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Post by hopesfall on Sept 20, 2007 0:17:02 GMT -5
I've only seen a few Rifftrax so far, and for some reason I could never really get into them. I could never quite put my finger on it, but now I think I know why; WAY too many current pop culture references. I'm not familiar, nor do I want to be familiar with many of the current celebrities and other things that seem to make up a good percentage of their riffing fodder. Also, their delivery (especially Mike's) just sounds way too scripted. I know that it is, but when watching the riffing in MST3K, it came so natural it didn't even seem like it was. Even the laughs sound scripted.
Honestly, I'm hoping for more Film Crew releases... those feel a lot more like MST3K to me, which is a good thing.
Anyway, I have to go pet the dead camel.
EDIT: Also, while watching 300 right now... I remembered they have an awful lot of long, drug out riffs that go no where. All the while missing opportunities for shorter, funnier riffs...
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Post by gammer on Sept 20, 2007 10:58:33 GMT -5
I can honestly say that I agree with you. There are lots of pop culture riffs that I don't get. But there are several that I do get. But, it was the same with allot of MST3K. There were many pop culture riffs that were before my time; I didn't get them I still continued to watch MST3K regardless.
IMHO, I think Mike, Kevin and Bill need to go back and re-watch MST season 10. To me that was the best riffing out of any MST season or RiffTrax release. I'm currently watching season 10 right now, for the first time, and its the hardest I've laughed at any riffing ever.
Allot of the times when I watch a RiffTrax, if feels like they are in a 'meh' groove and its hard for them to get out. They do have some moments that are funny and they do have some releases that are top notch.
Don't get me wrong, I still like RiffTrax and I am entertained for the most part. And on average, I feel like I am getting my money's worth.
One thing I'm surprised that you didn't point out, was the riffing over top of movie lines. This seems to be a common complaint I have seen as of late. And certainly something that you didn't see in MST3K.
I know Rifftrax is not MST3K. But its hard not to compare when RiffTrax is advertising that it comes from the same people who brought you MST3K.
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Post by callipygias on Sept 20, 2007 13:21:55 GMT -5
One thing I'm surprised that you didn't point out, was the riffing over top of movie lines. This seems to be a common complaint I have seen as of late. And certainly something that you didn't see in MST3K. Those might be some of the long, drawn out riffs hopesfall mentioned. It's my only real complaint about Rifftrax. I never thought I'd actually want to hear a movie over Mike & the guys, but when the movie and the riffers are talking at the same time for a relatively long stretch, it's VERY frustrating, and, like hopesfall also mentioned, it just sounds too scripted. But personally, I don't mind the current pop culture refs. After all, look at how current the movies are that they're riffing. It's something else that really separates Rifftrax from MST, which I'm starting to think of as a good thing. It's a totally different feel with the same great premise and the same extraordinarily funny people behind it, which means if I over-do it with MST, I can spend a month or two with Rifftrax before I go back. I say stick with Rifftrax long enough to where it becomes Rifftrax in your mind instead of MST or an MST look-a-like. There are some unbelievably hilarious moments!
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Post by CBG on Sept 20, 2007 15:51:00 GMT -5
I could never quite put my finger on it, but now I think I know why; WAY too many current pop culture references. I'm not familiar, nor do I want to be familiar with many of the current celebrities and other things that seem to make up a good percentage of their riffing fodder. Also, their delivery (especially Mike's) just sounds way too scripted. I know that it is, but when watching the riffing in MST3K, it came so natural it didn't even seem like it was. Even the laughs sound scripted. Amen, brother, amen.
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Post by mightyjack on Sept 21, 2007 18:41:32 GMT -5
For me that's a big no.
Of course we all react differently to humor. Even when it's wrapped around the love of one show, we wont find the same things funny.
One example here is Gammers reaction to season 10. For me I found the humor had begun to get a little pedestrian. The poop and fart and especially, wiener jokes had become more prevalent. It's why I don't laugh at season 10 as much, and I find this has continued on into Rifftrax.
What has saved Trax for me humor wise, IS all those pop culture references. It's probably why I love the Joel era so much, heck it also is a huge factor on why I like a show like "30 Rock"
I like that style. I just watched the first half of Heroes an died laughing at all the references. Calvert Deforest? My lord I howled!
As for getting annoyed at them talking over the lines on screen. That's a by product of riffing on good movies. Example: I found myself getting distracted during Heroes and started paying too much attention to the show instead of Mike. That didn't happen with a Manos or Starfighters. Hell I could care less about the plot and dialog on those MSTed movies.
And I've been less than impressed with the Filmcrew releases, sadly. I much, much prefer the Rifftrax work.
But hey, that's par for the course here on this board. We all have our own sense of humor. And that's cool.
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Post by BathTub on Sept 21, 2007 18:50:56 GMT -5
Hah! I don't even live in the US, you can probably imagine that plenty of references fly over my head. I still find it funny though.
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Post by mightyjack on Sept 21, 2007 19:18:57 GMT -5
Hah! I don't even live in the US, you can probably imagine that plenty of references fly over my head. I still find it funny though. He, He. I had the same reaction with SCTV. Some of the regional Canadian humor went right over my head. It was nice when the DVDs with commentaries came out, I finally got some of that stuff. Still loved the show despite those blind spots.
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Post by Hugh Beaumont on Sept 21, 2007 23:37:14 GMT -5
I agree. They try way too hard to be current and topical. I miss the randomness and the obscurity. I can find pop culture references in any number of places. That's not what I enjoy about Mike and the gang's work.
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Post by FredC on Sept 21, 2007 23:40:08 GMT -5
For whatever reason, I agree with you.
When I watch MST3K's (and again, this is comparing Rifftrax and MST3K, but who cares?!) I don't really care that they're referencing stuff I don't know. It feels right, somehow, like they're preaching it to an audience that somewhere is going "MY GOD! I cannot believe they referenced that!" and I know there have a been a few instances like that for me (Crow's riff from an episode I can't remember: Is my aunt Minnie in here?) but when Rifftrax references things, it feels labored and forced. Kind of like your mother trying to talk street lingo but more bearable.
This all probably has a lot to do with me not watching MST3K when it was on the air and watching only older ones... who knows? Maybe if I went back to Rifftrax 9 or 12 years later, I'll find their references perefectly okay. But for whatever reason, some of them (mostly just celebrity/policital/internet in-jokes) feel very forced.
Not that I don't love Rifftrax and won't continue to support them. This is just one nerds opinion.
Also, apologies for the most likely crappy writing. It's late and I'm tired.
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Post by mrtorso on Sept 22, 2007 2:13:26 GMT -5
The one thing that MST3K could do that RiffTrax can't is edit the film. On MST3K if nothing happens in the movie they could snip, snip, snip. With RiffTrax we are stuck watching no matter what and Mike & Co. have to fill the space. Those are the parts that get to me. Long bits or speeches that ultimately go nowhere.
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Post by MSTJedi on Sept 27, 2007 21:44:32 GMT -5
The one thing that MST3K could do that RiffTrax can't is edit the film. On MST3K if nothing happens in the movie they could snip, snip, snip. With RiffTrax we are stuck watching no matter what and Mike & Co. have to fill the space. Those are the parts that get to me. Long bits or speeches that ultimately go nowhere. Yeah, I've noticed that I have a problem watching some Rifftrax commentaries is because the movie is so horrible. If it's not something that I wouldn't normally watch, I often have a hard time making it through, whereas with MST3K, they could cut scenes out and give us breaks with the host segments. I mean, can you imagine watching Manos all the way through?
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Post by Skyroniter on Sept 28, 2007 7:03:10 GMT -5
I disagree with the snipping thing. Part of my enjoyment comes from surviving films that I wouldn't watch otherwise. Glitter, Crossroads, Star Wars whatever... If I'm going to live through them, I want to live through the whole damn thing. Maybe I'm a masochist?
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Post by Jackie Frost on Sept 29, 2007 7:35:17 GMT -5
I have fallen off the Rifftrax wagon too. And it isn't so much pop-culture as it is all of the recent televison shows they have been doing. With a 3 year old kid, I really don't have the ...stamina I guess, to get into televison serials anymore. It's not that I don't like LOST and HEROS and the rest ...I just don't have the time to devote for every single episode that comes out weekly. So I become 'lost' with Riff-trax if you can forgive the nails-on-the-board-irritating pun. Alot of Riff-trax recent movie choices aren't bad enough to be hollering funny. So that has been working on me too. But their next choice is supposed to be 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'. Right? I would have preferred 'Temple of Doom' or the other one better. They are far more goofier. Still the movie features a young Harrison Ford in tight pants ...we'll see.
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Post by BathTub on Sept 29, 2007 8:56:14 GMT -5
Heroes is about 90 minutes long, doesn't require any extra time than a film.
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Post by Katie on Sept 30, 2007 13:56:48 GMT -5
i love the pop culture references, i think with the modern mainstream material they are riffing on, they need modern, mainstream references. it fits better.
the thing is, irfftrax is NOT mst3k
mst was about being obscure, rifftrax isnt totally about that, its just about making fun of the movies, however they want. i think it works, and rifftrax are hilarious to me. its still witty and funny, so i have no complaints.
for example, daredeil they made a lot of references to ben and jennifer having a kid, but how could they not? current pop culture is pretty much impossible to leave out of rifftrax.
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