What a very cool, very clever idea: commentary tracks you can download to your iPod (or other mp3 player) and listen to while you watch a movie in your own home!
RiffTrax is from the brain of Mike Nelson, host and head writer of Mystery Science Theater 3000. He'll do wiseass commentary tracks, a la MST3K, and you listen to them while you watch the movie he's talking about on your DVD player or on your computer. The first movie is Roadhouse, the (as Mike puts it ) "best movie ever made about a world-famous bouncer and his epic struggle with the evil owner of the local J.C. Penney." The site is in beta mode right now, so I'm not sure if the $1.99 price is permanent. He might have guests join him in future commentaries. Make sure you vote on which movie you'd like to hear a commentary for next (right now, The Matrix is in the lead, but I'd love to see it be Cocktail.)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-21-2006 @ 12:19PM
doc said...
It's an interesting idea, but I would hesitate to call it clever. This has been going on for years with fans of movies making their own commentaries and releasing them on the internet. The only real difference is that Mike has decided to charge for his commentaries.
Here is a list of some available alternate commentary tracks for those that are interested.
http://www.listology.com/content_show.cfm/content_id.17002
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7-21-2006 @ 12:24PM
SM said...
I'd have to agree it's not original.
If they are good then that's what matters.
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7-21-2006 @ 2:03PM
Akbar Fazil said...
Well Doc, you could also say that Mike and Joel helped defined this genre so its fair to say that it is clever enough that he is keeping it up.
Besides, he has been doing this kind of thing already for movies put out at the production house he works at.
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7-21-2006 @ 4:22PM
Kai said...
I had read about fan made "alternative commentary" tracks and found that they were pretty unanimously terrible. Poor production values, and just not much interesting to say. Mike has a great reputation and will be doing these in a professional way. It may not be "Innovative" but it will certainly be the best done, especially once he gets the 'bots involved!
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7-21-2006 @ 8:26PM
Dr. Funbags said...
Kevin Smith will allow a download of his commentary for Clerks 2 after this weekend - helps get repeat business from the fans.
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