The <i>Serenity</i> Cheat Sheet
Considering the late hour, it looks like we only made it to Serenity twice in opening weekend. It was second for the weekend, to Jodie Foster’s Flightplan, last reported as opening with $20 mil compared to Jodie’s $21, but several articles I’ve perused have said that movie income seems to be down this fall, with several expected big premieres earning well less than expected.
I realize I have gone on and on in LJ about this movie, which probably already triggered most folks to skip this entry when they read the title in my first sentence, but I have to say… it’s not just because I am enamored of Firefly, Buffy, Angel or Joss Whedon himself, but because, it’s just damn good.
In the spirit of helping those who are less than in-the-know on the subject of Serenity and why I might be begging them to go see it, I have found this article to help answer all those questions and perhaps pique your interest a bit.
corvus1970 has made a Comment
You better believe that I am going to hype this film to the point of utter annoyance all week. I’m hoping that strong word-of-mouth will produce a second weekend that is equal to or stronger than this opening weekend.
Also, Serenity simply isn’t playing on as many screens as some of the movies currently out there.
October 2, 2005 @ 11:49 pm
aoide has made a Comment
I gotta tell ya. I still don’t get the hype. Now this should not be taken as a dis to the Joss wheadon fans because I am by no means a sci-fi enthusiest. I enjoys my DS9, hitchhikers and Orson Scott Card but that’s about the extent of things. I found buffy kinda dull and Angel kinda hookey so I just don’t get this whole thing. On top of that, I am not a huge movie goer in general. I see about one movie a year in the theatre. All that being said… so really, explain the hype to me, or am I just too out of the know to even comprehend?
October 3, 2005 @ 8:53 am
flerly has made a Comment
The storyline is about redefining what’s a “good guy” and what’s a “bad guy”. There are two sides of this story, both convinced they are right and doing what’s best for humanity. It’s a sci-fi adventure without aliens. It’s a “possible” future, where man has outgrown this planet and expanded to others that they’ve terraformed. Each new settlement starts with the basics and has to build their way up, so some are more advanced than others in terms of “civilization”… thus, the further from the central planet, the wilder the world — giving this flick the flavor of a western.
I think the appeal is sci-fi/western. That’s not a combo you see everyday. It’s not a star wars or star trek rip-off, it’s more an amped-up Clint Eastwood movie. On top of the unusual setting, it has a visual style that is also tremendously unique. The story in the movie is from the point-of-view of a damaged teenage girl, who most times is around quietly observing and unnoticed. The camera-work is frequently from her odd-perspective, above, in from sideways, from unexpected angles, feeling like you’re witnessing these people talking amongst themselves.
Bottom line, it’s funny – but not dumbed down. The gag’s don’t get explained or hammered home. It’s a morality tale – ala the classic westerns. It’s about love and loss, and right and wrong. It’s about the little guy making a difference. It’s sci-fi – since it’s 500 years in the future and they live in a spaceship. And it’s an action movie – because there are bad guys and scary monsters, and it’s often kill or be killed, and you won’t find some rock-and-roll soundtrack blaring or 50-billion cut scenes pieces together in this action. It’s just not comparable to anything out there, for it’s unique mix – unpredictable, non-formulaic, and rare.
October 3, 2005 @ 11:02 am
corvus1970 has made a Comment
Also, might I gank your Firefly cast icon?
October 3, 2005 @ 12:14 pm
flerly has made a Comment
gank away as you will. possessiveness over icons is silliness. =)
October 3, 2005 @ 12:18 pm
infinite1der has made a Comment
yeah… MUCH better than Buffy and Angel.
/me ducks
October 3, 2005 @ 2:37 pm
kvinna has made a Comment
http://www.mosquitoverse.com/index.html – Firefly Parody
October 9, 2005 @ 4:39 pm