The Rifftrax crew unwrapped its second national live broadcast this week from San Diego as Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett took on a series of moldy Christmas short films and sent the results to hundreds of theaters across this great nation of ours.

Over the 90+ minute run of the upbeat show, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 alums steered seemingly innocent holiday-themed shorts and clunky toy advertisements from bygone eras into dark, pitiful entries into irony complete with sexual innuendos and memories of failed Christmas' passed.

Weird Al Yankovic showed up to join in on mocking a delightful, but bizarre look at pork. But the high point of the show was a closing shot at a Max Fleischer directed version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" -- including Santa visiting the heroic mammal in his bedroom with the disturbing words: "Rudolph...I need you tonight."

And, in a subtle piece of complimentary marketing, the Rifftrax operation released its first national live event, Plan 9 from Outer Space, on DVD. Taking on one of the most spectacularly bad movies of all time proved a popular first time effort -- successful enough to bring on this week's Christmas treat.

Not only is it a good bet that this latest effort will also find its way to DVD -- just as we're sure to get a third look at Rifftrax live again in a couple months' time.