Michael J. Nelson
Birthday: Born in 1964-10-11 in St. Charles, Illinois
Deathday: Alive
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.
TV Credits
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Mike Nelson
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Gamera
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Torgo
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Tony Travis (voice)
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Officer Mike
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Clown
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Morrissey
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Character: Imperialistic Alien 1
A stranded spaceship pilot captured by mad scientists survives a blitz of cheesy B movies by riffing on them with his funny robot pals....
Movie Credits
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie
Character: Mike Nelson
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 nearby satellite-dwellers Mike Nelson and his robot pals, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, Forrester makes them watch "This Island Earth", a cheesy 1950s spaceship film. But when Mike and friends make funny comments throughout the movie and others that follow, Forrester's plan looks increasingly flimsy....
RiffTrax Live: Hobgoblins
Character: Self
At an abandoned old movie studio, security guards keep getting mysteriously murdered. The mystery: Why are there so many security guards for an abandoned old movie studio?! But forget that; the real secret is Hobgoblins! Cheap rubber puppets from outer space! Who vaguely resemble Gremlins! But not enough to bring on a lawsuit! Their power: they’ll make your wildest fantasies come true, and then you die, laughingly and embarrassingly. The studio’s new security guard, Kevin (no relation) quickly...
RiffTrax Live: Amityville - The Evil Escapes
Character:
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, four-bath Dutch Colonial full of old-world charm and lots of curb appeal. BUT - the evil escapes! Which should have been made obvious by the movie’s title. And how does it escape? Like all evil does: by possessing a tacky floor lamp, getting sold at a garage sale and shipped to Los Angeles, where most evil household décor eventually finds a home. Soo...
RiffTrax Live: "Manos" the Hands of Fate
Character: Self
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 famous by Mystery Science Theater 3000. All new jokes, same old Torgo. See Mike, Kevin and Bill riff it all on stage in front of a live audience at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville! PLUS! Before the main event, a live riffing of two extra-demented shorts. At Your Fingertips: Cylinders, from the same insane child arts & crafts series that brought y...
RiffTrax Live: Night of the Living Dead
Character: Self
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, Resident Evil: Retribution, that Zack Snyder remake of Dawn of the Dead...We wouldn’t have any of them without Night of the Living Dead! (Pause to think about whether this is a good thing.) When she’s attacked in a cemetery by zombies, a young woman named Barbara flees to an abandoned farm house. There she’s joined by a ragtag group of survivors who ba...
RiffTrax Live: Plan 9 from Outer Space
Character: Self
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! Hosted by internet superstar Veronica Belmont, and featuring geek troubadour Jonathan Coulton, RiffTrax Live offers non-stop music and laughs....
RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors
Character: Self
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 center. As the various incarnations of the Doctor join forces, they learn they are in the Death Zone on their home world of Gallifrey, fighting Daleks, Cybermen, Yeti and a devious Time Lord Traitor who is using the Doctor and his companions to discover the ancient secrets of Rassilon, the first and most powerful ruler of Gallifrey....
RiffTrax Live: RAD
Character: Self
Teens! Bikes! Feathered Hair! Love and revenge! Leotards and acid-washed denim! It’s all here in the legendary Eighties BMX-racing action-drama-romance RAD! Join Mike, Bill and Kevin as they spin, flip and slow-bike-dance their way into your hearts, LIVE in theaters nationwide on August 17th! Don’t miss it, if you want to be RAD!...
Rifftrax Live: Starship Troopers
Character: Self
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, mostly. He’s joined in the war by Denise Richards, impossible to believe as a gifted starship pilot long before she was impossible to believe as a gifted nuclear scientist in that Bond movie. He’s also joined by the great Neil Patrick Harris, who is somehow much easier to believe as an intelligence officer with psychic abilities that help him commu...
RiffTrax Live: Godzilla
Character: Self
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 - GODZILLA! That's right, the 1998 version starring Matthew Broderick and Hank Azaria! (Because when you want action stars, you pick Ferris Bueller and the voice of Moe from the Simpsons.)...
RiffTrax Live: The Return of Swamp Thing
Character: Self
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 the sinister plans of the evil Doctor Arcane, who apparently is also back. But! Here for the first time is Heather Locklear, the young woman who is drawn to the mysterious charms of Mr. Thing and desires a love that is both human and plant-based. A sequel to the Wes Craven cult classic, The Return of Swamp Thing is decidedly NOT directed by Wes Crav...
RiffTrax Live: Octaman
Character: Self
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 octopus suit, but he’s really angry and decides to go on a light killing spree....
The Year of Laughing Dangerously
Character: Joel Williams
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 a online comedy competition with a celebrity judge who hates her....
GrimTrax
Character: Self
For the first time ever, we’ve assembled five shorts about death, loneliness, and dismemberment into one big, old-fashioned yukfest. On their own, they would have been too depressing to put out into the world. But together, they form into a Voltron of hilarity, if Voltron was eventually going to die facedown in the snow, sad and alone....
RiffTrax Live: Point Break
Character: Self
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 was directed by Academy Award Winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) and stars Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, John Wick, Keanu), Patrick Swayze (Road House), and one of our all-time favorite character actors, Gary Busey (A Star Is Born, Predator 2). Mike, Kevin, and Bill will riff Point Break LIVE at the State Theatre in Minneapolis o...
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 3
Character: Mike Nelson
Shorts, Volume 3 is a compilation release from Rhino Entertainment featuring seven popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was originally released on VHS and later as a limited bonus with The Essentials DVD set if the set was ordered through a special website offer. Shorts, Volume 3 has since been re-released by Shout! Factory in The Singles Collection. The seven shorts featured are: Speech: Using Your Voice (Episode #313), Aquatic Wizards (Episode #315), Is This Love? (Episode #514...
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 1
Character: Mike Nelson
Shorts, Volume 1 is a compilation release featuring seven popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was originally released on VHS by Rhino Entertainment in July 1998; it was later re-released on DVD as part of the Volume 2 set from Rhino and its re-issue, Volume II from Shout! Factory. The featured shorts are: The Home Economics Story (Episode #317), Junior Rodeo Daredevils (Episode #407), Body Care and Grooming Episode #510), Cheating (Episode #515), A Date with Your Family (Episode...
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 2
Character: Mike Nelson
Shorts, Volume 2 is a compilation release featuring six popular shorts from Mystery Science Theater 3000, including Catching Trouble (Episode #315), What to Do on a Date (Episode #503), Last Clear Chance (Episode #520), A Day at the Fair (Episode #608), Keeping Clean and Neat (Episode #613) and The Days of Our Years (Episode #623)....
Rifftrax Live: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Character: Self
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 and Betty, who don’t hold out for even a minute but rat out our fattest, jolliest elf without a struggle. Voldar takes Santa and the children prisoner and heads off for Mars. Only the bravery of Billy and Betty and the bumbling of a stowaway and “the laziest man on Mars”, Droppo, can foil Voldar’s evil plans! Throw into the mix Santa and the Fairy...
RiffTrax Live: Miami Connection
Character:
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 dimension, what you’d wind up with still wouldn't be half as hilarious, weird, and oddly charming as Miami Connection. It's 1987, and the Biker Ninjas behind the Miami drug trade are finding themselves facing the newest heroes in town: the Taekwondo-loving rock band Dragon Sound! They'll focus all of their black belt skills, alongside performing ...
RiffTrax Live: Time Chasers
Character: Himself
Mike, Kevin and Bill riff the original cut of Time Chasers. Plus, a short of "Chimp the Fireman."...
This Is MST 3K
Character: Self
A documentary about the cult television favorite Mystery Science Theater 3000....
Rifftrax Live: The Room
Character: Himself
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 America. Like a modern day Ed Wood, Wiseau wrote, directed and starred as Johnny in this "dark comedy" about his tumultuous relationship with future wife Lisa, their best friend Mark, and their amorphous group of friends. This includes frequent uninvited guest Denny, a couple of frisky couch crashers, and psychologist friend Peter, who during the...
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Motion Picture Odyssey
Character: Himself
A retrospective look back on the making of 'Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie'....
RiffTrax Live: Birdemic - Shock and Terror
Character: Himself
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 solar powered TV and for the love of god fully vest your stock options! Birdemic!...
RiffTrax Live: Sharknado
Character: Himself
RiffTrax gives the classic riff treatment of the cult film 'Sharknado', a film about sharks - in a tornado....
RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party
Character: Himself
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 Paul F. Tompkins and relive this amazing summer-themed night of riffing and comedy!...
Rifftrax Live: Carnival of Souls
Character:
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 you to download or stream in Anywhere-Ville! When young Mary survives a horrible car crash, she tries to start her life over with a new church organist job in a small Utah town, as one does. But along the way she’s haunted by a gaunt pale figure in a nice suit who leads her to an abandoned old pavilion on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Soon Mar...
Rifftrax Live: Samurai Cop
Character: Himself
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 introduction right there. Yes, the cop they call Samurai has travelled to Los Angeles from a faraway land they call San Diego. Because it would just make no sense to have the movie take place in San Diego, or to have the cop be from LA to start with. Or, y’know, Japan. Decapitations, explosions, poorly subbed in stunt doubles, mangled dialogue, pro...
RiffTrax Live: Sharknado 2
Character: Himself
Watch as the amazing comedians from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) tear apart the awe-inspiring masterpiece that is Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)...
The Last Dance: RAW
Character: Himself / Mike Nelson
A documentary about the making of Danger: Diabolik, the final episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000's original run....
RiffTrax Live: Space Mutiny
Character: Self
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 you can watch the show from the comfort of your own home, or space golf cart, if you have one of those. This is the Big McLargeHugest show you'll ever own. It's a brand new riff, completely different from the original MST3K episode. The show stars with a live riffing of The Magic Shop, a hilariously weird short that's somehow based on a story by H.G...
RiffTrax Live: Mothra
Character: Himself
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) larvae which then swims the ocean, cocoons itself in downtown Tokyo, emerges as the titular Mothra and destroys everything in its path. Yes, it's a tale as old as time, but Mothra does it best! Join Kevin, Bill and Mike as they roast one of the most beloved (and bizzarre!) of the Japanese monster classics, Mothra....
RiffTrax Live: Santa Claus
Character: Self
From the strange and ridiculously colorful world of K. Gordon Murray comes the 1959 Holiday classic Santa Claus. Made in Mexico and dubbed into glorious English, Santa Claus tells the story of, well, Santa Claus, who lives in a big white castle above us in Geosynchronous Orbit and watches over us all in a way that would make the NSA jealous. It’s Christmas Eve, and on Earth poor little Lupita wishes for a doll. Santa hears her wish and prepares for his yearly visit, helped by the heavily medicat...
RiffTrax Live: Star Raiders
Character: Self
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 dashing, exquisitely bearded Captain Saber Raine (Casper Van Dien). Saber and his elite squad of commandos (other actors) embark on a dangerous quest to save the Prince and Princess of an unnamed planet from the clutches of the Evil Overlord Sinjin - an overlord so evil HIS VERY SKULL IS FILLED WITH CHERRY JELL-O. Can our heroes fend off Sinjin’s ...
RiffTrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny
Character:
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 drives needs repairs, so he’ll be a little late coming from Pirates World, the run-down theme park that he lives in. We’d like to take this moment to remind you that, yes, this is a REAL movie that people ACTUALLY made. Filmed in front of a live audience at the historic Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Mike, Kevin and Bill are delighted to inflict, e...
RiffTrax Live: House on Haunted Hill
Character: himself
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 called “Haunted Hill?” If so, Mike, Kevin and Bill couldn’t find it! In fact they were so eager to join Mr. Price and his terrifying moustache that they riffed the film live, on-stage, and now you can reap the rewards from the safety of home with this live show DVD! Yes, horror classic House on Haunted Hill provides a mesmerizing walk down “people actu...
RiffTrax Live: Giant Spider Invasion
Character: Mike
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 a monster in Wisconsin, and it’s going to slowly, VERY slowly, strike TERROR INTO YOUR HEART! Sure, your grandma could outrun it, but TERROR is more fun! When a fiery meteor lands in the woods, strange things begin to happen in this small Wisconsin town — even weirder than usual, and that’s a pretty high bar! While the townspeople are picked off b...
RiffTrax Live: Christmas Shorts-stravaganza!
Character: Himself
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: Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza, now available as Download to Stream, DVD and Blu-ray! The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000® have a sackfull of delightful and demented shorts to riff live onstage. Some of the forgotten gems of Christmases past prove to be the perfect targets for the rapid-fire riffs of Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett. And if t...
RiffTrax Live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2013
Character: Himself
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 San Francisco’s Castro Theatre in January of this year, in all its gritty, low-light, shakey-cam glory! Show includes: Welcome Back Norman Perc! Pop! Sprinkle! - with Cole Stratton (Pop My Culture Podcast) and Janet Varney (The Legend of Korra) Choking: To Save a Life - with Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall) Cooking Terms More Dangerous Tha...
Rifftrax Live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2015
Character: Himself
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 crew of hilarious guest riffers! Shorts performed during this event include One Turkey Two Turkey, Setting Up a Room, Writing Better Social Letters, Live and Learn, Making Sense with Sentences, and Safety - In Danger Out of Doors....
RiffTrax Live: MST3K Reunion
Character: Self
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 cast reunion the likes of which have never been seen before! Joining the guys are their old cohorts Frank Conniff (TV's Frank), Trace Beaulieu (Crow, Dr. Forrestor), Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester), Bridget Nelson (Nuveena, Mr. B), as well as Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator Joel Hodgson, AND the host of the revived MST, Jonah Ray, for a hilariou...
Rifftrax Live: Night of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2016
Character: Himself
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 Varney, Adam Savage, Paul F. Tompkins, and John Hodgman including a gigantic, possible world record TEN PERSON riffing grand finale!...
Rifftrax Live: Reefer Madness
Character:
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 flubbed! Tomatoes could be thrown! Mountain lion attacks are entirely possible!...
MST3K Little Gold Statue Preview Special
Character: Mike Nelson
Tom and Crow preview the nominees for the 1995 Academy Awards and give their predictions....
The Rifftrax Yule Log
Character: Himself
Holiday fireplace videos. We all love them, they bring comfort and cheer to our living rooms and family gatherings. But have they ever made you laugh? We’re proud to present a new kind of fireplace video, one filled with festive comedy and music to be enjoyed by all! And yes, don’t worry, there is still a fireplace -- Kevin Murphy's actual Minnesota fireplace! The RiffTrax Yule Log burns brightly for over two hours. Enjoy the fire while along the way lots of fun RiffTraxy moments pop in -- su...
Rifftrax: A Talking Cat!?!
Character: Self
Mike, Bill, and Kevin riff on a film where Eric Roberts plays a cat that talks. Also included is a caterer who makes "top notch" cheese puffs....