Episodes Featured:
We have a pair of Comedy Central episodes that have a little Monster in them and a couple of Sci-Fi episodes that dance with the Devil. It's the Monster/Devil set of Mystery Science Theater with this volume, which is a cute little detail that it plays with even if it is subtle and most people who buy it won't care. Bride of the Monster is easily the standout episode of the set, while Devil Doll is a exceptional episode in its own right as well. Of the remaining two, Devil Fish has a charm of its own even if I wouldn't call it a laugh riot, while Robot Monster is just an "eh" example of a first season episode.
Average Rating: 2.75
Audio and video are quality throughout the set. Bonus features were highlighted by a delightful con appearance by Joel Hodgson, Frank Conniff, and Mary Jo Pehl. Also featured is Inventing the Invention Exchange, in which Joel discusses the long running tradition from the series. On the movie admiration side, we get retrospective/documentary interviews for Robot Monster (Larry Blamire Geeks Out), Bride of the Monster (Citizen Wood: Making the Bride, Unmasking the Legend), and Devil Doll (The Puppet Master). J. Elvis Weinstein also provides an intro for Robot Monster and trailers for all four films are included.
This box set also was originally sold with a Gypsy figurine, completing a trio of bot figures that Shout had been including with these sets since the 20th Anniversary Edition. Gypsy is likely my pick for the worst of the lot, as she's so abnormally large that it's hard to display her with the Crow and Tom Servo figurines. She is also cheap looking and hollow, like a plastic Happy Meal toy, and I imagine it's very easy to snap her in half (thank god I haven't tried). These probably were never going to be articulate items, though I'd have liked something that didn't look so fragile and bulky.
The box art is the traditional Shout Factory design, featuring the MST logo in the upper left hand corner and the theater seats at the bottom, with the roman numerals "XIX" painted in purple in the center. The Steve Vance interior art is where interest lies though, as he has once again created original pieces for the four episodes. Robot Monster features Tom Servo and Crow looking up in terror at Ro-Man, who is towing over the movie logo. Bride of the Monster has Crow as Lobo kidnapping helpless damsel/bride Tom Servo. Devil Doll features Crow as a ventriloquist performing with his dummy Tom Servo, who is holding a knife. Devil Fish features Servo and Crow underwater tangled in the Devil Fish's tentacles.
Disc art is also Shout's basic work, which is just movie titles against a starry backdrop. The menus continue the previous set's usage of episode audio to create new host segments, which is a welcome treat. Robot Monster has Tom Servo playing with his bubble machine to contact his master, Crow. Servo and Crow play mad scientists in Bride of the Monster, as they feed Tor Johnson to their octopus and chase off Bela Lugosi. Devil Doll has Tom Servo as a ventriloquist with a mini-Crow puppet (screaming "DEBBIIIIIIIIEEEEE!") entertaining the real Crow and Gypsy. Devil Fish has Servo and Crow sharing a beer with a Devil Fish Electrician.
Volume XIX was probably a must-own initially so one could complete the bot figures that Shout was offering. By itself, we have two really good episodes and two okay ones. Devil Fish might be the deciding factor on how one views this set, as while I don't have a particularly high opinion of it, it's probably one of the most rewatchable lower end MST episodes out there. Because of that I have to give this set a little bit more credit that it probably should get. I'd say check it out.
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