Mystery Science Theater 3000 Video Releases
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American TV show which aired between 1988 and 1999. This page summarizes video tape and DVD releases of episodes of the show. Episodes were initially released by Rhino Entertainment, with the rights later being purchased by Shout! Factory. Releases usually consist of boxsets of 4 episodes, although early releases consisted of just single episodes.
Episodes are not released in chronological order. This is because releasing the episodes on home video can be very difficult due to rights issues involved in licensing the movies featured within the episodes. As a result, long negotiations are involved, and some episodes are not able to be released on home video. According to Shout! Factory, releases are prevented because either the rightsholder or rightsholders will refuse to license the movie (one example is Susan Hart), will license the movie but will not allow the MST3K version to be released because of the mockery of the films (one example was Kadokawa Pictures), or will license the movie and allow them to release the MST3K version, but will charge more money than the distributor can afford to pay them. Some movies can be expensive to clear for release because the rights owner increased the cost of the movie rights due to the exposure that MST3K has given them. Because of these issues, it has been announced that the only way for those certain episodes to be released is if the rights transfer hands to someone who will definitely license the material and allow any version of the film to be released, and will only want a little cash in return. Any movies featured in the episodes that are public domain will not have to be cleared, and can instantly be released without any trouble.
Read more about Mystery Science Theater 3000 Video Releases: VHS Releases, Other Official Releases
Famous quotes containing the words mystery, science, theater, video and/or releases:
“The mystery form is like gymnastic equipment: you can grasp hold of it and show off what you can do.”
—Mickey Friedman (b. 1944)
“The true knowledge or science which exists nowhere but in the mind itself, has no other entity at all besides intelligibility; and therefore whatsoever is clearly intelligible, is absolutely true.”
—Ralph J. Cudworth (1617–1688)
“It is not enough to demand insight and informative images of reality from the theater. Our theater must stimulate a desire for understanding, a delight in changing reality. Our audience must experience not only the ways to free Prometheus, but be schooled in the very desire to free him. Theater must teach all the pleasures and joys of discovery, all the feelings of triumph associated with liberation.”
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956)
“These people figured video was the Lord’s preferred means of communicating, the screen itself a kind of perpetually burning bush. “He’s in the de-tails,” Sublett had said once. “You gotta watch for Him close.””
—William Gibson (b. 1948)
“We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the field itself.”
—Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956)