LEHIGHTON, Pa. — A master of riffing on schlocky movies is coming to Mahoning Drive-In Theater for a special two-day event this weekend, and it’s all for a good cause.
Writer, comedian, actor and most notably creator of the much-loved series Mystery Science Theater 3000 Joel Hodgson will be at the Lehighton drive-in on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5 for special double feature screenings of MST3K classics and a “Joel’s Drive-In Pick,” presented on 35 mm film.
Guests will be able to meet Hodgson if they purchase a VIP pass, which includes a question-and-answer photo op session before the show. Once the gate opens, general pass holders will also have a chance to meet the host.
“It’s really a celebration of the series; these people will be fans of the series, it’s really a screening of Mystery Science Theaters with a panel discussion that happens in a drive-in movie theater.”Joel Hodgson
Hodgson will hold a question-and-answer session before the first film each night, and judge a costume contest, with guests encouraged to dress up as their favorite character from the show or any of the movies they’ve riffed on in the past.
Hodgson will also be joined by MST3K executive producer and writer Harold Bucholz, who has also written the MST3K comic book, in addition to creating the “Sweetest Beasts” book series.
“It’s really a celebration of the series; these people will be fans of the series,” Hodgson said. “It’s really a screening of Mystery Science Theaters with a panel discussion that happens in a drive-in movie theater.”
Screenings and special events
Friday’s festivities will kick off with a screening of the “I Accuse My Parents,” characterized as a “youth-gone-wrong maniacal melodrama,” followed by an episode of the absurd “Mac and Me,” an E.T. facsimile and celebrated bit of “McDonald’s inspired madness of extraterrestrial friendship and uncontrolled wheelchair descent.”
If you’re a Paul Rudd fan, you may understand that last reference. If not, watch “Mac and Me.” It’ll all make sense in the end.
Following that, the drive-in crew will fire up their vintage Simplex E-7 projectors for a 35 mm presentation of “Joel’s Drive-In Pick”: “The Big Circus,” the tale of a murderous saboteur’s attempt to sink a down-on-its-luck circus featuring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Rhonda Fleming and Howard “Floyd the Barber” McNear.
Saturday starts with an episode featuring “Space Mutiny,” a piece of interstellar intrigue, before venturing into the depths of the ocean for “Beyond Atlantis.”
“Joel’s Drive-In Pick” for Saturday is “The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,” which features Ray Harryhausen’s first installment in his Sinbad series, filmed in Dynamation. This one features Kerwin Matthews as the titular adventurer, Kathryn Grant (aka Mrs. Bing Crosby) as the princess in peril, and Nino Falanga as “Gaunt Sailor.”
Yeah, it’s gonna get weird. But that’s exactly what you want from MST3K.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early to hobnob with Hodgson, Bucholz, and fellow fans for a night when it’s perfectly okay — nay, encouraged — to talk during the movie.
Bucholz will also be selling and signing his books and MST3K DVDs and Blu-rays while joining in on the fun throughout the weekend.
Beyond the movies, fans can also enjoy themed photo ops, the aforementioned costume contests, a live DJ set before the show, themed food, special merchandise, and perhaps an appearance by Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo.
General tickets start at $25 per day, with an extended pass — which allows visitors to stay until noon the following day — available for $35 per day.
VIP passes are $50 per person per day, which includes early entry at 4 p.m., a meet-and-greet with Hodgson, and a personal photo op with him in the drive-in’s 35 mm booth.
VIP extended passes are $60 per person, per day.
The legacy and love of MST3K
MST3K had a storied legacy, starting as a small program on a local station in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1988. The format was simple: Hodgson starred as Joel Robinson, a janitor trapped by a pair of mad scientists on the Satellite Love who was forced to watch B movies, with his captors monitoring his reactions.
In an attempt to maintain sanity, Robinson crafts a couple of friends, Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and Gypsy.
Throughout an episode, the pals would riff on the silly films, with breaks for various old shorts and educational pictures.
The show’s cast changed over the years and shifted from local broadcasts to Comedy Central, and then the Sci-Fi Channel.
“I want to do events alerting people to climate issues and climate change locally. I live in Pennsylvania, The Mahoning is in Pennsylvania, and a percentage of the profits will go to climate awareness."Joel Hodgson
Hodgson eventually led a popular fundraising campaign to produce another new season, which was released on Netflix in 2017, followed by another short run in 2018. Even more episodes were produced after another crowdfunding campaign in 2021.
Overall, the series has seen 230 episodes, a feature film, and numerous tours across the country.
“So, we brought the show back, and it’s been around and in the world, and now we’re doing an event at The Mahoning,” Hodgson said.
“I want to do events alerting people to climate issues and climate change locally. I live in Pennsylvania, The Mahoning is in Pennsylvania, and a percentage of the profits will go to climate awareness. That’s kind of why I want to promote this.”
Hodgson said he hopes to be able to get the fans in on the thrill of participating in the MST3K fun if possible.
“I can't hear your laughs, but I'd like you to honk if you think something's funny, and then we run a section in the movie, and hopefully we'll have enough audio to make something out of it,” Hodgson said.
Mahoning Drive-In partner, film-booker, and curator Virgil F. Cardamone, said the idea for the MST3K weekend came a few years ago when a drive-in employee met up with Bucholz at a special event. After a few attempts, “it just snowballed into this kind of all-in-one fandom extreme.”
“It is incredible, and it's even more incredible that we have been so lucky to bring in like-minded guests."Virgil F. Cardamone
“This is just pretty much an event, like, ‘What would be the ultimate Mystery Science event for us? What would we want to happen?’ And then we try to put those cards into place. But Joel visited today, like, stepped onto the lot for the first time, and walked through our projection booth, and I was just like, ‘Somebody pinch me!’” Cardamone said.
Being able to bring a legend like Hodgson onto the scene and promote the work of fellow creatives is a great opportunity and a perfect event for The Mahoning, Cardamone said.
“It is incredible, and it's even more incredible that we have been so lucky to bring in like-minded guests. You know, Joel is like, so not Hollywood. He wants to come and give back to his fans,” Cardamone said.
So if you happen to enjoy yourself some absurd B movie humor, take a trip to The Mahoning Drive-In this weekend for a schlock-filled session of insanity with an absolute legend, all with the intent to help the environment.
“We’re kind of supposed to be guardians of the outdoors, and this is a way to be outside and enjoy the crisp autumn weather and kind of monitor what's happening and be together." Hodgson said. "It’s almost like the most organic kinds of movie theaters you can create is a bunch of people in their cars, and all we have to provide is the screen and the great outdoors."
