Ok, but I still prefer the "modern" versions with selected clips in shorter videos.

You loose a lot in there. Most bad movies are bad because they give a lot of opportunities to be made fun off. Even the more mundane moments can turn into comedy gold, but only with the right context, which might not come through if the movie is other wise clipped.

You also lose the setup. There was one episode where Tom literally exploded because the movie just got worse and worse. That doesn't work with a 'highlight reel'.

I just wish he'd answered if the people doing the riffing in the Kickstarter Promo were the new cast or just placeholders...

For those who missed it, Joel reveals the identity of our new host.

And also: initial funding target reached within the first week! Awesome!

Honestly, while I'm sure the new host is a nice guy and all, this disappoints me.

I'd be all in for the $100 level if they had the original cast back together. (As unlikely as that may be.)

More cast updates and news about Turkey Day 2015!

I understand that completely, but honestly, it makes more sense to do it this way. Having a younger, more "hip" cast will help bring in new fans, which is necessary if they want this reboot to succeed. And while I'm not completely up to speed on recent developments, it has been known for quite some time that there exists some "bad blood" between some of the old cast members. Joel has mentioned in one of the Kickstarter updates that he intends to send out invitations to take part in the reboot in some capacity to all former cast members, but he also said that we have to be realistic about our expectations regarding their willingness to be involved.

Regardless, I trust Joel knows what he's doing with this new incarnation of MST3K and I can't wait to see how it turns out, the new cast included. Besides, Mike, Kevin & Bill are doing quite well on their own with RiffTrax. They don't need the MST3K name to keep doing what they've been doing (rather successfully) independently for several years now. And surely there's room for both. (No more Joel vs Mike, plz.)

I completely agree with you, especially this part:

That being said, as a self-professed fanboy of the show as a whole, I do realize that there is a very healthy level of irrationality and unreasonable expectation in wanting a full reconstruction of the original cast. I'd be more than willing to pay full price for episodes of the new show, but to be honest, I really want to see how the new host and the new elements of the show perform before I go all-in on this.
It's funny you mentioned that as I just shelled out for Final Sacrifice and Pumaman from Rifftrax. I've only just heard that the MST3K team never saw any of the royalities from the Shout! Factory releases of MST3K. For shame.

Don't forget Mitchell!

Anyone watching the Turkey Day livestream? They're showing Gorgo right now.

Wish I could! I hate this damn satellite crap!

Blast ThickNeck....(join in if you know the names.)

Are they watching that Space movie with Jeb Brown? XD I can't exactly remember any of the names they throw out.

Not yet, I tuned in late so I don't know if they've gotten to it yet.

Edit: Cheat sheet: http://mst3k.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Nicknames_for_Dave_Ryder