Mr. B.I.G., R.I.P.

March 8, 2023 6:29 PM

Bert I. Gordon (homepage), a.k.a. "Mr B.I.G," prolific filmmaker who made many a Mystery Science Theater 3000 film, has passed away at age 100. Farewell, and thanks for all the flicks!

Warning: linked videos may of course include objectionable content, given the nature of B movies from the time when they were made. I make no claims as to their suitability for general audiences. Many of these movies are available in paid and improved editions from Shout Factory!

Movies he directed, and usually also produced:
1954: He co-directed his first film, Serpent Island, with Tom Gries.
1955: He made his second film, King Dinosaur, which was featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 210 (that means Season 2, Episode 10). From here on, I'll note the movies that were made into MST3K episodes.
1957: He made three movies this year! The Cyclops, The Amazing Colossal Man (MST 309) and Beginning of the End (MST 517). The episode on The Amazing Colossal Man was featured on MST3K recap podcast It's Just A Show last month.
1958: Made Attack of the Puppet People, War of the Colossal Beast (MST 319) and Earth vs. The Spider (MST 313). War of the Colossal Beast was also featured on It's Just A Show last month. Attack of the Puppet People got the Rifftrax treatment.
1960: Made Tormented (MST 414) and The Boy And The Pirates.
1962: Made The Magic Sword (MST 411). Mr BIG slowed his pace a bit here. The MST guys admitted at the end that this one, with Estelle Winwood and Basil Rathbone, was a pretty good movie!
1965: Village of the Giants (MST 523, the last of his movies that would be featured on the program)
1970: How to Succeed in Sex
1972: The Witching and The Mad Bomber
1975: The Food of the Gods
1977: Empire of the Ants (free with ads)
1981: Burned at the Stake
1982: Let's Do It! (only directed this one)
1985: The Big Bet
1990: Satan's Princess
In 2015 he directed his last movie, Secrets of a Psychopath (IMDB), which he also wrote. It can be seen on Youtube with a paid Screambox subscription.

Thanks for all the movies Bert. May your future efforts always find appreciative audiences, and not be constrained by budget.

posted by JHarris (18 comments total)

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace.

I must agree that The Magic Sword was a pretty good movie. Although out of his movies done on MST3K, I think my favorite is King Dinosaur.

I didn't realize that Gordon made Village of the Giants based on the Wells story and then The Food of the Gods ten years later based on the same story.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:23 PM on March 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

He made a lot of pretty goofy movies, but one thing that stands out to me, from what I've seen of his work featured by MST3K, is that his films for the most part really feel like sincere efforts at telling a story to inspire and delight the audience, rather than just cynical cash grabs, which is more than can be said for a lot of movies made now, and then as well.

My favorite of his movies, as an MST3K episode, is Beginning of the End. It's actually a pretty fun story, and the goofy camera tricks to try to make grasshoppers look huge make me laugh every time. My least favorite is definitely Village of the Giants. Those damn kids are all so obnoxious.

He had a long life and a career that entertained a whole lot of people, one way or another. Rest in peace, Bert I. Gordon.
posted by biogeo at 9:24 PM on March 8, 2023 [9 favorites]

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posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 3:19 AM on March 9, 2023

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Tormented was pretty good. It had tight pacing and the ending was a bit of a surprise. The camera effects were hokey, but they accomplished what needed to be conveyed for the plot.

Village of the Giants......not my thing, but you do to, B.I.G.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 4:28 AM on March 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

I think I just assumed he was already dead. Good for him for living to 100!
posted by wittgenstein at 6:10 AM on March 9, 2023

⬤
posted by structuregeek at 6:19 AM on March 9, 2023 [5 favorites]

Tormented is definitely his best of the MST series, although the Colossal Beast movies have a weird amount of pathos to them that is hard for me to ignore.
posted by Think_Long at 7:13 AM on March 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

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posted by doctornemo at 7:32 AM on March 9, 2023

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I don't know why I thought the "Bert I. Goron" gag was so funny, but I did.

Anyway, I appreciate him and all truly enthusiastic filmmakers very much.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:35 AM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

🦗
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:32 AM on March 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

Another fan of The Magic Sword here. First saw it when I was around seven—and the vampire hag was terrifying! Enjoyed rewatching it with my daughter a few years back when she was about seven.

Sigh... thanks Bert.
posted by house-goblin at 9:21 AM on March 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

My favorite of his movies, as an MST3K episode, is Beginning of the End.

Same! I think it helps a lot that the characters in that are competent at their work, not casually menacing (hear that GLENN?), and just...stuck in this goofy situation. Also some of the characters are just legitimately funny on their own. The newspaper editor's "Wrong track, baby!" kills me every time.
posted by greenland at 10:28 AM on March 9, 2023 [3 favorites]

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Maybe Joy Harmon and Beau Bridges will dance in slow motion at his wake.
posted by detachd at 11:12 AM on March 9, 2023 [2 favorites]

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posted by Splunge at 12:58 PM on March 9, 2023

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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:22 PM on March 9, 2023

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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 2:29 PM on March 9, 2023

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posted by annieb at 4:50 PM on March 10, 2023

I'm amazed by this - we just watched one of his the other night (King Dinosaur on MST3k) and I went to read about him only to find he had only just passed - incredible. "Let's call it 3:00 anyway, that'll give us three or four hours before dark" indeed. RIP Mr. Gordon.
posted by LobsterMitten at 5:30 PM on March 23, 2023 [1 favorite]