Michael J. Nelson is the former host and writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.
His first book, Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, "He's more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers... Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes... and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves." Mike's laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, "From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half," and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, "[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley's immortal Treasurer's Report."
And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, "Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson's mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network--only funnier!"
Mike speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy sells out theaters with his RiffTrax Live events.
Comments
So my husband, his four brothers and I have been huge fans of both MST3K and riff trax since childhood. We know you probably watch a lot of movies and that this one has probably come your way before, but we would love to hear you make it the most awesome movie of all time. Especially since a movie named Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus should be so metal! I feel like this is something you would love even if you couldn't create a trax for it. In any case I am going to finish this lovely bottle of wine to help me make the cackling of my husband and his brothers bearable. Thanks for making so many movies better.
theevamarie@hotmail.com
-Eva Marie-
Hi Mike. You guys should put your Rifftrax on iTunes. I have a bunch of friends with ipods that love Rifftrax but their parents won't order Rifftrax for them. It will open up a whole new audience (teenagers). Teens now watch this stuff ffrom youtube. Look of "Best of Rifftrax" if you don't all ready know. The movies will still cost about the same thing but now kids ccan get them on their own free will. This would be so boss.
You guys are really funny.
Do the 3rd Lord of the Rings and the rest of those Pirate movies (you can do alot with Davy Jones).
hi
Hello, Mike!
Do you remember this show on TV that you used to work on, Mystery Science Theater 3000, I think it was called? More specifically, do you remember a movie that the show once featured, called Pod People? Even more specifically, do you remember how during the opening and closing credits there played footage of drunken hillbillies chasing an even more drunken alien through the woods? Well, that footage was from a film called *The Galaxy Invader*, and the worst mistake the brave men, women, and puppets who worked on MST3K ever made was not featuring that movie on the show.
Because the movie in question is bad, really, really, really bad, and you know what, I'm not even going to bother holding back anymore and call it the SINGLE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE. We're talking worse than the Emmerich-Delvin Fraudzilla bad, WORSE than Coleman Francis bad, WORSE than the Star Wars Holiday Special bad, WORSE than Manos: The Hands of Fate bad, a movie so wretched, so hideous that it would make Rick Sloane cry. And if there were more formatting options available for me to use while typing this, you can bet I would have used them.
Don't believe me? Go ahead, watch it, dear Mike, and try not to wish even the tiniest bit of physical harm against Don Dohler, the writer/director/bit actor/filmmaker/etc. of this all-out attack on sanity, hope, beauty, art, and belief in the good of the human race (and all other species, I might add): http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6504570739792576347&ei=eC4kS_-R...
I do have plans to create a commentary track of my own sometime in the future, but neither I nor my friends have the experience or skills to tackle such a horrid piece of straight-to-video-ness as this at the present time. You, sir, and the rest of the crew of MST3K are our last hope for survival. So please -- riff this movie (and it's in the public domain [unfortunately for the public], so you could release it on DVD! ;-) )!
Should you decide to take on this task, then I wish you good luck. Even you may need it.
By the way, when I finally finished the film (years after stopping it because I couldn't take it anymore, and this is from someone who sat through the whole 26 hours of the Star Wars Holiday Special), it put me into a depression for a couple of hours.
Also, I don't mean to sound cynical or pessimistic; I strive to remain hopeful and optimistic in life, because quite frankly, it's much more fun and healthy to be so.
Once again, good luck. If anyone can conquer The Galaxy Invader, you can!
Yours truly,
Peaky
P.S. Did I mention I hate *The Galaxy Invader*? Just asking.
wow, Mike, you better watch out, this Phlarm lady sounds creepy to me.
Mr. Mike you're really great! I Love watching Mystery Science Theater 3000!
food mixer
I would just like to say that I am such a huge fan. I believe I have over 80 dvds, plus I just bought five more. I watch/listen to MST3K at work all day, and I fall asleep listening to them as well. If there was any way in the world I could get something autographed, hell, I don't care if it's a used dryer sheet, I would die a happy woman. Of course, dying would suck, but I would clutch that dryer sheet in my hand and make all the survivors jealous. If they steal it, then I would be fucked. Not only would I not have an autograph, I would start to stink.
I love you!!! But not in a creepy way.
-jessica.
Mike, I'm sure you've heard this a lot, but I'm sure you won't mind hearing it again.
You, Kevin, and Bill are all fine examples of human beings, and you all make this world a better place. I have only one request: never retire.
Hey Mike, I just watched The Prophecy with the great Christopher Walken. It has everything you need for a great riff: strange red headed men seducing children, Christopher Walken with a black elvis wig, and hermaphrodite angels.
You guys need to riff this movie. It's completely terrible.
Features female wrestlers, a man who gets a heart transplanted from an ape who then turns into a... bloody ape. It is a video nasty but insanely hilarious by itself. Not enough old bad movies.
Twice, i have heard references to billy corgan in rifftrax, both in halloween and i am legend. Mike, are you calling the man as ugly as a zombie? Weak dude. That mans my hero. Just saying....
Bill and Ted seems like the best choice to me - they've already done a kids cartoon, so we know it works in a different format!
eve isk
Please do more live shows! It was the best time we had for a theater experience. I hope the it well enough to encourage more performances! Take Care!
I'magonnalevytowwwn...? Hey Mike and Co., been a fan for over a decade and I hope there are more of these live thingies to come. Thanks, Normalfoot
Hi, Mike!
I saw the Plan 9 Live event here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana tonight. I haven't laughed that hard since... well, since MST3K was still on the air. It made me realize even MORE just how much I've missed y'all. I was pleased to see that I was not alone in that sentiment. The theater was FULL of people of all ages--from 12 to mid-50's. Everybody had a great time and were all glad to learn of RiffTrax. You definitely picked up some new customers tonight!
I just donated $20. I'll be donating more soon, and on a regular basis. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LAUGHS and keep up the good fight!
Cheers!
Brent
I don't know if you've seen it but it is so crazy bad you need to. Basically Lucifer's betrothed rides a demon train with college "friends" through Yugoslavia, death and insanity ensue.
When are you guys going to do this for Rainman??? I've seen MST3K episodes where you've quoted it a few times and I'm just waiting to see you guys do that movie.
LOVE RIFFTRAX AND MST3K YOU KICK ASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My buddy Eli drew a giant pipe in your mouth on the cover of "Mind Over Matters". He said you looked a bit too much like J. R. "Bob" Dobbs.
Labyrinth (1986)
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
Eagle Eye (2008)
Flash Gordon (1980)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
The Hunt for Red October
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
Juno
You guys are the best!
Your loyal fan, Mitchell
HEY THERE RIFFERS, LOVE YOUR WORK. PLEASE RIFF LOTR RETURN OF THE KING, (I'D KIND OF LIKE TO COMLETE THE CIRCLE),THE VILLAGE,THE MASK OF ZORRO(W/ANTONIO BANDERAS) AND THE LEGEND OF ZORRO.OH AND ANOTHER GREAT LOL MOVIE ''TROY''. HERE ARE SOME MORE MOVIES I'D LOVE TO SEE WITH RIFFS: PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN DEAN MANS CHEST AND WORLDS END.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/squeez-bacon.html
http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2009/02/bacon-chocolate-chip-cooki...
!!! good luck and god speed sir...
I have a few suggestions for riffs (sorry if this is not the right place for this). Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blade, Pearl Harbor, Jerry Maguire, The Breakfast Club, V for Vendetta,
And the last two I think would be best; one The Covenant. Me and my friends got shushed several time during this movie it was that bad. And second a movie called Nick Furry, Agent of shield; starring a quite actor by the name of David Hasslehoff.
...the fly!
You need to do Dark City! It's GOLD!!!
-He walks like House
-He has Thom York face
-The aliens are hilarious
-There are dead hookers everywhere
-Dark city is the whitest place! Only white people in dark city. really awkward!
Flash Gordon 1980 film:) It's so cool bad it's riffable.. Here's the URL for youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnTHypbLlkE&feature=related.. You would make my year if you guys would do this film...
I just watched the god awful movie The Happening with your Riff. Thank you, it totally made up for going to see the actual movie and the 2 hours of my life I wanted back afterwards.
Please Riff Max Payne, that was awful too!
Cheers!
AJ
Just saw this on cable tonight...the worst movie I have seen in many a day. Canadian...really bad dialogue...
Please look into it....
It deserves a Riff...badly...
Kill it with Riff...please....
Hey, Mike! I plan to do some iriffs in the future, including some pretty scary stuff- West Side Story, which was so meant to be riffed that it has a main character named Riff!- and the worst movie (Worse than Village of the Giants! Worse than HOBGOBLINS!!) ever made- how I shudder to even type the name!- Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. Tell me you don't feel like you've gone completely nuts during that fifteen minute dance scene (That happens in the first twenty minutes of the movie!).
The horror...........the horror......
Anyway, hit me up at my name, Kevin Hanel, on Facebook- I've got a lot of great ideas!
Not sure if this is he right place to drop this, buuuuuuutt.....You want some cheesy movies? How about some video game movies! If its one thing Hollywood doesn't know how to do, its how to make a good video game movie. Some titles to look into:
Super Mario Brothers ; House of the Dead 1 and 2 ; Double Dragon ; Street Fighter ; Blood Rayne ; Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 ; and ; Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.
A major complaint is the frequent complete deviation from the original plot and any facts set forth from the games. But as stand alone entertainment, they are entertaining. Cheesy, corney, sometimes silly, but still entertaining. But that could just be the fanboy in me.
First I'd love for You to Riff the Ghostbusters movies.
Also, Robocop, Wanted (Really Sucked), Masters of the Universe, Bill and Ted, Johnny Mnominic, The Rambo Movies, waterworld, terminator 1&2, from justin to kelly, an Oakland Raiders Football game, Superman Returns, Josie anmd the pussycats, the broken Lizard Movies.
I love your site, quite addicted
Sean
Hey love the new short! In case you didn't recognize him Jerry the panicky guy was played by the famous actor Tim Holt in an uncredited role. He was 22 years old. Keep those funny riffs coming!!! Love you guys! Hugz, Lauren