As always, hold any spoilers until after 11 eastern, when the west coast show starts.
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RiffTrax Live: Your Thoughts?An open thread for your thoughts about tonight’s show.
62 Replies to “RiffTrax Live: Your Thoughts?”Commenting at Satellite News
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Great Rifftrax tonight! Measuring Man is one of the best shorts you have ever done. Our whole crowd cheered when Measuring Man mentioned Iowa! Our whole theater was rolling! A great night! :inlove:
One of their best and a massive rebound after Sharknado 2.
Sad that the short did not answer whether milk is grass.
The thing that bothered me about Measuring Man is the Riffers’ quick to pounce on any sexual reference and we’re talking little boys here. And the audience I sat with was 100% behind it so, welcome to modern times.
Miami Connection was a colossal bore for me because I prefer older movies to Riff on from the 30’s, 40’s and so on up to the 60’s. But I hung in there and miracle of miracles, I started to enjoy it. Because the Dragon Sound crew was so loveable and by the end of the flick, I was glad I hung in there. A good crowd in Milford, as usual. I wish they’d ax the Rifftrax theme song. It’s such a feeble, unnecessary attempt to have their own MST3K theme. All I wanted to do after this was over was go home and go to the gold-I’m thinking Cave Dwellers.
Ohmigod!
As often happens at these events, the short was one real piece of work. They didn’t even have to say most of the innuendos out loud. “Miami Connection” is one of those gloriously stupid movies that halfway riffs itself while the guys keep the boring stretches moving. Bonus: I saw this at the Regal Cinema in Coral Springs, which now has recliners.
Oh my God!!!!!!!!!!!
RiffTrax? Miami Connection was terrific. We really enjoyed it. The Measuring Man short was weird and crazy and the movie was that special kind of entertaining bad with virtually no story or cohesive elements to even make it seem like a movie. There were roughly 25 people in the theater including me and my wife.
But I will not go to the Regal Cinema in Bowie, Maryland again. I have written to Rifftrax immediately after the Sharknado 2 show and again the other day in anticipation of this latest show and it was even worse this time. For the third Rifftrax show again this year that theater failed to turn the Fathom Events feed on BEFORE the pre-show jokes start at 7:30 PM EDT. This time I was prepared and started bugging them about it at about 7:14 PM. I literally had to make a scene and speak to at least four different people, virtually none of whom seemed to care in the least about switching on the show. I finally found one person who seemed to care and they turned it on just past 7:30, but with no sound. Ten minutes later I went back out to the lobby to ask about the sound, missing some of the pre-show trivia jokes to do so. Finally, I got to speak with the manager in charge. As I was explaining to him that this happens at EVERY Rifftrax show at their theater another customer walked up and backed me up on this, also stating that they fail to turn on the satellite feed for the show on time at EVERY Rifftrax show. I also mentioned to the theater manager that the sound always goes out again at 8:00 PM when the feed switches from the pre-show joke cards to the live presentation from the Belcourt Theater. He seemed to make a mental note of it but sure enough just about 7:58 PM the sound went out again and a couple of us customers had to rush out to the lobby to again ask them to turn on the sound. I’m just not prepared to continue to have to make this kind of effort at every show. Customers shouldn’t have to beg the theater to do something as simple as switch on the live feed for the show we’ve just paid to see. There’s another theater I can go to see Rifftrax Live that is much farther away, but I suppose we’ll have to go there from now on because the Regal Cinema in Bowie, MD is literally useless and they certainly don’t deserve to be showing Fathom Events and Rifftrax Live. They are beyond terrible at it.
My wife and I really enjoyed MIAMI CONNECTION, which I think would make an excellent companion film to SAMURAI COP. The movie is so hilariously bad it barely needs riffing, which ups the entertainment value (and makes up for RT’s hit-or-miss riffing).
The sound was muted at our theater during the annoying RiffTrax intro (but came on just in time for the show to start), I hope this happens at their next show…
I completely agree with JASON…SHARKNADO 2 could have been better but with MC, the guys came packing the riffing heat of a thousand suns!!!…perfect time to bring a co-worker along who also loved it…about half full theatre in White Plains, NY…Keep up the good work, RT…See you on Dec. 3!!!!
As usual, the Cinemark Tinseltown in Rochester, NY. Moderate crowd, only seems to come out for more well-known titles.
It was fantastic. I can’t wait to use the phrase ‘aw, ninjas’ in polite company.
The buddy I went with had no comprehension of what he was watching AND he went to UCF, recognizing a few of the shooting areas.
Very glad that they’ve secured VOD rights as part of the Kickstarter.
And don’t even get me started on the horror that is Measuring Man…
I was in the audience in Nashville and I just want to know; did everyone in the other theaters clap out of synch along with us?
Mine didn’t, sorry.
The Cinemark in Merriam, Kansas was at least 3/4 full and everyone seemed to be in the mood for cheesy movie fun. The show started after the measuring man short had begun, but we saw enough to get the idea. The movie was goofy enough that we were laughing even during lulls in the riffing. In some ways the movie reminded me of the MST3K episode Horror of Party Beach in the way it tried to combine music, goofy comedy, and gory violence. I was amused by how heartbroken the leader of the ninja was when the bearded guy got killed. Was this an attempt to add “character” to what was essentially a two dimensional villain? Looking forward to Santa Claus and the Ice Cream Bunny meeting Jack and the beanstalk.
I lived in Orlando for a few months this summer, and I too was on the lookout for recognizable areas. At the very least, during the big brawl on campus at night, I’m fairly certain the road you see in the background is Alafaya Trail. That open grassy area on the other side is where my apartment building was.
A little less full than usual in Union Square in NYC but that might have been the threat of bad weather (which didn’t materialize beyond a little bit of rain).
Those of us who were in the theater early had the dubious pleasure of seeing the first 10 minutes of the Gloria Estafan live in Vegas video 5 or 6 times… the CIA might want to look into that as a pre-interrogation technique….
But the slides started right on time at 7:30 and there were no glitches. The slides were much better than the last couple of events; they were hit-and-miss but the funny ones were VERY funny and definitely elicited out-loud laughter.
The same pattern carried over to the movie. The riffs were hit-and-miss tonight (and I thought there were some real missed opportunities) but the funny stuff was SO funny that it carried us through the not-so-funny and the movie itself provided plenty of amazed laughter. I mean, who doesn’t remember the kung fu rock music craze of the 80s? Anybody? Bueller? And there’s nothing like a lead character who makes Tommy Wiseau sound intelligible.
The short was amazing. Again, so ridiculous and absurd, no one really had to say anything. But the riffs for the short were great.
The guys seemed much more relaxed, even playful, than I’ve seen’em in a while. It was a pleasure to see and the general good vibes carried us over the slow patches.
And as someone who very vocally hated the original Rifftrax guitar flourish, let me state for the record that I love the Rifftrax theme. It’s catchy, silly, tongue-in-cheek (I mean, come on: “professional jokes/by professional comedy professionals” — how can you not laugh at that?) and it always lets me know that I’m about to have the best time.
ETA: Yes, we clapped in New York. Out of time, natch.
We also had issues getting the Regal we were at to turn off their normal pre-movie ads and put on the feed. If anyone has this issue in the future I highly recommend contacting Fathom on Twitter, someone replied to me in under a minute saying they would call the theater and talk to the manager, and the feed was switched over 5 minutes later.
This was a great night!
Miami Connection feels like the kind of movie that would have fit right in on MST3K. What I found odd is that it doesn’t seem to really begin, as in establishing characters or anything. It just… starts. It’s really kind of hard to follow at first for that reason. It’s also kind of low on action. I was waiting the entire movie for it to start getting insanely violent. And it gets there, eventually, but it takes its time. In the end though, I totally get why this is is a cult classic. This was a lot of fun.
But I think the most jaw dropping moment of the night was Measuring Man. How on Earth did that get made? Weird super-nerdy guy dressed as a bad Superman ripoff teaching a kid about standards of measurement, with occasional trippy swirly special effects? There’s a story in the creation of this thing, and it’s an interesting one.
It’s awesome to see that the Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny we’ll see this December is going to be the fabled Jack and the Beanstalk version, and not the more common Thumbelina one we’ve had before. It’ll make it really easy to also watch my DVD copy. Usually I’d worry about it wearing it on me, but not this year.
Overall, it was a good time. And yeah, the riffing is good as always, but I think a lot of the fun is also in this movie. I actually think I want the DVD of this.
One last thing: I made it out with the cardboard stand the theater was using to advertise the event. I asked them if anyone claimed it and nobody did. It’s funny how it looks reasonably small in the theater and yet in my house it rivals the size of one of the bookshelves I keep movies on. :P
An excellent show, very, very VERY funny. My favorite riff was the Saved by the Bell joke. I actually own a copy of Miami Connection so I knew that getting the Rifftrax treatment would be a great addition to it as, by itself, the movie is already quite easy to laugh at. Unfortunately, this Rifftrax Live had the smallest turnout I’ve yet seen here.
AMC 24 in Hamilton, NJ was probably a little less than half full, but it was an enthusiastic crowd. No technical glitches, which is pretty much the norm here. The movie was near perfect fodder for the guys, imo. And they know when to stand back and just let the movie embarrass itself. A great time overall. OH MY GOD!
I tell ya, I will never get tired of coming to this site and reading comments on a RiffTrax post complaining about them not being enough like MST3K, trying too hard to be MST3K, and being mean, stupid, lazy, and/or generally just not as good as MST3K. In a life with so many uncertainties it’s comforting to know there are some things you can always rely on.
Is it just me, or did the guys seem to trip over their lines more often tonight than previous live shows? They must’ve been nervous with so many ninjas in the audience. Even a ninja Servo! Although the film didn’t portray ninjas as particularly effective. Or dangerous. Or at all competent, really. Perhaps that was Master Kim’s gran plan: anti-ninja, pro-TKD propaganda.
I imagine the story behind the making of Miami Connection must be fascinating; more interesting than the movie itself. I love these kinds of films: labors of love by a small group of dedicated, obsessed, or just downright crazy folks who clearly have far more ambition than filmmaking ability (most often led by a charismatic madman). Plan Nine, Manos, Birdemic, The Room… I’ll take a Miami Connection over the next Michael Bay Transplosionfest any day. Riffing is just icing on the cake.
Half full at the theater in downtown Reno, but they loved it. Pretty cheesy movie with excellent riffing, including some nice 80s references.
the short, though, might scare Michael Meyers and Jason Vorhees. Trust me.
They also had preview of the second version of Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny. Let’s just say the new version with Jack and the Beanstalk barely has better production values than “Fun in Baloonland”. At least the gal who played Thumbelina is back full size.
Don’t call it a comeback, but, OHMYGOD what a great night.
Theater in Southern California was around a quarter full, which seems to be the norm.
We didn’t get the pre-show stuff- was that a theater problem, or a rebroadcast issue?
Measuring Man was hilarious, and went down very well with the crowd.
Still having trouble figuring out what was going on with Miami Connection- they never do really establish who these people are, or how they fully connect with one another. At least the VOD should help with that…..
#11- if it pleases you, we were clapping out of sync too.
About three-quarters full at Celebration Cinema in Lansing, Michigan. Also I hate picking assigned seats when you buy tickets.
I have serious pedagogical problems with Measurement Man’s approach. And there is not even remotely anything simple about any measurement standard. Even just a “hundred” of things can be any of six different numbers, and it gets worse from there.
Smaller than usual crowd in Oxnard, California tonight. I think the theater in Ventura next door got Rifftrax for the first time, so that might have something to do with it?
Really annoyed the pre show stuff wasn’t shown this time. That really sets the mood in a way that half and hour of tv ads doesn’t.
Miami Connection almost gives The Room a run for it’s money. It’s got a goofy 80’s charm to it though. And that short! Was Measuring Man wearing one of George Reeves’ old outfits?
Loved seeing Ninja Servo in the live audience, and also spotted a guy sipping what looked like a can of beer!
25 posts in and nobody says anything about the soundtrack? That music is still in my head:) Make sure you send an email to surprise@rifftrax.com for a free MP3 of the song “friends”!
The AMC in Paramus NJ was only about half full. Smallest crowd I have ever encountered.
OK, why was it called The Miami Connection? A vast majority of it took place in Orlando. I see how there was a “connection,” but if one of the characters had an aunt in Dubuque, you could call it The Dubuque Connection just as easily. Bah!
Great show. Overall, a pretty high-budget, well-made affair considering this is a b-movie we’re talking about. Likeable characters, lots of extras, different locations. Thing is, I can’t think of a movie, RT or MST, that had such a ludicrous premise. Dragon Sound was worth killing over? Well, maybe… I’m slightly disappointed the “black Koreakin” didn’t die–it would have made for the best fall from grace since Goodfellas. Then again, he was sweet, and now he can live another day to rid our society of violence.
Did anyone else notice that the guy who consulted on the short had a PhD and taught at UT-Austin? Man, I hope he left that off his CV.
I really enjoyed the Sharknados, but this is the guys’ bread and butter. I looked forward to this for a long time, and it did not disappoint.
The Rifftrax movie Guy From Harlem took place in Miami, so it makes sense for Miami Connection to take place in Orlando. Maybe they will do a movie called Terror in Orlando that takes place in Harlem, and the circle will be complete.
The Virginia Center 20 in Glen Allen had rather sparse attendance. I’d say between a quarter and half full.
The camera’s tendency to focus on Measuring Man’s area was rather unsettling.
Cornjob, assuming you attended a screening, do you think your old ninjitsu sensei could handle those namby pamby Miami ninjas?
Another Cinemark in Merriam, KS goer here. I was really annoyed we didn’t get the pre-show slides, and then the show didn’t start at 7. Turns out the theater screwed up and had our theater’s feed mixed up with the Attack on Titan feed in the next theater. We lost about 5 minutes, starting into the short just as the milkman is deciding to come back as MM. Thankfully we didn’t have to see any Attack on Titan (can’t stand that anime…).
Anyway, loved (what I saw of) the short, and the movie was amazing. I find myself trying to track exactly how the plot worked, and am utterly baffled. So, if it wasn’t for the shrill annoying guy who’s ‘band’ was fired from a crappy Orlando nightclub, Dragon Sound would never have had to fight anybody (also, this guy’s got about 30 or so rabid followers who are willing to kill for him)? And yeah, the upset band leader & the lady’s brother are easy to confuse, even standing next to each other.
Also, how the heck did they know where to go when mullet man was kidnapped?
OH MY GOD!!!!! Smaller audience than usual here in Evansville, IN. Loved the show though. Both the short and the movie had a very MST3K feel to me, which was great and a welcomed relief from the “Sharknado” movie, which was alright for what it was, but I just really like these kind of movies where they THINK they’re making a good movie but it turns out terrible instead of a movie made for the sake of being terrible….if that makes any sense. The only thing I’m surprised by is that they didn’t make any jokes about the one guy looking like a younger, thin Billy Mays (the late infomercial guy).
I saw it in State College, PA. The theater was about 2/3rds packed with a great receptive crowd- a little TOO receptive, some big jackass kept adding his own “hilarious” riffs to Measuring Man but thankfully piped down once the movie started (and after I shouted “SHUT UP!”) This was one of the best Rifftrax Live shows ever! Great choice of movies.
And yes, the audience joined in on the out-of-sync clapping!
Also: I have been dreading the Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny show but the news that it’s the Jack and the Beanstalk version has turned me around, and now I can’t wait!!
My first RT Live, and it was great! Measuring Man was great, Miami Connection was great, it was great!
I recently relocated from NYC (where I’d usually go to the sell-out shows at Union Square Regal) to Lansing, MI, so I experienced a whole new crowd at Celebration Cinema last night. All in all, pretty nice! Comfy recliners, good sound, consistent stream, functioning pre-show slides, and the theater looked to be near-capacity. Some people clapped along off-beat during “Against the Ninja” & the crowd really seemed to be fully-engaged & enthusiastic. Measurement Man was a fantastic short & Miami Connection really delivered. I own the Drafthouse Blu-Ray (and a 7 inch vinyl single of “Friends” & “Against the Ninja”) & have screened it several times for friends, so I knew what to expect & was happy the guys treated it like the charmingly inept little film that it is. I’ve been disappointed by some of the recent Rifftrax Live performances that I’ve caught, so I was happy this outing was a really fun one. Can’t wait to see Santa & the Ice Cream Bunny at Celebration in December!
Loved it!!! :inlove: My throat is still hurting from laughing. No signal outage this time!! :-D I had seen 2 online reviews about this movie so I had some idea what to expect. However, I was not prepared for that!! Was there no such thing as editing and basic camera work? And talk about a misleading title! Exactly how much of this movie actually take place in Miami? It seemed to go from there to Orlando and just all over the place. Talk about incomprehensible. Also, that short was among the scariest they’ve ever done. Measuring Man didn’t teach that kid anything about measurement! Wasn’t that the whole point?
@Clifton, NJ- Audience only about half full, lightest attendance ever. Missed this one on TCM a few months back, so it’s early 80’s cheesiness was a new experience. Q: Was it me or did the guys appear to be a little glum last night? (unrelated to the movie). The riffs were fun and the pic was easy to make fun of…some favorites: “another death threat from Columbia House.” ; (looking at a cocaine filled suitcase) “Grandma sends me the same dumb gift every year.” ; “I’m Measuring Man”; “all I got was a d*ck pic from Robert MacNamara.” ; “I’ll put this in my spank bank for later.” ;”He was filled with chunky salsa.” …also, anything that AA/Korean kid said was bizarre, from his “OMG, OMG” to his hysterical weeping. But remember, after all of the fun, the Movie had an (ironic) message:
“Only through the elimination of violence can we
achieve world peace.”
I didn’t go. :(
Really enjoyed the movie a lot.A lot funnier and better than Sharknado 2..The short was a little weird.Some strange Clark Kent looking milkman who dresses like a cheap knockoff of Superman talking to this boy about measuring…Loved the movie,especially the black guy saying “Oh,my Godd!”,the guy that was yelling and cussing about Dragon Sound playing at the club,the black actor towards the end who was suppose to be the father,when all they’ve done is put powder in his hair and have him wear big glasses..oh yeah,that made him look old,huh? Plus,loved that you could barely understand Y.K.Kim in a few scenes..also loved one of the bikers who couldn’t fight.He was the skinny hillbilly looking one..A lot to take in..Thanks Rifftrax!!
Hey, hi, neighbor!
Sorry I was coughing. I’ve been getting over a cold.
Saw it near Philadelphia; the Phillies joke went over very well.
Went last night with my wife at one of the theaters here in St. Louis. She wasn’t really in the mood to sit through this tonight but went with me anyway. By the end we were both so glad we didn’t miss this one. The short was gold as usual, especially with Measuring Man and his magic belt “toys”. The movie itself, was so amazing in it’s sheer awkwardness! Our theater was about half full, and while folks did not participate as others had, everyone was rolling. We were both laughing so hard we were crying and the guy in front of me couldn’t breathe, especially during some of the following:
Jeff, and his loud, wooden exclamation to his sister “He’s A FRIEND?!? (I mean, “he’s a friend?”
Mark and his sweet guitar licks (consisting of holding the guitar and shaking violently back and forth)
“We are all or-pans.”
“Oh…MY…GAHD!” or really any scene with Jim, especially the “spank bank” comment.
Shirtless feeding time.
All in all, one of the best Rifftrax Live events I have been too. Top notch hilarious!
Only about 17 people in Flint, MI at Rave Cinemas- guess when you’re a third world country like here where clean water is scarce, comedy is a tough sell. I thought it was another fun night- the movie was confusing and fast paced- the short was weird. I always think about paying over $100.00 to see a rock concert, and, $10.50 for Rifftrax, and, how I feel more entertained watching Mike, Kevin and Bill. Can’t wait until Dec. 3rd.
Decent sized crowd in Sterling Heights, MI, but what we lacked in numbers was made up for in enthusiasm. Everyone seemed very into the entire show. The short was great (did anyone happen to catch the year it was made? I think it was on with the title, but I missed it.) The movie was crazy bad, but great for riffing. Glad to hear YK Kim is a good sport about it. To be honest his guitar playing was not very convincing. Perhaps I’m the only who noticed though.
Saw it in Rockaway, NJ, where the theater has been close to full capacity for Rifftrax over the past 12 months, I’d say. Me and my pal had a ball with this one, as well as Measurement Man. Everyone else on this site has covered the high points. We look forward to Santa and the ICB.
So did anyone figure out the meaning of that inside joke the Riffers took the trouble to acknowledge?
Our theater in Amarillo was about 1/5 full tonight. The smallest amount of people I’ve seen show up to a rifftrax live event here. I’m not sure if it’s been down or what but this whole year has been really small. The show was great though. I love 80’s trash and this wasn’t any disappoint me.
The straight answer is that the drug dealers got the STUPID COCAINE in Miami and wanted to traffic it in Orlando. So there.
(Or maybe they just wanted to make a day trip to Miami for some night shooting. Who knows?)
Just over half capacity in Warwick, RI! For some reason the Gloria Estefan portion of the pre-show was picture-free and kept skipping backward, with the first song playing halfway through at least four times before we got the Fathom Events pre-show screen; I feel like I have the lyrics to “Get on Your Feet” stamped on at least one poor neuron for the rest of my life. Picture blipped on for the slides but my theater continues to keep the lights up as they run, only dimming them about halfway through the opening theme.
Riffing was perfect; the crowd was extremely receptive to that short, absolutely roaring for most of the gags in it. The film itself was ripe for the riffing it got, and a lot of loud, positive reaction as well. The classic non-ending to all of the conflict is really classic. “The ninjas will stop bothering us-because!” The non-reaction of Jim on seeing his dad for the first time in years when he was so excited to meet with him again! And the weird ending to the conflict between Jane and David Schwimmer I mean John. Anything Mike, Bill and Kevin put in Jim’s mouth was golden (the spank bank line!)
Definitely coming back for SCATICB in December – was considering sitting it out for fear of repeated material but the Jack and the Beanstalk print discovery is pretty exciting.
Had some theater problems in Spokane, WA, (started about 15 minutes late) but they got it up and since we’re already on tape delay it didn’t effect anything. The theater seemed to be 3/4 full, as usual. I thought the short was really great and the movie itself was hilarious!
@ #43: The short’s year was listed as 1970.