Collectible Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV coming in February

From 1988 to 1999, the hilarious and widely beloved space travelers on The Satellite of Love from Mystery Science Theater 3000 skewered B-movies and in the process made them masterworks of comedy. Hot on the heels of the recent Mystery Science Theater 2000 20th Anniversary celebration, Shout! Factory in association with Best Brains, proudly present Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV 4-DVD box set on February 3, 2009.

Poised to satisfy the appetite of fans for ritual viewing, as well as a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for pop culture geeks, the awe-inspiring 14th collection of the side-splitting Mystery Science Theater 3000 features the show’s never-before-released film episodes Mad Monster, Manhunt in Space, Soultaker and Final Justice, 4 limited-edition mini-posters, along with a wealth of new bonus content, including brand-new interview with Soultaker star and MSTie favorite Joe Estevez; new interview with Final Justice writer/director Greydon Clark; Mike Nelson, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot on ESPN’s Chaep Seats Without Ron Parker; and original trailers. Join the banter as Joel Hodgson, Mike Nelson, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot as they supply their own playful brand of commentaries on some of cinema’s most misunderstood “masterpieces” in Shout! Factory’s Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XIV.

Mad Monster
Obsessed with getting revenge on those responsible for the demise of his career, Dr. Lorenzo Cameron concocts a serum that transforms his unsuspecting gardener into a deadly wolf-man. Join hosts Joel Hodgson, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot as they send up the very best revenge-fueled-wolf-monster-created-by-a-mad-scientist film of 1942! This memorable episode of MST3K also includes the short Commando Cody & The Radar Men From The Moon.

Manhunt In Space
Launched into space with the mission of rescuing the lovely Vena from a gang of notorious space pirates, Rocky and his copilot Winky are once again ready to fight evil to the very end — even if it takes them to the furthest edge of the galaxy! Composed of reassembled episodes from the short-lived 1950s television series Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Manhunt In Space is unable to escape the cinematic critique of Joel and the ’bots of the Satellite of Love. Also includes the short General Hospital, segment 1!

Soultaker
After four youths are involved in a serious car accident, a mysterious man in black is sent to claim their souls — but these feisty teens aren’t yet ready to pass into the afterlife. Now they must return to their hospital-bound bodies before their parents decide to pull the plug or, worse yet, the Soultaker catches them. Starring MSTie faves Joe Estevez and Robert Z’Dar, Soultaker is perfect fodder for the sarcastic wit and wisdom of Mike, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo aboard the Satellite of Love.

Final Justice
When tough-as-nails Texas Deputy Sheriff Thomas Jefferson Geronimo captures a member of the Italian mob, only he can successfully get his prisoner back to Italy to stand trial. But the Mafia declares war on Geronimo. That was their last mistake. The hard-hitting crew of the Satellite of Love — Mike, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot — pulls absolutely no punches when riffing on Final Justice (starring legendary Mystery Science Theater 3000 antagonist Joe Don Baker), making this one of MST3K’s most beloved episodes of all time.

The Mystery Science Theater 3000 series was created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Jim Mallon. After a year on KTMA TV in Minneapolis, its national broadcast life began in 1989 on the Comedy Channel (later to become Comedy Central), where it ran for seven seasons. The show’s final three seasons aired on the Sci-Fi Channel. The premise of the series features a hapless man who is trapped by mad scientists on a satellite in space and forced to watch old B-movies of questionable worth. To keep sane, he’s built two robot sidekicks, and together they do a running commentary on the films, affectionately mocking their flaws with inspired wisecracks and acting as a demented movie theater peanut gallery. Series creator Hodgson originally played the stranded man, Joel Robinson. When he left in 1993, series head writer Mike Nelson replaced him as the new B-movie victim Mike Nelson, and continued in the role for the rest of the show’s run. The format proved to be popular. During its eleven years and 198 episodes (including one feature film), MST3K attained a loyal fan base and critical acclaim. The series won a Peabody Award in 1993, and was nominated for writing Emmys® in 1994 and 1995.