Most cinema lovers would agree the only thing better than intentionally watching the latest, awful B-rated movie alone is gathering friends and family around the television to jump on every inconsistency or hokey line that inevitably appears. 
Local improvisational comedy troupe The Family Dinner provides Baton Rouge comedy enthusiasts with not only an excuse to re-watch some of Hollywood’s most hilariously terrible works but also to pick them apart. 
The troupe shows a movie of the audience’s choice at the Manship Theatre every other month where it reshapes a typical movie experience into a comedic extravaganza. 
In the past, Spoof Night has featured films from numerous genres such as “Ghost,” “Home Alone” and “The Goonies,” but the next movie the troupe will tackle is “Batman and Robin” this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Local comedian and troupe member Mike Honore said the event started a few years ago and has shown around 12 different movies in that time. 
“We try to keep a theme in the movie we pick and stay with the seasons, but otherwise, we just go freestyle with our choice,” Honore said. 
Member Robert Rau said The Family Dinner was originally hired by Manship Theatre beverage service manager Jason Langlois to create a “Mystery Science Theatre 3000” atmosphere in Baton Rouge where the audience could partake in the same kind of viewing experience. 
The event has taken off since and draws on average more than 100 attendees with each event.
Honore said The Family Dinner formed around 2001 after a University improv competition called “Making It Up As We Go Along,” when several of the participants decided to create a more permanent formation to bring improv comedy to the city. 
Though the group was originally comprised of mostly University students, membership has expanded to include other local comedians, and most members are somewhat older than the college demographic. 
Nowadays, The Family Dinner hosts rehearsals and practice every Sunday at 3 p.m. where anyone who is interested in sketch comedy is encouraged to participate and see of the troupe is a good fit for their comedic style, Honore said. 
“That’s where we get the feeling to see if anybody’s actually wanting to do this,” Rau said. “If they keep coming back, there’s a very good chance they’ll be part of the group because we like people who are enthusiastic who want to be a part of improv.” 
Rau and Honore agreed there are not many outlets in Baton Rouge for up-and-coming comedians to grow because the city is not a big comedy town. 
Any comedian trying to gain national recognition has no choice but to branch out from the small confines of Baton Rouge, so Honore said a lot of local comedians take their material to New Orleans and try to tour as along the Gulf Coast.
Because there is such an interest in comedy in Baton Rouge, there are often almost a dozen comedians looking for a five-minute spot at The Station Sports Bar and Grill. Whereas in larger cities like New York, there aren’t quite as many comics fighting for time every night.
The troupe gives the audience an option of four movies to choose from for the next event, and each Spoof Night is planned two movies in advance. Rau said the next spoof after “Batman and Robin” will be “Independence Day,” and the next four options will be “Cruel Intentions,” “10 Things I Hate About You,”
“Varsity Blues” and “The Craft.”
Rau said The Family Dinner and Spoof Night events are a second resource for those interested in improv or comedy in general.
“It’s a much better experience than just seeing it with your friends that are just making fun of it,” Rau said. “We don’t just sit there and poke at the film. We have a script written and we may riff occasionally but we’re going to stick to the script for the most part.”
You can reach Michael Tarver on Twitter @michael_T16.