New Firefly movie "Serenity" trailer!

[serak_the_preparer]

I was going to post this to Spacechump's Serenity movie thread. But I realize there may be some confusion out there about Firefly, and I really want the word to go out about this movie.<br /><br />A long time ago, in a studio far, far away, a movie was made called <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>. The author of the screenplay, Joss Whedon, became so upset with the realization of his story that he walked off the set. The movie still managed to do better than Whedon had hoped, drew a cult following, and gave its creator a platform for a television series. Whedon had full control over the series, something he lacked when the movie was being made. And the series turned out much better, becoming a big hit on the fledgling WB network.<br /><br />The <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> series was such a success, in fact, that it generated a spinoff series: <i>Angel</i>. This second television series spawned from the mind of Joss Whedon - about a private agency combatting supernatural evil in Los Angeles - also did well. On the strength of these two successes, Joss Whedon was allowed to try his hand at a science fiction series. Inspired by the Western genre and accounts of the Civil War, Whedon dreamed up a space Western where events take place shortly after the defeat of Independence fighters in a civil war. This was the <i>Firefly</i> series which enjoyed a brief run on Fox.<br /><br />The hero, Mal Reynolds, is a former Independent fighter - a 'browncoat.' The Alliance government (half of which is more or less in thrall to the mysterious Blue Sun Corporation) was victorious in the civil war, but Reynolds figures he can defy the Alliance authorities and make some money at the same time by becoming a smuggler. He purchases an old fixer-upper spacecraft, a Firefly-class vessel perfectly suited for wha

 

[flynn]

Looks great.<br /><br />Joss Whedan really knows how to develope a story, I didn't watch much Buffy but Angle was great and the story and charactor development stayed fresh for 6 years. It was the first show where you watched not knowing if the main 6 charactors were going to survive each show. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

To anyone who may be reading this:<br /><br />This Friday, July 29th, the entire <i>Firefly</i> pilot will air on the SciFi Channel, starting at 6 pm EST.<br /><br />If you haven't caught the series yet, then this is your chance to watch the whole thing without investing cash in the purchase of the DVD set. If you like what you see, you will be able to enjoy an excellent science fiction series. (See Spacechump's thread, mentioned at the beginning of this thread's opening post.) The bonus will be that you will also be better able to appreciate the best science fiction movie to come out this year: Serenity.<br /><br />Those who've already seen the <i>Firefly</i> series, of course, know whereof I speak!<br /><br /><i>Joss Whedan really knows how to develope a story, I didn't watch much Buffy but Angle was great and the story and charactor development stayed fresh for 6 years. It was the first show where you watched not knowing if the main 6 charactors were going to survive each show.</i><br /><br />My wife and oldest daughter love that show. It got really good just as the Buffy series entered its decline (or so it seems to me).<br /><br />As I recall, a lot of Buffy and Angel fans became very upset with Whedon for launching <i>Firefly</i> at the time when it seemed to them his other shows needed him most. And refused to tune into Whedon's new series, which they saw as a threat to the other two. He was seen as spreading himself too thin. There's some truth to this, since Marti Noxon essentially accepted the reins of Buffy toward the end of the series when Whedon chose to focus more on his other projects. He remained involved, but I will agree with those fans who felt the Buffy series started to go south about that time.<br /><br />(MSN - Movies: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 07: '<i>Some fans and critics think that consistently excellent</i>

 

[wmdragon]

can you or someone clear up for me which Firefly pilot is which? I saw the episode last friday, loved it, but I understand that was the pilot Fox scrapped and showed after the series was killed. so the one coming up on the 29th is the aired pilot? is it 2hrs?<br /><br />will the real Firefly pilot please stand up? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>will the real Firefly pilot please stand up?</i><br /><br />More than nine hours later and no response? Where have all the Firefly fans been all this time? Probably at work and now finishing their dinners.<br /><br />The confusion over the pilot episode arises out of Fox's handling of the series. As near as I can tell, Fox didn't like <i>Firefly</i> very much. In fact, you might be able to substitute 'at all' for 'very much.' Which sounds bizarre, the network not liking the series they had bought and paid money to have made. All Whedon will say on the subject is, '<i>Firefly was the most cancelled series in the history of television.</i>'<br /><br />The show had a definite story arc, so it was important to air the episodes in order. Unfortunately, Whedon once again found himself in the position he had been in during the making of the Buffy movie, where his vision was over-ruled by a bigger dog calling the shots. Not only did the people at Fox not like the show, but they also didn't like its pilot, the double-length episode titled 'Serenity.' Not funny enough, not enough action. So the second episode, 'The Train Job,' was used to debut the series instead. The pilot was actually the final episode aired on the Fox network.<br /><br />The Firefly Episode Guide found at the SCIFI.COM | Firefly site lists the episodes in the original sequence Whedon had planned. You should avoid the guide, however, if you want to be at all surprised while watching the series as it's being shown on the SciFi Channel. The guide provides <i>complete</i> summaries of the episodes which include the plot resolutions. The Firefly Episode Guide offered by Scifispace.com is somewhat better, as it makes an effort to avoid spoilers and generally only offers the plot set-up. (Exception: The sum

 

[flynn]

The commentary track on the DVD goes into the battles Joss had with Fox, Joss had a vision of a 7 year story arc Fox wanted something with stand alone shows that anyone could switch onto half way through a series and get straight into. If thats what Fox wanted they really shouldn't of got Whedon to make the show in the first place. The move at the time for Fox was to produce a lot of Reality shows (they are a lot cheaper to make as the pay for themselves as idiots actually text in weekly), There was a nice rip of it in a late Futurama episode with "exectubots" rolling dice to decide the new fall schedule.<br /><br />Actually the Futurama and Firefly commentarys sound simular in their treatment by Fox.<br /><br />Both shows will go down as cancelled long before their time along with Angle (needed 1 more season to bring it to a close properly and not rushed)and Space above and Beyond (can't see what this show did wrong) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[kdavis007]

It proves my point sci-fi and network tv does not mix to well. Case in point Star Trek and Firefly. Had Firefly been on the Sci-Fi channel, I think the show would be still on.

 

[flynn]

Don't forget sci-fi killed farscape (not that I watched it) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

"Don't forget sci-fi killed farscape (not that I watched it) "<br /><br />true, but it did have a long run, and allegedly they gave in to fan pressure to deliver a closure movie, to the channel's credit. I also think Firefly would have had a longer life on the scifi channel (I'm saying that after seeing only one episode, but it did hook me) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>The commentary track on the DVD goes into the battles Joss had with Fox...</i><br /><br />Thanks, Flynn, for the added insight into what went on - didn't know about Fox wanting the series to be all stand-alone episodes.<br /><br />Everybody else, the pilot is being aired again at this very instant on the SciFi Channel. Tune in and enjoy!

 

[flynn]

Matt Goerning said that before they cancelled futurama he used to get loads of memos from Fox executives each week totally contradicting each other asking for "more Bender", "Less Bender", "Aim for Children", "More adult humour" Blah, blah blah blah.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[seaborn]

"Don't forget sci-fi killed farscape (not that I watched it)"<br /><br />It took me a while to get into Farscape, but I did enjoy it. <br />I agree that Sci-Fi could have kept it going a few years at least.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>Matt Goerning said that before they cancelled futurama he used to get loads of memos from Fox executives each week totally contradicting each other asking for "more Bender", "Less Bender"...</i><br /><br />In Whedon's case, my impression is the network's memos read a bit like 'less character development,' 'more action,' 'waste less time on character and story,' 'could use some more action,' 'not so much story - this is a TV show not <i>Macbeth</i>,' 'where's the action,' 'stop wasting time on the River character,' 'needs more action,' 'you're cancelled.'<br /><br />By the way, some information on the movie can be found at Serenity Movie - Joss Whedon News, Serenity Credits, Photos, Trailer, Interviews. From there you can get to Serenity Movie - Nathan Fillion on Working with Joss Whedon and "Firefly's" Cancellation, where Fillion is asked 'Why did they cancel the series so early on when it didn't get a chance to find an audience?' When the same question (phrased a little differently) is asked in Serenity Movie - Summer Glau on Working with Joss Whedon, "Firefly," and "Serenity", Glau's answer is not as diplomatic as Fillion's though far more heartfelt:<br /><br /><i>Well, they cancelled us right before Christmas. We weren’t ready. They gave us a certain amount of episodes to do at the beginning. Then they renewed us for, I think, three more episodes, which was such a short time to prove ourselves. Then out of nowhere, we just got cancelled. We all went off for Christmas knowing that we wouldn’t get to come back. We were heartbroken. We cried and cried. We put our hearts and souls into it, and it was such a good series. And we all knew that things like this don’t come along every day. Stories like this don’t.<br /><br />They ran it out o</i>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

The first is SerenityMovie.net - Dreamwatch magazine article - Firefly Burning Bright, and Joss goes a bit more into the cancellation of the series and how it morphed into a movie. It's an excerpt, so it's just three paragraphs.<br /><br />Best line from the interview:<br /><br /><i>. . . I was like </i>[addressing cast and crew]<i>, ‘This show’s so good, it’ll run forever! You should all buy new houses and new cars!’ I meant to say, ‘New hats!’</i><br /><br />The second interview, however, may be more interesting: Serenity Now! by Jim Kozak (In Focus - August/September 2005). Be warned: There are a couple of references to the climactic scene of the movie, which certainly qualifies as a spoiler. The plot is not actually blown, but in my opinion it's still a major spoiler, since you now know where the movie's headed and can possibly make some accurate guesses about how it gets there.<br /><br />Best line from this interview is a toss-up, but it would be from Whedon's response to questions about how he would have written 'Return of the Jedi,' given the chance. One of those lines would be:<br /><br /><i>It would have not been revealed in the first five minutes that Darth Vader was going to be redeemed. And, yeah, there would have been a little less incest.</i><br /><br />The links to both interviews were lifted wholesale from FireflyMovie.com, a good source for up-to-the-minute news on things relating to the series and the movie. Run by Jeremy Neish and Brian Wiser, two very devoted fans.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>Had Firefly been on the Sci-Fi channel, I think the show would be still on.</i><br /><br />You could be right. The good news is: At least the show is on the SciFi Channel right now. Or at least it was awhile earlier.<br /><br />Today I was remiss in my Firefly flag-waving duties and did not plug tonight's episode. Things to do, places to be, et cetera. Though I did manage to announce it over on Free Space before running out the door. Anyway, belatedly:<br /><br />From SCIFI.COM | Firefly:<br /><br /><b>FRIDAY, AUG. 12</b><br /><br /><font color="yellow">"Bushwacked"</font><br /><br /><i>The crew's rescue of the survivor of a Reaver attack leads to a confrontation with an Alliance commander.</i><br /><br />EVERY FRIDAY AT 7/6C<br /><br />Meanwhile, I've picked up a new something which is sort of like a trailer, though I'd actually say it's a bit more than a trailer:<br /><br /><i>Serenity</i> A Look Inside (Windows Media High)<br /><br /><i>Serenity</i> A Look Inside (Windows Media Medium)<br /><br /><i>Serenity</i> A Look Inside (Windows Media Low)<br /><br />Found it over on the Browncoats' new AV board. Worth checking out. You get some movie footage along with some behind-the-scenes stuff involving Joss Whedon and the crew. Good fun!<br /><br /><i>[Edit: For more information about accessing the material at these links, see messag</i>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>Had Firefly been on the Sci-Fi channel, I think the show would be still on.</i><br /><br />Firefly's fan factor is difficult to ignore. Here are links to different versions of an introduction to the world of the fans surrounding Firefly:<br /><br />Clips from Joss and the cast at WonderCon (700k_wmv.asx)<br /><br />Clips from Joss and the cast at WonderCon (300k_wmv.asx)<br /><br />Clips from Joss and the cast at WonderCon (128k_wmv.asx) <br /><br /><i>[Edit: For more information about accessing the material at these links, see message four posts down.]</i>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Flynn,<br /><br />Still keeping my eyes open, and have come across something new. This article contains no spoilers - promise!<br /><br />Serenity Now? by Jeff Jensen (Entertainment Weekly), August 16, 2005<br /><br /><i>Stumping for <b>Serenity</b> could bring fans the glorious spoil of even more <b>Serenity</b>. Universal execs say the film would need to gross north of $80 million globally to garner sequel consideration — not an impossible dream, given that Whedon also boasts a strong following abroad. (''Trilogy!'' cries Fillion.) Whedon is game, though he'd have to find time to juggle franchises: He's prepping a <b>Wonder Woman</b> movie for Warner Bros. ''This doesn't feel like the end to me,'' he says...</i><br /><br />Like some other material posted here, the above link was pulled from the FireflyMovie.com fan-site. Though it's spoiler-free, it still carries a warning. Whedon admits he still feels some disappointment in settling for a movie instead of a series. On the other hand, as Jensen is careful to point out, the reviews are good, the cast elated, and the fans overjoyed. But, of course, Whedon didn't set out to tell a big whiz-bang action-packed adventure in just two hours. He had plenty of stories waiting for these characters, requiring plenty of time to tell them - years on television versus a few hours in the theater. As Whedon puts it: '[T]<i>here's <b>gotta</b> be an easier way to make a movie.</i>' Still, if the movie breaks the $80 million mark, there could be a trilogy, salvaging some of what Firefly's creator hoped to build.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Well, once again, it's Friday. Don't have much new to post about either the movie or the series at the moment. But I do recommend tuning in to the SciFi Channel tonight for some top-quality television.<br /><br />From SCIFI.COM | Firefly:<br /><br /><b>FRIDAY, AUG. 12</b><br /><br /><font color="yellow">"Shindig"</font><br /><br /><i>Seeking work at a party, Mal upsets a wealthy client of Inara and ends up in a swordfight -- but he doesn't know how to use a sword.</i><br /><br />EVERY FRIDAY AT 7/6C

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Enjoy!

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Actually, that message never appears.<br /><br />But I have recently learned the downloads from the Browncoats : Official Serenity Fan Site are only available if you register at the site first. After which, you can click on the links provided above, such as <i>Serenity</i> A Look Inside (Windows Media Medium) and Clips from Joss and the cast at WonderCon (300k_wmv.asx). Or, since you'll already be on the fan-site, you can click on the AV Room link to the left of the welcome message. All the downloads are there.<br /><br />I hate registering at websites myself, but in this case I will vouch that the downloads are worth it.<br /><br />Sorry about that, didn't mean to be such a tease.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Well, here I am again, looking around the auditorium, noticing how quiet it is, wondering why that is...oh, wait, maybe it's because this is no auditorium and I'm alone on that island where Tom Hanks was stranded a few years ago. Or, worse, watching the movie, and everyone else was smart enough to get out of the room.<br /><br />There's something lonely, sad and ultimately quixotic about posting regularly to a thread you started where other commentary has long since ceased to appear. Rarely do I ever start threads of my own, as I have to care a great deal about something to feel motivated to do so. And now...oh, well.<br /><br />Enough about my own neurotic concerns - on to <i>Serenity</i>! There is some news this time! The movie had its world premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival four days ago, and the reviews are coming in. Here's one of them:<br /><br />Edinburgh reports: adventures in parallel worlds (The Telegraph)<br /><br />22/08/2005<br /><br /><i>For sheer, joyful entertainment, though, there's no question as to this festival's hottest ticket: the world première of Joss Whedon's Serenity. A science fiction western based on Whedon's cult television series Firefly, it picks up where the series left off, pitting Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) and his rogue crew of small-time rebels against the military might of a superpower called The Alliance. Between them lies the mystery of River Tam (Summer Glau), a psychic assassin who holds the key to the future of the universe.<br /><br />As the man responsible for Buffy The Vampire Slayer, perhaps only Whedon could conceive of a science fiction western - and pull it off with such élan. His command of form and playful delight in extending it serve him well again here; Serenity delivers all the thrills, spills and eye-popping explosions one could demand of a big studio blockbuster.<br /><br />A complex ensemble p</i>

 

[mo24]

I was very skeptical about the firefly series when I first heard about it. The space and western genres generally haven't mixed very well based on other books i've read.<br /><br />I've found the series to be fairly interesting though so far after watching only three episodes. I'm really surprised that there wasn't more publicity about the show. I'd heard so little about it that the first few times I saw it on the TV guide, I just assumed it was another typical movie on the SciFi channel, probably about some gigantic Firefly that ate humans and terrorized Japan.

 

[mcbethcg]

I loved the series, and will definitely watch the movie, a few times. But I dont have much else to say about it.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Sadly, I lack the time needed to do justice to what's going on with respect to Firefly and Serenity. First, though:<br /><br />From SCIFI.COM | Firefly:<br /><br /><b>FRIDAY, SEPT. 2</b><br /><br /><font color="yellow">"Our Mrs. Reynolds"</font><br /><br /><i>Mal awakens after a big party with an even bigger hangover ... and a mysterious new wife named Saffron.</i><br /><br />EVERY FRIDAY AT 7/6C<br /><br />Gentlemen, if you respond favorably to the sight of beautiful women in your movies and television shows, tonight's episode carries with it an added emphasis on the recommendation to watch. No more will be said.<br /><br />Meanwhile...<br /><br />From Serenity - Edinburgh International Film Festival:<br /><br /><i>A continuation of his brilliant if short-lived TV series Firefly, Whedon's SF epic reunites his original cast and takes only a few minutes to welcome new viewers to the Firefly universe: Earth- That-Was, the Reavers, the War for Unification, and the haunted, enigmatic River, upon whom the entire future seems to depend - all are introduced in a concise series of flashbacks that set the scene effortlessly for the crises ahead, as Serenity'screw are drawn into battle with the murderous Operative (British star Chiwetel Ejiofor)... a struggle that will see them cross systems and make some major sacrifices along the way. Hold on tight!</i><br /><br />For the UK's look at what's happening, there's Firefly Serenity UK movie, which introduces you to its pages with the quote from AintItCoolNews:<br /><br /><b>"One of the coolest movies I've seen. Ever."</b><br /><br />The official movie site has been upgraded, so I recommend another visit for another look.<br /><br />Lastly, try http://</safety_wrapper

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Time for that weekly announcement:<br /><br />From SCIFI.COM | Firefly:<br /><br /><b>FRIDAY, SEPT. 9</b><br /><br /><font color="yellow">"Jaynestown"</font><br /><br /><i>The crew visits a town that mistakenly reveres Jayne as a hero, and Inara "makes a man" of a local VIP's son.</i><br /><br />EVERY FRIDAY AT 7/6C<br /><br />. . .<br /><br />Some say this is the funniest episode of the series. 'Our Mrs. Reynolds,' aired last week, is also in contention for that title. Tonight's episode is more or less about a pirate who is inexplicably admired as a philanthropist. A bit like Spock being mistaken for a NASCAR enthusiast (or, if that analogy offends, Kirk misidentified as a monk firmly committed to vows of celibacy and non-violence).<br /><br />Now, about the Firefly that ate Japan...<br /><br /><i>I'm really surprised that there wasn't more publicity about the show. I'd heard so little about it that the first few times I saw it on the TV guide, I just assumed it was another typical movie on the SciFi channel, probably about some gigantic Firefly that ate humans and terrorized Japan.</i><br /><br />Unfortunately for the fans, the cast, the crew and the show's creator Joss Whedon, you were far from alone. The marriage between Joss Whedon (creator of <i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) and Fox was made in some pointless purgatory or - more probably - in a horrible hell. Such an unnatural pairing was not to be, and the network did the opposite of supporting the series. It shot the series down by airing the episodes out of sequence (the show's pilot was the final episode to air on Fox) and not even bothering to show all the episodes which had been filmed. How's that for sabotaging a TV show?<br /><br />Why did Fox treat a series that way which it had paid good money to have made? As I've hinted, there was a fundamental philosophical dissonance between Whedon, who enjoys rooting for the underdog, and the Fox network. W