Michael J Nelson. AKA: The guy who wasn't
a robot on Mystery Science Theater.
It's not every day that you get to interview someone you can honestly say is a huge interest in your life. Mostly, it's just the puppeteer who played Gonzo or someone similar. Michael J Nelson was one of the head writers and the host of the latter half of Mystery Science Theater 3000's run. He's also written a handful of books, including the novel Death Rat! and a fantabulous book of essays called Mind Over Matters.
Perhaps the most important nod is his new(ish) project Rifftrax. Rifftrax is a simple concept: Watch movies that you have laying around, that you wouldn't object to purchasing, or that make you glad Netflix DVD's come in covered cases so nobody knows that you are watching them. Then, you pop them in your DVD player and simultaneously play their Rifftrax MP3 commentary, where they tear the film a new one, in synch ala MST3K.
So, enough pandering. To the interview!
1) I just got back from Rifftrax Live. My wife and I agree that the big screen is the ideal for Rifftrax. What potential exists for future Rifftrax on the big screen, even outside of the live format?
Mike: “A RiffTrax action film, perhaps? Where the three of us turn into killer robots from space? Actually, I’d settle for just getting the rights to some more recent films. (Something from the 80’s perhaps.)”
2) Rifftrax has attracted some amazing talent, Neil Patrick Harris and Weird Al for example. Who, alive or dead, would you most like to riff a film with? (And if the person’s dead, we’ll assume for the sake of the interview that they’re not.)
Mike: “The Marx Brothers. I wouldn’t have to do anything.”
3) And what movie?
Mike: “Hm, maybe something very pompous and serious. The Hours comes to mind.”
4) The Rifftrax team are very active in the internet community. You, Kevin and Bill are all Twitterers. Do you think these sorts of activities have contributed to Rifftrax’s success?
Mike: “I do, just because the internet allows us to be closer to the people who happen to like our work, and we can respond to what they want pretty quickly, and also interact with them.”
5) You know a little something or another about cult followings, from what I understand. What’s your weirdest fan moment so far?
Mike: “Kevin and I once encountered a rather, shall we say, hygienically-challenged man who had such a thick Southern accent that we literally could not understand a word he said. It made for a strange and uncomfortable encounter."
(This of course reminds me of my previously featured article on convention/fandom grooming.)
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