Firefly

Posted by: JeffS

Firefly - 08/09/2005 01:40

I finally got the DVD set in the mail today. I've been wanting it ever since I heard good things here and figured I'd better go ahead and do it with the movie coming out so soon. We watched the pilot episode tonight and it was great- my favorite part being when the captian shoots the mole. Man I've always wanted someone to do that in a movie or TV show. Blah, blah, blah, you have the hostage and now it's time for some dramatic tension . . . Whoops! Guess the captain didn't have time for dramatic tension!

Anyway, my wife is loving it too (she's a big Buffy and Angel fan) so I just wanted to say a word of thanks for all of you who recommended it. I can't wait to see the rest of the episodes and the movie.

Oh, and "Lost" (which I somehow completely missed) is showing up tomorrow in the mail, once again based on recommendations here. I am very stoked!
Posted by: DWallach

Re: Firefly - 08/09/2005 02:53

I've been rewatching Firefly as it reruns on the SciFi Channel. It's a fun show.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Firefly - 08/09/2005 03:37

Yeah, I've got the Lost episodes on their way, too.

Glad you're getting to see Firefly before the movie at the end of the month. The beauty of it is, the movie actually completely wraps up a major story line from the series. For the fans of the series, that's a very big thing. Gives the film a great sense of completeness.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 08/09/2005 11:46

Quote:
Yeah, I've got the Lost episodes on their way, too.

Glad you're getting to see Firefly before the movie at the end of the month. The beauty of it is, the movie actually completely wraps up a major story line from the series. For the fans of the series, that's a very big thing. Gives the film a great sense of completeness.

You're making me jealous At least there's less than a month left until the rest of us get to find out.

I too have Lost on order from Netflix So did everyone miss that show? I knew it was on, and knew I would probably like it, but I didn't really get interested until the 5th or 6th episode was airing, and by that point I didn't want to start in the middle (and I always seem to get busted for downloading TV shows), so I figured I'd wait until the DVDs came out.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Firefly - 08/09/2005 13:38

Nope. Watched it from day one. Would have been my favorite new (probably new or returning, really) show from last season if not for Veronica Mars.
Posted by: Mataglap

Re: Firefly - 08/09/2005 18:52

The novelization and "visual companion" are both out. The novelization is pretty much what you expect, taken from a pre-shooting version of the script, but the Visual Companion is pretty cool. The full shooting script, lots of photos and concept art, a decent, meaty interview with Whedon, and some actual memos from Whedon discussing the backstory and history of the Alliance as well as lighting and music about the actual production.

--Nathan
Posted by: JeffS

Re: Firefly - 11/09/2005 23:23

Quote:
Yeah, I've got the Lost episodes on their way, too.
Ok, this show flippin rocks. We just finished the first two discs (marathon watchin so far) and it's been such a great watch. My only fear is I see it being hard to sustain this type of story telling across multiple seasons- eventually you're going to run out of people secrets and backflashes. But at any rate, no matter what happens in the end the ride has been loads of fun.

And the reference to the "TPS reports" had me rolling on the floor. Too funny!

Oh, and we're loving Firefly too- we introduced it to a bunch of my sisters friends over the weekend and they were totally blown away.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up all.
Posted by: mlord

Re: Firefly - 11/09/2005 23:39

Mmm...

Methinks maybe memight rentme a DVD to see what the fuss is about..

Cheers
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Firefly - 12/09/2005 12:37

Quote:
And the reference to the "TPS reports" had me rolling on the floor. Too funny!

Wait for the Charlie flashback and pay attention to why the father's not home.
Posted by: schofiel

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 08:16

JW
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 14:25

Ooo, thanks Rob. Great link. I love "scooping" my Firefly-fan friends.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 14:27

Good article, and it addresses concerns I've had about a movie version. It will certainly be difficult not having a lot of time to develop charactes, which is the best part of the show. On the other hand, putting the show, as it was, on the big screen would make for a very odd movie, IMO.

Anyway, it'll be weird to be introduced to the characters again...
Posted by: Mataglap

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 15:06

Quote:
Good article, and it addresses concerns I've had about a movie version. It will certainly be difficult not having a lot of time to develop charactes, which is the best part of the show. On the other hand, putting the show, as it was, on the big screen would make for a very odd movie, IMO.

Anyway, it'll be weird to be introduced to the characters again...


I saw the final cut at the San Deigo Comic-con back in July. Striking the balance between TV fans and movie newbies is challenging, but I think Whedon did a very, very good job. (Obviously others will have different opinions.)

It's the kind of movie where stuff isn't handed to the audience and there's a fair amount of setup that's done visually. So if one is looking to have everything said and told, it will be easy to get lost. On the other hand, if one were to focus on the movie -- not having a conversation or messing around with a cellphone -- there won't be any problems. I do think there will be a number of girlfriend to boyfriend conversations like, "what does that mean?" The tropes of the genre aren't explicitly explained like spaceship, pilot, engineer, captain. But it is all there on the screen if you're watching and listening.

As far as introducing characters, there's no warming up, it's hit the ground at full speed. By the end of the first act, you've seen everybody and everything imporant and how they interact. No introductions, but everyone is behaving as their dominant, defining ways.

So overall, I think it's balanced just slightly in favor of existing fans, but, ya know, within the margin of error.

I loved it, it was a bigger and better than any single episode of the show, and it =didn't= feel like a two hour episode like the last Highlander movie or the last few Star Trek movies.

--Nathan
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 15:17

Thanks for that. I'm happy to hear that as it's exactly what I would hope it would be. I should figure that Whedon would handle it in the correct manner.

So, is anyone sure why he didn't end up directing X3? I have so little hope for that movie now. I mean, as long as Chris Tucker isn't in it, I'll see it, but I don't expect it to be very good. It would seem to me that Whedon would be the perfect choice.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 16:30

He decided to do Wonder Woman instead.

Personally, I saw the first X-Men movie and was unimpressed. Never got around to seeing the second one.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 17:11

The second is better. I especially enjoyed the large number of references to other mutants that couldn't possibly all fit into one movie.

I'm still skeptical of the Superman and Wonder Woman movies. Wasn't J-Lo signed on for the latter at some point?

Oh, and has anyone else heard that the next Spiderman will feature Venom, as played by...wait for it...Topher Grace. I have no idea how that could work at any level whatsoever.
Posted by: tfabris

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 17:26

Speaking of translating print to film, H2G2 DVD is supposed to hit the streets today.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 18:18

Quote:
Venom, as played by...wait for it...Topher Grace. I have no idea how that could work at any level whatsoever.


Venom was originally Eddie Brock (sort of, and if you know why that's wrong, you know what I mean), a reporter for the Daily Globe, a rival newspaper of Peter Parker's Bugle. In the comics, after we first see him, he lifts weights to increase his body mass (probably due, in part, to the inability of the new artist, Todd McFarlane, to draw normal looking people, at least in his, at that point, bold new style).

Assuming that they forego the pointless pumping-up portion of the story and that Venom "in costume" will be CGI and will be played by Topher Grace "uncostumed", a la the Hulk movie, I see no problem whatsoever.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 18:25

Yeah, I know most of the back-story (although not the other part you're alluding to). I know he also bulked up, but I thought he already started out as a bit larger than Parker, or at least a bit older.

I think the main problem I see is that while I think Grace has potential as an actor (despite the terrible “…Tod Hamilton”), I can’t really see him getting angry enough for the role outside the costume. There’s no question that I’m excited to see Venom on the big screen. I just think that it was a very strange casting choice.

Anyway, has anyone heard about this? (oh, and I appologize for taking the thread off-topic)
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 18:29

Well, he may have been bigger and/or older than Peter, but I don't really see how that's relevant. I also don't remember him being angry outside the "costume". If anything, he was suicidally depressed.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 19:13

Ah, okay. I always thought he had a resentment for Peter that drove him over the edge. I think the problem is that my memories of these plot elements are mostly influenced by the cartoon version, which I'm sure was grossly inaccurate.
Posted by: wfaulk

Re: Firefly - 13/09/2005 19:25

The symbiote had a thing against Peter, and that sometimes showed through when he appeared as Eddie, but not a lot, IIRC. (I didn't follow Spider-Man a lot in those days, as I disliked McFarlane's art quite a bit.) I think that that's something that could easily be disposed of.
Posted by: schofiel

Re: Firefly - 14/09/2005 10:36

You're welcome!
Posted by: ricin

Re: Firefly - 02/03/2006 19:16

FYI, Firefly is $19.86 on Amazon again.

No excuses! If you haven't bought it, now's the time!
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Firefly - 02/03/2006 20:27

it's $25 when I checked...did you have a promo code or something?
Posted by: ricin

Re: Firefly - 02/03/2006 20:36

Nope, it was $19.86 when I posted that and when I bought a few earlier. I guess it went up now. Still, even $25 is a good deal.
Posted by: JBjorgen

Re: Firefly - 02/03/2006 20:39

Bundled with Serenity it's still like $43, which is even better. Tempting.
Posted by: Dignan

Re: Firefly - 03/03/2006 12:38

Quote:
Bundled with Serenity it's still like $43, which is even better. Tempting.

Actually, that's just how much you'd pay if you bought both of them seperately. When Amazon suggests a bundle, I don't think it's ever a discount, it's just telling you that if you bought this other related product, you'd be paying that much money.

That said, both items are pretty inexpensive compared to other places I'm seeing. If I didn't already have both I'd go for it And the next time Firefly is $20, I'll probably pick up a few of them to give to people.
Posted by: andym

Re: Firefly - 03/03/2006 13:02

I got it from HMV over here in the UK for £12.99, very nice...
Posted by: ricin

Re: Firefly - 03/03/2006 21:52

I got a copy of Serenity from HMV too.
Posted by: StigOE

Re: Firefly - 04/03/2006 09:49

I just ordered it from play.com. £13,99 delivered isn't too bad either.

Stig
Posted by: tman

Re: Firefly - 04/03/2006 11:39

How many copies do you have??