The Continuing Sort-of-Return of MST3K

I noticed a post yesterday in the mst3k community about how Jim Mallon, the producer of Mystery Science Theater 3000, was teaming up with one of the series writers Paul Chaplin to work up a new "official site" with material from the series and "animated 'bots," whatever that means. Some of the people commenting on that seemed a little skeptical about the idea, and some seemed skeptical about Mallon running the show... although I've noticed both accusations seemingly along the line of "the others don't like him" and suggestions that some creative disagreements were blown way out of proportion in the past. In any case, I was moved to reflect on the other work that series writers and performers Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett were doing with "Rifftrax" and a short series of DVDs "riffing" on honest-to-goodness cheesy movies, "The Film Crew," and to even contemplate making a post about all of it.

Then, today, I ran into even bigger news. The remaining series performers and writers Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, J. Elvis Weinstein, Frank Conniff, and Mary Jo Pehl have organised their own "riffing" venture, Cinematic Titanic. What little I've already seen about it on the Satellite News site suggests it's going to be sort of in between Rifftrax and The Film Crew, with an online site offering "downloadable and burnable DVDs." For all that I just don't have a lot of interest in trying out Rifftrax, I do have some definite curiosity in finding out more about this sudden eruption of Mystery Science Theater-like work... (Although part of that curiosity is taking note that Cinematic Titanic is going to do a "first live show and world premiere" for ILM and Lucasfilm employees. Part of me wonders if they're going to get their own crack at one of the Star Wars movies, and just how much they'll claim is "speaking truth to power...")