IRiffs Takes MST3k Open Source

An anonymous reader writes "Michael J. Nelson started up Rifftrax as a 2nd act to his stint as host of Mystery Science Theater 3000, and now they're making their website open to anyone and everyone who thinks they're funny with iRiffs — allowing people to upload their own comedy commentary tracks and charge whatever they want. They've already got a few would-be groups online, including one who takes the open source a step further — soliciting jokes from listeners and combining submissions into a final product."

Open Source?

So how exactly is this "open source"?

Re:Open Source?

So how exactly is this "open source"?

Because it uses a closed source program to play the proprietary .riff files along with the patent-encumbered MPEG2 files on the copyrighted DVD. Duh!

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Because it uses a closed source program to play the proprietary .riff files along with the patent-encumbered MPEG2 files on the copyrighted DVD. Duh!

While you're right, you can get the audio available in a "freer" (still patented) mp3 format.

The only thing the .riff files and player have over the mp3 is the synchronization information built-in. I.e., you open the .tiff file in the player, stick in the DVD, and it automagically syncs the audio and video. Prior to this, you had to start your MP3 player, mute

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Neat. So do they have Dark Side of the Moon synced to The Wizard of Oz? That's always a pain to get synced right, especially when you're stoned.

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Would you prefer Open Mike?

Deep Hurting...

There might be one or two shining gems, but I really feel that this is going to end in pain.. DEEEEP HURTING...

MST3K will not be appreciated by future geeks

I was born in '77 and started watching the show in the early 90's. While I got a lot of the jokes, some of them were simply before my time. When I got a hold of the MST3K episode guides where every reference was explained, I was amazed at how much slipped by me. Most of my friends enjoyed the show but I had one who was intelligent but just didn't "get" it, mainly because he had no familiarity with the pop ephemera being referenced. Some of the jokes will remain timeless: "I got a man who knows all the angles -- yeah, the name's Euclid." Other jokes will become incomprehensible: "What, a V-2 rocket? He could have had a V-8!"

It's sort of the same problem with watching certain anime with a lot of in-jokes, Excel Saga for example. So many of the jokes rely on having a familiarity with animes that came before or silly puns that only work in Japanese, easily half the humor is lost in translation. Even when the subbers explain the jokes, jokes just aren't as funny when they're explained.

But this new riffing stuff is good. By open-sourcing it, we should get even better yucks.

Gamera is really neat! Gamera is turtle meat! We love Gamera!

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I see your point and I agree with most of it, but...

It's sort of the same problem with watching certain anime with a lot of in-jokes, Excel Saga for example. So many of the jokes rely on having a familiarity with animes that came before or silly puns that only work in Japanese, easily half the humor is lost in translation. Even when the subbers explain the jokes, jokes just aren't as funny when they're explained.

I don't think you can apply not getting a joke with translating jokes. I think it's only partially right, there are some jokes based on cultural norms or pop culture that don't make sense unless you're part of that culture. But when you start translating jokes, you start to realize how many jokes we have that are based on word games, like puns for instance. A turn of a phrase is pretty much impossible to translate. If you don't understand the language, yo

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The truly great moments are when they rip on one movie using a joke referring to another, completely unrelated horrible movie. When Hercules jumps over a railing in Hercules vs the Moon Men and Servo yells "Gymkata!" that's just sheer brilliance.

But unless you've been subjected to the horror that is Gymkata (which MST3K oddly enough never covered) you'll never get that joke. I know I didn't get it the first time. After seeing Gymkata myself, it's just that much funnier.

Gymkata!

PAL versions available?

This is something I couldn't find in the FAQ on the site - but anyway, PAL versions of DVDs are usually 4% faster (25 fps as opposed to 24 fps achieved via 3:2 pulldown) than NTSC versions. Thus, the sound pitch is (not noticeably) higher (although some releases are pitch-corrected). Anyway, if there is no separate version for PAL, playing one of these audio tracks would result the lip-sync going off within minutes and after that the experience would only get worse..

Of course you could fix it yourself by re

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Yes, they offer separate NTSC and PAL versions of their audio tracks.

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From iRiffs' tips page [rifftrax.com]:

Create a PAL version so our friends abroad can watch your iRiff. Using Audacity, (see above), go to Effects->Change Tempo and enter 4.271% Save this as your PAL version.

Cinematic Titanic is the Real Deal

Cinematic Titanic is the real evolution of MST3K. Their first 3 DVD's are hilarious.
From the website http://www.cinematictitanic.com/ [cinematictitanic.com]:

Cinematic Titanic is a feature length movie riffing show and is an artist owned and operated venture created by Joel Hodgson, the creator of the Peabody award-winning Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Cinematic Titanic features the original cast and writers of MST3K, which is Hodgson (Joel Robinson), Trace Beaulieu (Crow), and J. Elvis Weinstein (Tom Servo). Filling out the ensemble is Mary Jo Pehl (Pearl Forrester) and Frank Conniff (TVâ(TM)s Frank). Cinematic Titanic's focus is to riff on the movies we love, which are 'the unfathomable', 'the horribly great', and the just plain 'cheesy' movies from the past. Our first feature length DVD Cinematic Titanic's "The Oozing Skull" is available for purchase at EZtakes.com

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I would submit that they are both a "real evolution" of MST3K, since they're both the "children" of writers on that show. Me and my brothers are extremely different from each other, and just because someone doesn't like me doesn't mean they'll hate my brother too.

I personally prefer Rifftrax to Cinematic Titanic, but I also wasn't one of the people that thought the show turned to crap when Joel left. If you're one of those people, yeah, I'm sure Cinematic Titanic will be more up your alley, since, well, t

Re:Cinematic Titanic is the Real Deal

I would say Cinematic Titanic is a continuation of MST3K. It takes original cast members and riffs on old movies they've licensed. Slightly different premise, but generally same show.

Rifftrax is more of an evolution of the original idea. They make use of some differing technology that allows them to bypass some licensing issues and let's them riff MODERN movies. I think that's the major difference.

Same principles though. There's no reason why both versions can't be appreciated.

Serious business, too.

One thing that people aren't really talking about with this story but which I find really interesting, is they are going to accept all sorts of commentary tracks, not just riff-style comedy. This opens up lots of possibilities; self-styled film aficionados and fansite crews can do "standard" commentary tracks for their favorites, people can record alternative scripts to existing films in the vein of "What's Up Tiger Lily" or "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist," and more. Pretty much any new content based on putting new sound onto an existing video can be put out there.

Re:I have to say...

Watch Weird Al's Rifftrax commentary for Jurassic Park. THEN you'll be impressed.

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Gennaro: You're supposed to come here and defend me against these characters and the only one I've got on my side is the bloodsucking lawyer!

Aide: *leans in*

Mike: Sir, you've just been sued for defamation by the American Bar Association.

Re:speaking of funny

The cool thing about the Open Source movement is that just about anyone who's willing to can step up and become the "public face" of the movement.

The really unfortunate thing about the Open Source movement is that just about anyone who's willing to can step up and become the "public face" of the movement.

Re:Joel already working on a second act?

Go ahead and pick one host over the other, but the jokes on MST3K were always written by a large staff, including head writer Mike Nelson.

And Mike, Bill Corbett and Kevin Murphy are also working on The Film Crew [wikipedia.org].

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As others have said, Mike Nelson started RiffTrax in 2006, while Cinematic Titanic was announced towards the tail end of 2007. What's more, RiffTrax was an offshoot of the work Mike had been doing with Legend Films, providing DVD commentary tracks for various old films (including Night of the Living Dead and Reefer Madness, to name just two). So Mike's "second act" came well before Joel's.

Mike's delivery is obviously different than Joel's delivery, but Mike was head writer of MST3K since the middle of its f

Re:Fine, but

Rifftrax != MST3K. If it were, you'd have Cambot, Tom Servo and Crow.

What concerns me more:
when you set up something like iRiffs, a community for would-be comedians (particularly people who are just interested in it 'cause they all saw the same funny TV show) you run into a few problems...

First, lots of people think they're funny, but aren't.
Second, a fair number of the ones who aren't funny will use gags sufficiently cheap (memes, particularly) to boost their popularity...
And the end result is you wind up with a few gems, maybe, sloshing around in a sea of crap... And you can't rely on popularity rankings to tell the good from the bad.

I think it's kind of funny that you equate MST3K with "Cambot, Tom Servo and Crow"... I mean, you never even see Cambot. But you left out Gypsy...

Re:Fine, but

And the end result is you wind up with a few gems, maybe, sloshing around in a sea of crap... And you can't rely on popularity rankings to tell the good from the bad.

So it's just like TV?

Re:Fine, but

And the end result is you wind up with a few gems, maybe, sloshing around in a sea of crap... And you can't rely on popularity rankings to tell the good from the bad.

So it's just like TV?

No.... Slashdot.

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Slashdot has gems? That's a bit had to believe. I'm going to need a link.

Slashdot has its moments. Not many of them, but it has them.

Most memorable gem I can recall from recent Slashdot history was:

Worst pickup line: Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?