I've Seen Serenity

HEAVY SPOILERS

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Joss had warned us that the film was going to be much darker. I knew this was code for "Crew Death". I did the 'math' and figured it was going to be either Book or Simon (in a last defence of River)

So when Books death came, I was ready. Some folk think that his 'last words' went on too long... but after several viewings I'm ready to argue that. the first part is really about Mal saying how sorry he is for this happening and Book easing his guilt (in a way).

The second part is where we begin to tune out. But I believe it is here that Joss gives us a very big clue to the mystery of Book himself. Books very last words (as I hear it after 6 veiwings) to Mal are...

"...River... I dont care what you belive... Just belive everything she -- "

which - to me - confirms my idea of Books backstory. He's an Ex-Operative. (The fact that he KNOWS what an Operative even is helps that along).

As to the death of Wash -- Man does that sting. After 6 times it is still painful to watch. but it does hold a purpose. Up untill that point we feel that the Big Damn Heroes(tm) are going to pull it off. They are going to beat the bad guys and escape all manner of Hell -- like they always did before.

And when a Reaver harpoon rips that away from us - the whole film changes. Now our heores don't look so big no more... Just damned.

As an aside - I will say that Joss messes up here. We are never given a chance to mourn for Wash. Zoe's first response is breif, and gets subsumed by the on-going action. We don't really get to see that wailing moment that would be just as cathardic for the crew as for us sad sacks in the auditorium. When the next few jokes come along they feel hollow and... I don't know... wrong.

I felt like yelling "How dare you ask us to laugh at a time like this?!?"

My other reactions include...

Denial icon_eek.gif "No WAY!... maybe they can fix him... maybe the alliance saves him... maybe it's a trick?..."

Anger icon_evil.gif "Joss Whedon sucks! -- I Hate him AAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!"

Bargaining icon_sad.gif "...ok... this was the rough cut... maybe they will change it before it comes out if they get the right feedback ...."

Depression icon_cry.gif "He's still dead.... "

and now Acceptance.

See... what follows Wash's death, only works because of his death. Zoe breaks the line to engage the Reavers in hand to hand combat. Why? It's such a bad, BAD thing to do.

Vengance.

She is out for blood and nothing but an axe to the back will stop her. Because of this Jayne can't get clear shots off -- which is what allows the Reavers to get a foothold on the room. This forces them to fall back --

When Kaylee says that she's starting to loose feeling from those darts in her neck, we really think she might not make it. This makes Simon try to go back to get his bag, which gets him shot down. Which makes River the only one left to save them (as Inara is busy trying to stop the bleeding).

Wash's death starts a chain reaction... we don't know if any of them are going to live. We really just don't know anymore.

and that is good storytelling.

My question -- what should we read into the fact that Whedon killed off the two biggest advocates for non-violence?

Web-Based Zombie Apocalypse

A Massively Multi-Player Web-Based Zombie Apocalypse... need I say more?

Lord Spare me from Trolls

Ok... so I hang out at a forum that I'm not going to name here and a conversation started with this question... [names changed to make me laugh]

Canada Guy wrote:
Is it true that there are some states down there where they just plain don't teach Evolution? I just found that out a few weeks ago and i couldn't quite beleive it.

which was answered...

Brainwashed wrote:
No it's required teaching by the liberal religious machine.

I don't know what I was thinking... I took the bait and posted back...

Cheyenne wrote:
No Science is required teaching - Evolution is just a part of that whole. And no state in the Union has banned the teaching of Evolution -- some backwater counties have just managed to get stickers on books that say

"Evolution is a disputed theory - and has not been proven to be fact"

Which is laughable if you have a half-decent education. and understand the definition of Theory [when used to discribe a branch of science]. Which is...

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena.

Biblical literalists have tried to put creationism on the same level as Evolution by renaming it the Intelligent Design Theory. But no matter what you call it, creationism has never been able to meet the criteria to be accepted by a true Scienist. Only those that are getting paid by the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

which got this response... emphasis mine.

Brainwashed wrote:
Yes, Science is required, but evilution[sic] is just a theory, unproven.

I see you're going with the new 'liberal religious machine' approved definition. Which says accepted knowledge like a pagan charm. Ask any 'skin head' if the holocaust happened, and their accepted knowledge says no.

Obviously you are a child of the liberal religious machine and view anything you don't agree with as being unproven. Evilution has been proven to be a wack job. It is still only a theory, unproven and continually tested.

Evilution? You are kidding me, right? Talk about yer wack-jobs. Apparently I am also comparable to Nazi Skin-heads because I belive in the sound foundations of Science... and what the hell is the liberal religious machine?

Let me say this once more for 'tards in the back... SCIENCE IS ABOUT REPRODUCEABLE RESULTS. EVOLUTION HAS REPRODUCEABLE RESULTS! Go to a dog show and tell me that there is no such thing as adaptive radiation.

I view anything I don't agree with as being unproven? Mr. Kettle this Mr. Black talk among yourselves and leave me the fuck out of it.

Texas Zombie Massacre

Thursday outside the Frank Erwin Center, a horde of zombies attacked the "American Idol" auditions. No one was hurt.

The zombies, 15 fake-bloodied actors in all, lurched out from under the IH-35 overpass and shuffled toward the Erwin Center, where they encountered the pop-star hopefuls.

Most of the 100 or so young people gathered outside had just been rejected by the "American Idol" review board, and they were talking, singing and waiting for rides home when the zombies arrived. "Braaaaaaains!" the zombies said. Nick Muntean, a UT radio-television-film graduate student who organized and participated in the zombie horde, added, "Television rots your braaaaaaains!"


The pop-star wannabes were largely unimpressed. "I don't get it," said Jacob Gandia, a singer.

Classic :)

More HERE

Firefly Episodes on the Big Screen in WA

From Fireflyfans.net

On September 17, 2005 at 7:00 pm, Kirkland Performance Center will be showing 4 episodes of Firefly: Serenity parts 1 & 2, Out of Gas and Ariel. Tickets will be $6.50 + $1 service fee. There will be concessions, giveaways and a Jaynestown sing-along to liven up the night.

To order tickets, please call 425-893-9900 or got to our website: kpcenter.org. The box office is open Tues-Sat 12-5.

We have authorization from the studio to do this and are paying royalties to be fully legal. All proceeds (if any) from this event will benefit KPC, a non-profit company.

Just in time for my birthday!