"Serenity is a movie based on a short-lived but much-beloved TV series Firefly"

It can't be too short lived as it's on SCI-FI every Friday at 6:00 PM EDT.

Tob

oops 7:00 EST

Tob

I meant short-lived in reference to the number of first-run episodes, which I think was only 13. Thanks for the Sci-Fi channel time. I'll DVR it.

Well, if it was "much beloved", why are there are only 13 episodes? And it didn't even make it into syndication?

A buddy of mine living in LA is actually dating the star of this movie (girl who whips some serious tail).

I guess we'll see how much she really likes him if it really takes off eh? :)

My understanding, OregonMuse, is that it was much beloved by a very enthusiastic fan base, that kept up the buzz about the show after its cancellation with fan fiction and that sort of thing. That fan base is what convinced folks that a movie based on the show could work. So, apparently it was much-beloved, if not widely-beloved.

Also FOX proved once and for all why it can never, EVER, be trusted again with truly creative and innovative TV shows. I recall when Buffy first got really popular, around mid season two, and there was an interview with Joss (the creator) about putting his show on a second rate network like the WB instead of one where it could really shine like FOX. Whedon's response was prophetic. Fox, he indicated, wouldn't give him full control over the series, they wouldn't let him pick his cast or scripts solo, and they wouldn't let him present it how he thought it should be presented. They wanted oversight on everything, because it was their money he was spending. So Joss went to the WB because they promised him total control, and they meant it.

Well the money must have been talking when he floated "Firefly" because ol' Joss trusted FOX and they screwed the pooch with that show just like they did with "Space: Above and Beyond". First they tried to take over casting, then they actually tried to dictate script changes to Joss - and excuse me, the whole point of getting a Joss Whedon show is his fantastic writing, hello - and finally they decided to re-order the schedule because they were worried fans wouldn't "get into it" if they presented the shows in the order he wrote them in. Long story short, they screwed up what could have been an even bigger hit than Buffy or the X-Files, and made it a short-season replacement show. Funny thing is that Firefly fans are even more rabid than Buffy/Angel fans, so FOX really fucked this one up - the movie is going to be huge, and they'll want this sucker back I'm sure. If I were Whedon I'd tell them to go to hell and take it to Sci/Fi - screw broadcast.

Mary, you are probably too young and not a rabid old movie buff to remember Gene Autry, the singing cowboy, in "The Phantom Meanace". It was a 12 reel serial made in 1935. You had to go to the movies every week to see the next episode. Back then the movies was only a dime if I remember correctly. It was a sci-fi western.

There are many reasons why it was taken off the air. # 1 being that FOX didn't air the episodes in order; In fact they aired the Pilot last and then preempted some EPs for Baseball. That made it very hard to gain an audience. But the DVD sales (500k+.. It's in the top 10 at Amazon right now) allowed Joss to talk Universal into greenlighting the movie.

I have been to 2 screenings already and have to say it is an intense thrill ride. You do not need to have watched Firefly to enjoy Serenity, but knowing the characters does enhance the film.

I think this film is worth your $8-10 to see it on the big screen... And no I do not work for Universal; I am just a BIG fan of Firefly and Serenity.

Freedom - Peace - Serenity

Kell

FOX... the same company that pulled the plug on Futurama, yes? Damn them! I'm still bitter over that.

"Western in Space"...from the look of the key art there, sure looks like "The Cowboy Cheerleaders on the Salt Flats", instead.

Interesting story there, Robert Modean.

Back to the imagery and characterisations: campy can be good if not great ("Night of the Living Dead" for example) but campy tends to fall into the limited scope of obsessed fans only when it doesn't show evidence of camp awareness. You have to get that key element in there in film or you get Camp Casey.

Campy it aint.

Big Damn Movie.

rabid Firefly fan, John

Wasn't a sci-fi Western what the network was looking for when they got the original Star Trek?

The Other JD: "campy" is not slapstick, and is often, when it's done well, what makes fans show up dressed as Klingons and Raiders and Chewbacca for dozens of years afterward.

BUT, I am thinking that by the mere fact that the film is being hyped to bloggers, there's a suggestion of desperation implied. Trendy is not campy and I'll take campy fifty years later while I long ago stopped wearing trendy fringe.

I've depressed myself. I'll see the film, I admire the writer and director, I don't care for Buffy (never have) (while I am also not repulsed by Buffy, it's moreorless like I pass tortilla chips by without too much notice, one way or the other), but these suggested phenomenons about filmed works as representational of "movements" and such seems reminiscent of the Mickey Mouse Club.

I like films in theatres and on DVDs and I tend to think that those that are discovered and receive multiple views (the most significant indication that a film is really good) are still the best films for the audiences that like them.

Film is one of those artforms that, once it's regarded as popular, any title, it becomes unpopular.

O.K., I now don't recognize what my point is and am leaving for the evening. But the idea of a theatre filled with bloggers, welllll...isn't blogging about being individualistic? Rounding up bloggers seems to mean they'd then be sellouts, but I've always been a cynic to a great degree about group sports.

Best wishes to the film, it looks very intersting.

What desparation? Whedon et al are making silly amounts of money off the DVD's. So desparate they ain't. They will make profit on this movie. And doing this means free publicity. Things like blogs are part of the reason Firefly became so popular in the first place despite Fox's stupid decision making about the show, they are being wise in tapping newer (and cheaper) ways of getting the word out.

Besides, audiences seem to be very jaded to the whole traditional summer blockbuster hype advertising that is typical of hollywood, a lot of people, especially those who like to go see Sci Fi movies, will listen more to people with interests like their own recommending a film than some marketing division and slick commercials. I know I would.

Firefly was a fantastic series, I have high hopes for this movie.

A part of me is jealous and would love to go and see a screening of this movie.

But the other part of me wants to pay to see the film in hopes to make it a blockbuster. The series was really good (But short).

I first watched it when it originally came out, saw one episode, thought, "Huh? What's going on?" and decided not to watch anymore.

Two months ago, by pure coincidence (Didn't know Serenity the movie was going to be released in September) I rented the series from Netflicks. Wow! I'm hooked. And then I thought, "What? Only one season? What the heck?"

So here is to hoping that the movie does really well, because i'd like to see the series come back on television.

Firefly is a really good series. Much like when Star Trek first aired, it was pulled only to be brought back because of viewer demands. I've got the series and enjoy it. It really is well done. I hope they keep true to the series - if so - it should be big. (OK maybe not Star Wars big).

'truely creative and innovative TV show'

I'm not knocking the show. It seems well done. But it steals heavily from previous Wild West in Space shows. There've been a few live shows that were short lived and a few cartoons. In particular the show's atmosphere stole heavily from a Japanese cartoon called, Outlaw Star. Even the naked girl is a box from the first show is directly lifted from that show.

Whedon does things well, but he 'borrows' heavily.

A buddy of mine living in LA is actually dating the star of this movie (girl who whips some serious tail).

Summer Glau?

Well GEM what i understand is that STAR TREK was billed as a WAGON TRAIN to the stars