About the Rifftrax movie choices, and related stuff.

[RVR II]

maybe older movies that are about to be re-released (you know, like the 20th anniversary this or that) are a possability too.
Hang in there!

Ya know.. DUNE will be 25 years old in 2009..

Thangs that make ya go 'HMM'...

[Edward J Grug III]

maybe older movies that are about to be re-released (you know, like the 20th anniversary this or that) are a possability too.
Hang in there!

Ya know.. DUNE will be 25 years old in 2009..

Thangs that make ya go 'HMM'...

Well sure, but I was more talking about the kinds of DVDs people might actually buy.

I feel like E.T. would make a good Rifftrax.

[gammer]

maybe older movies that are about to be re-released (you know, like the 20th anniversary this or that) are a possability too.
Hang in there!

Ya know.. DUNE will be 25 years old in 2009..

Thangs that make ya go 'HMM'...

Well sure, but I was more talking about the kinds of DVDs people might actually buy.

I feel like E.T. would make a good Rifftrax.

OMG!!!
Classic. Amazing suggestion Grug.
Just add that to my list a couple pages back...the one where I drew a blank 

[Edward J Grug III]

Thanks Gammer.

I;ve always felt that movie needed to be taken down a couple of pegs.

[Insert Coin(s) to Continue]

ILets look at an example...in my mind it would look like this:
What about the X-Files movie?
Well...
-There are lots of X-Files fans on the forum, because I've seen several 'geek-out' threads on the subject
- Its been suggested in the suggest-a-thread
- The second X-Files is coming out soon, so there is already some buzz about the subject
- Its Sci-Fi, which obviously sells better
- It can be obtained easily on DVD (and pretty cheap at that too)
- If we bring in Kevin and Bill, it will sell even better

Another thing about this is that it might be beneficial to do these older movies with larger followings. There are more X-Files fans than there are I Am Legend fans and while it may not pay off initially, it could get the word out about RiffTrax and bring in new long-time fans.

[ShadowDog]

So we're in the extremely rare thread started by one of the three master riffers and you waste your time taking a shot at another fan?  I'll flame you all day long in any other thread if that's how you get your jollies but let's be productive in this one.

[RVR II]

maybe older movies that are about to be re-released (you know, like the 20th anniversary this or that) are a possability too.
Hang in there!

Ya know.. DUNE will be 25 years old in 2009..

Thangs that make ya go 'HMM'...

Well sure, but I was more talking about the kinds of DVDs people might actually buy.

I feel like E.T. would make a good Rifftrax.

AHEM!
http://forum.rifftrax.com/index.php/topic,8299.0.html

[Artie]

It is unfortunate that there are (so many) people who aren't willing to try riffs for movies they don't own nor want to rent.   Perhaps some movies need a little more explanation for people to get why a film like Crossroads or xXx is worthy of the Rifftrax treatment  (or perhaps two or three samples for each film so get more of a feel for the movie). 

A regular release schedule (like every 2 or 3 weeks) might be helpful, as could more advance notice (like 2 weeks instead of 1) of which film is being riffed so people have more time to procure the dvd from online sources or get it from Netflix/Blockbuster)

There also must be some correlation between sales and what dvds people already own (or are why willing to buy - like new releases).  You would think  that a film that could be picked up cheaply at Target,  Best Buy, etc (where they have full displays of cheap dvds) would be no brainer sales wise, but that must not be the case (as many films the people would want a Rifftrax for are on those displays). 

All I know is that I will keep buying whatever comes along, and will hope to see some older films get a Rifftrax in future ("Hackers" anyone?)

[MrTorso]

My $.02.

I would love to see more Mike solo riffs. Those are some of my favorites. (Full disclosure - I discovered the Legend releases (NOTLD, Carnival of Souls etc) at a time when I was dealing with the most unexpected and devastating event of my life. My little brother Patrick overdosed and died at age 20. Within a month of finding those DVDs, RiffTrax.com launched and honestly helped me through my grief. I obviously have an emotional tie to those early solo riffs, so they will always be gold to me.)

As much as I would love to see more solo riffs of the flicks I grew up with I do understand that economics has to have a say. Cloverfield and I Am Legend sucked major balls and they deserve to get ripped apart so I won't complain about those. They will make me laugh. I may not watch them again but I sure wouldn't call the crew sellouts or anything.

[Qrusher14242]

I personally dont care for the newer rifftrax. I dont think i'll buy I Am Legend. I guess i understand why they dont do older movies( dont sell well), but i just dont think the newer movies cater to the riffing. Also its hard to get the new ones from netflix, and im not paying $20 for I Am Legend.  BTW, did Jurassic Park sell well?

[Edward J Grug III]

I personally dont care for the newer rifftrax. I dont think i'll buy I Am Legend. I guess i understand why they dont do older movies( dont sell well), but i just dont think the newer movies cater to the riffing. Also its hard to get the new ones from netflix, and im not paying $20 for I Am Legend.  BTW, did Jurassic Park sell well?

What do you mean by "don't cater to riffing?"

Did you see I am Legend?!

[GalvaTRION]

GAH! How do I always miss Bill whenever he's online?!

Question: HOW DO I ALWAYS MISS YA WHENEVER YOU'RE ON THE BOARDS?!
Another question: Whatchoo favorite "guilty pleasure" movies? (non-porn). (actually, porn's fine).

Comment/suggestion: Here's a system which may work for you's mugs, as to making a regular release schedule happen and allow for a steady mix of newer movies and flicks that ain't so new. Minding, of course, that I know not how payment distribution nor your actual writing process works (read: I am mucking with dark powers which I do not fully comprehend).

1.Before committing to this schedule, take a month's "break" from Rifftrax (have some shorts ready to keep the hounds at bay) where you guys would get ahead in work.
2. Split into four writing teams of one (you, Kev, Mike, that Conor bloke take a movie on your own). Two writers each take brand-new (i.e. within a couple of months) releases (300, Cloverfield, I am Legend, etc.), one takes a film everyone should have an easy time getting no matter where they live (Raiders, Bourne Identity, Jurassic Park, etc.), one takes horrendous old cheese such as the tripe regularly suggested on the forums wish lists (Batman and Robin, Roadhouse, Crossroads) or several shorts.
3. Set up a recording weekend (Fri.-Sun.) where they're all recorded for the month.
4. Then, begin releasing the riffs made last month on a one-a-week basis.
5. Spread the coins made from the riffs for the whole month by whatever percentage is appropriate (Mike: 90%, Kev+Bill: 4% plus bacon related expenses, Connor: 2% plus hug coupons - just an example) or duel it out naked on an oil-soaked tarp (again, just an example). (insert double-elimination challenge joke here).
6. Begin your Tony Montana-esque rise to power with all of the mad phat cash/duckets/clams/bread/benjamins of which you'll be rolling around in piles.

Pros: Everyone gets a month (minus a weekend) to write a movie riff (oughta be plenty of time), the schedule would move smoothly, everyone could have their diverse tastes satisfied, and spacing payment out by the month ensures the likelyhood that the thin margin will hold steadier than (what I'm speculating is) a see-saw-esque by-the-riff system, you'd be a full month ahead of the curve, allowing for problems to arise and be fixed without messing the schedule up, and as soon as a new riff goes up, the next riff would be announced so that people would have time to rent/netflix it in advance.

Cons: Less camaraderie in the writing (but then, you'd be recording them together anyhow and since you should all know eachother's comedic styles nobody should notice much of a difference), possible scheduling conflicts with special guests (like Weird Al, Lileks, etc.), recording 4 riffs in 3 days.

Whatcha think, sir? Do I please you, dark overlord?

EDIT: Just to clarify, they'd all be recording the riffs together even though there's only one person writing them. Hey, just thought of another pro: If someone gets sick or can't make it to the recording weekend, the other riffers can still record them anyway since scripts can be sent via email. I weave intricate webs of intrigue.

[GregMcduck]

If I may step aside from the sales figures for a moment, here's an interesting question for the people who buy riffs. And note I don't ask this with any kind of malice, but

Are you willing to be this forgiving when Hollywood releases a movie solely to cash in on something?

It just seems hypocritical to say "Oh, Rifftrax is cashing in on newer releases so they can make money, I totally understand" and then go "Oh, Hollywood is cashing in on the superhero crazy, those Hollywood dirtbags!"

[Pak-Man]

Well I've been silently watching this debate unfold at my work. Now I see why Cinematic Titanic doesn't interact with their fanbase. :^)

I remember, nigh on 2 years ago, when Rifftrax was just beginning. I embraced it with excitement, as I'm sure many of you did. When they would announce a new Rifftrax, it began a journey. It was rare (back then) that they'd pick a movie that I had in my library, and a lot of the movies they picked were somewhat tricky to come by. I spent weekends going with my wife from rental place to rental place and finally to the 3 or 4 video stores in the li'l community of Rio Rancho/Albuquerque.

I did this because I was sold on the concept of Rifftrax. Looking back, it was a lot of fun, and I kind of missed it, but I can see how it wasn't the best business model in the world. Average Joe consumer isn't going to consider running around to every video store in town all weekend long in order to find a copy of Troll 2, only to pay ANOTHER 3 bucks for the Rifftrax. And the hardest ones to find were some of the best Rifftrax.. I did the most running around looking for Cocktail, Over the Top, Battlefield Earth, Crossroads, Glitter, Troll 2.... (Note the pattern emerging.)

TOTALLY worth it. But it's kinda hard to convince John Q Public of that.

It's easy to say, "Well I'm a person who buys Rifftrax, and so's a bunch of other people on this forum, and they all think Red Dawn would rock as a Rifftrax!" Truth is, we're (Hopefully) a very, very small slice of the Rifftrax audience. We're the most vocal, and the most fanatic, and the most awesome, but in the end our 3 bucks is worth as much as everyone else's 3 bucks.

I had never really heard of Red Dawn until I came to this forum. I want to see it Riffed because I'm in on the joke. Most of the people who come to buy Rifftrax aren't in on that joke and probably won't bother to GET in on that joke.

Now in all this talking, I've never heard anyone from Rifftrax say, "We're not doing old movies anymore."  I'd even wager that the recent trend of recent movies being riffed is because there were SOOOO many Riffable movies hitting the shelves in the last few weeks. 2 recent films down, and we haven't even TOUCHED AVPR or In the Name of the King yet!

I think the concern people have is that Rifftrax has forgotten, in their rush to riff the latest and the greatest, some of the movies from a few years back that may actually be on enough DVD shelves to pull in a profit. (Did you know you can find Stealth in any Walmart in the country for like- 5 bucks? But I digress. :^)) I also feel the financial pinch that the newer releases put on my wallet, and it just feels like forever since Rifftrax has introduced me to a new stinker. But first and foremost, they gotta keep the ship afloat.

At the end of the day, are Rifftrax Funny?

Yes. Every Rifftrax is funny. They will continue to have my 3-5 bucks. :^)

[Gaseous Snake]

Are you willing to be this forgiving when Hollywood releases a movie solely to cash in on something?

It just seems hypocritical to say "Oh, Rifftrax is cashing in on newer releases so they can make money, I totally understand" and then go "Oh, Hollywood is cashing in on the superhero crazy, those Hollywood dirtbags!"

Considering that I don't care what Hollywood does, sure.