Release Date: September 25, 2018
Buy it here!
Features the following episodes:
The Crawling Eye
The Mad Monster
Manhunt in Space
The Beatniks
Blood Waters of Dr. Z
Final Justice
The rights-holders to The Final Sacrifice and Soultaker decided to take their movies and leave, leaving far more easily licensed episodes without a home. If you didn't pay for the Volume XIV and XVII when they were first out, then Shout Factory has a deal for you! Get these six homeless episodes in a single package!
The big issue though is that Final Sacrifice and Soultaker were probably the main attractions to their respective sets. What do the rest of these episodes have to offer? Two episodes from season one, two from season four, and two from season ten, and they're all pretty good. I myself tend to think the season four episodes are the best of the set, with Beatniks being my personal choice for the big winner. Dr. Z and Final Justice trail just a bit behind them. The first season episodes are an acquired taste, though I myself enjoy Crawling Eye and Mad Monster quite a bit.
Average Rating (scale of 1 to 4): 3
Now I feel like I should point out that I do not own this set, so a lot of this is based on assumptions on my part. I think they're safe assumptions, but if I'm incorrect about any of this info I'd greatly appreciate being corrected. If I were to own this set at all it would be for the box art, which I think is fantastic. It features Crow and Tom Servo disassembled in little lost and found boxes while Gypsy searches for all the pieces.
The big assumption I'm going to make about this set is that these discs are the exact same as the ones in their previous sets, only without the poster art. It's in a slim case that holds six discs, similar to The Singles Collection instead. Inside you'll likely find the same discs from the previous sets, featuring disc art of the logos against a starry backdrop.
Since I assume these are the same discs we've already seen I'm going to add my thoughts on images from the other sets right here, which notes on Final Sacrifice and Soultaker edited out:
Audio and video are mostly good, though I've noted a few transfer flaws with Blood Waters of Dr. Z, the video itself is mostly fine. Probably the highlight of extras on the set is The Main Event: Crow vs. Crow, which features Trace and Bill discussing the character at a con. Other MST related extras include Joel offering an intro to The Crawling Eye and MST Hour wraps for The Beatniks. Movie related extras offer up an interview with Final Justice director Greydon Clark and trailers for The Crawling Eye, Mad Monster, The Beatniks, and Blood Waters of Dr. Z. Blood Waters of Dr. Z also features a healthy batch of bonus promo material. We also get clips from Mike, Kevin, and Bill’s small MST cameo on the television show Cheap Seats, though we’re not given the full episode. Having seen the full episode, it wasn’t a huge loss. Cheap Seats was fine, but it wasn’t anything special.
The disc menus still amuse, featuring 3D animations of Servo and Crow wandering around various movie scenes and/or the Satellite of Love bridge. The Crawling Eye features the giant Eye creature behind the theater doors and grabbing Gypsy and Tom Servo as they walk by, while Crow is reading a newspaper at the bridge. The Eye tries to take Crow too but Crow throws lemonade in its eye and it backs off. Mad Monster finds them locked up in the mad scientist’s basement with a wolf in a cage, meanwhile the title beast scurries around in shadow and howls occasionally. Manhunt in Space offers them gazing out a string held spaceship window. The Beatniks features Crow chasing a panicked Gypsy with a knife, threatening to "MOON" her. Blood Waters of Dr. Z features a flooded Satellite of Love bridge and Crow and Servo fishing in a boat, eventually catching the fish man. Final Justice has them hanging around an alleyway in Malta watching a squealing car drive by and occasionally ducking when shots are fired.
For those who never collected Volumes XIV and XVII, you have my sympathies. Chances are that Final Sacrifice and Soultaker were the episodes you were most interested in on those sets. But if you didn't collect them then you might want to give The Lost and Found Collection a shot just to get your collection as full as possible, otherwise you'll be paying a lot for out of print sets. The remaining episodes are actually really good, and even if you don't like first season episodes there are still four others here at the price of a normal set to justify the cost.
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