RiffTrax Forum

General Discussion => General (Off-Topic) Discussion => Topic started by: Watchman on May 01, 2011, 08:05:55 PM

Title: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: Watchman on May 01, 2011, 08:05:55 PM
I'm wondering who else here suffers from depression (and is comfortable stating so)? Or anxiety, or any sort of psychological/neurological issues which impair quality of life.  I recall reading a member in this forum talking about suffering from depression (I believe the main topic was Lars Von Trier's alleged "depression" which resulted in Antichrist).

My real reason for getting into Rifftrax is this: it managed to make me laugh. Very few things do, especially most so-called "comedy" films. Few things are more alienating than sitting unresponsive in an audience filled with spasmodic laughter. And because I've been an introvert for most of my life, my perceived unresponsiveness got me tagged as an "elitist". Anyone else ever have this problem?

Listen, laughter feels good. But laughter isn't laughter if it's not an instinctive response. It's like... you don't choose humor, humor chooses you.

I've read some posts here from people saying they rarely get entertainment from movies sans Rifftrax. That Rifftrax is the only thing they can look forward to on a shitty day.

Depression or not, what do you think it is about Rifftrax (and/or MST3K) that makes us respond with laughter where conventional "comedy" films fail?

(There, that wasn't too depressing a read, was it? I was delicately trying to post about depression without being depressing.)
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: MSTJedi on May 01, 2011, 08:17:09 PM
I have to say that I'm a pretty melancholy guy. Never been officially diagnosed, but I've often wondered whether I have clinical depression or not. I hate comedy that centers around someone's embarrassment because I hate being embarrassed myself and can't help but empathize with the character, no matter how "good-natured" (or not) it may be. The sarcasm of riffing, though, is right up my alley. Taking movies and showing just how absurd they are, usually because they take themselves too seriously, is a lot funnier to me than any goofy pratfall or fart joke could ever be.
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: Watchman on May 09, 2011, 11:29:56 PM
Quote from: MSTJedi on May 01, 2011, 08:17:09 PM
I have to say that I'm a pretty melancholy guy. Never been officially diagnosed, but I've often wondered whether I have clinical depression or not. I hate comedy that centers around someone's embarrassment because I hate being embarrassed myself and can't help but empathize with the character, no matter how "good-natured" (or not) it may be.
Yeah, I feel the same way. I'm like an empath who tries to be nihilistic & distant because I don't want directors fucking with my emotions. The one "comedy of embarrassments I can think of that I love is Martin Scorsese's After Hours. Because it's such a black comedy that it almost feels like horror! Plus it's the closest a film has come to expressing my sentiments about New York City (well, that and CHUD). 

Meet The Parents is a film I can think of that I responded more with pity/annoyance than laughter.

The Nutty Professor also comes to mind in this respect (the Eddie Murphy version). "We'll laugh at his fat-induced predicaments, but we'll also show him to be noble, sensitive & rootworthy."

These Hollywood comedies try to have it both ways. "The 40 Year Old Virgin Meets The Fockers"

Quote from: MSTJedi on May 01, 2011, 08:17:09 PM
Taking movies and showing just how absurd they are, usually because they take themselves too seriously, is a lot funnier to me than any goofy pratfall or fart joke could ever be.

Which is why I love when MKB tear apart a film that's shamelessly manipulative. Independence Day comes to mind, the scene when
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
That sort of crap makes me feel the bile rising to the back of my throat.
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: MSTJedi on May 09, 2011, 11:46:01 PM
Quote from: Mr. Katonic on May 09, 2011, 11:29:56 PM
Quote from: MSTJedi on May 01, 2011, 08:17:09 PM
Taking movies and showing just how absurd they are, usually because they take themselves too seriously, is a lot funnier to me than any goofy pratfall or fart joke could ever be.

Which is why I love when MKB tear apart a film that's shamelessly manipulative. Independence Day comes to mind, the scene when
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
That sort of crap makes me feel the bile rising to the back of my throat.

See, that kind of crap still always gets me . . . when I'm just watching the movie anyway. I find myself choking up, even though I know it's all a matter of manipulation through sappy dialogue and mood music. Of course, I never try to show it affects me. I'm Mr. Apathy, after all.
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: TeamRAD on May 10, 2011, 05:27:41 AM
Quote from: Mr. Katonic on May 01, 2011, 08:05:55 PM
I'm wondering who else here suffers from depression (and is comfortable stating so)? Or anxiety, or any sort of psychological/neurological issues which impair quality of life. 

Moi.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, it's been very scary and lonely at times, but yet fascinating w/ how resilient I've become. The house dealt me an insane hand of cards, and finally, I'm ahead.

:)

And if Meet the Parents puts a smile on anyone's face...more power to them!

Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: RVR II on May 10, 2011, 10:15:26 AM
I get depressed when I don't hear about another RiffTrax release for almost a month :( :'(
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: Danecho1967 on May 10, 2011, 10:39:39 AM
I think the funny thing about MST3K and Rifftrax is the feeling of spontenaety.  The Riffs don't feel contrived and scripted (even though they actually are).  It just feels like you are sitting behind some funny guys at a movie theater who are responding to what they see in real time.

Spontaneous humor is the best, I think, because it feels more "real".   Traditional commedies rely on contrived situations for humor to occur in.  Most of the good situations have been used so much, we know what the joke will be before the movie gets to the punch line.  Sometimes the situation is just not funny at all.  I haven't seen "That Movie with Robert Downey Jr. and the douchebag from 'The Hangover'" yet, and probably won't.  Reason?  The "coffee scene" from the trailer (which I am to assume is one of the "funnier" parts of the movie).  You can only suspend disbelief so much.  No one, and I mean NO ONE who has ever seen coffee would confuse cremated human remains for coffee.

But I digress.

So, the spontaneous and freeform nature of riffing has an appeal that traditional comedy rarely can rise to.  In my opinion.  My favorite comedy TV show of all time is Whose Line Is It Anyway.  (I've seen every episode of both the UK and US versions.)  So, maybe I'm just partial to unscripted (or seemingly unscripted) humor.
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: Watchman on May 12, 2011, 08:31:00 PM
Quote from: Danecho1967 on May 10, 2011, 10:39:39 AM
You can only suspend disbelief so much.  No one, and I mean NO ONE who has ever seen coffee would confuse cremated human remains for coffee.
It's not even an original gag. I recall an episode of Night Court my parents watched when I was a kid.... "That's not herb tea! That's Herb!"

Quote from: Danecho1967 on May 10, 2011, 10:39:39 AM
So, maybe I'm just partial to unscripted (or seemingly unscripted) humor.
Do you like Curb Your Enthusiasm? Most of the dialogue is improvised or brainstormed momentarily before shooting.


As for depression in movies, what do y'all think of that Mel Gibson movie The Beaver? If you don't know what I'm talking about:
Quote
Suffering from a severe case of depression, toy company CEO Walter Black (Mel Gibson) begins using a beaver hand puppet to help him open up to his family. With his father seemingly going insane, adolescent son Porter (Anton Yelchin) pushes for his parents to get a divorce. Jodie Foster directs and co-stars as Walter's wife in this family comedy that also features Riley Thomas Stewart and Jennifer Lawrence.
http://www.ebertpresents.com/movies/the-beaver (http://www.ebertpresents.com/movies/the-beaver)

Yes, the same Anton Yelchin who played Chekov in the 2009 Star Trek.
Title: Re: Rifftrax fans w/ depression?
Post by: Danecho1967 on May 14, 2011, 04:29:30 PM
Quote from: Mr. Katonic on May 12, 2011, 08:31:00 PM
Do you like Curb Your Enthusiasm? Most of the dialogue is improvised or brainstormed momentarily before shooting.
I like the concept of the the show, but I'm not too crazy about Larry David.  He's just not terribly funny to me.  I kinda started to break down the eps into two catagories, those where he says something dumb when he shouldn't talk at all, and those where he remains silent when he should speak up and clear things up.

Funny thing is, my ex loved Curb and hated MST3K, while I loved MST3K and was kind of "meh" about Curb.