Friday, May 27, 2005
Can't Stop the Signal
I saw the current work-in-progress print of Serenity, the film version of the TV series Firefly.
I think it would be wrong to go into great details about the movie at this point in time; you don't really want spoilers -- and this really will be must-viewing for people who were fans of the television series, and the many, many people who have since discovered the series on DVD. And if you haven't seen the series, your really should check it out -- it's a rich, rich universe, and something that you only get to explore a corner of in the television series.
One thing I notices is that the television series it's very strongly influenced by the late 1800s Wild West post-Civil War universe, and that's turned down a little bit in the film, but the Asian influence is a little higher here. And oddly, I realized one thing in the movie that it shares with Farscape -- it's playing in some of the same territory as the British Science Fiction series Blake's 7. I've thought that the comparison with the US Civil War is interesting, because the main characters of Firefly are on the losing side.
It'd also interesting because I see a bit more of how Firefly fits into the same sorts of themes as the other Joss Whedon TV series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, and also a bit with the work he's been doing on the Astonishing X-Men comic.
Our showing had Ron Glass make a personal appearance, who plays Shepherd Book in both the TV Series and the Movie. He answered a few questions, had a discussion, and then signed autographs. It was a bit odd, actually.
I think the best thing about it is that it would be so very easy for Firefly to have joined that all-too-long list of television series that fail after a brief run on television, due to the vagaries of that market. But due to the devotion of fans, it's had a very, very rich afterlife. I think there's more buzz about the TV series now amongst my social circles than when it was first on the air and totally mishandled by FOX.
And it's getting late. Serenity comes out in the end of September. Obviously, if you followed Firefly, you'll want to see the movie -- and if you haven't, well, it's a good excuse to spend your summer watching it on DVD, or on Sci Fi, which will be airing all of the episodes later this summer as part of their Friday line up.
Because really, it's a film for fans who just never, ever, give up.
And it's late, and I have to work, so off to sleep I go.
I think it would be wrong to go into great details about the movie at this point in time; you don't really want spoilers -- and this really will be must-viewing for people who were fans of the television series, and the many, many people who have since discovered the series on DVD. And if you haven't seen the series, your really should check it out -- it's a rich, rich universe, and something that you only get to explore a corner of in the television series.
One thing I notices is that the television series it's very strongly influenced by the late 1800s Wild West post-Civil War universe, and that's turned down a little bit in the film, but the Asian influence is a little higher here. And oddly, I realized one thing in the movie that it shares with Farscape -- it's playing in some of the same territory as the British Science Fiction series Blake's 7. I've thought that the comparison with the US Civil War is interesting, because the main characters of Firefly are on the losing side.
It'd also interesting because I see a bit more of how Firefly fits into the same sorts of themes as the other Joss Whedon TV series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel, and also a bit with the work he's been doing on the Astonishing X-Men comic.
Our showing had Ron Glass make a personal appearance, who plays Shepherd Book in both the TV Series and the Movie. He answered a few questions, had a discussion, and then signed autographs. It was a bit odd, actually.
I think the best thing about it is that it would be so very easy for Firefly to have joined that all-too-long list of television series that fail after a brief run on television, due to the vagaries of that market. But due to the devotion of fans, it's had a very, very rich afterlife. I think there's more buzz about the TV series now amongst my social circles than when it was first on the air and totally mishandled by FOX.
And it's getting late. Serenity comes out in the end of September. Obviously, if you followed Firefly, you'll want to see the movie -- and if you haven't, well, it's a good excuse to spend your summer watching it on DVD, or on Sci Fi, which will be airing all of the episodes later this summer as part of their Friday line up.
Because really, it's a film for fans who just never, ever, give up.
And it's late, and I have to work, so off to sleep I go.
Labels: movies
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