It Stinks! And It's Awesome.

The names Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl, J. Elvis Weinstein and Frank Conniff mean two things are certain: You're about to see a terrible movie, and you're about to laugh. The quintet is the founding family and guiding light of the late, lamented Mystery Science Theater 3000, and because they are benevolent comedic geniuses, they have banded together again under the nom de riff Cinematic Titanic. The name may have changed, but the methods remain the same. The group selects a poorly made film from the annals (or anals, perhaps) of history, and then they crack jokes while watching it — and you experience glee by witnessing them do so in the comfort of your home via the magic of DVD. They also take the show on the road, riffing on films in front of live audiences; it's like you've journeyed into your DVD player, man. Tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the St. Charles Family Arena (2002 Arena Parkway; 314-534-1111 or www.familyarena.com) the gang filets Japanese sci-fi/horror flick War of the Insects. And it's guaranteed not to be a rerun, because this is the first time they've played with this film. Tickets are $30 to $40.
Sat., Nov. 21, 2009