MST3K creator Hodgson interviewed

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on October 31st, 2008

Kim Brown, writing for Tulsa World, conducts an interview with Joel Hodgson, on the occasion of the release of a box set of his series Mystery Science Theater 3000.

I’m just so grateful. I’m just thrilled. When you’re a comic, you have to be really careful about what you do because you can really look bad. For a period of time they’d bring me in on SNL as a variety act. I remember (cast member) Joe Piscopo got off stage one night and said, “You’re so lucky to get to do your own stuff. I have to go on whether it’s funny or not.” I’ll always remember that. I really took it to heart. “Mystery Science Theater” gave me an opportunity to do that, if you don’t think dressing in a red jumpsuit and talking to robots is bad.

The MST3K juggernaut continues on– RiffTrax is now sweeping the nation.

(Mike) Nelson, along with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, create RiffTrax, audio downloads of them heckling popular A-list movies such as “Iron Man,” “300” and “Road House.” People play the MP3s along with the films to get the funny effect. The group also offers an online forum for fans to post their own riffs and has performed live.

This is from an article on Hodgson and the current crew that appeared in the Oklahoman. Hmmm… what is it about Oklahoma? Why do the boys from Minnesota break all the good news about their projects in the Sooner State?

We heard about RiffTrax from the writings of James Lileks, who is friends with Mike Nelson and who is involved in some of the upcoming RiffTrax.

Again, to reset the Import of the Momentousness: I watched MST3K since whenever, enjoying every show from the first shot to the last whaaaang on the guitar; I thanked the First Amendment and the Teachers of America and I circulated the tapes, and I thought, and still think, it was one of the most consistently brilliant, ingenious and hilarious shows ever written. And now I’m in the booth and I’m doing that thing. But! Since we are doing that thing, you have to do it; no time for glowing in the moment. We managed to finish the movie fairly quickly – only had to back up and run at the lines again about 15 times or so; if it sounds spontaneous, that’s because it was. Took one break, drank lots of water, and had a grand time. As grim as the read-through was – it’s no fun, you’re sick of the frickin’ movie, and you’re reading other people’s lines for the first time – the actual performance was a joy to do.

Read the rest for some insight into how the new shows are produced.

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