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May 27, 2005
Sacto "Serenity" Sneak Preview, 5/26
Liz introduced me to the work of Joss Whedon about a year ago. Tonight, we drove to a sneak preview screening of "Serenity," which opens nationally September 30.
I never really got into Buffy, though I have watched it alone so I could pepper her later with questions about backstories and the like. This guy has opinions I respect, and he pushed the vampire-killer on me and everyone he knew. Truthfully, I'm not much of a joiner -- as a result, I sometimes miss out on those special few TV shows that are wildly popular with broad audiences and are of good quality.
Yeah, I'm a TV snob. Doesn't mean I haven't fallen asleep on the couch to an episode of CHiPs once or twice, though.
Example: I've never watched an episode of Desperate Housewives. Not even a few minutes of it. I know that's a terribly ignorant thing for a pop-culture sponge to blog about, but there you are.
Anyway, Liz introduced me to Joss Whedon through the DVD box set of Firefly, one of the best shows you've never seen, and definitely one of the best sci-fi programs since the genre was shaped by Serling and Roddenberry.
After driving to and from Sacramento (216 miles r/t, give or take), I'm not prepared to offer an in-depth review of the movie, and I don't want to kick over a bucket of spoilers in a sleepy haze. I will say that it was awfully good of star Nathan Fillion to make a personal appearance at the Century 14 Theaters in Roseville, CA. Which is actually past Sacramento, if you want to get technical.
He was loose and funny with the audience and entirely at home without a script. He'd been to Comic Cons promoting first a canceled series and now his upcoming feature film, and he must have an understanding and respect for his fan-base, even if he doesn't take them entirely seriously all of the time.
While I watched the sometimes cringe-inducing Q&A with costumed fans (of which several described themselves "browncoats") I imagined that Fillion can probably recite the entire "it's just a TV show, people!" sketch that William Shatner performed on SNL a generation ago.
When "Serenity" comes out, it won't have to compete with the noisy summer films, but I still have doubts about the studio's ability to market this movie succesfully. Everyone I know loves the trailer, but they're all fans. The people I know who saw the movie thought it was great, but again, they're all fans -- that's why they were motivated to score one of the scant preview tix.
For those of you who don't know, Firefly is set in a future in which humankind has spread across the galaxy. Characters, storylines and aesthetics are informed by the genres of Western, Science Fiction, Seafaring and Gothic Horror, among others.
Check out the trailer and let me know if this is a movie you'd be interested in seeing. I think this is a good movie that was based on an excellent TV show, but I have every faith that Universal Studios will stumble in its attempt to present this movie to potential audiences. I hope I'm wrong.
Ideally, the passionate and activist Joss Whedon/Firefly fan base will all show up opening weekend with a friend. I'm predicting an opening weekend gross of $28 million, cume theatrical take of $85M domestic. Should be a killer on home video.
I just finished the new Peter Biskind, and I'm full of inside baseball BS about box office figures and theatrical marketing.
UPDATE: Liz recalled that Fillion actually DID reference the Shatner sketch when responding to a fan's question! Granted, the guy did inquire about a detail in a scene where he opens a safe, and Fillion quipped, "that's like one of those 'so, what was the combination?' questions." Read the sketch.
"I'm actually more a fan; that was slick, that was stylish, and that was kind," says Liz.
Posted by Your Protagonist at May 27, 2005 04:22 AM