A former screenwriter, Fields started at Shout! Factory in 2004 in the production department. In 2005, he moved to Rhino Entertainment as acquisitions manager, where his responsibilities included product managing their MST3K releases. In 2007, he went back to Shout! Factory as director of acquisitions and worked to bring MST3K distribution rights there. He works closely with DVD producer Brian Ward on their MST3K releases and helped engineer the MST3K reunion at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con.
Jordan has been at the heart of the decision-making process for MST3K on home video for quite some time, and looks to be at the heart of it for quite some time to come. So, what do you think we should ask him?
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Are there any plans to release any of the Best-Brains home videos, such as the Scrapbook tape (even in edited form), “The Last Dance – Raw” or the “Tom Servo Host Segment” series? What about the “Specials” (Golden Robot Awards, Blockbuster Review, etc.?)
Are there any plans to make more Film Crew DVDs?
Nice pull! First, massive thanks to Jordan for getting out MST3K on DVD, especially on Shout!, which I think is doing a great job. Now my question:
How difficult is it to deal with us? MSTies are obviously a pretty passionate bunch and are often known to be a bit cranky if we think our favorite show is being badly handled in some way. In the grand scheme of cult TV fanatics and weirdos, where do MSTies rank in the overall scheme of annoyance? Be honest: we can take the heat. :)
1. When distributors or copyright holders learn that you’re negotiating for the MSt3K versions of their work, does that effect their attitude, either for better or worse?
2. Do you plan to re-release any items previously released by Rhino, with or without new content?
3. Any chance of a future release including pre-MST work by the show’s cast, like Joel’s stand-up work or the KTMA Melon Drop specials?
Have you contacted any of the rights owners for MST3K Season 3 movies including Gamera, It Conquered the World, The Amazing Colossal Man, War of the Colossal Beast, the whole Gamera series etc ? If you have can you tell us what the status of licensing those movies and if we will ever see some of those Season 3 movies on DVD from Shout in an upcoming set ? Is there anything at all you could license from Season 3 ?
First, Thank You Jordan for all of your hard work both at Rhino and Shout! I have a few questions for you:
Is there any chance of seeing episode promos as bonus features? I imagine the issue is getting Comedy Central and Sci-fi to clear the use of their name in them. They’re fantastic little bits and the fans love them. we’ve seen a lot of them thanks to the ridiculous effort of a few fans but we know there are even more out there. Like I said, they’re great little skits that if included as the ONLY bonus feature, how could fans complain about that? The MST Hour bumpers would also be nice to have, either in one place or spread across releases.
Also, is there a list Shout! has of films they will DEFINITELY not be able to release and if so, are the host segments off limits as bonus features? Does mentioning the title of an off-limits film keep you from using the segment (or an episode promo for that matter)?
I guess I am basically asking is how much of a pain is it to use material that references a film you can not release.
Gamera is a friend to children, but I wonder, is Gamera also friend to Shout! Factory? I recall that one of your Elvira Movie Macabre releases featured “Gamera: Super-Monster” (which is a clip movie showing highlights from pretty much the entire early Gamera run) This has given me a glimmer of hope that perhaps Shout! would be able to secure the rights to the Gamera movies for MST3K releases.
Or putting it differently, some of the rights owners of certain movies featured on MST3K have been very reluctant to have their iantGay ubberRay izardLay oviesMay released, if there is some leverage, wouldn’t trying to do an entire box set of said movies as perhaps it would be easier to wrangle the rights to a handful as opposed to one or two?
When will we get our Htom Sirveaux busts!? :roll:
Seriously, of course we’re all interested in what you guys have to go through to get everything cleared so you can release a MST, but what I’d like to know is if you are a MST fan* and if so, what are
1. your favorite episode,
2. your favorite ep that hasn’t been released yet (and when is that coming out…? :wink: ),
and
3. your least favorite episode.
Also, I was thinking last night of the serials they showed in the early seasons (“Undersea Kingdom”, “General Hospital”, “Commando Cody”, etc.) Any thoughts on a “collection” disc with those on them, like the shorts volumes?
*I’m assuming you are, given the great work you’ve done so far, but you never know…
Got another one here… Are any of the movies in the MST3K library getting anywhere near public domain territory? If so wouldn’t those ones be easier to release on DVD?
Could you give a list of MSt3000 movies that are unlikely or virtually impossible to be released for the foreseeable future, so there won’t be disappointment hoping for favorite movies to be released.
Ex. Final Sacrifice. :grin:
Tell us your most interesting acquisition story(or failed attempt at an acquisition?)
Many thanks for spectacular job so far on these releases, particularly the 20th Anniversary set.
What are the plans for a Tom Servo Statuette?
Are there future plans for BlueRay releases?
Do the writers get any residuals from these releases (other than Jim Mallon and Joel Hodgson)?
Will Shout ever do the single episode releases like Rhino did?
Any possibilities of getting any of the KTMA episodes on DVD?
Would you make a whole DVD collection of all the MST3K Hour segments on DVD?
Is there a chance for the Oscar and Summer Movie specials?
Can there be a collection of TV promos for the from KTMA, Comedy Central and Sci-Fi Channel eras?
While it might seem redundant any chance of a commentary on segments or episodes?
Any chance of Edward the Less being in a MST3K box set or a separate release?
Could there be new segments or shorts with the MST3K cast similar to the Rhino Collection Vol. 10.2?
Loosely MST3K related question – Would Shout Factory be interested in making a DVD Collection for Cheap Seats?
Would Shout consider making a fan film disc of Riffs? Basically interviewing websites like ThatGuyWiththeGlasses, The Angry Video Game Nerd, Incognito Cinema Warriors XP, the Ryan K Johnson’s films and others on Rifftrax why they like MST3K and how they were inspired by the show.
Thanks for taking the time to answer our relentless questions!
First, here’s another vote for a Tom Servo figurine to sit next to my Crow figurine on my computer desk.
Next, for a brief while Rhino’s releases featured Mike giving a little intro to each episode. Any thoughts on bringing cast members back to do something similar for future Shout releases (either as themselves or in character)?
Third, when it comes to bonus features, any chance of getting the Turkey Day bumpers/segments as a special feature? The old Scrapbook tape contained Dr. F trying to take over the world on Thanksgiving Day, but there were other years that featured similar bumpers.
Fourth, someone else in the discussion thread asked about Blu-ray releases. Would there be any advantage to releasing Blu-ray sets of a non-HD show that features, well, visually crappy films? If you’re taking opinions, I say just stick to regular DVDs (and this is coming from someone with a Blu-ray player and an eagerness for HD content).
Why aren’t there scene selections on the MST3K DVDs from Shout Factory? It’s a basic feature that is found on even the lowliest DVDs.
So i’m going to echo the questions about season three. Are we ever going to see more?!! The last release from this season was on the MST3K Essentials DVD and that was five years ago! Are we getting any closer to working stuff out with Sandy Frank and Corman yet?
:smile: Is there any chance of getting People Traps with Trace or The Tv Wheel and Statical Planets that Joel did on future releases??? How come there isn’t scene selection on the movies?? Will there be MST Alive?? Convention footage?? How about interviews with Richard Kiel,Mamie Van Doren and other actors that were in these turkeys that MST3K did?? Uncut versions of the movies included,too??
Has Shout! Factory given any thought to approaching Joel et al for distribution of their Cinematic Titanic stuff?
Why no scene selections?
And what about scarecrow’s brain?
Ditto for a Tom Servo statuette. And how about
Cambot and Gypsy? (Not sure how you’d do Magic
Voice, though :smile: )
The ktma season remains untouched. What work is being done to secure the dvd rights? As you must know by now the first three episodes showed on ktma remain a holy grail amongst us fans. These are incredible imortant to complete the series. Please do all you can in this respect.
Everyone already covered the questions I wanted to cover, such as:
-can we expect single episode releases on DVD?
-any chance of commentary tracks on TOP of the episodes (commentary tracks would make things a bit congested audio-wise, but they might be fun extras)?
-what episode(s) would you personally like to see released on DVD?
-will scene selection menus be included in future releases?
-do you have any plans to include the various promotional spots that once aired on Comedy Central/Sci-Fi Channel?
So, with those questions already on the table, I just want to say that I’m tremendously pleased with Shout! Factory’s handling of MST3K DVD releases.
In particular, the 20th Anniversary Edition Box Set may be one of the best DVD purchases I have ever made.
We love the Crow/Servo retro movie artwork for the DVD cases, the main menus are fun, the episodes you’ve selected for release are great choices, and the audio/video transfers are top notch.
Thank you very much for your efforts – keep up the great work!
Why don’t you put proper chapter stops on the DVDs? (FYI: they need to be at all scene changes, not just commercial breaks)
/I know you won’t ask this; I just wanted to see if we could somehow inform them of this issue.
Could you please edit & release some of the better KTMA episodes ? K09, Phase IV; K13, SST Deathflight; K16, City on Fire; K19, Hangar 18; K20, The Last Chase; & K21, Legend of the Dinosaur.
Keep in mind, they’re taking these episodes off of YouTube, so now there’s even less of a chance to watch them. Although, with a bit of editing, they’d be even better than the Season 1 episodes, of which you already released Mad Monster …
Also, this isn’t so much a question as it is a suggestion, but maybe one of the extra features for future releases could be an exploration of the fan following of MST3K?
From the Variety magazine ad and the letter-writing campaigns intended to save MST3K to the letters and gifts that have been sent to Best Brains, from the “Keep Circulating the Tapes” mentality that united MSTies nationwide to the wealth of websites that flood the internet, from celebrity followers of the show to regular people who get together every now and then to watch their favorite episodes, Mystery Science Theater 3000 has always had a energized, vocal, and devoted fan base.
The documentaries on the 20th Anniversary Edition gave us some insight into the people who were responsible for MST3K. Maybe a documentary on an upcoming DVD release could examine why/how MST3K became a cult phenomenon, illustrate the various ways in which the fans have expressed their enthusiasm, and provide insight into the very people who enjoyed the show and did their best to support it?
Will you ever release a 4 disc set of episodes
that were voted for by fans?
Another suggested question, though this one is a massive longshot:
Any chance Shout Factory can obtain the rights to MST3K-TM and give it the “special edition” release that fans have asked for?
As you are probably aware, some of the KTMA episodes wound up being re-riffed in later seasons, so what are the chances that if one of these episodes gets released, that the KTMA version could be included as a bonus.
I figure the main problem is getting the actual movie rights, or is there difficulties getting the KTMA host/riff footage?
How much ya bench?
MST3K Hours have been mentioned, but what about Turkey Days segments (esp Turkey Day 702 Night of the Blood Beast version)and other Specials (e.g. Academy of Robots Choice Awards, Summer Blockbuster Review) ?
J/P=?
Just another vote for all questions regarding the release of season 3 episodes (especially the Gamera films).
“First of all: great work for all these years! Thanks for all of your work to bring my favorite show back into my life!
As for a question…infamous MSTie fan favorite “Manos, the Hands of Fate” ended up being released twice on Rhino, I believe, both as a single and along with “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” in “The Essentials” set. I’m curious, though, that among those early singles releases, “Manos” did not get included as a flip-side unMSTed version, yet the Internet Archive and other sources seem to indicate that the film is in the public domain. As a crappy no-budget filmmaker myself who’d like to use footage of it in future projects if indeed there is no copyright to get in the way, can you clear this up once and for all by telling me if “Manos” is or is not in the public domain?”
First off..thanks for all the hard work and efforts!
Since we know that the movies shown generally had to be cut for time; could you include the “cut bits” as a bonus feature? Save having to release the entire movie non-MST3K style, this would help give a glimpse into the editing process and would be neat for those fans lacking the shelf space or obsession to track down original version of the films…although including both versions would be neat!
Thanks Again!
First off, Mr. Fields, I’d like to thank you and Shout! Factory for taking over not only the MST3K license, but also the upcoming re-releases of the original Transformers series. It’ll be nice to get those without Rhino’s self-induced animation errors.
Anyway, back to MST3K. Would you guys be interested in doing “themed” sets of releases? For instance, a spy-themed set (Danger! Death Ray, Radar Secret Service, Agent from HARM and Riding With Death is one possible assortment).
Expanding upon Nick-0’s question above, does Shout! Factory have a complete list of MSTied films and their public domain status, perhaps as a working document for rights securing? I’ve wanted to compile one for Wikipedia for a while, and I’m not looking forward to spending weeks at the Library of Congress (assuming they even have all the info I’d need).
But if you guys already have one, I’d be happy to credit you as the source when I post it to the relevant discussion pages. (It wouldn’t be part of an article, since it has to be formally published for that, but it would be of great use to the legions of MSTie Wikipedians.) On the other hand, if you don’t want that posted for some reason, I’d understand.
1) Boxers or briefs?
2) I’d also like to see a list of episodes that will definitely not be released.
Thanks!
Put me down, too, for KTMA episodes, at least (A) the maddeningly unavailable K01-K03 shows, and (B) Humanoid Woman. But thanks in general for continuing any and all MST3K releases!!
By the way, ck, I’ve got a Magic Voice statuette at home here… somewhere… um, can’t seem to find it…
I’ve mentioned here once and on the Shout Factory board too: I understand that KTMA eps are almost impossible because of the Jim & Joel’s feelings. But is it possible that one day we could see the nine episodes from KTMA that were used in Season 3 on a duel episode disc? It seems those nine are the only ones from KTMA that have the best chance for rights negotiations and that they could do a compare/contrast thing by giving fans the initial KTMA and the perfected Season 3 version. Fans could choose to watch only the Season 3 version if they choose, but the hardcore completists can have both. Jim Mallon once mentioned in his interview that he’d like to preserve the masters of KTMA. Here’s one way for nine of them. Even if it’s a few years down the road and they change there mind. Your thoughts on this idea?
Agree that scene selections are a must…gotta get more shorts, too. Need to get The Final Sacrifice…Rowsdower,yo!!
Hey, thanks so much for taking our questions!
Q-Will Shout! Factory ever obtain the digital distribution rights to the Rhino MST3K sets for release on iTunes?
I love it that there are some episodes on iTunes now, probably the best thing to happen to them in recent history (save Shout! Factory getting rights to them, of course)but there aren’t many, so I’m really excited to see more coming if possible.
Thanks for supplying our MST fix. I need another one, man. Otherwise the purple wildebeast’s gonna bite my toes off!!!
OK better now.
As stated by others; The Oscar & Summer blockbuster specials
Turkey Day episode of “Night of the Blood Beast”
Tom Servo’s Greatest Host segments
TV Promos from Comedy Central & Sci-Fi
I don’t know the right’s issues but, fav Eps; Puma Man, Jack Frost, Danger! Death Ray, & Final Sacrifice.
Any more “Poopie!”, Don Sullivan interview, or Mstory (history) type bonus features planned for future releases?
I’ve got Crow, but when do I get my Joel, Mike, Tom, Gypsy, Cambot, Pitch, Jack Perkins, Frank, Dr. F, and Miles O’Keefe minatures?
Oh, I forgot. Any plans to get another episode crave-o-meter going? I can’t remember what site did it (this one?), but a few years ago, people could vote for their desired releases. I know rights issues loom, but I also noticed that four of the top ten choices made it on to subsequent releases. So it counts for something!
Please, please don’t base future releases on a vote from the internet.
A higher percentage of the Sci-Fi episodes than of the CC episodes have already been released, and I guarantee you’ll see the same few people asking for the remaining Sci-Fi episodes over and over again, and they’re already the episodes that have been the most accessible. There are far more CC episodes remaining to be released than Sci-Fi episodes, and I hope Shout! Factory will concentrate on those.
I would just like to know why Shout! Factory doesn’t put scene selections on its DVDs. Even the crappy public domain DVDs you get from the dollar stores have scene selections.
Firstly, as so many have said, thanks for all your efforts.
Secondly, more of a suggestion for the distributors who are being difficult about rights to these films (Gamera, The Undead, Squirm etc.), perhaps convey to them that it is in their best interests to allow MST3K releases of their films, seeing that it is the best way to avoid the $2 bin at Wal-Mart. They need to acknowledge that MST3K transformed their trash into treasure and they should GROVEL at the feet of Best Brains for creating these legions of adoring fans who now embrace their B-movie crap. It’s not like people are lining up to buy the non-riffed versions. Make them see the light as best you can. :smile:
What i want to know is there anything that us fans can do to help procure rights to movies that are hard to get rights for.
Is there any way to fix the problem with getting the rights to the godzilla films, the beginning of the end and the amazing colossal man?