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‘The Great Pumpkin’ Meets RiffTrax

The folks at Mashable.com set this up.

26 Replies to “‘The Great Pumpkin’ Meets RiffTrax”

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  1. mbkerr says:

    Oh man, too funny! Please, more of this! A full-length riff of a Charlie Brown special, please! Oh hell, do all the movies as well!

       6 likes

  2. VeryDisturbing says:

    HOLY COW, this is hilarious!!!!!

    “The doctor is out, the stone-cold b**** is in!”

       6 likes

  3. Goshzilla says:

    I firmly believe than Lucy van Pelt is the second most unlikable fictional character in all of American pop culture, right behind the donkey from Shrek.

       10 likes

  4. CJBeiting says:

    Wait; what is this? Was this something they did during one of their Halloween shows?

       0 likes

  5. Ryan says:

    I liked this snippets of riffing. Not really sure why they wouldn’t do the whole thing. Unless it’s a licensing issue.

    Cinester Theater did a great riff of the whole thing.

       0 likes

  6. Thad says:

    “Avian bird flu”?

       0 likes

  7. edge10 says:

    Thad:
    “Avian bird flu”?

    You know, like “Manos” the hands of fate!

       0 likes

  8. goalieboy82 says:

    mbkerr:
    Oh man, too funny!Please, more of this!A full-length riff of a Charlie Brown special, please!Oh hell, do all the movies as well!

    well not all of the specials maybe:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Have_We_Learned,_Charlie_Brown%3F
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why,_Charlie_Brown,_Why%3F

       2 likes

  9. littleaimishboy says:

    Oh man that is just unbelievably lame. The pathetic original “Special” I mean, not the riffing.

    For those who weren’t there or otherwise missed it, “Peanuts” in its prime (circa 1956-1967) was a TERRIFIC comic strip, witty, original, inventive. Anybody who likes “Calvin & Hobbes” should rush out and buy the beautifully produced Fantagraphics reprints of the strip for those years, they’re totally worth it. Bill Watterson: “Schulz, in ‘Peanuts’, changed the entire face of comic strips … there’s not a cartoonist who’s done anything since 1960 who doesn’t owe Schulz a tremendous debt.”

    I don’t care so much for the later years of the strip, but a lot of people liked it. Anyway, 10+ years of brilliant material is a rare thing indeed.

       2 likes

  10. goalieboy82 says:

    would like to see this done (as a full special one day)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A15v4tTab0Y

       0 likes

  11. goalieboy82 says:

    by the way, the special is on tonight (Wednesday Oct 15th) at 8:30pm on ABC

       2 likes

  12. goalieboy82 says:

    if anyone watches the Great Pumpkin, eat some Zingers while watching.

       4 likes

  13. I can only hope they take on some of the lesser Peanuts specials like ‘It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown’ or ‘It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown’.
    Yes, those are things that actually exist.

       4 likes

  14. hellokittee says:

    John M. Hanna:
    I can only hope they take on some of the lesser Peanuts specials like ‘It’s Arbor Day, Charlie Brown’ or ‘It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown’.
    Yes, those are things that actually exist.

    Wow “Flashbeagle” was a real thing? I thought that was some sort of childhood NyQuil induced dream… A Peanuts film inspired by the popularity of a movie about an exotic dancer is begging to be riffed.

       1 likes

  15. Goshzilla says:

    *googles flashbeagle*

    … :eek:

    Fun fact I just learned: in the ’80s Sally was voiced by future popstar Fergie.

       1 likes

  16. Remmie Barrow says:

    It does answer a few questions about that special..(Like why Charlie Brown keeps getting rocks.)

       1 likes

  17. Torgospizza-NJ says:

    Anyone remember some of these lessor-known Peanuts specials?
    “It’s Crispus Attucks Day, Charlie Brown”
    “It’s Rubella Vaccination Day,Charlie Brown”
    “Schroeder’s Special Steuben Day”
    “It’s the Eid ul-Fitr Beagle”
    “Pigpen’s Quarantined at N.I.H.”
    “Patty and Marcy Got Married, You Blockhead”
    “Woodstock Freaks Out at Burning Man”
    “David Akers Can’t Kick Either, Charlie Brown”

    Did I miss any?

       5 likes

  18. radioman970 says:

    This RT is not my thing. I’m one who treasures this special as a part of my childhood, a special that is beloved by many more than me. I hate to see it trashed, but to each his own.

    Now, I’d LOVE to see the RT guys do the Unsolved Mysteries UFO episodes that are available in a 4 DVD set for like $20 on amazon. I’ve been watching some of those as part of my October viewing and they are a hoot by themselves! But the RT guys could do a number on those and for me those deserve it, not Great Pumpkin.

       1 likes

  19. EricJ says:

    It’s called “wit”, Mike–Charlie Brown may not be “funny” ha-ha, but he’s funnier than YOU.

    @13, 14 – Actually, Arbor Day is one of the better 70’s specials (Lucy & the girls turn the baseball field into a garden for their Arbor Day project just before the big game).
    Flashbeagle, however, is….best left forgotten. A sad attempt for the post-Vince Guaraldi 80’s specials to try and spin off novelty record albums, like the Simpsons did. In this case, a kids’ aerobics album, with Snoopy in Jane Fonda gear.

    @9 – Schulz’s Peanuts had a dry, quirky, oddball/philosophical wit that, like Calvin & Hobbes, was more suited to Joel’s dry, quirky, oddball/observational humor.
    RT, however, just wants “a Halloween title everyone knows”, since they already did the John Carpenter movie.

       1 likes

  20. EricJ says:

    And evidently, MK&B are more confident about the comic riffing potential of the material, since the riffs are now LOUDER and MORE ENTHUSIASTIC!! :)
    (Remember, “Nothing kills the joke faster than the comic’s desire to tell it…”)

       0 likes

  21. The Grackle of Weltschmerz says:

    Charles Schulz didn’t consider the TV specials to be canon, which permitted things like Flashbeagle and actually showing the Little Red-Haired Girl.

    I agree with #19 that the specials went downhill after Vince Guaraldi died — at least one new special a year was the norm at that point, no matter how lame it was. But, #9, I would extend the period of greatness for the comic strip into the early to mid ’70s, when Schulz’s personal life got really turbulent (divorce, affair). When his personal life settled down, the strip basically did too.

       1 likes

  22. Dan in WI says:

    radioman970:
    This RT is not my thing.I’m one who treasures this special as a part of my childhood, a special that is beloved by many more than me.I hate to see it trashed, but to each his own.

    Now, I’d LOVE to see the RT guys do the Unsolved Mysteries UFO episodes that are available in a 4 DVD set for like $20 on amazon.I’ve been watching some of those as part of my October viewing and they are a hoot by themselves!But the RT guys could do a number on those and for me those deserve it, not Great Pumpkin.

    Remember Rifftrax did Casablanca as Jaws. When they do something good they consider it a roast as opposed to a trashing vitriolic riff (Transformers/Twilight). I grew up absolutely loving the original Star Wars but still saw the humor in those Riffs. They only time I was ever nervous about a riff of of something I liked was Highlander and that turned out to be okay as well.

       2 likes

  23. radioman970 says:

    @22. It’s definitely a personal thing. I just have too much history or personal feelings tied up in these films/characters to watch them get roasted (good word for it). I have a great love for the Peanuts characters, even though I agree the specials they did over time got weak as times changed and many of us got older. There’s really nothing in the GP special that I can admit to hating in any way. I was often troubled by Charlie Brown only getting rocks, what’s wrong with those adults?! Bullies? lol But really it’s just showing how human he is… bad luck, but it’s okay. He got invited to a party. Yeah, Lucy acted like a mean little girl about it. But out RT guys call her a bitch? Lucy’s not a bitch. she’s a typical little girl character, and one I’ve treasured since I was young along with all the others. I found that joke offensive. Now, the “Heaven’s Gate” joke was funny. There’s a reason for each reaction from me. I guess the one about Lucy was too personal and low blow. Again, I’m a fan of these character regardless of them being fictional or not. I guess this really is a personal thing… there’s a lot more to say about many RTs I avoid. I certainly hope the guys make a good living on these, but they won’t sell a whole lot of them to me if they RT beloved Christmas Specials like this. I just don’t want it.

    JAWS and the original SW trilogy, I won’t touch those either. I’m not sure if they’ve done ET yet? I’m sure that would be an easy target…but not for me. Now, Mac & Me? They could do that one and I’d definitely be interested. there’s just a big different of opinion in what is acceptable and what isn’t. For me, I wish they’d stick with bad things. The Peanuts are beloved. Lord of the Rings is beloved. Star Wars is beloved (well, except that Christmas special which was very fun with RT), etc…

       1 likes

  24. Lisa H. says:

    Hey, I liked Willow Flashbeagle.

       5 likes

  25. goalieboy82 says:

    to add to #17
    its the tet offensive charlie brown (made in 1969 after the offensive)
    20 years later
    what’s vietnam charlie brown

       1 likes

  26. goalieboy82 says:

    why are we still about 10 charlie brown.
    we should be receiving social security by now charlie brown.
    and my all time favorite
    lucy is a bitch charlie brown

       1 likes

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