Mystery Science Theater 3000 alums Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy have been putting together annual Kickstarters to support their RiffTrax live shows for a few years now, allowing them to acquire the rights to riff-ready material like The Room, Starship Troopers, and Miami Connection. This year, though, they’re cooking up something special to give their usual promotional push a little extra oomph: a full-on MST3K reunion show, complete with appearances from cast members/guest stars Bridget Nelson (née Jones), Mary Jo Pehl, Frank Coniff, and Trace Beaulieu.
Possibly inspired by the internet’s rabid willingness to shovel money at any hint of new MST3K, the live event will take place in June in Minneapolis, the city where the show first got its start on local channel KTMA TV 23. Instead of ripping into a feature-length film, the cast will take on a series of educational shorts, in the classic tradition of their people. And while nobody is naming any names, the Kickstarter campaign page also mentions that the group is reaching out to “other veteran cast members, as well as the cast of the New MST3K, and we’re hopeful they’ll join us too.”
But that’s not the only nostalgic boon being offered to long-time fans: RiffTrax is also planning a re-attack on the classic Mike-era episode Time Chasers, complete with an HD transfer of the movie worked up by its director, David Giancola, ensuring that every futuristic food court and molecule of star Matthew Bruch’s mullet is perfectly preserved. Donators will get access to live-streams and digital downloads of the events, and the warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing they’ve caused more Mystery Science Theater 3000-style material to exist.