An open thread for your comments on tonight’s RiffTrax Live show. My quick overview: They pulled it off, and did it with style.

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’!”