Wilhammer Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Hey John, Welcome back, by the way. Odd as this might sound, do you enjoy the shoe Fringe as much as I do, which is quite a lot, and are you pumped about 'V' next week? I enjoy these great bits of Science Fiction. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Wilhammer, The phrase "shoe Fringe" shorted my brain out temporarily, but I now understand the question. Fringe is a great show, but I don't watch it regularly. I've enjoyed Joshua Jackson since Dawson's Creek and thought he was terrific in Skulls; the Walter character is fascinating, intriguing and disturbing, and the lab assistant is altogether easy to watch. Without X-Files having been seen before, I seriously doubt Fringe would ever have reached the light of day--or whatever other locale you deem appropriate! I'd even go so far as to say that X-Files is practically a must see before watching Fringe. Helps take the edge off the high weirdness. Fringe is very dark and moody, not to be watched by those clinically depressed or suicidally ideated. As for V, I have mixed emotions. The FX will clearly be spectacular, as seen by the giant mothership bottom viewscreen, but will the story be there, especially given that I rabidly watched the original series? I confess myself bewitched and beguiled by the Visitors' spokeswoman. Talk about eyes to get lost in! My favorite supernatural show is Eastwick, which I find simply superb across the board: cast, plot, setting, writing, detail and amazing loving execution. So many splendid possibilities that could only be glossed over in the movie The Witches of Eastwick can be and are carefully dissected and explored in depth here. Loved last week's episode where the buttoned down village went bananas during the super full moon. Would be interesting to compare Kat's (Jamie Ray Newman) and Michelle Pfeiffer's lying-atop-the-piano-in-a-red-dress sizzle factors side by side. Nor is watching Roxie (Rebecca Romijn) hard to bear. That said, Joanna (Lindsay Price) floats my boat. Let's just say that the country wisdom about the librarian look is true. Watch out for the quiet ones! Darryl (Paul Gross) is a superb choice for millionaire demon as he oh so slowly shifts the ladies' moral compass bearings and gently, irresistibly nudges them toward a slippery downhill slope. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilhammer Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 "The phrase "shoe Fringe" shorted my brain out temporarily" What, never heard of Ed Sullivan? Or, Perhaps it was a tinfoil Phaser Laser interference thingybob.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomitmeister Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 In case you don't recognize her or haven't seen the show, the spokeswoman is the actress that played Inara Serra, the professional companion, in the Firefly series. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 In case you don't recognize her or haven't seen the show, the spokeswoman is the actress that played Inara Serra, the professional companion, in the Firefly series. Wow! then. She was incredibly good (and hot) in Firefly/Serenity. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runyan99 Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 When I was a kid I thought V was scary. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Wilhammer, Good one regarding Ed Sullivan! Vomitmeister (colorful handle, that!), Am not familiar with Firefly/Serenity, but you can bet I'll look up Inara Serra. Runyan99, I was certainly no kid, but I found several things offputting, and not just the "human skinned" reptiloids dislocating their jaws to eat live prey. For example, there was the nation's slide into only thinly disguised Nazism, replete with uniforms, rituals and a culture of denunciation. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Am not familiar with Firefly/Serenity, but you can bet I'll look up Inara Serra. You might do well to get the series on DVD. The science (and realism in general) is more than a bit weak, so suspend your disbelief high, but it's great entertainment. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomitmeister Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 The actress' name is Morena Baccarin. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 Wilhammer, I clean forgot to ask you your take on Warehouse 13 and Flash Forward, both of which I find engrossing and intriguing. If you like the former, then be sure to rent the Noah Wylie The Librarian films. Very well done, and they get better from one to the next! Michael Emrys, Good tip! Vomitmeister, I misunderstood your post (I blame acute insomnia), so wound up thinking the character name was the actress's name. Once I got past that hurdle, I was able to look her up properly. Truly anemic, all but useless bio on IMDB. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilhammer Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 Flashforward is simply fantastic. My son and I enjoy it every Friday Night projected on the Eden War Room Wall. We would watch it every Thursday night, but that is my board wargaming night with 2-3 other gamers. Warehouse13 is not something I took a liking to. And, I will add to Serenity/Firefly - fantastic entertainment. --------------- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morena_Baccarin is a much better write up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 And, I will add to Serenity/Firefly - fantastic entertainment. With a wonderful cast all around. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 You might do well to get the series on DVD. The science (and realism in general) is more than a bit weak, so suspend your disbelief high, but it's great entertainment. MichaelI always thought Firefly was pretty good when it came to the science - they didn't warp around the galaxy but instead were kept to STL travel around one solar system. And for once in a sci-fi series, there was no sound in space. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I always thought Firefly was pretty good when it came to the science - they didn't warp around the galaxy but instead were kept to STL travel around one solar system. And for once in a sci-fi series, there was no sound in space. That's so, but I still noticed a lot of incongruities. Did you ever see the episode of the frontier whorehouse? According to the story line, it was located on a moon. How does a moon have enough gravity to retain an atmosphere? Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilhammer Posted October 30, 2009 Author Share Posted October 30, 2009 A really big Moon, like Titan? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 A really big Moon, like Titan? I was sure somebody would bring that up. Well, maybe, but it's got to be an atmosphere dense enough for people to breathe and of the right composition and all. And about being set in one solar system...are you sure about that, Angus? My impression was that they covered more ground than that. In any event, it doesn't seem to be set in this solar system, so they must have had some means to get to it from Earth that didn't require several lifetimes. But all of this is admittedly quibbling. The points I raise are no worse than what was routinely accepted in written SF for decades and still is. Like I said, suspend your disbelief high and enjoy the show, which was at least entertaining and not infrequently more than that. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 (snip) Am not familiar with Firefly/Serenity, (snip) Forget suspending your disbelief because of some scientific impossibilities. My opinion is that Firefly and the movie Serenity feature some of the most vividly three-dimensional characters I've ever seen in any form of entertainment. The writing, particularly the dialog, is absolutely brilliant. Don't wait to buy the DVDs; go to YouTube right now and watch this 30 second video from the pilot episode to get a hint of the delightful sense of the fun. This was the very first time the audience sees the character Wash. Can anyone imagine another pretend starship pilot sitting at his console and acting like this? Mr. Sulu? Steve Zodiac? Even Han Solo takes it more seriously. You have a real treat in store. The tragedy is there were so few episodes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilhammer Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 In the Firefly Universe, the System they are in is bigger than ours, with several habitable worlds, many terraformed. In our own system, Venus and Mars are on the edge, and Jupiter is close to being a star with its own mini 'solar system' some of which are likely life harboring now (at least I am convinced they are by the evidence). Saturn is not too far off from that itself. ---------------- The humans got there via multi generational ships as a mass migration / expansion thing. IIRC, this is all explained mostly in the movie, but some detail is missing. --------------- The characters and scripting were exceptional - some of the best ever made. In my opinion, it is far better than Star Trek or Galactica. If you watch 'Castle', you see our Captain. In Sarah Connor, our favorite female cyborg is River Tam in Firefly. Summer Glau's character is especially compelling. Our favorite mercenary is the hard nosed CIA agent in Chuck. Of course, the consort is in V. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Summer Glau's character is especially compelling. I agree. She trained as a dancer, and the way that she projects controlled physical awareness in the way she moves is beautiful to watch. Also, do you remember that scene where she breaks into a Cockney accent? I was totally amazed at the way she pulled that off. That was a nice piece of writing too. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gautrek Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 I just don't see this raving about Serinty.I saw the film for the first time a couple of weeks ago and turned it off after about 3/4 of an hour.What a pile of old crap. The many cowboy references pissed me off no end. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 The many cowboy references pissed me off no end. I think they are more frontier references than specifically cowboy, but yes, that is a theme that runs through the whole series. I think the intent was to view space exploration and colonization as a reprise of the conditions on the American frontier after the Civil War. That's one way to look at it. I don't think it's necessarily a very valid expectation of how it would go, but it had a lot of resonance with audiences, especially in the US. And it's been used countless times in written SF. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilhammer Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 Roddenberry sold Star Trek as Wagon Train in Space; the Wild West theme does occur a lot in Sci Fi. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soddball Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I was sure somebody would bring that up. Well, maybe, but it's got to be an atmosphere dense enough for people to breathe and of the right composition and all. And about being set in one solar system...are you sure about that, Angus? My impression was that they covered more ground than that. In any event, it doesn't seem to be set in this solar system, so they must have had some means to get to it from Earth that didn't require several lifetimes. There's a good reason why you can buy bumper stickers which say "All I needed to know about science I learned from Joss Wheedon" (the author of the show). Try not to think about the 'science'. There isn't any. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elmar Bijlsma Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 To hold it to any kind of standard of science is missing the point of the show. Firefly is, in my view, unmatched in the realm of entertainment. Science doesn't even enter the equation. It's not Mythbusters! The only real quibble I have with the show is that while the whole Frontier theme is fine by me, at times the show goes too far out of the way for it, and it jars. But there is so much quality writing in regards to characterization and dialogue it is marvellous even if the plot is typically a bit so-so. I especially liked the use of Chinese, clever and effective. Gautrek, did you see the series? I reckon it would be more enjoyable then just the film, as it's the series that teaches us to care for the crew of Serenity. It really is a must see show. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 To hold it to any kind of standard of science is missing the point of the show. Firefly is, in my view, unmatched in the realm of entertainment. Science doesn't even enter the equation. Which has been my point all along. But there is so much quality writing in regards to characterization and dialogue it is marvellous even if the plot is typically a bit so-so. Agreed. Most of the main characters and their interactions are fascinating, and many of the minor ones are at least interesting. I especially liked the use of Chinese, clever and effective. What use was that? I can't offhand think of any that had any speaking parts. In fact, one of the few things that bugged me about the series was that Chinese (or at least oriental-looking) actors were just there as spear carriers, part of the scenery. The Chinese are supposed to be important players in this future society, but we never see them doing anything more dramatic than walking across a set. Unless of course you were just talking about the Chinese language, in which case the interjection of words and phrases was kind of neat as it showed one way that the two cultures were blending together. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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