RiffTrax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedian Michael J. Nelson heckling (or riffing) films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The RiffTrax are sold online where users can purchase and download the commentaries. The site was launched by Nelson and Legend Films in 2006 and is based in San Diego.
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[edit] History
The movies chosen to riff in Mystery Science Theater 3000 were predominantly low-budget B-movies because the show itself was low-budget and producers could only afford films with expired copyright or had otherwise cheap licenses.[1] The idea of RiffTrax came about after Mystery Science Theater 3000 was cancelled when Nelson researched and consulted a lawyer about the possibility of directly releasing DVDs of films with the commentaries included, but realized that he would be "sued out of existence".[2] The best-sounding method of distributing the commentaries would be to sell them independently of the films to avoid having to obtain the rights to distribute the movies themselves.[3] There would be no legal or monetary restrictions to prevent Nelson from producing them,[4] though viewers would have to provide the movies themselves.
[edit] Use
RiffTrax commentaries must be synchronized at the start of the movie using a cue.[5] To reassure consumers that the MP3 file is synchronized with the film, a fictional character named DisembAudio occasionally speaks a line in exact synchronization with the movie.[6][7] DisembAudio has also occasionally been known to join in on the riffing. "RiffTrax Presents" commentaries feature a female synchronization voice, Debbie.[8] Though RiffTrax are suggested to be played on an MP3 player or with computer software, they are sold as unrestricted MP3s, allowing users to choose the viewing method that suits them the best. A Rifftrax Player is also offered as a free download.[9]
The movies chosen for RiffTrax are based on two criteria: whether the movie lends itself towards a funny riffing, and whether the film is widely available on DVD.[5][7] These criteria have resulted in a wide variety of genre and era of movies chosen to be riffed. The first audio commentary made available through the web site in July 2006 was for the 1989 film Road House, long cited by Nelson as the cheesiest movie ever made.[10]
[edit] RiffTrax Player
The RiffTrax Player is a program which automatically synchronizes the commentary playback to the DVD playback. The RiffTrax Player makes use of a hybrid file (.riff) containing the MP3 of the original commentary as well as synchronization information. The crew at RiffTrax has said that future commentaries will be released in both MP3 and RIFF formats, and older commentaries will also see RIFF-format releases in the future. As of this writing, the RiffTrax Player is currently in open beta and only supports NTSC DVDs.
[edit] RiffTrax On Demand
RiffTrax On Demand features DivX video files of films with RiffTrax commentaries embedded. The service offers permanent files available for purchase or temporary files available for rental at a lower price.[11] A majority of the files available through RiffTrax On Demand are sourced from Legend Films DVD releases. Recently, RiffTrax On Demand has begun releasing short, public domain, educational films, similar to the ones that MST3K would sometimes mock before a full-length movie began.[12]
[edit] Guest riffers
Nelson has been accompanied by former Mystery Science Theater 3000 co-stars Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett, Mary Jo Pehl, and Bridget Nelson, in addition to Internet personalities Richard Kyanka (of Something Awful fame) and Chad Vader, as well as actors Neil Patrick Harris and Fred Willard, and satirist "Weird Al" Yankovic. Nelson has said that he would like to bring in other guests as well.[13] Though Nelson first released RiffTrax primarily as solo efforts, there are now more tracks available with guest riffers than by Nelson alone.
[edit] Featured catalog
[edit] RiffTrax
The following is a list of films for which Nelson has provided commentary, in order of the release date of the RiffTrax.
[edit] RiffTrax Presents
| Movie | Riffer(s) | Rifftrax Released | Original Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Enough and Time[14] | Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett | May 8, 2008 | |
| Dark Water[14] | Matthew J. Elliott | May 8, 2008 | 2005 |
| Saw[14] | Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett | May 13, 2008 | 2004 |
| House of Wax[14] | Matthew J. Elliott | May 28, 2008 | 2005 |
| To Serve All My Days[14] | Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett | May 28, 2008 | |
| X-Files: Fight the Future | Mary Jo Pehl and Bill Corbett | June 3, 2008 | 1998 |
| Alien[14] | Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett | [[]], [[]] |
[edit] RiffTrax On Demand
- The Three Stooges In Color (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Three Stooges: Greatest Routines (with Kevin Murphy)
- Swing Parade
- Reefer Madness
- The Little Shop of Horrors
- Night of the Living Dead
- Carnival of Souls
- House on Haunted Hill
- Plan 9 from Outer Space
- Missile to the Moon (with Fred Willard)
- A Visit to Santa (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Plan 9 from Outer Space (Three Riffer Edition) (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Act Your Age (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Lunchroom Manners (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- The Terrible Truth (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Why Doesn't Cathy Eat Breakfast?/Petaluna Chicken (a short double-presentation [with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett])
- Coffee House Rendezvous (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Safety - Harm Hides at Home (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- Are You Popular? (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- If Mirrors Could Speak (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
- One Got Fat - Bicycle Safety (with Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett)
[edit] Live shows
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
As part of SF Sketchfest in San Francisco, California, Nelson, Murphy and Corbett have appeared several times performing live riffs alongside a screening of a film. As of 2008, they have appeared three times, having riffed Daredevil and Over the Top in 2007 and the classic Plan 9 from Outer Space in 2008, the last being shown in the historic Castro Theater.
[edit] References
- ^ Penny, Damian (2006-08-10). Review: Rifftrax. Blogcritics Magazine.
- ^ Interview: Michael J. Nelson. TeeVee (2006-10-16).
- ^ Jurgensen, John. "Everyone's a critic: DVD commentaries by fans", Wall Street Journal, 2006-11-18, p. P2. ISSN 0099-9660.
- ^ Kaiser, Andy. "Please talk during the movie", The Grand Rapids Press, 2006-08-07, p. D3.
- ^ a b RiffTrax FAQ. RiffTrax.
- ^ Mystery Science Theater, round two. The Commonwealth Times (2007-02-08).
- ^ a b Mike Nelson Interview. Buzzgrinder (2006-10-14).
- ^ Murphy, Kevin; Corbett, Bill. (May 13, 2008). RiffTrax Presents: Saw'. RiffTrax. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ RiffTrax Player. RiffTrax. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
- ^ 'Road House' -- it's the cheesiest, book says. CNN.com (2000-08-16).
- ^ OnDemand FAQ. RiffTrax. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ On Demand Catalogue. RiffTrax. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Salas, Randy. "Cheeky remarks now on RiffTrax", Deseret News, 2006-08-11, p. W06. ISSN 0745-4724.
- ^ a b c d e f RiffTrax Presents. RiffTrax. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.
[edit] External links
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