Michael J. Nelson
Michael J. Nelson is the former host and writer of the Emmy-nominated, Peabody Award-winning Mystery Science Theater 3000. Since that time, he has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows, penned a regular column for TV Guide, and authored best-selling books for both HarperCollins and Abrams.
His first book, Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese, thrilled critics, including Richard Schickel of Time Magazine, who said of Mike, "He's more fun than a barrel of Val Kilmers... Smarter than a roomful of Patrick Swayzes... and almost as hilarious as Keanu Reeves." Mike's laugh-out-loud follow-up, Mind Over Matters, prompted Kirkus Reviews to enthuse, "From someplace called Minnesota comes a Nelson funnier than Ozzie, Ricky, Lord or Half," and even dared to compare him to another legendary writer, saying of his Serious Speech to Business People, "[It] could easily precede [Robert] Benchley's immortal Treasurer's Report."
And Kirkus Reviews loved his novel, Death Rat!, saying, "Fast-paced, outrageous and funny, first-novelist Nelson's mockery of media mendacity is as biting as La Dolce Vita or Network--only funnier!"
Nelson speaks all over the country, is a frequent guest on radio and television, and along with fellow former MST3K writers/performers Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy operate a podcast called RiffTrax, which, in a similar vein to MST3K, targets more mainstream films.
| Known For | Writing |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 4.653 |
| Birthday | 1964-10-11 |
| Place of Birth | St. Charles, Illinois |
| Also Known As | Mike Nelson, |
1996
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
6.653/199
Dr. Clayton Forrester figures he can rule the world if he deadens his subjects' brains by making them endure terrible movies. Exploiting his access to...
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
2016
Rifftrax Live: Time Chasers
8.3/3
Mike, Kevin and Bill riff the original cut of Time Chasers. Plus, a short of "Chimp the Fireman."
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Rifftrax Live: Time Chasers
2015
Rifftrax Live: The Room
8.8/5
Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett of RiffTrax riff Tommy Wiseau's The Room LIVE onstage and broadcast to 100's of theaters across North...
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Rifftrax Live: The Room
1995
Poopie!
8/1
A selection of bloopers from cult TV favorite "Mystery Science Theater 3000", taken from seasons 2 through 6.
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Poopie!
1964
Three Stooges: Greatest Routines
9/2
Join Moe, Larry and Curly Joe for 35 hilarious misadventures! Hosted by Mike Nelson of RiffTrax.
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Three Stooges: Greatest Routines
2013
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Motion Picture Odyssey
0/0
A retrospective look back on the making of 'Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie'.
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Motion Picture Odyssey
2012
RiffTrax Live: Birdemic - Shock and Terror
8.3/9
Birdemic is one of our favorite bad movies of all time, and there’s no better way to watch it than RiffTrax Live. So grab a coat hanger, fire up your...
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RiffTrax Live: Birdemic - Shock and Terror
2014
RiffTrax Live: Sharknado
6.111/9
RiffTrax gives the classic riff treatment of the cult film 'Sharknado', a film about sharks - in a tornado.
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RiffTrax Live: Sharknado
2017
RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party
7.7/3
Join Mike, Kevin and Bill, along with guests Bridget Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl, the Mads from MST3K Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff, and special guest Pau...
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RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party
2017
Rifftrax Live: Samurai Cop
6.2/5
The Samurai Cop is here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and he’s already infringed on enough movies and cliches so he’s just going to stop with that i...
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Rifftrax Live: Samurai Cop
2007
The Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark
6.5/2
The Film Crew gives a commentary track to Walk the Angry Beach (1968), aka Hollywood After Dark, featuring Rue McClanahan as a stripper. Beloved, sas...
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The Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark
2016
Rifftrax Live: Carnival of Souls
9/3
Rifftrax Live: Carnival of Souls! Mike, Bill, and Kevin riffed this spooky midnight-movie cult classic live in Nashville, and now it's available for y...
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Rifftrax Live: Carnival of Souls
2015
RiffTrax Live: Sharknado 2
7.6/5
Watch as the amazing comedians from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) tear apart the awe-inspiring masterpiece that is Sharknado 2: The Second One (...
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RiffTrax Live: Sharknado 2
2007
The Film Crew: Giant of Marathon
0/0
'Sweaty men!' enthuses Bob Honcho. The Steve Reeves adventure film, The Giant of Marathon (1959), aka The Giant of Marathon, features lots of sweaty m...
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The Film Crew: Giant of Marathon
2007
The Film Crew: Wild Women of Wongo
0/0
What if there was a primitive island tribe where all the women were gorgeous and all the men were nasty-looking uggos? Might Mother Nature fix this by...
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The Film Crew: Wild Women of Wongo
2007
The Film Crew: Killers from Space
7/1
An unwitting scientist (King of Blandness Peter Graves) is abducted by aliens and forced to help them with their sinister plan to conquer the earth wi...
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The Film Crew: Killers from Space
1999
The Last Dance: RAW
0/0
A documentary about the making of Danger: Diabolik, the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000's original run.
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The Last Dance: RAW
2018
Rifftrax Live: Space Mutiny
8.5/2
Blast off to the 80s with Rifftrax Live: Space Mutiny! Mike, Bill, and Kevin riffed this cult classic low-budget space opera live in Nashville. Now yo...
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Rifftrax Live: Space Mutiny
2015
RiffTrax Live: Santa Claus
8/1
From the strange and ridiculously colorful world of K. Gordon Murray comes the 1959 Holiday classic Santa Claus. Made in Mexico and dubbed into glorio...
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RiffTrax Live: Santa Claus
2016
Rifftrax Live: Mothra
4.7/6
It’s the story of a group of explorers who travel to a remote island, kidnap two tiny women, thereby inciting the wrath of a giant (albeit adorable) l...
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Rifftrax Live: Mothra
2019
RiffTrax Live: Star Raiders
10/1
It’s the year 2762. The galaxy is plagued with warring factions using hokey special effects to destroy each other. Out of this chaos a hero rises: the...
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RiffTrax Live: Star Raiders
2015
RiffTrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny
8.8/5
Santa’s sleigh is stuck on the beach, and only one creature can help him: The Ice Cream Bunny! Unfortunately, the fire truck that the Ice Cream Bunny...
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RiffTrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny
2010
RiffTrax Live: House on Haunted Hill
8.8/5
Is there any possible downside to accepting an invitation from Vincent Price to spend an evening in a creepy mansion that was built on something calle...
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RiffTrax Live: House on Haunted Hill
2019
RiffTrax Live: Giant Spider Invasion
8/2
The Giant Spider Invasion, one of the most popular MST3K movies ever, is coming to a Theater near you along with the mighty men of RiffTrax! There’s...
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RiffTrax Live: Giant Spider Invasion
2009
RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-stravaganza!
8.3/3
What do ice-skating reindeer, pipe-smoking santas and a parade of aquatic champions have in common? You’ll see them all in the RiffTrax Live: Christma...
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RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-stravaganza!
2013
RiffTrax Live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2013
7/1
Watch Mike, Bill, Kevin, and an all-star crew of hilarious guest riffers take on seven classic less-than-educational shorts, filmed LIVE onstage at Sa...
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RiffTrax Live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2013
2016
RiffTrax Live: MST3K Reunion
9/5
Mike, Kevin and Bill were joined on stage by their MST3K colleagues at the State Theatre in Minneapolis to bring it back to their roots in an MST3K ca...
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RiffTrax Live: MST3K Reunion
2015
Rifftrax live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2015
8.5/2
Mike, Kevin, and Bill take on some of the funniest, most unbelievable vintage shorts we've ever found, live in the beautiful Castro Theatre with a cre...
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Rifftrax live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2015
2016
Rifftrax live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2016
8/2
Mike, Kevin, and Bill were joined onstage at SF SKetchfest Live 2016 by very special guest riffers Bridget Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl, Cole Stratton, Janet...
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Rifftrax live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2016
2010
Rifftrax Live: Reefer Madness
9.5/4
In RiffTrax Live: Reefer Madness, Mike, Kevin and Bill deliver their trademark form of rapid fire comedy in front of a live audience! Lines could be f...
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Rifftrax Live: Reefer Madness
2021
RiffTrax Live: Hobgoblins
8/3
At an abandoned old movie studio, security guards keep getting mysteriously murdered. The mystery: Why are there so many security guards for an aband...
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RiffTrax Live: Hobgoblins
2021
RiffTrax Live: Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes
9/2
There’s still evil up there at the old Amityville house. A group of priests gathers to quell the demon that has long plagued this lovely five-bed, fou...
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RiffTrax Live: Amityville 4: The Evil Escapes
2007
Max the Hero
0/0
Animated comedy about a super hero who is kind of a jerk. His roommate decides to become his arch-enemy.
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Max the Hero
2014
RiffTrax Live: Godzilla
9.5/4
Sony Pictures, Fathom Events and RiffTrax are thrilled to be back in theaters nationwide this summer to riff the king of all giant lizard movies - GOD...
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RiffTrax Live: Godzilla
2022
Rifftrax Live: The Return of Swamp Thing
5.5/2
He’s back! You probably didn’t know that he was gone, but he was and now he’s back! Swamp Thing, AKA Swampington Montgomery Thing, returns to thwart t...
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Rifftrax Live: The Return of Swamp Thing
The Year of Laughing Dangerously
0/0
After being laid off, Brandi enters the world of stand up comedy. Over a year, her comedy coach Tim teaches her the art of joke telling culminating in...
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The Year of Laughing Dangerously
1998
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 1
0/0
Shorts, Volume 1 is a compilation release featuring seven popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was originally released on VHS by Rhino...
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 1
1999
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 2
0/0
Shorts, Volume 2 is a compilation release featuring six popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000, including Catching Trouble (Episode #315), W...
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 2
2000
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 3
0/0
Shorts, Volume 3 is a compilation release from Rhino Entertainment featuring seven popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was originally...
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Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 3
2013
Rifftrax Live: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
9/1
The nasty Martian villain Voldar (his face is coated in green oil and he has a huge mustache, therefore he’s evil) captures two Earth children, Billy...
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Rifftrax Live: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
2013
RiffTrax Live: Night of the Living Dead
10/2
This classic 1968 horror film is where it all began. No, not the cronut trend, we’re talking about the omnipresent zombie craze! 28 Weeks Later, Resid...
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RiffTrax Live: Night of the Living Dead
2012
RiffTrax Live: "Manos" the Hands of Fate
9.25/4
For those who missed it in theaters, this is a completely new riff of “Manos” The Hands of Fate, the Texas-fertilizer-salesman-directed classic made f...
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RiffTrax Live: "Manos" the Hands of Fate
2009
RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space
9/3
The stars of MST3K riff the worst movie of all time in RiffTrax Live - Plan 9 From Outer Space. Live from the historic Belcourt Theater in Nashville!...
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RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space
2017
RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors
9/3
Someone is taking the Doctor's past selves out of time and space, placing them in a vast wilderness – a battle arena with a sinister tower at its cent...
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RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors
2023
RiffTrax Live: RAD
8/1
Teens! Bikes! Feathered Hair! Love and revenge! Leotards and acid-washed denim! It’s all here in the legendary Eighties BMX-racing action-drama-romanc...
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RiffTrax Live: RAD
2013
Rifftrax Live: Starship Troopers
10/3
Starship Troopers is the tale of young trooper Johnny Rico, played by Casper Van Dien, star of this and...well, some direct to video sequels of this,...
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Rifftrax Live: Starship Troopers
2019
RiffTrax Live: Octaman
6/4
Deep in the Mexican jungle, a legendary creature lurks in a radioactive swamp. Is it a man? Is it an octopus? No, it’s OCTAMAN! Okay, it’s a man in an...
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RiffTrax Live: Octaman
2024
GrimTrax
10/2
For the first time ever, we’ve assembled five shorts about death, loneliness, and dismemberment into one big, old-fashioned yukfest. On their own, the...
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GrimTrax
2024
RiffTrax Live: Point Break
0/0
For our fifteenth year of RiffTrax Live, we've selected the 1990's cult classic about bank robbing, presidential masks, and surfing: Point Break! It w...
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RiffTrax Live: Point Break
2015
Rifftrax Live: Miami Connection
8.1/9
If you put everything about the 80s in a blender, then somehow ran the resulting smoothie through a translator that only speaks languages from another...
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Rifftrax Live: Miami Connection
Rifftrax Live: Jaws
0/0
Just speak the word "jaws" to anyone and their pulse quickens, the hair on the back of their neck stands up as a dim memory rises to the surface of th...
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Rifftrax Live: Jaws
This Is MST 3K
0/0
A documentary about the cult television favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000.
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This Is MST 3K
2011
RiffTrax: Thor
0/0
Yes, Thor, for all its critical acclaim, features Thor tazed, injected and hit by a van. The Extended Cut features a scene where he is trampled by a h...
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