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Michael J. Nelson

Michael J. Nelson

Writer, actor, director and producer · Born October 11, 1964 (62) · St. Charles, Illinois

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 11, 1964 (62)
From
St. Charles, Illinois
Works as
Writer, actor, director and producer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 49 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 43% in 30 days

What are Michael J. Nelson's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Ideas.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Animation movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
36%
Ideas
33%
Bonds
17%
Self
10%
Morality
4%
Community11 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 10 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 9

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 10 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
12
Absurd
10
Warm
4
Thrilling
2
Manic
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Fun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Michael J. Nelson's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael J. Nelson's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

49 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page; 22 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Writer · as Mike Nelson

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The RiffTrax Experiments — Sting of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Writer · as Mike Nelson

  • Hunks of Junk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Writer · as Self

  • GrimTrax Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Writer · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: Timecop(2025)

    Director · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • RiffTrax Live: Point Break (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer · as Self

  • GrimTrax (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: RAD (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Writer · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: The Return of Swamp Thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Writer · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: Amityville - The Evil Escapes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • Snack vs. Chef(2022)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all shows

  • RiffTrax Live: Star Raiders(2019)

    Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • RiffTrax Live: Day of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2019(2019)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • RiffTrax Live: Doctor Who – The Five Doctors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Writer · as Self

  • Rifftrax Live: Carnival of Souls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • RiffTrax Live: MST3K Reunion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny(2015)

    Writer · Actor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • RiffTrax Live: Miami Connection (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • RiffTrax Live: Santa Claus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Writer · as Self

  • Total Riff Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 6 episodes · Actor

  • VeggieTales in the House(2014)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all shows

  • Rifftrax Live: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Writer · as Self

  • Rifftrax Live: Starship Troopers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Writer · as Self

  • Santa's Village of Madness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Writer · as Self

  • RiffTrax Live: Manos - The Hands of Fate(2012)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Rifftrax Live: Jack the Giant Killer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Actor

  • RiffTrax Live: House on Haunted Hill(2010)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as himself

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Rifftrax Live: Reefer Madness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Writer · Actor

  • Jersey Shore(2009)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all shows

  • Max the Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Stew (voice)

  • The Film Crew: The Giant of Marathon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

  • The Film Crew: Wild Women of Wongo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

  • The Film Crew: Killers from Space (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

  • The Three Stooges in Color (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • The Adventures of Edward the Less (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 13 episodes · as The Noble One (voice)

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Writer · as Mike Nelson

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts Volume 2(1999)

    Writer · as Mike Nelson

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • 2nd Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director · Writer · as Mike Nelson

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Shorts, Volume 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Mike Nelson

  • 1st Annual Mystery Science Theater 3000 Summer Blockbuster Review (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Writer · as Mike Nelson

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie(1996)

    Writer · as Mike Nelson

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Poopie Parade of Values (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Mike Nelson

  • Poopie! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • MST3K Little Gold Statue Preview Special (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Mike Nelson

  • Mystery Science Theater 3000(1988)

    Show 176 episodes · Director · Writer · as Baywatch characters (voice) · as Frank Sinatra (voice) · as Holo-Clown · as Imperialistic Alien · as Isaac Asimov Literary Doomsday Device (voice) · as Kenny · as Megaweapon (voice) · as Mike Nelson · as Morrissey · as Officer Mike · as Tony Travis (voice) · as Torgo · as Valeria · as Virtual comedy heckler (voice)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Three Stooges: Greatest Routines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    as Michael J. Nelson

  • The Film Crew: Hollywood After Dark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer · Writer · as Self

  • The Year of Laughing Dangerously (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Joel Williams

Career shape

A full career of 45 titles, 43 of them dated from 1964 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

$1M worldwide

Highest rated

Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)

Midcredits 86th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting24 of 45: 16 only acting, 8 with another roleDirecting7 of 45: 1 only directing, 6 with another roleWriting28 of 45: 10 only writing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdProducing6 of 45: 0 only producing, 6 with another roleOther crew1 of 45: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

45 titles, 18 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 8 of them.

By decade

1960s1 · acting1980s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew1990s8 · 8 acting · 3 crew2000s7 · 4 acting · 4 crew2010s16 · 6 acting · 11 crew2020s10 · 3 acting · 9 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Michael J. Nelson's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 8; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

19thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th2
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 12 titles are Divisive.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Universally Panned1
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Divisive6
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · writer

RiffTrax Live: Day of the Shorts - SF Sketchfest 2019 (2019)

97th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer

RiffTrax Live: Timecop (2025)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Michael J. Nelson's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 23 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Michael J. Nelson work with?

People who share at least 2 of Michael J. Nelson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kevin Murphy shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

  • Kevin Murphy11 titles · 7 as writer    See all 11 shared titles with Kevin Murphy
  • Bill Corbett8 titles · 5 as writer    See all 8 shared titles with Bill Corbett
  • Bridget Jones5 titles · 4 as writer    See all 5 shared titles with Bridget Jones
  • Mary Jo Pehl5 titles · 4 as writer    See all 5 shared titles with Mary Jo Pehl

Actors

Editors

Producers

Mixed roles