Thanks for putting up my interview. It was a fun day all around. I was very nervous, as I was only 19 at the time & this was the first interview I had ever done. The cast & crew were very nice & patient with myself & my cameraman & even bought us lunch while we were there. Looking back, it's still one of the coolest memories I have.
I think you had quite insightful questions, that went very deep and showed a knowledge of the show that most interviewers didn't have at the time, when the show was on the air. As someone who loves digging up any history I can find about MST3K and the people who made it, you have my thanks for doing this 30 years ago! And many thanks to Tarlcabot for making this available for the fans to look back at this snapshot in time.
Dude you can tell how stone cold Mallon is from his interview here. There's a patently unfun vibe to the way he describes his own job, and not in a normal way required of his role. He had a bit of a god complex when this show got big IMO...
For me, this was the golden era of MST3K. I thought Joel was much funnier than Mike. Nothing against Mike, just a personal preference. Also, Trace and Kevin were by far the best bots. Again, JMO.
Recently, during a 'The Mads Are Back' livestream, someone commented to Frank Conniff on his appearance: 'You NEVER AGE!!' Frank retorted, 'I've always looked old.' This video refutes that assertation, from 12:06 on. Dude! You were YOUNG once!! 😂😂
I’ve met him and he’s a really great guy, who really cared for and loves the show and fans and what it meant to so many, imho he really doesn’t get the fan credit he ought to (esp since the whole “Jim was bad” fallacy, I mean he and everyone he oversaw were virtually very incredibly brilliant at maintaining the consistency and quality of this now iconic little cult show from Minneapolis the tv show and world of characters and props and audio visual look we all fell in love with. I was able to meet him and even spoke at some length about all sorts of things and he really has buried the hatchet with everyone and shouldn’t get the flack that many fans unfairly give him or some of the managerial decisions during the decade long run of the show. I loved seeing all the cast and crew at this era, great fun!
@@ENigma-um8zw Total B.S. The Mads have made numerous jokes recently in their shorts about how much of a jerk Mallon is. Most of the original cast still doesn't like him. Your anecdote about a brief meeting with him means nothing.
Damn, kevin murphy seems like the easiest dude to chill with. I wanna smoke a joint with him while watching funny youtube videos and let him rage while i do my best to avoid pissing my pants from laughing so hard
Watched mst for many years. These guys remind me of church of bob guys. I love the laid back nature of the 90s. I like the guy in the lab coat who makes the props.
Considering the stories of those who worked on the show having issues with Jim Mallon, I can't help but find the repeated "what exactly is it you do here?" questions very funny at the beginning.
I don't think it was so much that he was a dick, just that he and Joel had different ideas for where the show should go. Basically, it was all due to MST3K: The Movie. Jim was on board with it, but Joel had reservations about putting this rinky-dink puppet show on the big screen and wasn't sure how it could be scaled up into a film (Universal executives originally wanted no riffing, but a narrative origin story of how Joel got trapped in space and built the bots). And in his endless Midwestern niceness, he didn't want his own discomfort to stand in the way of his friends' success, so he stepped aside. From what Joel and Jim have said in interviews since, it was a cordial understanding, not the bitter feud that fans believed it was for years.
Its good to hear that joel was loved as a child. And the fact that his mom was a nurse and his dad was a teacher, now thats a Minnesotan upbringing. Even though hes from Wisconsin
Great video, kinda surprised that they didn't get an interview with Mike, especially considering he was the head writer AND wrote all the music (save for the intro/credits)
so TV's Frank was the one watching 20 awful movies in order to find the one riffable one every week, yet he didn't own a stake in the company? such horseshit, should've been cooperatively owned. love you frankie 😘
Frank is the unsung hero of MST3K. He managed to find some true gems. Not just bad movies, but bad movies that aspired to be art and failed spectacularly.
@@Luka1180 Lol, spoke like a lazy socialist/communist. I like eating and being an adult, so I'll keep working. If I don't like where I'm at, I'll get a new job elsewhere, or perhaps start-up a small business to supplement income. But crossing your arms and pouting doesn't solve anything.
They definitely filled their boots with the 1991 World Series. That one was TIGHT! There was only 1 game which was a blowout, while the rest of the games were close down to the last pitch. O.o
TV's Frank mentions wanting to do something like SNL. Glad he dodged that bullet. What's the difference between MST3K and SNL? MST3K has never not been funny.
From a 1990 interview: Among Hodgson's new show ideas is "Robotropolis," in which a prominent human being, such as Joe Montana or Bill Moyers, "would be interviewed by robots about what it's like to be a human being," Hodgson said. The concept is "a little dangerous," Hodgson said, because the show would explore the relationship between man and robot and the level of sophistication that robots will achieve in this decade.
@@MudSharkDanceLesson Jim was the go-between with the network, though. Although Comedy Central was still very young back in 1991, it was still a growing company (recently merged Ha! and The Comedy Channel) and there were men in suits trying to sell ad time. I think Jim had to have one foot in both worlds, and this demeanor is part cultivated. Sure, he's confident and has a strong sense of his own duty. You can call that self-important, but he was the Producer however.
Movie and TV show producers basically have to act like bullies to some extent in order to keep directors and actors in line. Creative people tend to not be very disciplined, after all.
@@ryanjacobson2508 Jim Mallon is literally the reason Joel left. Jim Mallon was trying to dictate the direction the creator's show was going. It's not his to dictate.
@@harleyludy6596 And yet the show flourished after Joel left. Mallon definitely made some missteps but because his contributions are behind the scenes it's easy to dismiss. Plus the guy lost his daughter, I doubt you'd find anyone with more humility now. He's a grief counselor.
No, he catches the dumbest most played out flack for past, sure, potentially non ideal managerial decisions made during the near decade long run of the shows production, from multiple hosts and writers and seasons and network channel transits and had to be the one to be a producer, can’t imagine how tough it was to start and run basically an indie production Co to make just one indie cult show now iconic classic piece of television history that is Mystery Science Theater 3000. Bear with me as I kindly rebuke the “Mallon was Bad”-fallacy; with peace and love, Jim was an integral part to what made MST3k so special, fans need to accept that any proverbial hatchets between Joel or Jim or anyone have all been buried. I think only one who still harbors resentment is J Elvis, other than that Jim Mallon is great, the show would not at all been able to maintain the original-article level of uniqueness that it maintained throughout two hosts a new Crow and two network/channel translations. I don’t think he gets enough respect for the things he did do well versus the unfortunately fan mythologized version of who or what he represents in the groups history. A lot of the things you love about the show is directly responsible because of the work Jim Mallon did, so skip history if you want, deny the truth if you want but just know that’s a you problem and not a them problem. With that said I know you don’t mean anything other than expressing the sealed in fans minds idea that Jim was somehow to blame for this or that when in reality he is responsible 2nd only to Joel for what became the whole show’s production and Best Brains. Now they sold it to Rhino and it’s not like they all haven’t done well I mean J Elvis went on to write for Freaks and Geeks and AFV and many writing opportunities and a wonderful standup career and podcast he’s doing great we love him here in MN, we love all of them, and I’ve met all of them, Joel is a witty but guarded sweetheart, Mike is a guarded funny kind man, Kevin is much more social kind and humility’s respectfully gives fans time, Bill Corbett is awesome he’s maybe the coolest in person super funny and witty, Trace out of them all probably is the most guarded and hard to read in person but I’m sure and know he’s an awesome funny dude, as we’ve all gotten to see over the years. Hell, I can only imagine how some of their hosts had to endure years of super fans sort of exhausting them but also know they appreciate the appreciation, Bridgit is super nice, Mary Jo too, and tbh Jim is actually a really nice human being, as long as you don’t go in hot with the above type of attitude toward him, he’s funny and mindful and kind and even really open about discussing mst stuff. Everyone is happy and healthy and well, given they are perhaps a group of creators that equate to an influential band or collective of artists, they defined an era. So that’s why, for this fan, it’s just a shame many other supposed fans still don’t even give another mutually imperfect human being the time of day that helped provide an audio visual comedic soundtrack and energy and passion into the lives of a great many. Anyway thanks for tolerating, that’s my Mallon defense rant, peace and love to everyone reading still. :D
Kevin don't like interviews or being interviewed I've found. He reminds me of Tom savini. Bitter, snooty, grouchy artists. I've gotten that impression from talking to other cast members.
He was cheerfully talking about his hometown while he prepared the brew. That coffee ain't gonna brew itself. The guy was not really asking any interesting questions, what do you expect him to do?
Thanks for putting up my interview. It was a fun day all around. I was very nervous, as I was only 19 at the time & this was the first interview I had ever done. The cast & crew were very nice & patient with myself & my cameraman & even bought us lunch while we were there. Looking back, it's still one of the coolest memories I have.
I think you had quite insightful questions, that went very deep and showed a knowledge of the show that most interviewers didn't have at the time, when the show was on the air. As someone who loves digging up any history I can find about MST3K and the people who made it, you have my thanks for doing this 30 years ago! And many thanks to Tarlcabot for making this available for the fans to look back at this snapshot in time.
ill always see you as larry though
@@jackhusko4953 Thanks.
Really good interviews, mang.
And the "dickweed" question! I've always wondered. They don't really say it in the post Joel days I don't think.
You come across as really mature for 19. I honestly thought you were a professional tv host or journalist.
Dude you can tell how stone cold Mallon is from his interview here. There's a patently unfun vibe to the way he describes his own job, and not in a normal way required of his role. He had a bit of a god complex when this show got big IMO...
The brains were so gifted. Such educated, witty and talented people.
For me, this was the golden era of MST3K. I thought Joel was much funnier than Mike. Nothing against Mike, just a personal preference. Also, Trace and Kevin were by far the best bots.
Again, JMO.
finally, someone who feels the same as me!
Recently, during a 'The Mads Are Back' livestream, someone commented to Frank Conniff on his appearance: 'You NEVER AGE!!' Frank retorted, 'I've always looked old.' This video refutes that assertation, from 12:06 on. Dude! You were YOUNG once!! 😂😂
good ole jim mallon, the reason Josh, Joel, Frank, and Trace all eventually left. "Thanks"!
jeez lol
"You'll want to see these..."
(Followed promply by tape snow.)
I
I've never heard Jim Mallon's real voice until now lol
I’ve met him and he’s a really great guy, who really cared for and loves the show and fans and what it meant to so many, imho he really doesn’t get the fan credit he ought to (esp since the whole “Jim was bad” fallacy, I mean he and everyone he oversaw were virtually very incredibly brilliant at maintaining the consistency and quality of this now iconic little cult show from Minneapolis the tv show and world of characters and props and audio visual look we all fell in love with. I was able to meet him and even spoke at some length about all sorts of things and he really has buried the hatchet with everyone and shouldn’t get the flack that many fans unfairly give him or some of the managerial decisions during the decade long run of the show. I loved seeing all the cast and crew at this era, great fun!
@@ENigma-um8zw Total B.S. The Mads have made numerous jokes recently in their shorts about how much of a jerk Mallon is. Most of the original cast still doesn't like him. Your anecdote about a brief meeting with him means nothing.
@@crassmonkey18 Hell Joel left because he and Jim couldn’t stop arguing.
Jef Maynard is very witty and talented too. You can tell by the way he acts. He was also the main prop designer for the show for several seasons.
I managed to snag this video off a blank dvd from eBay a decade ago! Glad to see it on RUclips!
Damn, kevin murphy seems like the easiest dude to chill with. I wanna smoke a joint with him while watching funny youtube videos and let him rage while i do my best to avoid pissing my pants from laughing so hard
Maynard's mullet was legendary!
Watched mst for many years. These guys remind me of church of bob guys. I love the laid back nature of the 90s. I like the guy in the lab coat who makes the props.
I heard Joel reference Bob and Pink Boys a few times, that was the cool/smart/artsy person zeitgeist of the late 80s so it makes sense.
Considering the stories of those who worked on the show having issues with Jim Mallon, I can't help but find the repeated "what exactly is it you do here?" questions very funny at the beginning.
What issues did they have with him?
@@GameyRaccoon He was a dick. "I'm important, and I have the power"
@@antony716 And he pretty much comes across that way here!
"deliver product on time" means a commodified sterilized dead objectified (No Ad-Libbing!) process
I don't think it was so much that he was a dick, just that he and Joel had different ideas for where the show should go.
Basically, it was all due to MST3K: The Movie. Jim was on board with it, but Joel had reservations about putting this rinky-dink puppet show on the big screen and wasn't sure how it could be scaled up into a film (Universal executives originally wanted no riffing, but a narrative origin story of how Joel got trapped in space and built the bots). And in his endless Midwestern niceness, he didn't want his own discomfort to stand in the way of his friends' success, so he stepped aside. From what Joel and Jim have said in interviews since, it was a cordial understanding, not the bitter feud that fans believed it was for years.
Its good to hear that joel was loved as a child. And the fact that his mom was a nurse and his dad was a teacher, now thats a Minnesotan upbringing. Even though hes from Wisconsin
Gypsy always reminds me of the ball return at a bowling alley.
Interesting how even in 1991, Joel was considering a theatrical movie.
I like how Joel kinda brushed over the guy being uncomfortable with them making Jim Jones jokes.
This is fantastic to see these interviews. Thanks for posting this!
You rock for uploading this! CABOT! CABOT!
Great video, kinda surprised that they didn't get an interview with Mike, especially considering he was the head writer AND wrote all the music (save for the intro/credits)
For some reason, he wasn't there the day we were there.
It takes a village and all that but damn they were good. Mike then Joel, but Kevin and the rest have a fond spot in my history 😎
I thought I had dug up all the old lore years ago when I found the KTMA episodes. Thank you for posting this. Keep circulating the tapes!
this guys were basically doing what people do on youtube now, before youtube.....but good.
This is gem, thanks for the upload.
I know. The interview is was being conducted by a public access show.
I think the cameraman was afraid of people. He was shooting from half a mile away.
That's one hell of a mullet that Maynard is sporting.
This is gold. Thank you for posting this.
This is the most awkward thing I’ve ever seen.
I was thinking the same thing. I’m a huge MSTie, but man, this was excruciating. 😬
This was so awesome, thank you for sharing!
Such hand rubbing from Uncle Dad and the whole crew
Seeing a young Kevin is weird.
Look up his prior show “15 Minutes”. Completely jarring.
Stellar - thanks for the upload!
so TV's Frank was the one watching 20 awful movies in order to find the one riffable one every week, yet he didn't own a stake in the company? such horseshit, should've been cooperatively owned. love you frankie 😘
Frank joined the show after it moved to cable,was just the original guys minus Josh who owned a piece of it.
Frank is the unsung hero of MST3K. He managed to find some true gems. Not just bad movies, but bad movies that aspired to be art and failed spectacularly.
We, the workers, must cease the means of production.
@@Luka1180 Lol, spoke like a lazy socialist/communist. I like eating and being an adult, so I'll keep working. If I don't like where I'm at, I'll get a new job elsewhere, or perhaps start-up a small business to supplement income. But crossing your arms and pouting doesn't solve anything.
Ahhh Uncle Dad
This is terrific. Thank you!
Incredible production values!
Ah, the VHS era. 😂
@@BenDover-wc8jr Also, public access station. They didn't give us the best equipment.
They definitely filled their boots with the 1991 World Series. That one was TIGHT! There was only 1 game which was a blowout, while the rest of the games were close down to the last pitch. O.o
Fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing!
Wow, movie talk all the way back in S3.
Was this for school or cable access or local news? Very cool. I got a press pass for the second conventiocon and was 18 and very nervous too!
Cable access in Chicago, I believe.
TV's Frank mentions wanting to do something like SNL. Glad he dodged that bullet. What's the difference between MST3K and SNL? MST3K has never not been funny.
Difference between SNL and MST: *Everyone* on MST is funny.
Difference between SNL and MST: *All* MST lineups are classic.
Difference between SNL and MST: MST has *smart* writing.
Difference between SNL and MST: MST *raises* your intelligence.
Difference between SNL and MST3K:
MST3K has Poopie!
BABY FRANK!!!!!!
Never seen this before. Good stuff.
I wonder what the other shows they were working on were (Jim and Joel referenced other shows/other productions they were working on)
From a 1990 interview: Among Hodgson's new show ideas is "Robotropolis," in which a prominent human being, such as Joe Montana or Bill Moyers, "would be interviewed by robots about what it's like to be a human being," Hodgson said.
The concept is "a little dangerous," Hodgson said, because the show would explore the relationship between man and robot and the level of sophistication that robots will achieve in this decade.
@@tarlcabot2519So Joel basically wanted to make Space Ghost Coast to Coast before Cartoon Network
Huge mst3k fan🍔👌😍😂😊😎🙂🥳🎞❤️
4 owners. Explains a lot?
I WANT TO SEE THE PLAYOFF TICKETS
Awesome.
Bill Corbett went to Yale? I love that! Jeez!
Idea. RiffTrax should take on this video. That is like macro-meta.
Joel is the only cast member I haven’t met :/
What does a producer do? He takes the network people out to strip bars.
This interviewer/cameraman combo is so awkward...
So, in Mst3, who originally made the robot friends? Why are there so many main characters besides joel? Besides leaving the show.
*JOEL MADE HIS ROBOT FRIENDS !!! OMG !!!*
Just repeat to yourself "It's just a show, I should really just relax." 🙂
Hey, who's that guy with the big head?
HOT PONYTAIL ACTION
While watching Jim Mallon, I just can see the arrogance dripping off of him.
I agree. All of the other guys embody some form of humility/humbleness to them, but I really don't sense it from Jim
@@MudSharkDanceLesson Jim was the go-between with the network, though. Although Comedy Central was still very young back in 1991, it was still a growing company (recently merged Ha! and The Comedy Channel) and there were men in suits trying to sell ad time. I think Jim had to have one foot in both worlds, and this demeanor is part cultivated. Sure, he's confident and has a strong sense of his own duty. You can call that self-important, but he was the Producer however.
Movie and TV show producers basically have to act like bullies to some extent in order to keep directors and actors in line. Creative people tend to not be very disciplined, after all.
@@ryanjacobson2508 Jim Mallon is literally the reason Joel left. Jim Mallon was trying to dictate the direction the creator's show was going. It's not his to dictate.
@@harleyludy6596 And yet the show flourished after Joel left. Mallon definitely made some missteps but because his contributions are behind the scenes it's easy to dismiss.
Plus the guy lost his daughter, I doubt you'd find anyone with more humility now. He's a grief counselor.
TV's Frank! It stinks!
Jim, the no talent producer who held MST3K hostage for 20 years until Joel finally bought out the idiot to get HIS OWN product back.
And then pissed it down his leg.
lol 0:48
Start @ 4:54 to skip Jim Mallon.
No, he catches the dumbest most played out flack for past, sure, potentially non ideal managerial decisions made during the near decade long run of the shows production, from multiple hosts and writers and seasons and network channel transits and had to be the one to be a producer, can’t imagine how tough it was to start and run basically an indie production Co to make just one indie cult show now iconic classic piece of television history that is Mystery Science Theater 3000. Bear with me as I kindly rebuke the “Mallon was Bad”-fallacy; with peace and love, Jim was an integral part to what made MST3k so special, fans need to accept that any proverbial hatchets between Joel or Jim or anyone have all been buried. I think only one who still harbors resentment is J Elvis, other than that Jim Mallon is great, the show would not at all been able to maintain the original-article level of uniqueness that it maintained throughout two hosts a new Crow and two network/channel translations. I don’t think he gets enough respect for the things he did do well versus the unfortunately fan mythologized version of who or what he represents in the groups history. A lot of the things you love about the show is directly responsible because of the work Jim Mallon did, so skip history if you want, deny the truth if you want but just know that’s a you problem and not a them problem.
With that said I know you don’t mean anything other than expressing the sealed in fans minds idea that Jim was somehow to blame for this or that when in reality he is responsible 2nd only to Joel for what became the whole show’s production and Best Brains. Now they sold it to Rhino and it’s not like they all haven’t done well I mean J Elvis went on to write for Freaks and Geeks and AFV and many writing opportunities and a wonderful standup career and podcast he’s doing great we love him here in MN, we love all of them, and I’ve met all of them, Joel is a witty but guarded sweetheart, Mike is a guarded funny kind man, Kevin is much more social kind and humility’s respectfully gives fans time, Bill Corbett is awesome he’s maybe the coolest in person super funny and witty, Trace out of them all probably is the most guarded and hard to read in person but I’m sure and know he’s an awesome funny dude, as we’ve all gotten to see over the years. Hell, I can only imagine how some of their hosts had to endure years of super fans sort of exhausting them but also know they appreciate the appreciation, Bridgit is super nice, Mary Jo too, and tbh Jim is actually a really nice human being, as long as you don’t go in hot with the above type of attitude toward him, he’s funny and mindful and kind and even really open about discussing mst stuff. Everyone is happy and healthy and well, given they are perhaps a group of creators that equate to an influential band or collective of artists, they defined an era. So that’s why, for this fan, it’s just a shame many other supposed fans still don’t even give another mutually imperfect human being the time of day that helped provide an audio visual comedic soundtrack and energy and passion into the lives of a great many.
Anyway thanks for tolerating, that’s my Mallon defense rant, peace and love to everyone reading still. :D
isn't that Dave Higgins interviewing? (Higgins Boys & Gruber)
No, it's Larry Snodie, an amazing facsimile.
@@tarlcabot2519 Thanks for clarifying. I was doing numerous double-takes. Yes; almost identical!
@@edisongirard It's pretty easy to spot the differences. Dave Higgins isn't an awkward, home-schooled dweeb who has trouble talking to people
@@tarlcabot2519 I guess. I mean if you've never seen Dave Higgins before. GFO
@@timdaughte Wasn't home-schooled. Was a dweeb & give me a break, I was 19 talking to my heroes in my first ever interview. Jeesh.
This is positively the most depressing video about MST3K I’ve ever seen.
Why?
Tarlcabot25 It looks like David Fincher shot it.
respect the lo-fi man
I thought the same thing. Not enough cuts
They said it was filmed by a public access TV crew, so enjoy it for what it is.
Kevin don't like interviews or being interviewed I've found. He reminds me of Tom savini. Bitter, snooty, grouchy artists. I've gotten that impression from talking to other cast members.
He was cheerfully talking about his hometown while he prepared the brew. That coffee ain't gonna brew itself. The guy was not really asking any interesting questions, what do you expect him to do?