So then, have you watched Firefly?

[matgb]

So, last week while she was down, we had one of those "what DVDs to watch" discussions on our one (semi-planned) evening in. It turned out that snapesbabe hadn't seen Firefly. At all. Now it appears that tinuvielberen hasn't seen it either (but has now seen the light). This bothered me, y'see, when I first got an LJ, it seemed everyone was a fan, there were Firefly icons everywhere, being a fan seemed like something akin to a cultural norm. Now, of course, I know that's not true, but it sure seemed that way, and for two self-confessed SF fans to have not seen it? Weird. So, poll time:
[Poll #1030452]
Because, y'know, Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, does a proper Sci-Fi series, and Murdoch's Fox network messes him around, but the DVD sales are so good that Universal spring for a mid-budget film anyway? Plus, it's funny. Oh, and one of the opening lines is We're not going to die, y'know why? Because we're so very pretty... Which, y'know, is mostly true. So, via Amazon (UK, don't have the US search installed) the series is £15, the film is only £5.

Oh, and after a bit of pestering, here be a link to my Wish List, which I've started updating again; I used to use it as a handy "to buy" list, but then, y'know, finances collapsed. I guess it makes sense to post it, I'll be 33 in less than five weeks. Ouch.

Comments

[poifaerie.livejournal.com]

Aaah, thank you for reminding me what it was I was meant to buy!!

And I can't decide if I should like the film or not, due to that-bit-that-I-can't-say-because-it's-a-spoiler-but-you-know-exactly-which-bit-I-mean.

[matgb]

Leaf on the wind, or burning village, or summat else? But yeah, know what you mean. OTOH, it wouldn't be Joss if people didn't die, and the amount of firepower they were throwing around someone had to.

[innerbrat]

It's the first [SPOILER] that pissed me off. I wanted to know more about that character!

[matgb]

I think the whole world thought that one; there's always hope of a prequel or him writing some comics or something, he seems to like doing that.

Also? I'd looked at that icon many times, and only now noticed the juxtaposition, I like that sort of linking, must do it more often.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

TBH? Maybe it was because I was tired, but I just thought it was OK.

Order placed.

[matgb]

As was said in the comments at Dr Beren's, it takes awhile to get going; I can definitely see why it got cancelled, a slow build up action series combined with bloody awful scheduling and a weird concept, too confusing for Fox.

We'll watch Heart of Gold (for a nice bit of feminism—sort of, anyway) or Jaynestown for utterly surreal plot. Actually, no, Our Mrs Reynolds. Because you'll love Saffron.

You're not actually getting a choice on this one, just so y'know ;-)

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I'm very much in the nay-sayers brigade when it comes to Firefly.

My problem with Firefly is that it was really, really derivative. I tried watching the series (three times!). And it doesn't matter. Within 10 minutes, I knew how whatever episode I was watching was going to end. Every single episode I saw on that series I had seen in earlier (and in some cases much cheesier) scifi series before it.

*meh*

And, I hate to say, but the Browncoats? Made me like the series even less. (My least favorite memory is a Browncoat telling me that I was *obviously* too narrow-minded for not loving all things Firefly.)

That said, I have many friends who are died-in-the-wool Browncoats. I don't hold their obvious insanity against them. [j/k!! j/k!!]

My Browncoat friends and I have gone down the live and let live route. They can watch their DVDs and write fanfiction to their heart's content. They don't make me watch the DVDs or read the fanfic.

And thus, world peace was achieved. *grins*

[matgb]

Oh, I'm quite happy that people dislike it having seen it—paulatpingu wasn't impressed when he borrowed my copies, and we normally pretty much agree on shows; it's the SF geeks who haven't seen it thing that mostly bothered me.

And derivative in terms of plot I'll at times give you, but OTOH, how many different plot ideas are there anyway?

But yeah, I've said before in more than a few places that the worst people to have on 'your' side are obsessives and extremists, can be a little too embarassing at times.

Heh; one of the other shows we watched a bit of while she was down was BSG-TOS, I'd forgotten how early some of the really awful episodes were; most Brits have only seen about 12 episodes, because that's what the BBC repeated ad-nauseum, the poor plot-free eps get skipped...

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

My sister is arguably a bigger Buffy/Angel fan than the IB, so had bought the boxset. And hadn't watched it! until I nabbed it off her and watched the lot in the space of about a day-and-a-half. While its sometimes derivative, (you could tell what would happen to the town of "companions" pretty quickly) there's enough going on, and its a different enough concept from a lot of SF TV that I enjoyed it.

Now if only someone with a big enough budget and a clear enough vision would talk to that nice Mr M. Banks.

[matgb]

I think the concept is part of the appeal; a lot of shows had done 'western in space', but by taking out the western/settler elements (or doing weird things like in BSG:TOS).

This just put them back in as a natural element; the ACW parallels appealed to the history geek in me as well.

Hmm, Culture as a TV series. Um, yeah, so not going to happen. And even if it did, it'd be bad...

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

I really liked Firefly because I really liked the setting and - as with most Whedon - the characters were people you cared about.
Yes, it was simplistic and in various ways derivative but it was very well done with great production values for the budget. It was good, light entertainment and that's exactly what I need when I get home after work.

For me, it's definitely on par with Carnivale (another sad loss but at least they finished the 2nd Season and with it the first segment), BSG and Heroes.

The great thing about Serenity was that it worked for both die-hard Firefly fans and people who had only seen the film. Fans would get all the inside references but they did a good job of making it accessible to everyone (or at least fans of SciFi and a good story with interesting characters).

[matgb]

Absolutely; good characters, nice dialogue and decent pulpy entertainment.

And River. And Inara.

[paulatpingu.livejournal.com]

Where's your 'I hated it with the fire of a thousand suns' option :-P

I'm sorry, I watched some Firefly when it first came out and didn't like it. I watched the DVDs again when Mat persuaded me to give it another chance and really didn't like it, and I saw Serenity and thought it was pretty meh, though might have been better if I'd enjoyed the series.

Basically, Whedon managed to fuck up the premise of a good show almost as badly as the retards behind Enterprise. Almost.

and dno't get me started on the prospect of an eleventh Star Trek film...

Bit on fit characters? Firefly was way up there :-)

[matgb]

Where's your 'I hated it with the fire of a thousand suns' option :-P

It's a sub category of I didn't like it, because I didn't want to encourage you. Like I said above, I get that people dislike it, and I can see the flaws, but it's still good fun.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

"A really good SF movie" - a choice by which I mean "really good for an SF movie" without making a judgement on the absolute quality of the film.

[matgb]

Which is pretty much the context I meant it in. It's a shame that we still need to make that sort of distinction, but unfortunately SF remains in a bit of a ghetto.

[blue-condition.livejournal.com]

Stinky, derivative space-opera that read like something Horace Gold would've bounced out of Galaxy for lack of character insight in the mid-fifties. Too much emphasis on the identikit characters.

Just did not appeal to me. I don't like the way Whedon approaches television.

[matgb]

YMMV then; I do, in many ways. Not perfect, but I find most of his stuff at the very least amusing and entertaining. And I liked the characters, even if they were archetypes and a bit derivative.

I have no problem with generic level stuff if it's well done, and I thought it was well done, at least as a popular ratings driven show can be.

[tyrell.livejournal.com]

It's just completely great. The tv series is one of the best value-for-money sets you can buy right now, it packs so much awesome into one box. And I liked the movie, but you'll probably only cry if you watch the series first.

I've pimped it to all my friends, and now several of them blame me for their having bought both DVDs.

[matgb]

several of them blame me for their having bought both DVDs.

*looks at Robin of Sherwood boxed set*

Hmm, that sounds familiar. I think I actually bought the Serenity DVD from one of your links as well. It's a little weird that a small number of people intensely dislike it as well, but there y'go...

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Also:

last week while she was down

I hope that's She as in ageless and perfectly beautiful, and not She as in She Who Must Be Obeyed...

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Also also; best radio show ever.

I particularly liked Oh, that's a small village of indomitable Gauls...

* smooch *

Thank you for recommending it.

[matgb]

Well, actually, I was thinking more along the lines of she as in personal pronoun thingy.

But both of those also apply don't they?

(and I didn't get this comment email, and yes, the show was funny)

And now we have Tony Hawkes, he of the voice that both annoys and amuses at the same time...

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

You didn't have an option for 'my housemate tried to show it to me but unfortunately started with Heart of Gold so I hated it* and then my boyfriend put the whole series, pirated, onto my computer and made me watch it from the beginning and then I loved it'. And, rereading that sentence, I can see why. But you get the idea.

I saw Serenity before the TV series, thought it was OK, but haven't seen it since. I will have to lay my hands on the DVD...

Oh yes, and I love Kaylee.

*erm, see above. Sorry.

[matgb]

I prehaps was missing an "I watched it once and didn't like it, but then gave it another go later" option, because I know a few people that converted back again.

I'm wondering if Serenity may have been the better intro, ah well.

[eldar.livejournal.com]

I saw Serenity and really liked it, thought it was a good solid standalone Sci-Fi piece.

It still wasn't enough to persuade me to watch the whole series, though. Yeah, I know who, what, when, etc., but I'm still not that enthused. Besides, I don't have the time to watch a whole (albeit truncated) TV series on DVD. (I've still got 4 more seasons of The West Wing that I need to watch.)