Weekend Discussion Thread: When the Riffers Interact with (or block) the Screen

Posted by Sampo, on March 9th, 2013

Alert reader Susan suggests:

What’s your favorite instance of Joel, Mike, or the bots reaching up and touching the screen, as a sort of visual riff? Mine is in the classic “Space Mutiny” when Mike reaches up and feels our hero’s bulging biceps.

I want to include anytime the riffers were up out of their seats in this. My favorite is Mike and Tom taking a spin around the dance floor during “The Starfighters.”

What’s your favorite?

67 Replies to “Weekend Discussion Thread: When the Riffers Interact with (or block) the Screen”

Commenting at Satellite News

We are determined to encourage thoughtful discussion, so please be respectful to others. We also provide an "Ignore" button () to help our users cope with "trolls" and other commenters whom they find annoying. Go to our Commenting Guidelines page for more details, including how to report offensive and spam commenting.

Raskolnikov says:

March 10, 2013 at 2:05 pm

Definately Eddie drinkin’ and smokin’ in front of Time Chasers…always wanted Eddie to make another guest appearance.
Eddie: “What’d I say about puns?!”
Tom: “To shove ’em up my…”
“That’s right.”

5 likes

ServoTron3000 says:

March 10, 2013 at 2:45 pm

“Untamed Youth” when Mamie Van Doren makes a turn on the screen and her “assets” pass right across Servos head and the guys yell “Look out Tom!”

3 likes

nekouken says:

March 11, 2013 at 1:45 am

When Joel was in Chicago for his one-man show, I asked him during the q&a if he missed being able to do this sort of thing. I commented on sampo’s observation awhile back that Joel seemed fond of that kind of humor. He said all the brains liked doing that stuff. “[The only reason it was always me is because] I was the only one with working arms.”

4 likes

nekouken says:

March 11, 2013 at 1:47 am

My favorites are probably when Mike would pat a character on the cheek during an extreme close up. The fat guy from Overdrawn, possibly? Not sure on this one.

2 likes

JeremyR says:

March 11, 2013 at 5:16 am

There’s one episode where a woman is singing awfully, and Joel puts his hand over the lady’s mouth and they mute the soundtrack.

I wanted to say Robot vs Aztec Mummy one.

2 likes

radioman970 says:

March 11, 2013 at 8:09 am

Any of the ones that have something (person, car/truck) coming toward the guys and they start freaking… “oh… oh… OH! It’s coming… Look out! ” :pain: and they start to get out of the way but it ends…

Put me down for Mike’s smoking bro too. :yes:

I think Mike points out Krankor’s “giblets” in PoS… :rotfl: but that may be for last week’s topic…so I’m late.

3 likes

Creeping-Death says:

March 11, 2013 at 9:16 am

In Touch of Satan when the gate is opening and Mike ducks and then acts like the gate hits him. There is also Joel’s running on the road in Warrior of the Lost World or Mike’s running on the road in Final Justice. A cute one is when Servo is bent over trying to defend Sheila during Projected Man

3 likes

rcfagnan says:

March 11, 2013 at 1:56 pm

Mike setting up the cardboard cutouts in “Hobgoblins” and the ensuing recorded riffs on the tape player.

8 likes

CaveDweller says:

March 11, 2013 at 5:48 pm

I also always liked Mike and Tom’s dance during “Starfighters”. But, one of the first times I remembering something like this was when Joel stood up during “Robot Holocaust” and put his hands over the shirtless guy’s nipples and said, “I’m editing this.” That was another one of those moments that made me realize that MST3K was something special.

2 likes

Depressing Aunt says:

March 11, 2013 at 6:59 pm

#58 I love the “Hobgoblins” stuff! Especially those weird, generic taped riffs–taped when, exactly? “Boy, this sure is a bad movie. Won’t you?” or suchlike. “…you little doo-dad.” When on earth were these taped comments made??!

And the cardboard cutouts–made when? How? Why? Did Mike and the bots just have a lot of time on their hands one day on the ship? I mean, how long have they been planning this stuff? I’m impressed! :)

4 likes

rvoyttbots says:

March 11, 2013 at 7:55 pm

Is it in GIRL IN GOLD BOOTS where Crow gets up and leaves the theater because he is bored and while he is gone some nudity is shown? When he comes back Mike & Servo tell him he didn`t miss anything.

2 likes

Matt D says:

March 11, 2013 at 9:10 pm

Gotta agree generally on the gate bits, like in Ring of Terror, but specifically on what Creeping Death @57 mentioned. The Touch of Satan bit with Mike acting like the fence hit him had me cracking up. So simple and yet so effective.

1 likes

AMKR says:

March 12, 2013 at 1:35 pm

I think cam bots scoreboard riff caught me MOST off guard and madem e laugh so hard thinking they should use him more. Then Id say Mike at the end of Giant Gila Monster or is it FUture War? When hes demonstrating forced prepective then the big tom comes and explains don’ try to figure it out there’s tons of me! (I personally think hes a quantum space being that understands the deepest workings of the universe (atleast mechanicaly and ni the theory) as he can quantum leap, create more of himselves, etc etc – the evidence is…estonding haha

I jjust love it when tom and servo mess with mike (when bill-crow is amnesiac and hes mocking mike may be the funniest crap ever hahahaaaa – i love bill’s angry voice like on Rifftrax Reefer Madness Live “Would you PLEASE pay Attention I’m trying to save your children from the DEMON WEED!!” I nearly peed my pants – “This is cause Joel’s been here recently”-crow

1 likes

Bombastic Biscuit Boy says:

March 12, 2013 at 5:56 pm

i always loved the bit from Girl In Lover’s Lane…
“Camera 3 get off the track! Camera 3!! WHAAAAUUUUGHHHH!”

i remember someone ashing on Crow’s head at one point and him being pretty pissed off…

1 likes

Vadinho says:

March 13, 2013 at 1:40 am

I do believe during “Leech Woman” when Old Mala is talking, Mike lifts up his hand & in a up & down motion he pretends to move her sagging skin on her neck. Mike then makes a turkey sound

0 likes