Can you brown this up for me?

May 3, 2013 8:43 AM

Josh Way's MST3k/Rifftracks-esque series FUN WITH SHORTS (previously) returns after a long haitus with the businessman filmstrip PROMOTION BY-PASS and the utterly bizarre stop-motion cartoon MUNCHERS
posted by The Whelk (6 comments total)

You know, I was struck by a real sense of déja vu, and I realized it was because I had already made the comment I wanted to make on this five years ago when Mike first started doing Rifftrax:

The jokes weren't bad, the problem is he did these solo. When there's a few voices there's more of an "us vs. the material" type thing going on. By himself, it just feels like the one guy in the room trying to hard to make jokes. I've been that guy enough times to know.

Eventually Mike managed to bring Kevin and Bill in, and it really took off for them. I've really enjoyed going to see the live simulcast shows in my local theater. I hope someday Josh can find a performer or two to split some of these lines with to help the flow.

That being said, from what I've watched so far this guy seems to have the tone down pretty well and I'm sure I'll end up watching every single one this weekend. Thanks for the post, The Whelk!
posted by Freon at 10:49 AM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

The one about table manners is my favorite of these. The one about Thanksgiving is a close second.
posted by wittgenstein at 10:58 AM on May 3, 2013

The bits arent bad but this guy's delivery is self-conscious and monotone. It becomes grating when it should be the opposite.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:13 AM on May 3, 2013

Actually a lot of these bits are pretty bad.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:14 AM on May 3, 2013

BUT WHAT DID ROBBINS DO WRONG?!
posted by sonic meat machine at 11:43 AM on May 3, 2013 [1 favorite]

AH! I've been following this guy since that 'previously', but I'd forgotten that I found him through metafilter. So... belated thanks for that.

For those of you who aren't taken with the two examples provided, I'm going to urge you to give it another try. Although I know personal tastes differ I have always been really reticent to give non-MST3k affiliated endeavours a shot just because I've had some bad experiences (this makes it sound so serious), but Josh really won me over pretty hardcore.

Some of my personal favorites are How Do You Do and Benefits of Looking Ahead.

According to MeFi user JoeGoblin he's contributed to a few Rifftrax projects (writing?), so yeah. Considering he's flying solo in these I think he does an amazing job.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 2:57 PM on May 3, 2013