I would say if it’s OK for someone to make a movie about it — heavily fictionalized and hugely profitable — then it’s also OK to make fun of that movie. Not of the event itself, of course, but of the movie.

Bill confirmed on Twitter they’re keeping the “sink this bitch” line.

It’s Ok to make fun of the movie…even when the movie itself, no matter how heavily fictional, depicts the death of 1490 people? I don’t get that at all. I do understand your point about making heavy profit based on real life events, The Passion is good example of this.

So Eric, should Rifftrax queue up World Trade Center next? You said its Ok to make fun of a movie, not the event itself. Maybe the events of 9/11 would be a fun movie to make fun of, in your opinion?

Are you seeing my point at all?

It’s not like they’re riffing Oliver Stone’s “9-11.”

I didn’t know ‘Titanic’ the movie was so sacred.

Yeah, death is a tough subject, but it’s been with us since Adam & Eve first sinned.
Titanic is one of millions of movies and tv shows since the industry began that have dealt with real life subjects, but that doesnt make them sacred and immune from criticism.

To say Rifftrax is crossing the line by riffing on the movie ‘Titanic’ strikes me as a completely ridiculous charge. And while I respect every individual’s right to an opinion, it doesn’t mean I can’t shake my head, roll my eyes, and laugh at it.

May I express an opinion?

Years ago, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” had a flashback episode where Rob was certain that, at the hospital, his and Laura’s baby got switched with the baby of a couple named Peters. Rob was so convinced that he called the other couple and invited them over to talk about it. Well, they arrive and Rob is realizes how wrong he was…since the other couple is African-American.

When this episode was made, some people at CBS told Executive Producer Sheldon Leonard that he couldn’t do this story because they felt the show was making fun of the fact that the other couple was black. Leonard answered, “No, we’re not. We’re making fun of the fact that Rob is a dope!”

Rifftrax is not making fun of the fact that nearly 1500 people died. They’re making fun of the fact that the movie is a sappy mess. There is a difference, and I’m sure they’ll keep that in mind.

If they make a horrendous movie about two star-crossed lovers (from two different castes) who spend 10 minutes getting to know each other before being hopelessly in love….and 70 years later after a lifelong marriage he’s the one she thinks about in death — then yes a 9/11 may be acceptable nearly 90 years later. If they resurrect a Celine Dion song to go along with it, then it should be required.

Both 9/11 and Titanic were horrible tragedies. It makes neither the Titanic movie or the awful songs (either protesting Bush or capitalizing on the event itself) sacred.

Kentonic #12…

I give it ten years before we see the movie you describe. Complete with a vapid pretty boy going WOOOOOO on the roof.

OH SPLIT HAIRS WHY DON’T YOU

If they were riffing “A Night to Remember,” which is much more factually based on actual events, the poster who thought this was “crossing a line” might have something vaguely approaching a point.

But it isn’t, so he doesn’t.

I mean, by his logic, “Towering Inferno” represents everyone who was EVER killed in a burning building; “The Poseidon Adventure” can’t be touched because some people have in fact drowned in sinking ships, and “Airplane!” is a shocking example of bad taste — people HAVE been killed in air disasters, you know!!

Puh-lease. Titanic was ****e. Even the author of “A Night to Remember” thought so (publicly, I might add). The *film* is fair game for riffing, belittlement, and other such mockery.

One wonders what the original poster would make of “Springtime For Hitler” …

Why are so many attacking MeMyselfand! for his opinion? I see nothing wrong with what he has stated, it’s a fair opinion. Sheesh…. you posters, sometimes….

Of course they can’t riff Titanic! The McKinnley assasination just became acceptable to joke about. Barely.

Chas M has hit the nail on the head.
By MeMyselfAnd!’s logic, riffing on RED ZONE CUBA (based on the bay of pigs which was a real life subject in which people died) was crossing the line (or as restated “in very bad taste”).

And don’t tell me the amount of people that died makes any difference. Even one person dying is bad enough. Death is a terrible thing period. So if you are going to say riffing on Titanic is in very bad taste, you have to say it is very poor taste to riff on any movie in which a person dies.

As far as I’m concerned they committed the ultimate insult to everyone who died on the Titanic when they decided to make a film that wasn’t actually about those events, but instead just used those tragic events as the backdrop for a fictional “love” story that was so cliched, predictable, and boring that it be an embarrassment even if it were just a Harlequin romance novel. I’ll happily make fun of such a ridiculous movie and feel no guilt. This movie does not honor or respect those who died in the historic events it so callously uses to “thrill” audiences, and so there is no reason to honor or respect it.

This Guy #5: me too. I have actively avoided seeing this movie simply because it was so super-popular, and I can’t stand girlboy Leo.

What a disappointment! I, for one, was truly hoping that rifftrax would finally give the all people involved in the real-world Titanic incident the savage vocal beat-down they’ve been asking for all these years!!!

…

I’m kidding, of course.

That should have been obvious but if some people on here believe that was the way rifftrax was going with this one, I guess I can’t be too sure.

Cronkite has it down pat; if James Cameron wouldn’t take the subject matter seriously, why the hell should we?

One problem, though: isn’t Titanic split across two discs? How are they going to keep things synched up?

Opinions, by the way, are not by any stretch of the imagination unassailable, bulletproof holy writ. Especially when they’re based on faulty logic or lack of facts. I don’t know where this notion came from, but can it go back now?

I actually think that this glorified Harlequin romance of a movie was more offensive to the victims of the sinking than any riffs could possibly be.

I’m looking forward to this one.

@#33
Yeah, nothing about the Titanic could EVER be worse that that…thing.

Wow, 40 comments already for the mere announcement of RT’s Titanic. Must be a record for this website.

I for one was glad to see this as MSTies/RT fans have long requested a full riff of this film, not just the trailer from the Summer Blockbuster Special. This suggests to me that Cameron’s silly looking Avatar will be riffed when released on DVD next year.

Most of this discussion has been in response to poster #1’s decision not to watch this particular Rifftrax product. ‘Crossing the line’ and ‘in very bad taste’ are very subjective when dealing with comedy. Your mileage may vary. The following quote says more about his/her POV than anything they wrote about the film “Titanic” itself:

MeMyselfand! @ comment #4: “I do understand your point about making heavy profit based on real life events, The Passion is good example of this.”

That’s a joke, right?

I watched 5 minutes of this once. The dialogue was so cliche and sappy I think my ears started bleeding. RT will most likely be making fun of the FICTIONAL events that was shoehorned into a real life disaster for our entertainment and amusement. Perhaps they should riff Raise The Titanic next. Oh and I’ve never seen so many people whine except for when they riffed The Dark Knight. Get over it!

I cannot wait. I got dragged to a showing of this when it was out. Theater packed and full of women. At the end when old Rose threw the necklace into the sea (and all the women in the theater were sniffling and bawling), I laughed like a bastard.

She screwed those researchers and their hard work good! It was HILARIOUS!

geez, it must be too soon for memyselfand!. That’s how I felt about Touch of satan for a split second then I screamed “Burn the Witch”

Sorry for the double post.
This part was a quote from #4:
“It’s Ok to make fun of the movie…even when the movie itself, no matter how heavily fictional, depicts the death of 1490 people? I don’t get that at all. I do understand your point about making heavy profit based on real life events, The Passion is good example of this.

So Eric, should Rifftrax queue up World Trade Center next? You said its Ok to make fun of a movie, not the event itself. Maybe the events of 9/11 would be a fun movie to make fun of, in your opinion?

Are you seeing my point at all?” - MeMyselfand!

The Passion was based on REAL life events??

I’d like to see proof of that.

The last 2 sentences were all me.

Just had to clarify.

okay should have previewed that, my what horrible speeling, never do this after ten hour shift!!!!

The only way to watch this overrated and bloated movie is with Rifftrax.Listen,if they were making fun of the people that died on that ship,then I would take issue,but since they’re not,I say,Riff away!! However,I would take issue with them doing Schindler’s List because it focuses on those who died,as well as Liam Neeson’s character.No sappy love story at all.But,since this is about Titanic,I’d say,go at it Rifftrax-sink the fricking ship!!

Um, just so it’s clear, I don’t REALLY want to see Rifftrax do Schindler’s List…

Thanks alot Mike. I had never seen it and now you went and ruined it for me.
You could have at least put “Spoiler Alert”.

I’m fine with them riffing “titanic”. concerning the first post, I thought about whether it would be appropriate for them to riff a documentary about the Titanic. This led to thinking about documentaries and ended with me settling on the idea that it would be a wonderous thing if they ever riffed the old “In search of” show with Leonard Nimoy. That would make me happy. That and old episodes of Love Boat or Fantasy Island. But yeah, Titanic is fine too.

#24 :”Death is a terrible thing period”

How do you know, MS?! Have you ever died?

…oh, for the living, maybe?

I think I might actually watch this one…

Mark: Now that you mention it, aside from Bernard Hill (he played King Theoden, remember?), few of the non-DiCaprio cast members have appeared in anything watchable since then. Did anyone actually watch The Reader, including the cast and crew?

So proud to admit I watched it alone in the theater near the end of its run. And I enjoyed most of it. I have a very sappy side, the same side that enjoys the “St. Elmo’s Fire” lovetheme with complete impunity. As well as all the best romantic moments of the “Titanic” film, with its nude modeling and antique auto window-steaming fornicado. But even I must loudly yawp about how broudly drawn and howlingly rendered was Billy Zane’s character. And that is the, pardon the expression, tip of the iceberg of offenses. So I say, have at it, Trax of Riff.

The gang and I are watching it tonight. I worked as a theatre manager when this was out. It spent 18 weeks in our largest house and I saw so many bits and pieces through out that time that collectivly I’ve seen this movie about 20 times. One more can’t hurt. Let the riffing roll!

Interesting tangential discussion about what is appropriate for riffing, or more broadly, perhaps what is appropriate for comedy.

As others have pointed out, making fun of fictional characters, the massive ego of James Cameron, and the actors involved in the movie should be fine. I doubt very much that the Riffers made jokes about real people who actually died, or made light of the event itself. A fine line, perhaps, but a line nonetheless.

I assume that everyone here has no problem with M*A*S*H or Hogan’s Heroes, which made comedy out of war and death (in very different ways, of course) while never making fun of any real people (except, of course, the Nazis in Hogan’s Heroes). Somehow we have managed to make comedy out of tragedy before, and the world has gone right on spinning.

Schindler’s List keeps coming up. The reason it is not very mockable is that it treats its source material - real people in real situations - with care, respect and dignity. It is clearly crafted not to be simple entertainment. Cameron, on the other hand, just used the Titanic tragedy as a backdrop for his teen romance and special effects orgy.

To me, the real tragedy here is this awful movie, with its cliched dialogue and teen heartthrobs, as well as the hordes of people who insisted upon seeing it several times, and that stupid song which you could not get away from.

So I’m glad RT knocked it down a peg, and hope they continue to take the piss out of the Hollywood ego factory.

Rifftrax should do Ilsa: She-Wolf of the S.S. next.

C’mon people…MST3K & their chief riffers make fun of movies right. They weren’t too hard on somebody getting sold to slavery in Hellcats, the death at the finale of Super Agent Secret Dragon, or just about any other morbid scene they ever sat in front of. They’ll know how to treat the horrendous scenes depicted in Titanic. They’re pros.

Titanic was a good movie. I really hated Billy Zane’s character, so I think that aspect worked.

That being said, I never need to see it again.

I wish the guys would do a Live Riff event on New Years Eve of “The Posiedon Adventure!”