MST3K's Mike Nelson selling DVD Commentaries

[DonnachaOne]

Some of you should enjoy this. This is from Satellite News (www.mst3k.com):

http://daily.greencine.com/archives/mikeandthebots.jpg

On July 20, Legend Films will announce a new web site called Mike Nelson’s RiffTrax (http://www.rifftrax.com/) . A lot of people have talked about something like this. Mike and Legend is actually doing it. At the site, you will be able to download full-length commentaries for a growing list of movies. When it's working right, you will pay, download the commentary (it's an unrestricted 128 bit MP3 file), pop the movie in your DVD player, load the commentary into the mp3 player of your choice, and off you go!

The first file on the site will be for Mike's favorite movie: Road House. It's priced at $1.99, which you pay through PayPal. For more info, see the FAQ on the site.

One other note, direct from Legend:

RiffTrax is a Beta site. We need your help to work out the kinks. So please send us your comments on anything that you like or dislike. Tell us how to make it better. If all goes well, we will be adding more RiffTrax in the coming weeks featuring not only Mike riffing by himself, but also with partners. We encourage you to send us your feedback!

http://www.rifftrax.com/

[Giles]

oh what a great idea... crap, now I have to buy a MP3 player...

[Mikey]

What an interesting idea! I hope he goes far with his business. I could also see the potential for companies like Criterion to allow people to download commentary tracks for some of their OOP LD's (Baron, Seven, etc). Keep it reasonable 1-5 dollars, and I bet companies could make a few bucks for a minimal effort.

[darkside]

Wow, this is a great idea. Kind of like the South Park commentaries on CD.

This will probably end up all over torrent sites, but I will give him $1.99 for two hours of work.

I also know that Nelson hates Roadhouse with a passion so that will be an excellent track. I will have to enjoy it without the movie though.

[DonnachaOne]

See, I always thought this was a great concept hampered by those who do homemade comms that just aren't very good. I remember a few years back suggesting that the DVDTalk reviewers should get together for certain flicks and do this. Glenn Erickson's gone on to that, anyway.

These comms would also allow more criticism of a film, and discussion of topics that might cause lawsuits if it were an actual company release.

[Jray]

Neat idea. It will be somewhat of a problem to sync up the DVD and commentary though. I guess it's no big deal if they're a few seconds off from each other.

[darkside]

Neat idea. It will be somewhat of a problem to sync up the DVD and commentary though. I guess it's no big deal if they're a few seconds off from each other.
Looks like they include some things to try and help you stay synced up with the movie.

[jdslater1]

Just downloaded it, had a quick listen. Seems to be some gaps in the talking so I don't think it's something you could listen to as you were walking along the street.

[Giles]

I know this old school to say but this is where a nice portable boom box and a cassette/or CD with the commentary would do, sure you'd have to flip over the tape or change the CD, but it's alot easier to sync another audio source with another.

[Numanoid]

Wow, what a freakin' great idea. I'm a huge MST fan and have bought all of Nelson's books and Legend DVDs. I'm all over this. Hell, I may actually buy Roadhouse for this.

[darkside]

Wow, what a freakin' great idea. I'm a huge MST fan and have bought all of Nelson's books and Legend DVDs. I'm all over this. Hell, I may actually buy Roadhouse for this.

I started listening to the track and realized I really needed Roadhouse to enjoy it. I may buy that awful film just for this commentary.

[Vryce]

Are the commentaries ala MST style? Does he have any other voices with him, ala Tom Server and Crow?

I know he wouldnt' have those exact voices, but other voices.

I will have to check it out.

[Joe Molotov]

For $2, that sounds like a good idea.

[darkside]

Are the commentaries ala MST style? Does he have any other voices with him, ala Tom Server and Crow?

I know he wouldnt' have those exact voices, but other voices.

I will have to check it out.
No, its just Mike. Hopefully at some point they bring all three of them in for a movie. It is a very MST3K like commentary though.

[Lastdaysofrain]

I wish Joe Bob Briggs would do something like this, I've listened to all his DVD commentary tracks into the ground.

[lotsofdvds]

This news kicks all kinds of ass!

[whotony]

he needs other people to interact with on the commentary.
just one guy doing it sounds a little odd.

[DonnachaOne]

I wish Joe Bob Briggs would do something like this, I've listened to all his DVD commentary tracks into the ground.
Perhaps, once the Texas Chainsaw Massacre II DVD comes out, someone can convince him to sit down with a mic for a couple hours. Maybe a DVDTalk exclusive podcast...

[lotsofdvds]

he needs other people to interact with on the commentary.
just one guy doing it sounds a little odd.
I agree with that, although I've since gotten used to it by listening to the other Legend Films discs.

This first offering is pretty darn good.

[darkside]

Listened to the commentary last night and it blew away any of the tracks on the Legend releases. It would have been nice to have Crow or Tom Servo there, but honestly Mike carried it pretty well and really played well off the bad dialog in the movie.

Syncing it with the film is very vital because its just like MST3K with most of the riffing coming from the dialog, however, they make it very easy to stay in sync with the movie. They tell you when to start the track and every 5-10 minutes they have this voice that gives a line of dialog from the film to make sure you are in sync. They even mix in some comedy with that voice and Mike even goes blue on a couple of really good riffs. The "I learned that in my Zen bullshit class" line killed me.

Obviously setting this up can be a hassle. Personally I played the audio from my DVD player through the TV speakers (I have it hooked up with HDMI so that is easy) and played my MP3 player through the receiver. You could just use headphones as well if you are watching it by yourself. You balance the commentary so you can also hear the dialog and you are all set.

I will definitely be buying these and I can only hope he does Showgirls next.

[M Polo]

I own the new deluxe edition and was cracked up by the K. Smith/Mosier commentary so this was a must. This is a great idea and I can't wait to see what he does next. Now to explain to my wife why I'm wearing my ipod earbud in one ear while watching a movie,lol....

[ResIpsa]

I would think explaining to her just why you are watching Roadhouse might be the tougher sell ;)

[M Polo]

That is probably true, hehehe....

[legend42]

I just listened to this last night. I agree he could probably use a partner or two, but it's still hilarious, and well worth the two bucks. I love the running jokes about Sam Elliot and beef.

[darkside]

The website lists Fifth Element as the next movie to get a riff track. Now I need to find that DVD cheap as well. Weird I'm buying movies just to listen to Mike make fun of them.

[M Polo]

Re-run all washed up, lol...

Fifth Element eh, guilty pleasure of mine and a favorite period of my wifes so I'll definitely snag that one.

[Numes]

Not to hijack this thread, but OMG there is a commentary by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier on Roadhouse? I may have to grab this one and the Mike Nelson commentary.

I do a lot of pausing and doing other things while I'm listening to commentaries. I'll have to try and sit down and listen to this one to not lose my sync.

[mndtrp]

My girlfriend hates commentaries, while I tend to like them. This would be perfect. She can watch the movie, with the normal soundtrack, through the receiver. I could watch the movie, with the commentary, through my ipod. We can watch the same bad movie, and while she enjoys the chick-flick-fight-crap portion, I'll be laughing.

Excellent idea. I hope it goes a long way. Joe Bob Briggs is a good idea, as well.

[rasalas]

I interviewed Mike Nelson about his new project. The main article (http://www.startribune.com/459/story/579238.html) and sidebar (http://www.startribune.com/459/story/579207.html) are below:

On DVD: Mike Nelson has something to say
Someone might offer you a penny for your thoughts. But the "Mystery Science Theater" star is asking $1.99 for his.

By Randy A. Salas
Minneapolis Star Tribune

You probably would not want to sit next to Mike Nelson in a theater. The guy simply can't stop talking during a movie.

Of course, for millions of "Mystery Science Theater 3000" fans, Nelson's heckling is exactly what they want while a movie is playing, especially a campy or bad flick. He made a living delivering cheeky comments -- with input from two robots -- during films such as "Zombie Nightmare," first as head writer and then host of the cult-favorite TV show, which began in Hopkins and aired from 1989 to 1999.

Now, he's back and as chatty as ever with RiffTrax, commentary tracks he has written and recorded for movies on DVD.

While Nelson has recorded on-disc commentary for DVDs of "Night of the Living Dead" and "Reefer Madness," RiffTrax are not actually on the disc. People pay $1.99 to download an MP3 file of Nelson's track from a website (www.rifftrax.com) and then sync it up with a specific DVD that they buy or rent separately.

"It's something I've always wanted to try," Nelson said from his office in San Diego, where he moved recently after years in Minneapolis. "I get a lot of e-mails from people suggesting stuff, and tons of them have said you can do the commentaries that you do to any film with iPod or MP3 technology."

The first DVD to get the RiffTrax treatment is the recent special edition of "Road House."

Nelson's connection to the 1989 film, in which Patrick Swayze plays a philosophizing bouncer in a rough bar, goes back to when he and friends saw it during a mission to find the worst film in theaters. He later wrote a song for "Mystery Science Theater" that was inspired by "Road House": "A Patrick Swayze Christmas." He also did a film-review book that was, he said, "based on the fact that all good bad movies have to meet this 'Road House'-ian standard of being both entertaining and bad -- and 'Road House' does that in spades."

Next up is "The Fifth Element." In a poll on the RiffTrax website, fans have picked "The Matrix" as the movie for which they'd most like to hear Nelson riff. He said he hopes to have a new commentary every two weeks or so.

"One of the goals is to pick movies that are entertaining on their own but that also have some level of goofiness," he said.

That makes it easier for Nelson to make fun of them. He watches the movie many times and comes up with 450 to 500 scene-specific jokes -- such as when Ben Gazzara lands a helicopter on a farm in "Road House" and Nelson delivers a mock traffic report that suggests an alternate route due to "slow-moving horses."

"I'm hoping to make you laugh really hard once a minute, and that's tough to do," Nelson said.

He says he also wants to bring in guests -- "say, Ray Romano and ask him what movie he's always wanted to bust on" -- to write and record a track together.

Just don't expect straight or scholarly commentary, as is found on most DVDs.

"Whenever I try serious," he said, "it always derails horribly."

---

NELSON'S MOST WANTED

Here are the five films for which Mike Nelson says he would most like to do DVD commentary:

1. Titanic: "a state-of-the-art film that's sort of big -- and cheesy!"

2. XXX: "Simply because of Vin Diesel -- this is the lunkhead movie to end all lunkhead movies."

3. Point Break: "It's like combining two earth elements -- you have Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze."

4. The Bridges of Madison County: "Clint Eastwood trying to pull off the free-spirit, almost-hippie photographer is just too much for me."

5. Waterworld: "Any movie that opens with the star drinking his own urine, you just have to do."

So can we put these in the Future Projects file for RiffTrax?

"Oh, yeah," Nelson said.

###

[darkside]

Great interview. In another recent interview Nelson also confirmed that XXX and Point Break would be up soon as rifftrax.

[RyoHazuki]

Mike is the man.

From the faq section:

"Make sure you are watching the widescreen version, you don’t want any jokes to be cut off by pan-and-scanning."

[mndtrp]

The guest angle makes it even more exciting. That could be really cool.

I'll definately be spending $2 for these. Unfortunately, I probably don't have half of the movies he is going to do, so I'll have to pick those up as well.

[M Polo]

Just so you guy's know "The Fifth Element" is now available for download. Snagged it but I'll have to wait until tomorrow to check it out.

[Mercury&Solace]

Great freaking idea!
Loved the Road House clip, and I will definitely be copping the whle thing.
:up: :up: :up:

[darkside]

The next poll is great

What movie series would you like to see Riffed on?

Star Wars 27.9%
Lord of the Rings 22.5%
Star Trek 12.4%
Rocky 10.1%
Halloween 8.4%
Terminator 7.7%
Jaws 6.0%
Alien 3.4%
Godfather 1.7%

[lotsofdvds]

The site now says they'll be making the Legend Films commentary tracks available for $1.99 as well. So if you already have other discs of Plan 9 or Reefer Madness and didn't double dip just for Mike's commentary, now you can get it cheap.

[lcnickell]

I'd Love a Ladybugs Commentary.

[ghlbtsk]

Watched Fifth Element with the Rifftrack last night. FREAKING AWESOME.

The site is a little misleading in that it claims the track is a "commentary", but make no mistake...this is Mike, solo, giving the MST treatment. I was a little apprehensive because T5E is a favorite of mine, and I am not a fan of any films ripped on MST, but he was mostly critical of the over-the-top nature of the film (esp. Chris Tucker) and the sync was no problem. Also, he seems to have an unnatural obsession with Kevin Federline.

I'm inclined to buy every Rifftrack, then rent films as needed. It was that good.

It is as though my beloved MST is back!

[DJLinus]

The site now says they'll be making the Legend Films commentary tracks available for $1.99 as well. So if you already have other discs of Plan 9 or Reefer Madness and didn't double dip just for Mike's commentary, now you can get it cheap.

Sweet. Now I don't have to buy another copy of Night of the Living Dead.

[darkside]

The site is a little misleading in that it claims the track is a "commentary", but make no mistake...this is Mike, solo, giving the MST treatment.
I agree. The Legend releases were a little too laid back and commentary like at times. He is pretty much in full MST mode on the Road House and Fifth Element. Sounds like he will have guests for the upcoming tracks so they should get better and better.

[BrandonJF]

If anyone has the new Road House SE and hasn't turned on the "Trivia Track", make sure to do so. It is less trivia and more an MST3K-like track. It is unbelievably funny. I ended up preferring it over the Smith/Mosier track.

I haven't heard all of Nelson's commentary, but the brief demo he had on his site wasn't as funny as the "trivia track" comments of the same scene (to me, at least).

[JesseCuster]

You would think that some of the other former and beloved heckle hounds off of MST3K would be cool with sitting in. I know that it was genuinely hard work and a job back in the day but I'm guessing they got a kick out of it too. Now that the deadlines aren't so strict, there's no set or props and it's more relaxed I would think that Kevin Murphy or Bill Corbett or Joel Hodgson or Trace Beaulieu or Frank Conniff would be happy to swing by and thrash out a script and record a commentary or two. Paul Chaplin, Mary Jo Pehl, Bridget Jones...join in, please!

[LeeVing]

You would think that some of the other former and beloved heckle hounds off of MST3K would be cool with sitting in. I know that it was genuinely hard work and a job back in the day but I'm guessing they got a kick out of it too. Now that the deadlines aren't so strict, there's no set or props and it's more relaxed I would think that Kevin Murphy or Bill Corbett or Joel Hodgson or Trace Beaulieu or Frank Conniff would be happy to swing by and thrash out a script and record a commentary or two. Paul Chaplin, Mary Jo Pehl, Bridget Jones...join in, please!


There's a question on the polls page about paying a Dollar more if Kevin Murphy or Bill Corbett would be involved, so I think it's a good chance it will happen.

[Nth Power]

There's a question on the polls page about paying a Dollar more if Kevin Murphy or Bill Corbett would be involved, so I think it's a good chance it will happen.
I think it would benefit from having someone else there for Mike to bounce stuff off of. I'd pay an extra $1 for some MST3K alumni joining him on the track.

[darkside]

I think it would benefit from having someone else there for Mike to bounce stuff off of. I'd pay an extra $1 for some MST3K alumni joining him on the track.
Absolutely. I voted yes and so did almost everyone else. I really enjoyed the first two with just Mike and will definitely pay $2.99 for these if there are guests with him. However, I could see some major potential for non MST3K guests as well.

[Thunderball]

Does anyone know of a good set of speakers to attach to my Mp3 player so I could listen to the movie AND the commentary, and so could th person sitting next to me?

[Numanoid]

I think it would benefit from having someone else there for Mike to bounce stuff off of. What, Disembaudio isn't enough? ;)

[Numanoid]

Watched Fifth Element with the Rifftrack last night. FREAKING AWESOME.

The site is a little misleading in that it claims the track is a "commentary", but make no mistake...this is Mike, solo, giving the MST treatment. I was a little apprehensive because T5E is a favorite of mine, and I am not a fan of any films ripped on MST, but he was mostly critical of the over-the-top nature of the film (esp. Chris Tucker) and the sync was no problem. Also, he seems to have an unnatural obsession with Kevin Federline.Agreed. I watched T5E last night and was laughing out loud throughout. The Federline running gag was topical and funny, but it struck me that it will date itself rapidly once Britney divorces him in a year or so. ;)

I also enjoyed hearing some swear words, something you know they were dying to do on MST3K. All-in-all, a great, great value. I think Mike has hit gold here and hope to see future releases for years to come.

[darkside]

Does anyone know of a good set of speakers to attach to my Mp3 player so I could listen to the movie AND the commentary, and so could th person sitting next to me?

This is all going to depend on your set up, but I had the movie playing on the TV speakers and hooked up my MP3 player to my stereo. Once I balanced the sound it worked really well.

As far as portable speakers, pretty much anything will work. Its just Mike talking so you really don't need high fidelity.

[Nth Power]

"YET ANOTHER RIFFTRAX UPDATE
Ready for download on Friday will be a commentary track for the infamous Star Trek V: The Final Frontier--and joining Mike Nelson will be none other than Kevin Murphy!"Thanks for the heads-up! I'll be downloading this ASAP on Friday. :)

[Joe Molotov]

Awesome! :lol:

[darkside]

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll be downloading this ASAP on Friday. :)
Awesome. I actually own this crap fest. :lol:

[lotsofdvds]

This one is going to be $2.99, but that's still worth it.

[Vryce]

Sweet.. I will definetly get the Star Trek one.

I didn't get Roadhouse as I don't own or want to rent the movie.

I do own Fifth Element. I should purchase that one. :D

[majorjoe23]

Damn Mike Nelson! Now I have to buy DVDs of movies I wouldn't buy otherwise.

[darkside]

$2.99 is no big deal. I already own Trek V and for an extra $2.99 I actually have a reason to watch it. They can price these things for $5 for all I care if they are going to have multiple guys on the track. Wish Trace or Frank would do one with Mike. I doubt Joel would ever consent to do anything MST related.

[kvrdave]

This could be the greatest thing ever, and I didn't know about it. Particularly nice is the fact that I watch the movies on my computer, so playing the commentary through itunes should be a snap, and I'll have it all on the same speakers.

[JesseCuster]

Wow Wow Wow!

[Mazje]

Somebody fill me in on a little MST3K history...why did Joel leave the show and why would he be reluctant to do something related to it now?

Back on topic, I wonder how often we'll see new updates? Once a month? Or possibly more often?

[Numanoid]

Star Trek V?! Freakin' awesome!

[Joe Molotov]

Somebody fill me in on a little MST3K history...why did Joel leave the show and why would he be reluctant to do something related to it now?

According to interviews he did several years after leaving the show (http://www.avclub.com/content/node/23008), he said the reason why he left was because he was tired of fighting for creative control of the show with Jim Mallon. Since then, he hasn't had much to do with the show (other than the cameo he did in the final season).

[M Polo]

I have NEVER been a fan of Star Trek, be it movies or the show but I'll have to rent ST: V to check out this track with Kevin Murphy.

[kvrdave]

Watched Road House last night, and it was a treat.

Tonight I will watch The 5th Element, and then STV. He better keep these coming out on a regular basis.

[LeeVing]

Just bought it. Now i need to go out and buy the movie.

I got all 3 but need a way to watch these on my tv and not my computer. May have to use my laptop for the mp3, or go buy a cheapy mp3 player.

[lotsofdvds]

I got all 3 but need a way to watch these on my tv and not my computer. May have to use my laptop for the mp3, or go buy a cheapy mp3 player.
Burn the MP3 to a CD.

[flagstone]

Burn the MP3 to a CD.

You'll need to plan for a break in the middle then - CDs only hold 70-something minutes.

[sb5]

Most portable CD players these days (even low-end, sub-$30 models) will play MP3 files off a CD-R, without needing to create an audio CD.

[Joe Molotov]

Oh man, this is some good stuff. :lol: It's not as rapid-fire as the MST3K days, but still, some high quality riffing here on Star Trek V.

[kvrdave]

Clown Penis

rotfl

Worth the price just for the excuse to watch these again.

[Joe Molotov]

What's with the bar movies? :lol: I guess it's good opportunity to make fun of Tom Cruise, but let's get some Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger movies or more bad sci-fi. Or Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger in bad sci-fi.

[Jay G.]

let's get some Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger movies or more bad sci-fi. Or Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger in bad sci-fi.
Judge Dread anyone?

[DJLinus]

Bought and listened to his Night of the Living Dead commentary last night. Funny stuff. I about lost it when he said something to the effect of "I guess once you've been through one zombie apocolypse you learn to keep your zombie boards in the kitchen." :lol:

Looking forward to getting some of the "new" commentaries. Am I alone in being selfish and only voting for movies that I already own?

[kvrdave]

The 5th Element was was fairly weak, imo, but the others have been great. Hopefully he can crank them out in a reasonable amount of time.

[LeeVing]

Is any one else using these track as an excuse to purchase really bad movies?

I went out and bought ST 5, and Road House. Will probably buy Cocktail too.

At least most are cheaper catalog titles you can get used.

[darkside]

I did buy a used copy of Road House, but was able to borrow Fifth Element and already owned ST5 for some dumb reason. Hopefully someone I know owns Cocktail.

[mndtrp]

Boy, about any Van Damme movie is perfect for this. Total Recall would be excellent as well.

[kyzersoze11]

i got the notld track, does anyone know of a way to burn this to a cd, because it is too long the way it is?

[Jay G.]

i got the notld track, does anyone know of a way to burn this to a cd, because it is too long the way it is?
I use mp3DirectCut to split large mp3 files into smaller segments without having to recode it.
http://www.mpesch3.de/

Split the mp3 into two segments, then burn to two CDs.

[DRG]

I wonder how long it'll be before someone decides to reauthor the DVDs with the commentary as a backup audio track? Or even superimpose a "theater silouette" image over the picture?

Also, why is Cocktail listed as $2.99 when it says only Mike is on the track? I thought $2.99 was the price point for tracks with a guest, whereas $1.99 was the price point for Mike-only tracks.

[M Polo]

Well originally $1.99 was only the Beta price. He had a poll asking if people would be willing to pay a little more for them and the overall response seemed to be between $2 and $3. I'm sure the regular ones will be $2.99 now and the ones with guest appearances will be bumped to $3.99.

[Jay G.]

I'm sure the regular ones will be $2.99 now and the ones with guest appearances will be bumped to $3.99.
Star Trek V has Kevin Murphy on it as well and is only $2.99. That might be the new base price.

[M Polo]

Yeah but someone mentioned "Cocktails" was going to be $2.99 so I'm assuming they are going to finally raise the price a little from the original BETA special price. I don't know they, we shall see.

ST: V was not nearly as funny as I'd hoped. So far my favorite has been The Fifth Element.

[Save Ferris]

Cocktail was hilarious. Easily my favorite so far.

[LeeVing]

from Rifftrax forum:

XXX - It's one more X than Dos Equis beer

RiffTrax + Vin Diesel RiffTraXXX

At least it's not the sequel.



New RiffTrax coming Friday, September 8th (not the 7th as previously reported)

http://rifftrax.com/smf/index.php?topic=160.msg2746#msg2746

[LeeVing]

guess it was the 7th after all....it's available now.

gotta go buy the movie tomorrow.

[Numanoid]

New additions!

Crossroads - The Britney Spears classic, and

X-Men - yep, X-Men. And this one features Bill Corbett (Brain Guy, Crow) as a guest, but still only $2.99

[xmiyux]

Alright, X-Men was the first of the movies that i actually owned so i'm downloading it right now. Hopefully it is as awesome as i think it is going to be.

[Numanoid]

Alright, X-Men was the first of the movies that i actually owned so i'm downloading it right now. I think that's what Mike realizes -- sure, the bad movies are easier to riff, but how many people already have Road House in their collection? Hitting the popular movies like this is sure to increase his sales, and let's face it, just about every movie can be turned to comedy gold at the hands of Nelson. I'm looking forward to it.

[darkside]

Really enjoyed the xXx and Cocktail commentaries, but the Xmen one was just kind of so-so. Maybe I liked the movie too much.

Now to find someone with a copy of Crossroads. That is going to be a tough question to ask, maybe I'll rent it.

[NoirFan]

Now to find someone with a copy of Crossroads.

This is rumored to be on Criterion's slate for the first quarter of 2007, so you might want to hold off for a bit.

[xmiyux]

I actually think a local library here has Crossroads in their collection. I'll look there for it. Also perhaps when enough of these are out a month long membership of Hollywood Video's MVP program might be in order.

[LeeVing]

Crossroads riff was pretty amusing, so it's worth the looks you will get at the rental store....i just got it off netflix tho.

X-Men was O.K. , it was good hearing Bill Corbet again.

My favorite have been Road House and XXX.

[Vryce]

The new poll on the site is asking which Horror movie to RIff next. So far, Friday the 13th is the leader.

[DJLinus]

Can't wait to get the X-Men riff (a movie I actually own!). I may have to take advantage of my brother's Netflix membership for Crossroads, though.

There's a contest (http://www.rifftrax.com/Html/Contest_September.html) up:

Mock “Matrix” and make mucho moolah! Use your riffing skills to write five hilarious minutes of “The Matrix” and you could win $500 dollars! Or maybe you’ll lose! Either way it’s fun! The top three riffs will be recorded by Mike and posted right here at RiffTrax for everyone to see! Plus there’s money: $500 bucks for First Place, $200 for Second and $100 for Third. Oh, and Honorable Mentions get a used copy of Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” and, well, no money whatsoever. (But if it’s any consolation, DisembAudio will sign your DVD!)

MIKE'S TIPS:
-Don’t over-write. Your Riff has to fit in the space allowed.
-Imagine Mike saying the lines, ‘cause if you win, he will.
-Spelling counts. Using “alot” as one word will result in immediate disqualification.

RIFF-OFF RULES:
1. Entrants will download Riff-Off contest package.
2. Write your best riffs for a five minute section of “The Matrix” using a clip and script template supplied by RiffTrax.
3. Email your submission to contest@rifftrax.com before midnight, October 11, 2006. Only submissions using the text files provided will be accepted. WE MEAN IT!!!
4. Submissions will be judged by Mike Nelson and his trained team of crack riffers. Winners’ name and riffs – recorded by Mike! -will be posted on RiffTrax.com.
5. Watch for the winner announcements on RiffTrax.com

Anyone going to give it a shot?

[darkside]

They are really putting a lot (whew spelled it correctly) of effort into the Rifftrax site. Hopefully its doing well. Don't know if I will try the contest, but I like the idea of promotions like that.

[Ms. M]

If you go to Youtube and look under "Rifftrax," you can get minute-long samples of the movies out so far with the Rifftrax playing. Some funny stuff. I hope they do Friday the 13th out of the films on that poll.

[majorjoe23]

They're also on the Rifftrax site, click on "More Info" and you can see a clip.

[LeeVing]

Top Gun is now available for purchase.

[DJLinus]

Here's a podcast featuring an interview with Nelson: http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2006/09/podcast-science-fiction-with-ron-moore.html

In it he mentions that he'll be riffing on Coyote Ugly sometime in the future, which makes me happy because I...uh...own that DVD.

[Trevor]

Speaking of MST3K, anyone know a good way to get the KTMA episodes? I have most of the seasons off Comedy Central on VHS, but wouldn't mind seeing the originals.

[darkside]

Speaking of MST3K, anyone know a good way to get the KTMA episodes? I have most of the seasons off Comedy Central on VHS, but wouldn't mind seeing the originals.

Read the faq at this website. http://www.dapcentral.org/
I have all the non Rhino releases due to their efforts. They have even gotten a thumbs up from people like Kevin and Joel since they charge no money at all. Its just fans exchanging the movies which was the original message of the show.

Just to note they do not trade any episodes available from Rhino and some of the first few KTMA episodes where never recorded by anyone and are pretty much lost to the ages. Just a note, the KTMA stuff was all done cold with no writting ahead of time. The riffing is very uneven and at times it can be difficult to sit through. I've rarely made it all the way through a movie.

[Trevor]

Thanks! I also did some searching and found some bootleg sites. You can get episodes for about $6 each, the whole series with all specials for like $500. Ouch.

I might download some of the KTMA stuff, and just wait for proper releases of much of the CC/SF seasons.

Side note, and possibly one of the top 10 moments on my life:

At the end of MST3K's first season on CC, I happened to be vacationing in Minnesota. I called Best Brains studio on a whim, and said something like, "Hey, I'm just a vacationing fan, passing thru town, noticed that I'm in your city, and just wanted to say, thank you."

The guy, one of their puppeteers/prop guys, said something like, "That's cool. You know, we're having our first season wrap party tonight. Why don't you come by and be the token fan?"

It was a cool night. I met Joel and his parents, Trace and the rest of the gang, had Joel take pictures of me with the bots, etc.

Right place at the right time.......

[lotsofdvds]

Point Break is now available on Rifftrax.

[Chew]

Probably been said already, but I really enjoy them more when Mike has somebody to play off of. The STV commentary certainly had a good MST3K feel to it. :)

[LeeVing]

Halloween is coming soon too....with Kevin.

[xmiyux]

Point Break is one of my favorite terrible movies. I'll have to hunt down a DVD of this and snag the track.

[lotsofdvds]

Point Break is one of my favorite terrible movies. I'll have to hunt down a DVD of this and snag the track.
The PURE ADRENALINE SPECIAL EDITION just came out this week. :)

[xmiyux]

Sweet! I'll have to look for a good price. I did spend my cash getting the new season of Scrubs this week...

[Jay G.]

There's a contest (http://www.rifftrax.com/Html/Contest_September.html) up:

Entries for the contest are due tonight before midnight PST.

[majorjoe23]

Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy are also doing new DVD commentaries! Go to www.filmcrewonline.com and check out two minute clips of Giant of Marathon, Hollywood After Dark, Killers From Space and the Wild Women of Wongo and vote for which one they should release on DVD first.

Between this and the Rifftrax, it's starting to feel like a MST3K resurgence.

[darkside]

Man, for a MST3K junkie this is all great news. I need to catch up on Rifftraxs, but I keep buying them.

BTW, I voted for Giant of Marathon.

[darkside]

Hell Yeah
The Rifftrax
Coming Nov. 1: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

With guest riffer Kevin Murphy

[starman9000]

I hope he does Buffalo 66, just to see that guy flip out about it.

[C-Mart]

I don't know when it was released, but Episode I is available for download now. I didn't hear about Rifftrax until recently and have only obtained the X-Men one. I haven't watched the full thing yet, but its decent so far. I will definately get the Ep. I trax though.

[darkside]

The Halloween Rifftrax was by far my favorite and so far the ones with Kevin Murphy have been outstanding. I really haven't been as impressed with the two I listened to with Bill Corbet.

I'm downloading Episode 1 now. Never has a movie deserved a Rifftrax more than that fucking movie.

BTW, Cocktail is 99 cents right now and highly recommended.

[majorjoe23]

They also have a deal where if you buy the legend version of House on Haunted Hill (withe Mike Nelson commentary) for $9.95 plus shipping, you get the Halloween Rifftrax for free.

[majorjoe23]

Hmm, I just looked and the Legend HOHH is only $7.18 on DDD, so it would be a better to deal to buy from there, then get the Halloween Rifftrax on its own.

[darkside]

Hmm, I just looked and the Legend HOHH is only $7.18 on DDD, so it would be a better to deal to buy from there, then get the Halloween Rifftrax on its own.
The only difference is the one from Rifftrax is the Mike autographed one. However, that is a pretty minor thing and only silly MST3K fanboys like myself would go through the extra expense.

I finished the Star Wars rifftrax and damn was it good. Granted this movie is shooting fish in a barrel, but they do a good job of trashing it.
The Halloween rifftrax was funny, but at the same time they do tip their hat a bit to the film. Not the case with Episode I. They take a sledgehammer to Phantom Menace and go after ever single thing possible. The horrible stereotypes, the weak script, the bad acting and basically anything possible. Too many good lines to remember, but Mike calling JarJar the most embarrassing character since Stepin Fetchit and Kevin commenting on Lucas pissing the entire film down his leg in the first 10 minutes stands out.

Highly recommended. I still need to listen to Matrix and Point Break, but I really want another Mike and Kevin commentary and will probably listen to the Matrix next.

[Numanoid]

Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy are also doing new DVD commentaries! Go to www.filmcrewonline.com and check out two minute clips of Giant of Marathon, Hollywood After Dark, Killers From Space and the Wild Women of Wongo and vote for which one they should release on DVD first.

Between this and the Rifftrax, it's starting to feel like a MST3K resurgence.
Sweet. I can't wait. MST3K is back!

[Joe Molotov]

Between this and the Rifftrax, it's starting to feel like a MST3K resurgence.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie 2...make it happen Universal...somebody.

[dhmac]

Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy are also doing new DVD commentaries! Go to www.filmcrewonline.com and check out two minute clips of Giant of Marathon, Hollywood After Dark, Killers From Space and the Wild Women of Wongo and vote for which one they should release on DVD first.

Between this and the Rifftrax, it's starting to feel like a MST3K resurgence.
I voted for Giant of Marathon based solely on description before I figured out that clicking the pictures gives a sample of the riffing of each - and the clips for Hollywood After Dark and Killers From Space are the funniest ones!

(But it sounds like they've already recorded full riffing for them all, so is the vote just to see which one comes out first, meaning the rest will also be released eventually?)

[Jay G.]

But it sounds like they've already recorded full riffing for them all, so is the vote just to see which one comes out first, meaning the rest will also be released eventually?
Yes, the video intro by Kevin Murphy and the text description both explicitly mention that we're voting on which title gets released first, meaning the others will follow.

I voted for Killers From Space because it had the best title, seems like the most likely movie a person uninitiated to MST3K might pick, and had a very funny clip.

[Shack]

I chose Killers from Space, because it only seems fitting they start with a Peter Graves film. (But I'll take whatever they give us!)

[Darknite39]

I just downloaded and listened to the X-Men rifftrax. Even though I could never seem to get the sync perfect, it was still incredibly funny. I'm going to grab the rest of these soon, after I secure the necessary DVDs. If anyone reading this is considering a purchase, DO IT. You won't be disappointed.

[Joe Molotov]

I voted for Wild Women of Wongo based 100% on the title.

[lotsofdvds]

Next Rifftrax: The Grudge with Mike and Kevin

[Joe Molotov]

This is only way that I would watch the Grudge again.

[Joe Molotov]

They've just released a new Rifftrax for The Fellowship of the Ring.

I can't figure out if it works for the Extended Edition or not. The website isn't very clear.

Mike Nelson and special guest riffer Kevin Murphy go after the ultimate comedy prize in this very special two-part RiffTrax - made for both editions of the movie's threatrical versions.

Huh? It sounds like they're trying to say that there are two different versions for each version of the movie, but they say "both theatrical versions." Anyone know for sure?

[Darknite39]

When in doubt, check their link to Amazon's page where you can buy the movie.

[Joe Molotov]

Okay, by two versions they mean PAL & NTSC. It's only for the Theatrical Version.

[darkside]

Fellowship was $4 so the prices keep increasing, however, it was an excellent track. Mike and Kevin are a really good team and I hope they keep them doing the tracks together.

So far I have bought all of them, but still need to sit through The Grudge, Matrix and Point Break.

[xmiyux]

Hrm, i would be all over this track if it was for the extended cut. Granted that would be a long ass cut to try to riff but i held out on buying the theatrical cuts due to enjoying the longer version so much better and i'd hate to cave now.

[LeeVing]

Huh? It sounds like they're trying to say that there are two different versions for each version of the movie, but they say "both theatrical versions." Anyone know for sure?


This means it works for the original 1 disc release AND the new 2 disc Limited that has both the Theatrical and Extended by branching. The 2 mp3's you get would seem to work better with the new 2 disc version, but I make my own DVD to watch these and I have the older dvd.

and I'm sure if you had time you could edit the mp3's so the work with the Extended, but there would be a lot of gaps.

[Qrusher14242]

Reign of Fire just got released yesterday. A very crappy movie with <atthew Mcconaughey about dragons.

Also, if your near San Fran, Mike, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett are going to perform Rifftrax live 2 nights in a row in Jan for the SF Sketch Fest. They said its a major motion picture within the last few years that was really crappy. So should be fun. www.sfsketchfest.com

[darkside]

So far I have bought and listened to all 18 tracks and they really have hit a stride with Nelson and Murphy together. Reign of Fire, Firewall, LOTR, Star Wars and the Grudge were all excellent. I didn't care much for Island of Dr Moreau but I think it had a lot to do with just how god awful that thing is to sit through even with a rifftrax.

Mike does a really nice solo job on Nestor the Long Eared Donkey and that one is a great 99 cent track if you happen to have the Year Without Santa Claus DVD.

Rifftrax has really turned out great and I just hope they are selling enough tracks to keep it going.

[Qrusher14242]

http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/?p=2921

You can get the Nestor the Long Eared Donkey Rifftrax for free here.

[darkside]

Quick Update.

Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbet will be riffing live at Sketchfest on Daredevil. This will also be released as a rifftrax (a prerecorded version I assume) on the 18th.

In the meantime there is a new colorized Legend Films release available direct from Rifftrax or Legend Films for $12.99 autographed by Mike and including a Mike Nelson commentary. It is Swing Parade a film featuring the Three Stooges, but not a Stooge movie.
http://i8.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/83/47/b6ba_1.JPG

[lotsofdvds]

Quick Update.

Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbet will be riffing live at Sketchfest on Daredevil. This will also be released as a rifftrax (a prerecorded version I assume) on the 18th.
Available now.

[darkside]

I received my Swing Parade DVD. Usual stuff from Legend and actually not a terrible film for a poverty row release. They include several short features with no color enhancements including an episode of the Stooges cartoon series from the later years a few random shorts and an episode of My Little Margie starring Gale Storm from the film. The commentary track was decent, but nothing as good as most of the Rifftrax releases. They did include a whole stack of small stickers with the order that say "This Movie is Better with Rifftrax!! Rifftrax.com
Guess we are supposed to stick these on DVDs in stores to give them free publicity or on our own crappy DVDs.

Oh well. Downloading Daredevil for tonight.

[Qrusher14242]

Battlefield Earth is coming this friday.

http://rifftrax.com/Html/Download_BattlefieldEarth_ComingSoon.html

[xmiyux]

*shudder* I'm not even sure a rifftrack could get me to sit through that movie again.

[darkside]

Battlefield Earth is coming this friday.

http://rifftrax.com/Html/Download_BattlefieldEarth_ComingSoon.html
That one is ripe for humor, but it may be a tough one to sit through even with the rifftrax.

It is all three of them though so that is a must buy.

[dhmac]

Is anyone attempting the syncing to a RiffTrax using their regular DVD player? So far, I've only done it using a computer playing back both the featured DVD and the rifftrax file in a separate media tool.

[xmiyux]

That is how i play them. Movie in my regular DVD player and rifftrack playing on my PC.

[darkside]

Is anyone attempting the syncing to a RiffTrax using their regular DVD player? So far, I've only done it using a computer playing back both the featured DVD and the rifftrax file in a separate media tool.
I've been watching them this way. DVD player and ipod combo. I'll just have the HDMI sending out the video and audio to my TV and have the receiver play the ipod track.

[LeeVing]

Is anyone attempting the syncing to a RiffTrax using their regular DVD player? So far, I've only done it using a computer playing back both the featured DVD and the rifftrax file in a separate media tool.

I make my own dvd's and sync the audio myself. There is a thread in the rifftrax forum that is a good how-to on how to do it. It's a long and kinda complicated process when you first start, but after 2 or 3 you get the hang of it.

[lotsofdvds]

The Wicker Man is the latest available download. :up:

[Boba Fett]

The Wicker Man is the latest available download. :up:

I'm assuming its the "no, no, not the bees" version of the film.

[Chew]

Watched the Wicker Man Riff over the weekend. It's great to have a little bit of MST back. :up:

"There's a Mt. Rushmore of ugly" rotfl

[xmiyux]

I'm assuming its the "no, no, not the bees" version of the film.

I hope it is the remake because i would only watch the new one with the riffing. The original is one of my favorite movies of all time and the mere existence of a remake (especially with Nick Cage) pains me.

[Chew]

I hope it is the remake because i would only watch the new one with the riffing. The original is one of my favorite movies of all time and the mere existence of a remake (especially with Nick Cage) pains me.

It is most certainly a Riff on the remake. :)

[darkside]

T3 is next up. I have caught up on most of them. I'm only missing Wicker Man and Troll 2 which I still need to rent. Those two Star Trek commentaries are still my favorites. Comedy freaking gold.

Took at shot finally at Battlefield Earth, but tapped out after 30 minutes. The riffing is funny, but god that is a hard movie to sit through. I'll try and finish it up today.

I can't wait for the riff on the Departed. I loved that movie, but there was plenty of stuff in there ripe for humor.

[darkside]

I finished all of the current rifftraxs available. Battlefield Earth is not worth it. They do their best to be funny, but sitting through that garbage is not enough of a pay off. I have the same opinion of Wicker Man. The track is pretty good, but the movie is so atrocious that is just not worth it. Watching Nick Cage take a cult classic and one of Lee's best movies and piss it down his leg is a painful experience.

There are plenty of great tracks though. T3 and Aeon Flux were hilarious. Also, Lowtax hangs in there pretty well with Mike and they do a good job on Troll 2.

[darkside]

The next rifftrax could be pretty cool.
http://www.rifftrax.com/Images/Announcement/Products_Posters_Lost_PilotEp.jpg
The Lost Pilot part 1&2 is due out Friday.

[lotsofdvds]

That could be good. They must be fans.

[darkside]

Lost is out today and the next one is going to be pretty popular as well.
http://www.rifftrax.com/Images/Announcement/Products_Posters_Ep2_3682.jpg

Episode 1 was excellent. Can't wait to see what they do with Episode 2. Supposedly Kevin and Mike will appear in one of Chad Vader's shows as well.

[darkside]

Episode 2 is available and NPH will be with Mike Nelson for next Friday's release of Willy Wonka.

NPH was a huge MST fan so this is no real shocker.

http://www.rifftrax.com/Images/Announcement/Products_Posters_Wonka_5175.jpg

[Ms. M]

The Episode 2 rifftrax was very funny and on a par with the also good Episode 1. From the increasing frequency of the releases, the rifftrax concept must be doing pretty well. And it seems like they are getting more and more creative with the guests and their selections. It is like MST3K is back in a somewhat changed format.

[darkside]

The Episode 2 rifftrax was very funny and on a par with the also good Episode 1. From the increasing frequency of the releases, the rifftrax concept must be doing pretty well. And it seems like they are getting more and more creative with the guests and their selections. It is like MST3K is back in a somewhat changed format.
We will probably never know how many of these they sell, but Mike did say in an interview that Rifftrax had taken off much faster than expected. The frequency they are releasing them probably supports this. I can't imagine them churning them out at this rate if they weren't doing well.

I have no idea what their costs are to write and record one of these. I don't know for instance if they have more people involved in the writing than just the riffers or how much they pay Mike, Kevin, etc for doing the track but apparently Legend Films and Mike are having decent success with these.

I finished Episode 2 tonight and enjoyed it, but felt Chad was a bit underused. I didn't want him riffing the whole movie in that Vader voice, but I thought he could have chimed in a bit more often with asides and comments.

It is always fun to see how they handle the tracks. A film like X-men or Lord of the Rings gets almost lovingly teased, but a film like Episode 2 gets completely stomped on. The took some brutal shots at Lucas again and Hayden's embarrassing acting ability. The Jar Jar stuff was pretty priceless as well.

I'm betting Wonka gets more of the fun teasing and not so much of the outrage they show for films like Star Wars and Battlefield Earth.

[darkside]

Just ran across this preview of Chad doing Rifftrax.

"Which one of you is Joel?" :lol:


<a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2020389178">Chad Vader Does Rifftrax</a><br><embed src="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" flashvars="m=2020389178&type=video" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="430" height="346"></embed><br><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.addToProfileConfirm&videoid=2020389178&title=Chad Vader Does Rifftrax">Add to My Profile</a> | <a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.home"> More Videos</a>

[Chew]

I finished Episode 2 tonight and enjoyed it, but felt Chad was a bit underused.

I started the track with the thought he was going to be in on everything like Mike and Kevin so it didn't seem nearly as bad as I was expecting. What he did say was far from funny. This is the first "special guest" trax I've heard so I hope they don't go to overboard with them.

Having said that, I'm still looking forward to next week. I'm really glad it's the original and not the remake (unless they trash it that is. :lol: )

[lotsofdvds]

Looks like the full Film Crew MST3K reunion DVDs are going to be like MST3K v2. From MST3K.com:

One of the catchphrases on the RiffTrax message board is "This is NOT MST3K version 2.0."

However...THIS may be.

The Film Crew--Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett and Mike Nelson--will release their first in a new line of B-movie send-ups, under the Shout! Factory label, on July 10. And, unlike RiffTrax, these DVDs will even have a vaguely MST3K-like premise in place: Determined to provide a commentary track for every movie, the guys settle into the dank basement of an office building, where, each day, their boss, entertainment mogul Bob Honcho, calls them on speakerphone and tells them which bad movie they will riff. There'll be breaks in the riffing action for sketches and, best of all, no worries about whether they can eat and breathe!

As you probably know, four episodes have already been shot--Giant of Marathon (1959, starring Steve Reeves), Hollywood After Dark (1968, starring The Golden Girls' Rue McClannahan), Killers from Space (1954, starring Peter Graves) and The Wild Women of Wongo (1958)--and fans were given the chance to vote on which episode would be released first, based on votes at filmcrewonline.com.

Well the votes have been tallied and the winner is....Hollywood After Dark! (By the way, Killers from Space came in a close second, Wild Women of Wongo followed a bit further back and Giant of Marathon brought up the rear, with a little less than half the votes the winner got.)

The release date is July 10 and the price will be $19.99. The rest of the titles will follow during the rest of 2007.

[darkside]

This seems like a cool idea. I'm guessing these will end up costing around $15 at Amazon. Don't know if it will really feel like MST without the bots.

[majorjoe23]

They're like $12 on Deepdiscount.com

[darkside]

They're like $12 on Deepdiscount.com
Even better. :)

[LivingINClip]

I just want some MST3K season sets. :(

Still, these are worth checking out. Wish they'd do one using some cheap new horror film, but I understand why they don't (not enough units of the DVD sold,etc).

[darkside]

The poster is huge so I won't post it this time, but the movie for Friday is the new version of Casino Royale.

Mike and Kevin will be on this one.

[lotsofdvds]

Trailer for the new Film Crew series:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/film_crew/intro-trailer.asx

[BMan100]

Can't wait! I used to watch MST3K all the time when it was on the Sci-Fi Channel... then I bought the movie on DVD when it was on eBay... and now The Film Crew. Definitely going to start watching!

[darkside]

Next Rifftrax will be for Eragon. Kevin and Mike once again.
Haven't seen this one, but sounds like riff material.

Poster for it is here.
http://www.rifftrax.com/Images/Announcement/Products_Posters_Eragon_007.jpg

[dhmac]

Hey, on the RiffTrax for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - is that for the "Theatrical Release" or the "Extended Release"?

[darkside]

Hey, on the RiffTrax for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - is that for the "Theatrical Release" or the "Extended Release"?
Theatrical.

[dhmac]

Theatrical.
Damn! I only own the "Extended" version - I guess I'll have to rent the "Theatrical" version to listen to the RiffTrax.

[majorjoe23]

They based their riff on the DVD that has both the theatrical and extended, so the riff is split into two MP3s. My girlfriend has the theatrical Fellowship, but the one with the movie on one disc. We haven't tried watching this, since dealing with the split MP3 seems like a pain.

[Numanoid]

Trailer for the new Film Crew series:

http://www.shoutfactory.com/av/film_crew/intro-trailer.asxOh glorious day of days. :banana: I think I might cry.

[duluthdemon]

The next Riff is "Eragon." Now there should be some fine fodder for jokes.

[darkside]

They based their riff on the DVD that has both the theatrical and extended, so the riff is split into two MP3s.
Actually the riff is based on the theatrical. It is only split for length and they tell you how to cue up the second part so its very easy to do the track change.

[Ms. M]

The New York Times just put up a very nice article about Rifftrax and the MST3K legacy:http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/arts/television/06newm.html?_r=2&ref=technology&oref=slogin&oref=slogin . Among the more interesting points were Mike Nelson saying that "hundreds of thousands" of the commentaries have been bought and the fact that Nelson doesn't get any residuals from the MST3K DVDs.

[majorjoe23]

Actually the riff is based on the theatrical. It is only split for length and they tell you how to cue up the second part so its very easy to do the track change.

I know that it's based on the theatrical, but for some reason they used the DVD release that split the theatrical, when most people own the theatrical release that has the movie on one disc.

I watched this over the weekend using the one disc version. It wasn't that hard to get the second MP3 started at the right time.

[Joe Molotov]

Now even Mary Jo Pehl is getting in on the action for Glitter. :lol:

[Jay G.]

We haven't tried watching [the FOTR Rifftrack], since dealing with the split MP3 seems like a pain.
While majorjoe23 gives good advice about the 2nd track being easy to cue, for people wanting to combine the two files into one I'd recommend the freeware program mp3DirectCut (http://mpesch3.de1.cc/). It can edit, cut, split, and combine mp3s without re-compression, saving time and quality.

I use it primarily for splitting mp3s, but you can combine the mp3s by copying the 2nd file and pasting it onto the end of the 1st file. Some editing may be needed to put the start of the 2nd half in sync with the film, but in the end you'll have one continuous track for the film.

[Chew]

Now even Mary Jo Pehl is getting in on the action for Glitter. :lol:

The "mmmm-bops" had me rotfl

[Chew]

Star Trek: Generations is now available. I'd have to say it's one of my favorites.

The Koenig then Data slams :lol:

[darkside]

Have to get this today. The Star Trek tracks have been classic.

[GeorgeP]

I may finally pick up an mp3 player for the RiffTrax series alone.

And the "Film Crew" trailer...rotfl "I've never wanted to stuff dollar bills into a movie before."

Why don't Nelson and Murphy just admit that this stuff is their calling and get another series going? Seriously, nobody is EVER going to top these guys--and this is from a "Joel>Mike" fan!

[Chew]

Why don't Nelson and Murphy just admit that this stuff is their calling and get another series going? Seriously, nobody is EVER going to top these guys--and this is from a "Joel>Mike" fan!

I think the way it's going right now is to their liking: everything is on their own terms, they don't have a big TV network hanging over them, and the money they make from Rifftrax goes to them and their crew.

[darkside]

From the recent interviews given by the Film Crew guys the biggest reason may be the specter of Jim Mallon. If they start doing anything too much like MST3K they can expect Mallon to get involved. It didn't sound like Bill Corbet was that sure that the Film Crew DVDs were going to be safe.

I don't think any of the majors involved with the show want Mallon involved in their future en devours. And as posted above I think they like it kept small where they have full control and can work under a small budget.

The recent Star Trek commentary was another home run. I'm really starting to love all the current pop culture references. There was no Wii reference this time, but they did work in one to Digg.com. Great stuff.

[whotony]

whats te history with Mallon?

[darkside]

whats te history with Mallon?
From what I could tell from two recent interviews with Nelson and Corbett, Mallon is the rights holder to MST3K. He shares none of the royalties from the Rhino DVDs and it seems they could be sued if they are trying to recreate MST3K without him.

I think that is the main reason they do everything now as themselves with no puppets or skits involved.

[whotony]

hmm didint joel create the show.

did he sell or give it up?

[darkside]

hmm didint joel create the show.

did he sell or give it up?
Joel may receive royalties as the creator. That wasn't mentioned.

Here is an interview I read some of this in.

http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/2007/06/22/interview-bill-corbett

QS: Were there any worries of the specter of Jim Mallon descending on the project?

CORBETT: Well, there was more than a worry. And I can’t get into it too much, but that’s ultimately why it’s Shout Factory.

QS: So there was a concern that was dealt with.

CORBETT: There was a concern that was dealt with, as they say in the Jersey mob.

QS: There’s an on-camera host component to Film Crew…

CORBETT: Right.
I heard some of the other stuff like not getting paid royalties on one of the podcasts Mike did. As far as the Mallon thing. The Film Crew DVDs were originally pitched to Rhino. That fell through and they ended up at Shout Factory. Mallon may have been the reason for that. They are vague about it as you can see above.

[Joe Molotov]

So has there been any new news about the Film Crew DVDs? Their website doesn't appear to have been updated in a while and it still says the first DVD is coming out July 2007.

[Chew]

the first DVD is coming out July 2007.
more specifically, tomorrow (July 10th) :)

[lotsofdvds]

Hollywood After Dark is vintage MST3K goodness.

The host segments are a little awkward, but they'll get better.

I noticed at the end that it had a copyright of 2005...

[Ethan VanSciver]

Hollywood After Dark is vintage MST3K goodness.

The host segments are a little awkward, but they'll get better.

I noticed at the end that it had a copyright of 2005...

I'm having trouble getting a copy...Amazon keeps delaying shipping, which worries me.

[TomOpus]

For those going to Comic-Con, they will be there on Sat. July 28th:

5:45-7:00 Introducing The Film Crew: Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett—Three of the brilliantly insane minds behind Mystery Science Theater 3000 finally reunite to unleash their warped sense of humor on the cinema of yesteryear as The Film Crew. Join Mike, Kevin, and Bill as they preview exclusive excerpts from three upcoming Film Crew DVDs: Killers From Space, Wild Women of Wongo, and Giant Of Marathon—followed by a Q&A session! Room 6B

[Chew]

The host segments are a little awkward, but they'll get better.

I'll go a step more and say they were really bad.

[lotsofdvds]

I'll go a step more and say they were really bad.
I could have gone that way myself... but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. They'll get better.

[J.J.A. Sabadoz]

I'll go a step more and say they were really bad.

I actually liked the middle one. The first and last weren't bad, but then I never really liked the mst3k host segments, and thought some of them were just plain embarrassing. Whereas the film crew, at it's worst was just not funny.

Overall I'm very happy with the DVD, and it brings back all the things I missed in the Rifftrax (most notably the opportunity to see a bad movie that I otherwise wouldn't have).

[darkside]

Still waiting for mine to ship from DVD Planet. At least my MST3K vol 11 is on the way.

[PrometheusUFO]

This is why I rarely purchase DVDs online. I picked up one of local Best Buy's two copies on the shelf on release date. I liked it (not counting the host segments), and I'm looking forward to more. :)

[Giles]

how is Mike's commentary for 'Night of the Living Dead' - picked up a copy of it at lunch time from Best Buy

[lotsofdvds]

how is Mike's commentary for 'Night of the Living Dead' - picked up a copy of it at lunch time from Best Buy
I enjoyed it. However some people think it's disrespectful to a classic movie to even make a joke at it's expense.

The track doesn't knock the movie that much though. It knocks the concept of zombies in general and takes shots at the colorization process.

[Chew]

With the first Film Crew film now starting to fade into the background of my memory, I'm really starting to miss that near-weekly Rifftrax release.

Two weeks since the last one and another week before they even start the "20 Questions" game for people to figure out what the next one will be. :(

[darkside]

I know. I just finished Fantastic Four, Greys Anatomy and Star Trek Generations and I need my next Rifftrax fix now.

I still haven't watched Glitter because I can't get anyone to go into a video store and rent it for me. Guess I have to take the walk of shame myself and rent it.

[Chew]

I still haven't watched Glitter because I can't get anyone to go into a video store and rent it for me. Guess I have to take the walk of shame myself and rent it.

:lol: I got my copy from the library. I doubt the little old ladies there have even heard of Glitter, let alone how awful it is.

[ViewAskewbian]

I have just got into this and purchased all of them in one go. As a huge MST fan these are a treat. I think Willy Wonka is my favorite right now because of how dark it is. Hope they keep turning these out...maybe get more MST alumnus involved.

[ViewAskewbian]

Next up:

http://www.rifftrax.com/Images/Announcement/Products_Posters_300V2.jpg

[darkside]

Well that one's going to rock.

[xmiyux]

I'm already picking up the DVD next week so the rifftrax will be a must purchase for me.

[fiver]

I have just got into this and purchased all of them in one go. As a huge MST fan these are a treat. I think Willy Wonka is my favorite right now because of how dark it is. Hope they keep turning these out...maybe get more MST alumnus involved.

As a long time MSTIE (since season 3 on Comedy Central), I was overjoyed when Mike finally took the plunge into another venture. Now at least he doesn't have to worry about losing distribution rights as happens with the MST3K releases.

I'm close to catching up on watching all of the ones released so far. I think so far Wicker Man might be my favorite...it was hard to stop laughing through the whole thing. Another of my favorites is Crossroads.

I think my only real criticism of the Rifftrax series is that everyone seems to have at least one or more fart/bathroom humor joke in it and, while I'm no prude, those aren't usually that funny to me. But then I never found the 'credits' jokes that funny on MST3K either.

I do laugh at their constant Big Montana jokes though! Unfortunately, you can't get a Big Montana at Arby's anymore around here:(

However, as long as Mike and the gang keep putting these out, I'll keep buying them.

Michael

[ViewAskewbian]

As a long time MSTIE (since season 3 on Comedy Central), I was overjoyed when Mike finally took the plunge into another venture. Now at least he doesn't have to worry about losing distribution rights as happens with the MST3K releases.

I'm close to catching up on watching all of the ones released so far. I think so far Wicker Man might be my favorite...it was hard to stop laughing through the whole thing. Another of my favorites is Crossroads.

I think my only real criticism of the Rifftrax series is that everyone seems to have at least one or more fart/bathroom humor joke in it and, while I'm no prude, those aren't usually that funny to me. But then I never found the 'credits' jokes that funny on MST3K either.

I do laugh at their constant Big Montana jokes though! Unfortunately, you can't get a Big Montana at Arby's anymore around here:(

However, as long as Mike and the gang keep putting these out, I'll keep buying them.

Michael

I watched Crossroads last night for the first time. Indeed, VERY funny stuff. I too am not a fan of the fart humor. A lot of this comes from Kevin who, if you notice, did similar jokes a lot as Servo. However, there is much more gold here then copper. 300 should be excellent!

[Chew]

Both the Riff and the movie are released on the same day, isn't that a first?

[ViewAskewbian]

Both the Riff and the movie are released on the same day, isn't that a first?

Indeed it is.

[darkside]

One of the recent Rifftraxs (I think Star Trek) was way overboard with Murphy fart jokes, but with all the riffs it works out overall.

BTW, finally go Hollywood After Dark and it was pretty nice. I loved the darker humor. Still PG-13, but with much more of an edge given the subject matter of the movie.

I've already sewed my Film Crew patch on my laptop backpack so I can be an even bigger nerd at work today.

[lotsofdvds]

I've already sewed my Film Crew patch on my laptop backpack so I can be an even bigger nerd at work today.
:clap:

[Numanoid]

I just sent these guys a $20 donation via the link on their website, 'cause I love them and their work so much. Keep 'em coming, boys. :up:

[majorjoe23]

Man, I was wondering when we would see Bill Corbet on one of these again.

[Icon769]

How big are the MP3 files? I'm assuming they are.

[LeeVing]

How big are the MP3 files? I'm assuming they are.


they are zipped....so anywhere from 19.7MB ( cocktail) to 68 (Reign of Fire).
---Nestor was a small one too....8mb

most are in the 30MB range.

[DJLinus]

Anyone get the 300 riff? I'm thinking about getting it this weekend.

Also see that The Bourne Identity is coming up. Sweet!

[LeeVing]

300 was a good one. While I did like the movie, it was still very riffable. They did a good job with it.

looking forward to Bourne, too.

[lotsofdvds]

The Film Crew's KILLERS FROM SPACE comes out today! Yay!

[darkside]

300 was a good one. While I did like the movie, it was still very riffable. They did a good job with it.

looking forward to Bourne, too.
Listened to it yesterday and it was pretty good. Not as riffable as Eragon or a Star Trek film, but they did a nice job. The fart jokes are starting to get out of hand though.

Hope my new Film Crew DVD shows up today. It shipped on Friday.

[lotsofdvds]

Okay what the hell... not one major retailer in the state seems to have copies of Killers From Space in stock. Is this thing online only or something?

[Ethan VanSciver]

Okay what the hell... not one major retailer in the state seems to have copies of Killers From Space in stock. Is this thing online only or something?

Have you checked BORDERS?

[Dane Marvin]

^ This is the one place I would bother looking for it at a B&M (maybe Barnes & Noble). Have you seen Film Crew releases at Borders before, Ethan? If I ever bought there, I would use a 30% off coupon though because you can get these for $11-12 online shipped... or pay basically $20 at Borders + tax and gas. Not very economical.

[darkside]

Quick comments on Killers From Space. I didn't find it as funny as the first Film Crew DVD. Maybe it was a combination of the movie which was beyond terrible, the print that looked like it was pulled out of a dumpster and the quality of the riffs. Maybe it was just me.
Not to say there was no good riffing, because they pulled off a Brazil reference and a pretty sly cunningulus riff along with their usual staple of proclaiming the title of the film in a booming voice when thirty minutes in you realize they have no intention of living up to the title. The aliens, when they do appear, need no riffing to induce laughter. I also thought the little host segments were better including a pretty good one at the end and the bonus feature was a cute idea.

Overall an enjoyable experience I just didn't find myself laughing as much as last time. There was also no nifty patch in this DVD. I thought I would end up with a whole collection of them.

Oh well, can't wait for the next one and I will be sad when the run of four is done. I really don't see this series extended when retail stores don't carry the current DVDs.

[Icon769]

Are only four planned?

[Dane Marvin]

^ In the initial run. I personally think they will continue them. Just a hunch. They may be selling pretty well online apparently as evidenced by all the e-tailers running out of stock of the first one for a while.

[lotsofdvds]

Have you checked BORDERS?
Checked last night. "On Order".

[dhmac]

BTW, for anyone with NetFlix.com (http://www.netflix.com/WatchNowMovie?movieid=70068639), The Film Crew's version of Hollywood After Dark is available for online viewing in the "Watch Now"/"Watch Instantly" feature of the website.

(Hopefully, the rest of The Film Crew releases will make it there too as well!)

[MikeDeN2K]

It's strange, I thought I'd be having trouble finding this too, but it looks like my Best Buy got 4+ copies of Hollywood After Dark on release day, and same goes for Killers of Space, I picked it up yesterday. So I'm assuming that not all Best Buy locations are so lucky? Is it some sort of regional thing? Becuase my local Best Buy is pretty small, and is a suburban location [Springfield, PA], rather than one in a metropolitan area.

[darkside]

Just a heads up that Bourne Identity is available and included Mike, Kevin and Bill and Independence Day is coming soon with all three of them again. Guess they did a few while they had Bill available.
They have some great photoshops of Mike on the Rifftrax site. I love the donation one.
http://www.rifftrax.com/images/donate-Mike.jpg

[majorjoe23]

Independence Day should be great. I hope they do Transformers when it hits DVD.

[ViewAskewbian]

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2752/id4poster4forumvx8.jpg
This one should be great! The film is ripe for these guys.

[Snowmaker]

So, to anyone who had heard a lot of these already, what are the funniest ones so far?

I've only heard the ones for Fifth Element and Road House so far, and neither one even came close to an MST3K episode.

We need one to go with the new Flash Gordon DVD!

[lotsofdvds]

Road House and Star Trek V are my favorites thus far.

[darkside]

All of the Star Trek ones are very strong. They also do a very nice job of beating up the two Star Wars prequels. I don't think these will ever be up to the level of MST3K, but many of them are close. There is a difference though when you only have one or two people writing a Rifftrax compared to the larger group of writers they had on MST.

[izatright]

So, to anyone who had heard a lot of these already, what are the funniest ones so far?

I've only heard the ones for Fifth Element and Road House so far, and neither one even came close to an MST3K episode.I'd put my money on the Matrix and 300 as being as good as the best of the MST3K episodes. Battlefield Earth and Point Break were pretty good too. Keep your eyes out for the ones with the full assembly of Nelson, Murphy and Corbett. The synergy between these guys is as amazing now as it was then.

Not bad at alls: LOTR, Star Wars ep 1, Daredevil and Reign of Fire. Actually Daredevil is probably the best of these four here.

Horrible, or only worth one listen: So far the worst one I've seen is Crossroads. How can a movie that bad not be riffable?!? The Grudge wasn't so hot either. And viewing the free sample of Willy Wonka, I can predict anything said by Neil Patrick Harris will be poorly delivered and unfunny.

[xmiyux]

And viewing the free sample of Willy Wonka, I can predict anything said by Neil Patrick Harris will be poorly delivered and unfunny.

Hrm, that surprises me and is kind of disappointing. I was hoping to snag that one soon because Neil Patrick Harris is absolutely hilarious in How I Met Your Mother.

[ViewAskewbian]

Actually, Willy Wonka is my favorite of the bunch so far and I've heard most of them. It is very dark riffing, like the MST shorts, and Doogie is actually very funny. Some of the riffs on the kids are gold. I am a big fan of the darker riffing they did with the shorts and they really pulled it out for Wonka. I had to pause it a few times to go back. I say Wonka is very much worth the download.

[darkside]

Wonka is really good and Mike wrote the dialog with Harris in mind. Harris delivers the riffs pretty well. Road House and Fantastic Four are both excellent and really Road House is probably the best place to start. Mike Nelson has an obsession with that film and it comes out in a very strong track.

[ViewAskewbian]

If you watch the Trax in order there are references to some of the other films they have done and Roadhouse comes up a lot..especially in Point Break (another funny track) and The Matrix. The one in Cocktail, though, floored me.

[Snowmaker]

Watched The Matrix today with the Rifftrax. That was pretty good. Much better when he has another MST3K voice with him.

I also watched Barbarella this evening. Now that is a movie that needs a Rifftrax done!

[izatright]

Actually, Willy Wonka is my favorite of the bunch so far and I've heard most of them. It is very dark riffing, like the MST shorts, and Doogie is actually very funny. Some of the riffs on the kids are gold. I am a big fan of the darker riffing they did with the shorts and they really pulled it out for Wonka. I had to pause it a few times to go back. I say Wonka is very much worth the download.The example (availble for preview) they used was horrible. Doogie's timing was terrible! That being said, I love this movie and I love Mike, so I guess I'll give it a shot.

[Chew]

The Wonka trax is actually pretty good, but I love the movie so I think I was paying more attention to that than the commentary.

Bourne Identity was great, I'm really looking forward to ID4.

IMO, the Film Crew commentaries aren't even close to the funny the Rifftrax ones bring. And there was little improvement in the host segments the second time around.

I think the extreme face close-ups would've been pretty hysterical if they were the 'bots instead of Kevin/Bill.

[darkside]

The Wonka trax is actually pretty good, but I love the movie so I think I was paying more attention to that than the commentary.

Bourne Identity was great, I'm really looking forward to ID4.

IMO, the Film Crew commentaries aren't even close to the funny the Rifftrax ones bring. And there was little improvement in the host segments the second time around.

I think the extreme face close-ups would've been pretty hysterical if they were the 'bots instead of Kevin/Bill.
I'm probably grabbing Bourne Identity on HD DVD because I like the movie, but mainly so I can enjoy the rifftrax. The first time I watched 300 at home it was with the Rifftrax.

I don't know on Film Crew. I thought that first DVD was really good. The second one just wasn't that funny though. As far as the host segments I got a kick out of the end with the extreme closeup stuff.

All that said I think the Rifftraxs are the better product since they can riff anything they want. ID4 should be a classic.

[Chew]

I don't tend to get tired of repeated jokes within these Rifftrax, but the constant voice imitations in ID4 did get pretty tiring after about the millionth time. :(

[ViewAskewbian]

Next up is the first 2 episodes of Heros.