From: Satellite Orbit

Date: March 1992

Headline: Out of This World

Author: [unknown]

Page(s): 28

The next stop in the search for off-beat movies is "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (MST). And proving that it's good to be bad, Joel Robinson (a.k.a. Joel Hodgson) is forced by mad scientists to watch bad movies on Comedy Central's ACE Award winning MST, Fridays at 12:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m. on G1, 1.

Originally a Minneapolis TV-23 program, MST now reaches a broader audience, including 7,000 fan club members. The show, produced in Best Brains studio in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, uses chromo key technology to silhouette Joel and robot pals at the bottom corner of the screen for commentary analysis of each movie.

"It's a great day when kids realize it's okay to talk back to the TV set," says Hodgson. "I resembled "Lost in Space"'s Will Robinson as a youth and this resulted in my character's name."

According to Hodgson's partner, Trace Beaulieu (Crow/Dr. Forrester), criteria for MST movie includes "has-been actors and goofy action" such as the late Irwin Allen disaster films.

"We want everyone to watch MST, and our show credits encourage video tapers to circulate tapes to those without Comedy Central," says Hodgson.

"We're very much into technology," adds Beaulieu. "And Joel recognizes the satellite TV audience."

When asked if his show works best on satellite or cable, Hodgson laughed and said, "It works best on television."

Now entering a fourth season, an MST movie might be in the works. That is, if Hodgson can get over his fear of authority. A recent visit from HBO's CEO made Hodgson nervous. "I feared I would break his arm or accidently blind him, making him really mad," laughed Hodgson. It sounds like the plot of a bad B-movie.