MST3K The Movie deleted scenes

[mrbasehart]

I wonder if, properly promoted, the movie would have done well? Or was it always to be a "cult" thing...

[eegah]

You know... they should riff Barbwire just for vengence...

Seconded.

[Sharktopus]

I wonder if, properly promoted, the movie would have done well? Or was it always to be a "cult" thing...

I've often wondered if the right marketing could've made MST3K:TM a breakout hit. It's understandably hard to sell the concept, but if they could've gotten a decent number of butts in the theaters, or a decent number of prints into the theaters for that matter, word-of-mouth could've spread like wildfire. "I just saw the funniest movie," is the best advertising a movie can get.

[roguescout]

It was doomed from within before it ever got cheated on the distribution.

I am contemplating a riff of the most doomed movie ever as a token of my appreciation for Mike and BBI's work over the years. I am surprised it has never been suggested (I dug pretty deep and couldn't find it).

I have never had an easier time riffing a flick and I may just do it. I have the skills and technology. Now I just need the time.

Cr*p. I just let the cat out of the bag. Well, nobody will ever read this anyways...

[AmandaGal]

Are you suggesting that nobody has suggested suggesting MST3k:TM as a Rifftrax suggestion?

That has been suggested many times but I think we came to conclusion that it would make the space/time continuum collapse around itself and cause the end of all mankind.

That being said, go for it.

[gbeenie]

I wonder if, properly promoted, the movie would have done well? Or was it always to be a "cult" thing...

I dunno; but I saw it roughly a half-dozen times during its EXTREMELY short, limited theatrical run (weren't there something like TEN prints for the entire country?). With decent distribution and promotion, who knows how it might have done? I think I'll try to find some box-office info on it.


CORRECTION: At its widest distribution, there were 26 prints. My mistake.

[gbeenie]

I just checked. Per screen, MST3K: The Movie SMASHED the wide releases for its opening weekend; in subsequent weekends it only came in slightly below the new releases, and head-and-shoulders above wide releases its age.

So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, yeah, if the film had been distributed and promoted with even the merest hint of skill, it could have been really big.

[Rattrap007]

I wish they'd clean up the footage of the deleted scenes and re-release them on DVD

[Steve-O]

I just checked. Per screen, MST3K: The Movie SMASHED the wide releases for its opening weekend; in subsequent weekends it only came in slightly below the new releases, and head-and-shoulders above wide releases its age.

Yeah, but it was released in mid-April.  Not exactly the box office high season.  Though I guess you could make a case that the release date falls under the heading of "incompetent distribution and marketing."

Personally, as good as it was, I don't think there's any way the movie was destined for anything greater than cult status.

[Pak-Man]

When you're dealing with as few screens as MST3K got, the "per Screen" rating means a little bit less. Knowing the nature of MSTies, a showing in one city probably drew MSTies from every surrounding city. If it hadn't been so limited, then those MSTies would have went to their local theatre instead, and the viewership would have been more dispersed.

[Sharktopus]

Personally, as good as it was, I don't think there's any way the movie was destined for anything greater than cult status.

I dunno. Given a wider release and sufficient word-of-mouth, MST3K:TM could've been an Office Space or Napoleon Dynamite-level sleeper hit.

[Steve-O]

I dunno. Given a wider release and sufficient word-of-mouth, MST3K:TM could've been an Office Space or Napoleon Dynamite-level sleeper hit.

A wider release might have helped, but I don't see word-of-mouth being a huge factor.

Even with more screens, 90% of the audience during the opening weekend would be MSTies (I'd call that a low estimate, but I guess it's possible.)  Of course, the entirety of that group are guaranteed to love the film, and will likely want to tell people about it.

But who are they going to tell, exactly?  Speaking in broad generalizations here -- and obviously I'm not referring to any of you -- MST fans tend to be just a tad geeky.  They don't usually run in wide social circles, and when they do, they flock with dorks of a feather.  So even if they tell everybody they know how great the movie is, odds are they're going to get one of two responses:

1. Helloooo?!  I know that!  I've already seen it twelve times.

or

2. Will you shut the hell up about that stupid puppet show already?!

I know.  I tried.

[Sharktopus]

You make a good point. But it's fun to dream...

And Dorks of a Feather would make a great band name. [/Dave Barry]

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

A wider release might have helped, but I don't see word-of-mouth being a huge factor.

Even with more screens, 90% of the audience during the opening weekend would be MSTies (I'd call that a low estimate, but I guess it's possible.)  Of course, the entirety of that group are guaranteed to love the film, and will likely want to tell people about it.

But who are they going to tell, exactly?  Speaking in broad generalizations here -- and obviously I'm not referring to any of you -- MST fans tend to be just a tad geeky.  They don't usually run in wide social circles, and when they do, they flock with dorks of a feather.  So even if they tell everybody they know how great the movie is, odds are they're going to get one of two responses:

1. Helloooo?!  I know that!  I've already seen it twelve times.

or

2. Will you shut the hell up about that stupid puppet show already?!

I know.  I tried.

a very true post, but odd when i consider my experience with rifftrax, ive had quite good succsess at getting others to watch AND repeat watch it when im no longer present.  weird huh. 

[mrbasehart]

a very true post, but odd when i consider my experience with rifftrax, ive had quite good succsess at getting others to watch AND repeat watch it when im no longer present.  weird huh. 

I think there's a massive difference to MST3k and Rifftrax in the way that they're perceived (if they're perceived at all).  MST3k has puppets, a rather goofy premise, and really lousy movies, while Rifftrax is a commentary tearing apart movies that people may have paid to see.  I think some people may dismiss MST3k as "sci-fi" (the way people use it as a pejorative), when it was really a comedy show.  Rifftrax doesn't have that stigma attached.