The Mike Nelson Appreciation Thread

[Fenris]

It is tragic that Mike Nelson never gained the praise that he was due for stepping into the massive, sleepy shoes of Joel Hodgson. The pre-Nelson MST3K was a program that neared perfection, and when Joel vamoosed in the escape pod he found in a box of hamdingers, a massive void was left. Mike Nelson was the the person brave enough to take the helm of the show and provide fans of C and D grade cinema with years of obscure pop-culture references and jokes about Krankor the chicken man.



True, Mike lacked some of the droll humor and silliness that Joel brought to MST3k. Mike's humor was intensely cerebral and presented in a manner that was deadpan. Mike was just some geeky cheesehead, a Wisconsin regular guy that took a bad situation and made it work to his advantage. Mike was never going to be Joel, but why would he want to be? And, further, how could he have been?



Most people loved Joel and think the show lost something after he left. But you know what? I love Mike too. There's something very calm and soothing about him. And yet, he is wickedly funny. I can't deny that the man triumphed where others would have failed, and I think he should be commended for that.

[meegbear]

1. Mike was a palatible substitute ...

but the show was never the same after Joel left. QED

[djeseru]

2. Still a big fan...

...heh, just watched "Riding With Death" last night. Can't wait to pick up the recent release of "Reefer Madness" with his commentary.

[Book Lover]

16. You'll enjoy it

There are some slow bits in his commentary, but once everyone gets high and does some crimes, he's riffing away :-)

[Wilber_Stool]

3. I thought

you were talking about Sea Hunt. Never mind.

[PragMantisT]

4. Wasn't Mike there from the beginning

Writing while Joel presented.

IMO the show was great in it's original conception. They shift to Sci-Fi and Pearl and the apes was the bitterest pill. What has everyone else done since they left the show in it's heyday? Behind the camera at Sabrina teenage which and other awful sitcoms?

Mike deserves praise for sticking with the show from beginning to end. Loyalty to something is in very short supply these days.

Thanks Mike.
Hope to see you again soon.

[Fenris]

7. Yes, he was. Everyone on that show wrote.

[SideshowScott]

11. I disagre Mary Jo was a hoot as Ms Forrester

I thought she could be fall down funny in the Sci-fi days. Brain guy and Bobo were great too. I think she is a wonderful actress and I wish she can do some more acting in something good.

[djeseru]

17. I always thought...

...that Brain Guy had some of the best lines. The 'ask your girlfriend' joke that Bobo later botched was good.

[Book Lover]

21. www.mst3kinfo.com

is the place to go for updates, etc. As for sticking with the show from start to finish, I just want to mention that Kevin Murphy was there before anybody - he and Jim Mallon worked together for KTMA and they pitched out and Joel came to them with the idea. I understand Mike came along in the first Comedy Central season.

I know way too much about this show for someone who never worked on it.

[BigMcLargehuge]

5. I miss Mike

While I loved the show before Joel left, I really loved it after. Mike offered a little more naievete to the audience, a smarter-older-brother vibe that Joel never had, and he had funnier movies.

Mike has some REALLY funny books out now, and he's doing DVD commontaries for some public domain released like Reefer Madness and a colorized Night of the Living Dead.

Make Mine Mike!

Space Mutiny: Mike
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank: Mike
Jack Frost: Mike
Beginning of the End: Mike

[djeseru]

8. Giant Spider Invasion ~ Mike. n/t

[Fenris]

10. With Alan "Skipper" Hale!

[djeseru]

13. I'll confess...

...to knowing just about every line to that MST episode. "Jack Frost" runs a close second ~ I scream with laughter everytime Jack makes the scene. Some of the best pick-me-ups I've got taped...

[Fenris]

18. For me it's "Giant Spider Invasion" and "Final Sacrifice"

And "The Girl in the Gold Boots".

[djeseru]

23. Oh yeah...

..."Rowsdower"!

[SideshowScott]

12. "Packers won the super bowl Whoooo! " ROFL

MST3k did, does now, and will forever rock!
WHY oh WHY with over 200 cable stations has not ONE of them picked up this great show for re-runs?? Gahhh!

[GiovanniC]

19. Comedy Central

Would do well to consider it.

[Fenris]

20. Oh yeah! The rioting cheeseheads!

[Book Lover]

22. Permissions

for rebroadcast of the original movies they riff on are either no longer obtainable or the cost is prohibitive.

OK, I'm leaving this thread now and going back to work :-)

[Fenris]

9. Overdrawn at the Memory Bank!

Raul Julia's finest 2 hours!

"Mom, my nuts?"

[SideshowScott]

6. Mike was just as good..Diffrent but the show was still great

There were some very classic Mike shows as there were Joel. Like "Werewolf", " Red Zone Cuba ", " Santa Clause" and many more.
And who could forget the MST3K Movie with Mike in it? I saw it in a packed house and the audience had to catch its breath after laughing so hard. To hear a theater audience gasp for air was something else.
Ive got Friends who just like Mike and some who are Joel people. I think they were both wonderful in there own way. Thats a testament on just how great MST3k really was. Sigh! Time to watch some shows!

[Book Lover]

14. Ah, Joel vs. Mike.

Feels like 1996 all over again :-) They were both great in their own way, but I personally prefer Joel.

[stinkeefresh]

15. Joel and Mike both rock.

In their own ways. I can't really handle the new Crow, though.

By the way- my first rundown old Volvo was named Tom Servo - the one I drive now (an 84 wagon!) is named The Satellite of Love.

Does anyone know the origin of that phrase? I know there's a great old Velvet Underground song "Satellite of Love", but is that the only other usage?

Anyone know?

[SideshowScott]

24. Keep Circulating the Tapes! Newsgroups has shows to download!

MST is like the grateful dead in that respect.They encouraged people to trade tapes to keep the show in a everlasting ha ha! .I'm building my collection to near gigantic size
For you cable and high speed users there is Alt.Binares.multimeda.comedy in newsgroups that will ALWAYS have 3 to 5 eps to download..( You need winrar to put it together )

[djeseru]

25. Wow, thanks!

I've been looking for "Wild Riders" for ages ~ I can see this weekend's TV viewing outlook shaping up nicely. :)

[SideshowScott]

26. NP ALSO Check out DAP and Kazza if you got the guts!

http://dml.dapcentral.org/
They have MANY MANY eps for download..Might need DIVX for some...Also for the i can deal with whatever I download crowd there is Kazza