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Updated: Now Available from Cinematic Titanic…
Buy it here. Download it here. Our old pal Luigi Bastardo at Blogcritics is the first out of the gate with a review, closely followed by our pal Brian Orndorf at DVD Talk. Update: Nick Lyons at DVD Corneralso reviews the DVD. So does Janelle Vreeland at CollegeNews.com. 68 Replies to “Updated: Now Available from Cinematic Titanic…”Commenting at Satellite News
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All content posted on Satellite News is copyright © 2024 by Chris Cornell and Brian Henry, except where otherwise noted. This Date in MSTory is written and compiled by Steve Finley, Chris Cornell and Brian Henry. Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce This Date in MSTory items in any form without express written permission from the authors. Items of MST3K news may be duplicated or reposted, as long as Satellite News is cited as the source. The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Satellite of Love, LLC. No warranty is expressed or implied that the information given herein is completely accurate, and in fact this information can and will change at any time. So there. Mystery Science Theater 3000, its characters and situations are copyrights and trademarks of Satellite of Love, LLC. Banner image created by Larry Lee Moniz. |
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I’ve been waiting for this one. Saw it live in Dallas last year, but the acoustics were so bad I missed a lot of the riffs and I remember thinking “that’s okay, they’ll put out a dvd someday.” Ah, good times.
Here, let me get it all out of the way now…
“I don’t like the live dvd’s! I wish they’d bring back the original format! I don’t want to hear the audience- it ruins it for me! Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah!!!!!!”
Now we can actually talk about the episode….
I love Alien Factor – it’s such a charmingly awkward movie. Saw it live in Chicago and had a great time!
Ordered mine at midnight and can’t wait to get it.Saw it in Dallas,too and it was funny.With the live dvd’s you don’t hear the audience that much.It’s not like it was filmed in the back row or anything.As long as I get to hear the jokes and the movie,then it’s fine with me.Who knows,maybe the next one we’ll be a studio release??
LOL to Steve’s comment. I feel the same way. As long as they keep making them–and the last LIVE dvd was the best one yet–I’ll keep buying them, too. This is a really interesting movie–first one of these where I was ever actually surprised by a plot twist–and its hillarious. Ordered mine at midnight and I’m hoping maybe… this weekend? These ship out pretty fast, right?
Just got it. Watching it now. My only quibble is Trace’s line of “Has there ever been a two-door cop car? EVER? In the history of law enforcement?” Well, Trace, yes there are. Maybe not in the 70’s but now, they have interceptors for high speed pursuit. And they come in a variety of fashionable styles. I have seen Camaros and Mustangs.
Sorry, just a little quibble. Looking forward to finishing it and taking it with me to Philly for a long week of job-based tedium.
Thanks, Steve! :grin:
“I love the LIVE DVDs! I like when obnoxious fans laugh and applaud and I can’t hear the jokes as well as when they do the studio DVDs. Plus I don’t know when to laugh, so the audience really helps me out! Plus, if Joel was selling a bag of his own dung, I’d buy it… so long as he’s having regular bowel movements, I’m happy. Waaah! Wah! Wah! Why am I crying?! Waaah!”
Now we can talk about why we prefer the studio DVDs over the LIVE DVDs.
I consider the live DVD’s to be the next natural evolutionary step for CT (though not for RT…funny). I hope they continue putting them out. I find myself going back to “East Meets Watts” more often than the rest of the ouvre.
@9
Well, I give the LIVE DVDs and the lovers of the LIVE DVDs a hard time, but honestly, I haven’t really re-watched much of the Cinematic Titanic–Studio or LIVE. But, I do think that “East Meets Watts” was the funniest of the lot, but the audience didn’t add to the pleasure. I just kept thinking, “man, if this were a studio release, it would be perfect.”
I gotta agree with sirhamhat. While I love “East Meets Watts”, it would’ve been better as a studio DVD. I know I’ve beaten this into the ground, but when I talked to Joel (!!) at “Blood of the Vampires”, he discussed with me how they were building a storyline and backstory with the studio DVDs. You can’t get those with the live ones. And, there’s no skits like Joel’s fake Christmas gifts, Frank Coniff’s Hollywood Cavalcade, Which Thing Won’t Kill You, etc. I know they enjoy the live shows, and an occasional DVD like that is okay, but I really want them to go back to what works. No angry feelings here, just disappointed that this doesn’t seem to be a priority for them anymore.
Actually, come to think of it, I hope the LIVE thing isn’t a permament change but I guess my reaction to the first LIVE was mitigated by the fact that I’d seen WATTS and ALIEN live and wanted them to recapture that energy on the dvd. (And the spit take gag is the best joke EVER. It would have been hard to capture on a studio dvd.) I do wish they’d do more skits, even just as extras.
Oh, and just so we’re clear: No matter whether you like or don’t like the live DVDs, you’re all worse than Hitler. There.
@sirhamhat Ok, we got it. Some people don’t like the live DVD. But do you really have to piss on everyone who does?
Debate all you want about why studio is better than live or vice versa, but I suspect it will come down to this: if we don’t support these latest releases, they won’t have enough money to go back to the studio. So, if you want to see more of them in that format, buy the DVD, otherwise you’ll end up ensuring there are no more studio recordings.
Can I say that there are things about both studio and live DVDs that I like? Well, there, I said it.
I ordered my DVD. I’ve always liked the newer movies that were riffed on MST3K.
My theory on them is this:
Newer Movie = Greater Cheese.
@14
I’m not pissing on anything… when you do that you risk moistening your sneakers, and that’s not good. My initial post (#8) was a tounge-in-cheek reaction to Steve Vil’s whimsical post (#2) that was meant to detract all of us LIVE DVD Haters from posting. Realistically, you can’t post something in an open forum without receiving some venomous backlash, so it was meant as a light-hearted commentary. Just some good natured ribbing. So sit back, relax and laugh at my hilarious antics.
@13
Hitler was a saint! Oh wait… That’s not right at all.
@15
Oh, don’t worry oddstocks… I’ve already purchased the physical DVD, which is even pricier than the download. My point is, I support these guys, so I have every right to complain about the format. Its the same idea as voting. If you don’t vote, then you have no right to complain about who wins the election. I purchased, and continue to support these guys, so I will continue to froth at the mouth about the LIVE format until they return to the studio releases. I hope you are right and they will use this money to fund the studio versions, but as I’ve complained before, there is no indication that the LIVE version is some last ditch effort to keep this Ma and Pa artistic endeavor afloat. I’m sure the LIVE versions are cheaper to produce, but I don’t think they were at the point where if they continued to do the studio version that Cinematic Titanic would cease to exist. That’s why I don’t care for the people saying, “Hell, I’ll take whatever they’ll give me.” Because the DVDs aren’t any cheaper for the LIVE versions, so what is the advantage to us?
I understand that not everyone agrees with what I say. Hell, at this point, I don’t expect anyone to agree… but, I’m passionate about this stuff because I’m a fan. I’m glad they are putting out a product, but I will be happy when they return to the studio DVDs. And for me, I hope “Danger on Tiki Island” will be the last of the LIVE DVDs.
Just ordered it. Can’t wait! I agree that east meets watts was the best so far, but the movie made it the most charming. Let’s face it, the more entertaining the movie, the more involved you get and the more funny the jokes seem. Live or studio, they are riffing BETTER movies now….more silly and with seriously unintentionaly goofy scenes. I saw danger on tiki island last year live and I hope that one comes out next. How about they take that 50.00 a ticket money they got from me and everyone else and release a dvd with a studio version AND a live version. that would be the ultimate test. and subsequently please everyone in the process.
@ 18
Sirhamhat, have you voted by writing to them directly? Complaining in a forum they may or may not see might not do very much good toward getting you what you want.
I guess it’s kind of dorky to say (on the sliding scale of dorkiness for a fan site for a show that’s been off the air for over a decade), but the only thing I miss in the live shows is the little meta-narrative they’re slowly, slowly, slowly building up for the Cinema Titans in their underground (?) riffing bunker. Those little nuggets of comedy in those beginning segments are small and not fully fleshed, but I appreciate them nonetheless.
That said, I loved going to see East Meets Watts live, principally because you get a sense of the interaction among the Titans that’s, sadly, underdeveloped in the studio recordings.
Picked this one up, and while not being sold on the “live” aspect, I agree with Oddstock’s statement above. Gotta support CT if you want more product in the future.
On that note…I would love for them to travel to Bmore and do this one live. I’m sure 90% of the cast from the flick are still in the area and it would be groovy to get them all back together for a Q & A with the CT crew??
Hmm. One reviewer said it was a laugh a minute, and he was in hysterics, and the audience was into it. The other said it was just okay, and not as lively as “East Meets Watts” and the audience was just kind of laid back, but amused.
Dare I order this?
Okay – I dare.
Guess I’ll have to judge for myself. This is where my money goes, folks. Sickening, ain’t it?
@22: While the director is dead, a good portion of the cast are still alive. Don Leifert is still a high school teacher, and Dyziel still comes to the Horrorfind Convention in the area. That said, I think the Horrorfind convention might be a good tie-in to do a CT:Live show in the area.
East Meets Watts was great. Looking forward to AF. Please stick to the live format, CT. It’s a giant improvement.
Randy
“Childhood syphilis – can happen to anyone.” :lol:
Love the live discs, love the studio discs, love CT, love EZ-Takes!
I wasn’t happy at all with the live edition of ‘East Meets Watts’. The sound suffered, there were joke miscues and the audience was an unreliable laugh track. Instead of laughing at a quip it had me mentally critiquing why it didn’t get a laugh. I love Cinematic Titanic, but I prefer the audience free format.
Sampo:
Tell me something I don’t know!
I can’t believe how bad these live DVDs are. Did you hear that guy in the 3rd row laughing half a beat off from everyone else? Who let him in? And who’s been doing Frank’s hair lately? I mean, really? And where’s Joel been getting his suits? Someone’s gotta do somethin’ about this, I tells ya!!!
This one was really great – as incompetent a movie as the gang’s ever seen. Half the “movie” is shot in the woods behind someone;s house, and the other half in their backyard. I laughed harder at East Meets Watts, mainly because there were so many more cliches to make fun of, but I also liked this one a lot.
Really awesome! I love how the audience would just crack up spontaneously and the performers simply nod knowingly letting the movie do the job. Joel was laughing so much it was as if he wrote all of his riffs naked.
I’m kind of in the middle on the live/studio DVD debate. Of course we’ve only seen one live DVD so far (I haven’t seen this one yet because I prefer spending my money on real DVDs and just ordered it last night) so it’s hard to really judge them right now. I have watched East Meets Watts a few times since it’s release and I have enjoyed it immensely. It might even be my favorite CT release yet. Having finally seen them perform live this weekend I can definitely say there is indeed an exciting, engrossing energy to the live shows that comes through fairly well on the live DVDs, but is largely missing in the more polished studio DVDs. But I also like the things from the studio that aren’t included in the live shows, like the background story elements and the extra sketches where they stop the film, and miss them. So how ever they decide to continue these DVD releases I’ll be fine. I would like to see some more new studio releases at some point, but I don’t think there is much point in them going back and redo any of the live DVDs in the studio. I will continue to purchase any of their releases, live or studio, because I genuinely enjoy them either way, but I probably wouldn’t buy a double dip studio version of a film they already released live. At least not right away.
So, does this always have to happen whenever these DVDs come out? Will it happen in reverse if CT makes a new studio DVD? :???:
Now there’s two types of CT DVDs and so a diametrically-opposed flame war contingent has emerged…? Sounds about right.
There can be only ONE!!!! :lol:
East Meets Watts had great riffing, despite being live. Alien Factor was actually not so much fun. There were a lot less laughs this time around, and the audience was way more annoying. A good example, is when Frank makes the riff about Jay Leno getting KILLED at 10, the audience groans, everybody watching with me, laughed our asses off. Because we all know how much Jay sucks. There were also numerous dialogue miscues, many times a riff would overrun movie dialogue, even messing up the next riff in some cases. I really hope they go back to the studio at some point to give us some slicker product.
We saw the Alien Factor show in Philly last year and have been anxiously awaiting the DVD release, so I ordered this right away. As for the live vs. studio DVD debate, I enjoyed the live East Meets Watts DVD and will have to reserve judgement on Alien Factor till I see it, but I hope that they haven’t abandoned doing polished studio DVD work just because the first live DVD got a mostly quite favorable reaction. I think the fun or novelty of the live DVD shows will wear thin if all their DVDs are produced live from now on. A judicious mix of live DVDs now and then would keep things interesting without abandoning the kind of polish and quality they can get from having full control in a studio production.
I watched it last night and really enjoyed it. If it wasn’t as funny as “East Meets Watts”, it was definitely a close second. Personally I don’t care if it’s live or studio – as long as it’s funny.
I’ve already laughed out loud more in the first 15 minutes of Alien Zone than I did for all the studio releases put together. Something about the live energy is way more entertaining to me.
Ok, here’s the deal as I see it. Yes, with the live format they make mistakes and the audience laughing might be annoying. But the Titans started as stand-up comedians. They thrive on audience feed back. Their performances have much, much more energy than in the studio. You can tell they are having a lot of fun in front of an audience. BTW, I’ve seen them twice in Philly.
I love the Titans, and saw them in Philadelphia last summer and will be seeing them in Princeton in April….
… but I did not love “Alien Factor” as a comedy product. I liked it, mind you, had a bunch of good laughs.
… but I still have that nagging feeling about the jokes being too forced and too stiff sometimes, and I felt that way more on “Alien Factor” than most other CTs. Others have pointed out the high riff density, which maybe makes it seemed too tightly packed or something. I’m not sure, but something didn’t “cut loose” for me on this one. I know I’ll like it more with repeat viewings, most of them work like that.
Overall I agree with those who say some of the Rifftrax and Film Crew flicks felt more spontaneous and relaxed. Wish I knew why but I think it’s true a lot of the time.
Just ordered this, along with East Meets Watts. Not sure if I’m saving all that much on shipping by doubling up, but it seems to make sense to me.
I don’t buy the “riff density” argument. Yes, there are 5 performers, but there were always 5+ writers for MST3k, too.
I checked Andrew’s site for MST3k statistics (It was on geocities, so I had to use the Internet Archive — Andrew, if you’re here, do you have an updated site?) If you’re interested, the address for the archived page is:
http://web.archive.org/web/20080304184556/http:/www.geocities.com/secretboxoftoys/projriff2.htm#project
According to his research, MST3k episodes averaged 8.972 riffs per minute. I sampled several minutes of The Alien Factor, and got anywhere from 7 to 11 riffs per minute. That averages out to 9, or pretty much the average for MST3k.
So, if you don’t like CT, fair enough. But riff density is not the problem you’re looking for. Move along.
I have to say I like the live shows much better than their studio ones. The skits they did during the studio shows plus the silhouettes just draw the inevitable comparisons to MST3K. There seems to be a better energy from the group when performing live, likely because they’re also feeding off the energy of their audience, plus they seem to be enjoying themselves and it’s nice to see their reactions whilst riffing, even if they blow a joke or crack themselves up. I say gash the studio efforts and just focus on the live shows from now on.
I’m boycotting until my part of Jersey gets a tour (they can’t come to my town; no theatres or anything like that). I refuse to spend money on a group that is so disrespectful to it’s SOUTH Jersey fans.
Laura (#44): As a fellow SJ resident, I’m with you. People tend to forget that this part of the state even exists, so we’re continually screwed. Not everyone wants to drive to beautiful downtown Trenton, dammit.
I just watched it, after downloading it (entirely legally, I want to stress. Glad to support CT, and EZTakes is a snap to use if you have a Windows box and a DVD burner.) It was entertaining–the movie is so terrible that some of the best moments don’t even need to be riffed. But there was a lot of very funny gags.
I’d still prefer a studio version; in fact, not to put a bullseye on my wallet, but if they were to re-release this in a studio version, I’d buy it all over again just for the sketches, intro, and the slight polish I think their performance gets when they can do re-takes. (Same with “East Meets Watts”, really.) But despite my preference, I don’t at all regret buying this one, and I’ll watch it again soon, I’m sure.
I hope you Jersey people are joking, I flew to Seattle last year to see CT from Idaho. I met someone who flew from Orlando. You need to move out west to really get that “nobody comes to my state, much less town” feeling.
#48 – I hope so too. Seems a bit nutty, especially when they’ve been to the Philly area twice and will be in Princeton in April. I guess some need a personal visit! If you’re not willing to drive a measly hour to go see them, I can’t imagine you’re missing them all that much in the first place.
John Seavey @ #47 said:
It’s also a snap on a Mac. With cable internet it took an hour to download. This is the sixth CT title I’ve gotten from them. And as easy it is to burn a DVD, one can also just watch it on the computer. When you burn it, it is a “real DVD”, no different from the one you buy from them. In fact it’s better because you can always burn more copies if you need to.
The box and artwork are superfluous to me. No offense to their graphics person (or Rifftrax’s either) but the CT art generally stinks, which is surprising as MST was such a visually striking show. And the plastic case just takes up space. I’ve already got hundreds of DVDs, so I just use envelopes and file them now.
Full disclosure: I spent $25 each on 3 CT discs at the show I went to a year ago. I went in with a wad of cash, wanting to support my heroes but instead felt like I got ripped off. It was my own fault, but when I see those discs on my shelf alongside MST boxsets and RT Shorts collections, I want to kick myself.
(I think the lesson is, “Even your heroes are out to make a buck.”)
And to Steve K #43: Andrew’s site is now: http://www.magicmarkerweb.com/mst3kreview/main.htm
and it’s been recently updated, though his episode summaries are still incomplete.
Note: this is a different site than “AndrewRogers.net” and is not listed on the Umbilicus page, even though he posts here frequently.