MST3K's Mike Nelson selling DVD Commentaries

DonnachaOne · 07-20-06, 10:26 AM

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

On July 20, Legend Films will announce a new web site called Mike Nelson’s RiffTrax . 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 · 07-20-06, 10:32 AM

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

Mikey · 07-20-06, 10:34 AM

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 · 07-20-06, 11:01 AM

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 · 07-20-06, 11:04 AM

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 · 07-20-06, 11:28 AM

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 · 07-20-06, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Looks like they include some things to try and help you stay synced up with the movie.

jdslater1 · 07-20-06, 12:11 PM

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 · 07-20-06, 12:26 PM

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 · 07-20-06, 01:14 PM

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 · 07-20-06, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 07-20-06, 02:36 PM

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 · 07-20-06, 03:30 PM

For $2, that sounds like a good idea.

darkside · 07-20-06, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 07-21-06, 08:04 AM

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

lotsofdvds · 07-21-06, 09:35 AM

This news kicks all kinds of ass!

whotony · 07-21-06, 10:39 AM

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

DonnachaOne · 07-21-06, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lastdaysofrain

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 · 07-21-06, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whotony

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 · 07-22-06, 09:46 AM

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 · 07-23-06, 08:34 PM

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 · 07-24-06, 01:25 AM

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

M Polo · 07-24-06, 02:59 PM

That is probably true, hehehe....

legend42 · 07-24-06, 04:53 PM

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 · 07-24-06, 09:07 PM

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.

07-20-06, 10:26 AM	#1
DonnachaOne DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: A place where they know how to pronounce "Donnacha" correctly Posts: 9,473	MST3K's Mike Nelson selling DVD Commentaries Some of you should enjoy this. This is from Satellite News (www.mst3k.com): On July 20, Legend Films will announce a new web site called Mike Nelson’s RiffTrax . 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/

07-20-06, 11:01 AM	#4
darkside DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: San Antonio Posts: 19,801	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. __________________ DVDAF/DVD Profiler/Games Wii Code: 6061 0636 6661 8088 PSN & XBL: aagstn

07-20-06, 11:04 AM	#5
DonnachaOne DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: A place where they know how to pronounce "Donnacha" correctly Posts: 9,473	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. Last edited by DonnachaOne; 07-20-06 at 11:07 AM.

07-20-06, 12:11 PM	#8
jdslater1 DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: london Posts: 1,316	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. __________________ "Sit down, dim the lights. Or turn them off if you don't have a dimmer!"

07-20-06, 01:14 PM	#10
Numanoid DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Down in 'The Park' Posts: 26,186	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'm not a Scientologist. I'm not even a fan of stupidity when it isn't evil." - Emo Philips

07-20-06, 10:32 AM	#2
Giles DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Washington DC Posts: 28,661	oh what a great idea... crap, now I have to buy a MP3 player...

07-20-06, 10:34 AM	#3
Mikey Senior Member Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 703	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.

07-20-06, 11:28 AM	#6
Jray Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 558	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.

07-20-06, 12:26 PM	#9
Giles DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Washington DC Posts: 28,661	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.

07-20-06, 02:36 PM	#12
Vryce Video Game Talk Reviewer Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Michigan Posts: 11,628	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. __________________ My Video Games \| My Video Game Wishlist XBox GamerTag - Canis Firebrand - add me if you like. My 360's Blog My Wii Code: 0288 0678 9931 3944 \| PS3 ID: CanisFirebrand 8-Bit Brigade \| VGT Review Page \| Twitter \| Zune Social My Countdown Counting down to: Tomorrow I survived another day.

07-20-06, 03:30 PM	#13
Joe Molotov DVD Talk Hall of Fame Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Oklahoma, USA. Blu-Ray Total: 390 Posts: 8,491	For $2, that sounds like a good idea. __________________ Winner of the DVDTalk 2010 College Basketball Bracket Pool

07-21-06, 08:04 AM	#15
Lastdaysofrain DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Boston Posts: 1,372	I wish Joe Bob Briggs would do something like this, I've listened to all his DVD commentary tracks into the ground. __________________ "If you're down to an echo they just might remember your name" - Scott Walker

07-21-06, 09:35 AM	#16
lotsofdvds Suspended Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 4,790	This news kicks all kinds of ass!

07-22-06, 09:46 AM	#20
darkside DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: San Antonio Posts: 19,801	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. __________________ DVDAF/DVD Profiler/Games Wii Code: 6061 0636 6661 8088 PSN & XBL: aagstn

07-23-06, 08:34 PM	#21
M Polo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 582	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.... __________________ XBL Gamertag = MAD Polo 8bitbrigade - A Community for Adult Gamers

07-24-06, 01:25 AM	#22
ResIpsa Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: S.F. Bay Area Posts: 805	I would think explaining to her just why you are watching Roadhouse might be the tougher sell

07-24-06, 02:59 PM	#23
M Polo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 582	That is probably true, hehehe.... __________________ XBL Gamertag = MAD Polo 8bitbrigade - A Community for Adult Gamers

07-24-06, 04:53 PM	#24
legend42 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 435	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. Last edited by legend42; 07-24-06 at 05:08 PM.

07-24-06, 09:07 PM	#25
darkside DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: San Antonio Posts: 19,801	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. __________________ DVDAF/DVD Profiler/Games Wii Code: 6061 0636 6661 8088 PSN & XBL: aagstn