Rifftrax crew will not be a part of MST3K reboot

Mike Nelson and Bill Corbett recently took to Facebook and Twitter, respectively, to let fans know that they will not be participating in Joel Hodgson’s upcoming MST3K reboot. Basically, it sounds like they’re committed to Rifftrax, a project that is more their own than MST3K ever was, both financially and creatively; something which this exchange seems to further confirm. Which, you know, fair enough. Still, I can’t help but feel disappointed that they’ve already written off the possibility so quickly.

Kevin Murphy has yet to comment on the reboot, but one can assume he’s probably abstaining for similar reasons.

Bill Corbett: “The Line Must Be Drawn HERE!”

Some things are just too good to leave until the weekly blog round-up. Bill Corbett has thrown down the gauntlet. And you know what that means, right? Blogging gold. Gold. Yes, we bloggers pray for this sort of news to report. We’re like paparazzi, only we don’t use cameras and we have souls. Let us hope that a cage match is the ultimate result of these taunts. Let us hope.

I’ve got your Joel vs. Mike right here, bitch.

Bill Corbett Can’t Escape The Internet’s Watchful Eye

Prior to the below news about the rebirth of the official Rifftrax blog, I saw the above sight in my inbox, courtesy of Google Alerts. It seems that we might be seeing some hot blogging action from more Brains than just Mike – namely, Mr. Bill Corbett. If you go to the RiffBlog now, you won’t see the above test post, but no man is safe from the watchful eye of Google. So, do stay tuned. (And nice use of the “don’t taze me, bro” meme, Bill.)

Next Rifftrax: Harry Potter and The Sorceror’s Stone

A while ago, I pointed out a tidbit that suggested that we would be seeing a Harry Potter Rifftrax in the near future. It took a little bit longer than I’d anticipated, but that rumor has come true. The next Rifftrax will be the first Potter film. If you hate the Potter series as much as I do, this will be welcome news. If, however, you are a fan of the books/movies/action figures, then you are either crying “BLASPHEMY!” or realizing that, “Yeah, I guess it is pretty ripe for riffing.”

Now, I don’t usually do this anymore, but I feel the need to put the full poster art after the cut. Last week, I praised the Transformers artwork for how well-done it was. Well, this week’s is also excellently done, but it’s also a little… disturbing. Mike and Bill look a little too… natural.

Next Rifftrax: Transformers

The next Rifftrax is Michael Bay’s most recent testosterone festival, Transformers. Accompanying that announcement is the above photoshop job, which is quite possibly the best one I’ve yet seen come out of Camp Rifftrax. Mike makes an unnervingly believable Optimus Prime. The track rolls out on November 20th.

As a life-long Transformers fanatic, I’m more than happy to see them tackle the obnoxious Bay’s work. The movie isn’t nearly as bad as its detractors claim, but it’s still a heavily flawed film that doesn’t hold up through repeat viewings. I can deal with Optimus having a mouth; the drawn-out masturbation dialogue, less so. I just hope they go easy on us Transformers fans.

Mike, Bill, and Kevin The Heroes

Well, I’ve been fighting a cold all weekend, but I’ve got a big ol’ slew of exciting news that I can’t not post, from all corners of the MST3K kingdom. First up, a post that’s been a long time coming about a project you probably didn’t even know existed.

A little while ago, a man named Mike Salva (above, center, with our Film Crew and Stew Goldstein, the short’s assistant producer/director) contacted Mike Nelson, Bill Corbett, and Kevin Murphy about doing voice work for an animated series he’d created. Obviously – or else I wouldn’t be posting this here – they said yes. The result is Max The Hero, about a guy named Max (Bill Corbett) who is a bit of a prick and who suddenly becomes endowed with superpowers. Mike Nelson portrays Max’s arch-nemesis/roommate Stew, and Kevin voices Chip, the series’ hopeless nerd and whipping boy. Currently, only a 12-minute short exists, and there’s no word on whether or not it will evolve into something ongoing.

You can see the short here, and it’s also been submitted to various film festivals. Though not your typical film festival fare, the short seems to be getting some positive responses. Even though it isn’t really “my sort of thing” (whatever that pretentious phrase means) I enjoyed the film, especially Mike’s and Bill’s performances. I’d definitely recommend checking it out and spreading the word about it. Mr. Salva has also set up a MySpace profile for the project. Check it out and look for Max The Hero at a film festival near you! (Or, again, just watch it here.)

Bill and Kevin Interview-O-Rama

Billiam Corbett and Kevin Maximillian Murphy have been busy little beavers of late. There has been a multitude of interviews popping up all over the internet, assuming that “a multitude” equals approximately five, featuring our favorite heterosexual bear and his somewhat folically challenged, cherubic companion. Read on:

The Trade caught up with the duo at Archon 31, in August. At Film School Rejects, hardcore MSTie Kevin Carr went one-on-two with them, though this piece is really more of an article with quotes. Flipside Movie Emporium‘s interview with Kevin and Bill is a pretty decent read. For the somewhat lengthy PopMatters article/interview, Kevin flew solo. Newsarama also went Bill-less, and they also threw a hefty dose of Rifftrax conversation into the mix. It’s probably the most diverse of the interviews.