Dec 5th "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" Live

[Malt]

That's a mouthfull. I made a thread because it was inevitable. Discuss!


I'm not ashamed to admit I haven't seen any cut of this yet, so I'm super exited, it will be all new to me. However many of you certainly have varying opinions. Here's where the discuss part comes in.

[Edward J Grug III]

This was announced at the live show?

Wow. A third take? Interesting choice.

[Malt]

Indeed it was. I forgot to mention, it is official now.

[Long Tall Jodie]

It's less of an interesting choice and more of a really, really boring choice to me.  I'm sure it'll still be funny, but I've very little desire to see a third riffing on it.  I suspect I'll probably skip this one.

[Darth Geek]

I am looking forward to it, as I do all their Live shows. And the movie is so riffably rediculous that I am sure they will do a good job. It's just...they haven't exactly run out of riffable movies. And this isn't a title that will entice a non-MST3K fan to come in to watch the show.
Personally, I am hoping that the Starship Troopers show made enough money so they can be going more in that direction with their Live shows in the future.

[Pak-Man]

Technically, Night of the Living Dead has been riffed 3 times, too. And that was all by Rifftrax/Legend Films.

I'm jazzed for this one. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians was the episode that sold me on MST3K back when I first caught it in the MST3K Hour-Format, late at night after a long day at work. I fell in love with the show during the super-fake polar bear attack and never looked back.

I also like that we'll have a distinct way to compare and contrast riffing styles. We can study each version scene by scene and pick it apart if we want. :^)

[Trekker4747]

They way I look at it having Mike and Bill in on the riffing makes the repeat riffing worth it.  Yeah, Mike was a writer on MST3K when they did it but his performance as a riffer is much different than Joel's was. And the dynamic between these three guys (as opposed to the three characters on MST3K) is also different enough to make this repeat riffing well worth it.  I'll very likely check out this show even though I think the movie is very much a chore to get through (riffing or not.)

[Sugar Ray Dodge]

I've already gloated that I'm getting exactly what I wanted with this in other threads, so I'll just skip it here. Seriously, though, this is an awesome development. I stood up and cheered when I saw the spot for it before the show started. It is literally a dream come true and I bought 5 tickets this morning for it. This is going to be so much fun, I can hardly wait.

[TheUnabeefer]

I bought 5 tickets this morning for it.

Wow, you must really like it! You know that doesn't men you get to see it 5 times, right?!

[Sugar Ray Dodge]

I bought 5 tickets this morning for it.

Wow, you must really like it! You know that doesn't men you get to see it 5 times, right?!

Hardy-har. The other four tickets are for my brothers, my sister and sister in law.

[TheUnabeefer]

I bought 5 tickets this morning for it.

Wow, you must really like it! You know that doesn't men you get to see it 5 times, right?!

Hardy-har. The other four tickets are for my brothers, my sister and sister in law.

Sister, eh?

[Malt]

I've already gloated that I'm getting exactly what I wanted with this in other threads, so I'll just skip it here. Seriously, though, this is an awesome development. I stood up and cheered when I saw the spot for it before the show started. It is literally a dream come true and I bought 5 tickets this morning for it. This is going to be so much fun, I can hardly wait.

I saw those threads, it's been a bit of a wait but u got ur wish[es] (manos live VOD also)

[Malt]

I am looking forward to it, as I do all their Live shows. And the movie is so riffably rediculous that I am sure they will do a good job. It's just...they haven't exactly run out of riffable movies. And this isn't a title that will entice a non-MST3K fan to come in to watch the show.
Personally, I am hoping that the Starship Troopers show made enough money so they can be going more in that direction with their Live shows in the future.

You raise some good valid points. I do enjoy watching more familiar movies being riffed as well. So, there's that, plus it is a business at the end of the day.

However...

For me, since Night was my first Live rifftrax, I think I'm even MORE excited about Santa because of the fact that it is an obscure terrible movie, so this will enhance the feeling of the mst experience taking place inside an actual theater, if that makes sense.
I can totally see where other people are coming from though.

So, I think in the long run a mix of both would work perfectly, for me at least.

[oddstocks]

Wow. I'm a bit martianed out, but am intrigued by this news.

[AMKR]

I'm stoked - I know it'll be hilarious and will be a completely different dynamic than the other riffs (MST3K version and Cinematic Titanic version). I have no problem with them revisiting movies in the Live! format (no matter the case) as long as the jokes are fresh and new - because nothing is funnier and more fun than seeing it live in theaters with an audience (on screen, and in the actual theater). I'm sure this riff will be alot more hard hitting than the MST3K or Cinematic Titanic ones (and I loved them both) - as was the case with Manos Live. Like it was said earlier in this thread the dynamic is completely different and its worth it just to hear Bill, Kevin and Mike riff on it - no holds barred! muahahahaaa! Personally I liked the NOTLD Live version "Young President Obama! Thank god your here!" and every single riff on how angry Harry is (I always disliked the character) lmao (I may be paraphrasing but close) much better than the three-riffer VOD/DVD or the original mike-only version, but they're all great IMO (albeit those mike-only trax were intended to be commentaries, not so much 'riffs' - although the comedy was there, it was alot of interesting tid-bits about the film/actors etc). Infact across the board - every one that was a three riffer/mike-only turned Rifftrax Live - the Live version was ALWAYS the best. I wouldn't even mind it if they did Carnival of Souls Live (but then again I would also like more new movies, ala starship troopers - but good god man getting a better, attentive mixing engineer that works throughout the show - Couldn't hear a word you guys were saying most of the time, or only catch half a joke - and the treble Yoouuuch my ears are still ringing lol. I would also love to see a new 'VOD-type' (b-grade) movies in a Live Presentation - but who knows if thats a good business move (IE would people still come and see it if it's not well known).

Like others have said - this movie is just riffing gold - it could be freshly riffed as many times, as creativity allows IMO. Its just so damned goofy and surreal in this "childhood fever dream" sort of way lol.

Riffing NOTLD on near halloween was a good move IMO - it probably brought alot of new heads in who had never seen a Rifftrax - who just wanted to see Night of the Living Dead (probably for the first time) in a beautiful print Live on the silver screen, I would've gone no matter what it was, but I was pumped to see it in theaters, thats something I didnt think would happen ever being an older albeit classic film (Ive seee it riffed and unriffed probably a total of 25-30 times, but never in such good quality (although when the women screamed - the treble was ear shattering - other than that the mix was great, maybe a little loud - but I dont know how that works with simulcasts are the theaters in charge of the mixing or is it mixed live then simulcasted, now that I think of it I'm nott quite sure how that works either LOL maybe one helluva epic computer uploading to a satelite then downloaded by a computer in the theater? I mean thats alot of audio/video tracks to transmit EVERYWHERE in prestine quality, must be quite the operation.

I could tell alot of people we're there to see NOTLD (aswell as the riffing) and may have only heard of MST3K (because some of the comedic styling's that are staples of Riffing went over there heads, found myself a few others laughing hysterically when others (younger) didnt quite get it (obscure pop culture references, etc) but the place was packed, maybe 5 open seats in a huge theater and everyone was satisfied by the end.