ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996                TAG: 9606180018
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: MOVIE REVIEW 
SOURCE: KATHERINE REED STAFF WRITER 
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
      Published correction ran on Tuesday, June 18, 1996    A photo in 
      Saturday's Extra section misidentified the character "Gypsy" in the 
      movie "Mystery Scince Theater 3000." 

`MISTIES': HERE'S YOUR MOVIE

It has come to this: reviewing a movie about a guy and a couple of robots making fun of a movie.

And having a darn good time, too.

Those of you who have resided on another planet since 1988 perhaps do not know that we are talking about "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie," a successful extended riff on the original TV theme: that is, a guy and a couple of robots making fun of a movie. Joel Hodgson created the show, which became a favorite on the Comedy Channel - now Comedy Central.

Joel jumped ship a couple of years ago and was replaced by Michael Nelson, the only human being in this crew of cosmic castaways.

Mike and robot friends Gypsy (Jim Mallon), Tom Servo (Kevin Murphy) and Crow T. Robot (Trace Beaulieu) are prisoners on a spaceship, where they are subjected to an evil experiment at the hands of Dr. Forrester (Trace Beaulieu). The experiment consists of forcing Mike and friends to watch really bad movies and observing the effects on their brains.

I feel deep sympathy for these guys, I really do. You don't know what it's like - watching movies day in and day out, the bad, the bad and the really stupid. At least they get to mock the actors and yell at the screen. Oh, that's right. So do audiences at Valley View.

Happily, this "MST" movie sticks with what's funniest about the show: the clever repartee from Mike and gang in the front row. It's a whole lot less funny when the trio (Crow doesn't actually watch this movie - ``This Island Earth'') leaves the theater and, for example, crashes the spaceship into the Hubble telescope.

The script is plenty funny, and the movie is the right length: short. I've always had trouble staying with "MST" for long, especially if I'm not in the mood for silly, utterly mindless fun.

(Uh, when was that?)

So, "MST" fans: enjoy. Uninitiated: Get a look at what you've been missing.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie HHH

A Gramercy Pictures release showing at The Grandin Theatre. Rated PG-13 for profanity and very adult humor. 74 minutes.

*** (PG-13) for profanity and very adult humor, a Gramercy Pictures release, showing at the Grandin Theatre, 74 minutes.

LENGTH: Medium:   63 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Mike Nelson (left) and Crow T. Robot star in "Mystery 
          Science Theater 3000: The Movie." color.