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Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese
You might think that after ten seasons on the Peabody Award-winning TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, Mike Nelson has seen enough bad movies for one lifetime. As the guys at Cahiers du Cinema say, au contraire! Hollywood's spigot of stupidity shows no sign of slowing, and cheesy films continue to flood our multiplexes and gunk up our home entertainment centers at an alarming rate. This dire situation calls for a specialist. A professional. An expert in wading through motion pictures so vile that they aren't released; they escape. We need Mike Nelson! Hey, settle down there, pal-- you got him! In more than sixty laugh-out-loud reviews and essays featuring his unique combination of erudite wit and shameless clowning, this screenscarred veteran takes us deep into the recesses of cinematic cheese. He examines legendary showbiz families like Culkin, Baldwin, and Estevez; uncovers an ancient quatrain in which Nostradamus foretells the coming of David Hasselhoff; makes the case for the Food Network and the Three Stooges; and skewers all kinds of movies, including Lost in Space, Twister, Anaconda, The Postman, Spring Break, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Bridges of Madison County, The Blair Witch Project, and many, many more. Here is a film critic for the rest of the outrageous, hilarious Mike Nelson.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2000
About the author
Michael J. Nelson
21 books101 followersMichael J. Nelson is an actor, writer, director, and musician who served as head writer for ten seasons, and on-air host for five seasons, of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was also the composer of most of MST3K's original music, and is coauthor of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide (1996).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 26, 2017
What with MST3K having returned into the social milieu, the hype made me nostalgic for the books written by the MST3K luminaries of yesteryear. At the time of these books' release, these were the last bastions of the comedic stylings of your Michael J. Nelsons or your Kevin Murphys. That is, before Rifftrax came along and became a thing.
I had always been a fan of Nelson's prose in the first place, since readings his entries in The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide book. He has a very dry, self-deprecating wit that always made me laugh, so when he released a book of movie reviews, well, this seemed just about the best idea ever conceived. I can't remember what my impression of this book was when I first read it, though I can only imagine I adored it. Now, with at least 10 plus years of distance (ugh, by the way), having read it again I still enjoyed it, but maybe *slightly* less so.
If there was ever one thing about MST3K that annoyed me during its heyday, it was the stodgy cynicism of its writers. On the one hand, I appreciate that their honest appraisal of that time's pop culture was part of what you signed up for when watching the show. On the other hand, as a teenager, hearing these adults take shots at Alanis Morrisette or Beck made them no better than my parents, who also rolled their eyes at the popular music of the time (which I am currently guilty of now, by the way). It significantly lessened the coolness factor of MST3K a bit, making it feel... old. Which is hardly a shock considering the writers had always often made obscure references to 50s and 60s pop culture with unabashed nostalgic zeal. I guess my point is, while I overall enjoyed the absurd style of comedy of MST3K and the laser-precision of their riffing on movies and pop culture in general, I never much cared for the somewhat cynical outlook of the show either.
That being said, Movie Megacheese is all about taking down Hollywood and the massive amounts of crappy movies it produces every year. Nelson keeps everything light and fun, but some of that is still laced with that cranky, old curmudgeon filter. Since the book mostly focuses on Hollywood fads and movies of the time, it kind of feels a little dated at points too. Also, don't get me started on that book cover. Even when the book was released, the cover was so weak-sauce it broke through my hype blinders and made me think, "Jesus, is this baby's first Photoshop?" Considering the time this was published, then maybe yes, it really was baby's first Photoshop. Nevertheless, it might have behooved the publisher to take a second pass at the cover art.
Anyway, the book is still generally quite funny and a pretty quick read. I would still highly recommend it to fans of MST3K or Micheal J. Nelson specifically.
I had always been a fan of Nelson's prose in the first place, since readings his entries in The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide book. He has a very dry, self-deprecating wit that always made me laugh, so when he released a book of movie reviews, well, this seemed just about the best idea ever conceived. I can't remember what my impression of this book was when I first read it, though I can only imagine I adored it. Now, with at least 10 plus years of distance (ugh, by the way), having read it again I still enjoyed it, but maybe *slightly* less so.
If there was ever one thing about MST3K that annoyed me during its heyday, it was the stodgy cynicism of its writers. On the one hand, I appreciate that their honest appraisal of that time's pop culture was part of what you signed up for when watching the show. On the other hand, as a teenager, hearing these adults take shots at Alanis Morrisette or Beck made them no better than my parents, who also rolled their eyes at the popular music of the time (which I am currently guilty of now, by the way). It significantly lessened the coolness factor of MST3K a bit, making it feel... old. Which is hardly a shock considering the writers had always often made obscure references to 50s and 60s pop culture with unabashed nostalgic zeal. I guess my point is, while I overall enjoyed the absurd style of comedy of MST3K and the laser-precision of their riffing on movies and pop culture in general, I never much cared for the somewhat cynical outlook of the show either.
That being said, Movie Megacheese is all about taking down Hollywood and the massive amounts of crappy movies it produces every year. Nelson keeps everything light and fun, but some of that is still laced with that cranky, old curmudgeon filter. Since the book mostly focuses on Hollywood fads and movies of the time, it kind of feels a little dated at points too. Also, don't get me started on that book cover. Even when the book was released, the cover was so weak-sauce it broke through my hype blinders and made me think, "Jesus, is this baby's first Photoshop?" Considering the time this was published, then maybe yes, it really was baby's first Photoshop. Nevertheless, it might have behooved the publisher to take a second pass at the cover art.
Anyway, the book is still generally quite funny and a pretty quick read. I would still highly recommend it to fans of MST3K or Micheal J. Nelson specifically.
November 6, 2012
It occurs that I shouldn't have read these short, unrelated essays in large batches. But I have a Reading Challenge to make and time's a-wasting.
What you have here are essays that make you ask, "Face/Off? Wasn't that a really stupid movie that had prisoners wearing magnet boots?" ()
For someone so steeped in the worst, the cheesiest products of yesterday's cinema, it's hard to hear any affection for these more recent examples. Without that, it's 288 pages of being told that such-and-such things are crap, which frankly I don't need an expert opinion to guide me towards. And as far as entertainingly awful cinema goes, it seems incomplete. Where is Kurt Russell's Soldier? Where is the lighthearted romp that is The Black Hole? Where is Rutger Hauer, and what about the oeuvre of Christopher Lambert? You cannot tell me that the brain-damaged concept of Fortress and his weirdly mesmerising version of Beowulf are not worthy of inclusion!
The book is at its best when providing wry observations about the movie's structure or plot--you know, an actual review--but it tends to lapse into out-and-out rants, which are uglier and more garish than the movies (and, unfortunately, the actors) that he excoriates mercilessly. In all I'd call it uneven, succeeding mostly in clever sentences (describing Jean-Claude Van Damme's accent as "thicker than waffle batter") but not in whole paragraphs.
He jokes at one point about the possibility Thunderbirds feature film. How. Little. Did. He. Know.
What you have here are essays that make you ask, "Face/Off? Wasn't that a really stupid movie that had prisoners wearing magnet boots?" ()
For someone so steeped in the worst, the cheesiest products of yesterday's cinema, it's hard to hear any affection for these more recent examples. Without that, it's 288 pages of being told that such-and-such things are crap, which frankly I don't need an expert opinion to guide me towards. And as far as entertainingly awful cinema goes, it seems incomplete. Where is Kurt Russell's Soldier? Where is the lighthearted romp that is The Black Hole? Where is Rutger Hauer, and what about the oeuvre of Christopher Lambert? You cannot tell me that the brain-damaged concept of Fortress and his weirdly mesmerising version of Beowulf are not worthy of inclusion!
The book is at its best when providing wry observations about the movie's structure or plot--you know, an actual review--but it tends to lapse into out-and-out rants, which are uglier and more garish than the movies (and, unfortunately, the actors) that he excoriates mercilessly. In all I'd call it uneven, succeeding mostly in clever sentences (describing Jean-Claude Van Damme's accent as "thicker than waffle batter") but not in whole paragraphs.
He jokes at one point about the possibility Thunderbirds feature film. How. Little. Did. He. Know.
May 21, 2013
I guess I was expecting more. I read about this book from a website that I like, and was told how hilarious it was. Being a fan of MST3K, I thought that for sure I'd enjoy it. I think perhaps I am too young or perhaps this book is too dated (or both). Some of the one liners are definitely funny, but there isn't enough structure to the "reviews" (assuming you'd call them that) and by the end of the book I was reading very quickly, practically skimming but still wanting to make sure I wasn't missing the elusive funniness that I was told to expect.
June 29, 2020
This review contains no spoilers. Also, I'm not sure what a "spoiler" would be in the context of a collection of humorous essays.
I have a beef with you, Mike Nelson! What is going on with reviews of all these old movies?! And all the references to old technology, old ways of doing things, all of that?! I mean, video stores? Really?! Encyclopedias? Laserdiscs?! Why aren't you discussing Blu-Rays? What about Wikipedia? Where are all the bad movies from the 21st century? WHY does everything feel so dated?!!
Oh.
Hold on. My apologies. I've had this book in my collection since it was published in the year 2000, which means it took me...hmm...20 years to finally read it. So I guess all the dated references are...my fault! Sorry about that! You're probably wondering why I picked it up now. Well, the family has been watching a bunch of MST3K episodes lately, which inspired me to crack it open, and I'm very pleased that I did. We live in a difficult time right now, and it's great to be able to read nearly 300 pages of clever jokes and then just...feel happy.
Nelson's wit is as razor-sharp on the printed page as it is in any episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I found myself grinning and barking out in laughter repeatedly and torturing my wife by reading favorite passages out loud. With all those essays, you'd expect to see a bunch of different styles of humor, and Nelson delivers. You have to stay on your toes for the hyper-intelligent references, but there are quite a few snort-worthy "low-brow" jokes, as well. And the targets of Nelson's ire are numerous and varied. I can imagine a celebrity reading this book and suddenly saying, "Hey! What did *I* do?!" as they're suddenly skewered on the page.
I didn't agree with all of his often-scathing perspectives. There are SO MANY movies and actors that fell under the baleful gaze of the Mike Nelson Eye of Sauron. Just a staggering number of performers and films that he simply can't stand. He and I didn't align every time, but I found that I really wanted us to agree. I was indignant and even a little sad when he'd take down some person or movie that I liked. You can't say Nelson doesn't have an opinion, though. You won't close this book and wonder, "Gee, does Mike like Jim Carrey?" His position throughout the book is always quite clear. Hilariously so, most of the time.
I'm not a fan of every single humorous style he employed, but that's to be expected. I have an extensive vocabulary, for example, but I don't much care for "big word" humor where I'm supposed to laugh because an unusual (and typically "funny-sounding") word like "blunderbuss" is wedged into the punchline. I will say that Nelson appears to know a few more words than I do (or he had ready access to a thesaurus and a fearless willingness to use it), and I learned a few great ones while reading. I think his best jokes, though, were the ones that were intelligent but accessible even to folks who don't know what "lucubration" or "scorbutic" mean.
As I neared the end of the book, I began to wonder why Nelson subjected himself to watching so many movies he didn't like, which led me to wonder which ones (and which actors) he actually DID like. There are hints here and there (I'm guessing he likes the movie version of "Henry V" pretty well), but I feel like sitting down with Nelson and saying, "Hey, I hear you. There's some real crap out there. But what do you actually *recommend*?" I just did a quick search, and it looks like he wrote a couple other books after this one, but I don't see the one I REALLY want to read: 'Mike Nelson's Hey! Watch This!"
You know what, though, Mike? There's still time!
I have a beef with you, Mike Nelson! What is going on with reviews of all these old movies?! And all the references to old technology, old ways of doing things, all of that?! I mean, video stores? Really?! Encyclopedias? Laserdiscs?! Why aren't you discussing Blu-Rays? What about Wikipedia? Where are all the bad movies from the 21st century? WHY does everything feel so dated?!!
Oh.
Hold on. My apologies. I've had this book in my collection since it was published in the year 2000, which means it took me...hmm...20 years to finally read it. So I guess all the dated references are...my fault! Sorry about that! You're probably wondering why I picked it up now. Well, the family has been watching a bunch of MST3K episodes lately, which inspired me to crack it open, and I'm very pleased that I did. We live in a difficult time right now, and it's great to be able to read nearly 300 pages of clever jokes and then just...feel happy.
Nelson's wit is as razor-sharp on the printed page as it is in any episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I found myself grinning and barking out in laughter repeatedly and torturing my wife by reading favorite passages out loud. With all those essays, you'd expect to see a bunch of different styles of humor, and Nelson delivers. You have to stay on your toes for the hyper-intelligent references, but there are quite a few snort-worthy "low-brow" jokes, as well. And the targets of Nelson's ire are numerous and varied. I can imagine a celebrity reading this book and suddenly saying, "Hey! What did *I* do?!" as they're suddenly skewered on the page.
I didn't agree with all of his often-scathing perspectives. There are SO MANY movies and actors that fell under the baleful gaze of the Mike Nelson Eye of Sauron. Just a staggering number of performers and films that he simply can't stand. He and I didn't align every time, but I found that I really wanted us to agree. I was indignant and even a little sad when he'd take down some person or movie that I liked. You can't say Nelson doesn't have an opinion, though. You won't close this book and wonder, "Gee, does Mike like Jim Carrey?" His position throughout the book is always quite clear. Hilariously so, most of the time.
I'm not a fan of every single humorous style he employed, but that's to be expected. I have an extensive vocabulary, for example, but I don't much care for "big word" humor where I'm supposed to laugh because an unusual (and typically "funny-sounding") word like "blunderbuss" is wedged into the punchline. I will say that Nelson appears to know a few more words than I do (or he had ready access to a thesaurus and a fearless willingness to use it), and I learned a few great ones while reading. I think his best jokes, though, were the ones that were intelligent but accessible even to folks who don't know what "lucubration" or "scorbutic" mean.
As I neared the end of the book, I began to wonder why Nelson subjected himself to watching so many movies he didn't like, which led me to wonder which ones (and which actors) he actually DID like. There are hints here and there (I'm guessing he likes the movie version of "Henry V" pretty well), but I feel like sitting down with Nelson and saying, "Hey, I hear you. There's some real crap out there. But what do you actually *recommend*?" I just did a quick search, and it looks like he wrote a couple other books after this one, but I don't see the one I REALLY want to read: 'Mike Nelson's Hey! Watch This!"
You know what, though, Mike? There's still time!
May 31, 2013
Mike Nelson is a meanie.
That's the only conclusion I can draw from his choice to fill up a book with commentary on dozens of completely forgettable unimportant flicks. Though, to be fair, he's pretty funny on Dragonheart.
This guy, who takes a potshot at Alec Baldwin for starring on Knot's Landing, wishes he was as funny as Tina Fey's Jack Donaghy. He slams Martin Sheen's career in a book published during The West Wing's first season.
But, meh, it's just a throwaway comedy title, I should really just relax.
#teamjoel
That's the only conclusion I can draw from his choice to fill up a book with commentary on dozens of completely forgettable unimportant flicks. Though, to be fair, he's pretty funny on Dragonheart.
This guy, who takes a potshot at Alec Baldwin for starring on Knot's Landing, wishes he was as funny as Tina Fey's Jack Donaghy. He slams Martin Sheen's career in a book published during The West Wing's first season.
But, meh, it's just a throwaway comedy title, I should really just relax.
#teamjoel
October 27, 2008
Nelson was one of the primaries in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 show and has a strange affection, or maybe it is disaffection for film. The book consists of many 2-4 page articles about specific movies or related topics that catch his fancy. For instance there is a section in which he lampoons acting families. Although the material is occasionally laugh out loud funny, it is mostly not. It is just Nelson being snide, mean and negative. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
March 14, 2012
Mike Nelson is nothing less than an ontological anomaly; he is a conservative with a sense of humor. Even so, how could someone who reportedly reads the National Review cover to cover produce the likes of MST3K and this?
January 3, 2021
This book is very dated and snarky. Not what I expected at all. I was hoping for laugh-out-loud moments and got nothing. I finished it but just barely. I love MST3K, but if you're looking for that kind of quick wit and cleaver writing, this is not the book to read. Very disappointing.
August 5, 2011
Mike Nelson the MST3K/Rifftrax commentator and Mike Nelson the movie reviewer are two somewhat different styles of humor, yet they spring from the same source. MST3K is a little more cozy than this book, which tends to be a little dryer and a slight bit more cynical in its humor style. Nonetheless, this book has you laughing out loud real quickly. For those people who are disappointed by the overmarketed, ill-plotted state of blockbuster Hollywood cinema today, this book is a one-way laugh trip around some of the most uninspired messes of Hollywood icons out there. It is possible (likely?) that he will poke some good-natured fun of a film or actor that you hold dear, so readers with sensitive hearts should stand back. For those who can laugh at life and admire the mass of culture that is stored in Mike Nelson's head, this book is for you.
One note: A good portion of the reviews originally came from monthly columns written for the DVD review section of "Home Theater" magazine. (A magazine dedicated to, what else, recreating the cinema experience at home, ie DVDs / big screen TVs / Dolby 5.1...) A casual reader might find all of the references to DVDs a tad odd and repetitive, but this is the reason for the references being there. For those who were a fan of Mike Nelson's "Home Theater" columns (which sadly have been retired due to Mike Nelson's desire to move on), this is a great collection of some of his best columns over the years - plus many additional gems
One note: A good portion of the reviews originally came from monthly columns written for the DVD review section of "Home Theater" magazine. (A magazine dedicated to, what else, recreating the cinema experience at home, ie DVDs / big screen TVs / Dolby 5.1...) A casual reader might find all of the references to DVDs a tad odd and repetitive, but this is the reason for the references being there. For those who were a fan of Mike Nelson's "Home Theater" columns (which sadly have been retired due to Mike Nelson's desire to move on), this is a great collection of some of his best columns over the years - plus many additional gems
September 5, 2009
One of the books I finished recently was "Movie Megacheese" by Mike Nelson. I loved it! Nelson reviews "Cheesy Movies", using "Road House" with Patrick Swayze as a guide, as in ----Was it as cheesy as Road House, cheesier, or not as cheesy? Nelson was hilarious as he makes fun of action films, chick flix, movie families, science fiction and "wild thangs".
Here's a quote: "Certainly in many films, the motivation is simply money, yet given the failure rate of robbery or extortion schemes that involve many men, countless helicopters, the kidnapping of prime ministers, planting hundreds of expensive tracking devices, customizing service cans, and also coming up with contingency plans to handle wisecracking off-duty detectives, it would seem easier simply to take that job at Cousin Ed's candy store." I laughed out loud while reading this book. We have all of our windows wide open, and one day when I was all alone, I had to put it away because I was afraid one of the neighbors would walk by, hear me laughing hysterically and think that I had finally lost my mind. Apparently this author produced a television series called Mystery Theater 5000 or something like that, a parody of Sci Fi movies. I looked for it in the video store, but a boxed set is $50.00. Still, it would be worth it if the series is as hilarious as the book.
Here's a quote: "Certainly in many films, the motivation is simply money, yet given the failure rate of robbery or extortion schemes that involve many men, countless helicopters, the kidnapping of prime ministers, planting hundreds of expensive tracking devices, customizing service cans, and also coming up with contingency plans to handle wisecracking off-duty detectives, it would seem easier simply to take that job at Cousin Ed's candy store." I laughed out loud while reading this book. We have all of our windows wide open, and one day when I was all alone, I had to put it away because I was afraid one of the neighbors would walk by, hear me laughing hysterically and think that I had finally lost my mind. Apparently this author produced a television series called Mystery Theater 5000 or something like that, a parody of Sci Fi movies. I looked for it in the video store, but a boxed set is $50.00. Still, it would be worth it if the series is as hilarious as the book.
February 3, 2013
Mike Nelson of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" notoriety is the anti-Ebert. How many times have you, as an avid film buff (or even as just somebody who likes movies) been rifling through the latest gauntlet of movie reviews of the new flick you were interested in, only to get the impression that the critic giving the review just wants to show off that he has a film and literature degree from an Ivy-League college you're not smart enough or rich enough for? Well, dear friends, Mike Nelson is not here to berate you for liking a movie like "Gladiator" despite dubious historical revisionism. Although he may disagree over the appeal of Adam Sandler. In "Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese!" you get an affordable and handy companion, or alternative, to the high-minded but often way off-target ego-driven movie guides by the likes of Maltin and Ebert. It's not as all-inclusive as these tomes, but then, it's also a lot lighter, easier to flip through and best of all-no long discussions about some film you've never heard of! Doing to film criticism what he did to B-Movies for 7 years on MST, Mike Nelson is giving film fans a book they can actually read all the way through without having to search and re-search for the good parts! Take "The Onion" publications and the "Movie Hound" series, and you've got one of the funniest movie guides around.
April 13, 2015
I want to preface this review with the fact that I love Mike Nelson, and my dream is that someday he and Joel Hodgson and Trace Beaulieu will reunite for the most amazing humor project ever. I bought this book 12-13 years ago. I was enamored with it then because I love all things MST3K. But...
This book suffers from what a lot of pop culture/movie/TV-based books do. Relevance.
A lot of the essays are dated and don't have the timeless quality of essay from writers like Bill Bryson. I am reading Bryson's I'm a Stranger Here Myself, which was published a year before this one. So many of Bryson's essays are still relevant 15 years later. Mike's are too focused on very narrow scopes of not-great and therefore forgettable movies from the mid-nineties.
Some of his observances are very apt today (Keanu Reeves has never turned in a well-acted performance and Adam Sandler is not funny), but he repeats his themes (this movie is dumb, this actor is bad) too many times with movies and actors that aren't relevant today. When he repeats his point too much, he comes off as too angry.
I much preferred his general essays on life in Mind Over Matters which are more comparable to Bryson and other humor essayists. And I will still buy anything he writes and read it happily.
This book suffers from what a lot of pop culture/movie/TV-based books do. Relevance.
A lot of the essays are dated and don't have the timeless quality of essay from writers like Bill Bryson. I am reading Bryson's I'm a Stranger Here Myself, which was published a year before this one. So many of Bryson's essays are still relevant 15 years later. Mike's are too focused on very narrow scopes of not-great and therefore forgettable movies from the mid-nineties.
Some of his observances are very apt today (Keanu Reeves has never turned in a well-acted performance and Adam Sandler is not funny), but he repeats his themes (this movie is dumb, this actor is bad) too many times with movies and actors that aren't relevant today. When he repeats his point too much, he comes off as too angry.
I much preferred his general essays on life in Mind Over Matters which are more comparable to Bryson and other humor essayists. And I will still buy anything he writes and read it happily.
July 30, 2019
I originally bought this book because of the author's connection to the TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (a connection that is advertised very conspicuously on the book's cover I might add). If I remember correctly, I first bought the book shortly after it came out. At the time I just skimmed through it, and I do remember it being amusing. I'm pretty confidant however that this is the first time I've read the book through from cover to cover. In my opinion, the book hasn't aged well. While it was kind of fun reading about the golden age of The Food Network, most of the then current references in the book seem less nostalgic and more outdated. I also can't help but wonder if maybe the author's brand of humor just doesn't translate well in written form.
Did I like it? Not exactly.
Would I reread it? No.
Would I recommend it? If you're a Mike Nelson fan, you may still want to check it out. However I recommend seeing if you can borrow a copy and reading a few of the entries to see if you like it before spending the money to buy a copy.
Did I like it? Not exactly.
Would I reread it? No.
Would I recommend it? If you're a Mike Nelson fan, you may still want to check it out. However I recommend seeing if you can borrow a copy and reading a few of the entries to see if you like it before spending the money to buy a copy.
November 5, 2007
Talk about an unexpected pleasure! I’m not a big fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and when I first got a copy of Mike Nelson’s Movie Megacheese, I was nonplussed. That was until I opened the book up. Any one that calls the film Batman & Robin “the single worst thing we as human beings have ever produced in recorded history” is A-OK in my book. Nelson goes on to ravage many movies in this thoroughly entertaining movie guide. Though you have to wonder about a man who calls Road House “the single finest American film.” Laugh out loud funny, this may be the most entertaining film book you ever read.
January 23, 2008
Former "MST3K" star Nelson defines good movies by looking at how successfully the filmmakers were able to achieve what they set out to do with the movie. He theorizes that the creative forced behind the Patrick Swayze epic, "Roadhouse," intended it to be the worst movie ever, and by realizing that goal, they in effect made the greatest film of all time. Using that logic, he skewers bad 1997-ish movies like "Anaconda," "Batman and Robin," and "Lost in Space." Dated, maybe, but his laugh-out-loud writing style is timeless.
August 27, 2007
Mike Nelson's reviews are read for their own entertaining value, rather than as a deciding factor on whether or not to see any of these movies. Like with MST3K, you are looking to him for his impression of the movie, which is always far more clever than the movie itself (especially the hollywood stinkers Mike writes about). Read with a dictionary by your side, though; Mike has a vocabulary that would make Nathaniel Hawthorne crimson with jealousy.
January 22, 2008
This book made me want to watch some really bad movies, but I restrained myself. Although, I may have to seek out Road House as a particularly fine example of a movie that's so bad it's great!
I learned to never watch Lost in Space, but I already knew that, as it stars Matt LeBlanc, a sure sign of a stinker. I think SF is especially vulnerable to bad movie syndrome.
As always, Mike Nelson is amazing at making bad entertainment entertaining!
I learned to never watch Lost in Space, but I already knew that, as it stars Matt LeBlanc, a sure sign of a stinker. I think SF is especially vulnerable to bad movie syndrome.
As always, Mike Nelson is amazing at making bad entertainment entertaining!
December 17, 2007
Reviews of crappy movies, by the guy from MST3K. It was okay. I bought it hoping for recommendations of "good" B-movies (I guess because of the MST connection), but it wasn't that - it's about movies that are just BAD, like Judge Dredd and Steven Seagall movies. The author tries a little too hard to be funny and many of his jokes kind of fall flat.
January 14, 2008
Dispatches from the dawn of the DVD era. Bitterly brutal essays on movies you'd happily forgotten you saw ten or twelve years ago--if you're you're like me you sat through every one of these stinkers--or TV shows the memories of which have entirely faded away. The movies are dated but the writing is gut-bustingly funny.
May 21, 2013
Well, this really brought me back to the days when my devastatingly awesome mastery of 90s pop culture trivia was actually relevant. Fellow MST3K/Rifftrax fans will love this compendium of wisecracking reviews of completely riff-worthy films. Michael J. Nelson is totally in his element here. Nobody does it better.
April 27, 2014
A collection of essays on film by the head writer and host of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and now, Rifftrax. I love Mike Nelson's writing, and this was delightful. He rips into bad movies and bad actors, but along the way he shows a clear love of film and being entertained, and this is also the only book that I know of that explains the differences between the Baldwin brothers.
August 3, 2009
Although I found some parts of this book laugh-out-loud funny, others were only mildly amusing and some fell flat. And, he trashed one of my fave movies, Event Horizon. Come on. That said, this is a good book for the metro - keeps things light! :)
February 17, 2011
Funny essays, similar to his MST3K style of joking - some of the movies I don't remember well, so the jokes weren't as amusing as they might have been. This was published in 2000. So, for instance, my memory of The Saint, which I saw once over a decade ago, was rusty.
September 17, 2011
I've had this book for several years and constantly flip through it. I can't recommend it enough: it would be great for a long airplane ride/road trip, as I bet you'll be reading funny quotes out loud the whole time.
June 17, 2014
This is the book that gave me the phrase "flaming pile of squirrel vomit" and for that I'll be forever grateful. I am a big fan of Mike Nelson's humor, and this book made me laugh even though the movies it reviews were all old by the time I read it.
March 5, 2013
Freaking hilarious. I've read it more times than are likely healthy and it still makes me laugh out loud and repeat phrases like a trained parrot. I would sincerely love to sit down with mike some weekend and watch some movies.
March 12, 2014
Sadly, I found much of this book to be terrible and unfunny, which is not how I normally feel about Mike Nelson's work. I appreciate his 'hyuck-hyuck, nudge-nudge' brand of humor, but oftentimes it felt forced and flat.
January 14, 2015
This book is a nice return to the odd period between the end of MST3K and the dawn of RiffTrax. Mike Nelson does what he's always done best: skewered bad movies and made me laugh in the process. This book is a fun read.
August 23, 2007
Mike Nelson is one of the world's funniest people. This book is a must for anyone who secretly enjoys watching horrible movies, and people who still mourn the loss of MST3K.
December 10, 2007
Making fun of bad movies is fun and Mike Nelson does it well.
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