how many times do you have to watch the film you're riffing?

[a grue]

in order to get some good riffs in, I'm guessing you guys have to watch and rewatch the film a couple dozen times.

Battlefield Earth that many times, I salute you!

[Darth Geek]

Lots of times. Really, really slowly to get jokes in every few seconds. And if you chose a boring movie, it sucks even more.

[Johnny Unusual]

I watch the short LOTS of times.  The movies I rewatch every once and a while I watch the Star Wars Holiday Special annually.

[Doctor Who?]

I don't think that is the question he was asking Johnny.

[Johnny Unusual]

Oops.  I misread that.  I just finished primary recording for my first riff.  Too much is my answer.  Over all, I watched it about five or six times before the riffing.  Not as bad as the MST3k days, but bad enough.

[NRRork]

Many, MANY times. And there will be stretches of just a couple minutes of movie looped over and over, and you're not thinking of anything, and when that happens, you'll feel like you'd rather do almost ANYTHING else besides this. BUT, the jokes WILL come, and the sense of accomplishment makes it feel worth the effort.

[Johnny Unusual]

The first part of the music from the opening scene is branded into my brain.