Best Brains

Credits

Descriptions by
MachineryNoise and BenderRoblox

Captures by
Camenati

Editions by
AlmightyKingPrawn and TVB

Video captures courtesy of
kjbleu, Jesse Shade, TheH-Man, Camp Clutch, Plasma Storm, and Broken Saw

Background

Best Brains, Inc. (first known as Hair Brain Productions) is an entertainment company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It is best known for its creation and production of the comedy/sci-fi television program Mystery Science Theater 3000, aka MST3K (1988 – 1999). The company ceased producing the program in 1999 and closed its studio. Currently, its only functions are to sell MST3K-oriented merchandise and negotiate box-set releases through Shout! Factory. On November 5, 2007 Jim Mallon and Paul Chaplin of Best Brains revived the MST3K brand by launching a new series of Flash-based animated shorts featuring the robots of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on the official website. The series was ended after several months due to cost issues.

The In-Credit Logo (November 28, 1989-November 17, 1990)

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Logo: On a black background, the words “A BEST BRAINS PRODUCTION” are written in white.

Variants: Starting in the second season, the font was changed a few times. One is in italics and another looks quite cheap.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: Computer sounds, namely ambient noises for host segments in Mystery Science Theater 3000 that take place on the Satellite of Love's bridge. Sometimes, the logo is silent.

Availability: Rare; seen on Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes from the era, most of which have been released onto DVD by Shout! Factory and are available on streaming services like Tubi.

The Stinger (October 27, 1990-August 8, 1999)

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  Rocket Attack U.S.A.
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  Ring of Terror
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  Lost Continent
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  The Hellcats
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  King Dinosaur
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  First Spaceship on Venus
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  Godzilla vs. Megalon
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  Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
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  Cave Dwellers
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  Gamera
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  Pod People
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  Gamera vs. Barugon
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  Stranded in Space
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  Time of the Apes
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  Daddy-O
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  Gamera vs. Gaos
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  The Amazing Colossal Man
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  Fugitive Alien
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  It Conquered the World
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  Gamera vs. Guiron
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  Earth vs. the Spider
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  Mighty Jack
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  Teenage Cave Man
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  Godzilla vs. Zigra
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  Viking Women and the Sea Serpent
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  Star Force: Fugitive Alien II
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  War of the Colossal Beast
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  The Unearthly
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  Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
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  Master Ninja I
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  The Castle of Fu Manchu
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  Master Ninja II
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  Space Travelers
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  The Giant Gila Monster
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  City Limits
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  Teenagers from Outer Space
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  Being from Another Planet
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  Attack of the Giant Leeches
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  The Killer Shrews
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  Hercules Unchained
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  Indestructible Man
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  Hercules Against the Moon Men
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  The Magic Sword
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  Hercules and the Captive Women
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  Manhunt in Space
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  Tormented
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  The Beatniks
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  Fire Maidens of Outer Space
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  Crash of Moons
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  Attack of the Eye Creatures
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  The Rebel Set
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  The Human Duplicators
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  Monster a Go-Go
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  The Day the Earth Froze
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  Bride of the Monster
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  Manos: The Hands of Fate
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  Warrior of the Lost World
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  Hercules
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  Swamp Diamonds
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  Secret Agent Super Dragon
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  The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
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  Eegah
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  I Accuse My Parents
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  Operation Double 007
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  The Girl in Lovers Lane
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  The Painted Hills
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  Gunslinger
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  Mitchell
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  The Brain That Wouldn't Die
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  Teen-Age Strangler
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  The Wild Wild World of Batwoman
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  Alien from L.A.
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  Beginning of the End
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  The Atomic Brain
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  Outlaw
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  Radar Secret Service
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  Santa Claus
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  Teen-Age Crime Wave
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  Village of the Giants
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  12 to the Moon
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  Girls Town
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  Invasion U.S.A.
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  The Dead Talk Back
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  Zombie Nightmare
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  Colossus and the Headhunters
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  The Creeping Terror
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  Bloodlust
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  Code Name Diamond Head
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  The Skydivers
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  The Violent Years
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  Last of the Wild Horses
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  The Starfighters
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  The Sinister Urge
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  San Francisco International
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  Kitten with a Whip
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  Racket Girls
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  The Sword and the Dragon
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  High School Big Shot
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  Red Zone Cuba
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  Danger!! Death Ray
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  The Beast of Yucca Flats
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  Angels Revenge
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  The Amazing Transparent Man
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  Samson vs. the Vampire Woman
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  Night of the Blood Beast
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  The Brute Man
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  Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell
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  The Incredible Melting Man
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  Escape 2000
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  Laserblast
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  Revenge of the Creature
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  The Leech Woman
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  The Mole People
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  The Deadly Mantis
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  The Thing That Couldn't Be/The Undead/Terror from the Year 5000
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  The She-Creature
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  I Was a Teenage Werewolf
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  The Giant Spider Invasion
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  Parts: The Clonus Horror
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  The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies
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  Jack Frost
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  Riding with Death
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  Agent for H.A.R.M.
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  Prince of Space
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  The Horror of Party Beach
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  Devil Doll
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  Invasion of the Neptune Men
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  Space Mutiny
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  Time Chasers
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  Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
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  The Projected Man
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  The Phantom Planet
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  The Pumaman
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  Werewolf
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  The Deadly Bees
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  The Space Children
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  Hobgoblins
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  The Touch of Satan
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  Gorgo
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  The Final Sacrifice
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  Devil Fish
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  The Screaming Skull
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  Quest of the Delta Knights
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  Soultaker
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  Girl in Gold Boots
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  Merlins Shop of Mystical Wonders
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  Future War
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  Blood Waters of Dr. Z
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  Boggy Creek II
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  Track of the Moon Beast
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  Final Justice
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  Hamlet
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  It Lives By Night
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  Horrors of Spider Island
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  Squirm
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  Diabolik

Logo: A short clip from that episode’s movie is shown. The words “A Best Brains Production” are written at the bottom. Sometimes, a copyright logo is seen on the left side of the text.

Variants:

• On the very first stinger, the name "A BEST BRAINS PRODUCTION" is written at the upper left corner, in a similar style as the first logo. The name disappears after a few seconds.
• On "Mighty Jack" the name "A Best Brains Production" is on the top and not the bottom.
• The font used for the name was replaced with a bolder one in season 4 starting with "Space Travelers".
• On "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" the copyright symbol appeared next to the name "A Best Brains Production".
• "Village of the Giants" had the stinger replaced with a memorial card to Frank Zappa, who died on December 4, 1993, shortly before the episode aired.
• When the show moved to SciFi Channel, the font became different.
• Between season 8 episodes 5 to 7, the clip from the movie was replaced with a shot of the Observers (Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, Paul Chaplin) staring ominously at the viewer while holding their brains. On episode 8, the stinger had a shot of Professor Bobo (Kevin Murphy) lying on the ground, moaning.

Technique: Live-action, alongside whatever “FX” (in the roughest sense of the term) the clip has.

Music/Sound: Whatever sounds the clip has.

Availability: Seen on many MST3K episodes starting with "Rocket Attack USA". For some reason, "The Wild Rebels" used the logo above. The Rhino Video release of "The Atomic Brain" strangely lacks the stinger, although the episode had one. However, the Shout! Factory release of "The Atomic Brain" has the stinger.

Legacy: This logo is highly beloved among Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans, to the point that the logo for Alternaversal Productions in the show's revival also functions as a "stinger". The clips shown tend to be some of the funniest parts of the movie beforehand. The variant with the Observers is quite notorious for being a bit creepy though (although the actual characters are quite silly). The Village of the Giants variant will sadden many people, especially fans of Frank Zappa.