MST3K Commentary Lives — RiffTrax Slams Current Movies
Mystery Science Theater 3000 branded bad B-movies with running commentary far more entertaining than the films themselves. Now, with Mike Nelson’s RiffTrax, snappy satires are no longer just for the Plan 9 From Outer Space movies of the world.
After creating the MST3K-esque The Film Crew with two other team members — Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy — Nelson’s RiffTrax takes their cinematic slagging one step further. RiffTrax riffs on films you’ve probably seen in theaters like The Matrix, Terminator 3, and Casino Royale. Here’s how it works:
For $2.99 you can download the audio commentary for a movie on the RiffTrax list. Then, pop in the movie’s DVD, start the audio file at the right time and you’ve got a splintering spoof. Reminds me of that whole Wizard of Oz / Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” synch-up…
Some of the movies on RiffTrax are just ripe for skewering. The Phantom Menace. Point Break. Glitter. Nelson even works in TV shows like Heroes and Grey’s Anatomy. But he also has a few legitimately great movies like the original Halloween and The Bourne Identity, but as you can imagine, the list is more “ugh” than “Oscar”.
If you haven’t checked in with the MST3K guys in a while, they haven’t lost their silly edge. Here’s some intro copy for their RiffTrax version of 300:
A small band of brave men struggle against enormous odds, battling a superior force, and though ultimately they are defeated their sacrifice becomes a source of inspiration and hope that rings out like a clarion call through the pages of history. But enough about the Mighty Ducks… Starring Gerard Butler as a shrieking inarticulate Scotsman (so in other words “a Scotsman”), 300 delivers on its promise to be the bloodiest movie since Carrie 2: Carrie vs. Saw.”
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Yeah, I was surprised that they did this. I can’t believe that it would be so popular that they could make a living off of it. I mean, MST3K was a hit for a while, but it didn’t last that long … would there reallly be enough interest in this that it could be sustained in this format?
t’s a good way to get around the whole licensing fee problem, though.
- Ray -
Hey. I didn’t even think of the licensing issue, that’s a great point. No need to spend money on getting the rights to the movie if you’re not “including” it with the commentary.
I don’t know much about the MST3K fan base. I know my brother and his buddies were into it enough to write a spec script just for fun.
I would guess the guys all share some profits when there are some, but don’t really get paid up front all too often. Just a guess.
Talk to you again.
-Norm
Ok I can’t possibly see how this is going to take off. I think there are enough other trappings out there that rifftrax will just be too time consuming a venture - and there’s also a price which is another deterrent when so much is offered for free. But maybe they are REALLY good? They would need to pile on the laughs for this to be worthwhile. That said I don’t blame them for trying, who wouldn’t want to quit their job and heckle movies from 9 - 5 instead?
- und3rdog -
RiffTrax has already been around for about a year, and they do have more of a built-in audience than you and I would if we gave it a try.
If you want to see if their stuff is good enough, their homepage has sample commentary from Star Trek V.
-Norm S.
Fair enough. I am up for the challenge.