Testing My Own Theory Like Never Before...

[CM916]

I have always preached that no movie is beyond riffing. The first rifftrax I ever bought (5th Element) was of one of my favorite movies because that was the only thing I had in my DVD collection when I discovered this website. Now though... now they are tackling the bible, the most sacred source material of the franchise I am the most fanboyish towards. I have every movie ever made, every game since Super Nintendo, some books, and a great deal of the comics.

I actually caught a bit of this movie a few days ago on TV and I did note the cheesy puppet and a classic unrealistic punch with accompanying sound effect that I had never noticed before. (between Ripley and Lambert after they bring Kane aboard anyway) But as someone who almost always insticually riffs every movie I see at least a little, I must say this is a big challenge. This is an absolute classic, the first very gory "aliens eating people" movie and one that was done before the plague of CGI at that. It was also my first rated-R movie. I had been aware of it for some time before I sat down and watched it and convinced my parents it was time I saw one of these things. I was probably 10 or 11, but had long been drawing pictures that would get a 3rd grader arrested today. In any event, by the time I was 14, I had become one of the greatest Aliens you might ever have encountered in the old online game, slaughtering marine and predator alike by thinking and moving like the "real" aliens...

Do this right Bots... I mean Murphy and Corbett, and you shall be... alright, so you are already among my heroes... you shall be even BIGGER heroes! I may even swear off that Mike fellow forever.

[Just Some Guy]

Dude, she goes back for a cat.

If you don't find just that concept riffable then there's no help for you.

[RobtheBarbarian]

My only thought is that with the tension removed it might end up being pretty damned boring, kind of like Halloween.

[RoninFox]

I found Halloween incredibly boring unriffed.  If not for Rifftrax I might never have watched it again.

Alien on the other hand, that's a movie I like.  With the tension stripped away though, I suppose it would be rather silly and slow, so it'll be a challenge to keep it interesting from the riffer's end.

[torgosPizza]

Here's a quote from Bill on the mst3kinfo site.

Just driving by, but wanted to say —

I love ALIEN. It's a hell of a movie.

When we're riffing we don't mean to say as a matter of course that the movie in question is a stinker. Not with Rifftrax, anyhow... truer of MST3K, though I thought for the most part we weren't vicious about it. I hope, anyway.

I love riffing cheesy old movies for what they offer, and it's always a blast to do that. But trying to make something good (though not a comedy itself) into something funny is a really engaging, enjoyable challenge, too. And when you have to watch a movie over and over, I often appreciate spending time with good ones, now and again! Heh.

Luckily, there's all sorts of strokes for all sorts of folks these days. Whatever your preferred taste — or if you enjoy both approaches, like I do (and for some movies, it's not that clear which gear we're in!) — Godspeed. Bless us all, every one. (Except Joe Don Baker. [...Oh man, I'm gonna catch a beating.])

I'm gonna a Q & A sometime soon on the Rifftrax site, if anyone wants to chat more about this general subject. Or anything.

...Except for the whole Sisko vs. Janeway thing. I can't fight that war anymore, friends.

[Jeyl]

Dude, she goes back for a cat.

If you don't find just that concept riffable then there's no help for you.

Ya, but that's just a very tiny portion of the film compared to the bigger picture. And I quote Ridley Scott. "I got two dogs. I love my dogs. Would I go back for my dogs? Absolutely."

[RVR II]

I like Mr Bill

Mr. Bill is OK in my book

[Bairman]

Dude, she goes back for a cat.

If you don't find just that concept riffable then there's no help for you.

Ya, but that's just a very tiny portion of the film compared to the bigger picture. And I quote Ridley Scott. "I got two dogs. I love my dogs. Would I go back for my dogs? Absolutely."

I go back for my cat before I'd go back for a human.

[Tony Farms AKA Puma Man]

Unless you're doing the 'this movie sucks' riffing for good movies, I think any movie can be riffed.

[TheUnabeefer]

I have every movie ever made

Wow, that must be some huge warehouse you got going there...   

[Bob]

I think a good sci-fi movie would be a heck of a lot easier to riff than a good drama or a good thriller.

I love Alien, but I can see how there would be plenty of chances for good comments.

[Tyrant]

Everyone here knows what a rabid Alien fan I am. CM196, you've got yourself some competition when it comes to such.  $200+ we really couldn't spare got blown on a ,79 Kenner Alien figure because it was in insanely good shape and had the damn missing 5th spike intact right before I quit my job, for instance. I'd even have an Alien tattoo someplace if not for Pak's absolute refusal to allow me to get it. But I digress...

The movie is beautiful and brilliant for so many reasons that I could go on and on about (but won't), but it's also extremely riffable. I think every movie is riffable, and can be riffed well depending on the person (or people) doing the riffing. Maybe the riffing on Halloween didn't meet expectations, but who's to say it wouldn't have been better if the folks over at Cin Tit had done it, or another riffing party? I choose to have faith in Kevin and Bill on this one, mainly because they both love the movie enough to tackle it, but also because they're a potent mix when Mike is left out of the recipe (not better, mind. I said potent) and playing off each other.

Has my intense love of this movie and my dedication to seeing it riffed blinded my common sense? Perhaps. But I think it's going to be good for multiple reasons, the least of which being that they got the proper feedback back from Halloween and probably won't make the same mistakes twice. And it's Kevin and Bill, people!!! And they're doing quite possibly the greatest sci-fi/horror movie ever made! How is this NOT cool?

Dude, she goes back for a cat.

As would I. Hell, I'd go back for one of my hamsters.

[GLaDOS]

Everyone here knows what a rabid Alien fan I am. CM196, you've got yourself some competition when it comes to such.  $200+ we really couldn't spare got blown on a ,79 Kenner Alien figure because it was in insanely good shape and had the damn missing 5th spike intact right before I quit my job, for instance. I'd even have an Alien tattoo someplace if not for Pak's absolute refusal to allow me to get it. But I digress...

I would like to inform everyone that next year Hasbro will be releasing a GLaDOS action playset, complete with neurotoxin sprayers and missile launching units! Please pre-order now!

[RoninFox]

Everyone here knows what a rabid Alien fan I am. CM196, you've got yourself some competition when it comes to such.  $200+ we really couldn't spare got blown on a ,79 Kenner Alien figure because it was in insanely good shape and had the damn missing 5th spike intact right before I quit my job, for instance. I'd even have an Alien tattoo someplace if not for Pak's absolute refusal to allow me to get it. But I digress...

I would like to inform everyone that next year Hasbro will be releasing a GLaDOS action playset, complete with neurotoxin sprayers and missile launching units! Please pre-order now!

Wow, that's real cool, I definitely want o....wait a minute, is this going to kill me?

[Rattrap007]

Does it come with cake?