraps

MST3K: The Beast of Yucca Flats
Party the afternoon away with the SOL crew and their white trash neighbors as they celebrate the arrival of yet another riff-worthy movie from Deep 13! Starring none other than Ed Wood veteran Tor Johnson as the beast himself. The DVD also includes the long-awaited shorts Money Talks! and Progress Island, U.S.A. After a devastating atomic test, Joseph Javorsky, a defecting Russian scientist, is transformed into a murderous radioactive beast. Can desert patrolmen Jim Archer and Joe Dobson stop the creature before it kills again?
Bonus Features:
No Dialogue Necessary: Making an “Off-Camera Masterpiece”
Coleman Francis: The Cinematic Poet of Parking
• Original theatrical trailer
• Stills gallery

MST3K: Jack Frost
Young lovers Ivan and Nastenka must first conquer the most bizarre ordeals of the supernatural, including beastly transformations and evil witches, before they can finally be together in this unique Russian fairy tale. The crew of the Satellite of Love — Mike Nelson, Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo and Gypsy — is in for a truly rare treat when they take on the most powerful threat to come out of Russia (and Finland) since Yakov Smirnoff… Jack Frost!
Bonus Feature:
• New introduction by Kevin Murphy

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 series was created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Jim Mallon. After a year on KTMA TV in Minneapolis, its national broadcast life began in 1989 on the Comedy Channel (later to become Comedy Central), where it ran for seven seasons. The show’s final three seasons aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. The premise of the series features a hapless man who is trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space and forced to watch old B-movies of questionable worth. To keep sane, he’s built two robot sidekicks, and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired wisecracks and acting as a demented movie theater peanut gallery. Series creator Hodgson originally played the stranded man, Joel Robinson. When he left in 1993, series head writer Mike Nelson replaced him as the new B-movie victim Mike Nelson, and continued in the role for the rest of the show’s run. The format proved to be popular. During its eleven years and 198 episodes (including one feature film), MST3K attained a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993, and was nominated for writing Emmys in 1994 and 1995.

Check Out What’s New for Celebration V This Week

from StarWars.com:

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George Lucas at Celebration V
Star Wars creator George Lucas will make a special guest appearance at Star Wars Celebration V this August in Orlando. This will be the second Celebration appearance, and only the third Star Wars convention appearance for the writer/director, who last attended Celebration III in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2005. Lucas will appear onstage at a date and time yet to be scheduled during the four-day run of the show, which takes place August 12-15, 2010 at the Orange County Convention Center.

Discounted Travel
Take advantage of discounted hotel and travel deals when you book before July 21 using the Official Star Wars Celebration V Travel Desk! Our priority is to serve you best and provide the lowest possible hotel rates available for your stay, we continually monitor prices offered on other travel websites to get you the best rate. BOOK NOW!

Exclusive T-Shirts On-Sale Now Thru July 25!
Choose from Celebration V Logo T-Shirt (ONLY available for purchase online through July 25 — Don’t wait!) & Boba Fett Jet Ski T-Shirt (available for pre-order and onsite; onsite quantities will be limited). BUY TODAY!

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

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ThinkGeek finds delicious use for zombies + $10 off

from ThinkGeek:

Namaste, brother.

Now we know the whole story: the Others are lizards, the Island wasn’t on the first Earth, Locke was a Rossum doll, and it all happened inside Christian’s petri shoe in the bamboo field.

With LOST finally over, we can use tonight to celebrate Towel Day, when good interstellar hitchhikers display their towels. If that doesn’t ring a bell, you’d surely be killed by the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal, but don’t panic — it’s also Geek Pride Day in honor of the first Star Wars movie released today in 1977. May the Force be with you!

Zombie Blood Caffeinated Energy Potion — Drink thy enemy
They trudge, they groan, sometimes they run. But one thing about Zombies no one knew about till now is that their blood (as green and vile as it looks) is actually a refreshing energy drink. Sure it looks red in the movies when they get their heads blown off with shotguns, but it is actually green like a Vulcan. And boy is it tasty — like a tart lime. Grab some in these specimen bags now — certified to be mutagen, “Rage,” and T-virus free. Feast on it.

Take $10 Off — Void where zombied
Lord this one over your zombie “friends” — take $10 off your order of $30 or more with checkout code NOTDEAD now through 11:59pm EDT on May 28, 2010. Of course, you can be nice and share this coupon with a shambling pal, but they’ll still want to eat your brains.

Find more What’s New items at ThinkGeek!

Two new collections of hilarious RiffTrax shorts now on DVD!

from RiffTrax:

Join Mike, Kevin and Bill as they guide you through such cinematic masterpieces as The Case of Tommy Tucker, an instructional safety short that takes the brave and unprecendented step of sending its young hero to “Safety Hell” where he must argue his way out! Join Bewitched star Dick York as he learns to sack up and not be such a Shy Guy. And marvel at the bizarre RiffTrax world exclusive The Tale of Moose Baby, featuring the most endearingly revolting animal baby you’re ever like to meet.

Shorts-a-Poppin’ is two hours of laugh-out-loud comedy with the masters of movie mockery!

Get Shorts-a-Poppin’ here.

Join Mike, Kevin and Bill as they exact their revenge on the safety and educational films you were forced to watch while your substitute teacher slept in the back of the classroom. The guys serve up their signature brand of rapid fire, laugh-out-loud commentary over such classics as Contance Bennett’s Daily Beauty Rituals. (Who is Constance Bennett, and why should we trust her? Who the hell knows! Or cares!) Marvel at the bizarre behind-the-scenes goings-on as A Circus Wakes Up. Sit up straight and keep your mouth shut as they teach you exactly What it Means to be an American.

Get ready for two hours of non-stop laughter as RiffTrax Plays with Their Shorts!

Buy RiffTrax Plays With Their Shorts here.

(Download to burn options for each DVD are coming soon!)

Factory Entertainment: Dread Pirate Roberts Sword Pre-Sale Announcement!

from Factory Entertainment:

The Sword of the Dread Pirate Roberts Limited Edition 1:1 Scale Prop Replica — $299 Each (Plus shipping and any applicable taxes)

Copied from the original prop sword with exacting attention to detail, this stunning replica has a high quality hand forged blade made from high carbon sprung steel (SAE1065), a leather wrapped handle, and chrome plated steel accents.

Each replica also includes a leather scabbard, a wall mounted display shield and numbered plaque, a certificate of authenticity and a prop story booklet, featuring a special introduction by director Rob Reiner.

A limited edition of just 750 pieces worldwide.

Online Pre-Ordering* Will Begin May 28th 2010 at 11am (PST)

Shipping July 2010

*A $100 deposit will be payable at the time of pre-ordering to secure this item. See website for full details.

Last Tour to Endor at the Walt Disney World Resort

from StarWars.com:

After more than two decades of interstellar travel, Disney Parks’ Star Tours attraction is powering down to make way for its reimagining in 2011 — but Last Tour to Endor offers fans the opportunity to attend an out of-this-world, first-of-its-kind decommissioning party before Star Tours launches its final flights. Taking place on August 14 from 8:00pm – 1:00am at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Last Tour to Endor is a special event on the Saturday night of Star Wars Celebration V — THE official Lucasfilm fan convention and the biggest Star Wars party in the galaxy!

Fans and families attending Last Tour to Endor at the Walt Disney World Resort can enjoy a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience — including specially-themed intergalactic party zones, Star Wars shows, a Death Star Disco and much more. The evening will culminate with Symphony in the Stars — a Star Wars fireworks spectacular as only Disney Parks can create. Though the party begins at 8:00pm, Last Tour ticket-holders will also be allowed early entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 4:00pm — where they can be sure to secure a seat one of the StarSpeeder 3000’s final voyages!

Disney Parks will also have a prominent presence on the Celebration V show floor at the Orange County Convention Center — including Jedi Training Academy for younglings and Padawans and a Disney merchandise booth featuring a host of exclusive items as well as Star Wars items only previously available at Disney park stores. CV attendees will also enjoy special room rates at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, specially-priced tickets with pre-arrival purchase savings for Walt Disney World parks and an exclusive, reserved room block at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — which will include complimentary round-trip transfers to and from the convention center.

To purchase tickets — and to take advantage of Last Tour to Endor special offers — visit starwarscelebration.com/Disney. For more information on Star Wars Celebration V visit starwarscelebration.com for the latest updates.

Please note: Last Tour to Endor is a ticketed event separate from Star Wars Celebration V. A Celebration V pass alone will not grant admission to this event.

George Lucas to Appear at Celebration V

from StarWars.com:

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Star Wars creator George Lucas will make a special guest appearance at Star Wars Celebration V this August in Orlando.

This will be the second Celebration appearance, and only the third Star Wars convention appearance for the writer/director, who last attended Celebration III in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2005.

Lucas will appear onstage at a date and time yet to be scheduled during the four-day run of the show, which takes place August 12-15, 2010 at the Orange County Convention Center.

Check back here and at starwars.com for updated information on when you can look forward to Lucas’ time at the show.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to purchase your tickets to Star Wars Celebration V here today!

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

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“Cinematic Titanic” News

from Cinematic Titanic:

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a while since our last newsletter, just wanted to fill you in on all the happenings here at the fictional world headquarters of Cinematic Titanic.

THE NEXT DVD

Our next DVD, Cinematic Titanic Live: “Danger on Tiki Island”, will be released TUESDAY, JUNE 15th. Trailer coming soon.

In addition to one of our favorite movies, the DVD also features an 18 minute mini-doc featuring interviews with all five “Titans” talking about the amazing experience that has been CT so far.

UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS

We’ve added a bunch of shows to our calender for 2010! Hopefully one of them is near you. If not, rest assured we’re trying to find venues in lots of cities we haven’t been to yet.

FRIDAY 6/11 — SEATTLE, WA — Showbox at the Market — 2 shows — TICKETS: 1st show HERE, 2nd show HERE

FRIDAY 7/2 — ANN ARBOR, MI — Michigan Theatre — 2 shows — TICKETS: HERE

TUESDAY 8/3 — SAN FRANSISCO, CA — Castro Theatre — 1 show — TICKETS: TBA

9/3-9/6 — ATLANTA, GA — DragonCon (various panels and signings) — TICKETS: HERE

FRIDAY 9/24 — LOS ANGELES, CA — Club Nokia — 2 shows — TICKETS: HERE — ON SALE FRIDAY 5/21!

SATURDAY 9/25 — ANAHEIM, CA — The Grove of Anaheim — 2 shows — TICKETS: HERE — ON SALE SATURDAY 5/22!

FRIDAY 10/29 — BOSTON, MA — Wilbur Theatre — 1 show — TICKETS: TBA

SATURDAY 11/27 — NEWARK, NJ — Victoria Theater, NJPAC — 2 shows — TICKETS: HERE

DID YOU CATCH…

Cinematic Titanic‘s appearance on Countdown with Keith Olbermann last month?

Check out the full segment HERE.

Thanks to Keith for having us on, it was a part of a very fun week we had on the East Coast which culminated at our sold out show on Broadway at the Nokia Theater. Thanks to everyone who came out to see us.

Talk at ya soon!

Thanks,
Cinematic Titanic

Apocalyptic Prophecy and Frenetic Action Reach a Stunning Climax in the Final Chapter of “20th Century Boys” Film Trilogy

from VIZ Media:

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, concludes the epic sci-fi film trilogy based on Naoki Urasawa’s acclaimed manga, 20th Century Boys, with the release of the final film, 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption, on DVD on June 1st. The film, which will be distributed by VIZ Media in North America, will carry an MSRP of $24.92 U.S. / $35.99 CAN.

VIZ Pictures celebrates the release with a film screening of 20th Century Boys 3: Redemption for one-night-only at VIZ Cinema in San Francisco on Thursday, May 20th at 7:00pm. VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and is located at 1746 Post St., in the heart of the city’s Japan-town. Tickets to attend the movie-only are: $10.00; or attend the film and take home the brand new DVD, a 20th Century Boys poster, and more for only $25.00. Trailers and more details are available at: vizcinema.com.

Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and presented in partnership with Nippon Television, the 20th Century Boys saga begins in 1969 when a young boy named Kenji and his friends write “The Book of Prophecy.” In the book, they write about a future where they fight against an evil organization trying to take over the world and bring about Doomsday. Years later in 1997, a mysterious cult being led by a man only known as “Friend” has emerged and gained strong influence over society. A series of catastrophic events begin to occur, mirroring the prophecies made up by the young Kenji.

In the final film, the year is Friend Era Year 3 (2017 A.D.) and the World President, Friend, rules humanity. After a deadly virus ravages Tokyo, a wall is built around the city and inhabitants’ lives have been severely restricted. Friend tells everyone that on August 20th, aliens will destroy mankind and only those who believe in him will be saved. But a movement to stop Friend is in motion. Is protagonist Kenji really still alive? What is Friend’s plan for August 20th? Will the mystery behind the true identity of Friend be uncovered? All of the prophecies, schemes and plans will be finally revealed in the saga’s exciting concluding chapter.

“Fateful prophecies reach an exciting climax in the final chapter of the 20th Century Boys saga,” says Seiji Horibuchi, President and CEO of VIZ Pictures. “Our film screening on May 20th at VIZ Cinema will give fans a special opportunity to catch all the frenetic action on the big screen, and we invite audiences to explore all of the 20th Century Boys films as well as the manga series that inspired them. There is also a brief recap of previous stories on the very beginning of the movie, so people who haven’t watched Chapters 1 and 2 can catch up on the story.”

The 20th Century Boys trilogy is based on the critically-acclaimed manga series created by Naoki Urasawa (also published by VIZ Media, rated “T+” for Older Teens) and was a national phenomenon in Japan, selling over 24 million copies.

For more information on 20th Century Boys or other VIZ Pictures titles, please visit viz-pictures.com.

Travis Gordon on “Spellfury” — A Comedic Fantasy Adventure


(Teaser Clip of Spellfury, Episode 1)

KoldCast.tv is an online network that offers dozens of original series created exclusively for the web in a multitude of genres. One of those web series is a fantasy comedy called Spellfury. I recently offered up my opinion of the show on KoldCast’s blog (you can read it by clicking here). To sum it up, Spellfury is funny and entertaining, and succeeds where many previous attempts at mixing comedy and fantasy failed.

I recently spoke with creator Travis Gordon about his inspiration as a filmmaker and what influenced his creation of Spellfury.

ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) Who were your influences in filmmaking?

Travis Gordon (TG) George Lucas. Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are my favorite three films.

(ÜSFG) Did you always plan on doing Spellfury as a web series?

(TG) We’d worked for about 6 years on a feature-length film called Mass Stupidity that we’re submitting to festivals now so I had lived with this heavy burden of carrying this huge film from script to post production and I told myself I wouldn’t be doing another film for a long while so I decided I wanted to do something easier. A web series provides more freedom for a writer, a film is very structured, a series can be a little looser, I do have the characters and story arcs worked out for the show for a few seasons but a web series allows the characters to grow and take on a life of their own. I can watch an actor play the character and go, oh, that was interesting, I’d love to see more of that and try and work it into the storyline. There’s a lot more collaboration with the actors, I have more flexibility in the storytelling, I’m enjoying that.

(ÜSFG) You have several other projects that have gotten some acclaim. Tell us a little bit about them.

(TG) We received a Bronze in Dramatic Shorts at The Houston International Worldfest Film Festival in 2008, it was very exciting for all of us, it was the first time we had won an international award for filmmaking. It was for a sci-fi short called Revelation about a woman struggling with her predetermined destiny, it also starred Julie O’Halloran, Robbie Drebitt and Penu Chalykoff from Spellfury and was shot entirely in front of greenscreens.

(ÜSFG) When can we expect more episodes of Spellfury?

(TG) I’m going to wrap up episode 9-12 in the next few months and that will be the end of season one. After that I might take a little break and make a DVD with extras, commentaries and lots of behind the scenes stuff and then start into season 2.

(ÜSFG) What are your hopes for the future of Spellfury?

(TG) My hopes are we can grow our audience and actually make a profit on the show in season 2. My dream is that the show can be sustainable enough that I can actually start to pay the actors and crew for their hard work, they’ve been so supportive of the show from day one! That’s the trouble with making a web series, there isn’t enough money coming in to pay for the episodes. I think things will change soon though. More and more people are watching video online nowadays, the advertising dollars are shifting from television to online.

(ÜSFG) For anyone watching Spellfury, what’s the one thing you most want them to take away from the experience?

(TG) I want them to think “wow, that was fun”.

You can watch Spellfury on the official website and at KoldCast, then check out these other links:

Spellfury Official Website
Spellfury on KoldCast
Spellfury on Facebook
Spellfury on Twitter
Travis Gordon on Twitter
Travis Gordon on Funny or Die

Now available from RiffTrax: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!

from RiffTrax:

Widely considered to be one of the five or six best Harry Potter movies, Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire is a breath of fresh air for a series that desperately needed one. Casting aside the familiar tropes of the first three movies in favor of bold new innovations such as Quidditch, a sinister new faculty member and dragons, The Goblet of Fire leaves the viewer wanting more! And then continues for another hour and a half…

Get it here.