Also, Alan Scherstuhl, the guy who interviewed Josh was in the audience and sort of liked it, I guess…
An open thread for reports from Friday’s Cinematic Titanic show in San Franciscky.
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Update: How Was the Show (+ more press and a review)Update: Somehow, in the run up to the show, I missed this interview with Joel by Damon O’Donnell of SF360.
29 Replies to “Update: How Was the Show (+ more press and a review)”Commenting at Satellite News
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Greatness. Samson and the 7 Miracles / Rattlers.
Now I’ve seen five live shows from these folks and they just keep getting better. The intros bits by the cast and Gruber were all new from last time I saw them (thankfully Frank retired “Convoluted Man” ) and each presented different material between the 7 & 9:30 performances, keeping it fresh for us return customers. It seems the crew have embraced both their standup comedy pasts and their MST3K legacy as they constantly referred to it (for example, Josh introduced himself as the “Tom Servo no one likes” ). Another difference from a year ago is they are dropping a lot more F & S bombs, making it more a PG-13 affair. They seem to enjoy being more crude with their language and I loved every expletive-laced moment of it.
Samson is very high energy and loud, and is likely the best CT effort yet, highly reminiscent of the Hercules flicks, but with even stronger (and bluer) riffing than MST. As happened the last time I saw them at the Castro Theater, some lines got lost in the large room (especially Mary Jo’s), but I still giggled like an idiot throughout.
Rattlers is more of a sleeper, and filled with sequences so silly the crew hardly say a thing, knowing the crowd will find the funny in the film itself. It’s a bit like Alien Factor in its low-budget ineptitude. Another winner, with more conversational and character-based humor. Frank calling the heroine “Buffy Sainte-Marie, Vampire Slayer” got a loud laugh from me.
No mention of any upcoming DVD’s, but I can’t fault them as long as I get to see them live on a regular basis. They clearly enjoy touring and for that I am grateful.
This was the second time I had the privilege of seeing CT live, and I thought they were just fantastic. I even brought my husband who is a “casual” MST fan and he loved it. The warm up acts were great, I found Frank to be the funniest. Gruber and Mary Jo did a bit before the first show that was hampered by technical difficulties, but they just went with it like the pros they are. I have to say that I thought the riffing in Samson was funnier, but maybe I was just getting tired by the end of Rattlers (11pm is kind of late when you are in your thirties!). I agree with Finnias about Rattlers, we laughed about things in the movie without even having riffs involved, it was that rediculous. I also felt like I missed some of the riffs just due to the sound and actually just the fast pace of them, but I heard plenty that had me rolling.
In between the movies Gruber was standing near us in the theater so we went and introduced ourselves and thanked him and told him how much we loved him in Freaks and Geeks and Gilmore Girls and he was super nice. I took a picture of him with my husband but unfortunately the low light in the theater and my iPhone weren’t getting along. I would have gone to the meet the guys after the show but I am one of those people who really would have no idea what to say to my adolescent comedy heros, so I just went home, but it was a great show!
Why is F&S bombs considered PG-13? I love these people and have seen them 4 times and really enjoyed the show. But I will say I see no reason to Drop F-BOMBS as some real comedy edge that makes the show better. How did they survive 10 years on T.V. and give us so much enjoyment and not drop any F-BOMBS? Would the show still be on today if the only fuel that kept it going was the shock factor and use of profanity? I have friends that have kids and enjoy the old show and never talk like that in front of their family. I’d hate to take them to a show and have them shocked by the funniest word ever. If I want to hear foul language I’ll listen to the burr brains at work that can’t speak without dropping the F-BOMB as filler for every other word they speak. Has anyone heard the RIFFTRAX guys use that at the live shows? Maybe they have I’ve never noticed, but I bet if they did those shows would have been the funniest most memorable things in anyone’s life. Nothing gets funnier than to hear the F-WORD over and over it just kills me, pure comedy at it best.
I do hope to see them again soon, I only hope the show wont be too expletive-laced.
Re: Swearing: I’d rather hear the swearing than Rifftrax’s ultra-annoying practice of having the Riffers swear and then bleeping it out, resulting in ear-splitting beeps roughly 300% louder than the rest of the audio blowing out of my laptop speakers jarringly.
RE: use of profanity
I always thought it was cute when little kids sent in letters to MST, but I also always wondered how little kids could possibly have liked the show when there really wasn’t much for them to “get” (heck I was 16 when I started watching it and I didn’t even recognize half the references), maybe they liked it for the robots. I don’t know how many kids watch CT, but I did not see ONE child at last nights show (its possible there were, but I didn’t see any) and the group was probably aware of the absence of kids and felt free to let the f-bombs fly. They really only said it like maybe three or four times that I recall, so it was pretty harmless.
Also went to both movies, and it was great!
Id review more, but I’m short on time, so just for a bit of context regarding the extra swearing at this show: I assumed that the more adult material was just because of where they were and who the audience was. The Castro Theatre, where this show is held, is in the heart of one of the most prominent gay neighborhoods in San Francisco. Walk a block in any direction from the place and you’ll see much more ‘adult’ things in storefront windows.
I think they knew where they were, they knew their audience, and had some fun with it. I don’t think this is a sign they’re changing their direction; I just think that after being family-friendly for most of their tour, they see San Francisco as a place they can let out the stuff they’d hold back on in other places.
#6 D- You might be right about CT knowing their audience, but I will say that CT was much more apt to go “blue” at the show I watched in Princeton, NJ just a few weeks ago. I don’t recall more than one F-bomb, but they were definitely cursing more than even the first time I saw them do Alien Factor a few years before they did it at Princeton.
I think that they are getting bluer as the years go by.
RE:Swearing..I think Joel was wanting to make a show(MST3K) that the whole family could watch,even when some of the jokes were over the kid’s heads or a little risque,but the adults would get.Plus,they were on Comedy Central and they had censors to deal with,even though the word **** did get by(at least on the dvd)when they did Angel’s Revenge..Also,don’t you think it’s kind of like seeing your favorite comedian from back then(let’s say Robin Williams and they expected to see him do Mork)and realize the jokes are dirty? I think also,too,they(CT)know their audience is a little older now when they first did the show and so it’s ok to say those words…And,if you know CT are using these words,then don’t take your children under 13! It’s that simple.Or is it like taking your child to a movie that’s rated R,but it’s alright because you’re the adult/parent?? If CT said the F bomb ever other word or sentence,then I would see your point,but they’re not like that.Besides,I think certain words just sound better or that word best describes the joke or the scene they’re watching.
I’ve only seen CT Live twice but both times Joel introduced the main event by asking “Are you guys ready to watch a really sh!tty movie?” That pretty much sets the tone, I’d say. But the “F-bomb” really is a pathetically cheap way to get a laugh, and the Brains should really be above stooping to it.
And I agree completely with Zee about the bleeps at RiffTrax. Sometimes the really, really long bleep is funny as a gag in itself, but if you’re gonna use the word sh!t, then don’t half-ass it.
Ugh, I used the word “really” three times in as many sentences. That’s worse than profanity. :-((
#3 Capt. Ross:
Really? You’re going to find a reason to sh!t on CT? You are a fargin icehole.
I can assure everyone that all F bombs were strategically dropped on precise targets.
And as hellokitee said, it was all harmless fun. You know, for kids…
BTW, I did see one kid there, a mop-top with a hippie mom.
P.S. Sampo, please retire “San Franciscky” – if for no other reason than it fraks up internet searches for your site. Also, it’s not funny.
I’ve seen a fair number of kids at both CT Live shows I’ve attended, and they’ve all seemed bored at best, restless at worst. (In fact, there was a toddler sitting right in front of me at Rattlers a few weeks ago, grr. What, do they not have babysitters in New Jersey?)
Gary Bowden says:
[Drivel Deleted]
Gary Bowden can bite my backside.
Use of profanity shows that there is something lacking in the dialogue.
Profanity is the common denominator of the language challenged.
I won’t be attending any show laced with drivel.
Color me disappointed that such brilliant minds have to dig in the gutter for material.
Shameful.
Gee, Godzilla. You were cooler when you were fighting King Ghidorah with Anguiras.
(Not to mention that you’re doing some lame-ass, hyp-o-crit-o-rama trollin’…since your username is linked to “Godzilla, bitch.” Shameful! ;) )
@13..Godzilla..No thanks,I choose not to bite your backside,ok? Show a little bit of class on here just because we disagree.What is drivel about the truth anyway? Listen,if you don’t want to go to a show with bad words in it,then don’t go! Does that include movies and books,too? Better be careful about the friends you have,they might say one of those dreaded dirty words you hate so much!..As far as “brilliant minds have to dig in the gutter for material”,are you saying that they never use those words at all when they’re not performing?? Have you forgotten the S word Tom Servo used in Angel’s Revenge? My God,I bet your ears were burning,weren’t they? And are you saying that you have never used those words at all?
San Franciscky? So did you drove or did you flew?
@Godzilla – Seriously they only did it a few times, it wasn’t like watching a Chris Rock stand up special or something. No biggie.
George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Izzard, Richard Jeni – Four great comic minds that made (or in Izzard’s case, still makes) liberal use of constant and varied profanity. True, some great comics work clean or mostly clean…Mitch Hedberg, Emo Phillips, Bill Cosby, and Steven Wright come to mind. But the adage that profanity is the crutch of the inarticulate is simply not true. Or as I like to say, I vehemently eschew your proposition, (profanity starts).
??? I wasn’t there (CT seems to be allergic to Denver) but…why the sudden carping about expletives NOW?
Or was I the only one who heard Joel go, “Oh, s***!” when the kids won’t let them get on with the movie in “The Alien Factor”…
…or Kevin dropping an “s-bomb” in the Rifftrax live version of “Plan 9 From Outer Space”?
Or for that matter in “MST3K: The Movie”?
Jeez, guys! They’re words. They’re part of life.
I know Servo almost uses the S-word in the infamous CANADA SONG and blurts it out in MST3K THE MOVIE…but I am lost on the ANGELS REVENGE reference. Where does this happen? I never noticed it!
I know the guy who wrote the review didn’t mean it this way but…
“when SF Sketchfest brought out the real Hodgson (sans costume)”
Joel showed up naked?!?!?! :shock: Dude, if you’re reading this…”in street clothes this time” might have been clearer.
In the meantime, anyone here want to get into a fight about what he said about Rifftrax (which he had some good points)?
@21..It’s right when the Angels invade the compound in the beginning and this Mexican guy is looking at a centerfold walking towards the outhouse and Servo says “Beer and porn do make the **** go faster”.This happens around the 0:12:31 mark.
@23
I always thought Servo was saying
“beer and porn make the shiFt go by faster”
– as in working his shift as the guard. However since he was going to the outhouse at the time maybe they slipped one past the censors?
I’ll have to re-listen to this one!
@24..It sounded like that,but it could be either one.Servo did say it kind of fast,didn’t he??They did say bastard in a few episodes,but is that as bad as the others??
Wasn’t there a Dickweed or two used over the years?
LOL @majorjoe, i remember there was an episode (and i have no idea which, but i remember it was a joel episode) where they decided dickweed wasn’t a “swear” after a kid wrote in about getting in trouble for saying it. so, i guess that makes it offical that it is not a curse.
And didn’t Gypsy say the B word in describing Pearl Forrester in the 2nd host segment of Bloodlust??
I didn’t attend the shows, but my two cents on swearing: For me it’s not the word it’s the excess. The line about the ‘****hole planet’ in MST3K the Movie had me laughing my arse off. It was out of character and funny. But if they pull out the word over and over again. Like anything (even a G-rated thing), it can get tiresome.
It also has to fit. Movies, for example: I thought the F-Bombs in Billy Elliot got stupid. I know they were tough miners, but the subject of the movie was of the family friendly variety and the excessive swearing didn’t sit right with me. On the other hand, in “The Last Detail” it was appropriate to the tone of the piece and the subject matter (we’ve heard the old saying, “swearing like a sailor”)
The words in and of themselves do not offend me… but I don’t know that they often add anything either. I just hope they don’t go overboard with it.