Former Host and Writer of MST3K Launches RiffTrax 185
dougman writes "Today James Lileks mentioned his 'friend and all-around comic genius/good egg Michael J. Nelson' called, to tell him about his brilliant new project, RiffTrax. Here's the pitch:
'...free-lance commentary tracks. Bottom line: Mystery Science Theater 3000-style commentary for big famous beloved movies like Titanic or The Matrix. The hitch: you have to provide the movie. It's genius: no worries about copyright. You buy the commentary tracks for $1.99, rent the movie or get it out of your collection, load the commentary on your iPod or burn it to a disk, then watch them together in true you-got-peanut-butter-in-my-chocolate bliss. ... The first movie is Roadhouse."
Cool! I voted for The Matrix as the next one to be riffed." While I (and many others I know) preferred Joel, Mike was not without his share of funny moments too. Without Crow and Servo it just might not be the same, though.
Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:2)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:2)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:2)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, I know that all of you bitchass fanbois might think Norris is the bomb but,
Wait a sec, someone's knocking
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:2)
There are no endagered animals, only animals that Zap Rowsdower hasn't eaten... yet.
Zap Rowsdower once killed an entire cult with a single roundhouse kick. They died laughing.
Bullets are deflected by Zap Rowsdower's hockey hair
In the unlikely event that Canada ever runs out of beer, they can drink Zap Rowsdower's blood, which is 120 proof.
You are what you eat, and Zap Rowsdower is 200 pounds of
doesn't everyone like Joel? (Score:2)
But really, regardless of whether its Joel or Mike or has the robots or not... comedy really does need more then one person.
Re:doesn't everyone like Joel? (Score:2)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:2)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:4, Funny)
Nothing sadder than a bunch of Slashdotters competing to be "Alpha-dork".
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Open Hangar Doors!! (Score:3, Funny)
Not an original concept (Score:3, Informative)
The dream of an MST3K reunion (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:The dream of an MST3K reunion (Score:3, Informative)
I'd really like to see more of the side projects, namely another book from Kevin Murphy. A Year at the Movies [amazon.com] blew me away.
Re:The dream of an MST3K reunion (Score:3, Interesting)
Since this is audio only, wouldn't having the props be kind of pointless?
But Mike and the bots have made appearances since the auctions (namely ESPN's Cheap Seats), so I'm assuming they put Crow and Tom Servo in cryogenic storage for such a day.
Sometimes silhouettes were funny (Score:5, Informative)
This reminds me... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:This reminds me... (Score:2)
Spend your money! (Score:2)
Maybe some money will drag Joel in from whatever strange mountain cabin he's retreated to....
Re:Spend your money! (Score:4, Funny)
And for the multiple-tracked among us... (Score:2, Funny)
I suspect (Score:2)
Deja vu (Score:2)
They typically floundered for a few minutes until they'd settl
Share Crow with ShareCrow? (Score:5, Informative)
(And check Commentary Central [commentarycentral.co.uk] for a bunch of freebie alternate commentary tracks, including my own for Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro
This raises a good question.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Imagine the fun the bots could have with some of the real stinkers that have been released too recently to be available to them: MST3K of Waterworld, or of, well, any Adam Sandler movie.
Re:This raises a good question.... (Score:2)
If only, but from comments and discussions re the "cleaned up movie" ruling the other day, this still may be a copyright violation. Go figure.
all the best,
drew
(da idea man)
Re:This raises a good question.... (Score:2)
Re:This raises a good question.... (Score:2)
1) Mandatory 2nd video decoder. So the commentaries can be a separate video stream displayed as "picture in picture" or overlaid (if filmed on green screen).
2) Mandatory storage capacity. So you can actually store information about the disc settings and more and it will be tied to that disc.
3) Mandatory network capacity. So you can download content over the net.
Seems like all of these
Re:This raises a good question.... (Score:2)
Nope. I got that part. Someone claims the big guns also have suits against the model that uses the special player.
(I am a bit fuzzy, basically the claim is that even an EDL is a derivative and an infringement. I think someone may have mentioned that there is a special exemption for video like this but someone definately pointed out that there was a suit going on against the special dvd people.)
(Not that I think this should not be lega
Re:This raises a good question.... (Score:2)
Yeah I'm a book snob, not a movie snob.
Re:This raises a good question.... (Score:2)
It's Not the Same (Score:2)
It needn't be done again... (Score:2)
MST3K was done. It came, it had its time, and it left. We even got a movie version out of it. I don't think it needs to be done again. Part of the fun of the show was its novelty, and that's basically spent.
These efforts to come back and do more MST3K-ish stuff sort of send the message "this is all we're capable of". (Well, really this "message" is just the impression I get, my own interpretation...) That's a l
The moview were half the fun (Score:2)
MST3K was great, but the hillariously bad movies were half the fun.
Re:The moview were half the fun (Score:2)
Re:The moview were half the fun (Score:2)
Re:The moview were half the fun (Score:2)
Two Dollars? (Score:3, Funny)
-Peter
PS: Remeber kids, there is no "-1: I don't get it." moderation option.
Re:Two Dollars? (Score:2)
Michael J Nelson reads Slashdot (Score:2, Redundant)
it is in an open format right? (Score:2)
I think they should do the harry potter series..
I don't consider my improv particularly good, but I kept my friends in stitches riffing on that schlocky piece of crap.
Anyway..
so plz.. NO DRM okaaay?
No DRM (Score:5, Informative)
I just downloaded Road House from the site and it's in MP3 format. I doubt you have to worry about any DRM getting in the way.
Re:Done! (Score:2)
Re:Done! (Score:2)
So what OS does most machines in the world run? Right.
Here. Have a cup of STFU.
Re:Done! (Score:2)
Re:Done! (Score:2)
To refresh your memory (my post):"Not my problem, asshat, so have a pitcher of STFU yourself. Buy into the sheeple problem and deal with it."
That has nothing to do with MP3's, which my OS can play just fine, thank you.
Whatever I have said to upset you enough for you to make me your foe I'm not sure of, but wouldn't mind knowing so I could say it better in order to piss you ff enough that you would just not bother to even see my posts to reply to. (hint: go to your Pref.'s- it's your friend!)
P.S. Do
No worries about copyright? (Score:2)
If a "cut-list" for a DVD is considered possible copyright infringement as a "derivative work", you can sure as hell bet that a voice-over commentary intended for a DVD can be considered possible copyright infringement by today's overzealous copyright holders.
Dlugar
Parody and Criticism exceptions to the code. (Score:4, Insightful)
There are also numerous examples and case courses resolved against copyright holders in cases of parody and criticism.
Nelson has a mountain of case law on his side, but youre right, i wouldnt put it past these people.
EDLs are still A-OK. (Score:4, Interesting)
What was prohibited in that case was the reproduction that Clean Flicks was doing in order to produce the edited versions. They were taking a movie, editing it, and then selling the edited version -- yes, they were selling each edited version packaged along with an unedited version, but they were reproducing the film just the same. That's where they ran into copyright problems.
Other companies who took a different tactic towards the problem, and avoided the reproduction step (by delivering to the customer an EDL that would cause the player to fast forward through various 'offensive' parts) were allowed under the ruling [newsblaze.com].
There's a pretty good analysis of the verdict on FindLaw [findlaw.com], which isn't too long and is worth reading. In particular: "The defendants also argued that they were protected by the so-called "first sale" doctrine
If you're willing to spend some more time reading things actually written by folks who have law degrees, I recommend this substantial article from the Georgetown Law Journal [findarticles.com], which was written in 2004 and examines the viability under copyright law of several video-censoring technologies, including old-school razorblade tape splicing, CleanFlicks-type digital editing, and EDL-based 'skip over' systems.
Although CleanFlicks no longer offers the edited copies of DVDs, another company, ClearPlay, still offers an EDL-based product [clearplay.com] (which IMO is a much more elegant solution to the problem anyway, since it lets you pick what types of smut you personally dislike), as can be seen on their website.
This type of on-the-fly editing is legal, and was clarifed as such by President Bush's passing of the "Family Movie Act of 2005," which specifically allows you to make changes to an authorized copy of a motion picture, as long as you don't create a fixed copy of the edited version. The best part of the law? It's not limited purely to obscenity edits; according to one Forbes article [forbes.com], it could be used just as easily to protect a fan's removal of the more obnoxious parts of Star Wars Episode 1 as it could the removal of Kate Winslet's nudity from Titanic. (Sadly, apparently the technology can't replace Jar Jar Binks with a naked Kate Winslet. Yet.)
So the next time you think that G.W. hasn't done anything for you, it seems that he may have let some good slip through after all.
Speaking of which... (Score:4, Interesting)
Can you please host the whole archive of shows again?
And new shows would be good, too. I'd love to hear Cliff rant on about the name Wii, or Taco get cranky over Vista.
And to not be totally offtopic... I can't be the only one who thinks it won't be the same without the shadows in the corner. Especially not without the robots. What I would love to see, though, is a group of totally insane people like the cast of SeaLab 2021 commenting on the movies.
bring back geeks in space (Score:2)
Give TWIT some competition!
Lame (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Lame (Score:2)
No they haven't, and whoever modded you up as informative can't read.
Why "Lame"? (Score:2)
Joel vs Mike... Sigh... (Score:5, Informative)
That's one thing that I've never understood about the Joel vs Mike thing.... The writing staff was pretty much the same for both (with the huge exception of Frank Conniff leaving. Things were never quite as.... surreal afterward).
jf
Re:Joel vs Mike... Sigh... (Score:2)
Oddly enough I just realized I know my MST3K fan club ID number off the top of my head: 18642 (I think)
Re:Joel vs Mike... Sigh... (Score:2)
Mind you I like both of them, I just thought Joel was more fun.
I had this idea awhile back... (Score:2)
I'm quite glad that Mike Nelson (a
Re:I had this idea awhile back... (Score:2)
Check the "Created by:" credit.
Re:I had this idea awhile back... (Score:2)
Not that I don't like mike, mind you. They are two just different flavors of humor. Both are funny in different ways.
Re-subbed movies much better. (Score:2)
Re:Re-subbed movies much better. (Score:2)
Why don't they look? (Score:2)
I am not a lousy butler!
That nosewheel feels mushy!
He tried to kill me with a forklift!
The master will not approve!
I accuse my parents!
Hirohito Gamera! Hirohito Gamera!
No Lupita! No!
There was no monster!
It was after the apocalypse...
Daddy, I want a coke!
It stinks!
Hi, I'm Max Keller.
Master Ninja Theme Song!
Frank, push the button.
odd timing... (Score:2)
Special Media Player? (Score:2)
Re:Special Media Player? (Score:2)
Doesn't have the theater seating though.
Re:Special Media Player? (Score:2)
Re:Special Media Player? (Score:2)
Why do you need a special media player? Just use mplayer with the -audiofile option.
Mike vs Joel? (Score:2)
Hercules returns (Score:2)
Wizard People (Score:2)
Clerks 2 already did it/is doing it (Score:2)
The thinking is that you can see the movie once to actually see the movie, then go again with your iPod and listen to the commentary while in the theater.
Pretty smart thinking, actually. And while I'm sure KS doesn't mind the additional money it would bring in, it's actually a pretty cool thing for him to do. I doubt a
How ballsy will they be? (Score:2)
Do "The Passion Of The Christ" and I'll actually pony up the dough.
Sucks (Score:2)
Joel was way better than Mike. Mike is your typical "writer who came out from behind the curtain because his ego couldn't stand not getting the laughs personally like he did when he was the class clown in high school". His delivery is flat; Joel had an actual on-screen personality. Mike may be a good writer, but he should have stuck with that.
We started this at The Floor Is Sticky (Score:2)
The Floor Is Sticky [thefloorissticky.com] released the first commentary to Star Wars: Episode I back in April... We need to do another one soon!
I guess it wasn't as original idea as I thought, although The Floor Is Sticky [thefloorissticky.com] shows are free!
Mr Sinus Theater (Score:2)
Re:Good idea but... (Score:4, Interesting)
Record the show and wait an hour or 5 before playback and you could have Henry Kissinger pitching snide remarks to Gretta Van Susteran while watching War of the Worlds.
Wait a month and you could have some really cool total-replacement sound tracks of Bush calling a world cup game.
Re:Good idea but... (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe even better would be a plugin or player that also allowed the overlay of video from another source (e.g. the silouhettes, as an mpg file) in addition to just sound.
Or just get some construction paper... (Score:2)
Re:Good idea but... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Good idea but... (Score:2)
Also makes me wonder about the syncing. It's going to be pretty annoying if the witty one liners "pull my finger, pull my finger" fail to match the action in Teenagers From Outerspace.
Need to include timecode (Score:2)
Re:No worries? (Score:4, Informative)
That's right (Score:2)
Re:No worries? (Score:2)
-matthew
Re:No worries? (Score:2)
They may be able to distribute proprietary patches that the purchaser could then apply to the kernel and compile. The purchaser would not be able to distribute this compiled kernel though. And obviously the diffs would have to be distributed visible source.
It doesn't sound like much of a business model even if it were to be possible.
I would doubt that it meets the test that excludes libraries in the full GPL though.
Re:No worries? (Score:2)
Is that so? I think it would be legal. A derivative work isn't just something that couldn't have been made without the original, it has to incorporate some part of the original.
Re:No worries? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:No worries? (Score:5, Insightful)
Most movie reviews are very similar to an additional audio track, save for the fact that one is designed to be synced up to the movie, and the other is written on paper. Reviews often comment on aspects of the film, such as a specific scene or a recurring theme or something. The only real difference an audio track has is, once again, the fact that it is designed to be played along with the film.
Posting facts about a movie is also considered fair use. You can say "this movie is two hours long", or "the lens looks messed up in these scene", and this is not infringement. An audio track seems to be very similar to this.
Other types of media also follow these rules. It is not infringement to say "this painting is ten feet tall", or "Mark Knopfler used a Gibson Les Paul when he recorded 'Money for Nothing'". It is also not infringement to say "Charles Dickens sucks".
There's even prior art: Dark Side of the Moon [wikipedia.org].
Re:No worries? (Score:2)
Re:No worries? (Score:2)
Nope. But others have explained that.
I just wanted to nitpick on the bit you quoted. There are worries about copyright, just not about paying fees for that particular movie. One of the reasons that Tom didn't sing as much in the MST3K movie is that they had to pay for the rights for him to sing that little blurb of the song. (This is tougher in movies than it is for TV, but I don't know why so if somebody else could chime in I'd be very interested in
Re:No worries? (Score:2)
The diffs are in effect an encoded version of the kernel, you could regnerate the original programmatically. The commentary does not allow you to recreate the original soundtrack; let alone the movie (the soundtrack by itself being relatively worthless). And separately, parody and criticism are allowed wide latitu
Re:Thanks in Advance (Score:3, Informative)
Re:No one thought of PAL vs NTSC? (Score:2)
That is actually wrong.
Since NTSC effectively has arprox 30 frames pr. second, that means movies (which are natively around 24fps) are encoded using some interlacing tricks, and has the exact same timing as the original movie.
PAL however has 25 fps, and no interlacing tricks in the world will allow you to get a 24fps source looking good & smooth while remaining proper timing. Thus movies in PAL format actually play faster.
The PAL version of a movie is effectively shorter/faster than the NTSC v
Re:No one thought of PAL vs NTSC? (Score:2)
So. At what point did I miss anything? Exactly where did I go wrong? 50 interlaced frames pr. second = 25 full frames pr. second. So, what are you complaining about?
You got to be trolling. Oh wait. Anynymous coward. Right. You are.
Re:as for who was better (Score:2)
However, going back, I find that it's not really Mike vs. Joel that made episodes better (they're both pretty great)... it was whether or not Frank Conniff had left Arby's yet and joined the cast or was still there before the days of Bobo and Brain Guy... and the movie itself. But I know that it was largely Frank who had the job of sifting through bad movies to find the ones worth doing... mostly because he was the only one who could n
Re:Red-State Edition DVD Commentaries (Score:2, Funny)