On the Cinematic Titanic blog, Joel has announced that the CT team is going to take “a much-needed break for the rest of the summer,” though they are working on a new title they’ve just acquired.
He also announced that the team has signed with talent agency APA, which is “the agency I worked with when I was a young stand-up: they helped me land my first bookings on SNL and Letterman as well as being the company that helped make that very important MST3K deal back at Comedy Channel. It’s great to be back working with them, and they will be representing Cinematic Titanic for theatrical gigs as well as bringing our live shows to various media too.”
Finally, he also revealed that “we’ve decided not to record our last three live features (‘East Meets Watts,’ ‘Danger on Tiki Island’ and ‘Alien Factor’) in the studio, as I previously announced. Instead, we will continue to present these features in future live dates.”
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The news with Cinematic Titanic keeps getting worse. I couldn’t care less about live shows. Bring on the definitive studio versions!
:sad:
As I’ve stated any and everywhere I can post it: I am utterly disappointed. I saw the live presentation of “Danger on Tiki Island” in Atlanta. It was great, but I was thinking the whole time, “I can’t wait till this one is on DVD! It’s going to be my favorite CT episode now!” Well, now that has been blown to bits… I can’t put into words how utterly disappointed I am with this move. Not just disappointed, but pissed!
I’m not mad that they are taking a break, but the fact that those three will never be preserved and presented on DVD… Not happy with CT at all… It also seems like an odd move to disappoint MSTies this way because 95% of us like tangible stuff! i.e.- Studio DVDs! Plus, this is one of the big things that separated CT from Rifftrax was that every episode was on DVD… The live experience is great, but people want to preserve that experience–an expensive experience at that. And, of course, not everyone can afford to see them live. And as much as I’m sure they enjoy performing live and getting the immediate audience feedback via laughter, it is important to get product out there to perpetuate interest. Hoo boy… anyhow. I am utterly disappointed, if I didn’t mention that already…
I totally understand the break. The decision to not record the last 3 film completely blows.
What…the…HELL?! :evil:
I wanted to see East Meets Watts so badly! Why is it that just as Rifftrax is getting back on track, CT has to completely derail? Awful business plan, Joel. You are going to make a lot of people unhappy with this.
Any idea that Joel is a smart businessman flew right out the window when he announced that they would NOT be doing studio versions of the 3 movies they just toured.
I mean seriously, how many times can you watch them doing the exact same films live (and spend over $50 a pop doing so) before it gets OLD?
I think it’s still implied that they will be recorded at some point. CT signed a deal that should probably allow them to book more shows and if they don’t want to perform material that is already out on DVD(a wise choice) CT will have to put off releasing those three films until they have new material to replace them in the rotation. I saw Alien Factor and Danger on Tiki Island in philly and they were great. If this means that others will get to see them that otherwise wouldn’t have, than that’s great too. It isn’t an unrecoverable tragedy like some of the posters here are making it out to be.
I’m hoping that @Winky #6 is correct and that some day we’ll see studio DVD releases… (or even live releases if that’s all they’ll sell)…
That said, I have no objection to seeing CT live… I just wish they’d do a show somewhere near me…
I’ve very, very disappointed as well, but reading between the lines it’s very clear they are trying to think long term. Having representation try to bring “our live shows to various media” means they are thinking of tv, etc. and DVD would probably take a back seat to that as it normally does. Of course, the Rifftrax approach to doing a live simulcast of a previously released DVD is going in a different direction, but the fact that I already own the DVD is the #1 reason I probably won’t go pay for that. The CT crew is probably thinking about that and it’s why they are holding off on recording/releasing those.
@Winky – I think you’re right. These will eventually make their way to DVD in one form or the other. Over on twitter, Josh replied to a question about this latest post with “I wouldn’t say no more dvds, we just decided we aren’t done having fun doing this batch of movies live yet.”
My backseat marketer says they’d be better off getting at least one of these out as DVD soon even if it means the more polished version they get out of future live shows never makes it to a commercial release.
I take Josh’s comment to mean that they don’t like doing movies live that have already been released on DVD, and they want to keep being able to do these movies live for a while.
But ultimately, they need something to sell to promote their shows and get them press. Even the Dead released records.
That’s too bad they won’t be releasing the last three titles on DVD anytime soon [I really wanted to see THE ALIEN FACTOR and the other blood island movie], but I got to already see CT live and meet them :mrgreen: … so I can die a happy fan.
As I stated before, I saw them live as well… and as much fun as it was, it was expensive and only made me want to preserve the experience even more on some type of format… oh, I don’t know… maybe on something like a DVD!!!
Josh’s Twitter comment is the only possible saving grace. I hope they are just going to continue touring with these 3 movies (as implied by Josh) and release them later (as not implied by Joel or Josh)… Joel’s post seemed pretty clear that those 3 would not make it to DVD. I pray I’m totally wrong! All of this being said, I hope to God if they do release them that they are studio versions and NOT live versions. That would suck on wheat toast…
I’ll echo the “everybody needs a break”, I understand that. And while touring is great and a good way to market stuff and “get the branding” out there, they haven’t released a DVD since mid-March.
As it is, we MSTies get three MST releases a year (hopefully, Shout! Factory can keep that up… though more’d be nice), Film Crew is dead, and no guarantee that RiffTrax is ever going to release any more DVDs, I looked at CT putting out four or five a year as icing on the cake. Not to mention the fact that, while I enjoyed Film Crew and the Rifftrax a lot, CT has been my favorite post-MST work.
My wife and I would love to see a live show, but as others have posted, cost and travel are a concern. We live in central Michigan, and if they did a show in Lansing or Grand Rapids, we might be able to swing it, but anything further away than that, probably can’t happen. Just doing a quick mental cost analysis in my head: seeing a show in Chicago or Detroit would easily cost us nearly $500 (if one looks at tickets, gas, meals, hotel, etc.)
We’ve purchased everything that’s been released from MST, Film Crew, the DVDs from Rifftrax, and TWO copies of each of the CT DVDs (one set for a friend I thought would like it) and we watch these literally everyday , we always have an episode going and we jones for something new. You can’t re-watch a live-show over and over.
I hope that this isn’t the end of DVD releases permanently.
It breaks my heart. :sad:
I don’t understand this at all. Why would they put off releasing the DVD’s. Why not do more live shows of new ones? I have a friend who couldn’t make East meets Watts and can’t wait for the DVD release. I’m speechlessly disappointed, even if this means we have a longer wait.
I mean does the new agency have anything to do with this? Are they hoping for a TV deal?
:sad:
CT certainly deserves a break, and I’m glad to hear that the barnstorming tour has worked well enough to get them an agent. Still, the decision to not release the three films any time soon is a major disappointment. I’m trying to spin the “bringing our live shows to various media too” positively, as they might be planning to utilize the live stream system approach that Rifftrax will be using for Plan 9. Of course, TV might be a suitable media outlet for bad movie riffing content as well…
I can hope, right?
I agree with everyone. CT does seem to be awfully busy and deserves a break. However, it would be nice if they did a more leisurely, studio recording for a new DVD. It really has been too long since the last DVD.
I don’t like to travel much myself, so certainly it’s fine with me if the Titans take a break from that. I also think the idea of doing live CT shows is a great idea.
Abandoning DVD’s of the movies after they’ve been been done in a live show is very very disappointing. I’ve bought all the DVD’s and a few other items from the CT web site, and looked forward to more. Since I do not travel much, it looks like my Titan-following will be limited to their comments on Twitter. And I will say that J.Elvis comes up with some great lines on twitter, but it’s not the same as having a DVD.
:arrow: Very very disappointing. :sad: :sad: :sad:
As much as I wanted to see the live show, I just couldn’t afford the price of the ticket. I’ve purchased every DVD release CT has had so far, and will continue to do so. Which is why it’s so disappointing to hear they won’t be committing these three shows I’ve heard so much about to the format. I liked how they were doing it previously. Do it live for a while, perfect it, and then record it and work on something else for the live show. I hope they return to that way of doing things soon.
Awwwww man! I SOOOOO wanted “Alien Factor” on DVD! Throw in the two other films on DVD to boot, release on every other month from here until 2010 and take off half the year. Those of us who haven’t had a live show anywhere nearby won’t feel so left out in the cold. I won’t begrudge anyone some well deserved time off, but I can’t even remember when the last DVD was released?
I have no doubt that they’ll get back to releasing DVDs eventually, if only to prevent themselves from losing money due to the inevitable bootleg videos of the live shows arriving. I wouldn’t buy bootlegs, but others might.
I figure after the break and a few more shows, the three from this year will be officially recorded and distributed by CT. You just have to be patient about it.
I agree with @Winky. So much doom and gloom. There are still going to be at least three more DVDs in the distant future, we just don’t know when. I don’t think this blog either confirmed or denied a possible end of studio DVDs.
Some fans believe that the Titans are working out a longer buffer between studio DVD releases so they can tour more, then record studio releases after working the material out over several performances. They might have plans to work out a way to record live shows at the venues. Maybe record them during the last two live performances when the material is solid.
I don’t think they want to ignore visitors to the website entirely, especially those who are hoping to buy something from the store during the Christmas season. It’s also possible that they are having issues getting the rights to more movies, so they’re sticking with these titles as “live exclusives” longer than they originally planned. It’s not like Cinematic Titanic has the same options that Rifftrax does after all. Maybe their new deal with The Agency for the Performing Arts will help them in this respect.
@Super Agent Icky Elf: “…no guarantee that RiffTrax is ever going to release any more DVDs…”
I’ve heard that Rifftrax plans on releasing a few new DVDs for the Christmas season. I’m guessing CT will have one ready by then.
I agree with most of what’s been posted. The Titans are probably going to keep going with these after their break until they get more films to fine tune in live shows. They want to make sure that what they release is the best it can be.
Super Agent Icky Elf- I too live in Michigan- would love to see a CT show in ANY city here- hell, Flint would be a great place. If I’m not mistaken, in the original MST series there are at least 2 Flint references (#113 & 803) and two Michael Moore references (#524 & 821) to my knowledge, there is one East Lansing reference (I think #819) and zero Grand Rapids riffs. Non-sequiter? Just wanted to get it off my chest.
I have no problem with the break. But what happened to the original idea that was floated about “Would you be willing to join a “Movie of the month DVD club?”. I’ve looked at all the show dates/locations, and would still have to invest in a hotel room and gas money as they are all hundreds of miles and over 5-6 hours away from where I live. Seriously, the amount of people who’ve been to the live show vs. people who have supported their site can’t be much more than 10-15%. If you’re into the “Mike vs. Joel” battle, Mike wins on business model. Nearly no tangible material costs, ease of use, much more blog info, etc. I’ll still buy anything CT puts out, but between cost to go see them, school, and work, looks like my CT fixes will be few and far between.
Agree with Winky #6
There is no way that they would put so much effort and cost into developing those three movies for them only to disappear into the vapor after each performance, without ever producing the little plastic platter we will ALL buy.
Perhaps they are holding them close to the vest, such as Jim Mallon is doing with KTMAs 1 through 3; to be released at some point in the future as the “missing” lost gold holy grail epitome of desirable hidden treasure must have super secret lusted after valuable rarities of all time forever and ever, ramen.
Or something.
I was lucky enough to be within driving distance of a few shows, but was definitely looking forward to the dvds for these. I hope its just a delay. Maybe they’ll air on tv?
Enormously disappointed at the DVD delay (there’s a trend developing here). I’ve been looking at Satellite News every day for months waiting for the next announcement. I saw East Meets Watts in Phoenix and was blown away by the work that had been put into the riffing. Maybe there are issues with Sam Sherman over dvd rights to the films (just guessing here, the Image Ent. dvds of Hemisphere’s properties came out a LONG time ago). I will, of course, continue to support CT in all future endeavors.
@superticket: “But what happened to the original idea that was floated about ‘Would you be willing to join a ‘Movie of the month DVD club?’.”
Joel said early on that this whole project was a work in progress and that’s something to really take into consideration here. I’m guessing that early “let’s release a DVD every couple months” concept died when they quickly discovered the live performances were MUCH more profitable than the studio DVDs.
Studio DVDs have become the secondary market for live titles after they’ve acquired new movies for the live performances. Since they plan on using these movies for more live shows, I’m not surprised that new DVDs have been indefinitely delayed. I’m way behind on Rifftrax anyway, so I’m not worried about getting bored.
This kinda ruins my day. East Meets Watts was amazingly hilarious and my favorite CT movie thus far (didn’t see Alien Factor). But, once upon a time I was in a band and it was fun playing stuff live that wasn’t *yet* released. Really fun.
Hopefully they’ll get tired of riffing it and record a live show and release it. That would be fun.
I too can see why they need a break. The announcement about not releasing these three titles is very disappointing though. I got the chance to catch ‘East Meets Watts’ here in Atlanta and it was amazing. I really hope to have it on DVD at some point.
Reading this I am VERY upset. I haven’t had the money to go to CT live(there have been none close enough) and was looking forward to some of the releases that were being performed live. Now it appears as if I never will…On top of that, there has been no new DVD release since March. Upsetting. I think I will stew a little more.
As a UK fan with no way of seeing the live shows, this kind of sucks rocks. :sad: I can only hope that Sci Fi London really does manage to get them over here, as they hinted they’d try.
I’m guessing that … concept died when they quickly discovered the live performances were MUCH more profitable than the studio DVDs.
Studio DVDs have become the secondary market for live titles after they’ve acquired new movies for the live performances.
Is this based on something they’ve said, or a look at their books?
Hmmm… I was just thinking about this the other day while buying RiffTrax shorts – I’ve kind of forgotten about CT since whenever they put out their last DVD, as the live show they did here was way back in February – I don’t recall the last time I’ve been to their site, and the email announcements for shows that aren’t where I live didn’t do much for me. If anything, they should keep DVD’s coming at some regular interval (bimonthly or quarterly) so we don’t forget about them.
:cry: Utterly heartbroken.That might be a little melodramatic,but I was looking forward to getting a new dvd each month,especially East Meets Watts and The Alien Factor.I seen the last one in Dallas in June and thought,”I can’t wait to get this when it comes out!” Now,it’s like we’re being punished for something.And when they do tour again,will they be going to any of the Southern states? What if they’re too far away for any of us to attend,then what? Not all of us can afford to make a 4-5 hour drive somewhere..Guess we’ll have to wait and see.Hopefully,this won’t be along wait.At least I hope not..After I read this this morning,I was disappointed big time!!
Ah, thanks for the update…
Yeah, that’s a relief to hear.
Well, at least the update has allayed some of my fears. But, at the risk of sounding like a whiny b*tch, we’re probably looking at going with no DVD from mid-March until nearly Christmas.
Major drag.
Yeah, a relief, but it does kind of confirm my minor worrying whenever I read about another CT Live show. I kept thinking, “How can they keep doing these shows and still release a DVD?” The simple answer is, “They can’t.”
Like many people here, you can color me disappointed; after hearing all of these rave reviews about the movies used in live shows, I was hoping to see at least ONE title be used as a studio DVD release. I respect that decision, but it’s nonetheless frustrating if you take in the fact that they haven’t released anything since March!
Having said this, the eternal optimist in me gets a sense that CT might be allowing these short-term hiccups take place for a big, long-term goal. And if the aim is to bring this to television, and that aim is achieved, will we all be worrying then? I say have alittle faith in Joel’s plans, it wouldn’t suprise me if he had something up his sleeve here.
Well, poopie.
I was hoping to see those movies on DVD since live shows never come near me.
I am fine with this as I missed the shows first run around and am looking forward to seeing them on the return engagements, and to anyone who thinks they will never be DVD’s, I think that is crazy. I mean, I know they aren’t really sticking to much with the “backstory”, but isn’t that entirely about preserving these movies on a recorded format.
Well, I’m glad to see Joel’s clarification — and I hope that East Meets Watts is released on DVD at some point. That was insanely hilarious live in Boston.
Bah! Been waiting forever for “East Meets Watts” – bummer! It’s been WAY too long since the latest CT release :roll:
I’m really really disappointed.What happened to”every 6 weeks or so”?I hope they do some simulcasts like Rifftrax though.But I do want them on DVD too!
For now,thank God for Rifftrax is all I can say!
I think what is occuring is a business shift that has some short term issues that will correct itself with time. I can’t believe CT will abandon DVDs of their films. Let’s all be patient and see what brighter future awaits for us. Who knows with the new represention leads to a wider selection of film to do live which in turn will lead to more DVDs being released. A TV deal would be great for everyone. We get to see more CT. They get more regular income and that will insure a long and wonderful career. I think we should all be supportive and things will get better.
I caught the shows in Phoenix, “East Meets Watts” and “Danger on Tiki Island”. They were absolutely fantastic and I am sure “Alien Factor” is as well. They are doing a fantastic job of movie selection. I have two theories for the possible decision to not release these three titles.
1. They are perfect for live shows and releasing them on DVD would effectively end the “live run” on these titles.
2. I think they are all made by the same film company (Hemisphere), kind of like the Sandy Frank fiasco. Maybe the film company didn’t know what they were getting into and are getting their little feelings hurt by their precious films getting absolutely shredded (justifiably so) by the Titans and got them to agree ($$$) not to release them on DVD. Unfortunately we will never see those great Sandy Frank episodes on DVD, maybe the same story here???
I’ll add my input to the list just in the off chance Joel and company are made aware of our opinions.
Take a break, that’s fine. I’m building a new house at the moment and I feel the pain.
Not recording movies to DVD’s makes me a sad panda. There is no way for me to come to a live show. The only way I can and have been enjoying CT is with the DVD’s.
I just hope that “we’ve decided not to record our last three live features” means “at this time” and not “ever”
#47
I would find it hard to believe that when they got the rights for any of these, they didn’t get the WHOLE rights, for as long as necessary to maximize profit potential. I’m sure they learned from the MST past. I think your scenario #1 is the most likely. I think they will continue to show these in different venues across the US (and the UK too?!), looking to hit as many markets as they can. Once they have exhausted that (and themselves) they’ll release these to DVD, and begin working on the next set of DVD titles. Meanwhile, they’ll have a new set of 2-3 movies to take live again, but this time with a good feel for which markets and venues to focus on. Consider this time around a “limited engagement” that will help them pinpoint their market.
That being said, PLEASE return to Phoenix with Alien Factor! In any case, Joel, et al – thanks for all you do!
damn it!
this better be a short break, its been way too long, we need DVDs. the live show thing is a good angle but they wouldnt even need a damn break if they recorded more dvds.
how long must we all wait?
fall? winter? next summer?
I hope the get bored and need to get back into the studio.
Live shows sparingly(hey C.T. would it kill you to come to new england??????)
“it’s the surry with the freeeeek on top”