The boys (men, actually) from “Mystery Science Theater 3000” are back under the nom de plume the Film Crew, and they’re still capable of inducing a contact-high, dorm- room hysteria.
The Film Crew, a.k.a. Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett, have released four titles in which they do their patented thing: make snarky comments while a lined, faded, lousy movie from 40 years ago unreels.
My favorite of this new batch is “The Giant of Marathon” (Shout Factory), a Steve Reeves epic from 1959 in which Reeves leads the Greeks against the invading Persians. It is more or less wall-to-wall homoeroticism, albeit unintentionally so, and the Film Crew goes to town.
“This isn’t too gay,” mutters one of the Film Crew as Reeves is swept up on the shoulders of other large, muscular, sweaty men in a celebration that looks like Fantasy Fest in Key West.
“You can’t be too gay,” says another.
“Oh yeah? What about Harvey Fierstein? Nathan Lane? ‘Brunch’?”
No wrestling match, no anatomically correct Greek statue in the background goes unremarked. The film itself is a reddish, faded transfer with the usual lousy dubbing job of that era, which only gives the Film Crew more room for jokes.
If you have a taste for irresponsible, cheap wisecracks at the expense of others, please, by all means, sit next to me. You’ll find me cackling my head off at the Film Crew.
