Mystery Science Theater 3000: A Cultural History by Matt Foy & Christopher J. Olson

Author:Matt Foy & Christopher J. Olson [Foy, Matt & Olson, Christopher J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Performing Arts, Television, History & Criticism, Genres, Science Fiction; Fantasy & Horror, Comedy
ISBN: 9781538173497
Google: GAoPEQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2024-08-20T08:00:00+00:00

“THIS IS NO TIME TO QUOTE TIRED INTERNET MEMES, SIR!”: RIFFTRAX AND THE REBIRTH OF RIFFING IN THE DIGITAL ERA

On July 20, 2006, Nelson ushered movie riffing into the internet age with the launch of RiffTrax, a web-based riffing project producing pre-recorded audio commentary tracks distributed digitally and independently of the movies being riffed. Consumers could download and sync the MP3 file to their copy of the movie, at last circumventing the shackles of copyright and traditional media distribution. RiffTrax began with Nelson performing solo, first riffing his beloved Road House, followed by The Fifth Element, Cocktail, xXx, and the Britney Spears road movie Crossroads. Nelson was soon joined by Murphy, then Corbett, with the three forming the core of RiffTrax and riffing hundreds of movies as a trio. Later, MST3K alums Bridget Jones-Nelson and Mary Jo Pehl came on board as Bridget and Mary Jo, as did occasional celebrity guests such as Yankovic, Fred Willard, Joel McHale, and Neil Patrick Harris.

To analyze RiffTrax’s riffing on a micro level could span its own tome due to the sheer scope of films riffed and the abundance of creativity on display. Corbett, Murphy, and Nelson join forces hundreds of times, utilizing riffing techniques discussed in chapter 3 while experimenting with the form. Corbett, Murphy, and Nelson take on new and risqué genres (blaxploitation, R-rated slashers) and work too blue for TV (during the orgy scene from disco-era musical The Apple, Murphy opines, “I wonder if the cinematographer intentionally put that Vaseline on the lens or if it just sort of happened”). They both revisit the glory days of MST3K (producing new riffs of classics such as Manos, Space Mutiny, Time Chasers, and Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders) and developed their own lexicon of references separate from the MST3K oeuvre, taking on new challenges ranging from riffing “good” movies (e.g., The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, It’s a Wonderful Life) to sub- Manos Z-grade schlock seemingly beneath contempt such as Things, Feeders, or the dregs of Joe Estevez’s filmography (such as the mind-boggling atrocity Rollergator).

As with any successful spinoff of a beloved classic, RiffTrax has both developed its own dedicated fanbase while leaving some longtime MST3K fans pining for the more appreciative, less dismissive tone of the show’s earlier era (i.e., the Joel years). RiffTrax’s distinctive voice and aggressiveness in dismantling the films they riff inspires reflection and discussion online about the roles of appreciation and generosity in riffing bad movies. Does a soulless Hollywood blockbuster like the worst of Michael Bay’s Transformers movies equally deserve to be riffed with fondness as Ed Wood’s pugnacious-yet-lacking Bride of the Monster ? As critics, do passion projects that fall to pieces on screen (e.g., The Room, Birdemic: Shock and Terror, Miami Connection) deserve respect and charity based on the merits of their spiritually grandiose conceptions? Do fans want to see sacred cows like Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, Doctor Who, or Mothra riffed in the first place? These ongoing conversations contribute to critical conversations of the goals and techniques of not just riffing but broader media criticism.

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