I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard and so much at the movies. Seriously, I’m not lying about this. I really can’t remember. Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett did an outstanding job last night as the three Mystery Science Theater 3000 veterans riffed on the 1938 educational film, Reefer Madness.
The movie itself is silly enough, with the constant over-the-top acting, scenarios, and dancing (that got a big laugh on its own). But with Mike, Kevin, and Bill helping us through the insanity on the screen, it made the whole film that much more tolerable and entertaining.
Before the main event, we were treated to three shorts. The first two were amazing and I laughed so hard I was crying they were so ludicrous. The first one was from the 30s teaching the dangers of washing clothing in gasoline (yes, people actually did this at one time). The second was all about the many uses of grass (not the reefer kind, just good ol’ boring grass). The lambasted both with hilarious results.
The third was an animated short from the 1930s, and it was funny, but not nearly as good as the first two were. I love MST3K shorts (my favorite is “Mr. B Natural”), and they continue to riff on these on the website as well. Overall, these were a lot of fun.
Then came Reefer Madness, which is available to watch for free online (here’s a link), but I wanted to go into it without having a clue what to expect. This made it a lot more fun to watch, and with Mike, Kevin, and Bill guiding us through, it made it even more enjoyable.
It was a fantastic event and a very fun night at the movies. The theater piped in original music from the RiffTrax team before the show, and the slides at the start were all tailored to lampoon films and celebs. I highly recommend if the encore is playing near you on August 24, 2010, you check it out.
A great time was definitely had by all and I can’t wait until their October 28th show where they will be riffing on the horror classic, The House on Haunted Hill starring Vincent Price. That will be a really awesome show for sure.
Make sure to check out www.rifftrax.com for more riffs on your favorite films, new shorts, and you can even buy copies of their previous live events (I’m sure this one will be available soon). Great job as always, guys!