Once More with Cease and Desist Letters

2005-10-20T15:52:32+00:00

Fox has shut down a plan to perform a fan version of the Buffy musical episode, Once More with Feeling, even though creator Joss Whedon has asked them not to.

Source: Boing Boing: Fox shuts down Buffy Hallowe'en musical despite Whedon's protests

Hey, look, it's another attempt to stop the natural progression of released creative work turning into culture. Stick a few more fingers in the dike, while you're at it.

Serenity is a Big Damn Roller Coaster

2005-10-16T05:35:46+00:00

I've just finally seen Serenity. So, if you're concerned about spoilers, bugger off now—if you cared about spoilers, you should've already seen the big damn movie.

Some quick, fully spoiled thoughts:

I'm fairly certain it was the best science fiction movie I've seen in about 10-15 years. I'm only just about to turn 30 this month, so I'm not old by any stretch—but I've watched a lot of sci-fi in my time. Probably too much sci-fi.

In any case, this was the first movie I've seen in at least a decade that had me wanting to walk out, go straight to get another ticket, and watch it over again. Like I remember doing a few times with roller coasters when I was little.

Many classic snips of Whedonesque dialog. If they aren't coming out now via geeks with recorders in theaters, they'll be out in soundboards by December when the DVD arrives.
"Dozens of planets, hundreds of moons"? Well, I guess a single solar system alleviates the need for any sort of faster-than-light travel loopholes—but damn, that makes our solar system look sparse.
River as a psychic, having mentally scooped up state secrets from visiting politicians gave a very nice and sensible motivation to everyone after her.
I missed the men with blue gloves. They were creepy. The operative seemed like part 2 of the last one they'd left drifting in space, only maybe more finely honed. He was rather fearsome, but didn't give me the willies.
The operative's total psychological conversion to the mission as a "believer" was a great concept, though. I could imagine some future tech being used to tickle the "God spot" or something in a Pavlovian/Skinnerian approach to bind a person to an objective.

I am surprised that the truth managed to snap him out of it, though. Religious zealots seem very rarely turned by the facts. It was a good admission at the end though, having failed the mission, when he said "there's nothing left to see".

When the Shepherd died, I wasn't too choked up. I mean, he was a good character, had a crapload of mysteries worth exploring, but he was ultimately an outsider and a passenger on the ship—maybe because of all those mysteries.

And, of course, in the movie as independent from the series, the Shepherd wasn't given much story to become a central concern. But, he got his dying scene and a fairly closure-rich exit.

The landing on Miranda and the subsequent explanation of the Reavers struck me as a bit of classic Star Trek done right—done better. And, having demystified the Reavers—from victims of spaaaaace madness down to better living through government chemistry—did nothing to make them any less scary.
Does anyone out there remember when they used to play 3-D movies on TV? They'd have a signal at a certain point, when you were meant to don the glasses.

When that spike nailed Wash and he died without a few minutes' scene of melodramatic, coughing last words—that was the signal for, "In this next fight? They're all fair game. Start worrying."

He was just gone, like people really go when they're not characters in a story enjoying the benefits of deus ex machina. It's a very rare story where the author's gutsy enough to do permanent damage to the fictional universe itself in order to raise the stakes.

I'm sad and pissed, but this was a hell of a lot better than wrecking the Enterprise. Hell, they did wreck the ship, but Serenity already got rebuilt by the end of the movie. There will be no Wash 1701B.

Archived Comments

Roger Benningfield
2005-10-16T05:59:32

My wife and I were both deeply disappointed by Serenity... and part of it is was the treatment of Wolver-- I mean, River. To my mind, her character was completely trivialized as Joss recycled yet another plotline from 70-80's X-Men stories.

RE: the guys with the blue gloves... see the Serenity prequel for more on them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593074492
Roger Espinosa
2005-10-17T00:31:06

Heh --- it was your post about "pulling an Enterprise-D" that I was thinking about when we saw Serenity last week. I thought "They're doing it! They're wrecking the ship!" and then that harpoon came and for once I really wanted someone to find the Deux Ex Machina switch that'd turn back time. Sniff.
Joe Brockmeier
2005-10-17T19:25:23

I feel the same way - the first movie, perhaps since Star Wars, that I wanted to watch again as soon as it was over the first time. I think Wash's death traumatized some of the Firefly fans (one guy I talked to asked "why would you do that to yourself?" when I told him that I planned to see it again) but it's what makes Whedon's stories believable -- people actually die, in pointless ways that make the stories more real. Sadder, perhaps, but more real.

Based on its box office performance, I'm not optimistic that there will be a Serenity II -- but if not, it was a very suitable way to close the book on those characters.
rick
2005-10-20T21:27:32

I too wanted to see the Blue Gloves. I thought the prequel story was weak closure on that thread.

If there is a Serenity 2, they better find someone to fill Wash's void. He was my favorite of the series...

I am a leaf on the wind
John Manoogian III (jm3)
2005-10-23T13:39:44

hate to say it (well, not really i don't... :-), but: told you so.
Mike
2005-10-24T02:21:34

I remember a theatre director once telling me that you shouldn't have a gun on stage because everyone knows it's not going to go off. I thought of this when Wash was killed (after my heart broke) - the gun went off this time. And then I had the same thought you did: Damn, they might all die. Mal may lose, after all this. You have to respect that lack of conceit, that unwillingness to be precious, on Whedon's part.

But, sadly, I think it was also a signal to all the fans: There will be no encore.

0xDECAFBAD - Tag: whedon

Once More with Cease and Desist Letters

Serenity is a Big Damn Roller Coaster

Archived Comments