RiffTrax Shorts
Season 2016
The stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988) riff on weird and oddball educational shorts.
Where to Watch Season 2016
18 Episodes
- Marriage is a PartnershipE1
Marriage is a PartnershipThe film comes with the seal of approval of educational collaborator Lemo Rockwood, Ph.D and professor of Family Relationships, whose classes at Cornell University were considered quite progressive for their time. In fact, Dotty even says the word sex in the film - twice! (In her head, but STILL!) Bridget and Mary Jo learn a thing or two about marriage in this short’s frank depiction of bridge games and frosting cakes. - PhoebeE4
PhoebeLet the capable riffing of Bridget and Mary Jo lovingly guide you through all 28 minutes of this teen pregnancy hormone fueled event. They will help you figure out where exactly in relation to the beach is the abandoned house? How do Phoebe's white slacks stay so clean? Who are the strange top hatted dancers on the beach? And what’s the deal with Paul? * Extra credit essay question: Discuss the cultural impact Hungarian Political refugee filmmakers living in Canada have had on feminism in the Northwest Territories. - Social AcceptabilityE6
Social AcceptabilityWhat’s your Social Acceptability Type? Take the quiz! Circle the letter that best describes you. A. Happy following your own pursuits? B. Lower class, but good with people? C. Popular but lack a sense of security? D. Seem to ”fit in” but somehow don’t? E. Unusually popular, intelligent, a three letter athlete, come from a family with good income and high social prestige? Look below to find out your Social Acceptability. A. Voluntary Isolate (you’ve got this!) B. Climber (way to go!) C. Middle Case (uh oh!) D. Fringe (you’ll show them!) E. Handsome Leader!! (awesome!) Now watch the short film and match your type with the correlating character! Jot down helpful tips and get ready for fun and loads of encouragement! - Campbell's Soup: The Magic ShelfE10
Campbell's Soup: The Magic ShelfDorrance, a chemist with the Campbell Soup Company, (anybody else think it’s weird that a soup company had a chemist? No? Just me? Okay) invented condensed soup in 1897 and the broth world has never been the same. So pull up a bowl of soup, settle in, and prepare to be surprised, delighted, and - spoiler alert - shocked. (“Magic” loosely interpreted by filmmakers.) - Girls Are Better Than EverE12
Girls Are Better Than EverCollectively we wholeheartedly agree that Girls Are Better Than Ever! But we do have a few recommendations: Some girls need to eat more cheese and play tennis, others should eat less of everything and ride a bike. Some girls would do best to not exist at all or at the very least go bowling. Across the board they all need to stop sitting on the sidelines and try their very hardest to be a pleasure to look at. Other than that Girls Are Better Than Ever! - Safety as We PlayE13
Safety as We PlayYes, the garbage-fusing enthusiasts at ACI somehow didn’t waste all the grant money they were allotted one fiscal year, and Safety As We Play is the unfortunate result. Now kids can learn how to cross the street from the same people who used monkeys to teach us “doing words.” Featuring a song that we believe may be the most nutless piece of arrhythmic garbage since The Calendar and How to Use It, Safety As We Play is another hallowed entry in ACI’s Pantheon of Crap. Pop a lude, throw out your rhyming dictionary, and join Mike, Kevin, and Bill for the film that put the A-C-I in ‘Educational’! - Nobody Tells Me What to Do!E15
Nobody Tells Me What to Do!The story focuses on Zach, a quitter who quits everything but whose charm and charisma holds sway over an entire sophomore class and Gary, the hard working everyman who wears his baseball uniform to school. Set on a typical 1980’s day at a typical 1980’s mall, Zach and his gang apply peer pressure to Gary to enlist him in an evening of larceny. Meanwhile, his beautiful girlfriend Carrie bullies the popular girls (and Donna) into shoplifting at Cleo’s boutique. Sounds like a typical morality film you watch when there's a substitute teacher, right? Exactly! - At Your Fingertips: Sugar and Spice (Live Edition)E16
At Your Fingertips: Sugar and Spice (Live Edition)Probably the sweetest installment in the beloved garbage crafting series from ACI Films, At Your Fingertips: Sugar and Spice is like the dreams you have after you eat a bunch of expired marshmallow Peeps and browse a bootleg Ukrainian version of Pinterest right before bed. Originally broadcast as part of RiffTrax Live: Santa Claus, it has all the classic At Your Fingertips thrills, but with the added bonus of not having to sit through more Songs of the World. - The Second Annual Bridget and Mary Jo Christmas Special!E18
The Second Annual Bridget and Mary Jo Christmas Special!Bridget and Mary Jo are cooking up a holiday viewing feast and they’ve set a place for you. The main course is an expertly prepared short called Carving Magic, a mid-century tutorial on meat carving starring Harvey Korman. Side dishes include commercials, Kevin Murphy, and a special guest appearance by MST3K’s prop diva Beez McKeever! Leave room for dessert! Family Christmas 1953. Yum!