Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax

[XYZpdq]

Yeah, without looking at the screen, if a joke is told at the movie I can tell you who said it in the old days. With the latest seasons, if I'm not looking at the screen to see who moves, I couldn't tell you whether it was Tom or Crow - and about 50% of the time I would miss Jonah.

I think the latest tour had more distinct voices for them again. It's certainly a change having a higher pitched woman as the human as it lets Tom & Crow go for the mid & low pitch.

yeah being asked to look at the mouth flaps does MST no favors

 

[BScCollateral]

Also although I understand why I'm supposed to hate Felicia Day and Patton Oswald they didn't come off as that annoying to me in the context of the show

Me either. I think Season 11 tried too hard to make Day play Pearl, and she just doesn't have the presence for that. I got the feeling she let up a bit in Season 12, which I thought worked better for her.

 

[Starscreams Cape]

...

• The riffs never let up. One thing that classic MST3K understood (and Rifftrax as well, though they fall prey to this sometimes) is that sometimes you simply need to let the movie speak for itself. Not only does this give the audience a chance to follow the plot (which can lend context to other riffs), it also frees you from being bombarded with a deluge of low-effort jokes. Quality over quantity.

It's pretty clear to me that MST3K is more than just the concept, it was the right people coming together at the right time to produce something genuinely funny. Without those circumstances, it's just a hollow facsimile.

This is why I became a Mike guy over the years. Almost right from the start he would just chuckle at some of the odd things that happened onscreen. Not putting a joke over something that is already absurd, but still acknowledging it with a laugh, is the PERFECT way to handle it. It doesn't insult the audience, it allows the movie to breath.

The new MST is all jokes all the time, done by people with fake chemistry and no guts.

 

[Commander X]

The new Rifftraxes include their live show taking on "Amityville IV", a made-for-TV film attempting to extend the hoax-based franchise, wherein an evil lamp from the house is sent by a sassy grandma to her sister in California as a gift.

:priest who was thrown into a wall after encountering the eeeeevil lamp is hooked up to an IV in the hospital:
KEVIN: "Ah, this fluid is to help him forget he got his ass kicked by A LAMP."

Also, a Fred Olen Ray "action" flick, Fugitive Rage. Low budget action films are one of my favorite Rifftrax targets, since they often inspire the moments where they just laugh in disbelief at some nonsense on the screen.

 

[BootlegPopeye]

Low budget action flicks? I just saw R.O.T.O.R., wow that movie was BAD. One of the worst I have seen them do.

I wish we'd see more Rifftrax on TV stuff, one thing I loved was Mike and them riffing on the commercials playing in the Star Wars Holiday Special.

 

[XYZpdq]

The new Rifftraxes include their live show taking on "Amityville IV", a made-for-TV film attempting to extend the hoax-based franchise, wherein an evil lamp from the house is sent by a sassy grandma to her sister in California as a gift.

:priest who was thrown into a wall after encountering the eeeeevil lamp is hooked up to an IV in the hospital:
KEVIN: "Ah, this fluid is to help him forget he got his ass kicked by A LAMP."

Also, a Fred Olen Ray "action" flick, Fugitive Rage. Low budget action films are one of my favorite Rifftrax targets, since they often inspire the moments where they just laugh in disbelief at some nonsense on the screen.

yeah the RT crew really have a good niche working with crap action movies

 

[MirrorNoir]

There's a live MST3k tour right now but none of the original people are there, so why even bother?

At this point, Rifftrax only continues to exist for a couple of reasons:

1. It lets Mike earn a living with his MST3K spin-off, while offering a diplomatic solution to Joel wanting to work with new people (Kevin and Mike and Bill can do their own version of the show) and avoid a clash of egos by putting Mike and Joel in the same room and having shit boil over into conflict.

2. It also splits the baby on what MST3K should be. Mike and his group can do big budget films with the audio track workaround, while Joel and his group can focus on obscure/b-films that come largely from Shout Factory's library to allow them to do DVD/digital releases.

3. It also lets Mike/Kevin/Bill sell MST3K material digitally directly to fans; this means that they can make money off the show directly via selling those episodes via Rifftrax and ensures that there is no accusations of them getting cheated out of royalties for digital sales, since IIRC, they make more money via digital sales than from DVD sales.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

yeah the RT crew really have a good niche working with crap action movies

And animated shit like the Gumby movie.

 

[BootlegPopeye]

2. It also splits the baby on what MST3K should be. Mike and his group can do big budget films with the audio track workaround, while Joel and his group can focus on obscure/b-films that come largely from Shout Factory's library to allow them to do DVD/digital releases.

I think its obvious now that neo-MST3k has been out for awhile that Mike (as head writer very early) was more central to the Joel years than Mike haters give him credit for. What I've seen has been extremely unfunny, either too few jokes like the early KTMA years or non stop, zero room to breath and actually be able to follow the plot of the movie to even understand why the jokes are (supposed) to be funny.

 

[Commander X]

The new MST3K has had some decent lines here and there but yes, really, too many riffs, delivered too fast. If Jonah Ray and Those Bots had spoken their lines any faster they'd have sounded like John Moschitta

Also, went through another more recent Riff, their take on Dancin': It's On, a teen dance movie from the director of Space Mutiny that is like any other teen dance movie but at it's most inane. It also features Gary Daniels in his second appearance in a Rifftraxed film after Santa's Summer House and aside from briefly working on a punching bag he doesn't kick anyone in the face in this movie. Though there is a scene where he's lounging in a recliner, in a robe, while having a woman massage his feet as the blonde playing his daughter talks to him.

 

[Flexo]

The new MST3K has had some decent lines here and there but yes, really, too many riffs, delivered too fast. If Jonah Ray and Those Bots had spoken their lines any faster they'd have sounded like John Moschitta

Also, went through another more recent Riff, their take on Dancin': It's On, a teen dance movie from the director of Space Mutiny that is like any other teen dance movie but at it's most inane. It also features Gary Daniels in his second appearance in a Rifftraxed film after Santa's Summer House and aside from briefly working on a punching bag he doesn't kick anyone in the face in this movie. Though there is a scene where he's lounging in a recliner, in a robe, while having a woman massage his feet as the blonde playing his daughter talks to him.

I watched atomic Eden yesterday.

Not only was it a shock how crystal clear the film was, but it's also unnerving how much one of the actresses looked identical to a particular porn star.

 

[XYZpdq]

that wacky time Joel said "fag"

 

[Starscreams Cape]

At this point, Rifftrax only continues to exist for a couple of reasons:

1. It lets Mike earn a living with his MST3K spin-off, while offering a diplomatic solution to Joel wanting to work with new people (Kevin and Mike and Bill can do their own version of the show) and avoid a clash of egos by putting Mike and Joel in the same room and having shit boil over into conflict.

I don't think Joel was concerned about the feelings of Mike on the reboot, considering he essentially cut out the former cast members he had been touring with for a couple of years in Cinematic Titanic. I'm also sure he knew that there was ZERO chance Mike would take less money and less control just to become a "hired gun" under Joel once more. I bet he respected Mike for that, too.

I suppose Kevin and Bill might have been enticed to come back but they have a pretty comfy gig at Rifftrax these days, essentially reading a script they didn't have a huge hand in writing. Of course the quality has suffered as the humor has become "cute" and very, very safe - but that is another story. They did do a cameo in S11 and might have written a little bit, too.

2. It also splits the baby on what MST3K should be. Mike and his group can do big budget films with the audio track workaround, while Joel and his group can focus on obscure/b-films that come largely from Shout Factory's library to allow them to do DVD/digital releases.

3. It also lets Mike/Kevin/Bill sell MST3K material digitally directly to fans; this means that they can make money off the show directly via selling those episodes via Rifftrax and ensures that there is no accusations of them getting cheated out of royalties for digital sales, since IIRC, they make more money via digital sales than from DVD sales.

Rifftrax exists because it is a profitable venture. While their best days are long behind them (still mourn the Film Crew) they do have a dedicated fanbase. I wish them well mainly because Mike is, by almost all accounts, a pretty good guy. Same with Kevin. Bill is a leftist lunatic on Twitter, but I loved him on MST and early Rifftrax.

I stopped going to the Rifftrax Live shows years ago. I sort of understood they had to make the humor a bit more mainstream and vanilla, but after a certain point I just stopped laughing. Then I realized that most of their normal stuff was getting that way too. As stated earlier in the thread, I blame the rise of millenial faggot Conor Lastowka.

 

[DuranceVile]

I don't think Joel was concerned about the feelings of Mike on the reboot, considering he essentially cut out the former cast members he had been touring with for a couple of years in Cinematic Titanic. I'm also sure he knew that there was ZERO chance Mike would take less money and less control just to become a "hired gun" under Joel once more. I bet he respected Mike for that, too.

I suppose Kevin and Bill might have been enticed to come back but they have a pretty comfy gig at Rifftrax these days, essentially reading a script they didn't have a huge hand in writing. Of course the quality has suffered as the humor has become "cute" and very, very safe - but that is another story. They did do a cameo in S11 and might have written a little bit, too.



Rifftrax exists because it is a profitable venture. While their best days are long behind them (still mourn the Film Crew) they do have a dedicated fanbase. I wish them well mainly because Mike is, by almost all accounts, a pretty good guy. Same with Kevin. Bill is a leftist lunatic on Twitter, but I loved him on MST and early Rifftrax.

I stopped going to the Rifftrax Live shows years ago. I sort of understood they had to make the humor a bit more mainstream and vanilla, but after a certain point I just stopped laughing. Then I realized that most of their normal stuff was getting that way too. As stated earlier in the thread, I blame the rise of millenial faggot Conor Lastowka.

I remember having civil conversations with Bill on Twitter 10+ years ago. Back when it was supposed to be a "micro-blogging" site (anybody else remember that?) and not the central hive of autistic slapfighting. It was like a whole different world.

I'm still glad he's part of Rifftrax. The early days when it was just Mike riffing struggled despite Mike doing his best.

 

[XYZpdq]

I remember having civil conversations with Bill on Twitter 10+ years ago. Back when it was supposed to be a "micro-blogging" site (anybody else remember that?) and not the central hive of autistic slapfighting. It was like a whole different world.

I'm still glad he's part of Rifftrax. The early days when it was just Mike riffing struggled despite Mike doing his best.

yeah it seems the three man arrangement is important to the dynamic
Mexican Science Theater 3000 did it with two guys, but I don't habla espanols enough to get if it works or doesn't

 

[DuranceVile]

yeah it seems the three man arrangement is important to the dynamic
Mexican Science Theater 3000 did it with two guys, but I don't habla espanols enough to get if it works or doesn't

Mike had a few with just him and Bill or him and Kevin. They were definitely better than him solo but Rifftrax only "came online" after the three of them became the norm.

I did enjoy some of his one off guests like Weird Al. It's been forever but I recall not hating Troll 2 with Lowtax either.

 

[XYZpdq]

Mike had a few with just him and Bill or him and Kevin. They were definitely better than him solo but Rifftrax only "came online" after the three of them became the norm.

I did enjoy some of his one off guests like Weird Al. It's been forever but I recall not hating Troll 2 with Lowtax either.

I mentioned recently about how I didn't really notice that Bill wasn't in the first LotR movie until it was over.
but yeah 1 man crew is really not that great, going back to KTMA, 2 man crew has issues
like the third guy to give the final punchline to end a bit is a really important component

 

[Flexo]

I remember having civil conversations with Bill on Twitter 10+ years ago. Back when it was supposed to be a "micro-blogging" site (anybody else remember that?) and not the central hive of autistic slapfighting. It was like a whole different world.

I'm still glad he's part of Rifftrax. The early days when it was just Mike riffing struggled despite Mike doing his best.

I was still hurt to learn one of my questions were picked and answered by the riff crew... and I couldn't see Bill's because he had blocked me. Despite me never talking to him. (Must have been a block bot.)

But yes. Even in something like roadhouse, you can hear Mike talking to disembodio because some jokes require someone for him to bounce off of. I do love it when he and Bridget riff together.

Though I still hope some day I get to hear Mike and Joel riff together on a movie. Just the two of them.

 

[Commander X]

Among the riffs without the main trio, I've enjoyed the Pehl/Jones Rifftraxes I've watched, especially the TV-movie "Lady Mobster" starring Susan Lucci, it's the sort of "movie" that reminds the viewer every second it's a made for TV movie, and more recently the TV-film adaptations of Mary Higgins Clark novels like "Lucky Day" where a woman is convinced her missing friend was murdered and investigates by shrieking at the police and making faces at her weirdly accented husband - during one of his outbursts "-and yoore running ahround aggravating de poleece deepartment" they couldn't resist tagging it with "You're tearing me apart Lisa!"

 

[bifftango]

Among the riffs without the main trio, I've enjoyed the Pehl/Jones Rifftraxes I've watched, especially the TV-movie "Lady Mobster" starring Susan Lucci, it's the sort of "movie" that reminds the viewer every second it's a made for TV movie, and more recently the TV-film adaptations of Mary Higgins Clark novels like "Lucky Day" where a woman is convinced her missing friend was murdered and investigates by shrieking at the police and making faces at her weirdly accented husband - during one of his outbursts "-and yoore running ahround aggravating de poleece deepartment" they couldn't resist tagging it with "You're tearing me apart Lisa!"

I gave Mary Jo and Bridget a shot, but their riffing is too loose and boring. The writing must not be as thorough because they often revert to signing theme songs and ad jingles that barely relate to what's going on. They're delightful gals, but I find their output wanting. And they're nowhere near as remotely bad as those two British guys, though. Woof!