From: Entertainment Weekly#
Date: December 4, 1992
Headline: Credits: Look Who's Watching
Subline: Movie critics are all over TV. Here's our view of the good and the god-awful.
Photo(s): Hodgson with Crow (left), Servo
Author: Appelo, Tim
Page(s): 12
SEASON AFTER SEASON, the only stars who have truly lived without fear are the movie critics on televison. Siskel and Ebert and the legion of TV flick-chat types they have launched could nit-pick movies to their hearts' content without getting nit-picked in return. But not anymore. Isn't it high time somebody turned the tables? Herewith are our reviews of the reviewers--graded not with regard to their power, prestige, or audience size, but for their intrinsic entertainment value.
"Mystery Science Theater 3000", Comedy Central
VOLUME, VOLUME, volume--nobody offers more insights per show than "MST"'s Joel Hodgson and his robots, Crow and Tom Servo, who appear silhouetted in movie seats at the bottom of the screen, yapping to each other while the worst films ever made unreel in front of them: "The Slime People",
"Teenage Caveman", "Fire Maidens in Space". Caustic as alien blood, faster than Shaquille O'Neal on the rebound, the two make up to 800 smart remarks per movie. Of "Crash of the Moons", they bray, "Two frat boys in a butt-on collision!"
o Physical appearance: C- (Hodgson) B (Servo) B+ (Crow)
o Elocution: B+ (Hodgson, Servo, Crow)
o Critical acumen: A+
o Degree to which costumes would please Cindy Crawford: F
o Ability to balance Anne Sexton references with flatulence jokes: A+
o Overall amusement value: A+