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toastlover1's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy this book, but it left me wishing for more. The essays are a little disjointed. I read a review or two before I bought the book, so I was forewarned that most of the content had a tenuous relationship to the movies that Conniff used as a basis to discuss just about whatever came to his mind. I completely understand that the vast majority of the audience for a book by this author are going to find it based on his connect to MST3K, so it only makes sense for him to use MST3K to lure readers, but then the reader should be able to expect a little more on the subject. As it stands, the book is a little bit MST3K memoir, a little bit autobiographical memoir, a little bit social commentary, and a whole lot of obscure movie and TV reference and discussion. None of this I minded, and Conniff is clever and amusing, but after the first few essays, the abrupt changes in topic and direction lost its appeal. I've followed Conniff on social media before and I was aware that he is unapologetically political and liberal, and I like that, but this book should have either stuck to the promise that it focused more on MST3K, or he should have written a full fledged memoir, or designed a collection of essays that highlighted his own funny and cynical view on the world, but the attempt to make this book a little bit of everything in just over a hundred pages falls short of its promise.
dixiet's review against another edition
4.0
This was great fun. I do wish someone had edited it; there were several typos and mistakes that could have easily been corrected. But I would recommend this to any MST3K fan.
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
3.0
(3.5 out of 5)
Twenty Five Mystery Science Theater 3000 Films That Changed My Life In No Way Whatsoever is a collection retrospective essays of Frank Conniff's time on MST3K as the person who selected which films would be suitable for the show to riff on. Naturally, there are a lot of anecdotes about MST3K in the book, as well as some fun facts about the various films chosen to be part of this book.
However, this book is, at its heart, a comedic book. It's irreverent, sarcastic, witty, and fun. There's not a whole lot of behind the scenes info on MST3K, or much insight as to why these films were chosen to be on the show. There is, however, a lot of fun information about Frank himself. Many of the essays bridge off into tangents about some facet of Frank's life (whether his past or present) and how those experiences affected him. The movies themselves may not have had any impact on Frank's life - although, that's debatable as you will see when you read the book - but this book is full of things that did have an impact on his life. He talks about his parents, his past with addiction, etc. and it's things like this that make this book stand out.
It could easily have just been a list of movies with some factoids about them and a bit of behind the scenes information and fans would have eaten it up. But this is better than that. It's something deeply personal from Frank and allows the reader to spend some time in his brain - which is, really, a lot of fun.
If you like MST3K, you should give this book a shot. It's not the best-written book, but, again, it's really just a series of essays somewhat related to various movies featured in MST3K. If you look at it with that mindset, you'll enjoy it.
Twenty Five Mystery Science Theater 3000 Films That Changed My Life In No Way Whatsoever is a collection retrospective essays of Frank Conniff's time on MST3K as the person who selected which films would be suitable for the show to riff on. Naturally, there are a lot of anecdotes about MST3K in the book, as well as some fun facts about the various films chosen to be part of this book.
However, this book is, at its heart, a comedic book. It's irreverent, sarcastic, witty, and fun. There's not a whole lot of behind the scenes info on MST3K, or much insight as to why these films were chosen to be on the show. There is, however, a lot of fun information about Frank himself. Many of the essays bridge off into tangents about some facet of Frank's life (whether his past or present) and how those experiences affected him. The movies themselves may not have had any impact on Frank's life - although, that's debatable as you will see when you read the book - but this book is full of things that did have an impact on his life. He talks about his parents, his past with addiction, etc. and it's things like this that make this book stand out.
It could easily have just been a list of movies with some factoids about them and a bit of behind the scenes information and fans would have eaten it up. But this is better than that. It's something deeply personal from Frank and allows the reader to spend some time in his brain - which is, really, a lot of fun.
If you like MST3K, you should give this book a shot. It's not the best-written book, but, again, it's really just a series of essays somewhat related to various movies featured in MST3K. If you look at it with that mindset, you'll enjoy it.
vanessakm's review against another edition
3.0
Frank Conniff spent 5 years appearing on Mystery Science Theater 3000* picking the films and appearing on the show as TV's Frank. If you look at the cover illustration, you'll be like, "Oh, THAT guy." If you think that sounds like a kickass job, you are right.
The other reviewers are correct: I wish this book had more anecdotes about MST3K or the movies they watched. I didn't entirely mind though. Parts of the book have their moments of obviousness (all new batches of young people are equally annoying to each subsequent batch of old people, Trump is terrifying), but Coniff is also witty, profane and charming. These are qualities I can get behind.
(It also has some typo issues, the kind a basic word processing spell check should have caught. Since other reviews mention it, I'll just say yes there are typos that even a casual reader will notice. But unless you are completely unable to get past such things, you should still be able to read and enjoy this.)
I did like the essays that discussed the movies or MST3K trivia the best (some go off on a completely unrelated tangent, with mixed results), but even the diversions can be charming: Bride of the Monster becomes an essay on Ed Wood's outsider art (less Conniff sound delusional here, he fully acknowledges the fact that Wood is a terrible filmmaker), I Accuse my Parents turns into a sweet homage to his late mother.
Conniff was with MST3K during its golden years, so the book includes some of their greatest hits like Manos: The Hands of Fate, Eegah! and (YESSSS!!) Mitchell. I really wished he would have delved into how unhappy Joe Don Baker was about that film getting the riff treatment, but I was even more curious about what it's like to have Buford Pusser himself pissed at you.
*Kids, back in the 90's there was an amazing show on Comedy Central where people made fun of bad movies while other people at home watched them watching and making fun of bad movies. Maybe this sounds dumb and pointless, but the millennial who sits next to me at work spends hours upon hours watching YouTube videos of someone else playing video games which seems to me even more dumb and pointless. Anyways, some of MST3K is available via your local streaming outlets, and some of it is on the YouTube. So, you should check it out. Especially if you enjoy a good Harold Pinter reference.
The other reviewers are correct: I wish this book had more anecdotes about MST3K or the movies they watched. I didn't entirely mind though. Parts of the book have their moments of obviousness (all new batches of young people are equally annoying to each subsequent batch of old people, Trump is terrifying), but Coniff is also witty, profane and charming. These are qualities I can get behind.
(It also has some typo issues, the kind a basic word processing spell check should have caught. Since other reviews mention it, I'll just say yes there are typos that even a casual reader will notice. But unless you are completely unable to get past such things, you should still be able to read and enjoy this.)
I did like the essays that discussed the movies or MST3K trivia the best (some go off on a completely unrelated tangent, with mixed results), but even the diversions can be charming: Bride of the Monster becomes an essay on Ed Wood's outsider art (less Conniff sound delusional here, he fully acknowledges the fact that Wood is a terrible filmmaker), I Accuse my Parents turns into a sweet homage to his late mother.
Conniff was with MST3K during its golden years, so the book includes some of their greatest hits like Manos: The Hands of Fate, Eegah! and (YESSSS!!) Mitchell. I really wished he would have delved into how unhappy Joe Don Baker was about that film getting the riff treatment, but I was even more curious about what it's like to have Buford Pusser himself pissed at you.
*Kids, back in the 90's there was an amazing show on Comedy Central where people made fun of bad movies while other people at home watched them watching and making fun of bad movies. Maybe this sounds dumb and pointless, but the millennial who sits next to me at work spends hours upon hours watching YouTube videos of someone else playing video games which seems to me even more dumb and pointless. Anyways, some of MST3K is available via your local streaming outlets, and some of it is on the YouTube. So, you should check it out. Especially if you enjoy a good Harold Pinter reference.
inkyyy's review against another edition
5.0
While I'm not a fan of the Joel saga of MST3k, I do love Frank Conniff as "TV's Frank". In The MST3k Reunion episode from Rifftrax I loved his riffs. Frank's writing is top notch and in this book you get a quick book of his comedy framed around 25 films that was done in MST3k. You learn a bit about the behind-the-scenes and the beginning of MST3k but most of the book is Frank's observations on his life and the world around him.
I laughed out loud in this book. It was a fun, quick read.
I laughed out loud in this book. It was a fun, quick read.
joe_mcmahon's review against another edition
5.0
Frank's at his best in this one, throwing in obscure references that, yes, I got most of. Some more behind-the-scenes stuff from his incarnation of MST3K, too. A bit more ribald than the Episode Guide, but there's room for a little swearing. The Episode Guide's OK for all readers, but this one's maybe on to hold off on for your kids until they're teenagers.
plaidbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Witty and fun flights of fancy on any number of topics, though rarely the movies themselves. Some people might not enjoy that, but I did; it was fun seeing where his brain would go. DESPERATELY needed a better copy editor, though... typos galore.
timetravelingnerd's review against another edition
4.0
Ridiculously funny. Highly recommended for MST3K fans. Loved the little Obscure Reference Task Report foot notes. One issue: the constant misspelling of the word didn't. Like... why?
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