Main Index * Part 2
Glen or Glenda - July 21, 2020
And so it begins, with Trace in Minnesota, Frank in New York, and Chris Gersbeck somewhere, acting as our moderator. The gentlemen note that this will be the 46th time they've seen and riffed this flick. This is amusing if you consider that the Mads probably haven't seen Citizen Kane 46 times. Anyway, F&T are in fine form, Bela's dark introduction is hilariously taken to task and the rest of the story is equally as funny. Topical humor is present, Frank calling the subject matter, "a J.K. Rowling nightmare", and current politics is used for yuks. And while they are kind to the director during the Q&A, they tease when it fits ("I don't think Ed understands what a close-up is.")
Fantastic and funny, better than a lot of recent Rifftrax, steadier than Nu-MST3K.
Vincent Price in a William Castle film, perfect. And the special guest is Vincent's daughter, Victoria Price. The humor leans heavily on politics, specifically Trump and his circle. The work is naughty (jokes about erections and whatnot) a little more laid back and frankly, I didn't find it as non-stop hilarious as the previous show. Laughs are had nonetheless, Trace fumbling his sign language translations, haha! And quips like "She has almost enough money to eat at Five Guys" was, as they say, funny because it's true. Update: An upgrade for this live stream was offered on 9/14/2021 (in connection to a rebroadcast announcement), and yeah, it's a big improvement. Thanks a ton, Chris.
I have to say of the show overall, I do wish they'd pull back on the F-bombs, not that it offends me, and it can be funny in spots, it's just that they draw from that well a bit too frequently (and if you wanna swear, mix it up).
This month's movie is cheap and shabby looking and is often funny on its own (the very tall Chuck Conners trying to squeeze himself into a tiny sportscar is a visual treat). Trace and Frank are in the groove here, while politics is still a big-time riff source, they don't stray from what's on the screen and have fun with the premise, the props (a camera gun), the vacation film. Very fine work all told.
One curiosity - when we got the download, the audio was so low you could hardly hear the riffs. A new, improved download was issued, but I noted at least one change, the original, bad quality version had a line about the 400 Blows... I shouldn't have deleted it as I wonder if there were other differences.
Jonah Ray and his cool guitars show up as the special guest.
A Night of Shorts - October 20, 2020
Funny stuff as usual, though I really missed the audience (hearing them lose their shit during "the Cautious Twins" for example, is half the fun). Rifftrax did the first edition of the Halloween Safety film, the Mads cover the second. They were joined in a post-show interview by Svengoolie's Rich Koz and Jim Roche, which was cool.
Funny stuff as usual, though I really missed the audience (hearing them lose their shit during "the Cautious Twins" for example, is half the fun). Rifftrax did the first edition of the Halloween Safety film, the Mads cover the second. They were joined in a post-show interview by Svengoolie's Rich Koz and Jim Roche, which was cool.
A list of the shorts that were shown...
Are You Listening? How Friendly Are You? Mighty Mr. Titan, Office Etiquette, Halloween Safety (Second Edition), More Dates for Kay, Health: Your Cleanliness, Danger - Poison, The Cautious Twins
The Brain from Planet Arous - November 17, 2020
IMHO, this is one of their funniest Livestreams - the guys have such great chemistry together, which was evident from the start back on MST and has only aged like a fine cheese - so comfortable with each other they even draw laughs from their personal lives (Trace riffs, "He's eating like Frank used too." and Conniff responds, "Better be careful", which references Frank's heart surgery in 2019).
IMHO, this is one of their funniest Livestreams - the guys have such great chemistry together, which was evident from the start back on MST and has only aged like a fine cheese - so comfortable with each other they even draw laughs from their personal lives (Trace riffs, "He's eating like Frank used too." and Conniff responds, "Better be careful", which references Frank's heart surgery in 2019).
The movie was a boyhood favorite and perfect riffing fodder. Possessed John Agar chewing the scenery was hilarious, as is the scene where he goes apeshit and awkwardly beats up a giant brain that's being held aloft with visible strings. Oh, and another face familiar to MSTies is Carrie "is so very" (Joyce Meadows) from "The Girl in Lovers Lane".
Comedian Dana Gould was the special guest.
Santa Claus vs. the Devil - December 15, 2020
Since this is one of my top 3 MST eps (under the title "Santa Claus", from season 5), any follow-up would have to feature God-level riffing to get out from under that shadow. So keeping that in mind, while I don't think it reaches those highs -and it was the edited version, so they had no new scenes to riff on- there are still big laughs to be had. The jabs during the opening musical sections are a hoot... that scene is a goldmine, and the movie offers so much more, it gets weirder and wilder and receives a fresh, modern coat of riff-paint... new jokes ripped from the current headlines so to speak.
Since this is one of my top 3 MST eps (under the title "Santa Claus", from season 5), any follow-up would have to feature God-level riffing to get out from under that shadow. So keeping that in mind, while I don't think it reaches those highs -and it was the edited version, so they had no new scenes to riff on- there are still big laughs to be had. The jabs during the opening musical sections are a hoot... that scene is a goldmine, and the movie offers so much more, it gets weirder and wilder and receives a fresh, modern coat of riff-paint... new jokes ripped from the current headlines so to speak.
Sure, we don't get a visit from Pitch, but it's devilishly funny and a feather in the Mad's caps.
The Q&A guests were Andy Kindler and J. Elvis Weinstein.
A Night of Shorts 2 - January 12, 2021
The show starts off strong with a psychologically dark piece, which was met with quips that were spot-on daggers. They continue, short after short, delivering humor both sacred and profane... throwing in a clever reference, then following up with a lowbrow poop joke, "Long as I'm here I might as well pinch out a number two", says Frank when the screen shows a teen squatting in a pool (during the "Overcoming Fear" short). It's silly, cheeky, and great fun.
With this one, they were joined by guest, Mary Jo Pehl for the post-show Q&A, and she was a delight. Overall this was a blast... ing cap!
Here's a linked list of what was shown and riffed on...
First Lessons, Blasting Cap! How to Keep a Job, Overcoming Fear (which was also done by Rifftrax years ago), How to Get Cooperation, Science and Superstition, The Trouble With Women (another previously covered by Rifftrax)
The show starts off strong with a psychologically dark piece, which was met with quips that were spot-on daggers. They continue, short after short, delivering humor both sacred and profane... throwing in a clever reference, then following up with a lowbrow poop joke, "Long as I'm here I might as well pinch out a number two", says Frank when the screen shows a teen squatting in a pool (during the "Overcoming Fear" short). It's silly, cheeky, and great fun.
With this one, they were joined by guest, Mary Jo Pehl for the post-show Q&A, and she was a delight. Overall this was a blast... ing cap!
Here's a linked list of what was shown and riffed on...
First Lessons, Blasting Cap! How to Keep a Job, Overcoming Fear (which was also done by Rifftrax years ago), How to Get Cooperation, Science and Superstition, The Trouble With Women (another previously covered by Rifftrax)
"It's like a Sophie's choice for dumbasses!" - Frank
The movie works against this one for me, that's not to say that the quips are a drag, Trace and Frank are too good to allow that to happen, and do play with the movie nicely (Trace's response to the narration, about stealing anything, as long as its peanut butter - and mocking a plot point, "feather's, the stuff plots are made of", or Frank adding to juniors story about his dad). Yet, despite it being cast with MST3K movie vets, Arch Hall Jr. and Sr. (who wrote the script) and Bruno VeSota, it wasn't all that fun, and Frank encouraging the punks in the film to shoot a couple of police officers didn't help, that was too dark and mean for my blood.
Aftershow Q&A included guest, Carolina Hidalgo
Directed by Billy Wilder's less talented brother, Phantom is a deliciously cheesy flick about the hunt for an invisible alien (who is as elusive as Robert Denby). I enjoyed the talky movie and the riffing is on point, I like how they answer questions put to the characters or embellish those characters' stories (like it being mentioned that the being was headless and Frank notes that he still had helmet hair).
General silliness, a mix of old and new references -like a Covid joke, with an old SCTV line (He blowd up)- and mocking the cheapness of the production ("Oh man, who made these sets, the director of Metropolis?") contribute to an upbeat night's entertainment... which is interesting since the picture's ending is such a downer.
Bill Corbett joined them for the Q&A session.
A Night of Shorts 3 - April 13, 2021
"When you get high, life is like a Turner Classics movie!" - Frank Conniff
Trace and Frank, "The Mads", are back with another round of riff-tastic shorts. These monthly online live shows have been a gas, but the ones where they gather up and tackle several educational flicks, are an extra ray of sunshine. The funniest for me was the one about anger (Rifftrax also covered this one, and they did good work on it as well, but I think Frank gets the win for the line... "Thus was born the popular cartoon character, Super Bitch!"), and the marijuana short was a hoot if only because Sonny Bono was so baked, that he was slurring his lines.
Rifftrax and MST3Ks Kevin Murphy was the special guest.
A list, with links to what was shown on the show...
Managing Time, Where Does Food Go? Don't Get Angry, Your Thrift Habits, Marijuana
"When you get high, life is like a Turner Classics movie!" - Frank Conniff
Trace and Frank, "The Mads", are back with another round of riff-tastic shorts. These monthly online live shows have been a gas, but the ones where they gather up and tackle several educational flicks, are an extra ray of sunshine. The funniest for me was the one about anger (Rifftrax also covered this one, and they did good work on it as well, but I think Frank gets the win for the line... "Thus was born the popular cartoon character, Super Bitch!"), and the marijuana short was a hoot if only because Sonny Bono was so baked, that he was slurring his lines.
Rifftrax and MST3Ks Kevin Murphy was the special guest.
A list, with links to what was shown on the show...
Managing Time, Where Does Food Go? Don't Get Angry, Your Thrift Habits, Marijuana
The T-Bird Gang - May 11, 2021
Billed as a movie so bad Roger Corman took his name off the credits, and hey, Coleman Francis is in the cast, so you know it's going to be drab and tedious. The opening conversation with Mike Nelson was very chummy and funny, then Trace gets things started on the movie by flubbing a line ("I meant "Thanos" P.I.", lol), and then we're off to the uh, races(?) with criminal punks and tabletop games and an undercover teenager-ish hero named Frank - it's all so boring a talky, which we are told is one of the hazards of the business... "along with chlamydia" - Frank.
Billed as a movie so bad Roger Corman took his name off the credits, and hey, Coleman Francis is in the cast, so you know it's going to be drab and tedious. The opening conversation with Mike Nelson was very chummy and funny, then Trace gets things started on the movie by flubbing a line ("I meant "Thanos" P.I.", lol), and then we're off to the uh, races(?) with criminal punks and tabletop games and an undercover teenager-ish hero named Frank - it's all so boring a talky, which we are told is one of the hazards of the business... "along with chlamydia" - Frank.
They tap into current events ("My second Moderna shot, noooo!") add silly puns (Trace notes that Capt. Prell is in a real lather) and do their usual deep cuts. The movie was such a slog, and that made it hard going, so bless the Mads for plowing through on our behalf and for our amusement. The Q&A was an hour with Mike.
An improvement on last month's offering - the movie was a blast and generated bigger laughs. The story is about the military's efforts to stop a rogue missile from outer space, which burns so hot it melts everything in its path (so, yes, as Frank points out, "These royal Canadians are royally screwed") - To add to the tension, a planned wedding is canceled and a baby is due to be born! It also stirred memories of MSTs past - the narration about dew lines and Conad recalls MSTs Deadly Mantis, and the film is like an extended take on the ending for Rocket Attack U.S.A.
Trace and Frank's riffing burns as bright as the missile in this flick - they do the spot-on observations, dialogue additions, and esoteric reference they are known for, and excel at, which made for a hilarious nights entertainment... plus, Frank hums a few second of the Mod Squad theme song, classy (rest in peace Clarence Williams III, you were the coolest). Special guest Bridget Nelson was personable, and I enjoyed the stories shared during the Q&A.
Trace and Frank's riffing burns as bright as the missile in this flick - they do the spot-on observations, dialogue additions, and esoteric reference they are known for, and excel at, which made for a hilarious nights entertainment... plus, Frank hums a few second of the Mod Squad theme song, classy (rest in peace Clarence Williams III, you were the coolest). Special guest Bridget Nelson was personable, and I enjoyed the stories shared during the Q&A.
A Night of Shorts 4 - July 13, 2021
"So this was the Mandalorian?" - Trace, on Space Angel
Here we go again, with another round of shorts which include, Cindy Goes to a Party, episodes of the cartoon series Space Angel, Coffee Break (1958), Gilbert 1963, and How to Say No (Moral Maturity).
The Gilbert short fascinated me so much I google searched the company and the products shown. Also, Cindy has been covered by other riffers, Bridget & Mary Jo (Rifftrax presents), and Cole Stratton and Janet Varney (during SF Sketchfest 2019), and each are a kick, as each of these duos brings their own style of comedy (and unique jokes) to the party.
No special guest with this one, however, Frank said Felicia Day was someone he reached out to, but that she was already booked for the night, but maybe one day she'll be able to join them for a Q&A. Instead, we get a highlight reel in celebration of their first year, Livestream anniversary. Good times, fun show.
The Beach Girls and the Monster - August 10, 2021
"I saw a cat and, I shit myself" - Trace as our hero
The Mads tackle a beach/horror flick with a plot twist only Scobie Doo could appreciate. Hate to say it, but this was not their strongest effort, riffing was spotty, and there were times when Frank was shouting his lines, and throwing them out there rapid-fire, like he was reading off a checklist rather than getting into the flow of the film. He was fine when he settled down, and Trace was his usual steady self.
The funniest part of the movie was not was the silly-looking monster, but the beach party, with the folk song (which according to Trace, killed the movement) and the Lion sing-a-long.
Movie Trivia? Walker Edmiston, who played Mark, was a noted voice actor (he voiced Balok in the Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver") and a puppeteer. Kingsley the Lion was one of the characters he created for a children's television show he hosted, he also did the sculptures seen in the film.
Lizz Winstead was the special guest.
The Brain Eaters - September 14, 2021
"Eh, uh ga- I'm trying to get out of this frickin... It's like being born!" - Trace, as man struggles to get out of a plane
Directed by Bruno Ve Sota, and starring one of the Blood Beast Steve's, an actress from Plan 9, and Leonard Nimoy as professor Cool! The movie is dry and talky, scaffolding plays a key role, and night and day are all out of whack, which becomes a source of humor. Trace and Frank's delivery is easy, breezy, and hilarious. It's difficult to pinpoint a favorite riff because there was so much that was funny (like the scene with the shadows ("Alfred Hitchcock's lost weight") or the gunplay bits at the one hour mark).
There were some troubles with this one, YouTube wouldn't play host, and the move to twitch was fraught with technical issues (frozen screens, a message that some audio would be muted due to rights issues), but the download fixed all that. Special guests were podcasters Marcus Parks & Carolina Hidalgo.
A Night of Shorts 5 - October 12, 2021
"It's not a tomb at all, it's an adorable one bedroom apartment" - Frank as archeologists
This show sees the return of the serialized short, as Trace and Frank riff on the first chapter of Captain Marvel, which is one of the better serials (with some funny stuff, like doll tossing). Next, "How Much Affection" (a piece covered by Rifftrax way back in 2009). And finally, a return to Halloween Safety - last Halloween they did the second edition, this was the first (which Bridget and Mary Jo quipped on during their Halloween Safety and Monster Movie Mash-up release).
The riff portion of the livestream only ran an hour, but it had me laughing frequently, I got a kick out of Frank revisiting "The Men In My Little Girls Life" (something he referenced during MST3Ks "Cave Dwellers"). Another hour was spent with special guest Kliph Nesteroff, a comedy historian who has written several books, including one on Native American comedians (fitting, as we just celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day). Enjoyed the conversation, and am glad that Frank remembered Duel and my beloved The Night Stalker for a question they were asked.
Here we go again, with another round of shorts which include, Cindy Goes to a Party, episodes of the cartoon series Space Angel, Coffee Break (1958), Gilbert 1963, and How to Say No (Moral Maturity).
The Gilbert short fascinated me so much I google searched the company and the products shown. Also, Cindy has been covered by other riffers, Bridget & Mary Jo (Rifftrax presents), and Cole Stratton and Janet Varney (during SF Sketchfest 2019), and each are a kick, as each of these duos brings their own style of comedy (and unique jokes) to the party.
No special guest with this one, however, Frank said Felicia Day was someone he reached out to, but that she was already booked for the night, but maybe one day she'll be able to join them for a Q&A. Instead, we get a highlight reel in celebration of their first year, Livestream anniversary. Good times, fun show.
The Beach Girls and the Monster - August 10, 2021
"I saw a cat and, I shit myself" - Trace as our hero
The Mads tackle a beach/horror flick with a plot twist only Scobie Doo could appreciate. Hate to say it, but this was not their strongest effort, riffing was spotty, and there were times when Frank was shouting his lines, and throwing them out there rapid-fire, like he was reading off a checklist rather than getting into the flow of the film. He was fine when he settled down, and Trace was his usual steady self.
The funniest part of the movie was not was the silly-looking monster, but the beach party, with the folk song (which according to Trace, killed the movement) and the Lion sing-a-long.
Movie Trivia? Walker Edmiston, who played Mark, was a noted voice actor (he voiced Balok in the Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver") and a puppeteer. Kingsley the Lion was one of the characters he created for a children's television show he hosted, he also did the sculptures seen in the film.
Lizz Winstead was the special guest.
The Brain Eaters - September 14, 2021
"Eh, uh ga- I'm trying to get out of this frickin... It's like being born!" - Trace, as man struggles to get out of a plane
Directed by Bruno Ve Sota, and starring one of the Blood Beast Steve's, an actress from Plan 9, and Leonard Nimoy as professor Cool! The movie is dry and talky, scaffolding plays a key role, and night and day are all out of whack, which becomes a source of humor. Trace and Frank's delivery is easy, breezy, and hilarious. It's difficult to pinpoint a favorite riff because there was so much that was funny (like the scene with the shadows ("Alfred Hitchcock's lost weight") or the gunplay bits at the one hour mark).
There were some troubles with this one, YouTube wouldn't play host, and the move to twitch was fraught with technical issues (frozen screens, a message that some audio would be muted due to rights issues), but the download fixed all that. Special guests were podcasters Marcus Parks & Carolina Hidalgo.
A Night of Shorts 5 - October 12, 2021
"It's not a tomb at all, it's an adorable one bedroom apartment" - Frank as archeologists
This show sees the return of the serialized short, as Trace and Frank riff on the first chapter of Captain Marvel, which is one of the better serials (with some funny stuff, like doll tossing). Next, "How Much Affection" (a piece covered by Rifftrax way back in 2009). And finally, a return to Halloween Safety - last Halloween they did the second edition, this was the first (which Bridget and Mary Jo quipped on during their Halloween Safety and Monster Movie Mash-up release).
The riff portion of the livestream only ran an hour, but it had me laughing frequently, I got a kick out of Frank revisiting "The Men In My Little Girls Life" (something he referenced during MST3Ks "Cave Dwellers"). Another hour was spent with special guest Kliph Nesteroff, a comedy historian who has written several books, including one on Native American comedians (fitting, as we just celebrated Indigenous Peoples' Day). Enjoyed the conversation, and am glad that Frank remembered Duel and my beloved The Night Stalker for a question they were asked.
Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women - November 9, 2021
I've seen Planet of Storms, from which this movie takes much of its footage - in this Cormanized version, Peter Bogdanovich directs and narrates, Mamie Van Doren stars, and Trace and Frank serve up the laughs, and there's a bounty of laughs. Frank's upset robot voice, its struggle to handle tiny pills, or drowning an astronaut in water, had me in tears. Heck, the robot material was a hoot in total (with Trace joining in the Ro-fun at the end). The Venusian women didn't give them as much to work with (they mostly stand around on rocks and stare at crashing waves), but their dead rubber God was a laugh.
And as a Wes Anderson fan, I appreciated Frank's fun fact. Guest was Blaine Capatch, host of the game show, Beat the Geeks.
Manos: The Hands of Fate - December 14, 2021
"I just remembered the Family Circus joke that Mystery Science Theater did in this moment" - Frank as the Master laughs
"I just remembered the Family Circus joke that Mystery Science Theater did in this moment" - Frank as the Master laughs
Phew - this flick is a grind - pregnant pauses have never been so pregnant, and I got a fit of the giggles noting how inert it was (Torgo's intro, all that standing and staring and twitching). Manos is one of the legendary bad ones, an MST benchmark that was also on the receiving end of a hilarious Rifftrax re-do. The Mads coming in after those, suffers a bit, as most of the great quips have already been used (which makes the above quote rather fitting). So, while I was looking forward to it, and to the Q&A with Jackey Neyman Jones, it's definitely the lesser of the riffed Manos'.
That's not to say it's a waste of time - Torgo's always good for a laugh and there is clever n' cutting material to be heard ("Even Mel Gibson thinks this is too much" - Trace), along with some funny, naughtier quips. Plus, Jackey had a lot of neat memories to share.
A Night of Shorts 6 - January 11, 2022
This month's shorts extravaganza was one of their best, despite an audio hiccup during the live show where Trace's voice was nowhere to be heard on the opening short (thankfully this was fixed for the download, with Trace's material from the rehearsal patched into the piece. During the live show, once Frank got the heads-up that he was flying solo, he started firing off more quips, so in the later section, Chris had to slightly move a few lines to get them all in there, but it works).
This month's shorts extravaganza was one of their best, despite an audio hiccup during the live show where Trace's voice was nowhere to be heard on the opening short (thankfully this was fixed for the download, with Trace's material from the rehearsal patched into the piece. During the live show, once Frank got the heads-up that he was flying solo, he started firing off more quips, so in the later section, Chris had to slightly move a few lines to get them all in there, but it works).
The lineup? It Must Be the Neighbors (which was done by Rifftrax way back in 2008), Telephone Courtesy, Dating Do's and Don'ts, and Better Use of Leisure Time - The jokes? While I'm used to the R-rated riffs by now, Trace threw in a quickie during the telephone short that took me aback, then made me laugh out loud. I also enjoyed those moments where they'd speak for the characters ("Hmm, maybe a bunny can help me?" - Frank), that, and the self-referential material is a crack up.
Actress Hope Summers shows up in two of the shorts, and we see our old pal Bill (who's afraid of water - nice callback Trace). John Erler from Master Pancake Theater was the special guest.
The Yesterday Machine - February 8, 2022
My favorite part of this Livestream was the Q&A with Beez - she's a delight and makes the topic of props and costumes (hers and others) so interesting. But you know what wasn't interesting, this movie. Chris mentioned having to edit it down to size, and bless his heart, because Machine is very dry, and very talky - which works against our Riffers, who battle mightily to inject some life into this time-traveling turkey. The most thrilling scene? The cheerleading routine at the start... after that, it was all downhill.
Actress Hope Summers shows up in two of the shorts, and we see our old pal Bill (who's afraid of water - nice callback Trace). John Erler from Master Pancake Theater was the special guest.
The Yesterday Machine - February 8, 2022
My favorite part of this Livestream was the Q&A with Beez - she's a delight and makes the topic of props and costumes (hers and others) so interesting. But you know what wasn't interesting, this movie. Chris mentioned having to edit it down to size, and bless his heart, because Machine is very dry, and very talky - which works against our Riffers, who battle mightily to inject some life into this time-traveling turkey. The most thrilling scene? The cheerleading routine at the start... after that, it was all downhill.
The stories racism and sexism and dullness were T&Fs main target, but as an unexpected side dish, there were also some cute animal related quips tossed in here ("Is that bird riffing?" -Trace), and some funny oddball remarks ("So I poured gravy down my pants" - Frank).
Boring has been handled well in MSTs past, see Starfighters for a prime example, but The Yesterday Machine might top that for yawns, and the riffing, while decent, even wonderful in spots, can't quite lift it out of the doldrums.
"Are you my bladder?" - Trace, when a female apparition wakes up our sleeping lead
On the day my beloved Seahawks traded Russell Wilson and cut Bobby Wagner (end of an era), the Mads charge in with a new Livestream to soothe my broken heart with gales of laughter... well, not quite gales. I wouldn't rate this on the same level as a Lost Missile or Glen or Glenda (two of my favorites), but I never leave a Mads show feeling down in the dumps and that was the case here.
The Devil's Hand was previously covered by the lads at Riftrax back in 2011, and there's some inadvertent overlap (admonishing the star for saying "she" instead of "her" in one scene) and I noticed a few missing scenes in this version.... though I get it, how many shots of Robert Alda smoking and drinking do you need?
The dolls are a hoot, Trace getting hung up on how the real world mirrors the doll's activities is cute (in real life is his girlfriend stuck to the wall - and will a huge piece of tape show up in the hospital), and Frank takes us down memory lane by turning our cranks to Frank. Current events are noted (some of those tragic) but the tone stays cheery, and we get riffs out of time (the modern placed in the past, like Gamba being some Gwyneth Paltrow shit) which are a kick. I also had to look up a few things (I now know what mittelschmerz means. Thanks Trace).
While I wouldn't call it a Top Tenner, I had a good time. The guest was Dave Hill, a funny, musical fellow with a deadpan delivery that would make Buster Keaton smile. Oh, and like the Mads, I dig that poster, the poster is better than the actual movie.
The dolls are a hoot, Trace getting hung up on how the real world mirrors the doll's activities is cute (in real life is his girlfriend stuck to the wall - and will a huge piece of tape show up in the hospital), and Frank takes us down memory lane by turning our cranks to Frank. Current events are noted (some of those tragic) but the tone stays cheery, and we get riffs out of time (the modern placed in the past, like Gamba being some Gwyneth Paltrow shit) which are a kick. I also had to look up a few things (I now know what mittelschmerz means. Thanks Trace).
While I wouldn't call it a Top Tenner, I had a good time. The guest was Dave Hill, a funny, musical fellow with a deadpan delivery that would make Buster Keaton smile. Oh, and like the Mads, I dig that poster, the poster is better than the actual movie.
During the intro, it was mentioned that this event marks the duo's 7-year anniversary as The Mads (first show was at Memphis on Easter at an atheist convention, the film was, "Gods Not Dead", lol). They also went on to dedicate the Livestream to Gilbert Godfried who recently passed away.
The shorts? The Wonder of Our Body, a talky God and science piece from Moody Institute - the guys hit the bullseye several times with this one (I got a laugh out of Frank n' Trace getting a laugh out of the machine that poured coffee). Followed by Sharing Work at Home, a rather dullish flick (I liked Trace's "wine flu" line here), Helping Johnny Remember, which was a hoot on its own (all hail Sulky), while Modern Business Machines, for Writing, Duplicating, Recording, etc. was a chore, movie-wise (though the strap-on stenographer's keyboard is a riot).
The stream closed on a high with The Fun of Being Thoughtful, which features an annoyingly considerate family - A big laugh was had right out of the gate (did we get Rick Rolled?) And it was filled with the kind of irreverent humor Gilbert would have loved, which made this a fitting tribute indeed. Oh sure, some of the references are outdated (the blue dress) but still a crack up, and stuff like Frank's, "Now who are these assholes..." was a scream because it's so out of tune with the politeness of the short (as was Trace's line about there being a hole in the wall between the sibling's rooms).
While I can't say the guys channeling their inner Beavis and Butthead really worked for me, they did offer a funny, self-aware spin on Frank's Chris Christie quips, so it all balances out. I'd score the 1st, 3rd, and 5th shorts as the best, 2 and 4 a little lesser.
The Brain That Wouldn't Die - May 10, 2022
While not an uncut version (a chunk is cut out of the middle), we do get the opening intact, so, an opportunity for a brand-new riff, and Trace doesn't squander it. There's also an extra slice of film when the doctor drives up to the model's home.
While not an uncut version (a chunk is cut out of the middle), we do get the opening intact, so, an opportunity for a brand-new riff, and Trace doesn't squander it. There's also an extra slice of film when the doctor drives up to the model's home.
Brain was part of a classic and iconic MST episode (it being Mike's first show as host), but Frank and Trace do good work on their re-do. It's more adult in spots, and you get the topical humor (Frank's line about masks), as well as several that draw from the past (Frank calling the flick a low budget version of Duel), and going back further than that, Trace made me chuckle with his Vaughn Meter/Meader riff. The odd dubbing, "Did June Foray make a guest appearance?" - Trace, and blurring the line between riff/and real-life (Frank's line about taking a crap, and Trace's response) were also good for a laugh.
Mary Jo returns for the after-show Q&A, which was light and funny - they took a few trips down memory lane and gave away copies of MJ and Frank's new books (Dumb Dumb Dumb, and Billy Gillis: Seven Year Old Screenwriter).
"Some of this dubbing needs subtitles" - Trace
For me, the highlight of this Italian sc-fier was spotting actor Charles Borromel of "Cave Dwellers" fame. The other highlight of this Italian sci-fier, is that you could actually see Charles Borromel of "Cave Dwellers" fame. That's not always easy in this flick, where the lighting and film stock becomes a source of annoyance and amusement for the duo, "I've listened to books on tape that are better lit" - Trace. The movie also offers up WIZ, and other bodily functions... "This is what farts sound like in the future, that's why they look so embarrassed" - Frank. There's a brief love scene, which is coupled to comments about Rich Little and Skynet. And cosmic costumes topped with Aquabats style headgear, which reminds Trace of another quirky band. "So, this is the Italian Devo?"
The riff ebbs in spots, but at the mid-way point they get on a hot streak, sometime around where they find a radioactive city, and later, when a lady hovers this device near Etor's crotch (ha ha), which leads us back to the ship and a showdown with the robot. Oh, and on the risqué side of it, Frank's rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Circle Game" had me in stitches.
Special guest: Jonah Ray, there's much movie talk in this Q&A
A Night of Shorts 8 - July 12, 2022
Frank and Trace tackle not only an MST classic, but a gem from Rifftrax early days - and while they don't surpass either of those giants, they still delivered some stand-out quips - in Snap Out of It! (In which a kid gets emotionally unbalanced over a report card) Frank's quip about the grades, "They're a Marjory Taylor Greene level of dumb", and his follow up, was a scream. As for Mr. B Natural, while I admit, I was hearing riff echoes from the past, I still had a good time with it... the response to Mr. B saying "blasphemy" (a terse "God damnit!") was just one of several big laughs I received. And as a bonus, this is the uncut version, so there are some fresh new scenes to enjoy.
In addition to those two, there's Load Runners - a film about foundry production machinery, which is about as much fun as it sounds, phew, not even Frank & Trace could liven up this dry piece, though they give it the old college try (Trace's "We're making our own hips", was a crack up).
The short of the night, on the other hand, was anything but dry - Parents–Who Needs Them? is about a "nag doll" (according to Trace) who turns a kid invisible and forces him to watch his parents! Sure, no trauma there. The doll looks maniacal, so that's good for some nightmares, and there's so much here to work with - the kids dubbed voice, the line between invisible and intangible, the heat and passion between mom and pops... it's a treasure trove. Oh, and while Chris pointed out that they missed on the Norman Osborn quip for the industrial short, they did connect on Flint Marko during "Parents", so at least one Spider-Man villain was given his due.
Of course, the night would have been a wash without Mr. B herself, Bridget Nelson as special guest. The Q&A was cheerful and fun, and informative... as we learn that Mj and Bridget have the rights to two more Mary Higgens Clark movies... Bridget sounds a little weary of them, but each one has been a riot, so as a fan, I'm glad there are more coming. Also, Chris gave away one of those neat posters from the show, which can also be purchased. Gotta have one of those for sure!
Battle of the Worlds - August 9, 2022
Battle of the Worlds - August 9, 2022
"Oh, come on, they ran out of money for walking?!" - Trace
Directed by Antonio Margheriti, the man behind Yor, Killer Fish, and an actual good movie (And God Said to Cain), and starring the great Claude Rains, who's the movies acting ace (though if you're a fan of Spaghetti Westerns, as I am, seeing Giuliano Gemma in a small role was a kick). Claude plays a grump, which draws Frank's hilarious ire (Trace suggests that Rains should riff the movie), and while his career is the source of several quips ("why couldn't I be invisible for this film?"), it was F&T's days at MST3K that was truly on their minds, as they reference KTMA, Rocket #9, Eden Prairie, a slow door sequence... Frank tops it off by singing a bit of the theme during a shot of a planet.
Punny wordplay is employed... Trace mishears Dr. Cornfield's name as Cornjob, Cornflake, Cornhole, etc. HBO Max (and its cancellation of the Batgirl movie) is in the news, and that finds its way into the comedy. And while Frank repeats his circle jerk song from Cosmos (it's not as funny the second time 'round), he does get in a smart jab, when he has a character inform the women that they've had enough screen time "This is a man movie!" Oh, and Trace is a Tubes fan? You sir are even more awesome.
Comedian and Chipmunk fanatic, Martha Kelly, was the special guest.
Bride of the Monster - September 13, 2022
"Tony McCoy slept with Tony McCoy to get the part" - Frank
The Mads tackle Ed Wood again, this time it's another redo of an MST gem. Trace notes that fans will probably point out when they rehash an old riff... and right out of the gate, yup... (Becwar/TekWar) - there are a few other familiar ones, but mostly they do their own thing and give the piece a contemporary spin. There's good material here - the bird is still funny and the Tor/Bela impressions and exchanges gave me the biggest laughs (as when Lobo threatens to call HR after Vornoff slaps him), but overall it didn't rock my riff world, there were a few too many dead zones, spots were the jokes weren't landing for me.
The special guest was Rachel Lichtman of Network 77 fame. Oh, and there's another winning poster available for purchase.
A Night of Shorts 9 - October 11, 2022
Delightful opening reveal, with Chris, er, Curse, in MST-style jumpsuit, accompanied by his very own mads, dressed appropriately enough, as the Mads.
For content, we get a collection of Encyclopedia films, and while only a few are directly Halloween related, all of them induce nightmares. A racist dog, dreams of hardware guns, a frightened kid, and a dirty witch are among the tasty treats - with the slice of strange that is the informative Puppetry short, the highlight of the night (talking dolls are always good nightmare fuel and the riffing follows in kind, dark and hilarious, with Trace relating his creaky body to what he hears and sees on screen).
Callbacks? Frank sings a Doughy Guy superhero theme (Frank once played Doughty Man (Butter does his bidding!) on an episode. He also pulls out the classic "I'm/We're the Gods" line). In addition, Conniff's the voice of anger in this one, lots of trick 'n treating anger from the man in black.
And lots of laughs in the post-show Q&A too, where Dana Gould returns and proves once again the be an engaging and funny guest, I never wanted the show to end. And last but not least - yes, rest in peace Angela Lansbury, she gifted us a lifetime of great performances.
The Devil Bat - November 8, 2022
Disaster struck the Livestream this month (which is included as bonus material at the download site). But since I'm a wait-and-watch-the-download type, I came through it unscathed.
So, according to the poster, the movie stars Richard Nixon... er, scratch that, it's actually Bela Lugosi, who plays a perfumer with a grudge.
As to the comedy - Trace has fun with dad jokes and puns... "Oh, he has to go to the Batroom", and "He has to recharge his Bat-teries". Dr. Oz is brought up; the draggy bits of the flick are explained ("This was binge-watching in 1940") and Frank pulls out -what I believe is- the first ever Judy Canova reference in riffing history.
Special guest was Joe Keyes, who was a riff reference in "The Sinister Urge". There are a lot of fish stories in this Q&A, and I got some laughs out of noticing how affectionate Trace's cat is. One of the questions involved political movies, Frank named several good ones - the first that popped up in my head was "7 Days in May" (I wonder if our Riffers have seen it, I highly recommend it). Oh, and I'm with Joe, "The bat has blue balls" was one of the funnier quips of the night.
Teenagers from Outer Space - December 13, 2022
Teenagers from Outer Space - December 13, 2022
"Jim Henson's Baby Babies" - Trace
Pretty solid effort on this redo - and as a bonus the duo riff on scenes that were cut for time in the MST3K version, including the opening, which was referenced in a host segment, but not shown. Some of the funniest moments for me were the simplest (like Trace voicing Derek's fall over a cliff on his initial escape), though I also got laughs out of them tapping into recent events (I just finished watching The Dropout, so the Walgreens line was a rib tickler) and spotting a look-alike (Rob Elk). There's a quick apology to Chris (for being too young to get a reference) and Frank hums some familiar theme songs, including a bit of Albert Glasser's score to The Beginning of the End. The after show saw J. Elvis and Andy Kindler return as special guests.
A Night of Shorts 10 - January 10, 2023
It's the Chris and Jupiter show! And they are joined by those 2 other guys (their names escape me at the moment) who interrupt the cat broadcast to riff on several short pieces (most from Coronet), including Bookkeeping and You, Special Days in February, Why Study Industrial Arts, Hoppy: The Bunny, Joan Avoids a Cold, and Life in a Medieval Town.
Bookkeeping as a movie was, as Trace said, pretty boring, but hey at least we get to hear Frank sing the Tobor theme. The follow-up was stronger, both short and riff ("Dear Valentine, I'll ride you like a pony, what?!" - Trace), though the video did freeze up at one point, so on the restart we heard some alternate riffs during the livestream (the download fixes the issue). The re-do of an MST classic is punny (and funny - Frank's quips include a nod to The Room). Of the 6, my favorite was Hoppy... so, so many bunny quips, and that song... it's an ear worm, the worst kind of ear worm. The show closes with germs and scarf hats (the latter also covered by Rifftrax).
Dimension 5 - February 14, 2023
"He flew from L.A. to L.A. and then on to L.A." - Trace
I loved the promise of the title, and the selling point of Jeffery Hunter as a time travelling secret agent... I was thinking, "Man this has got to be cool, right? Colorful and full of style?" In truth it's a drab, tan looking film (call it muddy brown and yellow), with a script devoid of thrills or clever repartee. Now it does sport a few MST vets: France Nuyen (Diamond Head), and in a small role, Robert Ito (Women of the Prehistoric Planet). And on the side of evil there's a laughably dubbed Oddjob, who has a Tor-like sidekick, so yeah, there's a lot to riff on at least, including...
The nods to Trek and Bond (obviously), teasing the sexism ("It would help this film if he never talked" - Frank, about our hero), and the tedium ("Can't he just zap to the end of the movie?" - Trace). They tap into scenes - like the yard sale, where the duo breaks into laughter over Frank's crappy Phyllis Diller impression (funny; Diller actually starred in a short about garage sales, which Bridget and Mary Jo covered), and scorch the dialogue (when a guy asks, "How did it go down there?" Trace responds with, "The rash?")
You also hear some MST callbacks (Cambot) and of course the two are always topical (I like how, with one riff, Trace just calls it was it is - the, "Shoot the balloon joke"). At the end Chris tells them that they were on fire, and he's not wrong.
Tammy Golden, who's written on the last 3 seasons of MST3K, was the special guest, and viewer questions centered on a lot of 'favorite this and that' types. I agree with Tammy's "best spy film" and liked Frank's fave time travel movie (for that one, my mind went to "La Jetée" a brilliant short from Chris Marker. Highly recommend it).
Night of the Ghouls - March 14, 2023
"Welcome back to 'Blanche DuBois, vampire hunter'" - Frank
The movie is like an Ed Wood greatest hits compilation, with footage from other production, and a host of acting all-stars from the Ed-verse, or as the Mads call it, the Kelton-Verse. Movie references were fun, Trace screaming "ACTION!", and Criswell - just, Criswell, nuff said. In total I found it a middling effort, cute but not hysterical. Guest was Cat Popper, which leads to a lot of music related questions and interesting stories.
A Night of Shorts 11 - April 11, 2023
The show opens with The Pursuit of Profit in which a silver-haired spirit schools a grocery store guy ("Welcome back to Mike Pence, creepy voyeur" - Frank). After that, widgets... widgets, widgets, widgets (repeat that like Cabot). Titled 'Round & 'Round, it features stiff, stop motion figures who are crazy for widgets. It's kind of creepy how these things enter a scene, like zombies, but instead of brains, they crave... you guessed it, widgets.
As good as these are, it's the closers that'll interest MSTies most. First up there's the musical motorama, A Touch of Magic, which is a sequel to "Design for Dreaming". It has the same fantasy strangeness, and Tad Tadlock dancing about, and is equally as funny. And last (but not least) Mylar: What's It to You, which is best known as the short that was to be included on the MST3K CD Rom (which was never released and was eventually lost). It's an overlong piece, but the guys do good work on it, teasing the product, the guy selling it and his beret wearing models. It was nice to finally hear it riffed.
The aftershow guest is Walter Chaw, you get a lot of movie talk with him, mostly sci-fi based (he has a poster from one of my favorites "Dark City" behind him). We also get cats, one that gives Chris a bath, another who gets tangled up with Trace.
