Update: Just a few thoughts:
I pretty much have the MST3K version of SCCTM memorized, having seen it probably more than any than any other episode. So I didn’t need to review it before seeing this. I DID, however, rewatch the Cinematic Titanic version (and I have to say that, on this viewing I didn’t like it quite as much as last time; though it’s very funny, I miss the live audience that makes the later shows so much fun). So I was ready to take note of any place where they borrowed riffs, and I think I can say for certain that they didn’t. But, in several places they DID do new riffs that were based on the same observation about the movie that previous riffers have noted. (Example: In the MST3K version, they observed that the Torg theme music was “the ‘Jeopardy’ theme in a minor key.” Last night they called it “Alex Trebek’s funeral music” and actually sang about four bars of how it would sound. Same observation, different variant of a joke, and, frankly, a funnier one.) But, frankly, on the third go-round, that’s almost unavoidable. Some of this movie’s crushing stupidity HAS to be mentioned, even if others have mentioned it before, using different words.
A few of the commenters have openly compared it to the MST3K version, and seem offended somehow that certain riffs from that version were missing, because they simply HAVE to be there. That, of course, is the inevitable downside of redoing a movie. It was the same when they redid “Manos.” For some of us, a certain moment of the movie will just cry out for somebody to say the riff that was done at the moment, and if you let that mindset take hold, then you are just going to be continuously disappointed for the entire show. I admit there were a few spots where I heard the MST3K riff in my head, but after a few minutes I let go of that and really just let myself laugh, which I did, a lot.
For the commenters asking about Bill: What happened was he flubbed a couple of lines. In one case, it was a REALLY long riff, maybe too long, because I think he just ran out of breath before he got to the end. Later, still stinging from that goof, he flubbed another line and, in his shame, dropped to his hands and knees and tried to slink off the stage, before being pulled back by Mike and Kevin. We love ya, Bill.
One bit I particularly liked was that SOMEBODY finally made the connection between the names Torg and Torgo. Of course, Manos came after SCCTM for MST3K, but I was amazed CT didn’t do it. (And by the way, in “Robot Holocaust” there’s an evil character named “Tork.” Somebody should do a linguistics paper on why that phoneme has such connotations of evil for script writers.) Yes, it was a big ol’ pander (which is maybe why CT avoided it). but I like those. I also liked the “Mr. B” callback during the short, which was really unavoidable.
One completely new observation I have to admit I had never noticed before, despite seeing this movie umpteen times, was the whole “C’mon, Betty! Wait, Betty!” thing. It set up a great running gag.
Oh, and can I just say that, seeing this on the big screen for the first time, WOW this is one weird mama-jama of a movie?
Fave riff from the short: “And…release the kraken.”
Fave riff from the movie: “Have a holly jolly ass-whoopin’!”
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I’ve seen all 10 Rifftrax Live events in the same cinema in Germantown, MD. There were a lot of people from the first one (Plan 9), but after that the audience was pretty small. However, there’s been a steady increase since those early days and now the shows are either sold-out or pretty close to being sold out.
My favorite part were the extended jet refueling scenes a la Starfighters. I don’t know why they cut that out of the MST version!!!
SOMEBODY finally made the connection between the names Torg and Torgo.[…] (And by the way, in “Robot Holocaust” there’s an evil character named “Tork.”
And let’s not forget actor Tor Johnson… (-:
I had seen the short film, riffed by a guy named Mike (aka Toast and Rice); so when I heard that name I was thrilled to see what the RT guys would do with it. And already knew about the annoying as hell
Middle ManagerJack in the Box. Man, that guy… :-?Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention is how happy I am that they FINALLY did the riff I’ve called out every time I’ve watched the movie in its previous riff incarnations: The paper towel rolls on the radar dish!
Sadly the theater messed up a bit and I missed the few few moments of the short, including the Mr. B Natural reference, but I did call the elf, “Mr. E Natural” in my head.
One last thing: I can eat candy!
Nice write up Sampo. I stated my concern about Bill above, but I was, of course, cracking wise. I could sort of tell that Bill had just run out of breath, which was funny in itself, but then we all of saw the glimpse of Bill physically dropping to the floor I thought it was hilarious. I really need to make the pilgrimage to Nashville to see one of these shows live.
Somewhat thin crowd at the Regal Cinemas in Lexington, KY. The dreary rain might’ve had something to do with that.
The short was a great find, definitely. They dragged out a few riffs a bit too much (the pandering Twilight riff might’ve worked better a LOT shorter than it came out), but it was otherwise another insane romp through the mind of Sid Davis. I like how they’ve developed a “voice” for Sid over the course of his not-as-numerous-as-Coronet shorts. And I found myself muttering “My God, it’s Mr. B Natural…” just a few seconds before they pulled out the Mr. B riff.
The movie itself was an interesting riff, largely because I’ve seen both the MST3K and CT versions before it (and will most likely purchase the RiffTrax VOD whenever it hits — I’ll note that SCCTM is in the public domain, so a studio version might even be possible). It’d be interesting to study the three as a comparison of the riffing styles of Joel-era MST3K, Cinematic Titanic, and RiffTrax. I can think of sections done better by each crew (for instance, the MST3K manic laughter part when Santa meets Bomar and Girmar is still the best version of that scene, I think, but the easy-to-miss “He’s making them laugh!” “That son of a bitch!” in the RT one caps it off better) and I doubt it’d be hard to put together a composite “greatest riffs” version.
At any rate, it was still a good riff, though I have to agree it picked up more in the middle than either end. A bit unbalanced, but still a fun holiday tradition.
2/3 full theater in Mission, KS. Mixed reactions to the Kansas City Royals crack (a sound not often heard at their games!).
There apparently was some sound of music event on TV last night. I wonder if that had an impact on RiffTrax attendance?
Lower than normal attendance at the Oldsmar theater (I think… I was down near the front and didn’t notice as many people coming in as usual). No weather excuses here!
Bizarre short… this was supposed to be entertaining for kids? The Snow Faerie Queen reminded me of Teri Garr in “Young Frankenstein”.
Favorite riff from the movie… shot of two Martians in the red cave: “It’s an ad for Mucinex!”
RE: The Torgo/Torg connection… I don’t think there’s a direct link between those two, but I think “Torg” got his name as an anagram of “Gort”, the giant robot from “The Day The Earth Stood Still”.
Was at the Metropolitan in Austin, TX with my 11-year-old niece. As I wrote before, this was her first exposure to MST3K-related humor. I was happy to see her get a good laugh out of the “Twilight” riff with the soldier and dancer in the short. Afterwards, using the laconic language of a tweener, she said she liked it, though she didn’t recognize all references. (I told her I don’t always, either.) I wonder how well others of y’all have fared in passing your love of the show to the younger generation?
The theater was small but quite full. I really liked the Alex Trebec funeral dirge. And there were some nice new observations. I’d say it was sort of low-key all ’round for me, cuz it’s been done before, like it or not. But jumpin’ jiminy, with everything up on the screen that big, the martians looked hideous. There was one scene where Kimar, I think it was, had makeup that was like a really dark stained olive and the others around him were much more pastel. The helmets, you could see all the outlines of like, tape, under the paint. And don’t get me started on the tights and little shorts…. :pain:
That was the first time that I really enjoyed watching a riff of that particular movie. Getting through the MST3K and CT versions is always tough for me, but this one was a joy. Thanks, Rifftrax!
Saw it in Newington, NH. The theater was probably only about one-third full.
As mstgator said, poor turnout in Oldsmar, FL. Not even half full.
Favorite riffs: The Alex Trebek Funeral March and ‘They’re confused because all the Santas are dressed the same?’ or however that riff went.
I’m surprised more people didn’t laugh at the ‘Rudolph, I need you tonight.’ I didn’t hear many laugh at the Belcourt either.
I will go on record and say I love this movie. I’ll watch it unriffed even. And I also never noticed the intense look of Voldar during the landing sequence. Cannot believe I missed that. What has been seen cannot be unseen.
Some thoughts on last nights show:
A packed possibly sold out show at the Lloyd Center10 Cinemas here in Portland OR. (of course the crowd liked the joke about hipster elves)
Their intro was dry and relied too much on them reading from paper (specifically the Wiki quotes). A couple jokes bombed.
Once we got into the short, the weirdness (and laughs) started…
Santa, you’re huge!
That brownie was. . . confusing.
Candy Lion can eat candy.
That Jack in the Box can just burn in hell as far as I’m concerned.
Overall, a pretty good short, but not as good as any of the shorts from their Xmas show in 2009.
Then we get Santa Claus Conquers the Martians . . . . .UNCUT!
It was neat (being so familiar with the MST3k version) to see new scenes in the movie. (Plane refueling?)
On the big screen, the cheapness of the movie really comes out. The face paint and the sets especially.
Also, the Martians are proud of their batches, aren’t they? They were on full display on the big screen.
I enjoyed this show a lot, I laughed. But still. . . .I prefer the MST version and was missing a few riffs in a few places. (“Lentils.”)
The new riffs, however, where pretty good, great even. The Daniel Plainview references were killer. Oh, and that Martian pulling those levers! How have I never noticed that!? And Chochem was a real scene stealer this time out.
I have yet to see the CT version of SCCTM, but plan on watching it next week.
And then I’ll watch the MST version because I do that every Christmas. (So that’s three viewings of SCCTM for me this month. Yikes!)
So yeah. Good show. I liked it. Overall, my least favorite Rifftrax show since House on Haunted Hill, altho I liked it better than that one.
@RaptorX8 #63: Good call on that “Rudolph I need you tonight” callback. Not only did nobody (seemingly) laugh at it at the Belcourt, but in my theater in Portland nobody laughed (including the two people I was with) except for me (loudly) and maybe one other guy in the back. I remember being like, “hmmm, nobody got that? That’s weird.. I thought that one was part of the MSTie lexicon now.”
There was just a handful or so of people at the Tinseltown USA in Layton, UT, but it may have been because of the icy cold weather, but still it was a very good show! I haven’t seen CT’s treatment yet and I’m not quite sure it tops the MST3K episode, but the RiffTrax guys did a pretty great job on riffing this one again, and the weird short was real funny too.
I agree with some others in that it started out a bit slow and the jokes might not’ve been quite as polished as some of their previous shows, but I still thought it was another solid effort from the RiffTrax guys!
DVDTalk’s review: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/62819/santa-claus-conquers-the-martians/
I know I’m late to this party but here goes. I and a friend saw this at the Rio 24 in Albuquerque, NM. Unfortunately there was a low turnout – theater was barely half full (again I think was also because of the cold weather although the friend I saw it with thought the reason for low turnout was that most MST fans have already seen this film.)
Film was great and even more strange on the big screen. You really do notice how awful the make-up jobs on the Martians. Also still can’t believe how slow Billy & Betty were – most kids that age today would’ve run for their lives if they saw Martians like who later tried to kidnap them.
I agree with most of the jokes highlighted here (“Alex Trebek’s Funeral Music” got the most laughs as did Voldar staring that the guy pulling the switches and yes “Rudolph I need you” didn’t get many “callback” laughs either. My fave though the “Bad Robot who makes those crappy TV shows” riff.) But I’m also surprised nobody mentioned the “Top Gun” riffs as I thought “Highway To The Manger Zone!” and “Let’s take a break from our homoerotic volleyball game” were great too. The short was also strange but fun (where do they find them?) and Snoopy certainly does Mr. B Natural a run for his/her money.
So obviously the show was super fun! I’m also going to compare notes on the original MST 3K & later Cinematic Titanic versions so this’ll be a very Merry Riffmas season for me!;)
ALSO I have to give BIG props to the Rio 24 Cinemark because the volume was pretty loud when early warm-up comedy bits started up (the music, the cards like the “Rejected Stocking Stuffer” bits) When my friend complained abou the volume I later saw one of the theater employees inspecting the place and asked if he could please turn the volume down. Guess what? he actually did it and the night was even more enjoyable:-))
Still can’t believe that in 2013 Rifftrax did 4 live shows (Manos, Starship Troopers, Night Of The Living Dead and now SCCTM.) I really thought they’d mainly do 2 (or maybe 3 at the most) a year but I’m just thankful that they do any.
@Rifftrax – do you think Mike, Kevin & Bill will do another 4 shows in 2014?
@63 and 65: Jokes like the Rudolph callback can be tricky. While it does feel like a pretty well-known gag, there are literally HUNDREDS of Rifftrax now; not every in-joke is gonna land with every crowd, because most people can’t watch everything.
It was fun to see on the big screen, and I’m glad they tackled it, but it was a hard one to live up to, I think. I’m always on the side of the RiffTrax guys, there was a lot they did right… but I also think they spaced the jokes out a little more than I liked, maybe just to avoid simply rephrasing some of the jokes from the MST3K version. I actually hate this movie, I can’t remember when I last liked it, I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact it’s essentially a comedy. People have pointed out before that it’s hard to riff a comedy with anything more than a sarcastic response to a failed joke.
I got to the theater late, went six miles in the wrong direction since they closed my old RiffTrax-friendly theater here in Louisville and I had to find another, but I caught enough of the short to really enjoy it. I’m always amazed at what previous generations considered whimsical and not bone-chilling and disturbing. There was a modest audience, not as big as Manos, as I remember it, but they were responsive. I appreciated the movie on its own terms, but it was also hard to shake some of the MST3K riffs out of my head. I don’t think anyone mentioned the similarities between Billy saying “You… Martian!” right after the polar bear scene and Bill saying, “Hey, that is OUR word!” while I remember Josh from the CT version saying an equivalent, “Whoa, he dropped the M-word.” Funny that no one addressed the “lower the landing legs” sequence with Voldar until now. For years I’ve taken issue with something in the movie that no one ever brings up, that Billy is outside trying to sleep under a tree in the middle of a winter, about four days before Christmas. Maybe this is an old holiday tradition, frostbite-baiting. I personally prefer napping in front of a fireplace.
My favorite RiffTrax shows have been the Christmas shorts and Birdemic, though Jack the Giant Killer did everything right as well. I personally think that doing the MST3K movies again sets RiffTrax up for comparisons to the old show that aren’t good for anybody, and I’m not trying to be negative, I think Manos was really funny, but I wish RiffTrax could balance the obvious need for advertising and getting the crowd into the theater with the things they do great. I’ve wondered if they would be able to do The Room, would that have any appeal for Misties, would it fail to resonate with the crowds that enjoy midnight showings of The Room? As a RiffTrax fan, I would love to see them do Buffalo Rider, Planet of the Dinosaurs, Neutron the Atomic Superman, or even just a night of favorite shorts like Shake Hands With Danger. That would make me happy, but whether or not they could satisfy all the Misties and get potential fans to come out and see them, well, I’m not sure my idea solves anything.
Regarding how Voldar intently stares at the guy lowering the landing legs, I can’t figure out how I never noticed that before. And now I can never unsee it again. Thanks a lot, Rifftrax. :P
#71
I re-watched the CT SCCTM last night and noticed that Voldar doesn’t stand out very much in that scene due to the positions of the riffers. It’s likely not as bad in the MST3K version but it is indeed something that isn’t easily noticed when the main focus/action of the scene is taking place on the other side.
#54: You say someone “finally” did a paper towel roll joke about the radar dish. In the original MST3K version, Servo DOES say “paper towel rolls on the patio table” or something to that effect.
I don’t know why some people think the jet refueling scene wasn’t in the original MST3K version – it was. There were some scenes that were cut, but the refueling scene was definitely in there; they make jokes about it and everything. :)
This version was good, as was the CT version, but the MST3K version is still my favorite. Maybe because it was the first one I saw and it was all new to me on first viewing. (I had seen the unriffed movie on TV as a kid, but, hey, robot puppets making jokes about Santa and Martians, that’s just good stuff).
There were some good laugh-out-loud moments Thursday night, but I can’t remember all the jokes. (Some were mentioned already).
That short. Uh…what is WRONG with people? Why, I ask, WHY? Why would anyone DO that???
So, overall, a fun night, but, come on – nothing can top the line, “Tonight, I’m a space pirate – permission to come aboard!”
Oh, and: If they REALLY wanted to pander, at the end they could’ve wished everyone a Patrick Swayze Christmas. :)
Considering what they had to work with, it was pretty good, though I laughed a lot more at the short than the movie. For some reason, my sister and I found the Jack-in-the-box extremely funny (in a disturbing way). We were laughing so hard, we were literally in pain. What made it even funnier was a guy nearby us who kept groaning in irritation every time “Jack” would appear on screen.
Later walking through the parking lot, my sister started laughing again, and then admitted that she thought she wet herself (I know, too much information!)
Fave movie riff: One martian enjoying using the landing gear A LOT, and the other martian watching him enjoy it!
I’ve wondered if they would be able to do The Room, would that have any appeal for Misties, would it fail to resonate with the crowds that enjoy midnight showings of The Room? As a RiffTrax fan, I would love to see them do Buffalo Rider, Planet of the Dinosaurs, Neutron the Atomic Superman, or even just a night of favorite shorts like Shake Hands With Danger.
@70: Mike has talked often in interviews about doing a Rifftrax Live show of The Room, but considering how protective Tommy Wiseau is of the rights now, it’s probably pretty unlikely. (Apparently Tommy has shot down RT’s attempts to get the rights to sell their commentary as a VOD. Also, he’s said that the film is now a comedy. No, really.) Plus, considering how there was a bit of an outcry over Starship Troopers being an R-rated live show, The Room would probably bring up the same complaints, especially if they were to try another Kickstarter to see if they can sway Tommy.
I’d love another Shorts-A-Palooza show. There would have to be new shorts, though – there’s only so many jokes that can be changed with a 10-15 minute short.
The Jack-In-The-Box
Now I have therapy bills
I can eat candy
#Haiku
Went to the Long Beach, CA Cinemark Theater, probably half full. Had a lot of fun, the short was bizarre, and I was glad they threw in a mention of Mr. B Natural just as I was thinking it! SCCTM is terrible, obviously, but I never get tired of watching it. Is it crazy that I think Ki-Mar is pretty good in it, also Voldar? I mean, it is a kids movie, so they play everything very broadly. Even Droppo doesn’t bug me too much, although on the big screen you can really see the mugging! And the guy who played Santa Claus was good. I know, it’s crazy, but I don’t think it is that bad! I keep hearing there will be a big budget remake, if so I would go :)
Question. Since “Santa Clause Conquers the Martians” has been done three times, does this make it the only movie that has been riffed by every single MST3K cast member who has ever riffed on the show?
To speak on “missing” riffs, because I mentioned the idea myself in a previous post: personally, I never expected any of the riffs from the MST3K or CT versions to actually be in there. But having seen both MST3K and CT do it previously, I felt there were certain spots in the film where a riff was supposed to go. Not a specific riff in particular, just some kind of riff. In the live show, it seemed like a lot of those spots were left empty, and so naturally I would hear a riff from one of the other versions in my head. I’m not saying it wasn’t a good show or that I didn’t have a blast at it, but it was an interesting experience for me. They didn’t seem to be commenting on a lot of the things I am used to seeing commented on, but making new observations. I probably should have expected that might happen.
@79 (Jeyl)
I think the only exception to that in terms of riffers is Jim Mallon. Otherwise, I think you’re right that it’s the only movie to have that distinction.
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