Release Date: March 27, 2012
Well, there's one good episode here at least. Last of the Wild Horses is a must see episode for all MSTies, with outstanding host segments and very funny riffing, including Dr. Forrester and Frank in the theater! The other three don't work up the same enthusiasm. Code Name: Diamond Head tops the rest of the pack, as its good points outweigh the other episodes, while King Dinosaur is watchable and Castle of Fu Manchu is...Castle of Fu Manchu. It's one of the most incomprehensible episodes, and that brings the recommendation of this set down.
Average Rating (out of 4): 2.25
Three of the episodes look and sound great, while Code Name: Diamond Head has quite a few blemishes throughout. Special features start out the excellent Life After MST3K series, which chronicles the adventures of the cast after leaving the series throughout future volumes, starting with this volume's subject, Kevin Murphy. Movie related features include The Incredible Mr. Lippert (about producer Robert Lippert) and Code Name: Quinn Martin (about producer Quinn Martin). Frank Conniff provides an intro for Castle of Fu Manchu and there is also a feature about the video game Darkstar, which utilized the cast of MST3K. Rounding out the set are trailers for King Dinosaur and Castle of Fu Manchu.
The box art is the traditional Shout Factory box, featuring the MST logo in the upper left hand corner and theater seats at the bottom, while the roman numerals "XXIII" are painted in purple in the middle of the image. But as always, Steve Vance provides art for the interior cases. King Dinosaur features space explorers Crow and Tom Servo being chased by a Tyrannosaurus who looks nothing like the Tyrannosaurus from the movie. Castle of Fu Manchu features Servo as Fu Manchu, watching evilly as Crow drowns outside his castle. Code Name: Diamond Head features Crow as the hero in a Hawaiian shirt and Servo as the bad guy disguised as a General. Last of the Wild Horses features Crow and Servo as cowboys about to beat each other up.
Disc art is the traditional episode logo against a starry backdrop, and the menus are traditional skits put together with CG and episode audio. King Dinosaur features astronauts Crow and Servo in an alien jungle seeing a lemur get eaten by a "dinosaur." Castle of Fu Manchu features Crow and Servo playing with a fortune telling machine designed around Fu Manchu. Code Name: Diamond Head features Crow and Servo playing with a disguise kit. Last of the Wild Horses features Servo and Gypsy doing battle with Mirror Mike and Crow.
This set rounds out to be a bit of a disappointment, but there is some fun to be had with Last of the Wild Horses. The other three episodes have ups and downs but ultimately are on the dull side. And I don't want to call an MST set boring. I already gave that title to Volume 12, thank you very much. This one isn't much better, but at least there is one winner here.
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