Best Brains

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.

Hair Brain Productions

(November 24, 1988-May 28, 1989)

Logo: Scrolling from the credits, we see "(C) [Year] ''HAIR BRAIN PRODUCTIONS" in white against a starry background

FX/SFX: The scrolling of the credits.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the show.

Availability: Extinct; was only seen on Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes from the KTMA era, which have never been rereleased but are mostly preserved by fans.

Editor's Note: None.

Best Brains Productions

1st Logo (November 28, 1989-November 17, 1990)

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.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Computer sounds from Mystery Science Theater 3000. 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.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (October 27, 1990-August 8, 1999)

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

Nickname: "The Stinger"

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.

FX/SFX: 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.

Editor's Note: 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.