FIREFLY DVD Discussion Thread (Merged) (1 Viewer)

[Aaron_Brez]

Did someone say something?

 

[Alvin.G.]

Sorry, Adam, I didn't read your previous post :b. But, if you knew me, you'd know there's no way I could be a *ton* of anything. Cheers and happy Trilogy Tuesday to you lucky few. You know who you are.

acg

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks for absolving me of my paranoia. *wipes brow with relief*

 

[Henry Gale]

...I'm on more people's ignore lists than I thought!

I bought this box today solely on the recommendation of the posters in this thread.
So, if Firefly sucks, I'll be back here updating my "IGNORE" list.
Thanks for the Costco suggestion, it was only $76.00! Well. I had to join.

 

[Aaron_Brez]

Jim,

Depends on your tastes, but I don't think you'll be disappointed.

(Until you come to the last episode, and realize there aren't any more... Watched some of the special features last night, and This Is The Way It Was was like a frickin' requiem :frowning: )

AB

 

[Mark_Wilson]

$76? I only paid $37 for it here:
http://www.lasersedge.com/item_detai...46024&tMedia=1

 

[Alvin.G.]

Thanks for the Costco suggestion, it was only $76.00! Well. I had to join.

so that's the catch!


acg

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Yeah, I watched Serenity tonight, it was a little dark (I think this was because of the low budget of the first episode...Mutant Enemy shows often disguise low budgets with darker images **see seasons 3-4 of ANGEL**)

The picture brightens up quickly after the beginning of The Train Job

Also, for what it's worth, I watched every episode of Firefly when it first aired on FOX, and was deeply upset when it was cancelled, and can't wait until the possible movie release... (I wish it would somehow come back to TV...but I don't see it happening. :frowning

This DVD set really made me remember how much I loved the show. I can't wait to revisit this the way it was meant to be (widescreen/correct order). What a wonderful show.

Anyone else notice something changed since the show aired? I distinctly remember that when the show ended each week there was an image of the ship (an outline) that lighted up in gold (like the title and cast credits) and then faded out. This had been changed to an Executive Producer credit on the DVD release. It doesn't bug me, but it's just an observation.

 

[Tony_P]

Actually, the budget for "Serenity" was huge. I think it was in excess of 10 million dollars and thus one of the most expensive television pilots ever. Of course, a lot of that money went into building sets and other such things, but I'm sure they had enough money to light and shoot the episode properly.

 

[Robert Ringwald]

You're right, I forgot about that. I remember reading it.

However, take into account that it was a 2 part episode...

What I was saying is that Joss Whedon's people have a really great ability to make a small budget go a long way.

I really wish this show could come back in TV form some way. Such great chemistry with the cast...it would be just great.

Too bad the cast would likely be too hard to get back together. However, the only real set was the ship... was that taken apart? Part of me dreams that this show could be resurrected in some form or another, but deep down I know that as a weekly series...it's gone forever.

Imagine what directions the show could have taken had it reached even a second season? There was such a world to explore with the series, and I've love to see what new things would have happened.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

Dark is the intent. If you listen to the commentaries he talks about the kitchen table scenes were lit from that light on the table. Other scenes they'd use a piece of metal on the desk to refelct light to tin foil balls (ala xfiles) to light the actors.

FYI, on my ISF'd set it looks dark but not too dark. All the detail is there. Great shadow delineation too.

 

[Alvin.G.]

FWIW, the Pilot didn't seem too dark to me at all, or else I have my brightness set too high . Yikes!

Does anyone know if Serenity was actually filmed an then ditched as the first aired episode for Train Job? I don't remember hear anything specific in the commentaries. From the commentary on Train Job I think Josh just says that Fox changed its mind about the pilot and asked them to rewrite this episode as the new pilot. But, did they already put down all this money to film Serenity? And, I can see why the studio would change its mind about this. Serenity is a great episode and, IMO, a better one that what Train Job became.


acg

 

[Robert Ringwald]

Fox had them film the 2 hour pilot. They thought it was too slow and asked Joss to make something "faster" to open the show with. The Train Job was slightly retooled to make it understandable to new viewers (as it was now considered the "PILOT")

Serenity was made with the intent of being the first episode...FOX just kept changing the order of the episodes.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

Yes, they discussed the Pilot in one of the episodes. I can't remember exactly what the issue was. Something with trying to introduce nine characters taking too long or something. They wanted Mal to be funny right off the bat and not wait to warm up to them.

 

[Alvin.G.]

Stupid executive scum! OK, just needed to get that out of my system. You know, I didn't know that in sci-fi, you wanted one dimensional characters whose motivations and actions a viewer can see, predict and anticipate 10 minutes into the first episode. I was under this completely screwy notion that good characters were complex ones.

acg

 

[LarryDavenport]

BTW I think the commentaries and extras are great! i wish they had commenetaries on all the episodes.

 

[Mark_Wilson]

I wish there were commentaries on all the Eps too.

I would have also liked to see all the web stuff in the set too.

 

[Aaron_Brez]

The sequence is this:

Serenity script written, and movie shot

FOX doesn't like it; thinks it's too slow and Mal not likable enough.

They still are interested in the show, and ask Joss Whedon (on a Friday) to show them a script for a typical episode (on Monday)

Joss and Tim Minear write the script for The Train Job

Joss adds the opening battle scenes to Serenity and delete the Simon/Zoe exposition scene and give to FOX

FOX ignores the re-tooled Serenity and makes The Train Job the initially-aired episode

FOX airs the later episodes in a weird order, designed (apparently) to highlight the "better" shows first

Ratings suck. FOX cancels Firefly in favor of The Bachelor

FOX airs the re-tooled Serenity last

 

[Alvin.G.]

FOX cancels Firefly in favor of The Bachelor

You've got to be kidding me. For the Bachelor!!! Sometimes, the truth just hurts.

In any case, thanks for the history lesson Aaron.

acg

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Wasn't The Batchelor an ABC show?