Cinematic Titanic... Vampires!

The fact that Mystery Science Theater 3000 started in the Twin Cities is one of Minnesota's primary pop culture coups (mixed in there with birthing Prince, the Coen brothers, and Al Franken).

In an earlier life, I was a big fan of MST3K, from the time it was on the independent KTMA Channel 23 in 1988. My favorite episode is probably SST Death Flight, one of the few that never got remade when the show hit the big time on cable.

I have to admit I haven't been following its more recent incarnation, Cinematic Titanic, until just a couple of days ago when I realized they were going to be doing a live performance at the State Theater in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday night. So, of course, I had to go.


The show was "warmed up" by a comic introduced as Todd Carlin, but who was actually Dave "Gruber" Allen, best known to me as the guidance counselor from Freaks and Geeks. (Todd Carlin is a recurring character of his, a hippy and fictional relative of George Carlin.) After a while, he was joined by Josh Weinstein who complimented the show's fans for their great attention spans: "Not only do you love a show that's two hours long, but it hasn't even been on for ten years!"

After some abbreviated song highlights from Josh and a theme song for a proposed Saturday morning cartoon from Frank called "Convoluted Man," it was time for the main event: a movie called Blood of the Vampires.

Complete with bad dubbing, cheesy titles, and unthinkably inappropriate makeup, the 1970 Mexican horror film shot in the Philippines was predictably painful to watch.

And the repartee was predictably funny. I guess they're likely to release it on DVD, though, so I won't give away too much.


Some other audience members have reported their thoughts on the evening here.