I don't even know why we still have a Netflix sub. I haven't even opened Netflix in like 3 months.
I have to wonder just how many millions of people are in this same situation, where they've mostly just forgotten they have a Netflix sub.
It's got enough decent stuff to keep me subscribed, but it's a pretty razor-thin situation and a lot of that has to do with how much they refuse to allow any of their material to be purchased off the service. I guess they think that pissing people off by forcing them to sub to watch a single show or two they like is worth risking their catalogue being pirated, but the way they keep losing a ton of market share every year begs to disagree. The fact that they refused to do a physical version of Stranger Things S3 was more than a little irritating to me, since now I have the first two seasons but the third will apparently never happen.
It's just not a service built to actually give consumers what they want, and then it refuses to understand why it keeps losing viewers.
MST3K is never ever going to be a mainstream smash hit. It’s a cult appeal show that has a relatively small but fiercely loyal fanbase.
Netflix’s problem is they wanted to shove the square peg of “cult show” into their round metrics hole. You don’t keep a show like MST3K on your service because it’s going to be a main draw to the platform for most people. You keep it because it’s ridiculously cheap to make and you guarantee that loyal fanbase stays subbed to you. It’s free fucking money, but it’s not $Nintendo so it got put out with yesterday’s garbage.
If nothing else, the critic reviews should have been enough to keep the show. It’s a feather in your cap. “We have a show that received 100% good reviews.”
But the history of MST3K is one of clueless executives having a guaranteed winner on their hands and being embarrassed of it. When the MST3K movie was being made they did zero advertising for it in favor of the goddamn Pamela Anderson movie Barb Wire. Has anybody even seen that fucking movie? Does anybody even remember it exists? Meanwhile MST3K is well on its way to being revived by the fans again, getting millions of dollars directly from them.
Not everything needs to be a megahit. This is a product tailor-made for a very particular kind of person. If the alternative to having it on a network that can punch it in the dick anytime they want is another streaming paywall aimed at that very particular kind of person, I’m personally fine with it. Would I rather it be on Netflix so I could just have it on something I already get? Sure! But the past has shown that putting this show in the hands of coke-addled network/streaming execs is just pearls before swine.
+5
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
I just got an email from Shout Factory that is entirely advertising the kickstarter and how they are partnered with Joel. So I guess that firmly answers that question about their role.
Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
Interesting news. The girl from the live shows will be in this new season. I remember wondering if that would happen (since the live shows definitely hinted at it), but then covid happened literally a few weeks later (whew, glad I was able to go before that mess) and I forgot :P
It mostly wasn’t worth the stress of watching quietly on cable after my parents were asleep. For an only slightly less dated reference, think Striperella if it took place entirely in a junk yard at night. Real high class stuff.
That said, it’d probably make a reasonably good MST3K episode, though it’s a lot deeper into 90s soft core sleaze than they usually go.
I just got an email from Shout Factory that is entirely advertising the kickstarter and how they are partnered with Joel. So I guess that firmly answers that question about their role.
I still don't get why that wasn't up front and center, if only to explain why they were spending so little budget on the actual streaming portion of a streaming service.
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
It would be really cool if they get to the next level and Joel does an episode that Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu return to voice Servo and Crow. Even if it is just one bit. Especially if Emily will have her own Tom and Crow with their own voice actors in her episodes.
They did say that they’ve invited everyone but that they didn’t want to pressure any of them since they all have their own riffing stuff now.
I know they all get along to some extent. They did an anniversary live show that was fantastic and pretty much everybody was there.
They all remain pretty close friends and do a lot of crossover work when they can. They've just been friends long enough to know when they need to go do their own thing.
Like how Trace and Frank have their own traveling show under the Mads brand.
All opinions are my own and in no way reflect that of my employer.
The first one was especially cool, because Joel got to watch the Hobgoblins episode (which he has somehow never seen before). While watching he's commenting on the cheap puppets and says something like "you have to try to get puppets this bad". Then during the end credits he sees the guy who made them and he's like, "Oh, wait, I'm friends with that guy" and texts him to see WTH happened on that movie.
Also! They're only like $100K away from getting to 9 episodes (1 of which will feature Joel back in the theater), and given how things ramped up last time in the last couple of days I'm pretty sure they're going to get all the way to 12.
+6
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No-QuarterNothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered Userregular
Hoooooooooooobgoblins!
Hoooooooooooooooooobgolins!
Gotta watch out for them, hooooooooooooobgobli ns!
BANG!
+3
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Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
I'm happy funding seems to be picking back up. I hope we get another huge late cash push so they can actually do 12 episodes. But at least 9 is pretty much guaranteed which is not bad.
They keep adding stuff to the $150 tier.. I'm tempted to bump up my pledge :P
I pledged at that tier and added on the Blu Ray set, since the rights to these episodes tend to fade in and out and I really just want to watch them whenever I want
+2
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
I just added some stuff to my pledge. Two extra 3-D glasses and two extra concession packs as well as the keychain from the other kickstarter. I seriously thought about Reptilicus on VHS as the box art looks like the old Rhino copies.
I just added some stuff to my pledge. Two extra 3-D glasses and two extra concession packs as well as the keychain from the other kickstarter. I seriously thought about Reptilicus on VHS as the box art looks like the old Rhino copies.
I have a copy of Reptilicus from the last kickstarter
So tempted to KickStart even though I have never kickstarted......
this was my first
just $35 cause I'm a poor
That's ok!
I have some kind of strange snow globe/music box contraption coming my way (and then some) but I pledged that because I'm a single guy with no kids and my rent+utilities is like $530/month so I have money that I should save but instead spend :P
+2
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
I need someone to donate the less than $1 million needed for the final goal. I know one of you is holding out on us. That is peanuts. We must be able to convince some rich person somewhere.
I’m sure Seinfeld is gonna drop another cool 6 figures on it before Friday is through
If you look at the graph comparing this to the last Kickstarter it’s well ahead of where we were last time, and we aren’t even at the last minute donor push yet
0
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Warlock82Never pet a burning dogRegistered Userregular
I’m sure Seinfeld is gonna drop another cool 6 figures on it before Friday is through
If you look at the graph comparing this to the last Kickstarter it’s well ahead of where we were last time, and we aren’t even at the last minute donor push yet
That's assuming it gets those huge last minute donations tho I really hope it does cuz I want 12 episodes.
I’m sure Seinfeld is gonna drop another cool 6 figures on it before Friday is through
If you look at the graph comparing this to the last Kickstarter it’s well ahead of where we were last time, and we aren’t even at the last minute donor push yet
That's assuming it gets those huge last minute donations tho I really hope it does cuz I want 12 episodes.
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
They have an add-on which is a set of mission patches, like the ones Jonah wore on his suit in the Netflix seasons, that includes one for Emily as well as updates for Joel and Jonah with their current appearances since Joel will be in an episode again. It comes with a mystery 5th patch that they are being very shady about. Could there be a surprise other host?
I would love it if Mike would make a cameo in the same vein as Joel's from Soultaker but he's way too focused on Rifftrax now to put in a guest appearance, probably
Side note, it makes me sad that Mike is a conservative and appeared on a podcast with noted shithead Doug TenNapel, but at least he quit that after Doug predictably said some heinous and offensive bullshit and it was clear Mike was gonna get hit for the association
Mike has always been all right for the most part at keeping his politics out of his comedy, but it still sucks
Never meet your heroes
+3
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
edited May 2021
There are new rewards that are free Rifftrax episodes for backers as well as Rifftrax will do some live shows in the Gizoplex so they are definitely talking. Especially since Bill Corbett was on the last live stream.
Ideally I want Joel to have Trace Beaulieu and Kevin Murphy voice his Crow and Tom, and then for there to be a Mike cameo with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy for his Crow and Tom. Especially since Emily and Jonah are going to have specifically different voice actors for their Crows and Toms.
Of course if you are giving me everything I want, then I'd also like a full Trace and Frank cameos as the Mads.
Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
The current live stream has Jonah and cast interviewing Frank Dietz who was in Undead Nightmare and this guy is actually amazing. He is very well spoken and a big fan of MST3K. He actually kept the prop pistol he used in the movie. He has great stories.
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
Looks like I gotta figure out what level I want to back at. I'm a little concerned about the gizmoplex thing and the remote production plans, so I'm not sure how much cash I actually want to throw at this. I guess the thing that worries me most is if the actors are riffing from separate locations they won't be able to play off each other naturally. It could be really awkward. Time will tell!
0
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
Looks like I gotta figure out what level I want to back at. I'm a little concerned about the gizmoplex thing and the remote production plans, so I'm not sure how much cash I actually want to throw at this. I guess the thing that worries me most is if the actors are riffing from separate locations they won't be able to play off each other naturally. It could be really awkward. Time will tell!
Even if you don’t care a single bit about the Gizmoplex thing you can just get DRM-free downloads of the new episodes if that’s all you care about
+5
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Librarian's ghostLibrarian, Ghostbuster, and TimSporkRegistered Userregular
Jeez this thing is picking up speed. Already almost down to only 400k left. I assumed they wouldn't get the 5.8 for the special secret last level, but maybe they will?
Posts
I just finished Kipo. I'll probably take a break from it when the bill comes up, at least while I binge the relevant bits of HBO Max.
I have to wonder just how many millions of people are in this same situation, where they've mostly just forgotten they have a Netflix sub.
It's got enough decent stuff to keep me subscribed, but it's a pretty razor-thin situation and a lot of that has to do with how much they refuse to allow any of their material to be purchased off the service. I guess they think that pissing people off by forcing them to sub to watch a single show or two they like is worth risking their catalogue being pirated, but the way they keep losing a ton of market share every year begs to disagree. The fact that they refused to do a physical version of Stranger Things S3 was more than a little irritating to me, since now I have the first two seasons but the third will apparently never happen.
It's just not a service built to actually give consumers what they want, and then it refuses to understand why it keeps losing viewers.
Netflix’s problem is they wanted to shove the square peg of “cult show” into their round metrics hole. You don’t keep a show like MST3K on your service because it’s going to be a main draw to the platform for most people. You keep it because it’s ridiculously cheap to make and you guarantee that loyal fanbase stays subbed to you. It’s free fucking money, but it’s not $Nintendo so it got put out with yesterday’s garbage.
If nothing else, the critic reviews should have been enough to keep the show. It’s a feather in your cap. “We have a show that received 100% good reviews.”
But the history of MST3K is one of clueless executives having a guaranteed winner on their hands and being embarrassed of it. When the MST3K movie was being made they did zero advertising for it in favor of the goddamn Pamela Anderson movie Barb Wire. Has anybody even seen that fucking movie? Does anybody even remember it exists? Meanwhile MST3K is well on its way to being revived by the fans again, getting millions of dollars directly from them.
Not everything needs to be a megahit. This is a product tailor-made for a very particular kind of person. If the alternative to having it on a network that can punch it in the dick anytime they want is another streaming paywall aimed at that very particular kind of person, I’m personally fine with it. Would I rather it be on Netflix so I could just have it on something I already get? Sure! But the past has shown that putting this show in the hands of coke-addled network/streaming execs is just pearls before swine.
If they get to 9 episodes, Joel will come back and do one.
If they get to 12, he’ll do two.
It mostly wasn’t worth the stress of watching quietly on cable after my parents were asleep. For an only slightly less dated reference, think Striperella if it took place entirely in a junk yard at night. Real high class stuff.
That said, it’d probably make a reasonably good MST3K episode, though it’s a lot deeper into 90s soft core sleaze than they usually go.
I still don't get why that wasn't up front and center, if only to explain why they were spending so little budget on the actual streaming portion of a streaming service.
They did say that they’ve invited everyone but that they didn’t want to pressure any of them since they all have their own riffing stuff now.
They all remain pretty close friends and do a lot of crossover work when they can. They've just been friends long enough to know when they need to go do their own thing.
Like how Trace and Frank have their own traveling show under the Mads brand.
The first one was especially cool, because Joel got to watch the Hobgoblins episode (which he has somehow never seen before). While watching he's commenting on the cheap puppets and says something like "you have to try to get puppets this bad". Then during the end credits he sees the guy who made them and he's like, "Oh, wait, I'm friends with that guy" and texts him to see WTH happened on that movie.
Also! They're only like $100K away from getting to 9 episodes (1 of which will feature Joel back in the theater), and given how things ramped up last time in the last couple of days I'm pretty sure they're going to get all the way to 12.
Hoooooooooooooooooobgolins!
Gotta watch out for them, hooooooooooooobgobli ns!
They keep adding stuff to the $150 tier.. I'm tempted to bump up my pledge :P
"Repteeleecoooooos"
I have a copy of Reptilicus from the last kickstarter
this was my first
just $35 cause I'm a poor
That's ok!
I have some kind of strange snow globe/music box contraption coming my way (and then some) but I pledged that because I'm a single guy with no kids and my rent+utilities is like $530/month so I have money that I should save but instead spend :P
If you look at the graph comparing this to the last Kickstarter it’s well ahead of where we were last time, and we aren’t even at the last minute donor push yet
That's assuming it gets those huge last minute donations tho
AND 12 Shorts
Side note, it makes me sad that Mike is a conservative and appeared on a podcast with noted shithead Doug TenNapel, but at least he quit that after Doug predictably said some heinous and offensive bullshit and it was clear Mike was gonna get hit for the association
Mike has always been all right for the most part at keeping his politics out of his comedy, but it still sucks
Never meet your heroes
Ideally I want Joel to have Trace Beaulieu and Kevin Murphy voice his Crow and Tom, and then for there to be a Mike cameo with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy for his Crow and Tom. Especially since Emily and Jonah are going to have specifically different voice actors for their Crows and Toms.
Of course if you are giving me everything I want, then I'd also like a full Trace and Frank cameos as the Mads.
Join me in being a snow globe/music box owner!