THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING! COMING SOON!

[Hank]

If you look on youtube, you'll see tons of LOTR comedy clips, and the guys that did them probably speak elvish (not talking about The King, thankyouverymuch)




BTW, will this one be more expensive, considering it's almost twice as long as most offerings?

[Pak-Man]

Dont forget, it is the Theatrical Version

This hurts, since I think I own every rifftrax AND legend film release with Mike's Commentary but...

I may have to pass, I only own the extended editions.  And to be honest, I'm not really comfortable with movies I love like the Matrix and LOTR being riffed on.

Just my $.02

I also don't enjoy seeing good movies being riffed, especially ones that MN allegedly likes himself. I don't mind if we disagree on whether The Matrix is a good movie. That's a difference of opinion. But when you start riffing movies that you yourself like, that's a totally different story. To say that LOTR is a riff-worthy movie, in the same general category as Roadhouse, Crossroads, XXX, Cocktail, etc., is to me a disturbing idea. Rifftrax may become more popular by cracking jokes about LOTR, but that doesn't mean it is becoming a better product or doing the right thing. As we MST3K and MN fans are well aware, popularity does not necessarily equal goodness and integrity. It seems that Rifftrax should change its slogan to: "ALL movies have it coming!" For, there seems to be no movie it is unwilling to pick apart.

I've purchased every Rifftrax except The Matrix, and even though I don't especially care for LOTR, I also won't be buying it as a matter of principle. I don't want to encourage MN to riff movies that he mostly likes. 

It's not about whether the movie is good or not. The fact that Mike is willing to do a movie he enjoys shows that Riffing is not, and has never been, an act of hatred or malice (With the possible exception of Ep. 1. ;^)) Riffing is a neutral thing. It can be applied to great cinema and bad cinema. Is there anything wrong with looking at the Mona Lisa, making a joke about why she's smiling, and snickering with your friends about it? Is there anything wrong with reading a favorite book and giggling at the characters? For that matter, is it wrong to make jokes about Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare's plays, or the OT Star Wars movies? I think not. If mery making can be made, I say make it! Saying Mike shouldn't do LOTR because he likes it is like saying that if you like something it should never be an object of humor. I make the best jokes about the things that I love, and I'm willing to bet Mike does too. Can't wait to see what comes out of this!

[darthvedder81]

It's not about whether the movie is good or not. The fact that Mike is willing to do a movie he enjoys shows that Riffing is not, and has never been, an act of hatred or malice (With the possible exception of Ep. 1. ;^)) Riffing is a neutral thing. It can be applied to great cinema and bad cinema. Is there anything wrong with looking at the Mona Lisa, making a joke about why she's smiling, and snickering with your friends about it? Is there anything wrong with reading a favorite book and giggling at the characters? For that matter, is it wrong to make jokes about Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare's plays, or the OT Star Wars movies? I think not. If mery making can be made, I say make it! Saying Mike shouldn't do LOTR because he likes it is like saying that if you like something it should never be an object of humor. I make the best jokes about the things that I love, and I'm willing to bet Mike does too. Can't wait to see what comes out of this!


I agree with this 100%. I'll take PHANTOM MENACE over any of the LOTR movies anyday but I can endure the scorn of MN and KM for the sake of some good laughs. Star Wars fans have been taking it on the chin for the last month on this board anyway. Deal with it hobbit kissers!

[dignan]

Dont forget, it is the Theatrical Version

This hurts, since I think I own every rifftrax AND legend film release with Mike's Commentary but...

I may have to pass, I only own the extended editions.  And to be honest, I'm not really comfortable with movies I love like the Matrix and LOTR being riffed on.

Just my $.02

I also don't enjoy seeing good movies being riffed, especially ones that MN allegedly likes himself. I don't mind if we disagree on whether The Matrix is a good movie. That's a difference of opinion. But when you start riffing movies that you yourself like, that's a totally different story. To say that LOTR is a riff-worthy movie, in the same general category as Roadhouse, Crossroads, XXX, Cocktail, etc., is to me a disturbing idea. Rifftrax may become more popular by cracking jokes about LOTR, but that doesn't mean it is becoming a better product or doing the right thing. As we MST3K and MN fans are well aware, popularity does not necessarily equal goodness and integrity. It seems that Rifftrax should change its slogan to: "ALL movies have it coming!" For, there seems to be no movie it is unwilling to pick apart.

I've purchased every Rifftrax except The Matrix, and even though I don't especially care for LOTR, I also won't be buying it as a matter of principle. I don't want to encourage MN to riff movies that he mostly likes. 

It's not about whether the movie is good or not. The fact that Mike is willing to do a movie he enjoys shows that Riffing is not, and has never been, an act of hatred or malice (With the possible exception of Ep. 1. ;^)) Riffing is a neutral thing. It can be applied to great cinema and bad cinema. Is there anything wrong with looking at the Mona Lisa, making a joke about why she's smiling, and snickering with your friends about it? Is there anything wrong with reading a favorite book and giggling at the characters? For that matter, is it wrong to make jokes about Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare's plays, or the OT Star Wars movies? I think not. If mery making can be made, I say make it! Saying Mike shouldn't do LOTR because he likes it is like saying that if you like something it should never be an object of humor. I make the best jokes about the things that I love, and I'm willing to bet Mike does too. Can't wait to see what comes out of this!

Word.  I mean, damn dudes, it's only a movie.

[AmandaGal]

I think some people take movies too seriously and I think that was part of the "idea" behind mst3k and now rifftrax.

These things are just entertainment.  There's more than one way to be entertaining.  I love the Matrix and I loved Mike's version of it.  I'm going to show the LOTR rifftrax to psychofan teen and see if she likes it, I can almost promise she'll laugh even though she is the biggest LOTR geek I've ever seen, she worships the movies and has maps of Middle Earth plastered on her walls. 

Another part of it is that whenever something becomes as popular as LOTR and as revered by some as LOTR, you gotta take a step back from the "fandom" and remember, it's just a movie.  It's not made to be revered and inspire your life, it's a movie.  It's entertainment.  There's been plenty of parodies of LOTR (Mike, Kevin and Bill did one themselves).  Why not riff the source?  That's not to say it's not good (although not my cup of tea) but it's not holy.

Of course, if it's not your thing don't buy it. I know I'm not going to change any opinons, but I'm all for Mike riffing what he wants to riff!

[mrbasehart]

Hm.  Will the MP3 be broken in two to accommodate people with the flip disc version? Or will there be an option of downloading it for the different versions?

[ScottotD]

Dont forget, it is the Theatrical Version

This hurts, since I think I own every rifftrax AND legend film release with Mike's Commentary but...

I may have to pass, I only own the extended editions.  And to be honest, I'm not really comfortable with movies I love like the Matrix and LOTR being riffed on.

Just my $.02

Same reason I didn't buy Halloween. 

[Winterkid]

There were parts of Star Wars: Episode 1 I really enjoyed, but the rifftrax just enhanced it.  Hell, I might still watch it without the rifftrax if I were in the mood.  I enjoyed Episode 3 a lot more than 1 though.

I loved Lord of the Rings and the other two movies, but when they release them, I am SO gonna buy then, download them, and laugh my lily white butt off at all the various riffs.  And when Mike and any companions he has, makes fun of Frodo, Bilbo and all the other weird characters Tolkien came up with.

[Minnesota]

Hm.  Will the MP3 be broken in two to accommodate people with the flip disc version? Or will there be an option of downloading it for the different versions?

huh?

[Hugo]

Is there anything wrong with looking at the Mona Lisa, making a joke about why she's smiling, and snickering with your friends about it?

If you stood there for a week, writing 2 hours worth of jokes about everything from her smile to the individual brushstrokes, and then you recorded your jokes on CDs and tried to sell them to people outside the Louvre so they too could hear your jokes while they looked at the painting, if you did that then, yes, I would say there is something wrong with that. There is a big difference between making a juvenile comment or two in passing to your buddy while you admire the Mona Lisa, and making it part of your professional career to riff a good movie.

[AmandaGal]

riff a good movie

But isn't "Good" subjective? Doesn't "good" depend on what specific aspect you're talking about? Can any movie truly be "good" on all levels.  I don't think it can be.  You can always find one aspect (cheesy acting and lines in the Matrix) that isn't as "good" as it could be.  However, I don't think Mike and the gang are spiteful enough to just be looking for flaws to tear down great films.

The real question is, does a film have to be bad to be "teased."  I've said it before on this board and I'll say it again, I think it's an honor to be riffed.  These guys love movies and to tease the film is like paying homage to it.  Is it that film is BAD enough to be riffed? I don't think so.  I don't think it ever was.  The film is entertaining enough to be riffed.  I always thought mst3k did the best of bad movies.  Now they're doing the best of hit movies. 

I don't get why people think only horrible movies should be riffed.  If you can't tease the ones you love, who can you tease?  Riffing doesn't equal ripping the movie a hole (I admit I haven't heard the star wars riff which it sounds like riffing did equal ripping the movie a hole in that case).  Riffing just equals having some fun with the movie.  Does a movie have to be bad to have some fun with it?  Do you think Mike really hates Roadhouse?  He writes about it in everything he writes.  Do you think the "brains" really all hated B movies and still watched them everyday for 10 years?  I can't say for sure, but I doubt it is bitter hatred.   

I don't think to do LOTR ranks the movie with Crossroads and Roadhouse either.  It's just the next project.  It's not saying the movie is better or worse than any of the others.  I think they've done a wide variety of really crappy movies to blockbuster hits so it's hard to say the pattern is utter crap (although Crossroads is utter crap).

I think there is a stigma that riffing means the movie is inherently bad.  Good movies can be riffed too if the subject matter is right and what isn't funny about a bunch of elves and hobbits? 

but I'll be quiet because I don't like LOTR anyway :-)

[SmilinJackRoss]

Hm.  Will the MP3 be broken in two to accommodate people with the flip disc version? Or will there be an option of downloading it for the different versions?

It works for BOTH the original theatrical release, and the rereleased theatrical release which is a double-sided disc. And the rifftrax accounts for BOTH so don't worry bout none, ya'll =)

[Conor]

Hm.  Will the MP3 be broken in two to accommodate people with the flip disc version? Or will there be an option of downloading it for the different versions?

Yes it's going to come as two MP3s.  There will be instructions at the end/beginning of the first/second MP3 to tell you what to do, either flip the disc over or go to a certain chapter and pause and wait for a cue.  It's alot easier than it sounds, it's pretty much just starting over halfway thru.  Two MP3s should help make downloads more manageable for people.

[SecretAgentSuperDragon]

Is the price on it gonna be the standard $2.99?

[ambitiously stupid]

Just listened to the Mike Nelson interview on something awful and I gotta say I take back every thing I said. (except the Troll 2 part)  He seems to indicate that Troll 2 will be done someday but for now they are building the product.  So I am really looking forward to the next one.