Posted on 08/08/2005 7:28:50 PM PDT by 68skylark
I know what you mean. On the other hand, Whedon has been very successful at writing for movies as well as for TV. (He was involved with writing Toy Story, for example -- one of the better movies ever done IMHO.)
So I think he knows the differences, and will probably do very well.
After catching an episode at a friend's house, I actively watched for the commercials, and didn't see a one until after the cancellation announcement. It was pathetic.
That is my worry - the difference in formats.
My favorite was this exchange when Jayne was trying to trade his gun for the Captain's new wife:
J: It's miles more worthy than what you got!
M: What I got? She has a name.
J: So does this. I call it Vera.
Now you've *really* got my curiosity peaked. If you comment wasn't sarcasm, then it what sense is it an expression of 'humour'?
Jayne is my favorite personality of the ensemble. I really don't think that particular character could exist without the unique talents of both the writer and the actor.
Somehow, Baldwin manages to communicate it is Jaynes very lack of moral certainty that causes him to submit to, and draw strength from, Reynolds...even though the direction consistantly shows Jayne is a much more imposing fighter than Mal.
I don't know how the hell you even imagine, then write for such a convoluted dynamic: let alone approach 'playing' it.
I had to admit real admiration for the director during the "train robbery" episode. My wife was watching it for the first time, and in the barfight scene once Mal and Zoe are knocked outside the bar, my wife had just barely finished saying the words "where is that other sorry bastard" when Jayne comes busting through the front door beating the hell out of *three* of the local toughs.
Now that's timing!
Oh good Lord...their idea of 'military' on that show was an embarrassment. That's what killed the show for me. They were *so* flagrantly ignorant of anything that could be called a 'military bearing' that, to me, in constituted disparaging treatment.
What are these "Travellers?"
Traveller is a Sci-Fi based roleplaying game by Marc Miller that came out in the 70s, and has gone through several iterations.
Wow! I couldn't disagree with your analysis more.
Initially, all Mal knew was the mark was an 'Alliance' shipment. As the Alliance is shown to be little more than an organized kleptocracy, I can see what would attract him to take the job.
Next, Mal returns the vaccine once he finds out it's not the Alliance that's being hurt by the theft.
Finally, the thug he killed typified to me the mentality of the criminal who presumes to use a moral person's conscience as a weapon against him. The thug drew first blood, and after being beaten is so presumptuous and conceited as to make threats from a position that is clearly dependent on the mercy of his captor. He even draws himself up during his little monologue in an attempt to intimidate Mal.
In my mind, that made him nothing more than a two legged attack dog to be put down immediately. Only a fool would allow him to live in the context where there is no intervening authority to keep him in check.
Mal Reynolds hardly typifies the "anything goes society," but rather, the simplicity and moral clarity of unapologetic belief in the classical notion of "natural law."
I just hope whatever vehicle is used to further the Firefly mythos doesn't get hijacked from the spirit of the original series.
I'll second that. To be honest, I don't like the fact that they are making a MOVIE of Firefly, I would much prefer that the Sci-Fi channel or someone else pick up the series and keep it on TV, where it belongs. Movies are what you make when a series is coming to an end, not something to further it.....but then ya never know....
I remember that conceited little pimple Harlan Ellison tried to remake Star Trek in City on the Edge of Forever. He wanted to make Bones a druggy or insane IIRC.
Just saw that 'Forever' episode just a few days ago! I own the original series on DVD. Whatever Harlan's motivation was, 'Forever" is one of the best Star Trek episodes ever.
Then there was the Section 31 book that was an explicit attempt by the author to make the Star Trek universe homosexual-friendly.
In general, the sci-fi community is one of the most truly tolerant of any groups, despite whatever political or religioius background they might come from. Unfortunately, because of this tolerance, those with more leftist leanings use it as a means of furthering their agenda. For instance, H.G.Wells was way left of center, and I believe Alduos Huxley was too...but they were certainly brilliant writers!)
If Firefly can stick to its original premises, who can tell how far it will go?
Shoot, I'd be happy if we could just get a full TV season out of it!
Yet I understand your point: there's a lot of potential in that series that is yet to be exploited, especially with the characters "River" and "The Shepherd." They could also pickup an occassional new passenger from time to time, just to keep things really interesting. And then there's the relationship between Mal and Inara....
Shoot, there's at least a couple of years worth of material there...
You don't fix what ain't broke. And according to Shepard Book..."you don't 'fix' the Bible." Let's hope that goes for the show bible too.
I love that quote....and the episode that it came from! If I remember correctly, that comes from the hillarious "Jaynestown" episode, when River was trying to fix all the errors in Shepherd's Bible....
My favorite line there is where Jayne is rifling through Simon's stuff and making up mocking diary entries. It was the best day ever!
Oh that was good! Jayne does get a lot of fun dialogue, and so does Kaylee. I think it was in the Jaynestown episode where Kaylee offers this cute fare-well to Inara as she's about to do some companioning: "Have good sex!"
Ya know, that's the consensus opinion on 'Forever', but I can still clearly remember even as a child 'Forever' was one of the few episodes of ST that would invariably cause me to change the channel that day.
That may not sound like much until you know the market I grew up in had ST as a staple. I watched ST five nights a week for over ten years, and it's as much a part of my childhood as the home I grew up in.
The other one I disliked was the 'Nomad' episode, but I strongly suspect my dislike for it was more because they overplayed that one so much.
Hell, I liked 'Spock's Brain' better than 'Forever'.
I love the one from "Heart of Gold" where Kaylee wants Wash to tell her she's pretty.
Wash: If I were not a married man, I'd take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: Cause I'm pretty?
Wash: Cause you're pretty.
I liked the scenes where Wash and then Zoe are being interrogated by the Alliance after they rescue the guy from the abandoned ship - and their utterly different responses.
And in "Our Mrs. Reynolds" where Wash thoroughly managed to resist.
Zoe (in total deadpan): Take me sir. Take me hard.
;-D
I think she meant "Star Trek" not "Star Wars". Although frankly I saw the whole theme of "Star Wars" is we'll get rid of the big bad empire and replace it with another big good (I don't believe there is such a thing) government.
I like Trek but yeah it is all geared towards an all-encompassing Federation.
The seventh podcast is out.....you want to hear them all....trust me on this.
http://signal.serenityfirefly.com/signal.php
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