It's difficult to review each new volume of Mystery Science Theater 3000, because there's nothing else you can compare it to. It is, in its way, the only game in town, meaning you can really only stack it up against itself. That means I end up comparing each new box set of Mystery Science Theater to past box sets, and in those terms, the latest set Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XVII holds up quite well. It may not contain the strongest episodes the series ever ran (either from its time on the Sci-Fi Channel or Comedy Central, both of which are represented here), but there isn't a weak show among the four collected here. That's not bad for a series that's already in its seventeenth collection.
Included on Mystery Science Theater 3000 Vol. XVII are four titles: The Crawling Eye, which was the show's first episode on Comedy Central; The Beatniks, The Final Sacrifice and the last-season episode Blood Waters of Dr. Z (also known as Zaat). The set wisely mixes two shows with original host Joel Hodgeson and two with his replacement Mike Nelson. I've always preferred the Joel shows, but his episodes here suffer from the fact that they're some of the earliest in MST3K's evolution; The Crawling Eye, in fact, is the crew's first show after leaving their public access roots. That means they've got lower production values and haven't totally found their voice (as much as in later seasons, anyway), but it's great to have it included here as a fan of the show.
What else is there to say? It's another excellent Mystery Science Theater 3000 release from Shout! Factory, who seems to be cranking these out at a rapid clip that's to be admired. Even the weakest show in the bunch -- The Crawling Eye -- is a valuable inclusion because of its place in the series' history. The best episode in the collection, the Sci-Fi Channel installment The Final Sacrifice, is a classic -- one of the funniest the show has ever produced. If you're a fan of MST3K, there's no reason not to pick up Vol. XVII. Even if you haven't been a fan in the past but are looking to get into the show, the way that Shout! Factory's box sets are set up, you can pretty much jump in at any time (though I actually might not recommend starting with this volume, as the early shows are a bit rough and not exactly representative of the show at its best). Mystery Science Theater is almost a perfect joke carrier, and should prove to be extremely satisfying for any die-hard comedy fan. It's bad movies and non-stop jokes. What could be better?
DVD Details
- Release Date: 3/16/10
- Running Time: 400 minutes
- 1.33:1 Full Frame Presentation
- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
- Studio: Shout! Factory
DVD Bonus Features
- New Interview with Trace Beaulieu and Bill Corbett
- Original Mystery Science Theater Hour Segments
- Bruce J. Mitchell Interview
- Original Theatrical Trailers
- MST3K Mini-Posters
